Timerosal en las vacunas: ¿blanco, negro, o más bien todo lo contrario? / Thimerosal in vaccines: white, black, or quite the opposite?

El presente artículo tiene por objetivo analizar la controversia ocurrida en Chile, especialmente durante los últimos meses, en relación a un proyecto de ley que busca prohibir la fabricación, importación, comercialización o distribución de vacunas que contengan dentro de sus compuestos, en cualquier nivel de concentración, timerosal o compuestos organomercúricos. Sin constituir una síntesis formal de toda la investigación existente, se analiza la evidencia científica que los distintos actores han utilizado, las razones de la controversia y las anomalías en el proceso de toma de decisión sanitaria.

This article analyzes the recent controversy regarding the introduction of a bill to Chilean Congress that aims to ban thiomersal and/or any trace of organomercurial compounds from vaccines in the country. Rather than providing a formal overview of all available evidence, this analysis focuses on the reasons behind the controversy, the scientific evidence invoked by both sides in the debate, and the anomalies in the healthcare decision-making process.

Heart involvement in Kala Azar

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease. About 30 species of sandflies are proven vectors of leishmania, the usual reservoir host includes human and domestic/wild animals. In addition, acquisition of visceral leishmaniasis as a result of blood transfusion has been documented. Visceral leishmaniasis presents in various forms. We report a three year old girl with visceral leishmaniasis and pericardial effusion. Meglumine antimoniate was prescribed for her and all her signs and symptoms plus her pericardial effusion were resolved

Evaluation of the severity of organophosphous insecticide intoxication using poisoning severity scoring, laboratory and therapeutic parameters

Organophosphorus [OP] compounds are the most widely used insecticides that cause poisoning after accidental, occupational or suicidal exposure. Poisoning is particularly common in the developing countries where more potent agents are widely available for agricultural and household purposes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of poisoning severity score [PSS], different laboratory and therapeutic measures in assessment of severity of OP poisoning, and to determine the need for intensive care management in cases of OP intoxication. One hundred patients suffering from acute OP poisoning were interviewed and categorized clinically according to PSS into three grades. Routine laboratory tests were done including arterial blood gases, random blood sugar and serum potassium on admission. Specific tests were estimation of pseudo choline sterase activity on admission and serum amylase on admission and after six hours. The studied patients received different lines of treatment in the form of general measures plus atropine or atropine and pralidoxime with or without assisted mechanical ventilation.55% of patients had the mildest degree of OP intoxication [PSS1], 31% had PSS2 and 14% were graded as PSS3. Significant correlation was detected between the degree of poisoning assessed by PSS and different laboratory investigations as well as the lines of treatment used. Cases having the highest score of severity [PSS3] had the lowest psudocholinesterase activity with more pronounced hyperglycemia, hypoxia, metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia. Acute pancreatitis occurred specifically in them. They needed atropine and pralidoxime in addition to assisted mechanical ventilation with longer stay in hospital than other cases. Accordingly, all these parameters including clinical scoring[PSS], laboratory findings and lines of treatment needed can be used for determination of the severity of OP poisoning. They are recommended to be applied in all OP-intoxicated patients

Influencia de los diuréticos en el resultado de los análisis clínicos / Influence of diuretics on the result of clinical analysis

En este trabajo se realizó una revisión de los principales grupos de diuréticos, sus sitios y mecanismos de acción y sus efectos sobre las pruebas de laboratorio. Se analizó el efecto de los diuréticos sobre: el estado ácido base, los electrolitos séricos y urinarios, el ácido úrico sérico y urinario y sobre la glucemia. También se describió la influencia de los diuréticos sobre los análisis de orina. Finalmente, los efectos hematológicos de los mismos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la influencia de los diuréticos en los análisis clínicos, buscando los mecanismos fisiopatológicos o metodológicos de los casos citados

Effects of ektafos, ratak and agrosan on pregnancy and fetal development in white rats

The teratogenicand other effects on pregnancy of EKTAFOS, agrosan and Ratak were studied. Four groups, each composed of 20 pregnant female white rats between the 10[th] to 19[th] day of gestation were used for revealing the dysmorphogenic effects of these preparations. Ektafos at a dose of 1 .95 mg/kg, body weight daily per os caused 25.2% resorption and 22.1% mortality and the average weight of the foetuses was 1.2 +/- 0.02 gm and their average length 2.1 +/- 0.09 cm. Agrosan at a dose of 100 mg/ 50 mg barley seeds daily caused 21% resorption sites and 18.9% mortality. The averages weight of the foeti was 1.9 +/- 0.02 gm and their average length 2.3 +/- 0.08 cm. Ratak at a dose of 0.9 mg/kg. daily mixed with 50 gm barley seeds caused 31% resorption and 33% mortality. The average weight of the foetuses was 1.4 +/- 0.03 gm and their average length was 2.3 +/- 0.06 cm. These values are significant different from the 12.34% resorption, 11 .5% mortality. Foetal weight of 3 .1 +/- 0.86 gm and foetal length of 4 .0 +/- 0 09 cm for the control group. Visceral examination of the foeti revealed no significant abnormalities compared with those of the control rats. Skeletal examination of the foetuses affected by Ektafos showed "incomplete fusion of the creanium [17.58%]. The incidence of vertebral column changes which included absence of one or more of the coccygeal vertebrae with separation of the wings of the atlas vertebrae was 15%. A reduced number of sternebrae was noted in 15.38% of the foetuses. Absence of some metacarpal, metatarsal and phalanges in the limbs was obtained in 7.67% of the foetuses. Foetuses from Agrosan treated dams showed malformations in the skull, vertebral column, ribs, sternebrae and limbs, their incidence being 15.53, 19.4, 13.59 and 18.53% respectively. Ratak affected rats showed no signs of skeletal malformations

Effect of mersalyl at cholinoceptive sites.

The effects of an organic mercurial compounds, mersalyl, were tested at the muscarinic and nicotinic sites (the smooth muscles, frog heart and frog rectus muscle) in vitro. Mersalyl had an antimuscarinic effect in the smooth muscle tissues and in the myocardium. On the frog rectus muscle, mersalyl had some potentiating effect on acetylcholine response.