Hipocinetismo: un problema de salud entre jóvenes ucevistas? / Hypokinetism: a problem of health among young ucevistas?

Se explora la evaluación del hipocinetismo como factor de riesgo para la salud. A tal fin fueron analizados los hábitos de actividad física y el nivel de riesgo cardiovascular, en 314 estudiantes no atletas de la Universidad Central de Venezuela con edades entre 17 y 29 a¤os, mediante la aplicación del Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física-IPAQ (2004) y un cuestionario de Hoeger y Hoeger (2002) para la estimación del riesgo cardiovascular. Los resultados indicaron que globalmente 31,53 por ciento de los sujetos tenían un nivel de actividad física que se relaciona con hipocinetismo. Se evidenció que las jóvenes estudiadas mostraron mayores niveles de riesgo cardiovascular. Se identificaron asociaciones entre las variables género y la categoría de riesgo cardiovascular, asícomo entre esta última y los niveles de actividad física, apuntando a que el hipocinetismo representa un factor de riesgo adicional en el desarrollo de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en los ucevistas evaluados.

Caracterización química y sensorial de biscochuelos enriquecidos con fibra dietética y micronutrientes para el anciano / Chemical and sensory characterization of cakes enriched with dietary fiber and micronutrient for the elderly

This study presents the development of individual cakes enriched with dietary fiber (lupin and oat fiber), vitamins and minerals; as recent research has shown that the average daily dietary fibre intake of the elderly population in Chile is only 12 g. Each cake contains 4.8 g of dietary fibre and a 30 per cent of the RDA of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, E, nicotinamide and folic acid, 40 per cent of the RDA of vitamin D3, 15 per cent of the RDA of calcium, 12 per cent of the RDA of magnesium and 3 per cent the RDA of zinc. Polydextrose and sorbitol were added to improve flavor and texture. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used for optimization, based on a two-variable composite design. Thirteen experimental runs were carried out, with polydextrose (1 to 40 per cent based on flour content) and sorbitol (1 to 30 per cent based on flour content) as independent variables. The response variable was sensory quality obtained by the Karlsruhe test. Sensory attributes of texture and overall quality showed a good fitting with high determination coefficients and were used for optimization. The optimized cake contained 11.5 per cent polydextrose and 4.4 per cent sorbitol (both based on flour content). Quality of the optimized product was controlled by means of physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses. Overall sensory quality was 8.18 (very good) and good quality and nutritive value were achieved. In an acceptance test carried out with 150 adults, 100 per cent acceptability was obtained in the hedonic scale categories like it and like it very much. A shelf life study performed with cakes packaged in polypropylene bags of 30 microns thickness indicated a shelf life of 13 days stored at room conditions (25 degrees C and 55-60 per cent R.H.).

Simultaneous assessment of function and perfusion during dipyridamole-handgrip Tc-99m sestamibi imaging in chronic coronary artery disease.

The main goal of this work was to know the value of ventricular function in addition to perfusion Tc-99m sestamibi images in the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) when using dipyridamole (DIP) associated to isometric exercise. We analyzed 52 patients with suspected CAD; 40 of them had coronary lesions > or = 50% and 12 patients without CAD, conforming study and control groups, respectively. Twenty-eight patients had prior myocardial infarction. A two-day sestamibi protocol was employed with i.v. DIP-handgrip and rest injections, acquiring ECG-gated first pass and planar perfusion images. Sensitivity for perfusion images was 85% and specificity was 91.7%. There was no change between rest and DIP ejection fraction (EF) in controls. CAD patients presented a significant EF decrease with DIP (p: 0.0015). Patients with ischemia in perfusion images had larger EF decrease (p: 0.0001). For the analysis, an EF drop > or = 5% and any wall motion abnormality (WMA) were considered as having an abnormal response to DIP. CAD sensitivity improved significantly to 92.5% when adding EF drop and to 90% when adding WMA parameters, but specificity decreased to 75% with EF drop, and to 58.3% with WMA. In conclusion, first pass parameters from DIP-isometric exercise in addition to perfusion images are not a significant help in the assessment of CAD.

Costs associated with office visits for diarrhea in infants and toddlers.

We determined costs associated with diarrhea in a < 36-month-old ambulatory population. Children with acute diarrhea were enrolled during the rotavirus season at three centers. Questionnaires to assess costs of both medical and nonmedical factors were administered at the enrollment visit and 1 week later. Office computer records were reviewed to identify all visits by children with diarrhea during 1 year. Fifty-one patients were enrolled. The average cost per episode of diarrhea was $289, which included: $144, missed work; $57, office visits; $23, laboratory tests; $21, medications; $18, changed diet/oral rehydration solutions; $15, travel; $7, extra diapers; and $6, extra child care. During 1 year diarrhea accounted for 4% of all visits and 10% of visits among those < 36 months old. The annual cost at the three centers was $346,000, which extrapolates to $0.6 to $1.0 billion for the United States. Twenty-one percent of this cost was attributable to rotavirus diarrhea. We conclude that outpatient care for pediatric diarrhea is a major health care cost in the United States.

Bismuth subsalicylate in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: a clinical study.

Bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) and placebo were evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study as adjunct to rehydration therapy in 123 children, aged 4 to 28 months, hospitalized with acute diarrhea. The dosing regimen was 20 mg/kg five times daily for 5 days. Significant benefits were noted in the BSS group compared with placebo as manifested by decreases in stool frequency and stool weights and an improvement in stool consistency, significant improvement in clinical well-being, and shortening of the disease duration. Patients treated with BSS had a significant reduction in duration of hospital stay (6.9 days) compared with placebo-treated patients (8.5 days). Also, intravenous fluid requirements decreased significantly more rapidly and to a greater degree in the BSS-treated group. Bismuth subsalicylate was associated with clearance of pathogenic Escherichia coli from the stools in 100% of cases but was not different from placebo in rotavirus elimination. Bismuth subsalicylate was well tolerated with no reported adverse effects. Blood bismuth and serum salicylate levels were well below levels considered toxic. In this study, BSS provided effective adjunctive therapy for acute diarrhea, allowing children to get well sooner with less demand on the nursing and hospital staff.

[B-DR (HLA) linkage imbalance and transplants in Chile: a preliminary report]. / Desequilibrio de ligamento B-DR (HLA) y trasplantes en Chile: comunicación preliminar.

Linkage imbalance for the B and DR loci (HLA) was found in a Chilean sample of families where a member had been proposed for transplantation. The B7-DR2 and B14-DR1 haplotypes were significantly more frequent than expected. Most associations were those found in Caucasian populations.

Use of bismuth subsalicylate in acute diarrhea in children.

Results of a pilot study suggest that bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) favorably altered the course of rotavirus-associated diarrhea in children. This was more evident in those who also had a bacterial pathogen. Subsequently, 123 infants and children with acute diarrhea were admitted to a randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients received either BSS at a dosage of 100 mg/(kg.d) for 5 days or a placebo. Patients in the two groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, weight, height, and baseline disease parameters. Compared with subjects treated with placebo, those who received BSS had significantly lower stool weight sooner; improved stool consistency sooner; shorter hospital stay; lower number of stools; decreased need for intravenous fluids; and better evolution of clinical condition. The maximum mean serum level of salicylate occurred on day 3, and the mean blood level of bismuth on the last day of dosing (day 5) was 5.8 ppb.

Examen neurológico y rendimiento escolar: correlaciones a siete años plazo / Neurologic examination and achievement: a 7 years correlation study

Analizamos 146 niños provenientes de un seguimiento longitudinal de crecimiento y desarrollo del Area Norte de Santiago. Ellos fueron seguidos por varios años en aspectos biológicos, psicosociales y socioeconómicos. Aquí se comparan sus habilidades para leer y escribir y también sus rendimientos en una batería de exámentes neuromaduracionales, cuando ellos alcanzaron su tercer grado de enseñanza primaria, en relación a sus logros académicos, siete años más tarde. Se encontró una correspondencia altamente significativa entre las 2 evaluaciones. La capacidad de comprensión de lectura y resolución de problemas aritméticos simples fueron los aspectos más afectados en aquellos que exhibieron muchos signos neurológicos alterados. La escritura y habilidade4s de diseño fueron también comprometidas en cierto grado. La capacidad intelectual fue un factor determinante en esta correlación, ya que los niños con capacidad sobre el promedio tendieron a manifestar menos compromiso neurológico y mejores calificaciones académicas y viceversa. En todo caso, aquellos que mostraron muchos índices neuromaduracionales subnormales, tuvieron un menor rendimiento escolar, cualquiera que fuese el nivel mental. De 208 casos que ingresaron al estudio 62 se perdieron durante el lapso de 7 años. La mayoría de ellos fueron inhábiles para leer y escribir apropiadamente a nivel de tercer grado primario y también su examen neurológico demostró varias fallas menores. La gran mayoría de los sujetos perdidos había abandonado el sistema escolar en ese período. Por contraste 96% del grupo índice pudo ser reexaminado. Esta diferencia implica que entre el aprendizaje temprano, más el estado neurológico a la edad de 9 años y el rendimiento académico posterior, habría una correlación muy positiva para la serie completa. Se discuten las implicancias teórico-prácticas de estos datos

[School achievement and neurologic examination: a 7-years' correlation study]. / Examen neurológico y rendimiento escolar: correlaciones a siete años plazo.

Neurological examination and school performance were analyzed in 146 children from a longitudinal follow up on growth and development at northern metropolitan Santiago, Chile. Their reading and writing abilities and their performance on neuro-maturational tests at the third elementary grade, were compared with academic achievements seven years later and highly significant correspondence was found among these terms. Reading comprehension and simple arithmetic problem solving abilities were the most affected aspects in children that exhibited multiple subtle neurological abnormal signs. Writing and design abilities were also involved up to a certain degree. Intellectual endowment was a determinant factor in this relationship since children above average. I.Q. showed less neurological involvement and better academic qualifications and vice versa. Subjects with many subnormal neuro-maturational signs had relative under-ratings at school examinations, whichsoever their mental level was. Thirty percent of the initial 208 study case were missed in the 7 year time span: Most of them were unable to read and write properly at third elementary school grade, showed evidence of several minor neurological failures and abandoned school in the mean time. By contrast, 96% of the index group could be reexamined. This bias implies that between early learning plus neurological status, at age 9 years and the later academic performance should have been an extremely positive interrelationship for the whole series.

[Pathogenic agents in acute non-enterocolic diarrheal syndrome]. / Agentes patógenos en el síndrome diarreico agudo no enterocólico.

Along a one year period 112 infants admitted with non enterocolic acute diarrhea were studied for isolation of potentially ethiologic agents, namely enteropathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, classic enteropathogenic, enteroinvasive and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli), Rotavirus (viral RNA electrophoresis) and enteroparasites (Telemann and PAFS). The most frequently identified pathogen was rotavirus (57.8%), followed by thermo labile toxin producing Escherichia coli (19.7%). The frequency of classic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli was 13.9%, that of thermo stable toxin producing Escherichia coli 5.7%, Shigella 4.1%, Campylobacter 3.3% and Salmonella 1.6%. Bacteriae were isolated from 40.2%, of patients, predominantly in summer. Enteroparasites were detected in 13.1% of the cases, Entamoeba histolytica being the most frequent. In 32.8% of the cases more than one pathogen was isolated.