Vascular retinal findings after COVID-19 vaccination in 11 cases: a coincidence or consequence?

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to assess vascular retinal findings temporally related to COVID-19 vaccination. With greater information regarding all possible future adverse events, we hope to understand the real dimension and relevance of what was presented. METHODS: Eleven patients with visual complaints after COVID-19 vaccination were enrolled. Data on the following were included: age, sex, vaccine, time of symptom onset, systemic findings, medical history, best-corrected visual acuity, and ocular findings by slit-lamp biomicroscopy as well as multimodal retinal imaging (color fundus, red-free photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, and fluorescein-angiography). Inclusion criteria were the presence of ophthalmologic signs within 30 days after the first or second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. RESULTS: Of 11 patients, five had arterial occlusion (45.4%), four had venous occlusion (36.4%), and two (18.2%) had nonspecific vascular alterations suggestive of retinal ischemia such as cotton-wool spots. The mean age was 57 (SD = 16; range: 27-84) years. The mean time of symptoms onset was 10 (SD = 5.4; range: 3-16) days. Nine patients were female (81.8%). Systemic risk factors were observed in 36.4% of patients. Two patients had both neurological and visual symptoms, with arterial occlusion. Overall, 36.4% patients had COVID-19 in the previous year. Seven patients (63.6%) received ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that retinal events temporally related to COVID-19 vaccination are possible but are very rare. The relationship of these events with post-COVID-19 vaccination warrants further attention to derive a meaningful conclusion.

Spain: coronary and structural heart interventions from 2010 to 2015.

Since 1990 The Spanish Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiac Catheterization and Interventional Cardiology has presented a yearly report on the data collected in the National Registry, with online support since 2010. The Steering Committee has analysed all data provided voluntarily by institutions, which consisted of a total of anywhere between 105 and 113 hospitals. Medical care was provided to a population of 46.8 million inhabitants in 2015. During this period, diagnostic procedures increased progressively from 2010, reaching a maximum of 145,836 in 2015, 86% (125,484) corresponding to coronary angiograms. This means a ratio of 3,127 diagnostic studies per million inhabitants and 2,746 coronary angiograms per million inhabitants. Total percutaneous coronary interventions have increased to 67,671 procedures, with a ratio of 1,466 per million inhabitants where 18,418 were carried out during the acute phase of myocardial infarction (21.7%). Radial access has been successfully implemented in up to 73.8% of diagnostic procedures and 76.1% of percutaneous interventions. Concerning structural interventions such as septal defects, valve interventions and closure of left atrial appendage, these have had a marked evolution over time, with a total of 1,586 TAVI and 334 LAA closure procedures performed in 2015.

Case-Control Study of Herpes Simplex Eye Disease: Bronx Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Eye Studies.

PURPOSE: To determine whether human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), diabetes mellitus, and atopic disease are associated with herpes simplex virus (HSV) eye disease and to examine the characteristics of patients with HIV infection and HSV eye disease. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: A hospital-based control group was matched to outpatient visits from June 1, 2010, through May 31, 2014, at Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, NY). Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of HSV eye disease during the study period and residency in the Bronx. Associations evaluated included age, sex, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, and atopic disease. RESULTS: HSV eye disease was confirmed in 70 patients, who were compared with 280 controls. Patients with ocular HSV had a greater prevalence of HIV/AIDS compared with controls (8.6% and 2.9%, respectively). Using multivariate analysis to control for age and sex, atopic dermatitis [odds ratio (OR) 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84-11.20] and diabetes with chronic complications (OR 2.25, 95% CI, 0.91-5.61) approached significance, whereas HIV/AIDS (OR 3.37, 95% CI, 1.09-10.40), an age less than 45 years (OR 2.89, 95% CI, 1.54-5.41), and male sex (OR 1.85, 95% CI, 1.07-3.18) were significant. In patients with HIV infection and HSV eye disease, 3 of 6 (50%) had confirmed AIDS at the time of ocular HSV diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HIV infection have more than a 3-fold increased risk of developing ocular HSV.

Cuban Ocular Toxoplasmosis Epidemiology Study (COTES): incidence and prevalence of ocular toxoplasmosis in Central Cuba.

BACKGROUND: Serological studies indicate that rates of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) vary geographically, with higher rates in tropical regions. Little is known about population-based rates of active OT. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of OT in Central Cuba. METHODS: This large-population, cross-sectional cohort study used a prospective database at a large regional referral centre in Central Cuba. The patient database was searched for all patients who presented with OT during the 12-month study period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012. Inclusion criteria were the clinical diagnosis of OT, characterised by focal retinochoroidal inflammation and a response to therapy as expected. Gender-stratified and age-stratified study population data from the 2012 Cuban Census were used to calculate incidence rates and prevalence ratios. RESULTS: Among 279 identified patients with OT, 158 presented with active OT. Of these, 122 new-onset and 36 prior-onset cases were confirmed. Based on the total population in the Sancti Spiritus province (466,106 persons), the overall incidence of active OT was 26.2 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 21.7 to 31.3) with an annual prevalence ratio of 33.9 per 100,000 persons (95% CI 28.8 to 39.6). The incidence of active OT was lowest in the oldest age group and highest in patients aged 25-44 years (4.5 and 42.1 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This first report describing population-based rates of OT in the Cuban population highlights the importance of patient age as a likely risk factor for OT. Disease rates were found to be highest in females and young to middle-aged adults.

The epidemiology of herpes simplex virus eye disease in Northern California.

PURPOSE: To calculate the incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) eye disease in a large, well-defined population in Northern California, USA, and to determine the recurrence rate following an initial episode of disease in this cohort. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, cohort study using population-based data and medical record review. The patient database of a large, regional health maintenance organization (Northern California Kaiser Permanente) was searched, and the study population consisted of 1,042,351 people over a 1-year study period from 1 July 1998 through 30 June 1999. Only ocular HSV cases with definitive clinical or laboratory confirmed diagnoses were included. Active and inactive cases were included, however only active cases were used in incidence and prevalence calculations. Bilateral disease was counted as one case. Newly diagnosed cases were followed for recurrence from initial presentation through 31 December 2002. RESULTS: After chart review of 322 possible cases, 71 new cases and 59 previously diagnosed active cases of ocular HSV were confirmed. This resulted in an incidence rate of 6.8 new cases/100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, CI, 5.3-8.6). Incidence increased with age, and rates were highest in people over 75 years of age (p < 0.001). The recurrence rate in new cases was 18% for the 3-year follow-up time, and was equal to 5% per year (95% CI 3-9%). CONCLUSION: The incidence and prevalence of ocular herpes simplex in this study was lower than previously reported. Incidence increased with age, and there were significantly higher rates in the older population.

Removal of diethyl phthalate from water solution by adsorption, photo-oxidation, ozonation and advanced oxidation process (UV/H2O2, O3/H2O2 and O3/activated carbon).

The objective of this work was to compare the effectiveness of conventional technologies (adsorption on activated carbon, AC, and ozonation) and technologies based on advanced oxidation processes, AOPs, (UV/H(2)O(2), O(3)/AC, O(3)/H(2)O(2)) to remove phthalates from aqueous solution (ultrapure water, surface water and wastewater). Diethyl phthalate (DEP) was chosen as a model pollutant because of its high water solubility (1,080 mg/L at 293 K) and toxicity. The activated carbons showed a high adsorption capacity to adsorb DEP in aqueous solution (up to 858 mg/g), besides the adsorption mechanism of DEP on activated carbon is governed by dispersive interactions between π electrons of its aromatic ring with π electrons of the carbon graphene planes. The photodegration process showed that the pH solution does not significantly affect the degradation kinetics of DEP and the first-order kinetic model satisfactorily fitted the experimental data. It was observed that the rate of decomposition of DEP with the O(3)/H(2)O(2) and O(3)/AC systems is faster than that with only O(3). The technologies based on AOPs (UV/H(2)O(2), O(3)/H(2)O(2), O(3)/AC) significantly improve the degradation of DEP compared to conventional technologies (O(3), UV). AC adsorption, UV/H(2)O(2), O(3)/H(2)O(2), and O(3)/AC showed a high yield to remove DEP; however, the disadvantage of AC adsorption is its much longer time to reach maximum removal. The best system to treat water (ultrapure and natural) polluted with DEP is the O(3)/AC one since it achieved the highest DEP degradation and TOC removal, as well as the lower water toxicity.

Modeling adsorption rate of organic micropollutants present in landfill leachates onto granular activated carbon.

The overall adsorption rate of single micropollutants present in landfill leachates such as phthalic acid (PA), bisphenol A (BPA), diphenolic acid (DPA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid (2,4-D), and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) on two commercial activated carbons was studied. The experimental data obtained were interpreted by using a diffusional model (PVSDM) that considers external mass transport, intraparticle diffusion, and adsorption on an active site. Furthermore, the concentration decay data were interpreted by using kinetics models. Results revealed that PVSDM model satisfactorily fitted the experimental data of adsorption rate on activated carbon. The tortuosity factor of the activated carbons used ranged from 2 to 4. The contribution of pore volume diffusion represented more than 92% of intraparticle diffusion confirming that pore volume diffusion is the controlling mechanism of the overall rate of adsorption and surface diffusion can be neglected. The experimental data were satisfactorily fitted the kinetic models. The second-order kinetic model was better fitted the experimental adsorption data than the first-order model.

Environmental impact of phthalic acid esters and their removal from water and sediments by different technologies--a review.

This article describes the most recent methods developed to remove phthalic acid esters (PAEs) from water, wastewater, sludge, and soil. In general, PAEs are considered to be endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), whose effects may not appear until long after exposure. There are numerous methods for removing PAEs from the environment, including physical, chemical and biological treatments, advanced oxidation processes and combinations of these techniques. This review largely focuses on the treatment of PAEs in aqueous solutions but also reports on their treatment in soil and sludge, as well as their effects on human health and the environment.

Adsorption/bioadsorption of phthalic acid, an organic micropollutant present in landfill leachates, on activated carbons.

This study investigated the adsorption of phthalic acid (PA) in aqueous phase on two activated carbons with different chemical natures, analyzing the influence of: solution pH, ionic strength, water matrix (ultrapure water, ground water, surface water, and wastewater), the presence of microorganisms in the medium, and the type of regime (static and dynamic). The activated carbons used had a high adsorption capacity (242.9 mg/g and 274.5 mg/g), which is enhanced with their phenolic groups content. The solution pH had a major effect on PA adsorption on activated carbon; this process is favored at acidic pHs. PA adsorption was not affected by the presence of electrolytes (ionic strength) in solution, but was enhanced by the presence of microorganisms (bacteria) due to their adsorption on the carbon, which led up to an increase in the activated carbon surface hydrophobicity. PA removal varies as a function of the water type, increasing in the order: ground water

Investigación de parasitosis intestinal en niños menores de 6 años en el campamento minero de Huarón-Cerro de Pasco / Investigation of intestinal diseases parasitic in children

Se han examinado las muestras de heces de 110 niños menores de 6 años de los PROMOEI y Escuelas Iniciales del Campamento Minero de Huarón-Cerro de Pasco, ubicado a 4,680 m.s.n.m. durante los meses de Noviembre y Diciembre de 1988. Las muestras de heces fueron sometidas a la observación microscópica mediante Método Directo y Método MIFC. De los 110 niños, 67 (60.91 por ciento) fueron positivos, siendo los parásitos encontrados Hymenolepis nana 42.7 por ciento, Ascaris lumbricoides 28.09 por ciento, Entamoeba coli 21.35 por ciento, Trinchuris trichura 4.4 por ciento, Taenia so 2.25 por ciento, Giardia lamblia 1.12 por ciento. Analizando los resultados consideramos como factores básicos el mal saneamiento ambiental y la condiciones de vida imperantes en la zona

Valor de la televisión en la extracción de cuerpos extraños bronquiales: presentación de casos / The value of television in the removal of bronchial foreign bodies: report of two cases

Se presentan los casos de dos niños de 8 y 9 años de edad, a quienes se les alojó en bronquios, cuerpo extraño metálico y puntiagudo. Se logra la extracción de forma inocua con el concurso de la televisión. Se hace revisión bibliográfica del tema, con lo que se confirma la ventaja del tratamiento con el concurso de dicho equipo y la anestesia general adecuada(AU)