Estabilidade da caranha em diferentes períodos de armazenamento / Stabilityof the caranhain differentstorage periods

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a influência do tempo de armazenamento na qualidade microbiológica, físico-química e sensorial do pescado caranha (Piaractusmesopotamicus). Os pescados foram estocados em gelo durante zero, sete, 14, 21 e 28 dias e submetidos às contagens de micro-organismos mesófilos, psicrotróficos, coliformes a 35ºC e 45ºC, Salmonella sp. e estafilococos coagulase positiva. Foram realizadas análises de temperatura, pH, acidez, bases voláteis, proteínas, lipídeos, cinzas, umidade, prova de cocção, bem como análise sensorial. As contagens de mesófilos, psicrotróficos, coliformes a 35ºC e 45ºC aumentaram com o tempo de armazenamento. A presença de Salmonella sp. não foi constatada, enquanto a contagem de estafilococos coagulase positiva foi de <10 (est) UFC/g em todos os períodos de estocagem. Observou-se, ainda, que o tempo de armazenamento apresentou influência em todas as variáveis físico-químicas, exceto para temperatura. Na análise sensorial, foi constatado um aumento linear do índice de qualidade (IQ) ao longo do armazenamento, e a rejeição ocorreu aos 14 dias.(AU)

The objective of this study was to verify the influence of storage time on the microbiological, physical-chemical, and sensorial quality of the fish (Piaractusmesopotamicus). The fish were stored on ice for 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days and submitted to counts of mesophilic, psychrotrophic, coliform microorganisms at 35ºC and 45ºC, Salmonella sp. and coagulase positive staphylococci. Analyzes of temperature, pH, acidity, volatile bases, proteins, lipids, ashes, humidity, cooking test, as well as sensorial analysis were performed. Counts of mesophiles, psychrotrophic, coliforms at 35°C and 45°C increased with storage time. The presence of Salmonella sp. was not observed, whereas the coagulase positive Staphylococcus count was <10 (est) CFU/g in all storage periods. It was also observed that the storage time had influence on all physical-chemical variables, except for temperature. In the sensorial analysis, a linear increase of the quality index (IQ) was verified throughout the storage and the rejection occurred at 14 days.(AU)

Ophthalmic artery Doppler as a measure of severe pre-eclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To identify differences in orbital flow behavior in mild and severe pre-eclamptic women compared with healthy pregnant women, demonstrated by ophthalmic artery Doppler indexes. METHODS: Ophthalmic artery Doppler indexes of 20 mild and 20 severe pre-eclamptic women were compared with 51 healthy pregnant women. Right and left eye Doppler index means were evaluated and the resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and peak ratio (PR) were calculated. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between PR, PSV, and EDV (P=0.0009, P=0.0020, P=0.0001) ophthalmic artery Doppler in a comparison of women with mild and severe pre-eclampsia. Statistically significant differences were seen between all Doppler indexes of the study group and healthy pregnant women. Ophthalmic PR, PSV, and EDV were significantly higher in severe pre-eclamptic cases but other index parameters did not show any difference. An elevation of diastolic and systolic flow occurred when pre-eclampsia became severe. CONCLUSION: Orbital vascular impedance reduction with orbital hyperperfusion was present in severe pre-eclamptic women compared with mild pre-eclamptic and healthy pregnant women. Ophthalmic Doppler is a novel parameter that may be useful in the diagnosis of severe pre-eclampsia.

Doppler assessment of uterine blood flow in recurrent pregnancy loss.

OBJECTIVE: To compare uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) and flow velocity wave (FVW) patterns between women with no history of abortion and women with recurrent pregnancy loss of unexplained cause. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 43 women with recurrent pregnancy loss and 43 women with no history of abortion and at least 1 child born at term (control group). Transvaginal ultrasonography with uterine artery Doppler evaluation was performed in the second phase of the menstrual cycle to calculate the PI and analyze the FVW pattern. RESULTS: The women with recurrent pregnancy loss had a significantly higher uterine artery PI than those in the control group (2.71+/-0.54 and 2.30+/-0.44, respectively), as well as a higher incidence of FVWs of the A and B types. CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, a higher PI and a higher incidence of FVW of the A and B types--and thus a higher uterine artery impedance--were found among women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

Prenatal diagnosis of vasa previa through color Doppler and three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography. A case report.

Vasa previa occurs in pregnancy when one of the membrane vessels extends down to the level of the internal cervical os, ahead of the fetal presenting part and unsupported by the placenta tissue or umbilical cord. The rupture of the vessels might happen spontaneously or artificially and frequently results in fetal exsanguination and demise. Ultrasound prenatal diagnosis is highly important as it allows the identification of patients at risk, thus an elective cesarean can be performed before rupture the membranes. We report a case of vasa previa diagnosed through color Doppler mode in the 30th week of gestation, emphasizing the contribution of three-dimensional power Doppler to the adequate mapping of aberrant vessels, which greatly contributed to the success of the perinatal result.

Cervical gland area as an ultrasonographic marker for preterm delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD) in the general population and the measurement of the cervix length, cervical funneling, and absence of the cervical gland area (CGA). METHOD: A prospective cohort of 338 women carrying uncomplicated pregnancies was evaluated by transvaginal sonography between 21 and 24 weeks' gestation. RESULTS: Measurement of cervical length with less than 20 mm and the presence of cervical funneling presented a statistically significant association with SPTD before 35 weeks. The non-detection of CGA demonstrated a strong association with SPTD before 37 weeks' (p < 0.001; OR = 194.5) and before 35 weeks' gestation (p < 0.001; OR = 129.6). The multiple logistic regression analysis suggested the non-detection of CGA as the only variable to reveal statistically significance association with SPTD. CONCLUSION: The results seem to indicate that the absence of CGA can be a new and important ultrasound marker for SPTD, to be confirmed by future multicenter investigations.

True hermaphroditism-the importance of ultrasonic assessment.

Intersex states are associated with rare syndromes within a wide clinical spectrum, true hermaphroditism being the rarest of them all. It is a condition that is characterized by ovotestis, i.e. the presence of ovarian and testicular tissues in the same individual, either in separate gonads or in the same gonad. Diagnostic investigation of hermaphroditism involves ultrasound examination of the gonads, karyotype analysis and histological studies. We report the case of a 21-year-old individual with true hermaphroditism, in whom ovotestis was diagnosed on ultrasonography and which was later confirmed by anatomopathological study of the gonads. The role of ultrasound in the initial diagnostic investigation of intersex states, especially true hermaphroditism, is discussed.

[Assessment of intestinal permeability using 51 CrEDTA: clinical usefulness in the detection of small bowel epithelial structural abnormalities]. / Estudo da permeabilidade intestinal pelo teste do 51CrEDTA: utilidade clínica na detecção de alterações estruturais do epitélio do intestino delgado.

Intestinal permeability tests have been increasingly used in the clinical management of small bowel diseases. Nevertheless, the application of such tests in Brazil is still limited. In this study we report the results of the application of 51Cr-EDTA for assessment of intestinal permeability in 13 healthy volunteers, 10 control patients with miscellaneous disorders, but without evidence of small bowel involvement, 11 patients with well characterized diseases affecting the small bowel, and five patients with inflammatory conditions affecting exclusively the colon. Urinary radioactivity levels in the 24 h following the ingestion of 51Cr-EDTA, expressed as the percentage of the ingested dosis, ranged from 1.99 to 5.93% (median: 3.14%) in healthy volunteers and was not significantly different from the results obtained in control patients (range: 1.48-3.98%; median 3.32%). Based on data from these two control groups, an upper limit of the normal range was set at 5.17% (95% confidence interval). Among patients with diseases of the small bowel, results ranged from 1.58 to 14.85% (median: 8.07%) and were significantly different from those observed in the control groups. Only two out of the 11 patients in this group had abnormal results. In the group of patients with diseases of the colon, results ranged from 3.48 to 5.13% (medium: 4.54%) and were not significantly different from the results obtained in control subjects. All patients in this group had results within the normal range. Data from control subjects and patients with diseases of the small bowel were used for the calculations of sensitivity (81%), specificity (96%), as well as false-positive (4.3%) and false-negative (18.1%) rates. Taken as a whole, the results of the present study indicate that the 51Cr EDTA test of intestinal permeability is accurate and may be useful in the clinical management of small bowel diseases in Brazilian patients.

Mono and polichemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic and invasive gestational trophoblastic disease: analysis of 50 cases.

Fifty patients with metastatic or invasive gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) were admitted at the "Hospital das Clínicas" of the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the São Paulo University between January 1980 and December 1990. Of these 50 patients, 44 (88%) had GTD following abortion, 5 (10%) after term pregnancies and one (2%) after an ectopic pregnancy. Thirty five (70%) had invasive GTD and 15 (30%) metastatic GTD. The sites of metastases were: lung, 8 (53.3%), pelvis, 4 (26.6%), central nervous system, 2 (13.3%) and right auricle, 1 (6.6%). Human chorionic gonadotropin, pelvic arteriography and ultrasonography were used in the diagnosis of invasive GTD. 25 of the 41 patients with low-risk metastatic and invasive GTD were treated with monochemotherapy. There were 6 (24%) failures and the remaining 19 patients (76%) had complete remission of the disease after 2.89 mean cycles. Sixteen patients were treated with polichemotherapy, there were 2 (12.5%) failures and the remaining 14 had complete remission after a 2.3 mean cycles. No statistical differences between the two types of chemotherapy were observed. Four (8%) deaths were recorded.