[Statistical process control charts in perinatal mortality surveillance]. / Cartas de Control Estadístico de Procesos en el Monitoreo de la Mortalidad Perinatal.

OBJECTIVE: Applying statistical process control (SPC) charts in perinatal mortality surveillance (as an epidemiological indicator). METHOD: The control charts were prepared using 51,840 births; 286 cases were produced from these births. All information came from SUSALUD between January 2004 and December 2007. Two control charts are presented; the first one's central line was considered to be the proportion of cases + 3 SD and the second one used the logits from the percentages of cases. RESULTS: Two control charts were prepared for monitoring perinatal mortality. The first considered the percentage of cases per month and an average of five cases per one thousand births was obtained (p=0.005). The logits were used for the second chart. CONCLUSIONS: Having SPC charts available for monitoring and analysing perinatal mortality will allow changes in service quality to be quickly detected and let aspects regarding the quality of the service being provided for mothers and the newborn to be evaluated. Specific interventions can also be programmed.

Cartas de control estadístico de procesos en el monitoreo de la mortalidad perinatal / Statistical process control charts in perinatal mortality surveillance

Objetivo Aplicar la metodología de las cartas de control estadístico de procesos (SPC) en la vigilancia de la mortalidad perinatal, indicador de la salud materno-perinatal. Método Las cartas de control fueron elaboradas utilizando 286 muertes perinatales y los 51 840 nacimientos, ocurridos en la Empresa Promotora de Salud SUSALUD, entre enero de 2004 y diciembre de 2007. Se elaboraron dos cartas de control, la primera se hizo teniendo en cuenta como línea central la proporción de muertes perinatales en cada uno de los meses y como límites superior e inferior de control la proporción de muertes ±3 SD, la segunda se elaboró calculando los logits de las proporciones de las muertes perinatales. Resultados Se construyeron dos cartas control para la vigilancia de la mortalidad perinatal. La primera tuvo en cuenta las proporciones de muertes perinatales para cada uno de los meses dando un promedio para el proceso de cinco muertes perinatales por cada mil nacimientos (p=0,005), para la segunda carta control se calcularon los logits de las proporciones de muertes perinatales. Conclusiones Disponer de las cartas SPC para el monitoreo y posterior análisis de la mortalidad perinatal, permitirá detectar rápidamente los cambios en la calidad del servicio, evaluar aspectos de la calidad de la atención materno-infantil y programar intervenciones específicas.

Objective Applying statistical process control (SPC) charts in perinatal mortality surveillance (as an epidemiological indicator). Method The control charts were prepared using 51,840 births; 286 cases were produced from these births. All information came from SUSALUD between January 2004 and December 2007. Two control charts are presented; the first one's central line was considered to be the proportion of cases + 3 SD and the second one used the logits from the percentages of cases. Results Two control charts were prepared for monitoring perinatal mortality. The first considered the percentage of cases per month and an average of five cases per one thousand births was obtained (p=0.005). The logits were used for the second chart. Conclusions Having SPC charts available for monitoring and analysing perinatal mortality will allow changes in service quality to be quickly detected and let aspects regarding the quality of the service being provided for mothers and the newborn to be evaluated. Specific interventions can also be programmed.

Plasmodium vivax thrombospondin related adhesion protein: immunogenicity and protective efficacy in rodents and Aotus monkeys.

The thrombospondin related adhesion protein (TRAP) is a malaria pre-erythrocytic antigen currently pursued as malaria vaccine candidate to Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, a long synthetic peptide (LSP) representing a P. vivax TRAP fragment involved in hepatocyte invasion was formulated in both Freund and Montanide ISA 720 adjutants and administered by IM and subcutaneous routes to BALB/c mice and Aotus monkeys. We measured specific humoral immune responses in both animal species and performed a sporozoite challenge in Aotus monkeys to assess the protective efficacy of the vaccine. After immunization both mice and Aotus seroconverted as shown by ELISA, and the specific anti-peptide antibodies cross reacted with the parasite in IFAT assays. Only two out of six immunized animals became infected after P. vivax sporozoite challenge as compared with four out of six animals from the control group. These results suggest that this TRAP fragment has protective potential against P. vivax malaria and deserves further studies as vaccine candidate.

Plasmodium vivax thrombospondin related adhesion protein: immunogenicity and protective efficacy in rodents and Aotus monkeys

The thrombospondin related adhesion protein (TRAP) is a malaria pre-erythrocytic antigen currently pursued as malaria vaccine candidate to Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, a long synthetic peptide (LSP) representing a P. vivax TRAP fragment involved in hepatocyte invasion was formulated in both Freund and Montanide ISA 720 adjutants and administered by IM and subcutaneous routes to BALB/c mice and Aotus monkeys. We measured specific humoral immune responses in both animal species and performed a sporozoite challenge in Aotus monkeys to assess the protective efficacy of the vaccine. After immunization both mice and Aotus seroconverted as shown by ELISA, and the specific anti-peptide antibodies cross reacted with the parasite in IFAT assays. Only two out of six immunized animals became infected after P. vivax sporozoite challenge as compared with four out of six animals from the control group. These results suggest that this TRAP fragment has protective potential against P. vivax malaria and deserves further studies as vaccine candidate.

[Birth-weight curves]. / Curvas de peso al nacer.

OBJECTIVE: This work was aimed at constructing curves relating birth-weight to gestational age; these can be used as a standard for the newborn in Colombia. METHOD: The curves were drawn up using birth-weights from pregnancies lasting 22-44 weeks. Three tables were drawn up; these are presented, along with their respective graphs. They were constructed using monotonic regression from the sample percentiles computed in strata defined by gender and the number of weeks. RESULTS: Percentile curves were built for 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90 and 95% percentiles for the newborn in the form of tables and graphs. CONCLUSIONS: Constructing birth-weight curves from data pertaining to the target population led to better classification of the newborn.

Curvas de Peso al Nacer / Birth-weight curves

Objetivo Elaborar curvas que relacionen el peso al nacer y edad gestacional, y sirvan de estándar para la población de recién nacidos en Colombia. Métodos Las curvas fueron elaboradas utilizando los pesos de los recién nacidos producto de embarazos que finalizaron entre las semanas 22 y 44. Se elaboraron tres tablas con sus respectivas figuras, utilizando regresiones monótonas ajustadas sobre los percentiles muestrales calculados para los diferentes estratos definidos por las covariables sexo y número de semanas. Resultados Se construyeron las curvas porcentuales para el peso de los neonatos a los niveles 5 , 10 , 25 , 50 , 75 , 90 y 95 por ciento, además de las tablas con sus valores. Conclusiones Disponer de curvas de peso al nacer elaboradas con los datos de los recién nacidos pertenecientes a las poblaciones de las cuales provienen, permite una mejor clasificación de los recién nacidos.

Objective This work was aimed at constructing curves relating birth-weight to gestational age; these can be used as a standard for the newborn in Colombia. Method The curves were drawn up using birth-weights from pregnancies lasting 22-44 weeks. Three tables were drawn up; these are presented, along with their respective graphs. They were constructed using monotonic regression from the sample percentiles computed in strata defined by gender and the number of weeks. Results Percentile curves were built for 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90 and 95 percent percentiles for the newborn in the form of tables and graphs. Conclusions Constructing birth-weight curves from data pertaining to the target population led to better classification of the newborn.

Proceso para el desarrollo de una vacuna contra la fase hepática de Plasmodium vivax / Process to development a vaccine against to hepatic phase of Plasmodium vivax

Introducción: Anualmente se producen en el mundo entre 80 y 100 millones de casos de malaria ocasionada por Plasmodium vivax, segunda especie de Plasmodium en importancia a nivel mundial y primera en el continente americano. Ante la falla de los métodos clásicos de control de la malaria, derivada de la creciente resistencia de los mosquitos a los insecticidas y de los parásitos a los medicamentos disponibles, se ha trabajado intensamente en la búsqueda de vacunas que puedan prevenir completamente la infección o limitar los efectos patológicos de la enfermedad. Objetivos: Este trabajo describe el proceso de desarrollo de una vacuna experimental dirigida contra las formas pre-eritrocíticas del parásito, para lo cual se ha seleccionado la proteína circumesporozoito (CS) que se expresa de forma abundante en la superficie del parásito y que se halla comprometida en el proceso de invasión hepática. Metodología: El proceso consistió en una exhaustiva caracterización inmunológica de la proteína, mediante péptidos sintéticos de diferente longitud, seguida de pruebas de toxicidad e inmunogenicidad en animales con los tres péptidos largos que cubren las regiones N, R y C de la CS. Como etapa inicial de la prueba en humanos, se hizo un ensayo clínico fase I que probó la seguridad e inmunogenicidad, de cada uno de los péptidos formulados en el adyuvante Montanide ISA-720. El ensayo fue al azar, doble ciego y comprometió a 23 voluntarios sanos, hombres y mujeres entre 18 y 33 años de edad, sin historia de malaria. Conclusiones: La vacuna fue muy bien tolerada y demostró buena seguridad e inmunogenicidad en los ensayos preclínicos así como en todos los voluntarios, facilitando el avance a ulteriores fases de investigaciónclinica

Manejo de líquidos, biopsias y tijidos en el quirófano

Las muestras patológicas obtenidas con fines diagnósticos deben ser manipulados con todas las exigencias necesarias para garantizar su conservación. El daño extravío de las mismas tiene graves repercusiones para el paciente, en especial, para el tratamiento posterior. Se describen las principales muestras que son enviadas con frecuencia al laborarorio de patología, haciendo énfasis en las normas para su correcta manipulación.