Reproducibility of pop sensation, Thompson sign in achillotomy, and final Pirani score to predict clubfoot relapse: Achillotomy clinical signs and Pirani predictive ability.

Ultrasound (US) can guide and confirm percutaneous release of the achilles tendon in the clubfoot. However, this technique may not always be available; therefore, surgeons' reported feelings of tendon release ("click" or "pop") and the Thompson sign could demonstrate that they are sensitive and reliable for confirming complete tendon release. The purpose of this study was to compare the reproducibility of clinical maneuvers that aim to detect the reported "click" or "pop" sensation by the surgeon and the Thompson sign after surgical release in percutaneous achilles tenotomy compare with US in patients with clubfoot. A cross-sectional reproducibility study of consecutive patients with idiopathic clubfoot was conducted. All the patients were scheduled to undergo tenotomy in the operating room using the standard percutaneous achilles tenotomy technique under sedation. The surgeon's reported surgical sensation ("click" or "pop") and Thompson signs were compared to the US assessment of the cut. The final Pirani score was used to predict recurrence risk and was correlated with the number of plaster casts and age. Forty-five feet were affected in 30 patients. Eighteen (60%) men. Age range: 1 to 60 months. The sensation of "click" or "pop" was recorded in 38 patients, and complete release was confirmed by US in 37 patients, for a sensitivity (Se) of 0.95 and specificity (Sp) of 0.63. Thompson signs were positive in 33 and 36 patients at 2 evaluations, with Se values of 0.87 and 0.92 and Sp values of 0.88 and 0.75, respectively. The Pirani final score, a predictor of recurrence risk, had an area under the curve of 0.80 (95% CI = 0.63-0.97; P = .005), Se = 0.78, and Sp = 0.56, with a cutoff point of 2.75. The feeling of achilles tendon release and Thompson sign had high sensitivity, prevalence, accuracy, and posttest probability. The confirmation of tendon release based on clinical signs could prevent the use of US.

Intranasal Versus Intravenous Dexamethasone to Treat Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV2 induces flu-like symptoms that can rapidly progress to severe acute lung injury and even death. The virus also invades the central nervous system (CNS), causing neuroinflammation and death from central failure. Intravenous (IV) or oral dexamethasone (DXM) reduced 28 d mortality in patients who required supplemental oxygen compared to those who received conventional care alone. Through these routes, DMX fails to reach therapeutic levels in the CNS. In contrast, the intranasal (IN) route produces therapeutic levels of DXM in the CNS, even at low doses, with similar systemic bioavailability. AIMS: To compare IN vs. IV DXM treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A controlled, multicenter, open-label trial. Patients with COVID-19 (69) were randomly assigned to receive IN-DXM (0.12 mg/kg for three days, followed by 0.6 mg/kg for up to seven days) or IV-DXM (6 mg/d for 10 d). The primary outcome was clinical improvement, as defined by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) ordinal scale. The secondary outcome was death at 28 d between IV and IN patients. Effects of both treatments on biochemical and immunoinflammatory profiles were also recorded. RESULTS: Initially, no significant differences in clinical severity, biometrics, and immunoinflammatory parameters were found between both groups. The NEWS-2 score was reduced, in 23 IN-DXM treated patients, with no significant variations in the 46 IV-DXM treated ones. Ten IV-DXM-treated patients and only one IN-DXM patient died. CONCLUSIONS: IN-DMX reduced NEWS-2 and mortality more efficiently than IV-DXM, suggesting that IN is a more efficient route of DXM administration.

Intranasal dexamethasone: a new clinical trial for the control of inflammation and neuroinflammation in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: By end December of 2021, COVID-19 has infected around 276 million individuals and caused over 5 million deaths worldwide. Infection results in dysregulated systemic inflammation, multi-organ dysfunction, and critical illness. Cells of the central nervous system are also affected, triggering an uncontrolled neuroinflammatory response. Low doses of glucocorticoids, administered orally or intravenously, reduce mortality among moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. However, low doses administered by these routes do not reach therapeutic levels in the CNS. In contrast, intranasally administered dexamethasone can result in therapeutic doses in the CNS even at low doses. METHODS: This is an approved open-label, multicenter, randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of intranasal versus intravenous dexamethasone administered in low doses to moderate and severe COVID-19 adult patients. The protocol is conducted in five health institutions in Mexico City. A total of 120 patients will be randomized into two groups (intravenous vs. intranasal) at a 1:1 ratio. Both groups will be treated with the corresponding dexamethasone scheme for 10 days. The primary outcome of the study will be clinical improvement, defined as a statistically significant reduction in the NEWS-2 score of patients with intranasal versus intravenous dexamethasone administration. The secondary outcome will be the reduction in mortality during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol is currently in progress to improve the efficacy of the standard therapeutic dexamethasone regimen for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04513184 . Registered November 12, 2020. Approved by La Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) with identification number DI/20/407/04/36. People are currently being recruited.

Tumor venéreo transmisible en caninos del área metropolitana de la ciudad de México / Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City

Un estudio fue conducido en 9 centros de control de rabia en la zona metropolitana de la ciudad de México, de enero a julio 2007. Los perros muestreados fueron capturados en las calles. Un total de 717 muestras de perros sacrificados fueron evaluadas para determinar la presencia de tumor venéreo transmisible canino, considerando solamente perros mayores de 1 año. La enfermedad fue detectada en 17,48% de las muestras y no hubo diferencia entre el origen, que tuvo un rango de 12,44 a 33,33%. La edad del perro afectó la frecuencia (P<0,05) siendo menor en los perros geriatras (> 7 años; 7,14%), y la más alta en el grupo de 3 a 4 años (20,95). No hubo diferencia entre género (machos 19,13% vs. hembras 15,30%) a pesar de que hubo una tendencia a ser mayor en machos (P=0,07). El tumor venéreo transmisible canino está presente en los perros capturados en las calles de ciudad de México y la presencia de la enfermedad es similar a la reportada en otros países.

A study was conducted at the 9 Rabies Control Centers in the metropolitan zone of Mexico City, from January to July 2007, sampled dogs were captured in the streets. A total of 717 samples were obtained from sacrificed dogs older than 1 year old to determine the presence of canine transmissible venereal tumor. The disease was detected in 17.48% of the samples and there was no difference between origins of sample which ranged from 12.44 to 33.33%. The age of the dog affected (P<0.05) the frequency, being lower in older dogs (>7 years; 7.14%), and the highest in the group from 3 to 4 years (20.95%). There was not difference between sexes (males 19.13% vs. females 15.30%) even when there was a tendency to be higher in males (P=0.07). Canine transmissible venereal tumor was present in street dogs captured in Mexico City and its presence is similar to that reported in other countries.