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Neuroinflammation is a pathological mechanism contributing to neurodegenerative diseases. For in-depth studies of neuroinflammation, several animal models reported reproducing behavioral dysfunctions and cellular pathological mechanisms induced by brain inflammation. One of the most popular models of neuroinflammation is the one generated by lipopolysaccharide exposure. Despite its importance, the reported results using this model show high heterogeneity, making it difficult to analyze and compare the outcomes between studies. Therefore, the current review aims to summarize the different experimental paradigms used to reproduce neuroinflammation by lipopolysaccharide exposure and its respective outcomes, helping to choose the model that better suits each specific research aim.
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Inflamação , Doenças Neuroinflamatórias , Animais , Inflamação/induzido quimicamente , Inflamação/patologia , Lipopolissacarídeos/toxicidade , Microglia/patologia , Modelos Animais de DoençasRESUMO
Objective: to present the radiographic clinical follow-up of the prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with an atrophic mandible, with the installation of short implants associated with an implant of regular length. Method: case report of a completely edentulous patient with an atrophic mandible and a 6-year radiographic clinical follow-up conducted at the dental clinic of the Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, from February 2011 to January 2020. After collecting sociodemographic data, health records, clinical radiographic examinations, and prosthetic surgical planning, four dental implants were installed between the mental foramina. After three months, mini-conical abutments and a fixed prosthesis screwed onto the implants were installed and monitored every six months for a period of six years. Results: the clinical evaluation revealed tissue stability without significant peri-implant changes after the follow-up period. Radiographically, bone resorption was not observed around the implant. Stability of the prosthesis and absence of prosthetic complications were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusion: short implants associated with regular-length implants can be placed in the anterior region of an atrophic mandible for rehabilitation with fixed complete dentures.
Objetivo: apresentar o acompanhamento clínico radiográfico da reabilitação protética de um paciente com mandíbula atrófica com a instalação de implantes curtos associados a um implante de comprimento regular. Método: relato de caso de uma paciente desdentada total com mandíbula atrófica, e acompanhamento clínico radiográfico de seis anos, realizado na clínica odontológica da Universidade Federal de Piauí, Teresina, no período de fevereiro de 2011 a janeiro de 2020. Após coleta de dados sociodemográficos e registro de saúde, exames clínicos radiográficos e planejamento cirúrgico protético, foram instalados quatro implantes dentários entre os forames mentonianos. Após o período de três meses foram instalados mini pilares cônicos e uma prótese fixa aparafusada sobre os implantes que foi acompanhada a cada seis meses por um período de seis anos. Resultados: as avaliações clínicas mostraram estabilidade tecidual sem alterações peri-implantares significativas após o período de acompanhamento. Radiograficamente foi observada a manutenção sem reabsorção óssea ao redor dos implantes. A estabilidade da prótese e a ausência de complicações protéticas foram observadas clinicamente durante o período de acompanhamento. Conclusão: os implantes curtos associados a implante de comprimento regular podem ser colocados na região anterior da mandíbula atrófica para reabilitação com prótese total fixa.
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Próteses e Implantes , Implantes Dentários , Reabilitação BucalRESUMO
Background: The quality of recovery is a cluster of patient-related outcomes that emphasise not only pain but different physical and emotional dimensions. Traditionally, ketamine is used to improve postoperative analgesia and avoid opioid consumption and opioid-related side effects. Objective: The present study sought to evaluate if intraoperative ketamine administration (as a part of multimodal analgesia) influences the quality of recovery after laparoscopic surgery. Design: A prospective two-armed, single-blinded trial. Settings. Tertiary single-centre trial between July 2021 and January 2022. Patients. From the 146 patients initially admitted to the study, 127 patients were enrolled, 60 in the ketamine group (group K) and 67 in the control group (group NK). Intervention. Both groups received a rigid intraoperative anaesthesia protocol; furthermore, in group K, 0.5 mg/kg of the ideal body weight of ketamine was administered. Main Outcome Measures. The primary outcome was to evaluate the effect of ketamine administration on the postoperative quality of recovery using the Portuguese version of the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) Questionnaire 24 h after surgery. The total score and minimal clinically significant difference (MCID) of the QoR-15 were compared. Other variables were also assessed such as the presence of emergence delirium (ED), the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, and the presence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Results: A total of 127 patients were allocated to the study groups, 60 in group K and 67 in group NK. Regarding the primary outcome, no differences were found in individual categories (15 items) and in the total score of QoR-15 (p=0.214). Concerning improvement (MCID ≥ 8) or worsening (MCID ≤ 8) in quality of recovery, no difference was found between the groups (24 vs. 32 and 6 vs. 6; p=0.776). Finally, no difference was found in secondary postoperative outcomes including ED (p=0.55), NRS (p=0.401), and PONV (p=0.55). Conclusion: In this study, the administration of ketamine in laparoscopic surgery had no impact on the quality of recovery 24 h after surgery. This trial is registered with NCT03724019.
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Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) in the context of anesthesia is a rare condition, although pediatric patients are at higher risk. This case stands out for the severe respiratory clinic that quickly developed in a child with a cancer history whose radiological and clinical presentation suggested multiple differential diagnoses, including tumor recurrence with metastasis or pulmonary tuberculosis. NPPE is a well-described, but a probably underrecognized clinical syndrome, that occurs after intense inspiratory effort against an obstructed airway. In clinical practice, when unexplained pulmonary edema takes place, NPPE should be considered in the differential diagnosis. NPPE usually has a favorable prognosis but pediatricians, radiologists, and anesthesiologists should be aware of this complication.
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Obstrução das Vias Respiratórias , Anestésicos , Neoplasias , Edema Pulmonar , Humanos , Criança , Edema Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagem , Edema Pulmonar/etiologia , Neoplasias/complicações , Obstrução das Vias Respiratórias/diagnósticoRESUMO
This paper evaluates the effect of an additional hydrophobic resin coat (extra HL) associated with universal adhesives on sound and eroded dentin and evaluated immediately or after 2 years of water storage to improve the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) and nanoleakage (NL) when compared to the use of universal adhesives only. Sixty-four molars were assigned to eight groups using the following combinations: 1. dentin substrate, including sound and eroded dentin; 2. treatment, including the control and extra HL and storage time (immediately and after two-years of storage). Two universal adhesives (Prime & Bond Active or Scotchbond Universal) were evaluated. Before restoration, half of the teeth were subjected to soft-drink erosion. Composite buildups were bonded; specimens were stored (37 °C/24 h), sectioned into resin−dentin bonded sticks and tested for microtensile bond strength and nanoleakage using SEM (immediately and after two-years of storage). Three-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05%) were used. In the immediate testing, the application of extra HL did not increase microtensile bond strength values compared with the control group in either substrate (p > 0.05). However, extra HL significantly decreased nanoleakage values when applied to eroded and sound dentin (p = 0.0001). After two years, the application of extra HL produced significantly higher microtensile bond strength and lower nanoleakage values than the control group for both adhesives (p = 0.0001). In all cases, sound dentin showed higher microtensile bond strength and lower nanoleakage values than eroded dentin (p = 0.000001). An extra HL increased the bond strength and reduced nanoleakage in eroded dentin after two-years of storage.
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Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the general population and frontline professionals, including those conducting support or backup activities in health units, which can lead to vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization has been used to describe negative emotional reactions in mental health professionals who assist or treat victims of traumatic events. Thus, the aim of this article is to report the actions used in the face of the psychological demands of professionals in a hospital, who were not on the frontline of COVID-19. We collected their sociodemographic information and checked the psychological impact using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), which was followed by a psychoeducational program (topics related to COVID-19 control and prevention), and individual psychological care for the most severe cases. A total of 118 professionals participated in this study; they were between 20 and 67 years old. Mild to moderate anxiety was observed in 36.5% of the medical teams, 83.3% of the administrative staff, and 65.7% of general service workers, while stress symptoms were observed in 80.2%, 83.3%, and 59.9%, respectively. Depressive symptoms (35.3%) were more frequent in general service workers. The medical teams reported the benefits of primary psychological care, while the other professionals demanded more institutional support services related to the prevention and use of personal protective equipment. This study highlights relevant psychological demands that have repercussions on the daily lives of professionals. The psychoeducational program was considered positive regarding clarification actions. However, it was not perceived as effective in reducing fear, which may result from vicarious traumatization and requires other intervention modalities.
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Abstract Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the general population and frontline professionals, including those conducting support or backup activities in health units, which can lead to vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization has been used to describe negative emotional reactions in mental health professionals who assist or treat victims of traumatic events. Thus, the aim of this article is to report the actions used in the face of the psychological demands of professionals in a hospital, who were not on the frontline of COVID-19. We collected their sociodemographic information and checked the psychological impact using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), which was followed by a psychoeducational program (topics related to COVID-19 control and prevention), and individual psychological care for the most severe cases. A total of 118 professionals participated in this study; they were between 20 and 67 years old. Mild to moderate anxiety was observed in 36.5% of the medical teams, 83.3% of the administrative staff, and 65.7% of general service workers, while stress symptoms were observed in 80.2%, 83.3%, and 59.9%, respectively. Depressive symptoms (35.3%) were more frequent in general service workers. The medical teams reported the benefits of primary psychological care, while the other professionals demanded more institutional support services related to the prevention and use of personal protective equipment. This study highlights relevant psychological demands that have repercussions on the daily lives of professionals. The psychoeducational program was considered positive regarding clarification actions. However, it was not perceived as effective in reducing fear, which may result from vicarious traumatization and requires other intervention modalities.
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Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Pessoal de Saúde/psicologia , Fadiga de Compaixão/psicologia , COVID-19/psicologia , Esgotamento Profissional/diagnóstico , Saúde Mental/educação , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Hospitais PúblicosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.
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COVID-19 , Ansiedade/epidemiologia , Ansiedade/prevenção & controle , Brasil/epidemiologia , Depressão , Feminino , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Saúde Mental , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.
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Humanos , Feminino , COVID-19 , Ansiedade/prevenção & controle , Ansiedade/epidemiologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Saúde Mental , Pessoal de Saúde , Depressão , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Aquatic physiotherapy has been shown to be effective in developing balance, strength, and functional reach over time. When dealing with immediate effects, the literature has concentrated more on the body's physiological response to the physical and mechanical properties of water during passive immersion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a single 45-min active aquatic physiotherapy session on standing balance and strength, and its relationship with functional reach in persons 55 years and older with upper limb dysfunction. METHODS: The intervention group (n = 12) was assessed before and after a single aquatic physiotherapy session, while the control group (n = 10) was evaluated before and after 45 min of sitting rest. Functional assessment was made using the visual analogue pain scale (points), step test (repetitions), functional reach test (cm), and global balance-standing test on a force platform (% time). A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was applied (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The intervention group showed non-significant improvements between measurement before and after the intervention: Pain: 6.2 ± 1.9 vs. 5.2 ± 2.3 cm, steps: 7.0 ± 2.0 vs. 7.4 ± 1.8 repetitions, reach: 9.1 ± 2.8 vs. 10.4 ± 3.8 cm, and balance: 61.7 ± 5.9 vs. 71.3 ± 18.2% time in balance on the platform. The control group showed fewer changes but had better baseline values. A comparison between groups with time showed no significant differences in these changes. CONCLUSIONS: No significant immediate effects were found for one session of aquatic physiotherapy applied to patients older than 55 years with upper limb dysfunction.
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Modalidades de Fisioterapia , Equilíbrio Postural , Extremidade Superior , Idoso , Terapia por Exercício , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Medição da Dor , Extremidade Superior/fisiopatologiaRESUMO
O Brasil ocupa a 17ª posição no ranking mundial de consumo de antibióticos. Prescrição inadequada e automedicação são os grandes vilãs e podem dar origem às bactérias resistentes ao medicamento. O Projeto Fiocruz no Ar produz podcasts para serem distribuídos para rádios interessadas em veicular gratuitamente informação de qualidade, tendo como referência a expertise de 118 anos da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, do Ministério da Saúde. A distribuição do material também é feita pelo Whatsapp, para que a informação chegue a um maior número de pessoas.
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Automedicação , Automedicação , Antibacterianos , Resistência Microbiana a MedicamentosRESUMO
Para ter o efeito desejado do antibiótico em nosso organismo, é necessário observar alguns cuidados, para evitar que o paciente possa desenvolver uma resistência antimicrobiana, ou seja uma resistência aos medicamentos, dificultando a cura do paciente e até leva-lo à morte. "O uso correto do antibiótico" é o tema deste podcast do Projeto Fiocruz no Ar, da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (com duração de 3m26s). Nele, o farmacêutico Orlando Neto, do Hospital Central da Aeronáutica, explica como se deve tomar o antibiótico e os riscos de uma ingestão inadequada, como, por exemplo, com leite ou suco, ou fora dos horários estabelecidos pelo médico. Um relatório do Grupo de Coordenação Interagências da ONU emitiu alerta urgente sobre o grave problema de resistência antimicrobiana, que prevê em um cenário negativo a partir de 2050, 10 milhões de mortes por ano.
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Antibacterianos , Uso Indevido de Medicamentos sob Prescrição , Resistência Microbiana a MedicamentosRESUMO
Se você apresenta tosse seca por mais de três semanas, febre ao final da tarde, suor noturno, emagrecimento e muito cansaço, cuidado! Pode ser tuberculose! A doença, considerada uma das mais perigosas no mundo, atinge cerca de 30 pessoas por dia e chega a matar, diariamente 4.500 pessoas, segundo dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde OMS. Para alertar a população sobre os riscos da tuberculose, a OMS e a União Internacional contra a Tuberculose e Doenças Pulmonares estabeleceram 24 de março como Dia Mundial de Combate à Tuberculose. Neste dia, em 1882, o dr. Roberto Koch conseguiu identificar a bactéria causadora da doença bacilo de Koch abrindo o caminho para o diagnóstico e a cura a doença. Para alertar a população sobre o tema, o projeto Fiocruz no Ar produziu dois podcasts sobre a tuberculose, com a participação da pesquisadora da Fiocruz Bahia, Theolis Bessa, e da médica pneumologista Maria do Carmo Corbaxo. Antibióticos e tuberculose Um dos problemas encontrados no tratamento da tuberculose em todo o mundo é a resistência bacteriana, uma vez que o uso indiscriminado de antibióticos pode levar a uma resistência maior do organismo aos medicamentos que combatem à doença. Em 2017, 82% das pessoas com tuberculose apresentavam resistência aos antibióticos comumente usados para tratar a doença, segundo dados da OMS.
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Tuberculose , Tuberculose Resistente a Múltiplos Medicamentos , Automedicação , AutomedicaçãoRESUMO
Se você apresenta tosse seca por mais de três semanas, febre ao final da tarde, suor noturno, emagrecimento e muito cansaço, cuidado! Pode ser tuberculose! A doença, considerada uma das mais perigosas no mundo, atinge cerca de 30 pessoas por dia e chega a matar, diariamente 4.500 pessoas, segundo dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde OMS. Para alertar a população sobre os riscos da tuberculose, a OMS e a União Internacional contra a Tuberculose e Doenças Pulmonares estabeleceram 24 de março como Dia Mundial de Combate à Tuberculose. Neste dia, em 1882, o dr. Roberto Koch conseguiu identificar a bactéria causadora da doença bacilo de Koch abrindo o caminho para o diagnóstico e a cura a doença. Para alertar a população sobre o tema, o projeto Fiocruz no Ar produziu dois podcasts sobre a tuberculose, com a participação da pesquisadora da Fiocruz Bahia, Theolis Bessa, e da médica pneumologista Maria do Carmo Corbaxo. Antibióticos e tuberculose Um dos problemas encontrados no tratamento da tuberculose em todo o mundo é a resistência bacteriana, uma vez que o uso indiscriminado de antibióticos pode levar a uma resistência maior do organismo aos medicamentos que combatem à doença. Em 2017, 82% das pessoas com tuberculose apresentavam resistência aos antibióticos comumente usados para tratar a doença, segundo dados da OMS.
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Tuberculose , Diagnóstico , Tratamento Farmacológico , Tuberculose Resistente a Múltiplos MedicamentosRESUMO
Infecções provocadas por bactérias resistentes matam cerca de 700 mil pacientes por ano, segundo dados da União Europeia para Saúde e Segurança Alimentar. Estudos apontam que este número pode chegar a 10 milhões de pessoas em 2050. Um dos principais focos das infecções provocadas por bactérias resistentes está nos hospitais. No Brasil, a Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (Opas/OMS) estima que a taxa de infecções hospitalares atinja 14% das internações. Medidas simples podem ajudar a evitar a problema como a frequente lavagem das mãos, tanto por parte dos visitantes quanto da equipe dos profissionais de saúde.
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Desinfecção das Mãos , Higiene das Mãos , Segurança do Paciente , Infecção Hospitalar , Centros de SaúdeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Negative symptoms are a core feature of schizophrenia. The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) is a scale developed to measure negative symptoms in schizophrenia. METHODS: The present study aimed to examine the construct validity of BNSS, by using convergent and divergent validities as well as factor analysis, in a Brazilian sample of 111 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia by DSM-5. Patients were evaluated by the Brazilian version of the BNSS and positive and negative subscales of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: Assessment of patients by both instruments revealed an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alphaâ¯=â¯0.938) or inter-rater reliability (ICCâ¯=â¯0.92), as well as a strong correlation between BNSS and Marder negative PANSS (râ¯=â¯0.866) and a weak correlation of the instrument with the positive PANSS (râ¯=â¯0.292), thus characterizing convergent and discriminant validities, respectively. The exploratory factor analysis identified two distinct factors, namely, motivation/pleasure and emotional expressivity, accounting for 68.63% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the Brazilian version of the BNSS has adequate psychometric properties and is a reliable instrument for the assessment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, either for clinical practice or research.
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Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica/normas , Psicometria/normas , Esquizofrenia/diagnóstico , Esquizofrenia/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Brasil , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a member of the Papillomaviridae family. The prevalence of HPV genotypes may vary according to the region and the population studied. Quilombo communities are ethnic and racial groups with difficult access to health services compared to the general population in Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify specific HPV types correlating with sociodemographic/behavioral characteristics and cervical smear cytological abnormalities in Quilombola women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 395 Quilombola women users of the Unified Health System of the Municipalities of Maranhão for the screening of cervical cancer. The samples were analyzed for the presence of cytological abnormalities by conventional methods and tested for 37 HPV genotypes using polymerase chain reaction with primers PGMY09/11 followed by reverse line blot hybridization performed with the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test kit by Roche Molecular System®. The association between HPV types and cytological diagnosis was investigated according to the different age groups. RESULTS: HPV infection was detected in 12.6% (50/395) of the women. Infections by high-risk HPV types were more frequent. Genotypes 68 (26.0%); 58 and 52 (20.0%); 31 (10.0%) and 62 (8.0%) were the most prevalent. The highest prevalence (42.0%) of HPV infection occurred in women diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. There was a statistically significant association between HPV infection and the detection of cytological abnormalities in all age groups except in women over 60 years. There was a statistically significant association between the municipality of origin and the number of partners with HPV infection. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to incorporate new cervical cancer screening techniques incorporating the cervical-vaginal cytology. For further studies, it is necessary to determine the level of knowledge of Quilombola population on health-related issues including HPV infection and cervical cancer. This will contribute to the continuous improvement of healthcare coverage among the population and enhance the implementation of cancer care in the state of Maranhão.
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Detecção Precoce de Câncer/estatística & dados numéricos , Papillomaviridae/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Papillomavirus/epidemiologia , Infecções por Papillomavirus/virologia , Adulto , Idoso , Brasil/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , DNA Viral/análise , Feminino , Humanos , Programas de Rastreamento/estatística & dados numéricos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Papillomaviridae/genética , Infecções por Papillomavirus/diagnóstico , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Prevalência , Lesões Intraepiteliais Escamosas Cervicais/epidemiologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) co-infection has been a research topic of interest worldwide. In Brazil, it has been observed that there is a relative underreporting and failure in the understanding and management of this important association. The aim of this study was to analyze epidemiological and clinical aspects of patients with VL with and without HIV/AIDS. METHODS: We conducted an observational and analytical study of patients with VL followed in a Reference Service in the State of Maranhão, Brazil from 2007-2013. RESULTS: In total 126 patients were enrolled, of which 61 (48.4%) were co-infected with HIV/AIDS. There were more males among those with HIV/AIDS (85.2%, P>0.05) or with VL only (81.5%, P>0.05). These findings significantly differed based on age group (P<0.003); the majority of patients were aged 31-40 years (41.0%) and 21-30 years (32.3%) among those with and without HIV/AIDS co-infection, respectively. The incidence of diarrhea and splenomegaly significantly differed between the two groups (P=0.0014 and P=0.019, respectively). The myelogram parasitic examination was used most frequently among those with HIV/AIDS (91.8%), followed by those with VL only (69.2%). VL recurrences and mortality were significantly higher in the HIV/AIDS co-infected patients (P<0.0001 and P=0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with VL with or without HIV/AIDS co-infection were mostly adult men. Diarrhea was more frequent in HIV/AIDS co-infected patients, whereas splenomegaly was more common in patients with VL only. In the group of HIV/AIDS co-infected patients, there was a higher rate of VL recurrence and mortality.