[Severe intoxication with verapamil]. / Intoxicación grave con verapamilo.

Calcium channel blockers are currently widely used to treat many cardiological alterations; however, overdose and poisoning have been associated with morbidity and mortality mainly in those patients with suicidal attempts. We report a case and review the pathophysiology of overdose, treatment, and prognosis.

[Bacteriological quality of human drinking water in high-margination zones in Chiapas]. / Calidad bacteriológica del agua para consumo humano en zonas de alta marginación de Chiapas.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the bacteriological quality of drinking water (BQDW) and its association with diarrhoea and intestinal parasites in children 1 to 14 years old, in areas of high levels of poverty in Chiapas, Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March to September 1998, drinking water was collected from a random sample of 99 households in the Border Region of Chiapas, Mexico; data on diarrhoeal disease (in the past 15 days) were collected and stool testing for intestinal parasites was performed in children 1 to 14 years old (n = 322). The BQDW was determined by the filtration membrane technique. Intestinal parasitic infections were determined by the Faust Method. The chi 2 statistic was used to analyse factors associated with BQDW. RESULTS: Only 31% of the water samples were adequate for human consumption. The BQDW and the presence of diarrhoea (informed by the mothers of the children) showed no association. Children living in households with inadequate BQDW had a higher prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and a greater tendency to have intestinal parasites. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop programs that improve BQDW and to develop education efforts aimed at increasing the use of boiled water and the adequate management and care of community water storage sites.

[Application of gas chromatography in the identification of Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter agglomerans]. / Aplicación de la cromatografía de gases en la identificación de Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes y Enterobacter agglomerans.

Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes and Enterobacter agglomerans were identified using gas chromatography as a substitution of the traditional techniques. Their acid methyl esters profiles were determined using a gas chromatograph Hewlett Packard 5890A and a RSL-150 heliflex capillary column. A total of 120 samples were analyzed from reference strains (ATCC 13047, 13048, 27155) and environmental isolations, eleven fatty acids were included in the profiles from which cis-9, 10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid (peak 24), cis-9-hexadecenoic acid (peak 14), octadecanoic acid (peak 23) and dodecanoic acid (peak 3), were the most important for the differentiation of the three species analyzed.

Detección del ADN del virus B en suero de niños con hepatitis aguda prolongada, hepatitis crónica activa y portadores asintomáticos / Detection of ADN from virus B in sera of children with protracted ocute hepatitis, active chronic hepatitis and asymptomatic carriers

La hibridación del ADN del virus de la hepatitis B ha mostrado ser un método sensible y específico para medir la replicación viral. En el presente trabajo se reporta la relación entre la presencia del ADN del virus de la hepatitis B y el sistema AgeHB/antieHB en sueros de niños, por los métodos dot-blot y ELISA, cinco de los niños con hepatitis aguda prolongada (HPA), 34 con hepatitis crónica activa (HCA) y en 23 portadores asintomáticos. Se encontró relación entre el ADN viral y el AgeHB positivos (14/17) para el 82 %, y entre el antieHB y el ADN positivos (19/38) para el 50 % de la muestra. En el estudio se demuestra que la hibridación de ADN del virus B nos da una información más útil como marcador de replicación viral que el sistema inmunológico AgeHB/antieHB, lo que constituye el aspecto más relevante del presente trabajo

[Study of lymphocyte subpopulations with monoclonal antibodies in acute hepatitis A and B]. / Estudio de sub-poblaciones linfocitarias mediante anticuerpos monoclonales en hepatitis aguda A y B.

Using monoclonal antibodies, it was determined the T3, T4 and T8 1ym phocyte populations in the blood samples of 40 patients with acute viral hepatitis (20 type A and 20 type B). al patients showed complete remission from it. The results of this study were compared with those of a control group of 20 healthy subjects. There was a non significant decreased of the total number of lymphocytes measured with the T3 monoclonal antibody in both types of hepatitis. The number of T8 lymphocytes was significantly increased (p less than 0.05) when the results were compared with those of the control group. The quotient T4/T8 was diminished in the initial phase of the disease (p less than 0.05). There were no other differences between hepatitis A and hepatitis B. In the follow up of the disease, the results tend to normal values in the whole group of patients.

[Study of lymphocyte subpopulations by means of monoclonal antibodies in acute hepatitis A and B]. / Estudio de sub-poblaciones linfocitarias mediante anticuerpos monoclonales en hepatitis aguda A y B.

We studied T3, T4 and T8 lymphocyte populations in peripheral blood by monoclonal antibodies in 40 patients with acute viral hepatitis (Type A 20; Type B 20) who underwent outcome to complete recovery. We compared the results with 20 healthy subjects (control group). We found a decrease in total lymphocytes measured by T3 monoclonal antibodies and a significant increase in T8 lymphocyte populations compared with control groups. In the early stage the T4/T8 ratio was decreased. Lymphocyte populations and T4/T8 ratio was normal in 3-6 month follow-up for the acute A hepatitis group and 3.6 month to a year follow-up for the B hepatitis group. Results were related to the humoral and clinical outcome.