The use of an improved intragastric balloon technique to reduce weight in pre-obese patients--preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: In this study, a new safer and faster intragastric balloon procedure was also employed to treat pre-obese patients (body mass index (BMI) < 30). METHODS: From June 2006 to June 2009, 20 such patients were submitted to the Silimed Gastric Balloon treatment, as a part of a multidisciplinary program involving clinical, psychological, and behavioral approaches. For the 16 patients who had completed the 5-6-month treatment, the initial mean weight and mean BMI were 74 kg and 27.5 kg/m(2), respectively. RESULTS: After the treatment, the mean weight and BMI values decreased significantly to 65.9 kg and 24.5 kg/m(2), respectively. There were only minor complications--nausea and vomiting--with the exception of two cases of spontaneous deflation of the devices which were successfully removed by gastric endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, preliminary data suggest that this new intragastric balloon procedure might also be a safe and effective treatment for weight loss in pre-obese patients.

An improved intragastric balloon procedure using a new balloon: preliminary analysis of safety and efficiency.

BACKGROUND: The authors developed a new intragastric balloon procedure with the objective of making it safer, faster, and less expensive than the established ones. The proposed procedure uses a new gastric balloon with technical improvements in the placement and removal procedures. METHODS: From June 2006 to July 2007, 52 patients were submitted to the new treatment with the Silimed Gastric Balloon (SGB), as part of a multidisciplinary program involving clinical, psychological, and behavioral approaches. RESULTS: The new placement and removal procedures of the SGB were effective and safe in all the cases. Due to simplicity and shortened duration of the procedures, all the patients left the outpatient clinic in less than 1 h after the placement or removal of the SGB. For the 14 patients who had completed the 6-month treatment, the initial mean weight, mean body mass index (BMI), and mean excess of weight (EW) were, respectively, 100.7 kg, 35.7 kg/m(2), and 30.0 kg. After the 6-month treatment, these values decreased significantly: 89.4 kg, 31.8 kg/m(2), and 19.6 kg. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest that the procedure with the new balloon comes forth as a safe and effective alternative to the treatment of weight loss in patients with appropriate indication of use.

Parasitological and serological studies on amoebiasis and other intestinal parasitic infections in Recife and its suburban area, northeast Brazil

Exames parasitológicos foram realizados em 187 pacientes do Hospital do IMIP e 464 habitantes de vários vilarejos no município do Cabo, 50 Km à sudeste de Recife, durante os meses de abril a agosto. Aproximadamente 71% dos pacientes examinados do IMIP e 92% dos examinados do Cabo apresentavam-se infectados com, no mínimo, uma espécie de parasita intestinal. Houve uma diferença mínima na taxa de prevalência de trichiura entre as duas áreas, entretanto a prevalência de Ascaris lumbricoides, família Ancylostomidae, Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma mansoni e Entamoeba histolytica foi maior entre os habitantes do Cabo. Somente a Giardia lamblia apresentou uma taxa de prevalência maior nos pacientes do IMIP. O cultivo em tubo de ensaio revelou que a prevalência do Necator americanus em relaçäo a do Ancylostoma duodenale era muito maior em ambas as áreas e que a do S. stercoralis entre os pacientes do IMIP e dos habitantes do Cabo era, respectivamente, 4.5% e 9.6%. A amebíase foi verificada através de exames sorológicos, imunodifusäo em gel (GDP) e enzima imunoensaio (ELISA), usando como antígeno extrato bruto preparado a partir dos trofozoitos de E. histolytica (cepa HM-1: IMSS), realizados em 615 soros, onde nenhuma reaçäo positiva aparente foi observada através da imunodifusäo, contudo foram observados resultados positivos em 32 dos 615 casos através da enzima imunoensaio