RESUMO
Animals (and their derived products) are essential ingredients in the preparation of many traditional remedies. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on medicinal animals has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This work documents the medicinal animals used by a rural community in the semi-arid region, inserted in Caatinga Biome, where 66 respondents provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. We calculated the informant consensus factor to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species use value to determine the extent of utilization of each species. We recorded the use of 51 animal species as medicines, whose products were recommended for the treatment of 68 illnesses. The informant consensus in the use of many specific remedies is fairly high, giving an additional validity to this folk medicine. Eight species not previously reported as having medicinal use were recorded. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Given a high proportion of medicinal animals observed in the study area, it is logical to conclude that any conservation strategy should include access to modern health care.
RESUMO
A anemia é uma condição definida como a redução da concentração de hemoglobina circulante a um valor inferior ao considerado pela Organização Mundial da Saúde em13 g/dl, 12 g/dl e 11 g/dl para homens, mulheres e crianças, respectivamente. É considerada a principal consequência da deficiência de ferro um nutriente que atua principalmente na síntese das células vermelhas do sangue e no transporte de oxigênio para as demais células do corpo. Este trabalho, realizado nos meses de março e abrilde 2007, teve como objetivo avaliar as alterações hematológicas e os níveis de ferro sérico em crianças de 6 a 59 meses de idade na cidade de Campina Grande-PB. A prevalência de anemia observada foi de 31,73%, e, dentre as crianças anêmicas, 91% apresentaram quadro de anemia leve (Hb < 11,0 e > 9,0 g/dl). A faixa etária predominanteem que se observou a menor concentração de hemoglobina foi de 6 a 12 meses (10,26 ± 1,27 g/dl). Considerando-se os vários parâmetros do hemograma para avaliar a etiologia ferropriva entre os anêmicos, o RDW (amplitude de distribuição dos eritrócitos) foi o que mais apresentou especificidade no diagnóstico laboratorial da anemia por deficiência de ferro. Dessa forma, a investigação laboratorial é essencial para o diagnóstico precoce e para o acompanhamento terapêutico eficiente da anemia ferropriva em crianças.
Anemia is a condition that is defined as a concentration of circulating hemoglobin at a level lower than that consideredadequate by the World Health Organization (13 g/dL, 12 g/dL and11 g/dL for men, women and children, respectively). It is considered the main consequence of iron deficiency - a nutrient that mainly acts in the synthesis of red blood cells and in the transportation of oxygen to other cells of the body. This study, which was performed in March and April 2007, aimed at evaluating hematologic alterations and serum iron levels in 6 to 59-month-old children in the city of Campina Grande. The prevalence of anemia was 31.73% and among the anemic patients, 91% had mild anemia (Hb < 11.0 and > 9.0 g/dL). The lowest concentration of hemoglobin was predominantly observed in the 6 to 12-month age group. Considering different parameters of the hemogram in order toevaluate the etiology of iron deficiency among anemic patients, the RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) showed the greatest sensitivity in laboratory diagnoses of iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, laboratory investigation is essential for early diagnosis and efficienttherapy of iron deficiency anemia in children.
