Chagas Disease in Pregnant Women from Endemic Regions Attending the Hospital General de Mexico, Mexico City.

Trypanosoma cruzi infection leads to Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical infection of significant public health importance in South and Central America and other, non-endemic, countries. Pregnant women and their children are of particular importance to screen as T. cruzi can be transmitted vertically. The objective of this study was to screen for T. cruzi infection among pregnant women from endemic areas seen at the Hospital General de Mexico for prenatal care, so that they and their children may be quickly connected to CD treatment. Pregnant women were recruited through the hospital prenatal clinic and screened for T. cruzi infection using a series of serological and molecular tests. Of 150 screened patients, mean age 26.8 (SD 6.4), 30 (20.0%) were positive by at least one diagnostic test. Of these, only nine (6%) were positive as determined by PCR. Diagnosis of chronic CD is difficult in endemic places like Mexico due to the limitations of current commercially available diagnostic tests. Further evaluation of diagnostic performance of various assays could improve current CD diagnostic algorithms and proper care management in these regions. Genetic variability in the parasite may also play a role in the differing assay performances seen in this study, and this may be a valuable avenue of further research.

[Cabergoline for inhibition of lactation]. / Cabergolina para inhibición de la lactancia.

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in prevention inhibition of lactation, only administration of estrogens or these combined with androgens show variable effectiveness and are indirectly associated with high percentage for lactation rebound, thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism or both of the later during puerperium; in addition, bromocriptine, also used indirectly for inhibition of lactation, is associated with lactation, rebound in 18-40%. Cabergolin is a new ergoline with efficient and durable prolactin reducer effect with fewer adverse effects. PROBLEM: Which will the smallest cabergolin dosage be to inhibit lactation? OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate clinical effectiveness with smallest cabergolina dosage in lactation inhibition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried on a the Service Clinical test on patients hospitalization with an indication to inhibit lactation as the Hospital of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Infantil Maternal Institute of the State of Mexico (IMIEM). The study was done 80 patients to who we administered oral 0.5 mg cabergoline to 40 patients and another group of 40 whom we administered 1.0 mg of cabergoline orally at random and blinded by means of out-patient consultation. We studied correlation between dose and inhibition of lactation as well as presence of adverse effects. RESULTS: In the group of patients to whom administered 0.5 mg, we found 65% (n = 26) with lactation inhibition; adverse effects in this group appeared in 32.5% (n = 13) the second group with a dose of 1.0 mg; 95% with adverse effects in 25% P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of lactation with unique dose of 1.0 has satisfactory clinical effectiveness, this being the smaller dose to inhibit lactation at a suitable percentage.