Knowledge of Latin American gastroenterologists and endoscopists regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection. / Conocimiento sobre la infección por SARS-CoV-2 de Gastroenterólogos y Endoscopistas de Latino América.

INTRODUCTION: After the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, the number of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) has increased exponentially, and gastroenterologists and other specialists most likely will be involved in the care of those patients. AIM: To evaluate the knowledge Latin American gastroenterologists and endoscopists (staff physicians and residents) have about the characteristics of COVID-19, as well as the prevention measures to be taken during endoscopic procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study that included gastroenterologists and endoscopists from 9 Latin American countries. An electronic questionnaire was applied that was designed to evaluate the knowledge of symptoms, risk groups for severe disease, prevention measures, and the reprocessing of endoscopes utilized in patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: Information was obtained from 133 physicians. Ninety-five percent of them correctly identified the most frequent symptoms of the virus, and 60% identified the 3 risk groups for severe disease. Sixty-six percent of those surveyed did not consider it necessary to use standard precautions during endoscopic procedures, and 30% did not consider contact precautions necessary. Forty-eight percent of the participants surveyed were not familiar with the protocol for reprocessing the endoscopes utilized in patients with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The majority of the gastroenterologists and endoscopists surveyed were familiar with the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and the populations at risk for complications. There was a lack of knowledge about prevention measures (during clinical care and endoscopic procedures) and the reprocessing of endoscopic equipment by 70% and 48%, respectively, of those surveyed. Dissemination and teaching strategies that increase the knowledge of specific biosafety measures must be carried out.

A 14-mo zinc-supplementation trial in apparently healthy Chilean preschool children.

Apparently healthy preschool children (46 boys, 52 girls) aged 27-50 mo from low socioeconomic conditions who attended daycare centers in Santiago participated in a 14-mo long double-blind zinc supplementation trial. Unlike most previous studies, no additional inclusion criteria such as short stature or slow growth rate were considered. Subjects were pair matched according to sex and age and randomly assigned to two experimental groups: the supplemented group, which received 10 mg Zn/d, and the placebo group. Selected anthropometric, clinical, dietary, biochemical, and functional indexes were determined at the beginning of the study and after 6 and 14 mo of intervention. Actual dietary zinc intake was 66% of the recommended dietary allowance. Height gain after 14 mo was on average 0.5 cm higher in the supplemented group (P = 0.10). The response, however, was different between sexes. Boys from the supplemented group gained 0.9 cm more than those in the placebo group (P = 0.045). No effect was seen in girls. Although no significant differences were observed in the rest of the variables studied, trends (0.05 < P < 0.10) in the supplemented group compared with the placebo group for increased midarm muscle area in boys, improved response to tuberculin, and reduced rates of parasite reinfestation were noted. We conclude that in preschool children of low socioeconomic status, zinc is a limiting factor in the expression of growth potential.

[Incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia]. / Incidencia de displasia broncopulmonar.

The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was retrospectively studied in all ventilated newborns at a neonatal intensive care unit of a university based hospital at Santiago, Chile along a 5 years period (1983-1987). BPD incidence among the whole sample of newborn infants requiring artificial ventilation was analysed according to birth weight (BW) and compared with that of newborns surviving after 28 days of life. The possible association of BPD with hyaline membrane disease (HMD), ductus arteriosus (DA) and pulmonary air leak (PAL) was studied. The total number of ventilated newborns was 200, incidence of BPD was 9.5% (19/200) and lethality for BPD was 5.2% (1/19). The incidence of BPD increased progressively with decreasing BW, reaching 37.5% in infants less than 1,000 g (p less than 0.001 chi 2). Among 28 day survivors incidence of BPD in the same BW group increased to 75% (p less than 0.05). These findings support the idea that the incidence of BPD increases with improved survival of low birth weight infants. A positive association of BPD with DA and PAL was seen with 10/19 versus 33/181 incidence for DA (p less than 0.01) and 6/19 versus 16/181 for PAL (p less than 0.01) among patients with and those without BPD respectively, but not with HMD.