Prevalence and risk factors for bruises in Chilean bovine carcasses.

Records of cattle slaughtered at two Chilean slaughterhouses (SLH1 and SLH2) were used to determine prevalence and risk factors for carcasses with bruises. Bruise prevalence amounted to 12.3% but differed between slaughterhouses (20.8% for SLH1 and 8.6% for SLH2 respectively). Bruise severity grade 1 (mild) was most frequently recorded. The type of the animal, source of animal, the level of fat cover and lairage time were associated with the presence of bruises. Older categories of animals and animals that pass through a market before being moved to the slaughterhouse are more prone to show bruises. The results also indicate that under the reported Chilean circumstances animals that have longer lairage times (over 12 h) have a significantly reduced risk for bruises, except for oxen. Presence of bruises is also significantly associated with increased carcass pH values.

Helicobacter pylori: su importancia práctica en la gastroenterología / Helicobacter pylori: its practical importance in gastroenterology

El Helicobacter pylori es una bacteria que ha revolucionado la Gastroenterología en los últimos 25 años. Hasta mediados de los 80 la úlcera péptica era considerada una enfermedad sicosomática asociada a una hiperacidez gástrica en el caso de la úlcera duodenal (UD), o a una alteración de la barrera mucosa en el caso de la úlcera gástrica. Al descubrirse su relación con esta bacteria la enfermedad ulcero-péptica pasó a ser una enfermedad infecciosa con un muy alto índice de curación, y una muy baja tasa de recurrencia, lo que era la regla hasta ese entonces. No en vano este notable descubrimiento les valió a dos científicos australianos obtener el Premio Nóbel de Medicina en 2005. Revisaremos aspectos generales de este germen, su asociación con diversas patologías gastro-duodenales, los métodos de estudio clínico y su tratamiento de erradicación.

The Gastroenteroly has been dramatically impacted in last 25 years by a bacterium named helicobacter pylori. Until the eighties, peptic ulcer was considered as a psychosomatic disease related to high gastric acidity in duodenal ulcer (DU) or an impaired gastric mucosa in gastric ulcer. The helicobacter pylori-peptic ulcer relationship has changed the way we consider this disease, now it is an infectious disease with very high rate of clinical resolution and no more recurrences one of its more characteristic features. This outstanding medical discovery has deserved in 2005 the Nobel Prize to the Australian scientific investigators who made possible this medical breakthrough. This is a review on this bacterium, the diseases associated to it, the diagnostic clinical tests and its treatment.

Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infecting a Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) from Brazil / Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infectando uma tartaruga marinha de pente Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) no Brasil

The occurrence of Amphiorchis caborojoensis Fischthal & Acholonu 1976 and Carettacola stunkardi Martin & Bamberger 1952 in a young specimen of Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus 1758 in Brazil was reported. Five A. caborojoensis trematodes were found in the small intestine (n=2) and liver (n=3), and two adult C. stunkardi specimens were collected from body wash. This is the first report of parasites of E. imbricata in Brazilian waters and Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the second report of members of the Spirorchiidae family in that region. In addition, E. imbricata is a new host recorded for C. stunkardi.(AU)

Relata-se a ocorrência de Amphiorchis caborojoensis Fischthal & Acholonu 1976 e Carettacola stunkardi Martin e Bamberger 1952, em um exemplar juvenil de tartaruga marinha de pente Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus 1758 no Brasil. Foram coletados cinco trematódeos da espécie A. caborojoensis, dois no intestino delgado e três no fígado e dois exemplares adultos de C. stunkardi no lavado corporal. Destes apenas a espécie A. caborojoensis já tinha sido relatada como parasita dessa espécie de quelônio marinho. Esta é a primeira descrição de parasitas em E. imbricata em águas brasileiras e na área do Atlântico Sul Ocidental, e o segundo relato de membros da família Spirorchiidae na mesma região.(AU)

Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infecting a Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) from Brazil / Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infectando uma tartaruga marinha de pente Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) no Brasil

The occurrence of Amphiorchis caborojoensis Fischthal & Acholonu 1976 and Carettacola stunkardi Martin & Bamberger 1952 in a young specimen of Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus 1758 in Brazil was reported. Five A. caborojoensis trematodes were found in the small intestine (n=2) and liver (n=3), and two adult C. stunkardi specimens were collected from body wash. This is the first report of parasites of E. imbricata in Brazilian waters and Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the second report of members of the Spirorchiidae family in that region. In addition, E. imbricata is a new host recorded for C. stunkardi.

Relata-se a ocorrência de Amphiorchis caborojoensis Fischthal & Acholonu 1976 e Carettacola stunkardi Martin e Bamberger 1952, em um exemplar juvenil de tartaruga marinha de pente Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus 1758 no Brasil. Foram coletados cinco trematódeos da espécie A. caborojoensis, dois no intestino delgado e três no fígado e dois exemplares adultos de C. stunkardi no lavado corporal. Destes apenas a espécie A. caborojoensis já tinha sido relatada como parasita dessa espécie de quelônio marinho. Esta é a primeira descrição de parasitas em E. imbricata em águas brasileiras e na área do Atlântico Sul Ocidental, e o segundo relato de membros da família Spirorchiidae na mesma região.

Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) in Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) in Brazil: case report / Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) em Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) no Brasil: relato de caso

This study reports the occurrence of Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) in Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) in Brazil. Eleven animals were included in this study, 54.6 % of them were parasitized. Two hundred and fifty five parasite specimens were recovered from heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, mesenterium, and body wash. Results contribute to the knowledge about the helminthofauna of marine chelonian and their geographical distribution. This is the first report of L. learedi in the Southwestern Atlantic.(AU)

Relata-se a ocorrência de Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) em Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) no Brasil. Onze animais foram examinados e destes, 54,6% estavam parasitados. Duzentos e cinqüenta e cinco exemplares de L. learedi foram recuperados de órgãos (coração, fígado, baço, pulmões, rins, mesentério) e do lavado corporal dos animais. Os resultados contribuem para o conhecimento da helmintofauna de quelônios marinhos e sua distribuição geográfica. Este é o primeiro registro da ocorrência de L. learedi na região do Atlântico Sul Ocidental.(AU)

Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) in Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) in Brazil: case report / Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) em Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) no Brasil: relato de caso

This study reports the occurrence of Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) in Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) in Brazil. Eleven animals were included in this study, 54.6 percent of them were parasitized. Two hundred and fifty five parasite specimens were recovered from heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, mesenterium, and body wash. Results contribute to the knowledge about the helminthofauna of marine chelonian and their geographical distribution. This is the first report of L. learedi in the Southwestern Atlantic.

Relata-se a ocorrência de Learedius learedi Price 1934 (Digenea, Spirorchiidae) em Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Chelonidae) no Brasil. Onze animais foram examinados e destes, 54,6 por cento estavam parasitados. Duzentos e cinqüenta e cinco exemplares de L. learedi foram recuperados de órgãos (coração, fígado, baço, pulmões, rins, mesentério) e do lavado corporal dos animais. Os resultados contribuem para o conhecimento da helmintofauna de quelônios marinhos e sua distribuição geográfica. Este é o primeiro registro da ocorrência de L. learedi na região do Atlântico Sul Ocidental.

Low-cost digital impedance meter for the detection of micro-organisms.

The digital impedance meter is a microprocessor-based instrument able to detect, quantify and identify micro-organisms. The equipment makes use of the bipolar technique of measuring the impedance modulus of six cells containing inoculated culture broth. It performs temperature compensation automatically. Growth curves are stored in memory as time course events and can be displayed on any suitable device.

Impedancimetric bacterial detection: theoretical and experimental aspects.

By means of the bipolar impedance technique, we detected bacterial growth in an inoculated broth as its time course absolute impedance. From it, the impedance change relative to sterile medium was obtained, calculating also its time derivative. The repeatability of the derivative curves (they overlapped within a band better than 3.3%) permitted the identification of a double-hump pattern which, in principle, could be accepted as an indicator of the type of bacteria (Escherichia coli). After six experimental series, the growth curves appeared as sensitive to the initial concentration of bacteria and to the culture time preceding inoculation; they were also dependent on the temperature and on the average basal impedance. Temperature showed a greater effect (one order of magnitude) on the lag-phase of the growth curve than on the stationary-phase. This effect occurs because the impedance growth curves tend to get away from the reference offered by the sterile medium. The best working conditions were obtained for an average basal impedance of 510 ohms under well controlled temperature conditions (variations smaller than or equal to 0.20 degrees C) with wire stainless steel electrodes vertically immersed in the culture broth. This impedance technique appears as inexpensive and easy to automatizing for large number of samples.

Evaluación de la administración rutinaria de antibióticos en lactantes con infecciones respiratorias agudas bajas / Evaluation of the routine administration of antibiotics in infants withs acute lower respiratory infections

Se comparó la evolución clínica de dos grupos de lactantes hospitalizados por neumopatía aguda, unos tratados con antibióticos y los otros no. El tamaño de cada grupo fue de 30 y 31 niños respectivamente sin diferencias de edad, temperatura, signos radiológicos necesidad de oxígeno, VHS y fórmula leucocitaria. La evolución de ambos grupos fue similar. Cuatro lactantes del grupo sin antibióticos debieron ser retirados por mala evolución; todos tenían en común un patrón radiológico de bronconeumonia. Se concluye que en nuestro medio, los signos radiológicos de bronconeumonia sugerían infecciones bacterianas, debiendo en estos casos usarse precozmente antibióticos. Otros hallazgos radiológicos o signos clínicos dudosos justificarían un período de observación antes de tomar otras decisiones terapéuticas. Las características del hemograma no se relacionaron con la evolución clínica ni con las imágenes radiológicas