Intercontinental spread from Israel to Colombia of a KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strain.

In 2008, an increase in the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was noted in a 286-bed tertiary case hospital in Colombia, where 84 patients (32 infected and 52 colonized) had positive cultures. The identified index patient came from Israel for a liver transplantation. High level carbapenem resistance was observed. Polymyxin B and tigecycline were the only two antibiotics that remained active. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing revealed blaKPC-3 in the major clone, which was indistinguishable from the K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-3-producing clone described previously in Israel. This exemplifies the threat posed by the global spread of K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing pathogens.

Olvido de los contenidos de histologia en alumnos de medicina / Forgetfulness of the histology curriculum in medical students

Memoria: capacidad de grabación, archivo, clasificación y recuperación posterior de información., esencial en el procesamiento de información y el aprendizaje en analogía con la computadora. Olvido: fracaso para transferir información de la memoria a corto plazo a la memoria a largo plazo o para recuperar información de esta Objetivo: evaluar en los alumnos el olvido de los contenidos de Histología un año y medio después del cursado; recabar el grado de utilidad asignado a los mismos en las asignaturas de segundo y tercer año Alumnos de alto rendimiento en 2002 (n=26) fueron evaluados con 20 preguntas de citología y tejidos y 20 de organografía Con respuesta sugeridas 20 y 20 de breve completación. Expresaron el grado de utilidad de los contenidos en el cursado de Fisiología y Físico-Química, y en el primer cuatrimestre de Anatomía Patológica, Microbiología y Farmacología. Se cotejó el rendimiento del curso 2002 con la prueba actual y en esta los resultados de preguntas de citología y tejidos versus órganos y de respuesta sugerida versus a completar. La pérdida fue del orden del 50% en la rememoración de los contenidos (37.07 :!: 1,76 = 92,6% vs. l8,52:!: 4,33 = 46,3%) sin diferencia entre citología y tejidos versus órganos ni entre respuesta sugerida versus a completar. La mayor utilidad de los contenidos se refiere a Anatomía Patológica (69%) y Fisiología (50%) y la menor a Fisicoquímica. (7%) Estimamos que el olvido en nuestros alumnos hubiese sido aun mayor sin el empleo de técnicas activas de aprendizaje.

MEMORY: ability to record, file, classify and later recover of information., essential in processing information and learning, in analogy with a computer. FORGETFULNESS: failure to transfer information from short term memory to long term memory or to recover information from the latter. AIM: to study forgetfulness in contents of Histology in students one and half year after regular course. To evaluate level of re-utilization of contents in second and third year courses. Students with high performance in 2002 (n=26) were evaluated with 20 cytology and histology questions and 20 questions related to organs. 20 multiple choice and 20 brief filled answers were used, expressing the level of usefulness of the contents in Physiology and Physicochemistry, and in the first quarter of Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology. The performance of 2002 course was compared with the current test, results of cytology and histology questions versus organs ones and multiple choice answers versus brief filled answers. The loss was in the order of 50% in the recovery of contents (37.07 +/- 1,76 = 92,6% vs. 18,52 +/- 4,33 = 46,3%) without difference between cytology and histology versus organs neither among multiple choice answers versus brief filled answers. The highest usefulness in the contents refers to Pathology (69%) and Physiology (50%) and the lesser to PhysicoChemistry.(7%) We estimate that forgetfulness in our students would have been even higher without the employment of active techniques of learning.

Olvido de los contenidos de histologia en alumnos de medicina / Forgetfulness of the histology curriculum in medical students

Memoria: capacidad de grabación, archivo, clasificación y recuperación posterior de información., esencial en el procesamiento de información y el aprendizaje en analogía con la computadora. Olvido: fracaso para transferir información de la memoria a corto plazo a la memoria a largo plazo o para recuperar información de esta Objetivo: evaluar en los alumnos el olvido de los contenidos de Histología un año y medio después del cursado; recabar el grado de utilidad asignado a los mismos en las asignaturas de segundo y tercer año Alumnos de alto rendimiento en 2002 (n=26) fueron evaluados con 20 preguntas de citología y tejidos y 20 de organografía Con respuesta sugeridas 20 y 20 de breve completación. Expresaron el grado de utilidad de los contenidos en el cursado de Fisiología y Físico-Química, y en el primer cuatrimestre de Anatomía Patológica, Microbiología y Farmacología. Se cotejó el rendimiento del curso 2002 con la prueba actual y en esta los resultados de preguntas de citología y tejidos versus órganos y de respuesta sugerida versus a completar. La pérdida fue del orden del 50% en la rememoración de los contenidos (37.07 :!: 1,76 = 92,6% vs. l8,52:!: 4,33 = 46,3%) sin diferencia entre citología y tejidos versus órganos ni entre respuesta sugerida versus a completar. La mayor utilidad de los contenidos se refiere a Anatomía Patológica (69%) y Fisiología (50%) y la menor a Fisicoquímica. (7%) Estimamos que el olvido en nuestros alumnos hubiese sido aun mayor sin el empleo de técnicas activas de aprendizaje.(AU)

MEMORY: ability to record, file, classify and later recover of information., essential in processing information and learning, in analogy with a computer. FORGETFULNESS: failure to transfer information from short term memory to long term memory or to recover information from the latter. AIM: to study forgetfulness in contents of Histology in students one and half year after regular course. To evaluate level of re-utilization of contents in second and third year courses. Students with high performance in 2002 (n=26) were evaluated with 20 cytology and histology questions and 20 questions related to organs. 20 multiple choice and 20 brief filled answers were used, expressing the level of usefulness of the contents in Physiology and Physicochemistry, and in the first quarter of Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology. The performance of 2002 course was compared with the current test, results of cytology and histology questions versus organs ones and multiple choice answers versus brief filled answers. The loss was in the order of 50% in the recovery of contents (37.07 +/- 1,76 = 92,6% vs. 18,52 +/- 4,33 = 46,3%) without difference between cytology and histology versus organs neither among multiple choice answers versus brief filled answers. The highest usefulness in the contents refers to Pathology (69%) and Physiology (50%) and the lesser to PhysicoChemistry.(7%) We estimate that forgetfulness in our students would have been even higher without the employment of active techniques of learning.(AU)

HIV infection among foreign people involved in HIV-related risk activities and attending an HIV reference centre in Rome: the possible role of counselling in reducing risk behaviour.

Between September 1993 and December 1995, 528 foreign individuals at risk of HIV infection attended the drug treatment centre located in the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome, undergoing medical examination, HIV testing and counselling. The geographic distribution showed that the majority of the participants were from South America (40.0%), most of whom were transsexual sex workers (from Brazil or Columbia), and from North Africa (37.5%); all the individuals coming from Western and Eastern Europe and the USA were heroin users. The overall HIV prevalence was high (21.6%), though it varied by nationality, ranging from 5.1% among North Africans to 68.3% among Brazilian transsexuals. During the study period, 170 of the individuals returned for at least one follow-up visit. Three seroconversions occurred among the 118 initially HIV-negative immigrants who were retested, all three among the 26 HIV-negative Columbian transsexuals; the seroconversion rate within this group was 10.1 per 100 persons/years. During follow-up, there was no reduction observed in drug-related practices associated with HIV infection, yet a general increase in regular condom use was reported. The increasing number of foreign persons contacting our programme emphasizes the need for easy access to care and treatment for marginalized populations possibly engaging in behaviour at risk for HIV infection. Counselling strategies seem to be relatively effective in promoting safer sex among these population groups.