Elimination of Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Pathological Microbiota with Photodynamic Therapy in Women from Mexico City with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia I.

Cervical carcinoma (CC) is the second cause of cancer death in Mexican women. It starts with premalignant lesions known as Intraepithelial Cervical Neoplasia (CIN) that can develop due to infection by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and other microorganisms. Current CIN therapy involves invasive methods that affect cervix integrity and fertility; we propose the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a strategy with few side effects. In this work, the effectiveness of PDT for CIN I, HPV and pathogenic vaginal microbiota elimination in 29 women of Mexico City with CIN I, CIN I + HPV and HPV diagnosis was determined. After 6 months of PDT application, HPV infection was eliminated in 100% of the patients (P < 0.01), CIN I + HPV in 64.3% (P < 0.01) and CIN I in 57.2% (P > 0.05). PDT also eliminated pathogenic microorganisms: Chlamydia trachomatis in 81% of the women (P < 0.001) and Candida albicans in 80% (P < 0.05), without affecting normal microbiota since Lactobacillus iners was eliminated only in 5.8% of patients and the opportunistic Gardnerella vaginalis in 20%. These results show that PDT was highly effective in eradicating HPV and pathogenic microorganisms, suggesting that PDT is a promising therapy for cervical infections.

Online Assessment of Speech Perception and Auditory Spectrotemporal Processing in Spanish-English Bilinguals.

PURPOSE: There is limited access to audiology services for the growing population of Spanish-English bilinguals in the United States. Online auditory testing can potentially provide a cost-effective alternative to in-person visits. However, even for bilinguals with high English proficiency, age of English acquisition may affect speech perception accuracy. This study used a comprehensive test battery to assess speech perception and spectrotemporal processing abilities in Spanish-English bilinguals and to evaluate susceptibility of different tests to effects of native language. METHOD: The online battery comprised three tests of speech in quiet (vowel and consonant identification and words in sentences), four tests of speech perception in noise (two for intelligibility and two for comprehension), and three tests of spectrotemporal processing (two tests of stochastically modulated pattern discrimination and one test of spectral resolution). Participants were 28 adult Spanish-English bilinguals whose English acquisition began either early (≤ 6 years old) or late (≥ 7 years old) and 18 English monolingual speakers. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in six of the 10 tests. The differences were most pronounced for vowel perception in quiet, speech-in-noise test, and two tests of speech comprehension in noise. Late bilinguals consistently scored lower than native English speakers or early bilinguals. In contrast, no differences between groups were observed for digits-in-noise or three tests of spectrotemporal processing abilities. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest initial feasibility of online assessment in this population and can inform selection of tests for auditory assessment of Spanish-English bilinguals.

Effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy in Elimination of HPV-16 and HPV-18 Associated with CIN I in Mexican Women.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT), using δ-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), in the elimination of premalignant cervical lesions in Mexican patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and/or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Thirty women diagnosed with CIN I and/or positive for HPV participated in the study. Topical 6% 5-ALA in gel form was applied to the uterine cervix; after 4 h, the lesion area was irradiated with a light dose of 200 J cm-2 at 635 nm. This procedure was performed three times at 48-h intervals. Clinical follow-up was performed at 3, 6, and 12 months after the initial PDT administration, by colposcopy, cervical cytology, histopathological analysis, polymerase chain reaction, and hybrid capture. Of HPV-infected patients without evidence of CIN I, 80% cleared the infection, while HPV associated with CIN I was eliminated in 83% of patients (P < 0.05). At 12 months, CIN I had regressed in 57% of patients, although this response was not statistically significant. PDT using 6% 5-ALA is concluded to be effective in eliminating HPV infection associated or not with CIN I.

Medidas de bioseguridad, precauciones estándar y sistemas de aislamiento / Biosecurity measures, standard precautions and insulation systems

En la actualidad, según datos de la Sociedad Internacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas (ISID), las infecciones nosocomiales en los países desarrollados es de 5 a 10% y en los países en desarrollo puede superar el 25%. Estas infecciones como es de entender, aumentan considerablemente la morbilidad, mortalidad y los costos. Las medidas de bioseguridad deben ser una práctica rutinaria en las unidades médicas, y ser cumplida); por todo el personal que labora en esos centros, independientemente del grado de riesgo ­según su actividad­ y de las diferentes áreas que componen el hospital. El Centro de Enfermedades (CDC), de Atlanta, Georgia, publicó en 1996 las nuevas técnicas de aislamiento, las cuales cubren todas las posibilidades de transmisión: las precauciones estándar y las precauciones por vía de transmisión. Precauciones estándar: Lavado de manos: es la medida más económica, sencilla y eficaz para prevenir infecciones intrahospitalarias. Uso de guantes: principalmente para reducir los riesgos de colonización transitoria de gérmenes del personal y transmisión de estos al paciente. Uso de bata: se recomienda cuando se realicen procedimientos que puedan producir salpicaduras. Uso de cubreboca o mascarilla y gogles: se recomienda durante procedimientos que puedan generar salpicaduras; Manejo de material punzocortante; la adecuada disposición de desechos de material punzocortante es fundamental para prevenir accidentes y por consecuencia, prevenir la transmisión de enfermedades infecciosas. Manejo de ropa sucia: debe colocarse en bolsas de plástico y transportarla en carros exclusivos. Para el control del microorganismo infeccioso en los hospitales, se utilizan además de las precauciones estándar los sistemas de aislamiento por contacto, por aire y por gotas de acuerdo con la ruta de transmisión

At the present time, according to data of the International Society of Infectious Illnesses (ISID), the infections nosocomiales in the developed countries is from 5 to 10% and in the countries in development can overcome 25%. These infections like it is of understanding, they increase the morbility, mortality and the costs considerably. The biosecurity measures should be a routine practice in the medical units, and to be completed independently by the whole personnel that works in those centers, of the degree of risk ­according to their activity­ and of the different areas that compose the hospital. The Center of Illnesses (CDC), of Atlanta, Georgia, published in 1996 the new isolation techniques, which cover all the transmission possibilities: the cautions standard and the cautions by way of transmission. Cautions standard: washing hands: it is the most economic, simple and effective measure to prevent infections intrahospital. Use of gloves: mainly to reduce the risks of transitory colonization of the personnel's germs and transmission from these to the patient. The use of robe: it is recommended when they are carried out procedures that can produce splashes. Use a mask and gogles: it is recommended during procedures that can generate splashes; Manage of material used; the appropriate disposition of waste of material is fundamental to prevent accidents and for consequence, to prevent the transmission of infectious illnesses. Dirty laundry handling: it should be placed in bags of plastic and to transport it in exclusive cars. For the control of the infectious microorganism in the hospitals, they are used besides the cautions standard the isolation systems for contact, for air and for agreement drops with the transmission route.

Evaluación de la historia clínica de enfermería del programa de salud mental comunitaria / An Evaluation of the Community Mental Health Program Nursing Case Records

En el Programa de Salud Mental Comunitaria del INSM parte de la atención directa al paciente de los Centros de Salud se realiza por medio de delegación de funciones médicas al nivel profesional de enfermería, bajo supervisión del psiquiatra. El propósito de la investigación fue evaluar la validez descriptiva del registro de la información clínica. Para ello se revisaron 177 historias clínicas confeccionadas por las enfermeras del Programa. Se utilizó el glosario, los criterios diagnósticos y los árboles de decisión del DSM-III. Previamente el grupo de investigadores fue adiestrado en el DSM-III y sometido a una prueba de confiabilidad. Se concluye que la validez descriptiva del registro de información clínica es satisfactoria, pudiendo optimizarse de utilizar un formato de historia semiestructurada y brindando la capacitación necesaria.

The direct care of the patients in the INSM' Community Mental Health Program is a nurse supervised activity. The physician delegates some of his functions on nurses. The purpose of the study was the evaluation of the case records' descriptive validity. The researches revised 177 case records using DSM-III glossary, diagnostic criteria and decision trees. Previously, the group was trained in the use of DSM-III and they were evaluated through a reliability test. The finding was that the nurse's case records had acceptable descriptive validity but with semistructured format and appropriate training the quality of registers could be improved.