Automated Deep Learning-Based Segmentation of Abdominal Adipose Tissue on Dixon MRI in Adolescents: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly worldwide, highlighting a need for accurate noninvasive quantification of body fat distribution in children. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an automated deep learning method for subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) segmentation using Dixon MRI acquisitions in adolescents. METHODS. This study was embedded within the Generation R Study, a prospective population-based cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The current study included 2989 children (1432 boys, 1557 girls; mean age, 13.5 years) who underwent investigational whole-body Dixon MRI after reaching the age of 13 years during the follow-up phase of the Generation R Study. A 2D competitive dense fully convolutional neural network model (2D-CDFNet) was trained from scratch to segment abdominal SAT and VAT using Dixon MRI-based images. The model underwent training, validation, and testing in 62, eight, and 15 children, respectively, who were selected by stratified random sampling, with manual segmentations used as reference. Segmentation performance was assessed using the Dice similarity coefficient and volumetric similarity. Two observers independently performed subjective visual assessments of automated segmentations in 504 children, selected by stratified random sampling, with undersegmentation and oversegmentation scored on a scale of 0-3 (with a score of 3 denoting nearly perfect segmentation). For 2820 children for whom complete data were available, Spearman correlation coefficients were computed among MRI measurements and BMI and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)-based measurements. The model used (gitlab.com/radiology/msk/genr/abdomen/cdfnet) is publicly available. RESULTS. In the test dataset, the mean Dice similarity coefficient and mean volu-metric similarity, respectively, were 0.94 ± 0.03 [SD] and 0.98 ± 0.01 [SD] for SAT and 0.85 ± 0.05 and 0.92 ± 0.04 for VAT. The two observers assigned a score of 3 for SAT in 94% and 93% for the undersegmentation proportion and in 99% and 99% for the oversegmentation proportion, and they assigned a score of 3 for VAT in 99% and 99% for the undersegmentation proportion and in 95% and 97% for the oversegmentation proportion. Correlations with SAT and VAT were 0.808 and 0.698 for BMI and 0.941 and 0.801 for DEXA-derived fat mass. CONCLUSION. We trained and evaluated the 2D-CDFNet model on Dixon MRI in adolescents. Quantitative and qualitative measures of automated SAT and VAT segmentations indicated strong model performance. CLINICAL IMPACT. The automated model may facilitate large-scale studies investigating abdominal fat distribution on MRI among adolescents as well as associations of fat distribution with clinical outcomes.

Risk factors for suicide in the Vietnam-era twin registry.

BACKGROUND: The risk of suicide among Veterans is of major concern, particularly among those who experienced a combat deployment and/or have a history of PTSD. DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of post-discharge suicide among Vietnam-era Veterans who are members of the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry. The VET Registry is a national sample of male twins from all branches of the military, both of whom served on active duty between 1964 and 1975. Military service and demographic factors were available from the military records. Service in-theater was based on military records; combat exposure and PTSD symptoms were assessed in 1987 by questionnaire. Mortality follow-up, from discharge to 2016, is identified from Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, and National Death Index records; suicide as a cause of death is based on the International Classification of Death diagnostic codes from the death certificate. Statistical analysis used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the association of Vietnam-theater service, combat exposure, and PTSD symptoms with suicide while adjusting for military service and demographic confounding factors. RESULTS: From the 14,401 twins in the VET Registry, there were 147 suicide deaths during follow-up. In adjusted analyses, twins who served in the Vietnam theater were at similar risk of post-discharge suicide compared with non-theater Veterans; there was no association between combat and suicide. An increase in severity of PTSD symptoms was significantly associated with an increased risk of suicide in adjusted analyses (hazard ratio = 1.13 per five-point increase in symptom score; 95% CI: 1.02-1.27). CONCLUSIONS: Service in the Vietnam theater is not associated with greater risk of suicide; however, PTSD symptom severity poses a degree of risk of suicide in Vietnam-era Veterans. Adequate screening for PTSD in Veterans may be promising to identify Veterans who are at increased risk of suicide.

Ataque isquémico transitorio por embolia aérea iatrogénica secundaria a inyecciones intracavernosas en procedimiento urológico / Transient ischemic attack due to iatrogenic air embolism secondary to intracavernous injections during an urologic procedure

RESUMEN Se presenta un caso de ataque isquémico transitorio con sintomatología compatible con lesión de la circulación cerebral posterior, secundario a embolia aérea iatrogénica. Se describe la evolución clínica y las consideraciones más relevantes de la atención y el diagnóstico del ataque cerebrovascular de la circulación posterior. En cuanto a la embolia gaseosa, se describen los métodos diagnósticos, las intervenciones clínicas y las opciones de tratamiento disponibles.

SUMMARY Here ia a case of transient ischemic attack with symptoms compatible with injury to the posterior cerebral circulation, secondary to iatrogenic air embolism. Clinical evolution and the most relevant aspects for the care and diagnosis of cerebrovascular stroke of the posterior circulation are described. Regarding air embolism, the diagnostic methods, clinical interventions, and available treatment options are described.

Automated olfactory bulb segmentation on high resolutional T2-weighted MRI.

The neuroimage analysis community has neglected the automated segmentation of the olfactory bulb (OB) despite its crucial role in olfactory function. The lack of an automatic processing method for the OB can be explained by its challenging properties (small size, location, and poor visibility on traditional MRI scans). Nonetheless, recent advances in MRI acquisition techniques and resolution have allowed raters to generate more reliable manual annotations. Furthermore, the high accuracy of deep learning methods for solving semantic segmentation problems provides us with an option to reliably assess even small structures. In this work, we introduce a novel, fast, and fully automated deep learning pipeline to accurately segment OB tissue on sub-millimeter T2-weighted (T2w) whole-brain MR images. To this end, we designed a three-stage pipeline: (1) Localization of a region containing both OBs using FastSurferCNN, (2) Segmentation of OB tissue within the localized region through four independent AttFastSurferCNN - a novel deep learning architecture with a self-attention mechanism to improve modeling of contextual information, and (3) Ensemble of the predicted label maps. For this work, both OBs were manually annotated in a total of 620 T2w images for training (n=357) and testing. The OB pipeline exhibits high performance in terms of boundary delineation, OB localization, and volume estimation across a wide range of ages in 203 participants of the Rhineland Study (Dice Score (Dice): 0.852, Volume Similarity (VS): 0.910, and Average Hausdorff Distance (AVD): 0.215 mm). Moreover, it also generalizes to scans of an independent dataset never encountered during training, the Human Connectome Project (HCP), with different acquisition parameters and demographics, evaluated in 30 cases at the native 0.7 mm HCP resolution (Dice: 0.738, VS: 0.790, and AVD: 0.340 mm), and the default 0.8 mm pipeline resolution (Dice: 0.782, VS: 0.858, and AVD: 0.268 mm). We extensively validated our pipeline not only with respect to segmentation accuracy but also to known OB volume effects, where it can sensitively replicate age effects (ß=-0.232, p<.01). Furthermore, our method can analyze a 3D volume in less than a minute (GPU) in an end-to-end fashion, providing a validated, efficient, and scalable solution for automatically assessing OB volumes.

Predictors of indirect neural decompression in minimally invasive transpsoas lateral lumbar interbody fusion.

OBJECTIVE: An advantage of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) surgery is the indirect decompression of the neural elements that occurs because of the resulting disc height restoration, spinal realignment, and ligamentotaxis. The degree to which indirect decompression occurs varies; no method exists for effectively predicting which patients will respond. In this study, the authors identify preoperative predictive factors of indirect decompression of the central canal. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective evaluation of prospectively collected consecutive patients at a single institution who were treated with LLIF without direct decompression. Preoperative and postoperative MRI was used to grade central canal stenosis, and 3D volumetric reconstructions were used to measure changes in the central canal area (CCA). Multivariate regression was used to identify predictive variables correlated with radiographic increases in the CCA and clinically successful improvement in visual analog scale (VAS) leg pain scores. RESULTS: One hundred seven levels were treated in 73 patients (mean age 68 years). The CCA increased 54% from a mean of 0.96 cm2 to a mean of 1.49 cm2 (p < 0.001). Increases in anterior disc height (74%), posterior disc height (81%), right (25%) and left (22%) foraminal heights, and right (12%) and left (15%) foraminal widths, and reduction of spondylolisthesis (67%) (all p < 0.001) were noted. Multivariate evaluation of predictive variables identified that preoperative spondylolisthesis (p < 0.001), reduced posterior disc height (p = 0.004), and lower body mass index (p = 0.042) were independently associated with radiographic increase in the CCA. Thirty-two patients were treated at a single level and had moderate or severe central stenosis preoperatively. Significant improvements in Oswestry Disability Index and VAS back and leg pain scores were seen in these patients (all p < 0.05). Twenty-five (78%) patients achieved the minimum clinically important difference in VAS leg pain scores, with only 2 (6%) patients requiring direct decompression postoperatively due to persistent symptoms and stenosis. Only increased anterior disc height was predictive of clinical failure to achieve the minimum clinically important difference. CONCLUSIONS: LLIF successfully achieves indirect decompression of the CCA, even in patients with substantial central stenosis. Low body mass index, preoperative spondylolisthesis, and disc height collapse appear to be most predictive of successful indirect decompression. Patients with preserved disc height but severe preoperative stenosis are at higher risk of failure to improve clinically.

Development and Evaluation of an Online Education-Entertainment Intervention to Increase Knowledge of HIV and Uptake of HIV Testing among Colombian Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM).

Using a community-based participatory approach, we developed a film to promote HIV testing among young men who have sex with men (MSM) in Bogotá. Using a 5-step process to develop the intervention, we conducted 11 focus groups with MSM (n = 141) to receive community feedback at each step. To evaluate the intervention we recruited 300 young MSM to complete a baseline survey in December 2017. Between February-June 2018, 63 participants watched the film and completed a post-viewing survey, which showed the intervention was acceptable for the target population. Between August-December 2018, 48 MSM who watched the film and 47 who did not (control group) completed a follow-up survey. To obtain preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the intervention, we assessed the main effect of time (baseline vs. follow-up) and the interaction between time and group (intervention vs. control) on HIV testing uptake and intentions, and knowledge of HIV transmission dynamics and HIV-related rights. Knowledge of HIV rights increased from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group only. HIV Knowledge increased for both groups. HIV testing intentions increased significantly more for non-gay-identified men in the intervention group, but the overall effect of the intervention was not significant. Testing uptake did not change.

Decisiones relevantes desde urgencias en la infección por la COVID-19: abordaje del paro cardíaco y respiratorio / Relevant decisions at emergency in COVID-19 infection: Approach to cardiac and respiratory arrest

Resumen La infección por coronavirus 2019 (SARS-CoV-2) ha conllevado a desenlaces fatales por compromiso cardiovascular o respiratorio, por lo que el personal de la salud debe estar atento y alerta a las recomendaciones sobre su abordaje y, al mismo tiempo, evitar su contaminación y contagio. Se hacen unas precisiones en cuanto al abordaje de la vía aérea y el paro circulatorio y cardíaco, que son diferentes al abordaje habitual de otros pacientes críticos. Se presenta una revisión de la literatura con información reportada hasta el momento sobre decisiones relevantes que puedan ser útiles en la intubación, protección personal, parámetros cardiovasculares y abordaje del paro cardiorrespiratorio.

Abstract Coronavirus 2019 infection (SARS-CoV-2) has led to fatal outcomes due to cardiovascular or respiratory involvement. So health care personnel must be attentive and alert to recommendations on how to deal with it while avoiding contamination and contagion. Some clarifications are made regarding the approach of the airway and circulatory and cardiac arrest, which are different from the usual approach of other critical patients. A review of the literature is presented with information reported so far on relevant decisions that may be useful in intubation, personal protection, cardiovascular parameters and approach to cardiorespiratory arrest.

FastSurfer - A fast and accurate deep learning based neuroimaging pipeline.

Traditional neuroimage analysis pipelines involve computationally intensive, time-consuming optimization steps, and thus, do not scale well to large cohort studies with thousands or tens of thousands of individuals. In this work we propose a fast and accurate deep learning based neuroimaging pipeline for the automated processing of structural human brain MRI scans, replicating FreeSurfer's anatomical segmentation including surface reconstruction and cortical parcellation. To this end, we introduce an advanced deep learning architecture capable of whole-brain segmentation into 95 classes. The network architecture incorporates local and global competition via competitive dense blocks and competitive skip pathways, as well as multi-slice information aggregation that specifically tailor network performance towards accurate segmentation of both cortical and subcortical structures. Further, we perform fast cortical surface reconstruction and thickness analysis by introducing a spectral spherical embedding and by directly mapping the cortical labels from the image to the surface. This approach provides a full FreeSurfer alternative for volumetric analysis (in under 1 â€‹min) and surface-based thickness analysis (within only around 1 â€‹h runtime). For sustainability of this approach we perform extensive validation: we assert high segmentation accuracy on several unseen datasets, measure generalizability and demonstrate increased test-retest reliability, and high sensitivity to group differences in dementia.

FatSegNet: A fully automated deep learning pipeline for adipose tissue segmentation on abdominal dixon MRI.

PURPOSE: Introduce and validate a novel, fast, and fully automated deep learning pipeline (FatSegNet) to accurately identify, segment, and quantify visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) within a consistent, anatomically defined abdominal region on Dixon MRI scans. METHODS: FatSegNet is composed of three stages: (a) Consistent localization of the abdominal region using two 2D-Competitive Dense Fully Convolutional Networks (CDFNet), (b) Segmentation of adipose tissue on three views by independent CDFNets, and (c) View aggregation. FatSegNet is validated by: (1) comparison of segmentation accuracy (sixfold cross-validation), (2) test-retest reliability, (3) generalizability to randomly selected manually re-edited cases, and (4) replication of age and sex effects in the Rhineland Study-a large prospective population cohort. RESULTS: The CDFNet demonstrates increased accuracy and robustness compared to traditional deep learning networks. FatSegNet Dice score outperforms manual raters on VAT (0.850 vs. 0.788) and produces comparable results on SAT (0.975 vs. 0.982). The pipeline has excellent agreement for both test-retest (ICC VAT 0.998 and SAT 0.996) and manual re-editing (ICC VAT 0.999 and SAT 0.999). CONCLUSIONS: FatSegNet generalizes well to different body shapes, sensitively replicates known VAT and SAT volume effects in a large cohort study and permits localized analysis of fat compartments. Furthermore, it can reliably analyze a 3D Dixon MRI in ∼1 minute, providing an efficient and validated pipeline for abdominal adipose tissue analysis in the Rhineland Study.

Validity and reliability of the kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia present and lifetime version DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL-5) Spanish version.

BACKGROUND: There are various language adaptations of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). In order to comply with the changes in DSM classification, the Spanish edition of the interview was in need of update and evaluation. METHODS: K-SADS-PL was adapted to correspond to DSM-5 categories. All clinicians received training, and a 90% agreement was reached. Patients and their parents or guardians were interviewed and videotaped, and the videos were exchanged between raters. Factor analysis was performed and inter-rater reliability was calculated only in the case of diagnoses in which there were more than five patients. RESULTS: A total of 74 subjects were included. The Factor Analysis yielded six factors (Depressive, Stress Hyperarousal, Disruptive Behavioral, Irritable Explosive, Obsessive Repetitive and Encopresis), representing 72% of the variance. Kappa values for inter-rater agreement were larger than 0.7 for over half of the disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The factor structure of diagnoses, made with the instrument was found to correspond to the DSM-5 disorder organization. The instrument showed good construct validity and inter-rater reliability, which makes it a useful tool for clinical research studies in children and adolescents.

Osteomielitis por Yokenella regensburgei después de una craneotomía en una paciente inmunocompetente / Osteomyelitis due to Yokenella regensburgei following craniotomy in an immunocompetent patient

Yokenella regensburgei es un bacilo Gram negativo de la familia Enterobacteriaceae, que puede encontrarse en agua de pozos, alimentos y en el tubo digestivo de insectos y reptiles. Aunque se ha aislado de muestras provenientes de seres humanos, pocas veces se ha reportado como causante de infección y, en tales casos, especialmente en pacientes inmunosuprimidos. Se presenta aquí el primer caso de osteomielitis secundaria a una infección por Y. regensburgei en una paciente inmunocompetente después de un procedimiento quirúrgico.

The gram-negative bacillus Yokenella regensburgei (of the Enterobacteriaceae family) can be found in groundwater and foodstuffs, as well as the digestive tracts of insects and reptiles. Although it has been isolated from humans since its original description, it has rarely been reported as a cause of infection, and then, only in immunosuppressed patients. We report the first case of post-surgical secondary osteomyelitis due to Y. regensburgei in an immunocompetent woman who had undergone a craniotomy.

[Osteomyelitis due to Yokenella regensburgei following craniotomy in an immunocompetent patient]. / Osteomielitis por Yokenella regensburgei después de una craneotomía en una paciente inmunocompetente.

The gram-negative bacillus Yokenella regensburgei (of the Enterobacteriaceae family) can be found in groundwater and foodstuffs, as well as the digestive tracts of insects and reptiles. Although it has been isolated from humans since its original description, it has rarely been reported as a cause of infection, and then, only in immunosuppressed patients. We report the first case of post-surgical secondary osteomyelitis due to Y. regensburgei in an immunocompetent woman who had undergone a craniotomy.

Randomized clinical trial of lovastatin in HIV-infected, HAART naïve patients (NCT00721305).

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that statins may modify the immune response against HIV. The aim was to evaluate the antiretroviral and immunomodulatory effects of lovastatin in HIV-infected patients, naïve for antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase-II clinical trial. Primary outcomes were plasma viral load and circulating CD4+ T cell count, after 6 and 12 months of treatment; secondary outcomes were CD8+ T cell count, expression of activation markers (CD38 and HLA-DR) on T cells, and clinical outcomes. With a power of 90% to detect both a decrease of 0.3 log10 in plasma HIV-1 RNA copies and an increase of 20% in the CD4+ T cell count, we estimated a required sample size of 110 HIV-infected patients (55 per group). The results were analyzed by a model of repeated measurements using Generalized Estimating Equations. RESULTS: Patients were randomized to receive either lovastatin (n = 55) or placebo (n = 57). During the 12-month follow-up, there was no effect of lovastatin either on viral load (estimated average change = 0.157 copies/mL; CI 95% = -0.099 to 0.414), or on the CD4+ T cell count (estimated average change = -26.1 cells/µL; CI 95% = -89.8 to 37.6). Moreover, there were no significant differences in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Daily administration of lovastatin (40 mg) for one year in HIV-infected patients, naïve for antiretroviral therapy, had no significant effect on HIV replication, the CD4+ T cell count, or the activation level of T cells. (www.clinicaltrials.gov; ID NCT00721305).

Las infecciones del tracto genital femenino: una oportunidad para renovar las políticas y la investigación en salud sexual y reproductiva: [editoriales] / Sexually-transmitted infections in women; an opportunity for renewing policies and the research agenda regarding sexual and reproductive health in Colombia: [editorial]

En este número de la Revista Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecología se presentan los resultados del estudio: “Prevalencia y factores asociados a la infección por C. trachomatis, N. gonorrheae, T. vaginalis, C. albicans, sífilis, VIH y vaginosis bacteriana en mujeres con síntomas de infección vaginal en tres sitios de atención de Bogotá, Colombia, 2010”. Estos resultados muestran a la vaginosis bacteriana y Candida sp. como las principales causas de estas infecciones. Respecto a las ITS se encontró que Chlamydia trachomatis fue el germen con mayor prevalencia. Además, se determinó que Neisseria gonorroeae, Treponema pallidum y Trichomonas vaginalis siguen siendo frecuentes en nuestra población, no obstante su baja prevalencia. Este estudio nos alerta sobre la importancia que siguen teniendo las infecciones del tracto genital como problema de salud pública en el país, no solo por el consumo de recursos relacionados con la consulta al médico general o especialista, los métodos diagnósticos utilizados y el tratamiento, entre otros, sino también por las consecuencias en calidad de vida, las complicaciones y las secuelas en las pacientes. Por otra parte, en nuestro medio es posible que se presente amplia variabilidad en la práctica clínica respecto al diagnóstico y manejo de estas infecciones.

The current issue of the Revista Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecología presents the results of a study entitled, “The prevalence of and factors associated with C. trachomatis, N. gonorrheae, T. vaginalis, C. albicans infection, syphilis, HIV and bacterial vaginosis in females suffering lower genital tract infection symptoms in three healthcare attention sites in Bogotá, Colombia, 2010.” The results showed that bacterial vaginosis and Candida sp. were the main causes of such infections. Regarding STI, it was found that Chlamydia trachomatis was the germ having the greatest prevalence; it was also determined that Neisseria gonorroeae, Treponema pallidum and Trichomonas vaginalis continue appearing frequently in our population, notwithstanding their low prevalence. This study warns about genital tract infections’ continued importance as a public health problem in Colombia, not just because of the consumption of resources related to consulting a GP or specialist, the diagnostic methods used and treatment but rather the consequences regarding patients’ quality of life, complications and aftermath. There may also be wide variability in clinical practice in our setting regarding the diagnosis and management of such infections.

Concordancia entre el diagnóstico clínico y el histopatológico en pacientes con lesiones dermatológicas / Correlation between clinical and histopathological diagnoses in patients with skin lesions

Introducción. El estudio histopatológico es una herramienta diagnóstica importante en dermatología. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios que evalúen la concordancia entre el diagnóstico clínico y el histopatológico, razón por la cual se llevó a cabo esta investigación. Objetivos. Evaluar la concordancia entre el diagnóstico clínico y el histopatológico, y establecer si mejora cuando el dermatólogo aporta dos o más diagnósticos. Materiales y métodos. Se evaluaron 1.000 casos enviados por médicos dermatólogos al Laboratorio de Patología de la Congregación Mariana, durante el año 2008. Se obtuvo la proporción de concordancia y el intervalo de confianza (IC95%) por grupos de diagnóstico, y de acuerdo con el número de diagnósticos clínicos. Resultados. La proporción de concordancia entre el diagnóstico clínico y el histopatológico fue de 63 % (IC95%, 59,9 - 66,0) (índice kappa=0,55). No hubo diferencias en la proporción de concordancia entre los grupos de diagnóstico histopatológico, ni de acuerdo con el número de diagnósticos clínicos. Conclusión. La fuerza de la concordancia entre los diagnósticos clínico e histopatológico en dermatología, fue moderada. No se encontró una mayor proporción de concordancia con mayor número de diagnósticos clínicos.

Seroprevalencia de toxoplasmosis en donantes de sangre de la Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María, Medellín, Colombia, 2009-2010 / Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in donors from Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María, Medellín, Colombia, 2009-2010

Introducción. La toxoplasmosis es una zoonosis de distribución mundial, cuya población vulnerable está constituida por mujeres embarazadas e individuos inmunosuprimidos. Por tal motivo, la mayoría de los estudios de seroprevalencia se llevan a cabo en estos grupos de población y no en la población general. Objetivo. Determinar la seroprevalencia de anticuerpos IgG contra Toxoplasma gondii en donantes del banco de sangre de la Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María, Medellín, Colombia. Métodos. Se seleccionó por conveniencia una muestra constituida por 201 donantes sanos del banco de sangre de la Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María. A estos donantes se les aplicó un cuestionario, en el que se les indagó por datos sociodemográficos y la posible exposición a factores de riesgo relacionados con la toxoplasmosis, y se les tomó una muestra de sangre venosa para determinar los niveles séricos de IgG contra T. gondii, mediante una técnica de inmunoensayo por electroquimioluminiscencia, Resultados. El 29,9% de los donantes presentó una serología reactiva para anticuerpos IgG contra el parásito. Un análisis bivariado reveló que el resultado positivo de la prueba serológica se relacionaba con la edad y el nivel de escolaridad (p=0,007 y p=0,025, respectivamente).

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis of world-wide distribution. Pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals constitute the susceptible population, reason why most of seroprevalence studies of T. gondii usually are made in these populations over those in healthy population. Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection in a sample of healthy blood donors from Medellín (Colombia). Materials and methods: Two hundred and one healthy blood donors from Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María (not selected randomly) were examined for toxoplasmosis infection between December 2000 and January 2010. Socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics acting from each participant were also obtained. Samples of venous blood were tested for anti- T. gondii IgG antibodies by using an electroquimioluminiscence assay. Results: Sixty (29.9%) of 201 donors had a reactive serology to IgG parasite antibodies. Bivariate analysis showed that the infection was related with age and schooling level (p=0,007 and p=0.025, respectively).

Valoración externa de las recomendaciones de la GEMA2009 por un panel multiprofesional de expertos en asma / External Assessment of the GEMA2009 Recommendations by a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel on Asthma

ObjetivosValorar el grado de acuerdo de un panel de expertos en asma de diferentes especialidades con las recomendaciones que propone la Guía Española para el Manejo del Asma (GEMA) 2009.Material y métodosEl estudio se efectuó en 4 fases: 1) constitución del comité científico formado por los 9 coordinadores de GEMA2009, para la selección de las recomendaciones de la Guía que conforman el cuestionario Delphi del estudio (56 ítems); 2) selección de un panel estatal multicéntrico con 74 expertos en asma de todas las especialidades implicadas en la Guía (neumólogos, alergólogos, médicos de familia, otorrinolaringólogos, y especialistas de pediatría); 3) encuesta Delphi en 2 rondas (con valoración personal de cada ítem mediante escala Likert de 5 puntos), por correo electrónico, con informe a panelistas de resultados intermedios; y 4) análisis y discusión de resultados por el comité científico del proyecto.ResultadosSe apreció un consenso de criterio en 49 de las 56 cuestiones analizadas ya en la primera ronda. Tras la interacción del panel, se lograron consensuar 53 ítems de la encuesta, en el sentido favorable al acuerdo del panel con las recomendaciones GEMA. En una de las cuestiones no consensuadas, sobre indicación de inmunoterapia en asma alérgica, se apreció una significativa disparidad de opinión entre especialidades. En otra, sobre las medidas de control ambiental en alergia a ácaros, se apreció una manifiesta oposición del panel (55%), y en la última, sobre la necesidad de cambiar de trabajo en pacientes con síndrome reactivo de disfunción de la vía aérea, se observó una ausencia significativa de criterio establecido en buena parte de los encuestados (40% expresan «ni de acuerdo, ni en desacuerdo»)(AU)

ConclusionesLa valoración externa por expertos en asma de diferentes especialidades constata un elevado nivel de acuerdo profesional con las recomendaciones formuladas en GEMA2009 (93%). Probablemente el desacuerdo evidenciado en 3 de las recomendaciones reflejan la escasez de evidencias, o su gran variabilidad, para establecer recomendaciones consistentes. Estas cuestiones podrían representar áreas susceptibles de un mayor esfuerzo investigador futuro(AU)

ObjectivesTo assess the level of agreement on the GEMA 2009 clinical recommendations by a Spanish expert panel on asthma.Materials and methodsThe study was divided into four stages: 1) establishment of a 9 member scientific committee (GEMA authors) for selection of GEMA recommendations to use in the survey; 2) formation of a panel of 74 professionals with expertise in this field (pulmonologists, allergists, family doctors, ear, nose and throat and paediatric specialists); 3) Delphi survey in two rounds, sent by mail, with intermediate processing of opinions and a report to the panel members; and 4) analysis and discussion of results for the Scientific Committee.ResultsSeventy four participants completed the two rounds of survey. During the first round, a consensus was reached in 49 out of 56 questions analysed. Following discussion by the panel, the consensus was increased to a total of 53 items in the survey. With respect to the remaining questions, Insufficient consensus was obtained on the rest of the questions, due to differing views between sub-specialists, or lack of criteria by most of the experts.ConclusionsThe external analysis by asthma experts from different specialities showed a high level of professional agreement with the GEMA 2009 recommendations in Spain (96.5%). The disagreement shown in three recommendations reflect the lack of a high level evidence. These issues represent areas of interest for future research(AU)

Adrenal function status in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis after prolonged post-therapy follow-up.

This study assessed adrenal function in patients with paracoccididioidomycosis who had been treated to determine a possible connection between high antibody titers and adrenal dysfunction attributable to persistence of the fungus in adrenal gland. Adrenal gland function was studied in 28 previously treated patients, 2 (7.1%) of whom were shown to have adrenal insufficiency and 7 (259%) who showed a below normal response to stimuli by adrenocorticotropic hormone. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was detected in the adrenal gland from one of the patients with adrenal insufficiency. Although the study failed to demonstrate a significant difference between high antibody titers and low cortisol levels, the proportion of adrenal insufficiency detected and the subnormal response to adrenocorticotropic hormone confirmed that adrenal damage is an important sequela of paracoccidioidomycosis. Studies with a larger number of patients should be conducted to confirm the hypothesis of persistence of P. brasiliensis in adrenal gland after therapy.

[External assessment of the GEMA2009 recommendations by a multidisciplinary expert panel on asthma]. / Valoración externa de las recomendaciones de la GEMA2009 por un panel multiprofesional de expertos en asma.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of agreement on the GEMA 2009 clinical recommendations by a Spanish expert panel on asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was divided into four stages: 1) establishment of a 9 member scientific committee (GEMA authors) for selection of GEMA recommendations to use in the survey; 2) formation of a panel of 74 professionals with expertise in this field (pulmonologists, allergists, family doctors, ear, nose and throat and paediatric specialists); 3) Delphi survey in two rounds, sent by mail, with intermediate processing of opinions and a report to the panel members; and 4) analysis and discussion of results for the Scientific Committee. RESULTS: Seventy four participants completed the two rounds of survey. During the first round, a consensus was reached in 49 out of 56 questions analysed. Following discussion by the panel, the consensus was increased to a total of 53 items in the survey. With respect to the remaining questions, Insufficient consensus was obtained on the rest of the questions, due to differing views between sub-specialists, or lack of criteria by most of the experts. CONCLUSIONS: The external analysis by asthma experts from different specialities showed a high level of professional agreement with the GEMA 2009 recommendations in Spain (96.5%). The disagreement shown in three recommendations reflect the lack of a high level evidence. These issues represent areas of interest for future research.