Asociación del índice de masa corporal con ventilación mecánica invasiva prolongada en pacientes con infección por SARS-CoV-2 en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos / Association of body mass index with prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with infection by SARS-CoV-2 in the Intensive Care Unit / Associação do índice de massa corporal com ventilação invasiva mecânica prolongada em pacientes com infecção por SARS-CoV-2 na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

Resumen: Introducción: la infección por SARS-CoV-2 es un problema de salud pública a nivel mundial. Resulta de gran importancia conocer las diferentes presentaciones clínicas, principalmente la forma grave de la enfermedad, ya que produce el síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda, responsable de millones de muertes. Diversos estudios relacionados con la infección por SARS-CoV-2 asocian la infección grave con la obesidad y la inmunosupresión. Objetivo: analizar la relación del índice de masa corporal (IMC) con la ventilación mecánica invasiva prolongada en pacientes con infección por SARS-CoV-2 de la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Material y métodos: tipo de estudio retrospectivo correlacional y observacional. Resultados: se encontró asociación significativa entre el grado de obesidad (IMC > 30 kg/m2) y la mortalidad en pacientes diagnosticados con SARS-CoV-2 bajo ventilación mecánica invasiva por más de 20 días. Los grados I (p = 0.001) y II (p = 0.008) de obesidad tienen mayor influencia en la mortalidad de pacientes con ventilación mecánica inducida. Conclusiones: en los pacientes con obesidad (IMC > 30 kg/m2), principalmente grado I y II presentaron mayor mortalidad y riesgo de ventilación mecánica invasiva prolongada; por lo que es importante diagnosticar y tratar de forma temprana y adecuada a estos pacientes con la finalidad de disminuir su mortalidad.

Abstract: Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection is a health problem worldwide. It's highly important to identify new clinical manifestations, mainly the serious form of the disease, because it produces severe acute respiratory syndrome, which is responsible for millions of deaths. Several studies associate the serious form of SARS-CoV-2 with high obesity and immune suppression. Objective: to analyze body mass index (BMI) with prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 from Intensive Care Unit. Material and methods: retrospective correlational and observational study. Results: a significant association between obesity grade (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and mortality was found in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 under invasive mechanical ventilation through more than 20 days. Obesity grade I (p = 0.001) and II (p = 0.008) showed higher influence on patient's mortality with induced mechanical ventilation. Conclusions: patients with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2), mainly grades I and II showed higher mortality and risk of prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation, so it is important to diagnose and apply early and proper treatment to this type of patients in order to reduce mortality.

Resumo: Introdução: a infecção por SARS-CoV-2 é um problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. É de grande importância conhecer as diferentes apresentações clínicas, principalmente a forma grave da doença, pois produz a síndrome de dificuldade respiratória aguda, responsável por milhões de mortes. Vários estudos relacionados à infecção por SARS-CoV-2 associam infecção grave com obesidade e imunossupressão. Objetivo: analisar a relação do índice de massa corporal (IMC) com ventilação mecânica invasiva prolongada em pacientes com infecção por SARS-CoV-2 da unidade de terapia intensiva. Material e métodos: tipo de estudo retrospectivo correlacional e observacional. Resultados: encontrou-se uma associação significativa entre o grau de obesidade (IMC > 30 kg/m2) e a mortalidade em pacientes diagnosticados com SARS-CoV-2 com ventilação mecânica invasiva por mais de 20 dias. Graus I (p = 0.001) e II (p = 0.008) de obesidade têm a maior influência na mortalidade de pacientes com ventilação mecânica induzida. Conclusões: em pacientes com obesidade (IMC > 30 kg/m2) principalmente os graus I e II apresentaram maior mortalidade e risco ventilação mecânica invasiva prolongada; portanto, é importante diagnosticar e tratar precocemente e adequadamente esses pacientes, a fim de reduzir sua mortalidade.

Comparison between Allura Red dye discoloration by activated carbon and azo bacteria strain.

Azo dyes are extensively used in different industries areas, such as Allura Red (R-40). Previous studies have proven its carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. For the removal of this type of emerging pollutant from effluents, tertiary treatment techniques such as activated charcoal are used. Alternatively, the use of bacteria is preferred because of its quick discoloration processes. The aim of the present investigation is to compare the efficiency removal of R-40 from aqueous media by a physicochemical process and a biological one. The sorption kinetics of 10 ppm of R-40 was carried out with the use of activated charcoal based on walnut shells in water. Moreover, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis stains were used separately to decolorize nutrient broth media supplemented with 50 ppm of R-40. The activated carbon was capable to remove 99.87% of R-40 at 264 h, while the bacterial strains decolorized 92.13% (P. aeruginosa) and 88.21% (B. subtilis), respectively, under microaerophilic conditions after 168 h. Therefore, both process strategies, physicochemical and biological rapprochements, were able to remove the dye from aqueous media. R-40 was not cytotoxic to used strains, besides gram-positive either negative bacteria could be applied to turn over this azo dye in short term. Combination of both approaches may be implemented in tandem architecture.

Changes of turbidity during the phenol oxidation by photo-Fenton treatment.

Turbidity presented by phenol solutions oxidized with Fenton reagent shows the tendency of a first order intermediate kinetics. Thus, turbidity can be considered a representative parameter of the presence of intermediate oxidation species, which are generated along the decomposition of toxic and reluctant contaminants, such as phenol. Moreover, that parameter presents a linear dependence with the catalyst dosage, but is also determined by the initial contaminant load. When analyzing the oxidation mechanism of phenol, it is found that the maximum turbidity occurs when the treatment is carried out at oxidant to phenol molar ratios R = 4.0. These oxidation conditions correspond to the presence of a reaction mixture mainly composed of dihydroxylated rings, precursors of the muconic acid formation. The oxidation via "para" comprises the formation reactions of charge transfer complexes (quinhydrone), between the para-dihydroxylated intermediates (hydroquinone) and the para-substituted quinones (p-benzoquinone), which are quite unstable and reactive species, quickly decomposed into hydroxyhydroquinones. Working with oxidant ratios up to R = 6.0, the maximum observed value of turbidity in the oxidized solutions is kept almost constant. It is found that, in these conditions, the pyrogallol formation is maximal, what is generated through the degradation of ortho-species (catechol and ortho-benzoquinone) and meta-substituted (resorcinol). Operating with ratios over R = 6.0, these intermediates are decomposed into biodegradable acids, generating lower turbidity in the solution. Then, the residual turbidity is a function of the molar ratio of the ferrous ions vs. moles of oxidant utilized in the essays, that lets to estimate the stoichiometric dosage of catalyst as 20 mg/L at pH = 3.0, whereas operating in stoichiometric conditions, R = 14.0, the residual turbidity of water results almost null.

Conversion of agricultural residues into activated carbons for water purification: Application to arsenate removal.

The conversion of two agricultural wastes, sugar beet pulp and peanut hulls, into sustainable activated carbons is presented and their potential application for the treatment of arsenate solution is investigated. A direct and physical activation is selected as well as a simple chemical treatment of the adsorbents. The material properties, such as BET surface areas, porous volumes, elemental analysis, ash contents and pH(PZC), of these alternative carbonaceous porous materials are determined and compared with a commercial granular activated carbon. An adsorption study based on experimental kinetic and equilibrium data is conducted in a batch reactor and completed by the use of different models (intraparticle diffusion, pseudo-second-order, Langmuir and Freundlich) and by isotherms carried out in natural waters. It is thus demonstrated that sugar beet pulp and peanut hulls are good precursors to obtain activated carbons for arsenate removal.