Vaginal Health: Insights, Views & Attitudes (VIVA-LATAM): results from a survey in Latin America.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate awareness in Latin America, knowledge of postmenopausal vaginal atrophy was evaluated in a sample of women from this region. METHODS: A total of 2509 postmenopausal women aged 55-65 years, resident in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, completed a structured online questionnaire. RESULTS: Over half the surveyed population (57%) reported experiencing symptoms of vaginal atrophy. Only 6% of the overall cohort attributed symptoms of vaginal atrophy directly to the condition, and 71% did not consider the condition to be chronic, resulting in many women not accessing effective therapy. Half the women (49%) affected by vaginal atrophy had used lubricating gels and creams; 36% had used some form of local hormone treatment. To understand symptoms and/or treatment options for vaginal discomfort, the majority of survey participants (92%) were willing to seek advice from health-care professionals; most (61%) felt/would feel comfortable talking to their doctor about this. CONCLUSION: Many women in Latin America lack knowledge of postmenopausal vaginal atrophy, not appreciating the chronic nature of the condition, and may benefit from dialog initiated by health-care professionals to facilitate greater understanding and increased awareness of the availability of effective treatment.

[Value of the amniotic fluid rate in premature membrane rupture: prognosis of infection]. / Utilidad del índice del líquido amniótico en la ruptura prematura de membranas: Pronóstico de infección.

The presence of oligohydramnios evaluated by accumulation or major pool technique in pre-term PMR is strongly correlated with maternal and perinatal infection. The objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of amniotic fluid volume rate (AFVR) in prediction of maternal and fetal-neonatal infection in patients with PMR before 37 weeks. Thirty patients with PMR were prospectively studied. AFVR was done in all the patients at the time of arrival and they were managed conservatively. None of them had utero-inhibitors and only antibiotics were used after chord clamping. In absence of intrauterine infection corticotherapy was allowed. The results of AFVR were correlated with maternal infection (chorioamnioitis) and perinatal (possible neonatal sepsis or neonatal sepsis). Twenty three out of 30 patients (76.6%) had a AFVR less than or equal to 5.0 cm. (Oligohydramnios) and seven (30.4%) showed a greater rate than 5.0 cm. The earliest pregnancy was 26.5 weeks and the greatest 34.4 weeks. Out of the total of patients 13 (43.3%) had chorioamnioitis and all correspond to the group with AFVI smaller or equal to 5.0 cm. In the group with oligohydramnios were 15 neonates (65.2%) with neonatal infection (six possible sepsis and nine neonatal sepsis). All neonates with positive cultures also corresponded to the group with smaller AFVR; the comparison among the cases with oligohydramnios with infection and the ones that had normal AFVR without infection has statistical significance (p = 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Diagnosis and treatment of toxoplasmosis by means of radionuclide]. / Diagnóstico y tratamiento de la toxoplasmosis utilizando radionúclidos.

Using antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii labelled with indium-113 metaestable we obtained scan of rats infested with this disease in a simple and harmless way. Also using the same antibodies, but labelled with iodine-131, we destroyed by radiolysis the toxoplasmas of experimental animals with the Medial Lethal Dose obtained "in vitro" experiments. The experimental results are very encouraging and their use in human beings are in currently research in our laboratory and will be the object of a future communication.

[Scentilleography of the pulmonary tensive active Iodine-131 in humans]. / Centelleografía del agente tensioactivo pulmonar Iodo-131 en el ser humano. Informe preliminar.

For the first time in the world we take surfactant scan in 3 normal volunteers and in one patient with pneumonia lobar, using 400 microCuries of surfactant Iodine-131. No intolerance, or radiotoxicity was found in 3 months of clinical follow up of the subjects. The results are very encorageous. A great variety of clinical situations could be now examinated with this new technic and radiocompound and given new perspectives in its study and diagnoses and a better knowledge of its physiophatology.

[Scintillography using tensio-active pulmonary iodine-131 (surfactant I-131)]. / Centelleografía con agente tensactivo pulmonar iodo-131 (surfactante I-131.

Using 200 microCuries of surfactant iodine 131, for the first time in the world, we took surfactant scan in 2 patient with hyaline membranes and compared with normal images. No intolerance, or radiotoxicity was found 3 months of clinical follow-up of the subjects. The results are very encouraging; a great variety of clinical situations, including hyaline membrane, can be now examinated with this new technic and radiocompound and given new perspectives in its study and diagnoses and through knowledge of its pathophysiology.