Información sobre malaria y antipalúdicos en viajeros internacionales / Information on malaria and antimalarial medication in international travelers

Objetivos: describir el nivel de información sobre antipalúdico y malaria que presentan los viajeros internacionales con destinos de riesgo para la salud, al acudir a un Centro de Vacunación Internacional e identificar los puntos críticos (áreas del conocimiento).Método: estudio descriptivo transversal en el Centro de Vacunación Internacional de Vigo a una muestra de 120 sujetos seleccionados por conveniencia. Se utilizó un cuestionario de elaboración que recorría el perfil del viajero y del viaje, opinión personal y fuentes de información, contacto previo con antipalúdicos y/o diagnóstico previode malaria, y nivel de conocimientos sobre malaria. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y análisis bivariante (chi cuadrado).Resultados: un 65,8% habían realizado consulta previa en un centro de atención al viajero. La vacunación (68,3%) fue considerada la medida más prioritaria. Respecto a las fuentes de información para su viaje, un 36,42% destacó “Internet”. Un 22,5% había recibido recomendación o había tomado tratamiento antipalúdico previamente. El mayor porcentaje de error en conocimientos generales sobre malaria estuvo en el conocimiento de alguna medida de protección no farmacológica para la prevención de la transmisión del paludismo (87%). Un 51% reflejó como efecto secundario asociado a los antipalúdicos, las náuseas y los vómitos. Conclusiones: los viajeros se informan y prefieren hacerlo a través de otros viajeros. Los resultados revelan que se conoce el mecanismo de transmisión, pero que la información sobre medidas de protección contra la picadura de mosquito es el punto crítico detectado. Los profesionales de Enfermería en su labor de educación para la salud, deberían hacer mayor hincapié en la importancia de adoptar medidas de protección personal y en la correcta toma de los antipalúdicos (AU)

Purposes: Describe the degree of malarial disease and antimalarial medication-related information the international travelers going to destinations hazardous for their health possess on coming into an International Immunization Center and identify the critical points(areas of knowledge).Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional study at the International Immunization Center in Vigo on a sample of 120 subjects selected by convenience sampling. A questionnaire was used which had been designed to outline the profile of the traveler and the trip in question, their personal opinions and sources of information, prior contact with antimalarial medication and/or prior diagnosis of malaria and degree of knowledge regarding malaria. A descriptive analysis and a bivariate (chi-square) analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 65.8% has previously visited a traveler assistance center. Immunization (68.3%) was considered the top-priority measure. A total 36.42% reported the internet as being their source of information for their trip. A total of 22.5% had been recommended to take or had previously taken antimalarial treatment. The highest percentage of error in overall malaria-related know ledge concerned knowledge as to some non-pharmacological means of protection for preventing malaria transmission (87%). A total of 51%experienced nausea and vomiting as a side-effect associated with the antimalarial medications. Conclusions: Travelers inform themselves and prefer to do so through other travelers. The results reveal the mechanism of transmission to be known, the critical point detected however being the measures for safeguarding against mosquito bites. In their health education work, Nursing professionals should more adamantly stress the importance of taking measures to protect oneself and the proper way of taking antimalarial drugs (AU)

Determination of sulfamethazine and trimethoprim in liquid feed premixes by HPLC and diode array detection, with an analysis of the uncertainty of the analytical results.

Sulfamethazine (SMZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) are antibacterials used in veterinary practice. This paper describes a method for their determination in veterinary liquid feed premixes that is based on liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Gradient elution with methanol and ammonium acetate achieved excellent separation of the two analytes within 15 min without any interference from the matrix. Absorbance of the column effluent was monitored at 264 nm for SMZ and at 230 nm for TMP. Detailed analyses of the uncertainties of determinations afford estimated expanded uncertainties of, respectively, 0.2 and 0.1 w/v % for typical SMZ and TMP concentrations of 10.7 and 2.1 w/v %, respectively. At the lower end of the calibrated range of the method, the dominant source of uncertainty is the preparation of standards and the construction of the calibration line.

Solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography procedures for the analysis of paralytic shellfish toxins.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins are produced by certain dinoflagellate species such as Gymnodinium catenatum and Alexandrium tamarensis, during certain periods of the year influenced by several environmental factors, affecting the aquaculture industry and mainly bivalve molluscs. HPLC with fluorescence detection is a powerful analytical technique for the analysis of such toxins; several HPLC alternatives have been developed in order to improve the liquid chromatographic analysis, but due to the complexity of the sample matrix, important work has been focused recently on the clean-up of samples prior to HPLC analysis. Solid-phase extraction procedures offer advantages for this clean-up. In this work we focus on the study of three different clean-up methods prior to HPLC with fluorescence detection analysis of PSP toxin present in contaminated mussel samples; by spiking uncontaminated mussel samples with two different PSP toxin standards and by calculating the recovery values for these experiments. These recoveries must be taken into account in order to quantify the exact amount of PSP toxins present in the contaminated samples.

Distribution of the AMPFLPs YNZ22, 3'Apob and COL2A1 in the population of Galicia (NW Spain).

Two different electrophoretic methods were used for typing three amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AMPFLPs), (3'ApoB, YNZ22 and COL2A1) in a Galician (NW Spain) population sample. Because of the problems of anomalous mobility for the 3'ApoB system and the intermediate alleles found in the COL2A1 system, the use of automated sequencers and denaturing conditions is recommended for typing these two systems. Nevertheless, simple electrophoretic methods, such as the PhastSystem, can be used for YNZ22 typing. Although intermediate COL2A1 alleles can be distinguished with the sequencers, a binning approach was adopted for comparison purposes. The population sampled was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the three systems using an exact test. This type of statistical analysis is more appropriate when the number of alleles in a system is high. No significant differences with other Caucasian populations were found for the three systems studied. The characteristics of the polymorphisms, shown by 3'ApoB, YNZ22 and COL2A1, reflected in the statistical parameters studied, demonstrate that these AMPFLPs are of considerable interest for forensic purposes.

Hemorrhagic cyst mimicking renal malignancy in a child.

Hemorrhage is a very rare complication of renal cyst in childhood. We report a six year-old-male with spontaneous macroscopic hematuria in which ultrasound and CT studies demonstrated a solid renal mass. Pathological examination of the resected lesion revealed a hemorrhagic cyst.