Helminth and protozoan intestinal infections in pregnant women in their first consultation at Health Centers of the State in the Butant? Subdistrict, S?o Paulo City]

481 pregnant women attended at first consultation from a S?o Paulo city suburb-subdistrict of Butantan-S?o Paulo State, Brazil, from April to October of 1988, were investigated regarding the prevalence of verminosis. The mean age was 24.5 years (range 14-46), the average family income was 0.97 PCMW (per capita minimum wage) and the average number of members of the family was 4 (1 to 15). The verminosis prevalence was 45.1% among the women. The most frequent parasites were: Ascaris lumbricoides (19.0%), ancilostomídeos (16.7%) and Trichuris trichiura (15.9%). The verminosis prevalence was significantly higher among the pregnant women (p < 0.05) who belonged to the families with income below 0.5 PCMW and greater than 4 members.     

The case for global eradication of poliomyelitis

Global eradication of poliomyelitis can be achieved by a programme strategy that includes achievement and maintenance of high immunization levels, effective surveillance to detect all new cases, and a rapid vigorous response to the occurrence of new cases. Regional eradication targets have already been set in Europe and the Americas. Possible impediments to eradication include the necessity to generate political and social will; managerial constraints; issues of vaccine efficacy, stability, and cost; and adequacy of surveillance. We believe that the impediments can be overcome and that with intensified effort and increased international collaboration, global eradication could be achieved as early as 1995.     

Donor insemination: Dutch parents' opinions about confidentiality and donor anonymity and the emotional adjustment of their children

Results from a comparative study investigating 38 donor insemination (DI) Dutch families with 4-8 year old children are presented. The aims of this study were to investigate parents' opinions on the issues of confidentiality and donor anonymity, to assess the emotional development of the children, and to examine in DI families the association between secrecy with regard to the use of a donor and the emotional adjustment of the children. The DI families were compared to families with a child conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and to families with a naturally conceived child. Secrecy appeared to be associated with DI and not with IVF: 74% of the DI parents intended not to inform the child about the way in which she/he was conceived, whereas none of the IVF parents intended to keep the secret. Only one set of DI parents and two sets of IVF parents had actually told the child. As to donor anonymity, a spread of opinions appeared among DI parents; 57% preferred an anonymous donor, 31% would have liked non- identifying information about the donor, 9% preferred the donor's identity to be registered and 3% remained unsure. Parents' major concern was to know more about the medical/genetic background of the donor. Mothers and fathers in the DI families differed in their opinions concerning the issues of confidentiality and donor anonymity: fathers, more often than mothers, were secretive with regard to the use of a donor and husbands, more often than their wives, were in favour of donor anonymity. With regard to the emotional development of the children, more emotional/behavioural problems were revealed among DI children than among children who were naturally conceived. No association was found between secrecy and the emotional/behavioural adjustment of the children.      

Can energy drinks reduce the depressor effect of ethanol? An experimental study in mice

Although the popularization of the combined use of alcoholic beverages and energy drinks (ED) containing caffeine, taurine and other substances has increased, there are no controlled experimental studies on the effects of ED alone or combined with ethanol. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of different doses of ED combined or not with ethanol, on the locomotor activity of Swiss mice. The administration of 3.57, 10.71 or 17.86 ml/kg of ED alone increased the locomotor activity of the animals in relation to a control group. Low doses of ethanol (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg) alone or in combination with 10.71 ml/kg of ED did not affect their locomotor activity. However, the reduction of activity observed after 2.5 g/kg of ethanol was antagonized by 10.71 ml/kg of ED. Further studies on the mechanisms of this interaction are still needed.     

Fat gram target to achieve high energy intake in cystic fibrosis

Higher fat and energy intakes confer a survival advantage in cystic fibrosis (CF). There is a need to develop effective nutrition programmes that ensure optimal energy intake in CF.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional measurement of clinical characteristics and energy and fat intakes in patients attending the CF outpatients clinic of the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle was undertaken. Twenty-nine subjects, mean age 12 years (range 4.3–20.2), completed weighed food records to determine the contribution of fat to the percentage of the recommended energy intake obtained and to document use of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

Results:

Diets with a high percentage of energy derived from fat did not guarantee that individuals with CF met their energy requirements. Subjects with total fat intakes of 100 g per day or greater, however, achieved in excess of 110% recommended daily intake (RDI) for energy. Up to 47% of subjects consumed more pancreatic enzyme replacement capsules than shown to give maximum effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Setting a 100 g daily fat target is a realistic way of ensuring high energy intakes in CF. Fat ready reckoners would identify the fat content of food and prescribe specific numbers of pancreatic enzyme replacement capsules to be consumed with each meal or food item.     

Coverage and focus of a cervical cancer prevention program in southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the coverage and focus of cervical cancer screening (Pap smears) in a population-based sample in Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional cluster survey covering 1730 women aged 20 years or older with a history of sexual activity. Information was collected on social, demographic and behavioral variables, knowledge of and use of the Pap test. RESULTS: Of women aged 25-59 years, who are the target population of the national cervical cancer screening program, 78.7% had had at least one Pap test in their lifetime, and 68.8% had had a Pap test in the last 3 years. Statistics for focus of the program showed that of the 637 women who reported having a Pap test in the last year, only 20.6% actually required one. The remainder were either outside the age range or had had another test less than 30 months previously. Prevalence of not having been tested in the previous 3 years was highest among black (41.7%) and low-income women (64.3%), and among those at greatest risk for cervical cancer (62.3% for women with three or more risk factors). Focus was inversely related to socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: Coverage rates were similar to those reported in other national studies, but this is the first report to examine the focus of the national program. We show that 8 of every 10 Pap tests were not necessary. Coverage levels remain unacceptably low among women of low socioeconomic status and those at greatest risk for cervical cancer.     

Freshwater Cyanobacterial Blooms and Primary Liver Cancer Epidemiological Studies in Serbia

A large part of Central Serbia experiences continual shortage of sufficient ground water resources. For that reason, more than 20 reservoirs serve as drinking water suppliers. Significant and persistent cyanobacterial “blooms” have been recognized in nine of them. Samples for cyanotoxin analyses were taken during and after “blooms” in ?elije Reservoir and from Kru?evac town-supplied tap water from that reservoir two days later. Concentration of microcystin-LR was 650 μ gL^–1 in the reservoir, while the tap water contained 2.5 μ gL^–1.

In the two investigated periods, the high primary liver cancer (PLC) mortality of 11.6 from 1980–1990 and extremely high PLC incidence of 34.7 from 2000–2002 were observed in the regions affected by heavy cyanobacterial “blooms.” In contrast, PLC mortality and incidence rates were substantially lower in the regions not affected by cyanobacterial blooms: in 1980–1990 the rate of PLC mortality amounted to 2.7 in Kosovo, 7.6 in Vojvodina, and 8.3 in the non-affected regions of Central Serbia; while in 2000–2002 PLC incidence amounted to 4.1 in Kosovo, 5.2 in Vojvodina, and 13.6 in the non- or less-affected regions of Central Serbia. Keeping in mind that the most affected PLC regions in Central Serbia (Topli?ki, Ni?ki, and ?umadijski regions) have the water supply systems based on six reservoirs found regularly in bloom during summer months and that some of the regions are also connected with two boundary “blooming” reservoirs, representing a total of eight of nine blooming reservoirs, it is easy to presume that the PLC incidence could be related to drinking water quality.

The uneven geographic distribution of liver cancer in Serbia is conspicuous and hot spots could be related to drinking water supply. It is very clear that the high-risk regions for PLC occurrence correspond with drinking water reservoirs continually found with cyanobacterial blooms, and the low risk regions correspond with water supplies not affected by cyanobacteria.     

Acute cardiac injury is associated with adverse outcomes,including mortality in COVID-19 patients: A single-center experience

Objectives:To evaluate acute cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients and its association with adverse outcomes including mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population.Methods:A retrospective study conducted between February and June 2020 in Dubai, UAE, for all laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease-19 patients. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without acute cardiac injury.Results:During the study period, 203 patients were included, of which, 44 (21.7%) had evidence of acute cardiac injury. Compared with patients without acute cardiac injury, patients with acute cardiac injury were: older, had more shortness of breath, diabetes, hypertension, and more bilateral airspace shadowing on admission chest radiography. These patients also had a higher neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, ferritin, D-dimers and lactate dehydrogenase but lower lymphocyte count. Regarding outcomes, these patients had higher intensive care admissions; a higher rate of complications including acute kidney and liver injury, acidosis, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, needed more mechanical ventilation, and had a significantly higher risk of death.Conclusion:Acute cardiac injury is common among Coronavirus disease-19 patients. These patients present with higher comorbidities, have high inflammatory markers and have greater risk for in-hospital multi-organ damage, need for mechanical ventilation, and death. Prompt full assessment and intervention are recommended.