Main Health Problems Research Articles

Analisis Praktik Klinik Keperawatan pada Pasien Stroke Hemoragik dengan Terapi Inovasi Mobilisasi (Rom Pasif) dan Rangsangan Taktil Terhadap Pemulihan Anggota Gerak Atas di Ruang Hcu Rsud Prof. Dr. H. Aloei Saboe Kota Gorontalo

Background: Stroke is one of the main health problems for the community because stroke can cause damage to the brain that appears suddenly, progressively, and quickly due to non-traumatic brain blood circulation disorders.
 Purpose: To conduct an analysis of managed cases with a medical diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke with innovative mobilization therapy (Passive ROM) and tactile stimulation for upper limb recovery in the HCU Room of Prof. Dr. H. Aloei Saboe City of Gorontalo
 Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental design with pre and post test. To determine the effect of providing innovative mobilization therapy (Passive ROM) and tactile stimulation to hemorrhagic stroke patients in the HCU Room of Prof. Dr. H. Aloei Saboe City of Gorontalo. The sample used in this study were 5 patients with the sample criteria being patients who had hemorrhagic strokes who were treated in the HCU Room at Prof. Hospital. Dr. H. Aloei Saboe Gorontalo City, patients who experience hemiparesa, patients have awareness of compos mentis.
 Results: Implementation of innovation in Mrs.FK On the first day the Ara test score was 0 until the third day there was no increase in the Ara test value which was still 0. Mr. RA on the first day the Ara test value was 1, on the third day the Ara test value increased enough to be 2. On Mr. UT on the first day the Ara test value was 0, on the third day the Ara Test value was 1. Mr. AH on the first day the Ara test value was 0, on the third day the Ara Test value was still 0. Mr. MH on the first day the Ara test value was 1, on the third day the Ara Test value increased to 2.
 Conclusion: Based on the research conducted, it was found that 5 respondents from the results of the study had the same complaint, namely experiencing weakness/hemiparesis of the upper extremities. The client's upper extremity muscle strength is 1/5, 3/4, 2/4, 4/2, 4/5, when the motor function test is carried out by holding the researcher's hand the client is unable to grip,

Improving the Degree of Health in the Elderly Through Health Checks and Education

Background. The thesis focuses on the elderly as the final stage of human development and acknowledges that individuals in old age undergo various changes. The research is conducted at the Nuriah Nursing Home, located in Kecamatan Sei Lakam, Kabupaten Karimun. The purpose of the research is to identify the main health problems faced by the elderly in the nursing home, specifically the risk of declining health status. The thesis mentions specific health problems prevalent among the elderly, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), high blood pressure, heart disease, rheumatism, paralysis, and diabetes mellitus. Purpose. This activity aims to determine the health status. Method. The method used is by conducting health checks and counseling followed by 5 elderly people.. Results. The results of this activity showed that from 5 elderly people, 1 elderly had hypertension because the elderly underwent dialysis 2 times a week. 1 elderly suffers from malnutrition. 1 elderly had dementia, and one elderly experienced long bed rest. Conclusion. . The conclusion is that 70% are all carried out / assisted by orphanage officers. Starting from bathing, clothes, chapters, and tubs. The elderly seem to understand how to improve their health status. instructional approaches to meet the specific needs of their students.

Improvement of synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in RASopathies—a monocentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial (SynCoRAS)

BackgroundCognitive impairment is a common medical issue in rat sarcoma (RAS) pathway disorders, so-called RASopathies, like Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) or Noonan syndrome (NS). It is presumed to be caused by impaired synaptic plasticity. In animal studies, pathway-specific pharmacological interventions with lovastatin (LOV) and lamotrigine (LTG) have been shown to improve synaptic plasticity as well as cognitive function. The aim of this clinical trial is to translate the findings of animal studies to humans and to probe the effect of lovastatin (NS) and lamotrigine (NS and NF1) on synaptic plasticity and cognitive function/alertness in RASopathies.MethodsWithin this phase IIa, monocentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial (syn. SynCoRAS), three approaches (approaches I–III) will be carried out. In patients with NS, the effect of LTG (approach I) and of LOV (approach II) is investigated on synaptic plasticity and alertness. LTG is tested in patients with NF1 (approach III). Trial participants receive a single dose of 300 mg LTG or placebo (I and III) and 200 mg LOV or placebo (II) daily for 4 days with a cross-over after at least 7 days. Synaptic plasticity is investigated using a repetitive high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol called quadri-pulse theta burst stimulation (qTBS). Attention is examined by using the test of attentional performance (TAP). Twenty-eight patients are randomized in groups NS and NF1 with n = 24 intended to reach the primary endpoint (change in synaptic plasticity). Secondary endpoints are attention (TAP) and differences in short interval cortical inhibition (SICI) between placebo and trial medication (LTG and LOV).DiscussionThe study is targeting impairments in synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairment, one of the main health problems of patients with RASopathies. Recent first results with LOV in patients with NF1 have shown an improvement in synaptic plasticity and cognition. Within this clinical trial, it is investigated if these findings can be transferred to patients with NS. LTG is most likely a more effective and promising substance improving synaptic plasticity and, consecutively, cognitive function. It is expected that both substances are improving synaptic plasticity as well as alertness. Changes in alertness may be a precondition for improvement of cognition.Trial registrationThe clinical trial is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03504501; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; date of registration: 04/11/2018) and in EudraCT (number 2016–005022-10).

Relationship among symptoms, quality of life, and complementary and alternative medicines use among patients undergoing hemodialysis in French-speaking Switzerland

BackgroundChronic renal disease is considered a main public health problem due to its high prevalence in the population. The solution of choice currently available is kidney transplantation but when this option is not available, blood purification treatments, notably haemodialysis (HD), are necessary. The presence of chronic renal disease combined with this demanding medical procedure leads to a hard symptomatology. To face this situation, HD patients often resort to complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) as they perceive that the healthcare professionals aren’t paying enough attention to their quality of life.Given this background, we aim to describe the prevalence and the type of the CAM used among HD patients and their possible relations with patients’ symptomatology and quality of life.MethodsWe interviewed 88 patients, undergoing hemodialysis in three hemodialysis centers in French-speaking Switzerland, about the presence of symptoms, their quality of life, and the possible use of CAM. Cluster analysis was used to create patients’ profiles about CAM use and regression analysis to explore the links between symptoms’ presence, patients’ quality of life, and CAM use.ResultsOur results show a large use of CAM: almost two HD patients out of three uses at least one CAM. Using cluster analysis, we were able to identify five patients’ profiles: non-users (37.5% of our sample), users of herbal medicine (20.5%), users of prayer-based practices (18.2%), people mainly using massages (9.1%), and a residual group including the users of other CAMs, with a predominance of meditation (14.8%). As expected, we observe a negative relation between the number of declared symptoms and patients' quality of life. Contrarily, we observe no relation between the use of CAM and the presence of symptoms. Our results show a positive relationship between the use of CAM and patients’ overall perception of health as well as the psychological dimension of their quality of life. No relationship is observed with other dimensions of quality of life, notably the physical dimension.ConclusionsOur results suggests that CAMs aren’t used as a substitute of official medicine but as a parallel support to HD patients’ quality of life.

Android-Based Mobile Application for the Control of Anemia in Children Aged 6 to 23 Months Old in the District of Comas – Lima

One of the main health problems facing the country is iron deficiency anemia. This condition reduces the level of hemoglobin present in the blood, which produces symptoms that affect the sufferer's daily activities. According to the INEI (National Institute of Statistics and Informatics), the urban area has 36.7% of anemia, and Comas is the second district of the capital (Lima) with the second highest rate of anemia with 43.4%. This article proposes a technological solution that allows the control and prevention of iron deficiency anemia in children from 6 to 23 months old in Comas through the follow-up of the screenings performed and by improving eating habits. The result obtained was an Android-based mobile application with three navigation options. The Children option allows the registration of each screening performed and notifies the level of anemia present in the child, the Home option displays information about this condition, and the Kitchen Recipes option is responsible for enriching the child's diet by presenting a highly nutritious recipe book, categorized according to age range. It also obtained a 90% positive acceptance rate from the sample population identified as users and patients, and a daily screening was recorded. This result can be applied to any coastal area of the country and, therefore, contributes to improving the quality of life of children by reducing anemia rates.

Calcium Homeostasis in the Development of Resistant Breast Tumors.

Cancer is one of the main health problems worldwide. Only in 2020, this disease caused more than 19 million new cases and almost 10 million deaths, with breast cancer being the most diagnosed worldwide. Today, despite recent advances in breast cancer treatment, a significant percentage of patients will either not respond to therapy or will eventually experience lethal progressive disease. Recent studies highlighted the involvement of calcium in the proliferation or evasion of apoptosis in breast carcinoma cells. In this review, we provide an overview of intracellular calcium signaling and breast cancer biology. We also discuss the existing knowledge on how altered calcium homeostasis is implicated in breast cancer development, highlighting the potential utility of Ca2+ as a predictive and prognostic biomarker, as well as its potential for the development of new pharmacological treatments to treat the disease.

KIE how to use Corticosteroid and Vitamins to Patients after Cataract Surgery at KMU Madura

The main cause (50%) of blindness in Indonesia is cataracts, cataracts are one of the main health problems in the elderly, the only way to overcome blindness due to cataracts is to perform cataract surgery. Cataracts are a common disease that is often suffered by the elderly, cataracts themselves are characterized by cloudiness in the lens of the eye so that it blocks clear vision, based on national data from the 2014-2016 Ministry of Health's rapis assessment of avoidable blindness needs survey, with the target population being the age group Over 50 years it is known that the blindness rate reaches 3% and cataracts is the highest cause of blindness (81%), representatives and association of Indonesian ophthalmologists dr. Aldiana Halim said that in 2017 there were 8 million people with visual impairments. As many as 1.6 million blind people, plus 6.4 million people with moderate to severe visual impairment, of these, 81.2% of visual impairment is caused by cataracts, other causes are reflex and glaucoma or eye disorders related to diabetes. Corticosteroids are natural steroid hormones in humans which are produced by the adrenal cortex gland and function to treat inflammation or autoimmune disorders in the body. the function of this corticosteroid class of drugs is the same as the corticosteroid hormone produced by the body. After cataract surgery, the doctor gives several drugs to the patient to prevent post-surgical complications including infection (given antibiotics for prophylaxis), dry eye syndrome (given artificial tear drops) and to reduce pain (given anti-inflammatories). This community service aims to increase the knowledge of post-cataract surgery patients about how to use corticosteroid eye drops and how long to use corticosteroid eye drops.

The prevalence of suicide attempt and suicidal ideation and its relationship with aggression and bullying in Chilean adolescents.

Suicide constitutes one of the main mental health problems worldwide, requiring detection, and prevention efforts, especially in the adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation and their relationship with aggressiveness and bullying in Chilean adolescents. The sample was composed of 728 adolescents schooled from Arica city: 56.6% were males and 43.4% were females. The students attended from de 1st to the 4th year of secondary. The average age of the sample was 15,6 years. The following instruments were used: Okasha's Suicidality Scale, Buss and Perry's Aggressiveness Survey, and the Social Acceptance (School Bullying) sub-test of the Kidscreen-52 Survey. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design was applied. The sampling was non-probabilistic for convenience. 18.4% of the students reported that they had attempted suicide and 65.6% reported that they had suicidal ideation. The prevalence of suicide attempts was higher than in male adolescents (29,1% vs. 10,2%), and the same prevalence was for suicidal ideation (76,6% vs. 57,3%). Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation were positively and significantly correlated with aggressiveness (r = 0.32, r = 0.48) and bullying (r = 0.37, r = 0.50). The prevalence of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation is both higher in girls than boys. In this sense, girls constitute a risk group. In addition, this study provides evidence that supports the relationship between suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. The results highlight the role that educational institutions should have in terms of prevention and effective approaches.

Previously Undiagnosed Anemia and Iron Deficiency Anemia among Preschool Children at Taif City

Introduction: In the Arab Gulf countries, anemia, including iron deficiency anemia )IDA(, considered one of the main public health problems. Although, the World Health Organization reported that IDA as the most common type of anemia, which made up half of all anemic cases all over the world, there were limited research performed among preschool children about anemia in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of previously undiagnosed anemia and IDA among children between 2 to 6 years old. In this study, several risk factors that might contribute to the high prevalence of anemia were assessed. Methods: The study was carried out in Taif city during the period from January 2023 to April 2023. Blood samples were collected from 200 preschool children and analyzed for hematological parameters as well as related biochemistry tests to investigate the prevalence of previously undiagnosed anemia and IDA. Results: The majority of the study participants were Saudi 99% and aged 4 to 6 years 72.5%. Most of children participants, 92.5% had normal haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and normal levels of red blood cells (RBCs) and normal hematocrit indicating their non-anemia health status. In this study, previously undiagnosed anemia were reported within 6% of children indicated by low Hb concentration, low RBC count and abnormal low hematocrit level. Out of these undiagnosed anemic children, there were 25% diagnosed with IDA. Conclusions: Since, anemia and IDA are still a public health problem among preschool children in Saudi Arabia this study suggested that the hematological blood examination should be done to students as a requirement before school which may reveal the presence of previously undiagnosed anemia and might associated with low mantle and functional performance among children. Moreover, further studies are recommended at all regions of the Kingdome to investigate the underlying related risk factors, which will provide more insight ....

Intraoperative autologous blood transfusion: a systematic review of the literature

Bleeding of the main health problems is intraoperative in hospitals, mainly. Control of adequate oxygen is essential for tissue oxygen. Autologous blood transfusion is used as a strategy to reduce the possibility of negative effects of allo transfusion and in situations of lack of donated blood. The aim of the study is to determine the importance and advantages of intraoperative autologous transfusion through a systematic review of studies addressing autotransfusion, published between 2016 and Busca2021. In studies, autotransfusion was mainly indicated in critically ill patients with massive bleeding induced by chest trauma associated with hemorrhagic shock, requiring emergency blood transfusion, where it is not possible to wait for blood preparation or where blood is lacking. In addition, its use has been reported in orthopedic surgeries such as total hip and knee arthroplasty. As benefits of lack of resources: reduction of benefits treatment resources, reduction of the need for local finance resources. No related complications were observed. In conclusion, despite the various advantages of autologous transfusion, published articles on the subject are still scarce. Thus, it is necessary to carry out clinical trials that compare the two methods, for the eligibility of the different perspectives of clinical application of each method in the trauma scenario.

Spatial Analysis of Dengue Clusters at Department, Municipality and Local Scales in the Southwest of Colombia, 2014-2019.

Dengue is an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and is one of the 15 main public health problems in the world, including Colombia. Where limited financial resources create a problem for management, there is a need for the department to prioritize target areas for public health implementation. This study focuses on a spatio-temporal analysis to determine the targeted area to manage the public health problems related to dengue cases. To this end, three phases at three different scales were carried out. First, for the departmental scale, four risk clusters were identified in Cauca (RR ≥ 1.49) using the Poisson model, and three clusters were identified through Getis-Ord Gi* hotspots analysis; among them, Patía municipality presented significantly high incidence rates in the time window (2014-2018). Second, on the municipality scale, altitude and minimum temperature were observed to be more relevant than precipitation; considering posterior means, no spatial autocorrelation for the Markov Chain Monte Carlo was found (Moran test ˂ 1.0), and convergence was reached for b1-b105 with 20,000 iterations. Finally, on the local scale, a clustered pattern was observed for dengue cases distribution (nearest neighbour index, NNI = 0.202819) and the accumulated number of pupae (G = 0.70007). Two neighbourhoods showed higher concentrations of both epidemiological and entomological hotspots. In conclusion, the municipality of Patía is in an operational scenario of a high transmission of dengue.

Emergency Medical Team Type 2 and Intensive Care Unit: A Necessary Binomial

Introduction:A disaster involving significant casualties in a populated area demands the rapid development of a field hospital with personnel specialized in Disaster Medicine. In this scenario, the clinical response of Emergency Medical Teams should be guided by the knowledge of how the medical needs of the population change after the disaster itself. In order to reduce the loss of life and prevent long-term disability, it is essential to have the right tools to treat critical patients. In fact, disasters cause a variety of conditions ranging from minor to life-threatening injuries requiring admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU).Method:A systematic review was carried out and electronic healthcare databases were searched using terms such as “Disaster” or “Flood” or “Storm” or “Earthquake” or “Mass Casualty Incidents” and “Intensive Care Unit” or “Intensive Care” or “Health Impact”. Articles that met the search criteria, published in the last 15 years in the English language, were analyzed and summarized. The objective of the review was to identify the main health problems following disasters and, in particular, the diseases that may require intensive care in order to assess the need to include ICU in the minimum technical standard for Emergency Medical Teams type 2.Results:The review included 12 studies identified as relevant and significant for our purpose. Health problems were sorted for disaster type and severity of the injury. The review demonstrates that health problems after a disaster are different depending on disaster type, but in all the scenarios there are diseases that potentially may require timely intensive care.Conclusion:The presence of an ICU within an Emergency Medical Team type 2 (according to WHO EMT classification) is an essential part of disaster management plans as ICU plays an irreplaceable role in saving lives and in reducing the health impact of a disaster.

Bazı İyi Ruh Hali Besinleri ile Depresyon Arasındaki İlişki

Aim: Depression is a main public health problem and disability worldwide. A bi-directional influence can be between foods and psychological disorders. This study aimed to determine the association between some good mood foods and depression. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 100 undergraduate students and academicians over the age of 18 studying at Istanbul-Turkey universities were included. Demographic characteristics and eating habits were asked, and Beck Depression Scale was used to determine depression status. Results: High intakes of milk, yogurt, meat, egg, fish, walnut, fig, almond, banana, kiwi, pineapple, chocolate, honey, tomato and oyster were associated inversely with depression. There was a significant relationship between fig, kiwi and honey (borderline) and depression. So that the OR (odds ratio) (95% CI) in the low and high consumption category of fig was 0.39 (0.15-0.98) and 0.24 (0.08-0.76) respectively (p<0.05). The higher consumption of kiwi decreases the risk of depression. The ORs (95% CI) of low and high consuming of kiwi were 0.56 (0.19-1.68; p=0.3) and 0.12 (0.03-0.41; p=0.001) respectively. For honey the ORs (95% CI) in low and high consumption categories were 0.42 (0.12-1.46. p=0.17) and 0.32 (0.1-1.02. p=0.05) respectively. Conclusion: It was observed that the frequency of depression decreased in people who consumed high amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, milk and yogurt.

Cost Analysis of Therapy of Chronic Kidney Disease Inpatient In Indonesia

Impaired kidney function is one of the main public health problems in Indonesia. In the era of National Health Insurance (JKN) health financing at Advanced Level Referral Facilities (FKRTL) used the Indonesian Case Based Group (INA-CBGs) rate, but hospital costs were often higher than the costs of INA-CBGs. This study aims to determine the difference in costs. in real terms with INA-CBGs rates for hospitalization in Indonesia. This study used a cross-sectional analytic study design with a hospital perspective. Collecting data using a retrospective method with data collection in the form of medical records of patients with chronic kidney failure on hemodialysis and data on patient treatment costs. The study was conducted in regional I and regional III, each region represented by class A, B, and private hospitals so that a total of 6 hospitals were involved in this study. The data is presented descriptively. The difference between the real cost and the cost of INA-CBGs using the Mann-Whitney test SPSS analysis. The results showed that the average real cost in class A hospitals was higher than the average real cost in class B and private class hospitals. Of the 6 hospitals studied, 5 hospitals showed that the total real cost for treating chronic kidney disease in Indonesia was still higher than the INA-CBGs rates. The highest average real cost for hospitals in regional 1 is in class A hospitals with a value of up to Rp. 13,709,812 per patient/year, these costs are in accordance with the INA-CBGs rates. Meanwhile in regional 3, the highest average real cost of Rp. 33,000,450 patients/year is in a class A hospital. This cost is much higher than the INA-CBGs rate. The results of statistical tests showed that there was a significant difference between the average real cost and the INA-CBGs tariff (p=0.000). The total difference caused is Rp. 13,851,798 so that it becomes a loss and a burden for the hospital.

Association between Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of Obesity in Childhood: A Cross-sectional Study in Ecuadorian Infants under Five Years of Age

Poor eating habits and an increased sedentary lifestyle are responsible for obesity being one of the main public health problems in Ecuador and the world. Several factors can modulate the risk of an infant to be obese, considering genetic, environmental and sociodemographic variables. The aim of this study is to analyze the evidence on the relationship between breastfeeding (BF) and obesity in childhood and thus contribute to the planning of prevention strategies from an early age. A nationally representative sample of children under 5 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT, 2018) was used. We used heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation tests of the data to rule out possible statistical modeling problems and used multicollinearity tests to avoid redundant information in the models. We also calculated confusion matrices to test the correct specification of the models. In addition, we used a binary logistic linear regression model where the Odds Ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated for each of the independent variables. Our results show that those children who were breastfed show a greater protective factor against obesity compared to those children who were not breastfed. That is, our results show that exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life increased 2 times (OR= 2.01; CI=1.91-2.17) the probability of not suffering from obesity. Other significant protective factors are the mother's age, the mother's educational level and the mother's area of residence. The recommendation derived from this research is that BF should be carried out until the sixth month of life of the infant and complemented with solid (non-milk) food until two years of age and beyond since this could protect against childhood obesity and its associated comorbidities in adulthood, although the benefit that BF can offer against the risk of obesity in the general population is small.

Herbal Treatment, Usage Frequency, Types and Preferences in Tikrit city, Iraq

Alternative treatment usage is increasing around the world although treatment methods are becoming more modern and more drugs are made available. A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the incidence of treatment with herbs as an alternative treatment method in Tikrit city and the reasons for its usage. in a sample (number =1268) in the age group (20 – 50) years. duration of the study extended from the January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. In Tikrit there were 15 herbal stores ,and 35 pharmacies deal with herbal treatment such as nettle, St. John’s wort, rosemary, garden sage and hawthorn, oleander and thyme. The study was carried out with a questionnaire to persons who had received preliminary information. After the subjects were informed of the study, the analysis of medicinal plants by the participants. Nine hundred sexist two(75.9%) of those participating in the study reported that they had used a herbal medication at least once. The main health problems leading to the usage of herbal medication for their treatment was hair loss - hair care, hemorrhoids, skin care, peptic ulcer - gastritis and infertility. The main reason for interest in herbal treatments was “hoping to find a herbal medicine which could help treat their condition”. People living in Tikrit city has a high rate of alternative medicine usage and regular studies are required to show changes over time.

Overview of Risk Factors for Stroke in Stroke Patients in Work Area at Technical Implementation Unit of the Linggang Bigung Public Health Centre

Introduction: Stroke is one of the main health problems, not only in Indonesia but in the world. Stroke occurs when the brain's blood vessels experience a blockage or rupture which results in part of the brain not getting the blood supply that carries the necessary oxygen so that cell/ tissue death occurs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for Stroke in Stroke patients in the Linggang Bigung Health Center working area. Methods: This study used a descriptive retrospective research design, with a sample size of 22 respondents. Results and Discussion: The results of the study obtained as many as 7 respondents (32%) each with the latest education not in school and elementary school. The majority of 14 respondents (65%) were >55 years old, with the majority of 13 respondents (59%) being male, 16 respondents (73%) had no family history of Stroke, in this study all respondents had hypertension, 13 respondents (59%) had DM, 18 respondents (82%) each smoked and consumed alcohol, while 21 respondents (95%) were not obese. Conclusion: In this study most, respondents were aged >55 years, male gender, had smoking behavior and alcohol consumption and all respondents in this study had hypertension.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in a clinical analysis laboratory in southern Brazil: a retrospective study

The population’s living conditions, basic sanitation, hygiene, and poor socioeconomic status, are determining factors for diseases´ transmission, such as intestinal parasitic infections which constitute one of the main public health problems in Brazil. These diseases are considered endemic in several areas of the country, presenting a wide geographic distribution, varying according to environmental conditions and parasites´ species. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites in individuals attending a clinical analysis laboratory in a municipality located in Southern of Brazil. A retrospective study was carried out through the analysis of 2,247 reports of parasitological stool examination from individuals who attended a clinical analysis laboratory located in Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, from September 1st, 2018, to December 31st, 2020. Parasitic structures were found in stool samples from 181 (8.1%) individuals. The protozoans Endolimax nana and Entamoeba coli were the most prevalent parasites, being present in 58.0% and 29.8% of individuals, respectively. A higher prevalence of intestinal parasites was observed in women (52.5%), aged 21 to 60 years old (62.4%). Biparasitism or polyparasitism was present in 7.2% (13/181) of individuals and only 31.7% (713/2247) of samples collected three fecal samples for examination. The low prevalence of intestinal parasites found in the present study may be an indicator of improvements in sanitary, environmental, and health education conditions. KEY WORDS: Parasitic diseases; helminths; parasites; protozoans.

THE EFFECT OF PYRIMIDINE AND CAVINTON DERIVATIVES ON THE CHANGE BIOELECTRIC POTENTIAL IN THE CONDITIONS OF FOCAL CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA OF THE RAT BRAIN

Acute disorders of cerebral hemodynamics lead to the development of socially and demographically significant diseases, as a result of which they are one of the main health problems requiring a rational pharmacological approach. In the pathogenesis of pathologies of cerebral circulation, in addition to a decrease in blood flow, an important role is played by a violation of the bioelectric activity of brain tissues, which is evidenced by changes in the frequency and amplitude of oscillations on the encephalogram. Pyrimidine derivatives have proven themselves as potential cerebroprotectors, as a result of which we considered them as means capable of correcting electroencephalogram disorders in ischemic brain tissues. In this regard, the purpose of this work was to study the effect of pyrimidine and cavinton derivatives on the change in bioelectric potential under conditions of focal central ischemia in rats. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 40 male rats of the Wistar line (m = 220–220 g). Focal cerebral ischemia of rats was reproduced by occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. The animals were divided into 4 equal groups, all groups, except the first, were simulated pathology under chloral hydrate anesthesia (350 mg/kg). The first group – falsely operated rats, the second – individuals of negative control. The reference drug cavinton (3.2 mg/kg) and the pi-rimidine derivative PIR-10 (50 mg/kg) were administered to the third and fourth groups within 3 days after surgery. The electrical activity of the rat brain (delta-, theta-, alpha-, high-frequency beta-range in the frontal and parietal lobes of the left hemisphere) was evaluated after 3 days by electroencephalography (EEG) using the Neuron-Spectrum 1 encephalograph (Neurosoft, Russia). Statistical processing was carried out using the STATISTICA 8.0 application software package (StatSoft, Inc., USA). Results of the study. In the rats of the negative control group, there was a marked deterioration in bioelectric potential, which was noted in an increase in theta and delta rhythms and a decrease in alpha and high-frequency beta rhythms. The introduction of the compound PIR-10 to animals contributed to a decrease in delta rhythm by 39,8% (p < 0,05) (FP1-A1) and 56,3% (p < 0,05) (C3-A1), theta rhythm – by 23,9% (p < 0,05) (FP1-A1) and 39,4% (p < 0,05) (C3-A1), the amplitude of the alpha rhythm increased by 75,3% (p < 0,05) (C3-A1), the high-frequency beta rhythm by 25,9% (p<0,05) (FP1-A1) and 41,4% (p < 0,05) (C3-A1). Findings. The experimental derivative of pyrimidine PIR-10, equally with cavinton, contributed to the restoration of bioelectric rhythm in the form of a decrease in the amplitude of delta and theta rhythms and an increase in the amplitude of alpha and high-frequency beta rhythms in the frontal and parietal regions of the left hemisphere of the rat brain.

Exploring the antibacterial potential of venoms from Argentinian animals.

The resistance to antimicrobials developed by several bacterial species has become one of the main health problems in recent decades. It has been widely reported that natural products are important sources of antimicrobial compounds. Considering that animal venoms are under-explored in this line of research, in this study, we screened the antibacterial activity of venoms of eight snake and five lepidopteran species from northeastern Argentina. Twofold serial dilutions of venoms were tested by the agar well-diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination against seven bacterial strains. We studied the comparative protein profile of the venoms showing antibacterial activity. Only the viperid and elapid venoms showed remarkabledose-dependent antibacterial activitytowardsmost of the strains tested. Bothrops diporus venom showed the lowest MIC values against all the strains, and S. aureus ATCC 25923 was the most sensitive strain for all the active venoms. Micrurus baliocoryphus venom was unable to inhibit the growth of Enterococcus faecalis. Neither colubrid snake nor lepidopteran venoms exhibited activity on any bacterial strain tested. The snake venoms exhibiting antibacterial activity showed distinctive protein profiles by SDS-PAGE, highlighting that we could reveal for the first time the main protein families which may be thought to contribute to the antibacterial activity of M. baliocoryphus venom. This study paves the way to search for new antibacterial agents from Argentinian snake venoms, which may be a further opportunity to give anadded value to the local biodiversity.