Unidad De Research Articles

Conocimientos y prácticas de bioseguridad del personal de salud de una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge and the biosafety practices of the health personnel of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the Trujillo Regional Teaching Hospital(HRDT). The research is descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional. The sample universe consisted of 20 health workers including doctors, nurses and Nursing technicians belonging to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Trujillo Regional Teaching Hospital; in whom the Biosafety Knowledge Questionnaire and the Biosafety Practices Checklist were applied. For statistical analysis, the Gamma test was used. The results were: The level of knowledge about biosafety in health personnel was mostly low (55%), medium in 40% and high in 5%; biosafety practices were commonly inadequate (70%) and adequate in 30%. Therefore, there is a highly significant relationship between the level of knowledge and biosafety practices (p<0.01).

A intervenção do Serviço Social nas Unidades de Cuidados Continuados Integrados em tempo de Pandemia Estudo realizado nas ULDM da Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste

The Continued Care National Network (RNCCI - Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados), results from a partnership between Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidariedade Social and Ministério da Saúde to ensure rehabilitation, readaptation ofc social and family reintegration of people in a situation of dependece. It´s a policy that State regulates, through agreements and partnerships with the third sector and private entities. The pandemic, as an unprecedented public health crisis, has brought enormous challenges to the protection of the well-being and citizens human rights. The study focuses on the intervention of social work in the Long-Term and Care Units (ULDM - Unidades de Longa Duração e Manutenção) as well as the strategies used during the pandemic, with the aim of offering a vision of the economic and social vulnerabilities of the patients of ULDM inserted in the Inter-municipal Community of the West of Portugal (OesteCIM). The work is based on a qualitative methodology using a semi-directive interview technique. The study demonstrates that, of the 180 ULDM patients, 81 are considered "social cases" which, in the words of the interviewees, are patients with a reduced family and economic support. The persistence and resilience of Social Workers and their permanent attempt to find a social solution for these patients is highlighted, as well as the family involvement to maintain affective bonds. It was reported the most harmful consequence caused by the impact of the pandemic was the absence of visits.

Too lengthy and too low: an analysis of the sanctions imposed by Argentina’s Financial Information Unit between 2016 and 2019

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate how Argentina’s Financial Information Unit (Unidad de Información Financiera, FIU) has responded after detecting noncompliance with money laundering regulations. Specifically, it identifies the main lessons that can be drawn from analyzing the sanctions that the FIU imposed between 2016 and 2019.Design/methodology/approachThe issues that this article outlines suggest the need for a substantial rethinking of Argentina’s anti-money laundering regulations. Based on an analysis of the size of sanctions and the time taken to impose them, the study suggests that the regulatory framework in Argentina fails to comply with the international standards that require the imposition of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions.FindingsThis analysis suggests that there are serious issues regarding the regulation of the sanctions that Argentina’s FIU is responsible for imposing. Specifically, the way the exact amount of each fine is determined urgently needs to be redesigned. In other words, the system for establishing fines needs to take the fluctuations that are typical of Argentina’s economy into account.Originality/valueThis paper has demonstrated that it is vital for the country to review its regulatory framework for the prevention of money laundering and to effectively apply sanctions when noncompliance is detected. A successful approach to both objectives will contribute to generate and align incentives to improve compliance levels and to fulfill international standards.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Spanish Prehospital Advanced Triage Method (META).

Mass-casualty incident (MCI) triage systems aim to provide the best possible health care to the greatest number of affected people with the available resources in the context of a mass-casualty event. The Spanish Prehospital Advanced Triage Method (Modelo Extrahospitalario de Triaje Avanzado; META) was designed to improved patient sorting in MCIs. The aim of this study was to estimate and compare sensitivity and specificity of META and the Manchester Triage System (MTS) in MCIs by retrospectively applying both triage algorithms to real MCI patients from the Emergency and Disaster Research Unit (Unidad de Investigación en Emergencia y Desastres; UIED) MCI database. This was a comparative study of two triage methods using sensitivity and specificity with the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) as the gold standard. A total of 134 MCI patients from the UIED database were included. An MCI in Asturias is defined as an incident that involves four or more victims that require ambulance mobilization. Patients mean age was 39.85 years (95% CI, 35.9-43.8) with an age range from one to 88 years old. In total, 54.4% of the patients were female. The most common types of MCI involved were fires (51.0%), followed by road traffic accident (43.3%) and street fight (3.7%). For MTS, the overall sensitivity was 30.6% (95% CI, 22.9-39.1) and specificity was 66.0% (95% CI, 60.0-71.7). For META triage algorithm, the overall sensitivity was 79.9% (95% CI, 72.1-86.3) and specificity was 89.9% (95% CI, 85.7-93.3). The META triage algorithm is a reliable triage system; thus, it can be recommended to be used in an MCI.

Metaceratodus baibianorum from the La Colonia Formation: tooth plate anomalies and the possible presence of tertiary dentine

The dentition of Mesozoic dipnoans is formed by tooth plates that are not replaced throughout their lives. These can suffer different types of lesions that may be permanent or disappear with wear through action of the jaws. Here, we describe pathologies on the tooth plates of Metaceratodus baibianorum from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) La Colonia Formation of Patagonia in Argentina. Of the total number of analysed tooth plates (N = 127), 27.5% show signs of different pathologies including caries, abscesses, hyperplasia, fractures, alterations in growth, and erosion. No tooth plates with parasitic invasions, attrition or osteopenia were observed. Some examples of occlusal caries show pulpal overgrowths on the pulp surface. CT scanning demonstrates that these are similar to tertiary dentine in their coincidence with lesions, higher density relative to the surrounding dentine, and fewer pulp canals resulting in fewer dentinal tubules. Such features may indicate that dipnoans are, or at least were, able to generate some form of reparative or reactionary dentine. Karen Magalí Panzeri [k.panzeri@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar], División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Unidades de Investigación Anexo Museo, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Avenida 122 y 60, LA Plata, 1900, Argentina, CONICET Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Nahuel Antu Muñoz [nahuelmunoz@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar], División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Unidades de Investigación Anexo Museo, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Avenida 122 y 60, LA Plata, 1900, Argentina, CONICET Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Species of Trichogrammatidae1 on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the Comarca Lagunera, Mexico

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is attacked by pests that cause serious damage when not controlled. Among the insect pests are pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris; spotted alfalfa aphid, Therioaphis maculata Buckton; armyworm, Spodoptera exigua Hübner; alfalfa leafhopper, Empoasca fabae Harris; and three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus Say. In the Comarca Lagunera, insecticides seldom are used to control alfalfa pests that are regulated by beneficial insects. However, species that provide this service are little known. The objective of this study was to identify Trichogrammatidae collected with a sweep net each week from 3 March to 30 December 2011 in an alfalfa plot at the Unidad de Producción 18 de Julio at Universidad Autonoma Chapingo at Bermejillo, Durango. Species identified were Aphelinoidea nr. roja Triapitsyn 2005; Oligosita sanguina Girault 1911; Paracentrobia punctata Howard 1897; Ufens nr. simplipenis Owen 2005; and Trichogramma pretiosum Riley 1879. A. nr. roja, O. sangunea, P. punctata, T. pretiosum, and U. nr. simplipenis on alfalfa are new records for Mexico. With the exception of T. pretiosum, the other species are pest insects with sucking habits.

Electroacupuncture and acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety - A double blinded randomized parallel clinical trial

BackgroundThe estimated number of people living with anxiety disorders worldwide is around 264 million and is estimated to have worsened with the recent pandemic of COVID-19. Acupuncture has shown to have excellent therapeutic effects in reducing anxiety. DesignDouble-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial with 56 participants (21–82 years) with anxiety diagnosed by 3 different anxiety scales (BAI, GAD-7 and OASIS). A 30-min acupuncture session was applied once a week for 10 weeks. AimsEvaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in the treatment of anxiety to verify if: (1) People with high anxiety report reduced scores after 5 and 10 sessions; (2) Salivary cortisol levels accompanied the reduced scores; (3) Electroacupuncture treatment is more effective than acupuncture; (4) the treatments is independent of anxiolytic medication. MethodsVolunteers were randomized into 3 groups (control, acupuncture, and electroacupuncture). The results were analyzed by anxiety scales and salivary cortisol tests. ResultsThe findings show an improvement in anxiety, assessed by BAI, GAD-7 and OASIS, after the 5th session of acupuncture (p < 0.05) and electroacupuncture (p < 0.05) and the 10th session for both techniques (p < 0.001). The salivary cortisol values measured in the morning followed this pattern (p < 0.05), although the reduction of the night cortisol values was not statistically significant. Electroacupuncture and acupuncture show similar efficacy. The positive effect after the treatments is independent of anxiolytic medication (p < 0.001). ConclusionAcupuncture and electroacupuncture are effective in treating anxiety on their own or as adjuncts to pharmacological therapy. Trial registration numberNºP445-08/2017 (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde);

Floristic survey of vascular plants of a poorly known area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Flona do Rio Preto, Espírito Santo).

BackgroundThe Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes in the world. Despite that, this biome still includes many areas that are poorly known floristically, including several protected areas, such as the "Floresta Nacional do Rio Preto" ("Flona do Rio Preto"), located in the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo. This study used a published vascular plant species list for this protected area from the "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil" as the basis to synthesise the species richness, endemism, conservation and new species occurrences found in the "Flona do Rio Preto".New informationThe published list of vascular plants was based on field expeditions conducted between 2018 and 2020 and data obtained from herbarium collections available in online databases. Overall, 722 species were documented for the "Flona do Rio Preto", 711 of which are native to Brazil and 349 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. In addition, 60 species are geographically disjunct between the Atlantic and the Amazon Forests. Most of the documented species are woody and more than 50% of these are trees. Twenty-three species are threatened (CR, EN and VU), while five are Data Deficient (DD). Thirty-two species are new records for the State of Espírito Santo. Our results expand the knowledge of the flora of the Atlantic Forest and provide support for the development of new conservation policies for this protected area.

Abstracts from the ISSAID 2021 Periodic Congress

Abstracts from the ISSAID 2021 Periodic Congress

Educação Permanente nas Unidades de Saúde da Família: compreensão da equipe multiprofissional

In Brazil, Permanent Education in Health was established by the National Policy of Permanent Education for Social Control in the Unified Health System (UHS); this strategy advocates the development and training of health professionals. This study aimed to characterize the activities developed and the understanding of Permanent Health Education in the Family Health Units by the multiprofessional team. This was a qualitative study whose data were collected with 50 professionals from the teams of 12 Family Health Units (FHU) in the city of Assis in the interior of the State of São Paulo through semi-structured interviews and were submitted to Content Analysis, by a Thematic modality. The analysis of the nuclei of meanings of the data obtained in the interview showed two thematic categories: a) Activities of Permanent Education in Health - home visits, team meeting, guidelines on procedural techniques in different places of care, and the absence of activities; and b) Understandings of Permanent Education in Health - regular meetings of the team to work on teaching in healthcare, learning from the difficulties to build new knowledge, joint discussion to solve people's health problems, and the continuous monitoring of current diseases. There is a clear need for new studies to complement and contribute to the expansion of knowledge for the incorporation of PHE in the practice of care developed by the multidisciplinary teams of the FHU.

Adherence to central venous catheter maintenance bundle in an intensive care unit.

To check adherence to the Central Venous Catheter maintenance bundle in an Intensive Care Unit, after an educational intervention to the professionals who provide care to patients using this catheter. Descriptive-exploratory study, carried out in two stages: stage 1 - educational intervention and stage 2 - verification/observation of adherence. Data were organized in the Microsoft Excel® and analyzed through the Stata®. Sixty three workers participated in stage 1 and 44 in stage 2. The sample consisted of 64 observation opportunities. Among the domains observed, the recording of indication of permanence had an 8% compliance rate; aseptic technique in catheter handling, 3%; maintenance of the infusion system, 15%; and care with the central venous catheter dressing, 17%. The domains represent unwanted care according to the Positivity Index for assessing the quality of care. The findings show the need for discussions, training, and investments in constant strategies for the prevention of primary bloodstream infections related to the central venous catheter.

Police soldiers, elite squads, and militia: militarized masculinities and public security discourses in Rio de Janeiro (1995–2018)

ABSTRACT This article investigates how gender representations were mobilized within security discourses by state authorities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1995 to 2018. First, we present the state of the art of the feminist international relations debate on gender performativity and militarized masculinities. Then, we analyze political statements and speeches by state authorities, offering new insights into the gendered nature of approaches to security policies in Rio de Janeiro. Our findings suggest that performances of militarized masculinity were crucial elements of public security discourses during the period analyzed. Significantly, we distinguish three main phases of public security policies, characterized by different performances of masculinity: (1) the mid-1990s until the mid-2000s, characterized by the representation of law enforcement agents as “police soldiers”; (2) the period of the Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora (UPP) program (2008–2014), characterized by the duality of a more feminine, human rights-centered security discourse and the continuation of the masculine militaristic logic, embodied by “elite squad” units; and (3) a return to the masculine war logic in public security during the federal intervention (2018). We contend that these performances of militarized masculinity contributed to the maintenance of a war logic as a central element of public security throughout Brazil’s democratic period, undercutting non-military approaches to governance and demanding tolerance of authoritarian measures and human rights abuses.

Physicochemical analysis of Brazilian spinach grown under doses of urea

The Althernanthera sessilis L. is a non-conventional food plant (PANC) popularly known as Brazilian spinach, rich in minerals and proteins, contributing to human nutrition. In view of the above, the present work aimed to analyze physicochemically Brazilian spinach plants cultivated under doses of nitrogen, in the form of urea. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Garden of the Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC), from November 25, 2017 to February 3, 2018 and the laboratory analyzes were carried out at the Unidade de Tecnologia de Alimentos (UTAL/UFAC). The delimitation used was completely randomized, containing 4 treatments (0; 1.5; 3.0 and 5.0 g), five replications and one plant per replication. The vegetative material was obtained in Porto Velho (RO) and the seedlings obtained by cuttings were cultivated in 500 mL polyethylene cups for 15 days and then transferred to pots with a capacity of 9 L. On February 3, leaves and stems of the plant were collected and analyzes were performed on a wet basis, except ash, such as pH, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, soluble solids and proteins. Significant differences were observed for pH, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid and proteins and a linear increase of the contents with the increase of the urea dose. Nitrogen fertilization up to a dose of 5 g was efficient for the variables of titratable acidity, proteins and ascorbic acid. The highest dose of urea provided an increase of about 24% in protein content, however, even without fertilization, Brazilian spinach showed great potential in terms of protein content, being able to be consumed to supply part of the protein demand.

Police performance and violent crime in Rio de Janeiro between 2007 and 2017

Performance-related pay policies applied to the Police have been implemented in Brazil and Latin America since the 2000s in an attempt to reduce the main violent crime indicators. The Integrated Targets System (Sistema Integrado de Metas – SIM), the Pacifying Police Units (Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora – UPP) and the Additional Service Regime (Regime Adicional de Serviço – RAS), initiated in the state of Rio de Janeiro in 2009, sought to reduce “strategic state crime indicators” whose results are monitored by the civil police report data. In order to understand how these policies have been implemented in the state of Rio de Janeiro between 2007 and 2017, the study adopts a quantitative approach upon criminal analysis and a qualitative one based on interviews and field observation at civil police stations and military police battalions.

Prevalence of chronic urticaria in a medical unit

To determine the prevalence of chronic urticaria in patients diagnosed with an allergic pathology; to know the most affected sex and age group. A descriptive, observational, and retrospective cross-sectional study. Clinical records of patients diagnosed with chronic urticaria in Unidad de Medicina Integral (Integrated Care Unit) of Tehuacan, Puebla were reviewed. They were selected by age, sex, and diagnosed allergic pathology. In the period of January 1st, 2015, to December 31st, 2020, 373 patients were diagnosed with chronic urticaria, with a prevalence of 10.5%. The average age of the population was 26.05 years. Women were the most prevalent, with 59.5% of the total studied population. The results reflect a prevalence of 10.5%, with a higher frequency in women at a ratio of 1.4: 1 with regard to males. The prevalence of chronic urticaria has increased significantly in recent years and especially in young patients (infants, preschoolers, and school-age children).

Brain Calcifications in Complex Sexual Aneuploidy.

Brain Calcifications in Complex Sexual Aneuploidy.

Environmental Conservation Units – a Pragmatist Analysis of the Organizational Management and Modes of Existence of an Ecological Station

Abstract Protected areas are the main instrument used for protecting and conserving nature (UN, 2018). In Brazil, these areas are called Unidades de Conservação (UCs), or Conservation Units in English, and despite their territorial coverage and the complexity of their problems, they have not been properly studied by the area of administration. As a result, in this article we aimed to broaden the understanding about the modes of existence, as well as about the management of a protected area in a particular territory. For this, we took a pragmatist epistemological approach, favoring action above all. The study material derives from ethnographic research using participant observation at a UC managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity (ICMBio). As results, we identified three distinct modes of existence of the organization, namely: environmental education; production of expertise; and protection and inspection of nature. The analysis of these modes of existence enabled a better understanding of how specific organizational configurations emerge that situationally position the actors in different ways, engendering collective action and its management. Finally, we forge arguments that highlight possible contributions of a pragmatist epistemology to the organizational analysis of UCs.

Environmental Conservation Units – a Pragmatist Analysis of the Organizational Management and Modes of Existence of an Ecological Station

Abstract Protected areas are the main instrument used for protecting and conserving nature (UN, 2018). In Brazil, these areas are called Unidades de Conservação (UCs), or Conservation Units in English, and despite their territorial coverage and the complexity of their problems, they have not been properly studied by the area of administration. As a result, in this article we aimed to broaden the understanding about the modes of existence, as well as about the management of a protected area in a particular territory. For this, we took a pragmatist epistemological approach, favoring action above all. The study material derives from ethnographic research using participant observation at a UC managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity (ICMBio). As results, we identified three distinct modes of existence of the organization, namely: environmental education; production of expertise; and protection and inspection of nature. The analysis of these modes of existence enabled a better understanding of how specific organizational configurations emerge that situationally position the actors in different ways, engendering collective action and its management. Finally, we forge arguments that highlight possible contributions of a pragmatist epistemology to the organizational analysis of UCs.

Prevalence of lung cancer in Colombia and a new diagnostic algorithm using health administrative databases: A real-world evidence study.

e18764 Background: Reliable, timely and detailed information of lung cancer mortality and costs from low- and middle-income countries is essential to policy design. We aimed to develop an electronic algorithm to identify lung cancer prevalent patient in Colombia using official databases and to estimate prevalence rates by age, sex, and geographic region. Methods: We performed a cross sectional study based on national claim databases in Colombia ( Base de datos de suficiencia de la Unidad de Pago por Capitación and Base de Datos Única de Afiliados) to identify lung cancer prevalent patients in 2017. Several algorithms based on the presence or absence of oncological procedures (Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery), and a minimum number of months that each individual had lung cancer ICD-10 codes in the previous 3 years, were developed. After testing 16 algorithms, those with the closest prevalence rates to the ones reported by aggregated official sources (GLOBOCAN, National Cancer Institute and Cuenta de Alto Costo) were selected . We estimated prevalence rates by age, sex, and geographic region. Results: Two algorithm s were selected: i) it was defined as the presence of ICD-10 codes for 4 months or more (sensitive algorithm); and ii) adding the presence of at least one oncological procedure (specific algorithm). Estimated prevalence rates per 100,000 population were 15.3 and 9.7 for the sensitive and specific algorithms, respectively. These rates were higher in men (9.9), over 65 years old (37.1), who lived in Central and Bogota regions (14.7 and 10.9, respectively) (Table). Conclusions: Selected algorithms showed similar prevalence estimations to those reported by official sources and allowed us to estimate prevalence rates in specific aging, regional and gender groups for Colombia using national claims databases. These findings could be useful to identify clinical and economical outcomes related to lung cancer patients using national individual-level databases. [Table: see text]

Lung cancer health services utilization and associated cost for the Colombian health system: A propensity score analysis of a national cohort of prevalent patients.

e18784 Background: There is need for high quality data about the economic burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to determine the annual incremental cost of health care services utilized by lung cancer patients in the Colombian health system. Methods: We conducted a national cohort study of prevalent patients with lung cancer in Jan-2017 and followed-up until Dec-2017. We used two electronic algorithms to identify all lung cancer prevalent patients in the Contributory regime, using national health claims databases ( Base de datos de suficiencia de la Unidad de Pago por Capitación and Base de Datos Única de Afiliados), based on identification of ICD-10 codes for 4 months or more during the previous 3 years (sensitive algorithm) and adding the presence of at least one oncological procedure (specific algorithm). We identified all health services cost from the health system perspective (2017 USD). We performed a propensity score analysis to estimate the annual incremental cost of care of patients with lung cancer compared to those without the disease. Standardized differences lower than 0.1 were used to measure the balance of baseline variables. We used generalized linear models as a sensitivity analysis. Results: We identified 4,827 and 3,238 lung cancer prevalent patient using the sensitive and specific algorithm, respectively. Each cohort was matched 1:1 with a no-exposed cohort of 14,968,202 individuals without a diagnosis of lung cancer using a caliper of 0.0001. Matched samples showed good balance on baseline characteristics. Annual incremental cost for patients diagnosed with lung cancer in Colombia ranged between USD $ 3,146.92 and USD $ 4,156.23. We also estimated incremental cost for outpatient and inpatient healthcare services as shown in table. Conclusions: In 2017, each patient with lung cancer represented an incremental cost to the Colombian health system between 49.35% and 65.19% of GDP per capita. This information is paramount to understand lung cancer spending in Colombia and for other low- and middle-income countries. [Table: see text]