Functional and radiographic comparison of anterior and posterior instrumentation for the correction of adolescent thoracic idiopathic scoliosis

OBJETIVO: Estudo retrospectivo comparando resultados da IA e da IP em pacientes operados com o diagnóstico de EIA (tipo 1 de Lenke). MÉTODOS: Os resultados de 24 pacientes com idade de 11 a 18 anos com EIA tipo Lenke I e submetidos a tratamento cirúrgico por meio da abordagem anterior (12 pacientes) ou posterior (12 pacientes) foram comparados. Todos os pacientes foram operados pelo mesmo cirurgião e seguidos por um período mínimo de cinco anos. As variáveis de comparação incluíram: correção sagital e coronal, distância da vértebra apical a linha média, rotação da vértebra apical, número de vértebras instrumentadas e variáveis funcionais por meio do questionário SRS-22. Os dados obtidos foram analisados com a versão 9 do programa SAS. Os dois grupos foram comparados com o teste t de Student com um nível de significância de 5% (0,05). RESULTADOS: A correção da curva no plano frontal no pós-operatório imediato (p = 0,031), tardio (p = 0,043) e também a rotação da vértebra apical no pós-operatório imediato (p = 0,002) e tardio (p = 0,021) no grupo de pacientes submetidos à correção por meio da abordagem anterior. O número de vértebras instrumentadas foi 7,69 ± 1,38 no grupo de pacientes submetidos a IA e 11,38 ± 2,92 na IP (p = 0,021). A avaliação funcional (SRS-22) não demonstrou diferença significativa (p > 0,05) entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: O grupo de pacientes submetidos à correção da escoliose por instrumentação anterior apresentou maior correção no plano frontal, maior derrotação da vértebra apical e menor número de vértebras artrodesadas.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the results of AI and PI in patients diagnosed with Lenke type I curves who were treated surgically. METHODS: The results of 24 patients aged 11 to 18 years with Lenke type I idiopathic scoliosis who underwent surgery with anterior (12 patients) or posterior (12 patients) instrumentation were compared. All patients were operated by the same surgeon and were followed up for a minimum period of five years. Variables for comparison include: coronal and sagittal correction, distance from apical vertebra to midline, apical vertebral rotation, number of instrumented vertebrae and functional variables by means of the SRS-22 questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed with the SAS program, version 9. The two groups were compared with a 2-tailed Student's t-test with a level of significance set at 5% (0.05). RESULTS: The correction of the curve on the frontal plane was higher at immediate (p=0.031) and late postoperative (p=0.043) as well the apical vertebral rotation during immediate (p=0.002) and late (p=0.019) evaluation in the anterior spinal fusion group. The number of instrumented vertebrae was 7.69±1.38 in the anterior spinal fusion patients and 11.38±2.92 in the posterior spine fusion patients (p=0.021). Functional assessment (SRS-22) showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between groups. CONCLUSION: Anterior spine fusion patients presented greater scoliosis correction on frontal plane, greater derotation of apical vertebrae and smaller number of fused vertebrae

Antibacterial Resistance, Wayampis Amerindians, French Guyana

Drug resistance in fecal bacteria was high in Wayampis Amerindians who did not take antibacterial agents and were not hospitalized for 1 year. In the Wayampis Amerindians, an isolated traditional community in French Guyana, antibacterial use was 0.64 treatments per person per year. Hospitalization rate was 6.1% per year. Antibacterial drug–resistant bacteria can spread in persons who are not taking antibacterial agents

Experience with an online prospective database on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: development and implementation

Considerable variability exists in the surgical treatment and outcomes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This is due to the lack of evidence-based treatment guidelines and outcome measures. Although clinical trials have been extolled as the highest form of evidence for evaluating treatment efficacy, the disadvantage of cost, time, lack of feasibility, and ethical considerations indicate a need for a new paradigm for evidence based research in this spinal deformity. High quality clinical databases offer an alternative approach for evidence-based research in medicine. So, we developed and established Scolisoft, an international, multidimensional and relational database designed to be a repository of surgical cases for AIS, and an active vehicle for standardized surgical information in a format that would permit qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. Here, we describe and discuss the utility of Scolisoft as a new paradigm for evidence-based research on AIS. Scolisoft was developed using dot.net platform and SQL server from Microsoft. All data is deidentified to protect patient privacy. Scolisoft can be accessed at www.scolisoft.org. Collection of high quality data on surgical cases of AIS is a priority and processes continue to improve the database quality. The database currently has 67 registered users from 21 countries. To date, Scolisoft has 200 detailed surgical cases with pre, post, and follow up data. Scolisoft provides a structured process and practical information for surgeons to benchmark their treatment methods against other like treatments. Scolisoft is multifaceted and its use extends to education of health care providers in training, patients, ability to mine important data to stimulate research and quality improvement initiatives of healthcare organizations

Rectal Carriage of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacilli in Community Settings in Madagascar

BACKGROUND: Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteria (ESBL-PE) emerged at the end of the 1980s, causing nosocomial outbreaks and/or hyperendemic situations in hospitals and long-term care facilities. In recent years, community-acquired infections due to ESBL-PE have spread worldwide, especially across developing countries including Madagascar. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal carriage of ESBL-PE in the community of Antananarivo. METHODS: Non-hospitalized patients were recruited in three health centers in different socio economic settings. Fresh stool collected were immediately plated on Drigalski agar containing 3 mg/liter of ceftriaxone. Gram-negative bacilli species were identified and ESBL production was tested by a double disk diffusion (cefotaxime and ceftazidime +/- clavulanate) assay. Characterization of ESBLs were perfomed by PCR and direct sequencing . Molecular epidemiology was analysed by Rep-PCR and ERIC-PCR. RESULTS: 484 patients were screened (sex ratio  = 1.03, median age 28 years). 53 ESBL-PE were isolated from 49 patients (carrier rate 10.1%). The isolates included Escherichia coli (31), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14), Enterobacter cloacae (3), Citrobacter freundii (3), Kluyvera spp. (1) and Pantoae sp.(1). In multivariate analysis, only the socioeconomic status of the head of household was independently associated with ESBL-PE carriage, poverty being the predominant risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of carriage of ESBL in the community of Antananarivo is one of the highest reported worldwide. This alarming spread of resistance genes should be stopped urgently by improving hygiene and streamlining the distribution and consumption of antibiotics

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

Background: We previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15–20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in ~ 80% of cases. Methods: We report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded. Results: No gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5–528.7, P = 1.1 × 10−4) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR = 3.70[95%CI 1.3–8.2], P = 2.1 × 10−4). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR = 19.65[95%CI 2.1–2635.4], P = 3.4 × 10−3), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR = 4.40[9%CI 2.3–8.4], P = 7.7 × 10−8). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD] = 43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P = 1.68 × 10−5). Conclusions: Rare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men