Microscopic examination after concentration techniques for Blastocystis sp. detection in serial faecal samples : How many samples are needed?

Blastocystis sp. is one of the most frequently observed intestinal parasites in humans. It is suggested that sensitivity of classical parasitological tests for the Blastocystis sp. diagnosis increases when increasing the number of investigated samples, although there is a lack of information. The aim of the study is to evaluate the sensitivity of classical parasitological tests for the Blastocystis sp. diagnosis depending on the number of investigated samples and to determine risk factors associated to high parasite burden. Retrospective study where patients in whom three consecutive stool samples were examined for parasitic diagnosis through microscopic examination at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) from January to April 2019 were included. To determine risk factors associated to high parasite burden, a case-control study was performed including patients with at least one positive stool sample for Blastocystis sp.: cases were those patients with only one or two positive stool samples, and controls were those with all three stool positive samples). Clinical records were reviewed from included patients to collect clinical and demographic information. In 2771 patients three consecutive stool samples were examined for parasitic diagnosis, with an overall prevalence of Blastocystis sp. detection of 23.3%. The proportions of positive cases depending on the number of investigated samples were: 22.3% when taking into account the first sample, 22.9% when taking into account the first and second samples, and 23.3% when taking into account the three samples, with no statistically significant differences among them. For the case-control study we finally included 63 cases and 133 controls. No differences were found regarding clinical and demographic characteristics among groups. Prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infection was high in our study (23.3%). The sensitivity of classical parasitological methods for Blastocystis sp. diagnosis did not increase when increasing the number of investigated samples, and no risk factors associated to high parasite burden were identified

La Biblioteca Virtual de Salud de la provincia Holguín: un diagnóstico preliminar

Aimed at the development of the Medical Virtual Library of Holguin Province a preliminary diagnosis of existing conditions was carried out. The main concepts related to the virtual library are exposed, institutions with a higher scientific potential in health care areas are identified as well as the products and information services that can be moved to the web. The strategy to the introduction of the virtual library is provided as well as its extension to the different institutions of the Health Care System of the province. Finally, some critical aspects for the success of this project are exposed

Decreased rotational flow and circumferential wall shear stress as early markers of descending aorta dilation in Marfan syndrome : a 4D flow CMR study

Diseases of the descending aorta have emerged as a clinical issue in Marfan syndrome following improvements in proximal aorta surgical treatment and the consequent increase in life expectancy. Although a role for hemodynamic alterations in the etiology of descending aorta disease in Marfan patients has been suggested, whether flow characteristics may be useful as early markers remains to be determined. Seventy-five Marfan patients and 48 healthy subjects were prospectively enrolled. In- and through-plane vortexes were computed by 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the thoracic aorta through the quantification of in-plane rotational flow and systolic flow reversal ratio, respectively. Regional pulse wave velocity and axial and circumferential wall shear stress maps were also computed. In-plane rotational flow and circumferential wall shear stress were reduced in Marfan patients in the distal ascending aorta and in proximal descending aorta, even in the 20 patients free of aortic dilation. Multivariate analysis showed reduced in-plane rotational flow to be independently related to descending aorta pulse wave velocity. Conversely, systolic flow reversal ratio and axial wall shear stress were altered in unselected Marfan patients but not in the subgroup without dilation. In multivariate regression analysis proximal descending aorta axial (p = 0.014) and circumferential (p = 0.034) wall shear stress were independently related to local diameter. Reduced rotational flow is present in the aorta of Marfan patients even in the absence of dilation, is related to aortic stiffness and drives abnormal circumferential wall shear stress. Axial and circumferential wall shear stress are independently related to proximal descending aorta dilation beyond clinical factors. In-plane rotational flow and circumferential wall shear stress may be considered as an early marker of descending aorta dilation in Marfan patients. The online version of this article (10.1186/s12968-019-0572-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

La Biblioteca Virtual de Salud de la provincia Holguín: un diagnóstico preliminar

Aimed at the development of the Medical Virtual Library of Holguin Province a preliminary diagnosis of existing conditions was carried out. The main concepts related to the virtual library are exposed, institutions with a higher scientific potential in health care areas are identified as well as the products and information services that can be moved to the web. The strategy to the introduction of the virtual library is provided as well as its extension to the different institutions of the Health Care System of the province. Finally, some critical aspects for the success of this project are exposed

Metanálisis si; metanálisis no

At the moment, with the exponential increase of the investigations and publications related to medical sciences and their compatible disciplines, it is practically impossible to use traditional methods of integration of the results obtained in the studies on a specific subject. In these methods, calls qualitative revisions, in which the integration method does not incorporate the use of formal statistical procedures, generally the revisory one takes each study by its value pretends and tries to find a theory that reconciles the contradictory results. On the other hand, Gene Glass, in 1976, proposed an integration method that uses the statistical tools in its analyses and to that it called metanálisis. The metanálisis (it puts, in Greek, after, and analisis, description, interpretation), consists of the statistical analysis of a great collection of extracted results of individual works in order to integrate the obtained results

Elementos conceptuales básicos útiles para comprender las redes de telecomunicación

A set of knowledge is expounded aimed at introducing the key concepts related to telecommunication networks among the information specialists, as a way to improve the librarian culture in the field of new information technologies. This knowledge will contribute decisively to a more efficient use of the National Health Care System networks, based on the progressive development of an electronic information infrastructure that will allow the contact among the communication sector professionals and the exchange with the international scientific community, as well as a convenient and timely access to information

La Colaboración Cochrane en Cuba. Parte VII. Los metanálisis : aproximaciones útiles para su comprensión

]Spanish abstract] Se realiza una aproximación al análisis, síntesis e integración sistémica de la información, que ocurre durante el transcurso de la investigación metanalítica desde la perspectiva de los procesos de producción de información. Se establecen los antecedentes y las formas de clasificación de los metanálisis. Se estudia cada una de las 6 etapas por las que transcurre la investigación metanalítica, a saber: formulación del problema, búsqueda de la literatura, codificación de los estudios, medida de los resultados, análisis e interpretación y publicación del informe final. Se exponen los diferentes tipos de sesgos que pueden perjudicar la calidad de la revisión metanalítica y se repasan los conceptos estadísticos necesarios para la correcta comprensión de esta clase de estudios

Imported endemic mycoses in Spain: Evolution of hospitalized cases, clinical characteristics and correlation with migratory movements, 1997-2014

<div><p>Endemic mycoses are systemic fungal infections. Histoplasmosis is endemic in all temperate areas of the world; coccidioidomycosis and paracoccidioidomycosis are only present in the American continent. These pathogens are not present in Spain, but in the last years there has been an increase of reported cases due to migration and temporary movements. We obtained from the Spanish hospitals records clinical and demographic data of all hospitalized cases between 1997 and 2014. There were 286 cases of histoplasmosis, 94 of Coccidioidomycosis and 25 of paracoccidioidomycosis. Overall, histoplasmosis was strongly related to HIV infection, as well as with greater morbidity and mortality. For the other mycoses, we did not find any immunosuppressive condition in most of the cases. Although we were not able to obtain data about clinical presentation of all the cases, the most frequently found was pulmonary involvement. We also found a temporal correlation between the Spanish population born in endemic countries and the number of hospitalized cases along this period. This study reflects the importance of imported diseases in non-endemic countries due to migratory movements.</p></div

Distribution of cases of endemic mycoses according to the Autonomous Community to which the hospital belongs.

<p>The map was obtained from open access website <a href="http://www.d-maps.com/" target="_blank">www.d-maps.com</a>, and it was modified with the software Inkscape.</p

Evolution of cases of endemic mycoses and Spanish population at risk.

<p>*y1 axis: total number of people/trips in every year. *y2 axis: number of total cases in every year of the studied period, 1997–2014.</p