Indicadores bibliométricos: origen, aplicación, contradicción y nuevas propuestas

ResumenLa profileración y globalización de la literatura científica ha puesto en evidencia la ya reconocida necesidad de crear un sistema de evaluación, clasificación y comparación de la calidad para este tipo de producción. En respuesta ha esta necesidad ha surgido metodologías  que incluyen escalas e indicadores para la cuantificación, evaluación y calificación del efecto que una publicación tiene sobre el entorno cientifico.[Rueda Clausen CF, Villa Roel C, Rueda Clausen CE. Indicadores bibliométricos: origen, aplicación, contradicción y nuevas propuestas. MedUNAB 2005; 8(1):29-36].Palabras clave: Indicadores bibliométricos, Factor de impacto, Evaluación, Calidad, Publicaciones científicas, Valides.&nbsp

Inflammation but Not Endothelial Dysfunction Is Associated with the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Dyslipidemic Subjects

Introduction. Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation play a key role in the development of atherosclerosis. The present study evaluated endothelial function, inflammatory parameters, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in dyslipidemic patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. Metabolic profile and inflammatory parameters were determined in dyslipidemic patients with (+CAD, n = 33) and without (−CAD, n = 69) symptomatic CAD. Endothelial function was evaluated by flow mediated dilatation (FMD) and plasma concentration of nitrites and nitrates. Carotid IMT was measured by ultrasound. Results. No significant differences were observed in anthropometric hemodynamic or metabolic parameters between the groups. After adjusting by age and medication usage, some inflammatory markers were significantly higher in +CAD; however no significant differences in FMD or plasma levels of nitrites were observed. Conclusions. In subjects with dyslipidemia, the presence of CAD is associated with an elevation of certain inflammatory markers and carotid IMT but not with further endothelial dysfunction

A randomized, double blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the effects of Candesartan on the insulin sensitivity on non diabetic, non hypertense subjects with dysglyce mia and abdominal obesity. "ARAMIA"

BACKGROUND: The raising prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus and obesity has been recognized as a major problem for public health, affecting both developed and developing countries. Impaired fasting plasma glucose has been previously associated with endothelial dysfunction, higher levels of inflammatory markers and increased risk of developing insulin resistance and cardiovascular events. Besides life-style changes, the blockade of the renin-angiotensin system has been proposed as a useful alternative intervention to improve insulin resistance and decrease the number of new type-2 diabetes cases. The aim of this clinical trial is to study the effect of the treatment with Candesartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on the insulin resistance, the plasma levels of adipoquines, oxidative stress and prothrombotic markers, in a group of non diabetic, non hypertensive, dysglycemic and obese subjects. METHODS AND DESIGN: A randomized, double blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was designed to assess the effects of Candesartan (up to 32 mg/day during 6 months) on the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index, lipid profile, protrombotic state, oxidative stress and plasma levels of inflammatory markers. The participants will be recruited in the "Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia". Subjects who fullfil selection criteria will receive permanent educational, nutritional and exercise support during their participation in the study. After a 15 days-run-in period with placebo and life-style recommendations, the patients who have a treatment compliance equal or greater than 80% will be randomlly assigned to one of the treatment groups. Group A will receive Candesartan during 6 months and placebo during 6 months. Group B will receive placebo during the first 6 months, and then, Candesartan during the last 6 months. Control visits will be programed monthly and all parameters of interest will be evaluated every 6 months. HYPOTHESIS: Treatment with Candesartan, could improve the HOMA index, the response to the oral glucose tolerance test and reduce the plasma levels of adipoquines, oxidative stress and prothrombotic markers, in non diabetic, non hypertense subjects with dysglycemia and abdominal obesity, recruited from a population at high risk of developing insulin resistance. These effects are independent of the changes in arterial blood pressure. Trial registration: NCT0031920

Adiposity indices in the prediction of insulin resistance in prepubertal Colombian children

248-255OBJECTIVE: To compare BMI with abdominal skinfold thickness (ASF), waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in the prediction of insulin resistance (IR) in prepubertal Colombian children. DESIGN: We calculated age- and sex-specific Z-scores for BMI, ASF, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and three other skinfold-thickness sites. Logistic regression with stepwise selection (P = 0·80 for entry and P = 0·05 for retention) was performed to identify predictors of IR and extreme IR, which were determined by age- and sex-specific Z-scores to identify the ≥ 90th and ≥ 95th percentile of homeostasis model assessment (HOMAIR), respectively. We used receiver operating characteristic curves to compare the area under the curve between models. SETTING: Bucaramanga, Colombia. SUBJECTS: Children (n 1261) aged 6-10 years in Tanner stage 1 from a population-based study. RESULTS: A total of 127 children (seventy girls and fifty-seven boys) were classified with IR, including sixty-three children (thirty-three girls and thirty boys) classified with extreme IR. Only ASF and BMI Z-scores were retained as predictors of IR by stepwise selection. Adding ASF Z-score to BMI Z-score improved the area under the curve from 0·794 (95 % CI 0·752, 0·837) to 0·811 (95 % CI 0·770, 0·851; P for contrast = 0·01). In predicting extreme IR, the addition of ASF Z-score to BMI Z-score improved the area under the curve from 0·837 (95 % CI 0·790, 0·884) to 0·864 (95 % CI 0·823, 0·905; P for contrast = 0·01). CONCLUSIONS: ASF Z-score predicted IR independent of BMI Z-score in our population of prepubertal children. ASF and BMI Z-scores together improved IR risk stratification compared with BMI Z-score alone, opening new perspectives in the prediction of cardiometabolic risk in prepubertal children

Double blind, randomized controlled trial, to evaluate the effectiveness of a controlled nitric oxide releasing patch versus meglumine antimoniate in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis [NCT00317629]

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is a worldwide disease, endemic in 88 countries, that has shown an increasing incidence over the last two decades. So far, pentavalent antimony compounds have been considered the treatment of choice, with a percentage of cure of about 85%. However, the high efficacy of these drugs is counteracted by their many disadvantages and adverse events. Previous studies have shown nitric oxide to be a potential alternative treatment when administered topically with no serious adverse events. However, due to the unstable nitric oxide release, the topical donors needed to be applied frequently, making the adherence to the treatment difficult. The electrospinning technique has allowed the production of a multilayer transdermal patch that produces a continuous and stable nitric oxide release. The main objective of this study is to evaluate this novel nitric oxide topical donor for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS AND DESIGN: A double-blind, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial, including 620 patients from endemic areas for Leishmaniasis in Colombia was designed to investigate whether this patch is as effective as meglumine antimoniate for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis but with less adverse events. Subjects with ulcers characteristic of cutaneous leishmaniasis will be medically evaluated and laboratory tests and parasitological confirmation performed. After checking the inclusion/exclusion criteria, the patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. During 20 days Group 1 will receive simultaneously meglumine antimoniate and placebo of nitric oxide patches while Group 2 will receive placebo of meglumine antimoniate and active nitric oxide patches. During the treatment visits, the medications will be daily administered and the presence of adverse events assessed. During the follow-up, the research group will visit the patients at days 21, 45, 90 and 180. The healing process of the ulcer, the health of the participants, recidivisms and/or reinfection will also be assessed. The evolution of the ulcers will be photographically registered. In case that the effectiveness of the patches is demonstrated, a novel and safe therapeutic alternative for one of the most important public health problems in many countries will be available to patients

Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, using a nitric oxide releasing patch: PATHON

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes Mellitus constitutes one of the most important public health problems due to its high prevalence and enormous social and economic consequences. Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and constitute the most important cause of non-traumatic amputation of inferior limbs. It is estimated that 15% of the diabetic population will develop an ulcer sometime in their lives. Although novel therapies have been proposed, there is no effective treatment for this pathology. Naturally produced nitric oxide participates in the wound healing process by stimulating the synthesis of collagen, triggering the release of chemotactic cytokines, increasing blood vessels permeability, promoting angiogenic activity, stimulating the release of epidermical growth factors, and by interfering with the bacterial mitochondrial respiratory chain. Topically administered nitric oxide has demonstrated to be effective and safe for the treatment of chronic ulcers secondary to cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, due to their unstable nitric oxide release, the topical donors needed to be applied frequently, diminishing the adherence to the treatment. This difficulty has led to the development of a multilayer polymeric transdermal patch produced by electrospinning technique that guarantees a constant nitric oxide release. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this novel nitric oxide releasing wound dressing for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.</p> <p>Methods and design</p> <p>A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, including 100 diabetic patients was designed. At the time of enrollment, a complete medical evaluation and laboratory tests will be performed, and those patients who meet the inclusion criteria randomly assigned to one of two groups. Over the course of 90 days group 1 will receive active patches and group 2 placebo patches. The patients will be seen by the research group at least every two weeks until the healing of the ulcer or the end of the treatment. During each visit the healing process of the ulcer, the patient's health status and the presence of adverse events will be assessed. Should the effectiveness of the patches be demonstrated an alternative treatment would then be available to patients.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NCT00428727.</p

Alternativas a la terapia transfusional

ResumenCon el advenimiento del uso de hemoderivados como alternativas terap&eacute;uticas ha surgido infinidad de posiciones y conductas a favor y en contra de los actos transfusionales. En la actualidad existe una creciente manifestaci&oacute;n mundial que apoya la medicina libre de hemoderivados, bajo la mentalidad de que la sangre es cara, peligrosa y dif&iacute;cil&nbsp;de administrar, se ha inpulsado el desarrollo de alternativas terap&eacute;uticas y quir&uacute;rgicas que permita manejar a los pacientes con indicaciones transfusionales si el uso&nbsp; de hemoderivados. El presente art&iacute;culo recopila la manera r&aacute;pida los antecedentes de la terapia transfusional y su impacto en pr&aacute;ctica m&eacute;dica, y presenta las t&eacute;cnicas &uacute;tilizadas para disminuir las p&eacute;rdidas transoperatorias de sangre y algunas alternativas al uso de hemoderivados.Palabras clave: Transfusi&oacute;n, alternativas, terapia, Testigo de Jehov&aacute;, hemoderivados, perfluorocarbonados

Mielinólisis osmótica extrapóntica.

Extrapontine osmotic myelinolysis is a rare nervous system complication. Symptoms of this malady were presented during the clinical examination of a 49-year-old alcoholic male, who arrived at the hospital emergency room in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest. After resuscitation methods were applied, the patient was found in metabolic acidosis (pH 7.014) and was treated with sodium bicarbonate. Forty-eight hours later, sodium levels in the patient had risen from 142 to 174 mEq/l. During the period of clinical observation, the patient showed signs of cognitive impairment, disartria, bilateral amaurosis, hyporeflexia and right-half body hemiparesias. After 72 hours, computer tomography was applied; this showed a bilateral lenticular hypodensity with internal and external capsule compromise. One month later, when the patient was referred to another institution for rehabilitation, the patient showed cognitive impairment, bilateral optic atrophy, residual disartria, bradikynesia and double hemiparesia.La mielinólisis osmótica extrapóntica es una complicación rara del sistema nervioso central. Se presentan los hallazgos clínicos de un paciente de 49 años, alcohólico, que ingresó al servicio de urgencias en paro cardiorrespiratorio. Después de las maniobras de reanimación, el paciente se encontró en acidosis metabólica (pH 7,014) y fue tratado con bicarbonato de sodio. Cuarenta y ocho horas después, el sodio aumentó de 142 a 174 mEq/l. Durante el curso clínico, el paciente presentó signos de compromiso cognitivo, disartria, amaurosis bilateral, hiporreflexia y hemiparesia doble de predominio en el hemicuerpo derecho. La tomografía computarizada, tomada a las 72 horas de inicio del cuadro, evidenció hipodensidad lenticular bilateral con compromiso de las cápsulas internas y externas. Un mes después el paciente continuó con compromiso cognoscitivo, atrofia óptica bilateral, disartria residual, bradicinesia y hemiparesia doble

Current challenges in pregnancy-related mortality

Pregnancy is a normal, healthy state that most women are desirous for at some point in their lives. Sadly, this life-affirming process carries serious risks of death and disability for both mother and offspring. It is estimated that about 830 women die from pregnancy or pregnancy related complications each year. Almost all of these deaths occur in resource-poor countries, and most of them are preventable. Reducing maternal mortality is an ongoing challenge, and care providers, researchers and policy makers must not only identify the key barriers to accessing quality health care, but commit to making maternal health a priority