Studies on anti-component 5 antibodies in animals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

A competitive antibody enzyme immunoassay, using a monoclonal antibody against the species-specific Trypanosoma crnzi antigen 5, was used to investigate the presence of anti-component 5 antibodies in sera of opossums, dogs, rabbits and rats infected with this parasite. The sera from 51 Venezuelan patients with Chagas’disease were also tested. About 90% of the infected subjects showed significant levels of anti-component 5 antibodies. Nevertheless, these antibodies were not detected in the sera of dogs, rats and opossums infected with T. cruzl Some sera from infected rabbits presented significant results but close to the limit ofpositivity ofthe test. These findings suggest that the immune response in animals naturally or experimentally infected with T. cruzi is different from that observed in human Chagas’disease

Hip fracture prognosis: could bioimpedance be an alternative to conventional nutritional assessment?

Background: Risk-factors for mortality in hip fractures encompass nutritional status, nominally body mass index, but not body composition. Given the difficulty of anthropometric assessment in bedridden patients a prospective study with bioimpedance analysis was designed. Methods: Elderly patients with hip fracture were consecutively recruited. Biochemical tests, primitive bioimpedance measurements (resistance, reactance and phase angle) and follow-up till one year were targeted. Results: Patients (N = 69, 81.2 +/- 8.1 years old, 72.5% females) stayed in the hospital for 15.5 +/- 17.1 days, and 18.8 %(13/69) required further hospitalization during the ensuing months. Mortality was 11.6% within 30 days, coinciding with hospital mortality, and an additional 11.6% till one year, thus reaching 23.2%. Anemia, hypoalbuminemia and low transferrin, along with elevated glucose and urea were frequent, suggesting undernutrition with metabolic derangements. Reactance, urea and creatinine were different in patients suffering both early and late demise. Resistance, white blood cell count and osteoporosis were risk factors for early mortality only, and anemia exclusively for late mortality. Conclusions: Primitive bioimpedance measurements, which had not been hitherto investigated, were prognostically related to early and late mortality. These markers of disease-related malnutrition and especially reactance should be further studied in patients unfit for anthropometric evaluation due to fracture and immobility

O enfermeiro na equipe de saúde mental: o caso dos CERSAMS de Belo Horizonte El enfermero en los equipos de salud mental: el caso de los Centros de Referencia en Salud Mental Nurses in the mental health team: the case of the Mental Health Centers in Belo Horizonte

Os Centros de Referência em Saúde Mental (CERSAMS) representam hoje um dispositivo nuclear para fazer frente à proposta de Reforma Psiquiátrica. Assumem lugar estratégico contra o modelo hospitalocêntrico e inauguram espaço de interlocução com a loucura, reinventando o trabalho clínico. Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever as atividades do enfermeiro nas equipes dos CERSAMS da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, MG, focalizando o atendimento e seguimento ao doente mental. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, cujos dados foram coletados através de entrevista semi-estruturada e submetido à análise do discurso. Foram sujeitos desta pesquisa oito enfermeiros inseridos nas equipes de saúde mental. Os resultados apontam sua inserção no trabalho interdisciplinar, assumindo a condução clínica do atendimento ao doente mental, auxiliando-o no seu percurso e na construção de vínculos com o tratamento.<br>Los Centros de Referencia en Salud Mental (CERSAMS) representan hoy un dispositivo central para conducir la propuesta de la Reforma Psiquiátrica. Ocupan una posición estratégica contra el modelo hospitalocéntrico y establecen un espacio de interlocución con la locura reinventando el trabajo clínico. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo describir las actividades del enfermero en los equipos de los "CERSAMS" de la "Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte" centrándose en la atención y el acompañamiento al enfermo mental. Es un trabajo cualitativo del cual los datos fueron obtenidos por medio de entrevista semi-estructurada y sometido al análisis del discurso. Los sujetos de esta investigación fueron ocho enfermeros que trabajan en los equipos de salud mental. Los resultados indican su inserción en el trabajo interdisciplinario, asumiendo la conducción clínica de la atención al enfermo mental, ayudándolo en su trayecto y en la construcción de vínculos con el tratamiento.<br>At the moment, the Mental Health Centers represent an important initiative in the conduction of Psychiatric Reform. They have a strategic role against the hospital centered model and inaugurate a space of interaction with the mental disorders, reinventing the clinical space. This study aimed at describing nurses' activities in the teams of the Mental Health Centers, maintained by the Municipal Health Department in the city of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, focusing on the care and follow-up of patients with mental disorders. This is a qualitative study and data were collected through semi structured interviews, analyzed by discourse analysis. Eight nurses were the subjects of this research. Results showed an inclusion of the interdisciplinary work in this centers, assuming the clinical conduction of the treatment to patients with mental disorders as well as helping them in the trajectory and construction of links with the treatment