Voting Characteristics of Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury

Voting is the foundation of democracy. Limited data exist about voting characteristics of individuals with neurologic impairment including those living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). To statistically examine voting characteristics using a convenience sample of registered voters with TBI during elections held in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina—2007, 2008. Data were collected on 51 participants with TBI during May 2007, 2008 general, and 2008 Presidential Election. (i) There was a significant difference between the Competence Assessment Tool for Voting (CAT‐V) total score of participants with TBI who voted and the CAT‐V total score of participants with TBI who did not vote and the CAT‐V total score predicted voting; (ii) the age of the participants with TBI was predictive of voting; and (iii) being married was inversely related to voting. We find that there is variation in voting even among this small sample interviewed for the present study, and that the variation is predictable. Those with the highest CAT‐Vs are most likely to vote. In addition, we find that traditional predictors of voting simply are not predictors among this TBI group, and even one, whether the person is married, has a negative effect on voting

Active Surveillance of Candidemia in Children from Latin America A Key Requirement for Improving Disease Outcome

Background: Active surveillance is necessary for improving the management and outcomes of patients with candidemia. the aim of this study was to describe the epidemiologic and clinical features of candidemia in pediatric patients in Latin America.Method: Prospective, multicenter, surveillance study of candidemia in a pediatric population from 23 hospitals in 8 Latin America countries between November 2008 and October 2010.Results: Three hundred and two cases of candidemia were reported with a median incidence of 0.81/1000 admissions. Eighty nine (29%) were neonates. the main risk factors were prematurity, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, parenteral nutrition, respiratory disease and mechanical ventilation in neonates and malignancy, neutropenia, neurological disease and previous use of corticosteroids in children. the main species isolated in neonates and children were Candida albicans (43.8% and 35.7%), Candida parapsilosis (27.0% and 26.3%) and Candida tropicalis (14.6% and 14.6%), respectively. the most frequent antifungal therapy used in neonates and children was deoxycholate-amphotericin-B (43.8% and 29.1%) and fluconazole (28.1% and 53.1%). Seventeen neonates (19.1%) and 20 children (9.4%) did not receive antifungal therapy. the 30-day survival rate was 60% in neonates and 72% in children (P = 0.02). Survival was significantly higher in treated than in nontreated neonates (72% vs. 24%; P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors for 30-day mortality in children were renal disease (odds ratio: 4.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.92-10.1, P < 0.001) and receipt of corticosteroids (odds ratio: 2.08, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-4.17, P = 0.04).Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective, multicenter surveillance study of candidemia in children in Latin America. This epidemiologic information may provide us with methods to improve preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in our continent.Pfizer Inc.Univ Chile, Fac Med, Hosp Luis Calvo Mackenna, Dept Pediat, Santiago 7, ChileHosp Escuela Tegucigalpa, Tegucigalpa, HondurasUniv Fed Parana, Hosp Clin, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Infect Dis Unit, São Paulo, BrazilPontificia Univ Catolica Ecuador, Hosp Vozandes, Fac Med, Quito, EcuadorHosp Clin Jose San Martin, Buenos Aires, DF, ArgentinaUniv Nacl Colombia, Dept Internal Med, Bogota, ColombiaUniv Desarrollo, Dept Med, Clin Alemana, Infect Dis Unit, Santiago, ChileHosp Vargas Caracas, Infect Unit, Caracas, VenezuelaInst Nacl Ciencias Med & Nutr Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, DF, MexicoUniv Cayetano Heredia, Dept Med, Lima, PeruUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Univ Hosp, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Infect Dis Unit, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients who survived or died within 30 days after candidemia.

a<p>s.d., Standard deviation; ^bTPN, Total parenteral nutrition; ^cfamilies of antibiotics were: broad–spectrum penicillins, broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, linezolid or quinolones.</p

Risk factors for death: Cox proportional-hazards regression model.

a<p>≥16 points; ^b CVC, Central venous catheter.</p