Comparison of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 (LRG-1) plasma levels between patients with and without appendicitis, a case–controlled study

Acute appendicitis (AA) is the frst cause of emergency surgery. Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) has been shown to be a potential biomarker in cases of AA in children, but there are conficting results for its use in adults. The objective of this study is to compare the median plasma values of LRG1 in patients with acute abdomen with and without appendicitis. This case–control study was conducted prospectively at the emergency room (ER) of a tertiary teaching hospital, between March 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2012. Patients with recent abdominal pain, aged 18–70 years who attended at the ER were included in the study. Blood samples were drawn at the frst presentation. Those who were submitted to surgery and had a pathology report of AA were considered as cases. Those without a need for surgery and treated for other conditions, e.g., pelvic infammatory disease, were considered as controls. Follow-up in controls was made up to 30 days. LRG1 plasma median values were measured using an ELISA kit and compared between groups. A total of 28 participants, 14 cases with acute appendicitis and 14 controls, were included. The median (range) values of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 level in the group with appendicitis and control group were 8.8 ng/ml (5.5–31) and 11 (4.6–108) ng/ml, respectively (Mann–Whitney test P= 0.26). Median plasma leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 levels were not useful in diagnosing Acute Appendicitis in patients with acute abdominal pain

Qual modo e potência produzem a menor área de nãoobstrução nas tubas de Falópio?

Objective To determine which mode and potency of electrocoagulation, using a modern electrosurgical generator, yields the smallest unobstructed area of the Fallopian tubes. Methods In an experimental study, tubes from 48 hysterectomies or tubal ligation were evaluated. Tubes were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: group A) 25 W x 5 seconds (n ¼ 17); group B) 30 W x 5 seconds (n ¼ 17); group C) 35 W x 5 seconds (n ¼ 18), group D) 40 W x 5 seconds (n ¼ 20); group E) 40 W x 5 seconds with visual inspection (blanch, swells, collapse) (n ¼ 16); group F) 50 W x 5 seconds (n ¼ 8). Bipolar electrocoagulation was performed in groups A to E, and monopolar electrocoagulation was performed in group F. Coagulation mode was used in all groups. Digital photomicrography of the transversal histological sections of the isthmic segment of the Fallopian tube were taken, and themedian percentage of unobstructed luminal area (mm2) was measured with ImageJ software (ImageJ, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). The Kruskal-Wallis test or analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for statistical analysis. Results Ninety-six Fallopian tube sections were analyzed. The smallest median occluded area (%; range) of the Fallopian tube was obtained in the group with 40 W with visual inspection (8.3%; 0.9–40%), followed by the groups 25 W (9.1%; 0–35.9%), 40 W (14.2; 0.9–43.2%), 30 W (14.2; 0.9–49.7%), 35 W (15.1; 3–46.4%) and 50 W (38.2; 3.1–51%). No statistically significant difference was found among groups (p ¼ 0.09, Kruskal-Wallis test)

Perfil epidemiológico das vítimas de violência sexual atendidas em um centro de referência do Sul do Brasil

Objective: To characterize the sociodemographic profile of women victims of sexual violence treated at a university hospital in southern Brazil. Method: The present cross-sectional study included all female victims of sexual violence who attended the sexual violence unit at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA, in the Portuguese acronym) from April 18, 2000 to December 31, 2017. Data were extracted from the electronic record of the patients and stored in a standardized questionnaire database with epidemiological aspects of the victim, the perpetrators and the type of aggression. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test for trend and descriptive statistics with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: During the length of the study, 711 women victims of sexual violence were treated. The mean age of the patients was 24.4 (±10) years old (range from 11 to 69 years old) and most of the victims were white (77.4%), single (75.9%) and sought care at the unit within 72 hours after the occurrence (80.7%). In most cases, violence was exerted by a single perpetrator (87.1%), who was unknown in 67.2% of cases. Victims < 19 years old showed a higher risk of not using contraception (relative risk [RR] = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.9–3.6). Conclusion: Most victims of sexual violence were treated within 72 hours of the occurrence. The majority of these victims were white and young, and those < 19 years old had a higher risk of not using contraception and to know the sexual perpetrator.Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil sociodemográfico de mulheres vítimas de violência sexual atendidas em um hospital universitário da região Sul do Brasil. Métodos: Estudo transversal de todas as mulheres atendidas na unidade de vítimas de violência sexual do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) entre 18 de abril de 2000 a 31 de dezembro de 2017. Os dados foram extraídos a partir do registro eletrônico de um questionário padronizado envolvendo aspectos epidemiológicos da vítima, do agressor e do tipo de agressão. O teste qui-quadrado foi empregado para tendência e estatística descritiva com 95% de intervalo de confiança (IC) foram utilizados para análise estatística. Resultados: Foram atendidas 711 mulheres vítimas de violência sexual. A média da idade das pacientes foi de 24,4 (10) anos, sendo que a maioria das vítimas era branca (77,4%), solteira (75,9%) e buscou atendimento na unidade dentro de 72 horas após a ocorrência (80,7%). Na maioria dos casos, a violência foi exercida por agressor único (87,1%), sendo este desconhecido em 67,2% dos casos. As vítimas < 19 anos mostraram um maior risco de não estarem usando algum método contraceptivo (risco relativo [RR] = 2,7; IC95% = 1,9–3,6). Conclusão: A maioria das vítimas de violência sexual foi atendida dentro de 72 horas da ocorrência. As vítimas sexuais eram, na sua maioria, brancas e jovens, sendo que as < 19 anos apresentavam um maior risco de não estarem utilizando algum método contraceptivo e de conhecerem o seu agressor