Experimental infection with Schistosoma mansoni of Biomphalaria straminea from different parts of the Northeast of Brazil

In the western part of the State of Bahia Biomphalaria straminea and B. glabrata both occur, but in the majority of cases they do not share the same habitat. In the State of Ceará, however, B. straminea is the sole snail host of Schistosoma mansoni. In this survey, no naturally infected B. straminea was found among snails collected from Bahia and Ceará, evidently because of the very low infection rates. The susceptibility of laboratory-reared specimens to infection with a Puerto Rican strain of S. mansoni was then tested experimentally. In general, the snails showed very low susceptibility. The infection rates were 1.1% among snails from Redenção (Ceará); 2.3% in those from Pentecoste (Ceará); 2.9% in snails from São Desidério (Bahia), while they were very high among an albino strain (NIH) of B. glabrata used as control. Another group of B. straminea from São Desidério was exposed to a Bahian strain of S. mansoni and the infection rate was still very low (3.6%) Apparently, the very low susceptibility of B. straminea, despite high snail density, is correlated with moderate infection rates with S. mansoni among humans, as shown by the results of stool examinations conducted by SUCAM in the municipalities of Redenção and Pentecoste, in Ceará

Nursing diagnosis sedentary lifestyle in individuals with hypertension: an analysis of accuracy

Objective Assessing the accuracy of the defining characteristics (DC) of the nursing diagnosis Sedentary Lifestyle (SL) in people with hypertension. Method A cross-sectional study carried out in a referral center in the outpatient care of people with hypertension and diabetes, with a sample of 285 individuals. The form used in the study was designed from operational definitions constructed for each DC of the diagnosis. Four nurses with training to carry out diagnostic inferences did the clinical assessment for the presence of SL. Results The prevalence of SL was 55.8%. Regarding measures of accuracy, the main DC for SL was chooses a daily routine lacking physical exercise, with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 84.13%. Two DC stood out in the logistic regression, namely: reports preference for activities low in physical activity and poor performance in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Conclusion The results allowed identifying the best clinical indicators for SL in hypertensive adults

Construindo caminhos de conhecimentos em HIV/Aids: mulheres em cena

Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa com o objetivo de identificar o acesso à informação das mulheres sobre o HIV/Aids e analisar os fatores que as orientam na adoção de medidas protetoras ao HIV/Aids. Foram realizadas entrevistas com 20 mulheres matriculadas no período noturno de uma escola pública em Minas Gerais/Brasil, com faixa etária entre 18 e 55 anos. As entrevistas foram analisadas por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo temático, e fundamentadas no referencial teórico das Representações Sociais. Foram produzidas duas categorias analíticas: o acesso à informação sobre a Aids e os mecanismos de proteção adotados para reduzir a vulnerabilidade à infecção pelo HIV. As entrevistadas apontaram escola, família, televisão, profissionais de saúde e amigos como os principais veículos de obtenção de informações acerca da Aids. Entretanto, nesses espaços e encontros o vínculo se encontra fragilizado, desfragmentado e inconsistente, não propiciando acesso a ambientes consistentes de escuta, informações e reflexões. A prevenção está focada no uso do preservativo masculino. Persiste o baixo poder da mulher em negociar relações sexuais seguras, prevalecendo a vontade do parceiro e a credibilidade no amor e no casamento. Os sentimentos de ansiedade, incertezas e medo gerados nessas mulheres devido à questão da Aids não lhes permitem efetivar mecanismos de proteção relacionados ao exercício de mudança no comportamento sexual, de forma a torná-lo mais seguro e consciente no grupo pesquisado