Comparação da gravidade dos casos de dengue segundo a classificação antiga e a classificação revisada

Introduction: two classifications stratify cases of dengue according to clinical and laboratory findings: the classification proposed in the 50s and the classification revised by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has been adopted in Brazil since January 2014. Our objective was to compare the two classification methods regarding their capability of identifying the severity of each case. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with analysis and comparisons of dengue cases which occurred from 2011 to 2013 in a tertiary referral hospital in the city of Natal/RN, Brazil, according to the Dengue Classification and the Revised Dengue Classification. The equivalence adopted was: Classic Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) grade I with Dengue; DHF grade II with Dengue with warning signs and DHF III and IV with Severe Dengue. Results: 2,318 records were analyzed, with a mean age of 30.32 years ± 17.89, and a population 39% male and 61% female. Based on the designated equivalence, 428 cases were concordant, 699 were discordant (212 classified as Classic Dengue and Dengue with warning signs – mucosal bleed, 62 as Classic Dengue and Dengue with warning signs – abdominal pain) and 1,191 “without classification” (cases whose medical records did not allow classification). Conclusion: The two classifications were equivalent in clinical management when cases were severe. The old classification avoids an overestimation of mild and moderate cases by using more clinical and laboratory aspects than the new classification. Mucosal bleed, abdominal pain and vomiting did not represent signs that evolved to severity, demonstrating how the imprecise use of warning signs can overestimate the data.Introdução: Existem duas classificações que estratificam os casos de dengue pelo quadro clínico laboratorial: a classificação proposta nos anos 50 e a revisada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde, adotada em janeiro de 2014 no Brasil. Compará-las quanto à capacidade de identificar a gravidade do caso representa nosso objetivo. Métodos: Estudo observacional e transversal com análise e comparação dos casos de dengue de 2011 a 2013 de um hospital terciário de referência da cidade de Natal/RN, de acordo com a classificação antiga e a classificação revisada. As correspondências adotadas foram: Dengue Clássica e Febre Hemorrágica da Dengue (DHF) grau I com Dengue; DHF grau II com Dengue com sinais de alarme; DHF grau III e IV com Dengue grave. Resultados: 2.318 fichas foram analisadas, com a população predominantemente adulta, média de idade 30,32 anos ± 17,89, sendo 39% do sexo masculino, 61% do sexo feminino. A partir das correlações designadas, 428 casos foram concordantes, 699 discordantes e 1191 “sem classificação” (casos cujos dados dos prontuários não possibilitaram sua classificação). Conclusões: As duas classificações foram equivalentes no manejo clínico quando os casos de dengue foram graves. A classificação antiga evita a superestimação de casos leves e moderados por utilizar mais aspectos clínicos e laboratoriais que a classificação revisada. Sangramento de mucosa, dor abdominal e vômitos não representaram sinais que evoluíram para gravidade, demonstrando como a utilização dos sinais de alarme de maneira imprecisa pode superestimar os dados

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved