[Goya and doctors].

This is a brief analysis of the different diseases the Spanish painter Goya suffered, particularly the one that caused his deafness. We also discussed the probable relationship the artist had with his physicians throughout his life, and how this relationship is portrayed in four of his works, with such variety of feelings that go from indifference, satire and mockery to gratefulness and full recognition to the medical profession. This last point is exemplified in a self-portrait of the sick artist being assisted by Dr.

The use of sildenafil in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

We evaluated the effectiveness of sildenafil in the treatment of neonatal pulmonary hypertension. We performed a double-blind randomized clinical trial in 51 full-term infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension confirmed by Doppler echocardiography. Patients were divided in two groups: 20 infants in group A received placebo when the oxygenation index was >20, and 31 infants in group B received 3 mg/kg of oral sildenafil every 6 hours.

Response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine in full-term and preterm infants.

The purpose of this study was to compare the delayed response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization in preterm infants 31.4 to 34.6 weeks of age with full-terms infants by tuberculin test (tuberculin skin test with purified protein derivative [PPD]).

Efficacy and renal toxicity of one daily dose of amikacin versus conventional dosage regime.

This study assessed the efficacy and renal toxicity of one daily dose of amikacin versus several doses in infected full-term newborns. A clinical trial was conducted with 120 patients who were divided into two groups: group A (n = 60), infants who received amikacin 20 mg/kg/d in one dose; and group B (n = 60), infants who received amikacin 10 mg/kg/d every 12 hours. Both groups also received ampicillin 100 mg/kg/day.

[Prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women at term].

Objective: To determine the prevalence of colonization by Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women at term.

Material And Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study. Four hundred thirty three pregnant patients at term without data of cervicovaginitis were included.

[Prevention of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy with high-dose, early phenobarbital therapy].

Objective: To assess usefulness of high-dose early phenobarbital therapy for prevention of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) secondary to perinatal asphyxia (PNA).

Material And Methods: By means of a randomized clinical trial, asphyxiated full-term or post-term newborn infants were divided in two groups: Group A was the experimental group, while group B was the control group. Infants in group A received phenobarbital, 40 mg/kg, during the first 60 min after birth.

Serum and urinary insulin-like growth factor-1 and tumor necrosis factor in neonates with and without acute renal failure.

Acute renal failure (ARF) in neonates may occur after renal ischemia. Growth factors participate in the tubular regeneration process. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is produced in the kidney during the recovery phase of ARF.