Publications by authors named "Diana Davalos"
Article Synopsis
- - Dengue cases reached an all-time high in 2023-2024, particularly in Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
- - The study identified all four serotypes of the dengue virus and various lineages, indicating a diverse viral presence during the outbreak.
- - Researchers believe that environmental factors, especially climatic conditions, played a significant role in the surge of dengue cases in Colombia.
Global dengue cases rapidly rose to record levels in 2023-24. We investigated this trend in Valle del Cauca, Colombia to determine if specific dengue virus serotypes or lineages were responsible for the large outbreak. We detected all four serotypes and multiple lineages, suggesting that other factors, such as climatic conditions, are likely responsible.
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- The study investigates the risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bloodstream infections in children with cancer or post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) over a nine-year period in Colombia.
- Researchers analyzed data to create and validate three prediction models to identify the risk of CRE based on infection types and antibiotic use.
- Key findings show that infections from Klebsiella spp. and recent carbapenem use significantly increase CRE risk, with a predictive model demonstrating high specificity and effectiveness for identifying patients who may not need CRE-active treatments.
Objective: Zika virus infection has been associated to congenital zika syndrome (CZS) in newborns and is characterized by microcephaly, central/axial motor and sensory dysfunction, dysphagia among other previously described severe health complications. CZS is usually diagnosed postpartum by evident/apparent neural development problems. Although there are some reports of craniofacial/dentition development in CZS, several clinical oral aspects are still unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Describe the device-associated infections in the NICUs in Cali - Colombia, a middle-income country, between August 2016 to December 2018.
Methods: Observational cross-sectional study evaluating reports of device-associated infections in 10 NICUs in Cali, Colombia, between August 2016 and December 2018. Socio-demographic and microbiological data were obtained from the National Public Health surveillance system, through a specialized notification sheet.
Article Synopsis
- - This study evaluated pediatric patients with encephalitis across 14 Colombian hospitals from July 2017 to July 2020, focusing on factors that could increase their risk of requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
- - Out of 202 children studied, the majority were male, with bacterial infections being the most common cause; approximately 39% needed treatment in the PICU primarily due to conditions like generalized seizures and low leukocyte counts in cerebrospinal fluid.
- - The findings can help healthcare providers identify children most at risk for severe cases, aiding in better decision-making for PICU admissions based on specific risk factors related to their encephalitis.
Article Synopsis
- Polymyxins are still being used in children in some areas due to a lack of newer antibiotics, and this study aimed to evaluate their effectiveness in treating carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections in a pediatric population in Cali, Colombia.
- The research included 40 uses of polymyxins in 34 children, revealing a 70% therapeutic success rate, but also noted considerable adverse effects, including neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
- Factors impacting success included age (lower success with older children), timing of treatment initiation (delayed treatment reduced success), and the use of concurrent effective antibiotics, highlighting the need for better antibiotic options in high CRI areas.
Background: Limited data is available from low-middle and upper-middle income countries of the factors associated with hospitalization or admission to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for children with COVID-19.
Objective: To describe the factors associated with hospitalization or PICU admission of children with COVID-19 in Latin America.
Method: Multicenter, analytical, retrospective study of children reported from 10 different Latin American countries to the Latin-American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE-COVID) research network from June 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021.
Importance: Ivermectin is widely prescribed as a potential treatment for COVID-19 despite uncertainty about its clinical benefit.
Objective: To determine whether ivermectin is an efficacious treatment for mild COVID-19.
Design, Setting, And Participants: Double-blind, randomized trial conducted at a single site in Cali, Colombia.
Objective: In small for gestational age (SGA) children, catch-up growth could be influenced by methylation of several genes involved in metabolism. Epigenetics may influence the development of metabolic diseases in adulthood. To compare the methylation of leptin (), glucagon-like peptide-2 receptor (), insulin receptor substrate-2 () in SGA patients with and without catch-up growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLate gestational exposure to Zika increases the odds of delay in the Bayley-II mental developmental index (MDI) in children with normal baseline neurologic assessments; 9-fold when comparing third and first trimester exposure. Risk of MDI developmental delay increases by 8% for each week of gestational age at time of exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite increasing information in the literature regarding congenital Zika infection, gaps remain in our knowledge of its clinical manifestations.
Methods: We did a prospective observational study of exposed fetuses and infants whose mothers developed symptomatic and confirmed Zika infection during pregnancy in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. We performed neurological, ophthalmologic and audiologic evaluations, and classified outcomes as possibly or uncertainly related to Zika.
Article Synopsis
- This study reviews the effectiveness and potential harms of treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) specifically in children, as most existing research focuses on adults.
- Eight studies were included – six randomized clinical trials and two non-randomized studies – evaluating treatments like miltefosine, meglumine antimoniate, rifampicin, and cryotherapy.
- The findings indicate variable efficacy of treatments (ranging from 42% to 83%), limited information on adverse events, and highlight the need for better pediatric-specific guidelines and drug formulations.
Neighborhood Violence Impacts Disease Control and Surveillance: Case Study of Cali, Colombia from 2014 to 2016.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
September 2018
Arboviruses are responsible for a large burden of disease globally and are thus subject to intense epidemiological scrutiny. However, a variable notably absent from most epidemiological analyses has been the impact of violence on arboviral transmission and surveillance. Violence impedes surveillance and delivery of health and preventative services and affects an individual's health-related behaviors when survival takes priority.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Epidemiological data from Latin America on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in the post rotavirus vaccine era obtained using highly sensitive molecular techniques are scarce.
Methods: This prospective surveillance study was performed between March 15, 2015 and March 19, 2016 in two municipal health networks (MHNs) in Cali, Colombia to detect AGE in children <5 years of age. Consecutive sampling was performed simultaneously in all health facilities belonging to both MHNs until completion of the required sample size.
Background: Cali, Colombia has experienced chikungunya and Zika outbreaks and hypoendemic dengue. Studies have explained Cali's dengue patterns but lack the sub-neighborhood-scale detail investigated here.
Methods: Spatial-video geonarratives (SVG) with Ministry of Health officials and Community Health Workers were collected in hotspots, providing perspective on perceptions of why dengue, chikungunya and Zika hotspots exist, impediments to control, and social outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver tumor in children, typically diagnosed by age 3, with survival rates improving by 50% due to better treatment methods like chemotherapy and surgery.
- A retrospective study on 16 pediatric patients revealed that those undergoing liver resection had a 100% survival rate after 30 months, compared to 65% for those who received liver transplants; most patients had elevated α-fetoprotein levels and required chemotherapy.
- This study is significant as it represents the first report on hepatoblastoma treatments in Colombia and Latin America, supporting the effectiveness of surgical interventions for improving survival outcomes in young patients.
BACKGROUND En-bloc transplantation is a surgical procedure in which multiple organs are transplanted simultaneously. It has some similarities with multi-organ transplantation but offers certain advantages. This report highlights the experience of our interdisciplinary group regarding the treatment and follow-up of patients who received en-bloc transplantation, with the aim of encouraging the development of this surgical technique.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApproximately 80% of patients with hepatitis C virus infection develop chronic liver disease as cirrhosis, and 40% develop autoimmune complications as mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). Gastrointestinal involvement in MC is rare, and even more so is hepatic involvement. We report a case of an 87-year-old woman with a 10-year history of blood transfusion-acquired hepatitis C virus infection, without treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Blunt trauma is the most common type and falls and road traffic injuries (RTI) are the most frequent mechanisms.
Methods: Secondary analysis of institutional data included within the Panamerican Society of Trauma Registry (STP-ITSDP).
Objective: Ethnic minority populations have been disproportionately affected by the HIV disease. The objective of this report was to assess the prevalence and trend of HIV-related hospitalization and mortality in Florida in 2000 through 2005 by 6 sex- race/ethnic groups.
Methods: Using data from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration from 2000 through 2005, discharge records with primary or secondary diagnosis of HIV infection were included, and chi2 and Cochran-Armitage tests and multiple regression models were used in analyses.