Publications by authors named "Dolores Lovera"
Paraguay is currently facing a new outbreak of Chikungunya virus. This report summarizes two severe cases of Chikungunya (CHIKV) infection, confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We present the cases of patients with acute CHIKV infection and multisystem involvement, with fever, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, myocarditis, and coronary artery anomalies, very similar to the cases described in MIS-C related to SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) continues to be a challenge from a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view. Identifying severity risk factors and predictive scores may guide interventions to reduce poor outcome.
Methods: Data from a retrospective study for ABM in children admitted to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Paraguay was analyzed.
Background: Since the end of the 20th century, dengue has periodically devastated Paraguay. Its high morbidity and mortality translate into a high global socio-economic impact and a high burden on health care systems.
Aim: To determine the economic cost and burden of dengue in Paraguay.
Introduction: Dengue virus (DENV) infection is currently a major cause of morbidity in the world, and its incidence has mainly increased during the last years in Latin America, including Paraguay. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and laboratory findings of dengue and assess whether the serotype is a risk factor for severity.
Methodology: We included patients ≤ 15 years old hospitalized with dengue at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, from Paraguay, from 2007 to 2018.
Background: Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of dengue virus circulates in the serum of patients during the acute phase of the disease.
Objectives: To determine whether NS1 screening can serve in diagnosing primary and secondary infection and to evaluate its utility as a marker for predicting the severity of dengue in children.
Study Design: Patients ≤15 years of age hospitalized for dengue between 2012-2018, with NS1 determination (Panbio, Australia) were included.
Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections in children and identify the prognostic factors of severity and mortality.
Materials And Methods: Observational study in patients < 16 years old hospitalized between 2010 and 2015 due to invasive S. aureus infections at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical, in Asunción, Paraguay.
Mortality Predictive Scores for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children.
Curr Infect Dis Rep
March 2019
Purpose Of Review: The use of severity score for the staging of pneumonias has emerged as a necessity for the physician caring for this disease. Although there are several established prognostic scoring systems for community-acquired pneumonia in adults, the availability for children are scarce.
Recent Findings: Recently, scoring system for risk stratification of children with pneumonia were developed in low- and middle-income countries.
Background: Infection with dengue virus (DENV) produces a wide spectrum of clinical illness ranging from asymptomatic infection to mild febrile illness, and to severe forms of the disease. Type I interferons (IFNs) represent an initial and essential host defense response against viruses. DENV has been reported to trigger a robust type I IFN response; however, IFN-α/β profile in the progression of disease is not well characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) represents one of the most severe manifestations of dengue virus infection. The objective of the present study was to analyze the clinical and laboratory characteristics, risk factors and outcome of DSS in children.
Methods: Patients <15 years old admitted with DSS during the 2012 and 2013 outbreak of serotype 2 of dengue virus in Paraguay were included.
Background: Pneumonia is a major cause of mortality in children. The objective of this study was to construct a prognostic scale for estimation of mortality applicable to children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Methods: This observational study included patients younger than 15 years with a diagnosis of CAP who were hospitalized between 2004 and 2013.
Background: To evaluate the efficacy of the 2009 revised dengue classification system proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for early detection of dengue cases requiring intervention.
Methods: Children <15 years of age with dengue [confirmed by laboratory testing (IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, NS1 Ag or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) or by epidemiologic link] who were admitted to the Institute of Tropical Medicine during the 2011 dengue outbreak in Paraguay were prospectively included. Each case was classified according to the 1997 WHO dengue criteria and by the 2009 WHO revised criteria, which categorize dengue patients using a set of clinical finding into dengue with/without warning signs and severe dengue.
Risk factors for mortality in Paraguayan children with pneumococcal bacterial meningitis.
Trop Med Int Health
December 2005
Background: Over the last decade Streptococcus pneumoniae has emerged as the most common bacterial pathogen for meningitis in all age groups, beyond the neonatal period.
Objective: To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics; and risk factors for mortality of pneumoccocal meningitis in children in a developing transitional country.
Materials And Methods: A retrospective study that included patients<15 years of age admitted at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical of Paraguay, from January 1990 until December 2003 with the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis caused by S.