There is high incidence of skin cells in the first and third drops of cerebrospinal fluid in spinal anesthesia.

Background And Objectives: Skin fragments during lumbar punctures may develop intraspinal epidermoid tumors. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of epithelial cells that reflow along with the fi rst and third drops of CSF of patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.

Methods: Samples of the fi rst and third drops of cerebrospinal fluid were collected from 39 adult patients undergoing spinal anesthesia with a 25G Quincke needle.

There is high incidence of skin cells in the first and third drops of cerebrospinal fluid in spinal anesthesia.

Background And Objectives: Skin fragments during lumbar punctures may develop intraspinal epidermoid tumors. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of epithelial cells that reflow along with the first and third drops of CSF of patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.

Methods: Samples of the first and third drops of cerebrospinal fluid were collected from 39 adult patients undergoing spinal anesthesia with a 25G Quincke needle.

Specific treatment for Trypanosoma cruzi: lack of efficacy of allopurinol in the human chronic phase of Chagas disease.

Thirty-five individuals from endemic areas of Central Brazil (age range, 18-64 years; 19 women) in the chronic phase of Chagas disease, with positive serology and presence of circulating parasites detected by one or more recent positive xenodiagnosis, were selected for this study. Allopurinol (900 mg/d) or placebo was administered in a double-blind clinical trial for 60 days. After codes were broken, 23 had been allocated to the intervention group and 12 to the placebo group.

[A retrospective search for maternal transmission of Chagas infection from patients in the chronic phase].

Maternal transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi from 278 children of 145 mothers, chronically infected with this protozoan, to their offspring was investigated. This study was based upon serological tests. In only two cases (2/278 = 0.

[The impact of the extensive chemical control of Triatoma infestans on the incidence of acute cases and the prevalence of human Chagas disease. The example of Montalvânia, Minas Gerais State].

From the emergency of acute cases of Chagas Disease in Montalvânia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the implementation of triatomine chemical control, the disappearing of these cases and the immediate reduction of incidence of the infection in the municipality are verified. The evolution of the dispersion and control of Triatoma infestans in Montalvânia and the evolution of the serology in general population during the last thirty years are showed.

[Treatment of chronic Chagas' disease with an association of nifurtimox and corticoid].

Ten patients with chronic Chagas' disease were treated with nifurtimox (8-9 mg/kg/day) associated with betamethasone (9 mg/day initially and then gradually reduced) during 60 days, with one exception. It was intended to combine the respective anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory actions of these drugs. The expected stimulating effect of betamethasone on the infection could possibly enhance the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi action of nifurtimox.

Double-blind study to evaluate flow cytometry analysis of anti-live trypomastigote antibodies for monitoring treatment efficacy in cases of human Chagas' disease.

The validation of flow cytometry analysis of anti-live trypomastigote antibodies (FC-ALTA) to monitor cure after treatment of Chagas' disease was evaluated with serum samples from treated and nontreated chagasic patients. After optimization of the original technique, toward better sensitivity and applicability to field surveys, we design a double blind study of 94 coded samples classified into the following categories: patients not treated (NT) and patients treated but not cured (TNC), both presenting positive conventional serology and xenodiagnosis; patients treated and cured (TC), showing negative serology and xenodiagnosis; and patients treated under evaluation (TUE), who presented positive or oscillating conventional serology (CSA) but negative xenodiagnosis. Coded samples, diluted 1:256, were assayed by incubation with live cell culture trypomastigotes, which were subsequently stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-human immunoglobulin G, with prior fixation and analysis by flow cytometry.

[Correlation among the positivity of the artificial xenodiagnosis and the amount of blood and triatomines used in the exam, in chronic chagasic patients].

The aim of this study was to verify whether the amount of blood and number of triotomines used could improve the artificial xenodiagnosis performed in 200 chronic phase infected individuals. Ten or 40ml of peripheral blood was collected in heparinized (20.4 IU) vacuum tubes, and fed to 60 and 360 triatomines, respectively.