Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury in Trough and AUC/MIC Vancomycin Dosing Strategies in a Large Tertiary Care Center: A Retrospective Cohort.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complication associated with vancomycin use. There is evidence that this was related to the presence of supratherapeutic vancomycin levels rather than the drug itself. The area under the curve over 24 h to minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) dosing for vancomycin has replaced trough-based dosing, but the impact of this change on AKI rates remains unclear.

Adherence to use of blood cultures according to current national guidelines and their impact in patients with community acquired pneumonia: A retrospective cohort.

Background: Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most frequent cause of mortality secondary to infectious etiologies. Recommendations about the use of blood cultures in the diagnosis and treatment of CAP has been a contentious topic of debate and ever-changing recommendations.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted in a community teaching hospital.

Pneumococcal purpura fulminans in a 25-year-old patient with liver cirrhosis due to autoimmune hepatitis.

Purpura fulminans (PF) is a skin disorder with high morbidity and mortality which is characterized by microvascular thrombosis and development of hemorrhagic necrosis. PF can be caused by acute infection, most commonly due to , followed by . Prior reports describe cases of pneumococcal PF occurring in patients with asplenia or hyposplenia, though cases have also been reported in otherwise healthy adults without known splenic disease.

Neurosyphilis presenting as new onset refractory status epilepticus: one of the multifarious faces of a great imitator.

Background: Neurosyphilis can present in a myriad of ways, making the suspicion and diagnosis of this disease a great challenge for the clinician.

Methods: We present a case of a 54-year-old patient who initially presented with cognitive changes and was eventually found to have new onset refractory status epilepticus.

Results: Neurosyphilis is still a frequent entity nowadays, with involvement of both HIV positive and negative patients.

A case of co-infection with malaria and chikungunya in a returning traveler from Nigeria.

Due to globalization, physicians have to be prepared with knowledge and understanding of cases and diseases from all over the world. Vector-borne diseases are a particular group of diseases for which the clinician should be prepared, especially in the context of returning travelers with tropical fever, as the symptoms are very similar among some of the pathogens. In this report we present a case of a returning traveler from Nigeria with fever as her chief complaint and with a final diagnosis of malaria and chikungunya.

Simultaneous intracoronary, intracardiac, and pulmonary venous thrombosis.

Arterial and venous thromboses are very prevalent diseases and it has been discovered that they share some common pathways, but their presentation in young patients is rare and should raise concern for thrombophilia. Therefore, the case is presented of a 34 year-old female with no prior pertinent history and with no predisposing factors. She was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, with an incidental finding of a left ventricular thrombus.

Therapeutic Communities In Latin America: An International Descriptive Study In Different Countries Across Latin America.

Objective: In Latin America is not known for certain the quantity or quality of therapeutic communities (TCs) available in the region. The objective of this study is to describe and quantify the quantity and quality of the existing TCs in 5 different countries.

Design: A multicenter quantitative description of the TCs was conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Physical articular examination in the activity of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review of the literature : Systematic review of the literature regarding physical examination in rheumatoid arthritis.

To summarize evidence concerning the articular examination needed to determine rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity (follow-up or control) via a systematic review. A search of Medline, Embase, Lilacs, SciELO, the Web of Science, the National Technical Reports Library, and the reference lists of relevant studies through March 2017 was conducted using a systematic methodology to identify studies of patients with RA older than 18 years in which a detailed description of the physical examination or a description of the components of the articular examination was provided. Of 8322 references, 74 studies were included according to the selection criteria, and 6 references were ultimately included at the end of the review.

Quality measurers of therapeutic communities for substance dependence: an international collaborative study survey in Latin America.

Background: In Latin America, substance related disorders are highly prevalent and one of the treatment strategies is the Therapeutic Communities (TCs), however, in Latin America there is scarce data about this treatment strategies, their quality, drop-out rates and patient satisfaction.

Methods: Based on a previous study in 5 Latin American countries, the TCs who had a score equal or higher than 9 according to the De Leon criteria which are some fundamental items that the TCs should meet, were selected to carry out a descriptive and retrospective study of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the TCs.

Results: Data from 58 TCs in 5 countries were included, with a sample of 1414 patients interviewed, of which most were single men, with no hospitalization history in a therapeutic community.

[Poverty and Mental Disorders in the Colombian Population: National Mental Health Survey 2015].

Introduction: Poverty has been associated in some studies with poorer outcomes in mental problems and disorders. A circular relationship has been considered in which poverty fosters the appearance of mental illness and this facilitates greater poverty. There are no studies in Colombia on this subject.

Economic Analysis of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson Disease: Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder of adult onset that affects quality of life and places a burden on patients, caregivers, and society. In early disease, dopaminergic therapy improves motor symptoms, but as the disease progresses, symptoms tend to increase in frequency and severity, even with best medical treatment (BMT). Deep brain stimulation (DBS) becomes an option for certain patients, but cost becomes an important issue.

Specificity and sensitivity of aquaporin 4 antibody detection tests in patients with neuromyelitis optica: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Antibodies against water channel protein aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in astrocytes play a role in the etiology and physiopathology of neuromyelitis optica (NMO); detection of this immunoglobulin in serum is highly suggestive of this diagnosis. There are several immunoassays to detect the antibody with different sensitivities and specificities. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the overall diagnostic accuracy from these tests.