Wound healing by transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells loaded on polyethylene terephthalate scaffold: Implications for skin injury treatment.

Background: Several clinical studies have shown that cellular therapy based on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) transplantation may accelerate wound healing. One major challenge is the delivery system used for MSCs transplantation. In this work, we evaluated the capacity of a scaffold based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to maintain the viability and biological functions of MSCs, in vitro.

Daily tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine and hydroxychloroquine for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial in healthcare workers.

Objectives: To assess the effect of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) as pre-exposure prophylaxis on COVID-19 risk.

Methods: EPICOS is a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted in Spain, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Healthcare workers with negative SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG test were randomly assigned to the following: daily TDF/FTC plus HCQ for 12 weeks, TDF/FTC plus HCQ placebo, HCQ plus TDF/FTC placebo, and TDF/FTC placebo plus HCQ placebo.

Antiretroviral therapy use in selected countries in Latin America during 2013-2017: results from the Latin American Workshop in HIV Study Group.

Objective: To document antiretroviral use in Latin America during the last decade.

Methods: We collected indicators from 79 HIV health care centres in 14 Latin American Spanish-speaking countries for 2013-2017. Indicators were analysed by age, sex and other characteristics and weighted by the estimated people under care (PUC) population in each country.

Assessment of tolerance and acceptability between mannitol solution and polyethylene glycol as bowel preparation for colonoscopy: a three-center study.

Introduction: Adequate bowel preparation is one of the most important factors related to the yield of colonoscopy. Lowquality bowel preparation has been associated with lower adenoma detection rates and increased healthcare expenses. Bowel preparation is a major impediment to undergo colonoscopy since it is perceived as an unpleasant experience by patients.

Human olfactory mesenchymal stromal cells co-expressing horizontal basal and ensheathing cell proteins in culture.

Introduction: The olfactory neuro-epithelium has an intrinsic capability of renewal during lifetime provided by the existence of globose and horizontal olfactory precursor cells. Additionally, mesenchymal stromal olfactory cells also support the homeostasis of the olfactory mucosa cell population. Under in vitro culture conditions with Dulbecco modified eagle/F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, tissue biopsies from upper turbinate have generated an adherent population of cells expressing mainly mesenchymal stromal phenotypic markers.

Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis in a patient with food bolus impaction.

Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis is an uncommon esophageal benign disease. The typical finding during endoscopy is the presence of numerous pinhead-sized outpouchings along the esophageal wall. We reported a case of food bolus impaction secondary to esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis.

CHROMOENDOSCOPY USING TOLUIDINE BLUE PLUS LUGOL'S SOLUTION FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF ESOPHAGEAL PREMALIGNANT LESIONS AND SUPERFICIAL NEOPLASMS IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS.

Background: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer. The prognosis is bleak in patients with advanced stages. Patients with early disease have a better prognosis than those with advanced stage.

Multicenter prospective study on device-associated infection rates and bacterial resistance in intensive care units of Venezuela: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) findings.

Background: Device-associated healthcare-acquired infections (DA-HAI) pose a threat to patient safety in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: A DA-HAI surveillance study was conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) in two adult medical/surgical ICUs at two hospitals in Caracas, Venezuela, in different periods from March 2008 to April 2015, using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC/NHSN) definitions and criteria, and INICC methods.

Results: We followed 1041 ICU patients for 4632 bed days.

Sinonasal papillomas in a private referral otorhinolaryngology centre: Review of 22 years experience.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical presentation, treatment outcome and follow-up of all patients managed with sinonasal papillomas (SP), at a tertiary private otorhinolaryngology centre in Caracas (Venezuela).

Material And Methods: We reviewed 94 patients with SP that were treated at our otolaryngology center, from July 1st 1993 to June 31st 2015. The demographic data, clinical features, radiological findings, anatomical origin, disease extension into the adjacent structures, surgical approaches performed, histopathology outcomes, recurrent risk, malignant transformation rate and coadjuvant therapies were assessed.

Feasibility of daylight-mediated photodynamic therapy for actinic keratosis throughout the year in Central and South America: a meteorological study.

Background: Daylight-mediated photodynamic therapy (DL-PDT) is an efficacious treatment option for thin actinic keratosis (AK) that offers advantages over conventional PDT in terms of tolerability, treatment duration, and cost. A clinical study conducted in Australia determined the mean irradiance during a 2-hour exposure to be 305.8 W/m(2) (range: 40-585 W/m(2) ).

Orally-transmitted Chagas disease: Epidemiological, clinical, serological and molecular outcomes of a school microepidemic in Chichiriviche de la Costa, Venezuela.

Oral transmission of is a frequent cause of acute Chagas disease (ChD). In the present cross-sectional study, we report the epidemiological, clinical, serological and molecular outcomes of the second largest outbreak of oral ChD described in the literature. It occurred in March 2009 in Chichiriviche de la Costa, a rural seashore community at the central littoral in Venezuela.

Daylight-mediated photodynamic therapy for actinic damage in Latin America: consensus recommendations.

Although conventional photodynamic therapy (c-PDT) using methyl aminolevulinate cream (MAL) is effective for the treatment of grade I-II facial and scalp actinic keratosis (AK), it is associated with treatment-related pain for some patients. Daylight-mediated PDT (DL-PDT) has shown similar efficacy to c-PDT, was nearly painless, and was well tolerated. Overall, DL-PDT effectively treats AK and offers a simpler and better tolerated treatment option than c-PDT.

Use of betahistine in the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

Conclusion: Clinical studies and meta-analyses demonstrated that betahistine is effective and safe in the treatment of Ménière's disease, BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), vestibular neuronitis, and other types of peripheral vertigo.

Objectives: The goal of this paper is to review the pharmacological profile of betahistine and the evidence for its effectiveness and safety in the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

Methods: Selection criteria for the publications on betahistine included randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of betahistine vs placebo or active control in the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

Endoscopic septoplasty in primary cases using electromechanical instruments: surgical technique, efficacy and results.

Introduction And Objectives: The microdebrider is a surgical tool which has been used successfully in many endoscopic surgical procedures in otolaryngology. In this study, we analysed our experience using this powered instrument in the resection of obstructive nasal septum deviations.

Subjects And Methods: This was a longitudinal, prospective, descriptive study conducted between January and June 2007 on 141 patients who consulted for chronic nasal obstruction caused by a septal deviation or deformity and underwent powered endoscopic septoplasty (PES).

[Experience initial right side laparoscopic live donor].

Unlabelled: Live donor nephrectomy laparoscopic technique is now standard. However, the right side is controversial because of the short length of the renal vein and the incidence of venous thrombosis.

Methods: A prospective study of patients live donors since May 2006 to September 2008 in which right nephrectomy was performed by laparoscopic live donor.

[Hepatitis caused by virus C. Risk factors].

To establish the risk factors to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we studied 120 patients divided in 2 groups: A first group of 40 patients with HCV infection, 24 (60%) with past medical history of blood transfusion, 14 (35%) of them also had hemodialysis and 3 Kidney transplant. 10 patients (25%) had mayor surgery without transfusion, 3 had frequent visits to the dentist and 3 month baby whose mother was HCV positive. In 4 patients we found no risk factors.

[Gastrointestinal fistulas. Treatment with a somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995)].

Post surgical gastrointestinal fistulas are a frequent problem around the world. We present our experience with a synthetic analog of somatostatin (SMS 201-955) used in 19 patients with gastrointestinal fistulas between January 1992 [corrected] and November 1993. We compare them with 50 patients with gastrointestinal fistulas randomized selected between 1980.

[Hepatobiliary complications detected by ultrasonography in patients undergoing total parenteral nutrition].

We studied 8 adult patients who received total parenteral nutrition (TPN). An abdominal ultrasound and liver functions test were done weekly looking for biliary sludge, thickening of the gallbladder wall, changes en bile ducts and liver parenchyma. Seven patients developed biliary sludge at week four.