Use of N-acetylcysteine plus simethicone to improve mucosal visibility in upper digestive endoscopy via systematic alphanumeric-coded endoscopy: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

Background: The use of antifoaming and mucolytic agents prior to upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and a thorough systematic review are essential to optimize lesion detection. This study evaluated the effect of simethicone and N-acetylcysteine on the adequate mucosal visibility (AMV) of the upper GI tract by an innovative systematic method.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind controlled trial included consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic upper GI endoscopy for screening for early neoplasms between August 2019 and December 2019.

Palliative care national plan implementation through stakeholder analysis.

Background: National palliative care plans depend upon stakeholder engagement to succeed. Assessing the capability, interest, and knowledge of stakeholders is a crucial step in the implementation of public health initiatives, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. However, utilising stakeholder analysis is a strategy underused in public palliative care.

Impact of Bempedoic acid on LDL-C reduction and cardiovascular outcomes: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The management of LDL-C levels is pivotal in the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity, particularly among patients at high risk or those intolerant to statins. Bempedoic acid emerges as a novel agent in this therapeutic arena.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis endeavor to quantify the effectiveness of Bempedoic acid in attenuating LDL-C levels and explore its impact on cardiovascular morbidity, emphasizing its role as an adjunctive or alternative therapy in statin-intolerant or high-risk patients.

Efficacy and Complication Profiles of Left Ventricular Assist Devices in Adult Heart Failure Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have marked a milestone in the evolution of treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. Their popularity and use are steadily rising. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of LVADs in improving the survival rate of patients with end-stage heart failure and to identify the complications or adverse events associated with LVAD use.

Soft tissue epithelioid hemangioendothelioma on the palm of the hand. Case report.

Hemangioendothelioma is a malignant vascular tumor, according to ISSVA classification of vascular tumors. This patient presented an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma; this type of tumor can exhibit significant local destruction, sometimes requiring limb amputation. With deferred Mohs micrographic surgery and reconstructive surgery with multiple conventional and microsurgical techniques, partial or total amputation of the hand was avoided.

Frequency of Stroke in Intermediate-Risk Patients in the Long-Term Undergoing TAVR vs SAVR: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this research is to compare the long-term incidence of stroke in intermediate-risk patients who have undergone either transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) procedures. The objective is to identify which method exhibits a higher propensity for stroke occurrence, potentially contributing to disability or stroke-related mortality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the frequency of stroke post-TAVR and SAVR procedures.

Building an action plan to tackle palliative care inequality through multi-stakeholder platforms.

Background: To achieve universal care and overcome existing barriers, the most effective strategy is to devise an action plan that incorporates palliative care into primary health care (PHC), as recommended by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Astana Declaration. In Colombia, a country with an upper-middle-income status, about 128,000 individuals experience severe health-related suffering (SHS) that necessitates palliative care. Although the country's healthcare system has made steady strides in the integration and development of palliative care, there is still no national plan in place for palliative care.

Lipoma of the Teres Minor in Rotator Cuff Arthropathy-A Case Report.

Although lipomas are the most common mesenchymal tumors, the intramuscular type is rare. We report the case of a patient with rotator cuff arthropathy with a lipoma in the teres minor. Wide surgical excision and total shoulder arthroplasty with reverse prosthesis was performed and 18 months of follow up showed excellent results with any recurrence.

Severe bradycardia in a teenager as the initial manifestation for Guillain Barré syndrome: a case report.

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common cause of flaccid paralysis, with multiple known clinical variants. Autonomic dysfunction, although frequently reported in the clinical course, is often overlooked in the pediatric population and is usually not the initial presenting symptom in this age group CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a previously healthy 17-year-old who arrived at the Emergency Department complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with lipothymia. An initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed sustained sinus bradycardia subsequently associated with arterial hypertension.

Sedentarism, A Modifiable Risk Factor for Developing Chronic Kidney Disease in Healthy People.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a consequence of the interaction of many pathophysiological processes, manifested by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and abnormal kidney function. Sedentary behavior is associated with decreased kidney function, and regular physical activity could have the potential to reduce the risk of developing CKD, although this is not entirely clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between sedentary behavior and the development of CKD.

Monitoring metallothionein-like protein concentrations and cholinesterase activity in tropical cup oysters as biomarkers of exposure to metals and pesticides in the southern Caribbean, Colombia.

Metallothionein-like protein concentrations (MT) and three functionally defined fractions of cholinesterase activity (ChE) were quantified in gill and digestive gland homogenates of tropical cup oysters from 5 nearshore locations in the Colombian Caribbean and correlated with sediment and tissue metal (9 metals) and pesticide (22 organophosphates, OPs, and 20 organochlorines-OCPs), as well as water physical-chemical parameters (salinity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen). Tissue and sediment pesticide concentrations were below detection limits in all samples, whereas sediment and tissue metal concentrations exceeded environmental thresholds at several locations. Tissue MT and ChE biomarkers varied by a factor of 5-6 between locations.

Palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis associated with HTLV-1 infection: a case report.

Background: Palmoplantar hyperkeratosis is a cutaneous manifestation that had not been clearly associated with infection by the human T-cell lymphotropic virus, which is a retrovirus that in most cases does not develop clinical pathologies and its symptoms may be undetected. The skin is one of the most affected organs, however until now only seborrheic dermatitis, xerosis/ichthyosis and infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 have been described as cutaneous clinical manifestations of this disease.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 36-year-old male patient with serologically documented HTLV-1 infection, who presented symptoms of diarrhea, malabsorption due to Strongyloides stercoralis, and in whom a physical examination revealed an association with generalized xerosis and palmoplantar keratoderma confirmed by skin biopsy.

Study on health risk factors as a basis to implement programs that promote a nutritional culture in students of the la Sabana University.

Background: Nowadays the importance of lifestyles in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome has been largely accertained.

Objective: The purpose of our work is to implement programs that promote a nutritional culture in adolescents and young adults of the La Sabana University.

Methods: The methodology entailed, after the corresponding informed consent, taking measures of the triceps and supraescapular skinfolds, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), lean mass, and fat mass.

C3 Glomerulopathy, a pathology with scarce evidence. A case report.

C3 Glomerulonephritis (C3GN) is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of 1-2 cases per million, caused by an alteration in the alternative complement pathway, although its complete physiopathology remains uncertain. Treatment evidence is poor. Immunosuppressive therapy can be initiated in more severe cases.

Vitamin A does not influence mRNA expression of hormone hepcidin but other biomarkers of iron homeostasis in young male Wistar rats.

The effects of an adequate supply of vitamin A and iron, in comparison with diets low or absent in vitamin A and low in iron, on the mRNA expression of some biomarkers of iron homeostasis as hepcidin (), transferrin receptor-1 (), iron regulatory protein-2 () and ferritin () in rats were investigated. 35 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 dietary groups: control, sufficient in iron and insufficient in vitamin A (FesvAi), sufficient in iron and depleted in vitamin A (FesvAd), insufficient in iron and sufficient in vitamin A (FeivAs) and insufficient in both iron and vitamin A (FeivAi). After 6 weeks rats showed no significant effects of variations in vitamin A on the expression of relative to the control group (FesvAi: 1.

Classic and emergent indicators for the assessment of human iron status.

Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia, a significant global public health problem. Different methods exist for assessing iron nutritional status, including laboratory tests that focus on storage, transportation, and iron functional compartment parameters. Classical markers such as bone marrow, serum iron, ferritin, hemoglobin, erythrocyte parameters, transferrin, transferrin receptors, and zinc protoporphyrin are discussed in this review.

Educational strategy for the development of skills in exchange transfusion: a randomized clinical trial protocol.

Background: Exchange transfusion is a highly complex procedure that requires high levels of expertise. Trainee paediatricians do not have adequate training in exchange transfusion because opportunities to perform this procedure in practice are scarce. This protocol seeks to compare two educational interventions for exchange transfusion that allow students to develop competencies to perform the technique in an appropriate and safe way.

Characteristics, treatment, and nursing care of patients infected by Sars-CoV-2 hospitalized in intensive care units: multicenter study of colombian hospitals.

Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment, evolution, and nursing care of adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) during the first peak of the pandemic in Colombia, 2020.

Methods: Multicenter descriptive study of four high-complexity hospitals in Colombia, which included 473 consecutive adult patients admitted to intensive care units with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS CoV-2. Sociodemographic and clinical information - comorbidities, treatment and evolution - and nursing care provided were included.

Principles and practice to facilitate complete photodocumentation of the upper gastrointestinal tract: World Endoscopy Organization position statement.

Although esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is the most commonly used procedure in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the method of esophageal, gastric and duodenal mucosa photodocumentation varies considerably worldwide. One probable explanation is that for generations, EGD has primarily been taught by GI faculty and instructors based on their perceptions and experience, which has resulted in EGD being a non-standardized procedure. Currently, the procedure is facing a challenging scenario as endoscopy societies are implementing procedure-associated quality indicators aiming for best practice among practitioners and evidence-based care for patients.

SMALLa AIRWAY DISEASE IN COPD ASSOCIATED TO BIOMASS EXPOSURE.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous entity that may result from different causative agents and risk factors and may follow diverse clinical courses, including COPD secondary to biomass smoke exposure. At present, this phenotype is becoming more important for two reasons: first, because at least almost half of the world's population is exposed to biomass smoke, and second, because the possibility of it being diagnosed is increasing. Biomass smoke exposure COPD affects primarily women and is related with insults to the airways occurred during early life.

Angiokeratomas, not everything is Fabry disease.

Introduction: Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum are benign capillary malformations typically associated with Fabry disease and other lysosomal storage disorders. Only in a few cases they appear in healthy individuals.

Methods And Case: We carried out an exhaustive review of the literature on angiokeratomas and their main clinical, dermoscopy and histological features.

Early intervention in scar management and cutaneous burns with autologous platelet-rich plasma.

Burn management options are controversial and a multiple-handled issue. However, platelet-rich plasma is gaining interest in several medical fields. Dermatologist worldwide are already publishing some reports about its benefits and personal experiences in their practices.