Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome secondary to chronic cocaine abuse: Case report.

We describe the case of a 36-year-old male patient with a history of chronic headache who came to the emergency room due to an intense global headache, associated with a tonic-clonic episode and loss of consciousness. A cranial computed tomography revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage without apparent aneurysms and a left temporal hyperdense lesion suggestive of intraparenchymal hematoma on the follow-up computed tomography. Cerebral angiography showed irregularities in the right internal carotid artery, including a pseudoaneurysm and multiple stenoses in pial arteries, which were related to chronic cocaine use.

Impact of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors on Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Literature Review.

The management of heart failure (HF) in patients with type 2 diabetes has significantly evolved with the introduction of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. This article aims to consolidate existing knowledge on the efficacy of these inhibitors in managing HF in this patient population. Major medical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were reviewed, prioritizing research from the last decade.

Efficacy of Beta-Blockers and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) is a form of heart failure with a poor prognosis and unclear optimal management. The aim of the study was to systematically review the literature and assess the efficacy and safety of beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in the management of chronic heart failure secondary to NIDCM and explore their putative mechanisms of action.

Methods: Studies from 1990 to 2023 were reviewed using PubMed and EMBASE, focusing on their effects on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in NIDCM patients, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Experience of a centre of excellence in hip fractures of the elderly in Colombia: influence of time-to-surgery on inpatient mortality and complications.

Purpose: To analyse the time-to-surgery of a centre of excellence in hip fractures of the elderly and its influence on inpatient mortality and postoperative complications.

Methods: A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted. The sample universe consisted of 4,364 patients admitted to a university clinic in Chía, Colombia during the year 2018 to 2023 with ICD-10 diagnoses corresponding to femur fractures.

Limb salvage versus amputation: Experience of a young patient at a university hospital.

Decision-making regarding limb amputation represents a significant clinical challenge, especially when the initial evaluation does not coincide with the criteria established in scales used worldwide, as is the case of the MESS scale. This article presents the case of a 24-year-old female patient who was transferred to a university hospital after a road traffic accident with severe and large lesions in the left lower limb. Despite a poor initial prognosis and in-hospital complications, including multiple surgical procedures and foot drop, a favorable recovery was achieved with complete anatomical salvage of the limb at risk.

Neuroprotective effect of hormone replacement therapy: a review of the literature.

Objective: Menopause is a physiological period characterized by the cessation of ovarian activity. Sequential changes during this transition affect multiple systems, including the brain. Sixty percent of women experience cognitive impairment.

Advances and challenges in the diagnosis and management of left ventricular noncompaction in adults: A literature review.

In the realm of cardiovascular health, isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) stands out for its distinct morphological features and the clinical challenges it presents, particularly in adults. This literature review explores the intricacies of LVNC, aiming to unravel its epidemiological spread, diagnostic hurdles, and therapeutic strategies. Despite technological advancements in cardiac imaging that have improved the recognition of LVNC, a significant gap persists alongside a fragmented understanding of its pathogenesis.

Anti-Gene IGF-I Vaccines in Cancer Gene Therapy: A Review of a Case of Glioblastoma.

Objective: Vaccines for the deadliest brain tumor - glioblastoma (GBM) - are generally based on targeting growth factors or their receptors, often using antibodies. The vaccines described in the review were prepared to suppress the principal cancer growth factor - IGF-I, using anti-gene approaches either of antisense (AS) or of triple helix (TH) type. Our objective was to increase the median survival of patients treated with AS and TH cell vaccines.

Unraveling the Genetic Threads of History: mtDNA HVS-I Analysis Reveals the Ancient Past of the Aburra Valley.

This article presents a comprehensive genetic study focused on pre-Hispanic individuals who inhabited the Aburrá Valley in Antioquia, Colombia, between the tenth and seventeenth centuries AD. Employing a genetic approach, the study analyzed maternal lineages using DNA samples obtained from skeletal remains. The results illuminate a remarkable degree of biological diversity within these populations and provide insights into their genetic connections with other ancient and indigenous groups across the American continent.

Radiological features of nephrocalcinosis, a common but forgotten entity.

Nephrocalcinosis refers to calcium deposition in the form of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate in the renal parenchyma and tubules. After diagnosis, the cause of nephrocalcinosis must be established to carry out a comprehensive approach to this entity. Although this is a common finding, it can be underdiagnosed due to the lack of knowledge of the different presentation patterns that exist.

Risk of Femicide and Quality of Life Assessment of Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Violence against women is a public priority issue for epidemiological and public health sciences. Severe consequences of violence affect the quality of life of women victims. The objective of this study was to quantify the impact in the quality of life of the strengthening group in women victims of intimate partner violence who attend a reference violence center in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Predictors of changing patterns of adherence to containment measures during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic: an international longitudinal study.

Background: Identifying common factors that affect public adherence to COVID-19 containment measures can directly inform the development of official public health communication strategies. The present international longitudinal study aimed to examine whether prosociality, together with other theoretically derived motivating factors (self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, perceived social support) predict the change in adherence to COVID-19 containment strategies.

Method: In wave 1 of data collection, adults from eight geographical regions completed online surveys beginning in April 2020, and wave 2 began in June and ended in September 2020.

Achenbach Syndrome in Primary Care: A Case Report.

Paroxysmal hematoma of the fingers, or Achenbach syndrome, is a rare vascular disorder of benign course and unknown etiology. The clinical manifestations are sudden onset, paroxysmal spontaneous subcutaneous hematomas, and edema and pain in the fingers and hands. The clinical course is self-limited and does not leave permanent sequela.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary disease of connective tissue characterized by the loss of bone density and mass, which increases the fragility of the bones, thus presenting multiple fractures throughout the years followed by bone deformity and articular instability. This condition has various clinical presentations. We present four cases of OI, one case with type I, two cases with type II, and one case with type III.

Pseudoaneurysm and post-traumatic arteriovenous fistula in pulmonary artery branch: Case report and review of the literature.

Pseudoaneurysms of a pulmonary artery branch are a rare complication in cases of penetrating chest trauma. Other more frequent causes are secondary to infections or iatrogenesis. We present the case of a 16-year-old male patient who returns weeks after having sustained a stab wound to the chest, complaining of hemoptysis and chest pain.

Cerebrospinal fluid leak postnasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 testing: A case report.

Background: Due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and its rapid spread worldwide, an early and effective detection strategy was the nasopharyngeal reverse transcription polymerase swab tests, a procedure still performed today. A relatively safe procedure when done correctly, however, one of the rare complications reported in the literature includes a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak.

Case Description: A 69-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department with clear fluid rhinorrhea, clinically diagnosed with a CSF fistula after a SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab.

Incidental finding of left vertebral artery agenesis: Case report.

Vertebral artery agenesis is a rare congenital malformation, with few reported cases in the literature and no epidemiological data in the world at this point in time. The importance of diagnosis lies in identifying a potential risk factor for future ischemic events of the posterior circulation, in particular in the young population. It is also important to determine the etiology of chronic headache of unexplained cause that could be attributed to this entity.

Opportunistic infections as a cause of death in patients with autoimmune diseases: An autopsy-based study.

Background: Infections are an important cause of mortality in patients with autoimmune diseases and opportunistic infections account for a large percentage of these cases. It is often a clinical challenge to find a balance between immunosuppressive therapy and the risk of developing an infectious process.

Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study of autopsy reports.

From Being Caregiver to Being Cared for: The Experience of Adapting to Spinal Cord Injury, a Case Study.

This narrative case study portrays a young woman's life experience and adjustment process after suffering a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) 5 years ago. It is analyzed retrospectively from the perspective of the middle-range theory (MRT) of adapting to chronic health conditions by Buckner and Hayden (2014), and Ricoeur's narrative philosophy is expanded. Understanding Alice's narrative from this perspective allows us to understand the process of adaptation to a condition of disability due to a spinal cord injury, from the perspective of a nurse who was forced to change her role as a caregiver to a role of being cared for, due to the changes in her body and her corporality due to the consequences of the injury.

Analytics and Lean Health Care to Address Nurse Care Management Challenges for Inpatients in Emerging Economies.

Purpose: Prescriptive and predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) provide tools to analyze data with objectivity. In this paper, we provide an overview of how these techniques can improve nursing care, and we detail a quantitative model to afford managerial insights about care management in a Hospital in Colombia. Our main purpose is to provide tools to improve key performance indicators for the care management of inpatients which includes the nurse workload.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in human breast milk from Colombia: Spatial occurrence, sources and probabilistic risk assessment.

The diet is the main route that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) enter the body and measuring breast milk is one of the best ways to understand the maternal body burden and can be passed on to infants. In this study, it was determinate the concentrations of 23 PAHs in 60 milk samples taken from 3 cities in Colombia and to determine the potential routes of exposure and risk to human health. On average, concentration for the ∑ across all locations was 186.