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Objective: To describe the demography, clinical presentation and complications associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a cohort of children, ages 0-10, treated at Hospital General de Medellín and Clínica Somer between 2010-2017. Methods: Cross sectional retrospective study chart review of all children with a diagnosis of TBI between 2010 and 2017. There were systematic review and recording of demographic information, mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, and associated complications. Results: A total of 224 patients with TBI were identified. Among them, 64.7% were males and mean age was 4.5 years. Injuries most frequently occurred at the patient’s home, during the afternoon hours and between Monday and Friday. The most common mechanisms of injury were falls (75%), followed by motor vehicle accidents (13.3%). Severity of injury, measured by Glasgow coma scale, found that 78% of cases were mild. Seven (3%) of cases had neuromuscular complications during hospitalization and one TBI related death was identified. Conclusion: Findings of this study are consistent with the known characteristics of pediatric TBI worldwide. This information may be used to improve prevention, diagnosis, and long term follow-up.

Introduction: Treatment for latent tuberculosis decreases the risk of this infection in children who are household contacts of patients with such disease. Objective: To describe the study and clinical management of children under 5 years of age who were household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Medellin, Colombia during the period 2010-2011. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study. The relationship between socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and the management of children and index cases was explored. Results: 28.6% were studied with at least chest X rays and tuberculin skin test. Of those who attended clinical evaluation, 7.9% had active tuberculosis; out of the remaining, 19.4% received treatment for latent tuberculosis. The probability of being studied was higher if the household contact had contributory or subsidized health coverage (adjusted OR: 6.7; 95% CI: 1.5-30.5). The opportunity to receive treatment for latent tuberculosis was related to the tuberculin skin test (adjusted OR: 40.2; 95% CI: 2.59-623.6). Conclusion: The household contacts had not been adequately studied, and did not receive the right treatment, so the prevalence of active tuberculosis among them did not decrease. It is necessary to establish a standardized protocol for the management of children living under similar conditions, and to monitor its implementation.

Introduction: There is a global consensus that early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) can accelerate its control and mitigate its consequences. The gradual increase in the TB mortality rate from 2014 to 2018 in Honduras, the reform of the health system in 2014, and the partial implementation of the "End TB" strategy motivated this study. Objective: To analyze barriers to and facilitators of diagnosis and treatment affecting the national TB program coverage using data from 2015 to 2019 and provide tools for the effective implementation of the "End TB" strategy in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Materials and methods: This was an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study on smear-positive pulmonary TB patients older than 18 years of age. TB notification sheets and medical records from two primary health care facilities were reviewed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with health care providers, patients, and their families. Results: A total of 74.6% of the cases (297/398) did not receive a timely diagnosis; 62.3% (185/297) were men, 80.8% (240/297) were adults, 53.7% (108/297) had less than high school education, 49.2% (123/297) had some occupation, and 98.2% of participants received timely treatment. Identified barriers included low socioeconomic conditions, lack of coordination between public and private health systems, and boundaries set by gangs. Identified facilitators included good care and attitude of the health care personnel and the availability of medications. Conclusions: The lack of opportunity to diagnose the disease affected the coverage of the national TB program due to cultural and health care barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archivos de Medicina (1657-320X) is the property of Revista Archivos de Medicina (Manizales) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archivos Venezolanos de Farmacología y Terapéutica is the property of Archivos Venezolanos de Farmacologia y Terapeutica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives. To determine the sociodemographic, clinical and radiological factors associated with time to disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and methods. Cross-sectional descriptive study with an analytical component, based on clinical records of patients at the Neurological Institute of Colombia, between 2013 and 2021. Progression to disability in MS patients was defined as the time to an increase of at least 0.5 points in the EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale) score, sustained for at least six months. A Cox regression model was used to estimate the survival function and Hazard Ratios (HR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results. We included 216 patients, of whom 25% progressed to disability, median survival was 78 months (95% CI: 70-83), active lesions (HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.10-3.44), cerebellar complications (HR = 2.03; 95% CI: 0. 99-4.16), being male (HR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.32-4.73), and having neurological diseases (HR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.03-4.61) were associated as risk factors. While relapsing remitting MS (HR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.31-1.26) and age at diagnosis less than 40 years (HR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.53-1.76) were associated as protective factors. Conclusions. Progression is affected by many factors, and there is no single independent factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]