Search

Background: It has been highlighted that obesity influences the gait reducing walking velocity, stride length, ankle dorsal flexion at initial contact and ankle power generation. Meanwhile, step width, double support, hip flexion, knee extension during stance, hip moment and ankle power absorption was described increased. A tendency to the normalization of these parameters occur when subjects reduced their weight during growth., Objective: We studied the effect of fast weight loss due to Sleeve Gastrectomy on gait pattern of adolescent with severe obesity. The aim is to assess the functional benefit of the surgery., Setting: Pediatric hospital, public health, Italy., Methods: 11 patients before and after 1 year from surgery and 10 controls participated to the study. We studied the gait with an optoelectronic system and two force plates. We evaluated both kinetics and kinematics of walking. Then we looked at the differences between the pre- vs post-surgery and with the control group., Results: Step length and velocity were lower and step width was bigger in adolescent with obesity. Kinematic and kinetic parameters were altered. After surgery we observed the reduction of several gait alteration. Meanwhile, after 1 year alterations at the level of the foot, the knee and the pelvis persist., Conclusion: The sudden loss of weight highlighted the presence of long-term effects on the locomotor system. The results discourage intense walking activities before the weight loss and we suggest further studies for evaluating the necessity of a rehabilitative intervention., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There is scarce data pertaining to acute hepatitis C (aHC) infection in South America. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and evolution of aHC in a South American cohort. A retrospective survey was conducted at 13 hepatology units. All patients ≥16 years old with aHC diagnosis were included. Demographic, clinical and outcome information were registered in a standardized ad hoc questionnaire. Sixty-four patients were included. The majority were middle-aged (median age: 46 years) and female (65.6%); most of them were symptomatic at diagnosis (79.6%). HCV-1 was the most prevalent genotype (69.2%). Five patients had liver failure: three cases of severe acute hepatitis, one case of fulminant hepatitis and one case of acute-on-chronic liver failure. Nosocomial exposure was the most prevalent risk factor. Evolution was assessed in 46 patients. In the untreated cohort, spontaneous resolution occurred in 45.8% and was associated with higher values of AST/ALT and with the absence of intermittent HCV RNA viremia (P = 0.01, 0.05, and 0.01, respectively). In the treated cohort, sustained virological response was associated with nosocomial transmission and early treatment initiation (P = 0.04 each). The prevalence of nosocomial transmission in this South-American cohort of aHC stresses the importance of following universal precautions to prevent HCV infection. J. Med. Virol. 89:276-283, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)