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J Gascón

Publications and source records attributed to J Gascón.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Dengue: a re-emerging disease. A clinical and epidemiological study in 57 Spanish travelers].

Dengue infection is nowadays considered a re-emergent disease. It has a worldwide tropical and subtropical distribution. The dengue virus in a member of the flavivirus family composed by 4 different serotypes. The virus is transmitted by mosquitos of the Aedes genus. With the increment of travels to the endemic areas, dengue is now observed frequently in our country. We analyzed 57 patients, 30 with imported dengue (ID) and 27 with dengue fever suffered during the trip (DDT). This series is compared with other published ones and a review of the subject is presented. Patients with ID followed a protocol as a febril syndrome returning from the tropics. Dengue was diagnosed through a compatible clinico-epidemiological history, the absence of other ferbil illness and positivity of specific serology. All patients had travelled to endemic areas (Central America 28 cases, Indian subcontinent 15, South-East Asia 10, South America 2, West Africa one, and Pacific one). The following were the most important clinical characteristics: fever and asthenia (100%), headache (98%), mialgia (84%), arthralgia (72%), morbilliform rash (61%) and retroocular pain (65%). For ID cases, the most helpful analitical results were: leucopenia (70%), reactive lymphocytes in peripheral blood smear (70%), thrombocytopenia (70%), and increased hepatic enzymes ALAT (53%), ASAT (63%) and LDH (100% in the 7 patients tested for this enzyme). Dengue must be included in differential diagnosis of fever in patients coming back to travels to tropical areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[Assessment of an interventional study on iodine deficiency in Burkina Faso, 1990-1993. Direction de la Santé de la Famille (Burkina Faso)].

OBJECTIVES: To find how the urinary parameters of iodine excretion evolved in a community with deficiencies, after administering iodine orally and IM in two provinces in Burkina Faso; to recommend a national strategy to tackle iodine deficits. Design. A longitudinal survey before and after the iodine was given (12 months). Descriptive analysis of the data. SETTING: Provinces of Namentenga and Passoré in Burkina Faso. PARTICIPANTS: The general population of the two provinces who satisfied age-sex criteria: males from 0 to 25, females from 0-45. Randomised two-stage sampling. 423 people in all took part (210 in Namentenga and 213 in Passoré). INTERVENTIONS: The administration of 1 ml of iodised oil (Lipiodol) orally in Namentenga and IM in Passoré. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The urinary parameters of micrograms of iodine per gr. of Creatinine, and micrograms of iodine per dl of urine, were used. Figures for normalisation of the urinary parameters 12 months after iodisation was significantly higher in Passoré province, where iodine was administered IM. CONCLUSIONS: The intramuscular pathway has more longlasting effects, but the characteristics of Burkina Faso's health system and the feasibility of a medium or long-term intervention make it advisable that iodine supplements be administered orally.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains as a cause of traveler's diarrhea: a case-control study.

To elucidate the importance of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC) strains as a cause of traveler's diarrhea in Spanish travelers, a prospective case-control 1:1 study was done in a university hospital clinic for travelers. EAggEC strains were isolated from 23 of 165 case-patients and from 4 of 165 controls (P = .0003). In 16 patients, this was the only isolate recovered. Six of the EAggEC-positive isolates from the case-patients and 2 from the controls were positive for the enteroaggregative stable toxin type 1 gene. Other enteropathogens were also isolated. Shigella and enterotoxigenic E. coli strains showed significant differences between cases and controls (P = .0023 and P < .0001, respectively). Geographic distribution of the EAggEC strains was homogeneous, and the clinical symptom, secretory diarrhea, did not differ statistically with that for the enterotoxigenic E. coli strains. EAggEC strains are a cause of secretory diarrhea in Spaniards traveling to developing countries.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1998

Campylobacter jejuni as a cause of traveler's diarrhea: clinical features and antimicrobial susceptibility.

Traveler's diarrhea is the most common health problem of international travelers. Although enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli seems to be the most frequent cause of traveler's diarrhea, many other microorganisms, such as Campylobacter jejuni, may cause this infectious disease. Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as a leading cause of enteritis in humans both in developing and in developed countries. However, a few reports on the incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. as a cause of traveler's diarrhea have been published. The limited data on the treatment of C. jejuni infections suggest that ciprofloxacin may shorten the duration of symptoms. However, treatment failure associated with the emergence of quinolone-resistant strains of C. jejuni has been documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of C. jejuni associated with traveler's diarrhea and to analyze the geographic distribution as well as the clinical features and susceptibility to antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Adverse effects associated with antimalarial chemoprophylaxis].

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the frequency and type of adverse drug reactions associated to the antimalarial chemoprophylaxis advised to travellers visiting endemic areas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included the travellers who from july 1992 to june 1994 came to the Travellers Advise Department and made short-term travels to areas with malarial infection risk. The adverse drug reactions were reported by the travellers through a questionnaire handed at the consulting room. The pharmacological regimens advised were: a) chloroquine base 5 mg/kg/week. b) chloroquine base 5 mg/kg/week + proguanil 100 mg/day if weight less than 55 kg and 200 mg/day if weight more than 55 kg. c) mefloquine 250 mg/week. RESULTS: We evaluated 1,054 questionnaires for the study. The 18.4% of the travellers reported adverse drug reactions. The 12.4% of the travellers who were on chloroquine, the 17.2% of those who were on chloroquine + proguanil and the 20.3% from mefloquine group presented adverse drug reactions (differences without significance). Comparing the regimens studied, we observed that neuropsychiatric reactions were more frequent in the mefloquine group (p < 0.01), the gastrointestinal reactions were less common in the chloroquine group (p = 0.04) and the transitory eye disorders were more frequent in the chloroquine + proguanil group (p = 0.01). In the mefloquine group the travellers with adverse drug reactions had a significantly lower weight than those who did not present them (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The adverse drug reactions reported agree with the toxicologic profile described in the literature about these drugs. Mefloquine presents an outstanding neuropsychiatric toxicity and is worse tolerated in low weight patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Schistosomiasis imported by Spanish travelers: clinico-epidemiologic study of 80 cases].

BACKGROUND: Swimming in rivers or lakes is a risk activity, in areas where the life cycle of schistosomiasis occurs. This report presents and analyzes the clinical presentation and epidemiological data of 80 Spanish travellers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Descriptive longitudinal and retrospective study that includes clinicoepidemiological and the laboratory data and imaging diagnosis. Patients were seen at the Section of Tropical Medicine, Hospital Clínic i Provincial, Barcelona. RESULTS: Most patients acquired the infection in the Dogon country of Mall. 25% of them presented with symptoms related to the genital tract. In some groups, 45% of travellers that swam, contracted the infection. The most prevalent species diagnosed was S. haematobium and 10 travellers presented with mixed infections. CONCLUSIONS: The trip to the Dogon country should be considered as "a risk activity". Travellers Advice Clinics should include the subject of swimming in infected waters in their routine counselling. Genital tract localizations were registered for three species of schistosome. The classical clinical presentation of schistosomiasis in the endemic areas differs considerably from that seen in travellers.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and expression analysis of a gene that shows developmental regulation upon tuberization in potato.

Differential screening of a potato leaf cDNA library with cDNA probes made from tuberizing and non-tuberizing Solanum demissum plants led to the identification of a clone that is upregulated in leaves and other tissues upon tuberization. This clone was also shown to have a high level of expression in green tomato fruit, its expression falling off as the fruit turns red. No sucrose or hormonal regulation of the expression of this clone was observed and it did not respond to wounding or heat stress. Clone 32B is 532 bp long and contains an open reading frame encoding a small protein of 98 amino acids. The deduced protein sequence has a putative signal peptide for ER transport and a 10 amino acid domain in the C-terminal region of the protein, both of which are also found in the cotton LEA5, Arabidopsis Di21 and the mungbean Arg2 proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Isolation of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O-rough:K1:H7 from two patients with traveler's diarrhea.

Two Escherichia coli O-rough:K1:H7 strains producing verotoxin 1 that were isolated from stool samples of two travelers with diarrhea who consulted our clinic after trips to the Indian Subcontinent and Central America were characterized. Both strains were sorbitol negative, the same phenotype presented by E. coli O157:H7, but in contrast they were beta-glucuronidase positive. Low-frequency restriction analysis of chromosomal DNA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and repetitive extragenic palindrome-PCR showed that both strains were epidemiologically related. The illness was self-limited in both cases but involved long-duration, watery diarrhea (10 to 50 days) accompanied by abdominal cramps and flatulence. This serotype should be taken into account as a possible cause of traveler's diarrhea.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Schistosomiasis of the male genital tract: transrectal sonographic findings.

PURPOSE: Schistosomal infection of the prostate and seminal vesicles is seldom found in clinical practice and rarely mentioned in the radiological literature. However, the presence of schistosoma eggs has been reported in 50% of postmortem studies of the prostate and seminal vesicles performed in endemic areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report the results of transrectal studies of the prostate and seminal vesicles performed in 9 white travelers (age less than 35 years) who complained of hemospermia. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive identification of parasites in the urine and semen. RESULTS: Prostatic calcification was observed in 7 cases, hyperechogenic foci in 2, increase in prostate size in 2, calcifications in the seminal vesicles in 1 and dilatation of the seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts in 1. After treatment, prostate size and hyperechogenic foci were reduced. In some cases, calcified lesions diminished during followup. CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic and seminal calcifications should alert physicians to the possibility of schistosoma infection when they are found in young patients who have been in endemic areas. Parasitological study of semen as well as urine confirms and increases the number of diagnoses.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Description of 5 cases].

In the last few years a considerable number of imported malaria has been reported in Spain, probably due the increased tourism to areas with endemic malaria, particularly with P. falciparum. This is the species more frequently associated with severe complications and the only one capable of causing cerebral malaria. In this report we review five cases of malaria which required intensive care because of their severity. None of the patients had received chemoprophylaxis. In all cases the admission criterion to the intensive care unit was the organic failure of one or more systems (renal failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation [DIC] mainly) or the presence of changes in the central nervous system. Parasitemia at admission was higher than 5% in all patients. One patient died on account of cerebral malaria. Only one patient had severe complications not directly associated with malaria. In patients who already have severity criteria, a negative parasitemia test during the clinical course does not necessarily implies a clinical improvement nor does it exclude the emergence of complications. On the other hand, a low parasitemic degree is never a contraindication for admission to the intensive care unit when severity criteria are present.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Taeniasis and primary care].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic guidelines used in evaluating taeniasis in primary care (mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate) and to show the low availability of first choice drugs (niclosamide, praziquantel). DESIGN: A retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: A clinic for travellers abroad in the Tropical Medicine section (Infectious Diseases Service) of the Hospital Clínic, Barcelona. PARTICIPANTS: 68 medical histories of cases of Taeniasis seen at this clinic between 1984 and 1994. RESULTS: 72.3% had not travelled to the tropics (autochthonous Taeniasis). The most common symptoms were epigastralgia, anal pruritus, diarrhoea, weight loss and bulimia. 71.2% had previously attended other medical services and all had been correctly diagnosed. 91.8% had received ineffective treatment (the most common treatment was with mebendazole and pyrantel pamoate), sometimes on different occasions. Time elapsed between diagnosis and correct treatment varied from 1 day to 36 months. CONCLUSION: Taeniasis is an easily diagnosed infestation. Its treatment is comfortable and effective, with an average cure period of 24 hours. However, the particular medicines are not available in primary care, which hampers and delays treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Amebic liver abscess: review of 13 cases].

Amebian hepatic abscess (AHA) is the most frequent extraintestinal localization of infection by Entamoeba histolytica. Despite being a disease mainly of tropical zones, it is currently also observed with higher frequency in Spain. Thirteen cases of AHA diagnosed in the authors' hospital over the last 11 years were retrospectively analyzed comparing the data in this series with that of other published series and undertaking a review of this subject. The diagnosis of AHA was established on the basis of the clinical picture together with specific positive serology and compatible echographic imaging. The series was composed of 9 males and 4 females with a mean age of 38.7 years (range 25-55). Five were Spanish, and 8 were immigrants from tropical countries. In 61.5% of the cases echographically guided aspiration puncture was performed with placement of percutaneous drainage being carried out in 38%. Eighty-five percent of patients were treated with more than one amebicide drug (metronidazole or tinidazole together with chloroquine and dehydroemetine). Luminal amebicides were administered lastly. Laparotomy was required in 3 cases due to the presence of complications. No deaths were observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Ancylostomiasis and strongyloidiasis: clinico-epidemiologic comparative study of travelers coming from endemic areas].

BACKGROUND: The increase in immigration and adventure travelling by tourists generates a population susceptible to have a type of helminthiasis which we are not familiar with. The clinical-epidemiologic characteristics of different groups of patients with this disease are presented. METHODS: A descriptive retrospective longitudinal study was carried out. The clinical-epidemiologic and imaging laboratory data of 56 patients with ankylostomiasis and strongyloidiasis observed in the Department of Tropical Medicine of the Hospital Clinic i Provincial, in Barcelona, Spain, were collected. RESULTS: Ankylostomiasis and strongyloidiasis represent 2% of the global diseases attended. The risk factor the "use of open footwear" was present in almost all the cases. Among the immigrants this parasitosis may become manifest up to 10 years after the last contact. The digestive form and the accidental finding were the most common forms of presentation among the tourists and immigrants, respectively, with diarrhoea being the most frequent manifestation among the tourists (p = 0.008). Forty-five percent of the patients presented polyparasitism, being more frequently observed among the immigrants (p = 0.025). Anemia was found among 44% of the immigrants while this was not observed in any of the tourists (p = 0.012). No clinical relapse was observed with treatment with mebendazol and thiabendazol. CONCLUSIONS: A clinically different behavior was observed between the two groups of travellers. Although infrequent, the clinical importance ot its diagnosis is based on avoiding severe complications in immunosuppressed individuals and preventing anemia in patients with several diseases.

Adult↗