PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J R Costa

Publications and source records attributed to J R Costa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

The influence of hepatitis C virus-human immunodeficiency virus co-infection on the appearance of liver enzyme elevation in people on high activity antiretroviral treatment.

BACKGROUND: Liver enzyme elevation (LEE) as a consequence of HAART is a problem among patients with HIV-HCV co-infection. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 145 patients with HIV who were on HAART and who developed LEE grades 3 and 4 of the World Health Organization (WHO) were followed up. Basal ALT, alcohol consumption, and HCV and HBV co-infection were recorded. Comparisons were made between patients with and without HCV co-infection. RESULTS: Three patients without co-infection presented LEE grade 3 versus 38 with co-infection (104 episodes). An increase in basal ALT (RR: 1.01) and HCV co-infection (RR: 6.6) were the variables associated with LEE grade 3. The number of days that HAART had to be withdrawn due to LEE was 58.15 and 4.85 in subjects with and without co-infection, respectively (p=0.024). CONCLUSION: Patients with HCV-HIV co-infection have more episodes of LEE and must go longer without HAART than people without co-infection.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Mycobacterium fortuitum complex endocarditis-case report and literature review.

Endocarditis due to Mycobacterium fortuitum complex is a rare entity generally linked to the hospital environment. Only 18 cases have been published since 1966. Here we present a case of a female who developed an endocarditis due to Mycobacterium chelonae after valve replacement as well as a review of the literature. The course of this kind of endocarditis is generally subacute and the outcome is usually fatal. Blood cultures were positive in 75% of cases of metallic valve endocarditis, versus 20% in bioprostheses. The treatment must include antibiotics that have shown activity against these mycobacteria, such as amikacin, imipenem, cefoxitin, fluorinated quinolones and macrolides (especially clarithromycin). Surgical removal is recommended. Although the prognosis for the patient is poor, we should expect better outcomes with the use of new antibiotic regimens.

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗
PubMed2002

Paradoxical responses in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients with mycobacterial disease.

SETTING: Paradoxical worsening or relapse of opportunistic infections has been described after initiation of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study of a group of 33 HIV-infected patients with mycobacterial disease analysing the incidence and characteristics of patients with and without paradoxical response after starting HAART and/or mycobacterial treatment. RESULTS: Nine patients in the group had paradoxical response. No significant difference of baseline characteristics was observed in these patients. The decrease in viral load was significantly greater among patients with paradoxical response than in patients without. CONCLUSION: No clinical difference was found in the evolution of HIV-infected patients with mycobacterial disease after the resolution of the episode of paradoxical response.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2001

Central retinal vein occlusion in a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

PURPOSE: To describe the occurrence of central retinal vein occlusion in a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 52-year-old woman developed central retinal vein occlusion in the acute phase of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, followed by iris neovascularization only 1 month after the onset of central retinal vein occlusion. Color Doppler imaging of the affected eye showed an increased resistive index of the central retinal artery and reduced blood flow velocity of the central retinal vein compared to the fellow eye. CONCLUSION: We describe a rare association between central retinal vein occlusion and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura with rapid evolution of iris neovascularization. Our case demonstrates that close ophthalmologic attention is important in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Influence of a day care hospital on the incidence of hospital admission of AIDS patients].

BACKGROUND: Day care units have become an usual way of medical care for AIDS patients. However, their influence on the incidence of hospital admissions has not been evaluated. METHODS: Observational and longitudinal study of a cohort of 308 patients with aids diagnosed between 1990 and 1994 and followed-up to June 1996. The incidence of hospital admissions according to the hospital of follow-up (with or without day care unit) was analyzed. A multivariate analysis of the number of hospital admissions was performed using regression model adjusted to a distribution of Poisson. RESULTS: After AIDS diagnosis, the incidence of hospital admissions was 108 per 100 patient-years of follow up (21 days as inpatient per patient-year). Those patients controlled in the hospital with day care unit have less hospital admissions (relative risk after adjusting by CD4+ cells count and type of diagnostic disease: 0.64; CI95% 0.55-0.76), and less days as inpatient through their follow-up (11 to 31 days less). There was no difference in survival among patients followed in both hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: A day care unit decrease the incidence of hospital admissions in aids patients. This positive impact is more evident in patients with lesser CD4+ cell counts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1997

Relapse of tuberculosis after treatment in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relapse rate of tuberculosis after a complete course of antituberculous therapy in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients and to identify the risk factors for relapse. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Historic cohort study of all adult patients who were diagnosed as having human immunodeficiency virus infection and a first episode of culture-proved tuberculosis at 2 university hospitals in Madrid, Spain, between 1986 and 1992, and who completed at least 6 months of treatment were included and followed up until September 1994. RESULTS: Of 276 patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and tuberculosis, 87 could not be evaluated (6 died before treatment, 39 died during treatment, 36 did not complete the planned therapy, and 6 were unavailable during treatment). The remaining 189 received a standard regimen (ie, 3 or 4 drugs, always including rifampin and isoniazid, for > or = 6 months). The median duration of follow-up for these 189 patients was 31.5 months, with a total of 4668 patient-months of follow-up after treatment; 105 patients (56%) were followed up until death. The relapse rate was 7.9% (2.7/100 patient-years). With multivariate analysis, a shorter duration of treatment and a low CD4+ cell count were associated with a greater probability of relapse. Relapses occurred in 5 (3.4%) of 148 patients who were treated for 9 or more months (1.7/100 patient-years) and in 10 (24%) of 41 patients who were treated for less than 9 months (10.9/100 patient-years) (P < .001; relative hazard, 9.2; 95% confidence interval, 3.1-26.9). CONCLUSIONS: As standard antituberculous therapy for 9 months is associated with a low rate of relapse, maintenance therapy is not required. Duration of treatment for less than 9 months is associated with a high rate of relapse.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1997

Brainstem anaesthesia after peribulbar anaesthesia.

PURPOSE: To present a case of brainstem anaesthesia as a complication of peribulbar anaesthesia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 75-yr-old woman received peribulbar anaesthesia for cataract surgery. A few seconds after the block performed, she had a respiratory arrest, became unconscious, and developed hypertension and tachycardia followed by hypotension and bradycardia. Ventilatory and haemodynamic support were performed before the patient regained adequate spontaneous breathing, and normal heart rate and blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Peribulbar anaesthesia generally carries a low risk of serious complications. However, respiratory arrest and brainstem anaesthesia may occur as complications of peribulbar blocks.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Cutaneous lesions in patients with visceral leishmaniasis and HIV infection.

Cutaneous lesions attributed to Leishmania are very seldom observed in classic Kala-Azar, but recently some reports have mentioned them in patients with HIV infection. We found cutaneous lesions whose biopsy disclosed the presence of Leishmania organisms in six patients of a group of 32 HIV patients with visceral Leishmaniasis. These lesions did not present a uniform or specific appearance, even though they tended to localize symmetrically on acral zones. They consisted of erythematous papules and hypopigmented macules on the dorsa of the hands, feet, and elbows; small subcutaneous nodules on the thighs; and erythematoviolaceous, scaly plaques on the face. These lesions accompanied in every case the other symptoms and/or signs of visceral leishmaniasis, responded to anti-leishmanial treatment, and were sometimes the first indicator of recurrence. The histopathological study was non-specific, but showed in every case the presence of abundant amastigotes within the dermal histiocytes and free in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Data from literature review are similar to ours.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[An epidemiological and immunological study of human immunodeficiency virus infection in the southern area of Madrid].

The clinical characteristics and immunological parameters are characterized in different groups of infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in patients infected by HIV, and the prognostic markers of survival in patients diagnosed of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This study was carried out in 312 patients from June 1984 to March 1989. The most common risk group was intravenous drug addicts (IVDA) 80.9%. We observed that during the last years there was an increase in the number of cases of heterosexual transmission. Through follow up, 17.6% of patients developed acquired immunodeficiency (AIDS). The incidence rate for AIDS was higher amongst homosexuals than IVDA (35.4/14.6). Esophageal candidiasis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis were the AIDS indicators most frequently encountered. Once the study period was over, with a follow up of 19.3 +/- 3.4 months, the probability of survival after 12 months was 70 +/- 0.07% and after 24 months was 42% +/- 0.09%. The risk group (homosexuals), the appearance of a neoplasia as the first diagnosis of AIDS, and the immunological parameters (CD3 less than 500, CD4 less than 400, CD4/CD8 ratio less than 0.5 and total lymphocyte count of less than 1700 were the markers with worst prognosis which correlated with survival rates (p less than 0.01). We confirmed that when comparing immunologic parameters amongst HIV infection groups, IgA levels were higher (p less than 0.05); the total number of lymphocytes, the number of helper lymphocytes and the CD4/CD8 ratio were lower (p less than 0.01) in IV and AIDS group with respect to group II and III, in patients with AIDS with respect to group IV-non-AIDS and in those who died with relation to AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Acute renal failure in cirrhosis associated with macroscopic hematuria of glomerular origin.

Two patients with alcoholic cirrhosis developed an acute impairment of renal function during an episode of macroscopic hematuria, one of them requiring hemodialysis treatment. Later, when gross hematuria disappeared, renal function gradually improved. The histological findings in both patients showed a mild mesangial glomerulonephritis with IgA deposits on immunofluorescence, the presence of red blood cells casts obstructing the lumen in 40% to 50% of the renal tubules, and a marked tubular necrosis.

Acute Kidney Injury↗