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Biomedical subjects

M Feijoo

Publications and source records attributed to M Feijoo.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Follow-up of people with HIV].

The development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines would be an essential accomplishment needed to control the spread of HIV and is an absolute necessity especially in developing countries. The vaccines developed by Spanish groups in centers in our country are found to be among the most promising in the world. The upcoming work by the Spanish Group "RIS" on Therapeutic and Preventive Vaccines might place Spanish professionals in the front line in the international fight against AIDS.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prenatal diagnosis of severe structural congenital malformations in Europe.

OBJECTIVES: To assess at a population-based level the frequency with which severe structural congenital malformations are detected prenatally in Europe and the gestational age at detection, and to describe regional variation in these indicators. METHODS: In the period 1995-1999, data were obtained from 17 European population-based registries of congenital malformations (EUROCAT). Included were all live births, fetal deaths and terminations of pregnancy diagnosed with one or more of the following malformations: anencephalus, encephalocele, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, transposition of great arteries, hypoplastic left heart, limb reduction defect, bilateral renal agenesis, diaphragmatic hernia, omphalocele and gastroschisis. RESULTS: The 17 registries reported 4366 cases diagnosed with the 11 severe structural malformations and of these 2300 were live births (53%), 181 were fetal deaths (4%) and 1863 were terminations of pregnancy (43%); in 22 cases pregnancy outcome was unknown. The overall prenatal detection rate was 64% (range, 25-88% across regions). The proportion of terminations of pregnancy varied between regions from 15% to 59% of all cases. Gestational age at discovery for prenatally diagnosed cases was less than 24 weeks for 68% (range, 36-88%) of cases. There was a significant relationship between high prenatal detection rate and early diagnosis (P < 0.0001). For individual malformations, the prenatal detection rate was highest for anencephalus (469/498, 94%) and lowest for transposition of the great arteries (89/324, 27%). Termination of pregnancy was performed in more than half of the prenatally diagnosed cases, except for those with transposition of the great arteries, diaphragmatic hernia and gastroschisis, in which 30-40% of the pregnancies with a prenatal diagnosis were terminated. CONCLUSION: European countries currently vary widely in the provision and uptake of prenatal screening and its quality, as well as the "culture" in terms of decision to continue the pregnancy. This inevitably contributes to variation between countries in perinatal and infant mortality and in childhood prevalence and cost to health services of congenital anomalies.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2005

Trends and geographic inequalities in the prevalence of Down syndrome in Europe, 1980-1999.

BACKGROUND: EUROCAT is a network of population-based registries for the epidemiologic surveillance of congenital anomalies covering approximately one quarter of births in the European Union. Down syndrome constitutes approximately 8% of cases of registered congenital anomaly in Europe, with over 7000 affected pregnancies in the 15 current member states of the European Union each year. In this paper, we aim to examine trends in the live birth prevalence of Down syndrome in Europe in the light of trends in maternal age and in prenatal diagnosis. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of data from 24 EUROCAT registries, covering 8.3 million births 1980-99. Cases include live births, stillbirths and terminations of pregnancy following prenatal diagnosis. RESULTS: Since 1980, the proportion of births to mothers of 35 years of age and over has risen quite dramatically from 8 to 14% for the European Union as a whole, with steeper rises in some regions. By 1995-1999, the proportion of "older" mothers varied between regions from 10% to 25%, and the total prevalence (including terminations of pregnancy) of Down syndrome varied from 1 to 3 per 1000 births. Some European regions have shown a more than twofold increase in total prevalence of Down syndrome since 1980. The proportion of cases of Down syndrome which were prenatally diagnosed followed by termination of pregnancy in 1995-1999 varied from 0% in the three regions of Ireland and Malta where termination of pregnancy is illegal, to less than 50% in 14 further regions, to 77% in Paris. The extent to which terminations of pregnancy were concen trated among older mothers varied between regions. The live birth prevalence has since 1980 increasingly diverged from the rising total prevalence, in some areas remaining approximately stable, in others decreasing over time. CONCLUSION: The rise in average maternal age in Europe has brought with it an increase in the number of pregnancies affected by Down syndrome. The widespread practice of prenatal screening and termination of pregnancy has in most of the regions covered by EUROCAT counteracted the effect of maternal age in its effect on live birth prevalence. Under the joint influences of maternal age and prenatal screening the pattern of geographic inequalities in Down syndrome live birth prevalence in Europe has also been changed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Phlebitis in peripheral catheters (I). Incidence and risk factors].

The type of pathology and the current therapeutic tendencies justify that endovenous therapy is the most frequently selected one. Although it has multiple advantages, it bears with it a series of infectious type complications (bacterial infections, phlebitis and thrombophlebitis). Even though bacterial infections in peripheral intravascular vessels have a low occurrence rate, which some authors list as between 1 and 2%, in central intravascular vessels, their occurrence is usually higher. Phlebitis is one of the complications most frequently associated with the use of peripheral intravascular catheters.

Catheterization, Peripheral↗
PubMed2004

[Phlebitis in peripheral catheters (II). A study].

The study group consisted of 121 patients, 37 or 30.5% women and 84 or 69.4% men, checked into the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Hospitalization Unit who bore a total of 215 peripheral venous catheters. The authors of this study detected a high level occurrence of phlebitis in patients using peripheral venous catheters, with a low average duration time, during the period in which the authors carried out their study.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Counselling following diagnosis of fetal abnormality: a comparison between German, Portuguese and UK geneticists.

The principle of non-directiveness in genetic counselling is embraced by all relevant professional bodies. Little is known about the extent to which it is endorsed by geneticists, or incorporated into their clinical practice. The aim of the current study is to document how geneticists in three European countries, Germany, Portugal and the UK, report counselling women at risk for having children with a range of conditions. While geneticists in all three countries reported counselling in a largely non-directive style, this varied both across genetic conditions and between countries. German and Portuguese geneticists were significantly more directive than UK geneticists, although they differed in the way in which they were directive. German geneticists were more likely to encourage continuation of pregnancies, while Portuguese geneticists were more likely to encourage termination of affected pregnancies. There was no strong consensus on approaches to counselling for any of the genetic conditions, defined as agreement between 70% of all three groups of geneticists. Despite strong professional codes of non-directiveness, geneticists report being somewhat directive in some counselling situations. Future research needs to focus on what geneticists are trying to achieve in genetic counselling, how they actually counsel, and with what effects.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1992

Seizures of sleep onset: clinical and therapeutical aspects.

We studied the clinical characteristics and therapeutic response of 10 patients who presented with seizures shortly after falling asleep as the only or main manifestation of their epilepsy. The clinical evaluation was designed to investigate the appearance of seizures during diurnal and nocturnal sleep. The pharmacological response to coffee or amphetamine was investigated after normalization of previous anticonvulsant treatment. Seven of 10 patients (70%) presented with seizures during the siesta, and in 3 of 10, seizures occurred if they fell asleep at any time of the day. Seizures were detected in later hours of the night in five patients as sleep reinitiation seizures or seizures without previous awakening. The response to anticonvulsants alone was disappointing. The addition of coffee or amphetamine suppressed seizures of sleep beginning at night or during the siesta. Neither of them had an influence on sleep diurnal seizures outside of the siesta or on seizures of nocturnal sleep reinitiation. Suppression of coffee or amphetamine was followed by reappearance of the seizures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Subdural empyema: medical treatment].

A young man who initially presented right maxillary sinusopathy which was treated with antibiotics, developed meningeal syndrome in association with focal neurological signs followed by focal tonoclonic convulsions which subsequently became general. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of a left parasagittal and right frontal subdural empyema. Medical treatment with antibiotics, dexamethasone and anticonvulsants resulted in rapid clinical and radiologic improvement in both the sinuses and brain images. The diagnostic and therapeutic aspects are discussed and medical treatment recommended as the first step in the therapy of subdural empyema when there is no other critical neurological situation.

Adult↗