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X Berríos

Publications and source records attributed to X Berríos.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Prospective comparison of clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic carditis: long term follow up of patients with subclinical disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of occurrence and long term evolution of subclinical carditis in patients with acute rheumatic fever. DESIGN: Valvar incompetence was detected by clinical examination and Doppler echocardiographic imaging during the acute and quiescent phases of rheumatic fever. Patients were followed prospectively and submitted to repeat examinations at one and five years after the acute attack. Persistence of acute mitral and aortic lesions detected solely by echocardiography (subclinical disease) was compared with that of disease detected by clinical examination as well (thereby fulfilling the latest 1992 Jones criteria for rheumatic carditis). SETTING: Three general hospitals with a university affiliation in Chile. PATIENTS: 35 consecutive patients fulfilling the revised Jones criteria for rheumatic fever. Clinical and echocardiographic examination was repeated in 32 patients after one year and in 17 after five years. Ten patients had subclinical carditis on admission, six of whom were followed for five years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Auscultatory and echocardiographic evidence of mitral or aortic regurgitation during the acute attack or at follow up. RESULTS: Mitral or aortic regurgitation was detected by Doppler echocardiographic imaging in 25/35 rheumatic fever patients as opposed to 5/35 by clinical examination (p = 0.03). Doppler echocardiography revealed acute valvar lesions in 10 of 20 rheumatic fever patients who had no auscultatory evidence of rheumatic carditis (subclinical carditis). Three of these subclinical lesions and three of the clinical or auscultatory lesions detected on admission were still present after five years of follow up, emphasising that subclinical lesions are not necessarily transient. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler echocardiographic imaging improves the detection of rheumatic carditis. Subclinical valve lesions, detected only by Doppler imaging, can persist. Echocardiographic findings should be accepted as a major criterion for the diagnosis of rheumatic fever.

Adolescent↗

[Alcohol drinking in parents and its relation with intellectual score of their children].

Among children living in orphanages of the Metropolitan Region, the paternal alcohol ingestion patterns were investigated. According to abnormal parental alcohol ingestion, a sample of 291 children was studied, of whom 32% were living in simple protection homes for infants with normal intellectual coefficient and 52% in homes for mentally retarded boys. There was a higher frequency and intensity of abnormal alcohol ingestion among parents of infants living in homes for the mentally retarded. Among these, 29% of mothers were illiterate and 11% had incomplete primary school education compared to mothers of simple protection homes in whom the frequency of illiteracy was 10% and of incomplete primary education, 50%. Twenty percent of fathers of children living in homes for the mentally retarded were unemployed, 16% had occasional jobs and 11% had a stable work; these numbers were 11, 30 and 15% respectively for fathers of simple protection homes. Among infants living in homes for the mentally retarded, undernutrition was found in 44%, growth retardation in 51% and microcephaly in 34% compared to 33, 30 and 11% in children living in simple protection homes. Sixteen percent of the sample had fetal alcohol syndrome, 24% among those living in homes for the mentally retarded and 12% in simple protection homes. There was an inverse relationship between offspring intellectual coefficient and the number of drinking parents.

Adolescent↗

Anticardiolipin antibodies in acute rheumatic fever.

Recent reports describe the association of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with chorea or severe heart valve lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus-like disease, or the primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We conducted a case series and a case-control investigation of patients with rheumatic fever with Sydenham chorea or other manifestations of rheumatic fever for anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) during the acute attack and disease remission. Eighty percent of patients were positive for aCL during the rheumatic fever attack vs 40% when inactive (p = 0.035); IgG and IgM aCL increased significantly with disease activity. Individuals with or without Sydenham chorea were equally positive for aCL (76 and 83%, respectively). A significant association was found between IgM aCL and carditis: All patients with valvulitis had IgM aCL (100%) vs 37% of patients without valvular involvement (p = 0.02). aPL may play a role in the pathogenesis of some clinical manifestations of acute rheumatic fever.

Acute Disease↗

[Non transmissible chronic diseases. A preventive approach].

Non transmissible chronic diseases, accidents and violence cause 70-80% of deaths in developed countries and 40-50% in underdeveloped ones, including Chile. Their relative contribution to mortality in Chile has increased from 34% to 64% in the last 30 years. Prevention is possible by controlling risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, obesity, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Preventive programs should be implemented based on available studies of the epidemiology of risk factors in our country. Population intervention to obtain better health habits and special actions for individuals with risks factors must be employed. Local health services, the community and the media must participate, the cornerstone of the program being population education, particularly those of younger age. A model to be followed is the Interhealth Project, sponsored by WHO and led by Finland (North Karelia).

Adolescent↗

[Epidemic outbreak of acute post streptococcal glomerulonephritis].

An outbreak of post streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSAGN) was recorded in the South East Health Service (SEHS) of Santiago, Chile, between 1984 and 1987. Some aspects related to its epidemiology and natural history are discussed. This outbreak was preceded by streptococcal skin infection (SSI) in 60% of cases vs. 36% during the previous period. At the same time it was observed an increased isolation rate of group A beta hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) of skin origin, and a high prevalence of anti-DNase B antibodies (ADB) in the general population, what reveals an important skin-GABHS reservoir in the community. In Chile, skin infections with GABHS are frequently secondary to scabies. The trend of scabies in the last years has been similar to that of PSAGN. The need for control and treatment of scabies is emphasized to interrupt the epidemiological chain. The protection of household contacts with Benzathin Penicillin is recommended because lower secondary attack rate has been observed in prophylaxis versus non protected groups.

Acute Disease↗

[Streptococcal antibodies in a general population. Comparative study in 2 periods at a health service].

Antibodies to streptococcal Estreptolysin O and DNAse B were sampled from 1986 through 1989 in 135 healthy individuals of both sexes, grouped by age, at a metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, and their geometric mean titers (GMT) were calculated. GMT of 110 U (Todd) for Antiestreptolysin and 194 U for Anti-DNAse B were recorded in the whole sample. Antiestreptolysin O titers were 62 UT for age group 5 to 9 years, 127 UT for 10 to 14 year olds and 114 UT for ages 15 or older. Anti-DNAse B titers for the same age groups were 158 U, 240 U and 198 U respectively. No significant differences were detected between these results and those from an earlier (1978 to 1981) study, except for Anti-DNase B titers in 5 to 9 years olds, which were significantly lower (GMT 158 U vs. 270 U) in the most recent screening.

Adolescent↗