Martha Lucia Gallego

Giardiasis in children living in post-earthquake camps from Armenia (Colombia)

BackgroundAn earthquake in the coffee growing region of Colombia on January 25, 1999 destroyed 70% of the houses in Armenia city. Transitory housing camps still remained until two years after the disaster. Parasitological studies found that, in this population, giardiasis was the most frequent parasitic infection. This study was carried out in order to determine the epidemiological risk factors associated with this high prevalence.MethodsFecal samples were obtained from 217 children aged between 3 and 13 years. Stool samples were studied by direct wet examination and stained with ferric hematoxilin for microscopical examination. Epidemiological data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by using the Epi-info software (CDC, Atlanta 2001).ResultsGiardia cysts were observed in 60.4% of the samples presented and trophozoites in 4.6%. The following epidemiological and laboratory factors were significantly associated with Giardia infection: 1. Use of communal toilet (vs. individual toilet) OR: 3.9, CI95%: 1.2–16; 2. water provision by municipal ducts (vs. water provision by individual tanks) OR: 3.5, CI95% 1.1–14, and 3. presence of mucus in stool OR: 2.3, IC95%: 0.9–6.7.ConclusionsA high prevalence of giardiasis was found in children living in temporary houses after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia (Colombia). Giardiasis is an emerging disease in post-disaster situations and adequate prevention measures should be implemented during these circumstances.

Niveles de excreción urinaria de yodo en escolares del Quindío, 2006-2007

Objetivo El estado nutricional de yodo se mide por la concentracion de yodo urinario y permite evaluar los riesgos por deficiencia o aumento.Estudiar la frecuencia del riesgo de desordenes por deficiencia o por mas de una adecuada ingesta de yodo en escolares del Quindio. Metodos La concentracion de yodo urinario se midio en una muestra casual de orina tomada en cada sujeto entre el 2006-2007. Resultados En 444 muestras analizadas, la mediana de yoduria fue de 272,4 µg/L; 11,9 % de los escolares tenian yoduria normal, 28,8 % presentaron deficit de yodo, de estos 11,5 % tenian deficit severo, 12,6 % deficit moderado y 4,7 % deficit leve. 59,3 % presentaron riesgo por ingesta excesiva de yodo. El rango de deficit de yodo en los ninos fue de 31 % y en las ninas 26,6 % sin diferencia significativa, tampoco se encontro diferencia significativa con la edad, pero si entre los estratos (p<0,000). Los municipios de las zonas rurales presentaron 100% de deficit de yodo (medianas <100 ug/L), mientras los de la zona urbana (Armenia, Tebaida y El Caimo) presentaron excesiva ingesta de yodo. Conclusiones: la poblacion estudiada mostro severas deficiencias (zonas rurales) y excesiva ingesta de yodo (poblacion urbana), sugiriendo ausencia o pobre control del programa de yodacion y una exposicion adicional a elementos causantes de desordenes de yodo. Se requiere un programa para el seguimiento de los desordenes de yodo en la poblacion escolar estudiada.

Cardiovascular risk factors in first-degree relatives of patients with hypertension

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) and absolute risk (AR) among first-degree consanguinity relatives of Colombian patients with hypertension. Methods: The study comprised 227 relatives (siblings and children of both sexes, between 12 and 40 years of age) and 204 hypertensive patients 34-84 years old from Quindío, Colombia. Lipid profile, glycemia, smoking, body mass index, and blood pressure were analyzed, and the AR of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to 10 years was estimated. Relatives were divided into two groups: GF1 relatives <18 years, GF2 relatives >18 years. Results: three or more CRF were found in the three groups. The prevalence for smoking was 20.1%, 9.1%, and 15.9% in patients, GF1, and GF2, respectively. Hypercholesterolemia was 42.2%, 15.2%, and 18.6% in patients, GF1, and GF2, respectively. The prevalence of low HDL-c levels was 50.5%, 44.9%, and 63.6% in relatives, GF1, and GF2, respectively. Obesity was present alone in patients, (32.4%) and GF2 (10.8%). The AR was 19.6 and 6.4 in male and female patients, respectively; 0.31 and 0 in GF1 females and males, respectively, and in GF2 it was 1.5 and 0.15 in males and females, respectively. Conclusions: Patients and relatives had more than three CRFs. HDL-c was low in all three groups. The AR was high in the young relatives. Programs are needed for weight, smoking, sedentary and dyslipidemia control to prevent or delay the development of CVD in relatives.