Acta Medica Port
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Observational Study
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in a Multipurpose Intensive Care Unit: One-Year Prospective Study.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia continues to be a frequent complication in the intensive care unit and an important cause of admission in the intensive care unit. The aim of our study was to evaluate the demography, incidence, risk factors, causative bacterial pathogens and outcome of all episodes of Hospital-acquired pneumonia in our unit. ⋯ S. aureus was the predominant causative agent of nosocomial pneumonia. The most frequent risk factor identified for infection with multidrug-resistant organisms was previous treatment with antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant organisms were present in 45% of documented hospital-acquired pneumonias. In admitted patients with non-intensive care unit acquired pneumonia, the intensive care unit mortality rate was nearly five times higher compared to intensive care unit acquired pneumonia.
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Over the last few decades, behavioral changes in sexual practices have made oral transmission of traditional sexually transmissible infections increasingly recognized. Patients harboring a sexually transmissible infection may first present lesions on the oral cavity, as these may be visible and interfere with basic functions such as speech or swallowing. ⋯ Furthermore, examination of the oral cavity should is essential when evaluating any patient suspected of harboring a sexually transmissible infection. In this article, oral transmission of several viral and bacterial infections is reviewed, including human papillomavirus infection, genital herpes, syphilis and gonorrhea, among others.
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Observational Study
Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Childhood Epilepsy: Beyond Seizures Control, the Experience of a Portuguese Pediatric Centre.
Ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate diet, which can be used as a treatment for refractory childhood epilepsy. The first aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy, in patients receiving ketogenic diet for at least three months, on epilepsy control, behaviour and awareness. The secondary aims were to evaluate the variation in the number of antiepileptic drugs, reasons for discontinuing the diet and adverse effects. ⋯ Beyond seizure control, patients experienced a marked improvement in behavior and awareness. It is necessary to develop strategies to increase the adherence of families to the diet.
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Hypertrophic and keloid scars represent hyperproliferative disorders that can have a significant impact on patients' lives. The authors present the case of a 53 years-old male with a sternal keloid after excision of a sebaceous cyst and multiple sessions of steroid infiltration, with worsening of the lesion. The patient underwent complete excision of the scar and reconstruction with an anterolateral thigh flap - ALT. ⋯ Keloid scar treatment in sternal area implies a reconstruction with no tension, in order to avoid relapse. Treatment of this type of scars is complex and a challenge to the plastic surgeon. In this case, a microvascular tissue transfer was used to reconstruct the large defect that ultimately resulted after scar excision, in a tension-free manner.