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Background: The timely management of rapidly evolving epidemiological scenarios caused by disease outbreaks is crucial to prevent devastating consequences. However, delayed laboratory diagnostics can hamper swift health policy and epidemic response, especially in remote regions such as the western Brazilian Amazon. The aim of the article is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume and characteristics of emergency medical services (EMS) in Manaus, focusing on how the pandemic affected sensitive indicators such as response time and the use of advanced life support ambulances. Additionally, the study seeks to understand how changes in prehospital EMS patterns, triggered by the pandemic, could be utilized as health surveillance tools, enabling a more rapid response in epidemic scenarios., Methods: This retrospective, descriptive study included data from the SAMU (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência) medical records between January and June 2020., Results: A total of 45,581 calls resulted in mobile units being dispatched during this period. These patients were predominantly male (28,227, 61.9%), with a median age of 47 years (IQR 30-67). The median response time significantly increased during the pandemic, reaching a median of 45.9 min (IQR 30.6-67.7) ( p < 0.001). EMS calls were reduced for trauma patients and increased for other medical emergencies, especially respiratory conditions, concomitantly to an escalation in the number of deaths caused by SARS and COVID-19 ( p < 0.001). The employment of advanced life support ambulances was higher during the pandemic phase ( p = 0.0007)., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a temporary disorder in the volume and reason for EMS calls in Manaus. Consequently, sensitive indicators like the response time and the employment of advanced life support ambulances were negatively affected. Sudden prehospital EMS pattern changes could play an important role in health surveillance systems, allowing for earlier establishment of countermeasures in epidemics. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prehospital EMS and its role in health surveillance should be further explored.

Background: Opportunistic infections in the central nervous system (CNS) of people with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) remain significant contributors to morbidity and mortality, especially in resource-limited scenarios. Diagnosing these infections can be challenging, as brain imaging is non-specific and expensive. Therefore, molecular analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may offer a more accurate and affordable method for diagnosing pathogens., Methods: We conducted extensive real-time PCR testing (qPCR) on CSF to evaluate etiological agents in PLWHA with neurological manifestations. Primers targeting DNA from specific pathogens, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), John Cunningham virus (JCV), Toxoplasma gondii , and human T-lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2), were used., Results: Cerebrospinal fluid samples revealed 90 pathogens (36.7%). Toxoplasma gondii was the most frequently detected pathogen, found in 22 samples (30.5%). Other pathogens included Cryptococcus sp. (7.7%), EBV (5.3%), CMV, VZV, and JCV (4.0% each)., Conclusion: Despite antiretroviral therapy and medical follow-up, opportunistic central nervous system infections remain frequent in PLWHA. Herpesviruses are commonly detected, but T. gondii is the most prevalent opportunistic pathogen in our study population. Therefore, molecular diagnosis is a crucial tool for identifying opportunistic infections, even in patients undergoing treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 de Melo, Pinto, Ferreira, Brotas, Marinho, da Silva, Monte, Feitoza, Reis, Almeida, Ferreira and Bastos.)

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a global health issue, leading to high mortality and morbidity among hospitalized patients., Methods: A retrospective, observational and descriptive study was conducted by reviewing blood culture records collected from patients with suspected BSI, between January 2017 and December 2019., Results: The most frequent antimicrobial resistant (AMR) pathogens were methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) (40%), methicillin-resistantS. epidermidis (MRSE) (9.5%), and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae (35.3%)., Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of continued vigilance and advocate for the rational use of antimicrobial agents.

SARS-CoV-2 affects mainly the lungs, however, other manifestations, including neurological manifestations, have also been described during the disease. Some of the neurological findings have involved intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage, strokes, and other thrombotic/hemorrhagic conditions. Nevertheless, the gross pathology of hemorrhagic lesions in the central nervous system has not been previously described in Brazilian autopsy cases. This study aimed to describe gross and microscopic central nervous system (CNS) pathology findings from the autopsies and correlate them with the clinical and laboratory characteristics of forty-five patients with COVID-19 from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Forty-four patients were autopsied of which thirty-eight of these (86.36%) were positive by RT-PCR for COVID-19, and six (13.3%) were positive by the serological rapid test. Clinical and radiological findings were compatible with the infection. The patients were classified in two groups: presence (those who had hemorrhagic and/or thrombotic manifestations in the CNS) and absence (those who did not present hemorrhagic and/or thrombotic manifestations in the CNS). For risk assessment, relative risk and respective confidence intervals were estimated. Macroscopic or microscopic hemorrhages were found in twenty-three cases (52,27%). The postmortem gross examination of the brain revealed a broad spectrum of hemorrhages, from spots to large and confluent areas and, under microscopy, we observed mainly perivascular discharge. The association analyses showed that the use of corticosteroid, anticoagulant and antibiotic had no statistical significance with a risk of nervous system hemorrhagic manifestations. However, it is possible to infer a statistical tendency that indicates that individuals with diabetes had a higher risk for the same outcome (RR = 1.320, 95% CI = 0.7375 to 2.416, p = 0.3743), which was not observed in relation to other comorbidities. It is unknown whether the new variants of the virus can cause different clinical manifestations, such as those observed or indeed others. As a result, more studies are necessary to define clinical and radiologic monitoring protocols and strategic interventions for patients at risk of adverse and fatal events, such as the extensive hemorrhaging described here. It is imperative that clinicians must be aware of comorbidities and the drugs used to treat patients with COVID-19 to prevent CNS hemorrhagic and thrombotic events., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The irregular use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and late diagnosis still account for a large part of HIV-associated mortality in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Herein, we describe HIV-associated morbidity among hospitalised HIV/AIDS patients with advanced immunosuppression and assess the comorbidities, laboratory parameters, and immunological markers associated with mortality., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD) in Manaus, Brazil. In all, 83 participants aged between 12 and 70 years were enrolled by convenience within 72 h of their hospitalisation. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic medical records. We prospectively measured the cytokines Th1/Th2/Th17 and inflammatory cytokines IL-8, IL-1β, and IL-12 using cytometric bead array, and the soluble CD14 using in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: The HIV/AIDS inpatients presented a scenario of respiratory syndromes as the most prevalent comorbidity. Almost all patients had CD4 T counts below 350 cells/mL and the mortality rate was 20.5%. Pulmonary tuberculosis, neurotoxoplasmosis and oropharyngeal-esophageal candidiasis were the most prevalent opportunistic infections. TB and weight loss were more prevalent in HIV/AIDS inpatients who died. The Mann Whitney analysis showed that those who died had higher platelet distribution width (PDW) on admission, which is suggestive for platelet activation. The Poisson multivariate analysis showed the prevalence of TB, digestive syndrome and increases in IL-8 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) associated to death., Conclusions: The advanced immunosuppression characterized by the opportunistic infections presented in these HIV/AIDS inpatients was the major factor of mortality. The role of platelet activation in worse outcomes of hospitalisation and the IL-8 associated with the context of advanced immunosuppression may be promising markers in the prediction of mortality in HIV/AIDS patients., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

We report the case of a 15-year-old male patient presenting frontal headaches with retro-orbital pain accompanied by fever evolving to weakness and pain of the lower limbs, which ascended to upper limbs. A COVID-19 rapid test (IgG and IgM) and nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive for SARS-CoV-2. The blood tests, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis and CSF aerobic culture revealed no abnormalities. PCR testing of the CSF was negative for the most prevalent etiologies as well as for SARS-CoV-2. Electroneurography study was compatible with the acute motor axonal neuropathy variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. No cases involving young patients have been presented to date. Therefore, this is the first reported pediatric case of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with GBS. Evidence reveals that SARS-CoV-2 infection is not limited to the respiratory tract. Neurotropism could explain this important neurologic manifestation of COVID-19 in children., (© The Author(s) [2020]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A 56-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus required hospitalization due to the onset of both dyspnea and asthenia. A computed tomography of the chest exam showed the radiological pattern of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary involvement. Based on immunochromatographic analysis, the patient evolved as a reagent for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The individual developed complete hemiparesis with a predominance in the right arm and conduction aphasia. T1-weighted magnetic resonance sequence of the brain showed an area of hypointensity with a high intrinsic cortical signal and hyperintensity in the T2-sequence. A Doppler velocimetric examination showed total/critical sub occlusion, suggesting an ischemic stroke.

Respiratory failure (RF) is the main cause of hospital admission in HIV/AIDS patients. This study assessed comorbidities and laboratory parameters in HIV/AIDS inpatients with RF (N = 58) in relation to those without RF (N = 36). Tuberculosis showed a huge relative risk and platelet counts were slightly higher in HIV/AIDS inpatients with RF. A flow cytometry assay for reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed lower levels in platelets of these patients in relation to the healthy subjects. However, when stimulated with adrenaline, ROS levels increased in platelets and platelet-derived microparticles of HIV/AIDS inpatients, which may increase the risk of RF during HIV and tuberculosis (HIV-TB) coinfection.

Aim: Evaluating the recurrence patterns of high-grade astrocytomas in patients who were treated with radiotherapy (RT) plus temozolomide (TMZ)., Background: The current literature suggests that reducing the margins added to the CTV does not significantly change the risk of recurrence and overall survival; thus, we decided to analyze our data and to examine the possibility of changing the adopted margins., Materials and Methods: From February 2008 till September 2013, 55 patients were treated for high-grade astrocytomas, 20 patients who had been confirmed to have recurrence were selected for the present study. Post-operative MRI was superimposed on the planning CT images in order to correlate the anatomical structures with the treatment targets. Recurrences were defined according to the Response Assessment Criteria for Glioblastoma. The mean margins of the PTV initial and PTV boost were 1.2 cm and 1.4 cm, respectively. The analysis of the percentage of the recurrence volume (Vol rec ) within the 100% isodose surface was based on the following criteria: (I) Central: >95% of the Vol rec ; (II) In-field: 81-95% of the Vol rec ; (III) Marginal: 20-80% of the Vol rec ; and (IV) Outside: <20% of the Vol rec ., Results: Of the 20 patients, 13 presented with central recurrences, 3 with in-field recurrences, 2 with marginal recurrences and 2 with outside recurrences. Therefore, the lower Vol rec within 100% of the prescribed dose was considered in the classification., Conclusions: Of the selected patients, 80% had ≥81-95% of the Vol rec within 100% of the prescribed dose and predominantly had central or in-field recurrences. These results are comparable with those from the literature.

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease due to alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) deficient activity which leads to the accumulation of glucoesphingolipids, such as globotriaosilceramide. There are over 700 known mutations of the enzyme gene, and most of them cause Fabry Disease. This case report describes a hemodialysis patient with a rare and controversial GLA gene mutation, the D313Y. The medecial investigation confirmed that D313Y is an alpha-galactosidase A sequence variant that causes pseudo deficient enzyme activity in plasma but not Fabry disease. Thus, clinical symptoms that prompted Fabry disease investigation could not be attributable to Fabry disease and therefore enzyme replacement therapy was not indicated.