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Background: Pediatric minor head trauma approaches aim to ensure the absence of traumatic brain lesions, minimize ionizing radiation, and enhance cost control. We evaluated the applicability and cost-effectiveness of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rules after head trauma and rationalize the use of head computed tomography (CT) scans., Methods: We retrospectively divided patients <18 years old who presented at a single institution in Brazil with minor head trauma into four groups: Group I (skull X-ray only), Group II (head CT only), Group III (X-ray and CT), and Group IV (observation only). Direct costs were calculated based on examination and length of hospitalization. The PECARN rules were applied retrospectively in each patient to determine who required a CT scan, and the costs were re-calculated., Results: Of the 1328 patients, CT scans were performed in 36.4% and X-rays in 52.6%. The mean cost was USD 5.88, 34.58, 41.85, and 4.04 for Groups I-IV, respectively. After applying the PECARN rules, 77.6% of patients no longer required a CT scan, and overall costs were reduced from USD 16.71 to 7.88 ( p < .001). Conclusion : The PECARN rules demonstrated a meaningful cost-effectiveness and should be applied to the Brazilian pediatric population.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the arterial blood pressure and renal function of female rats in persistent estrus. Twenty-five female Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly divided into two groups: Group I (control, n = 15) and experimental (persistent estrus, n = 10). A tail-cuff system was used to measure blood pressure at 12 weeks of life. Parameters to evaluate renal function were taken into consideration. A significant increase in arterial pressure and a significant decrease in fractional sodium excretion were found in the androgenized animals compared to controls. There was no difference between the two groups with respect to glomerular filtration rate or in fractional potassium excretion. An increase in blood pressure and a reduction in fractional sodium excretion occur in female rats in persistent estrus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tamoxifen on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the urethral epithelium of castrated rats., Materials and Methods: Thirty-six adult, castrated, female Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly divided into two groups: group I (n = 16, control), receiving only propylene glycol, and group II (n = 20, tamoxifen), treated with 250 microg/day of tamoxifen for 30 consecutive days by gavage. On the 31st day, the animals were sacrificed and the urethras were immediately removed, separated into the proximal and distal segments and processed for VEGF immunohistochemistry. The data were analysed using Student's t-test (p < 0.05)., Results: The mean percentage of VEGF expression in the epithelium of the proximal urethra of the animals in groups I and II was 64.47+/-3.70 and 74.69+/-3.03, respectively (p < 0.03), whereas the mean percentage of VEGF expression in the distal urethral epithelium of the animals in groups I and II was 53.49+/-4.64 and 68.57+/-3.67, respectively (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: Our results indicate that, at the dose and during the time of treatment used, tamoxifen increased VEGF expression in the urethral epithelium of castrated rats.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of raloxifene on the weight and epithelial thickness of the urethra of castrated female rats., Methods: Forty castrated female rats were randomly separated into two groups: group I (control, n = 20) received only the vehicle, and group II (raloxifene, n = 20) received 750 microg/day of raloxifene for 30 days. On the 31st day, the animals were sacrificed and the urethras were removed for the study. A model for categorical data using the weighted minimum mean square error method and Student's t test were used for the data analysis (p < 0.05)., Results: The mean weights of the urethras in groups I and II were 22 +/- 1.6 mg and 24 +/- 1.7 mg, respectively (p = 0.371). There was an increase in the mean epithelial thickness of the distal segments in group II compared to group I (50.7 +/- 1.9 microm vs. 45.3 +/- 1.6 microm, respectively) (p < 0.04). No statistically significant difference was found in the mean epithelial thickness of the proximal urethra between the two groups (p = 0.187)., Conclusion: Raloxifene administered to castrated female rats for 30 days increased the distal urethral epithelial thickness and did not alter the weight of the urethra.