No abstract

The lower intra-abdominal adiposity could have more beneficial effects in a short term, since it can be associated with a better insulin sensitivity and lipid profile, than the small reduction in femur and lumbar vertebra density. However, it has to be considered the incremental effect of this reduction along the aging process.

Objective: to identify and synthesize studies that approach the coping strategies used by the elderly to deal with aging and death. Method: an integrative review was performed in seven databases with the following descriptors: psychological adaptation, the elderly, death and aging. Results: 73 articles were identified. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles that identified multiple losses experienced by the elderly and included coping strategies were selected and analyzed. The main losses were: loss of health; physical capacity and functionality; loss in quality of emotional relationships; death of loved ones; reduced social integration; fewer material goods; financial loss; lower cognitive resources; lower perceived mastery; loss of feeling useful; reduction in subjective well-being and quality of life. We also identified the following coping strategies used to deal with losses related to aging and finitude: anticipated grieving; wish to die; isolation; submission; negotiation; acceptance; accommodation; support seeking; living in the moment; seeking spiritual comfort. Conclusion: the elderly experience aging and finitude with coping strategies that can generate both unfavorable and favorable health outcomes. In this context, some coped through anticipated mourning and the desire to die, while others looked for spiritual comfort, social support and acceptance.

The VITEK 2 automated system (bioMé rieux) is one of the most widely used instruments in clinical microbiology laboratories for the identification and evaluation of the susceptibility profiles of bacteria including the detection of extended-spectrum b-lactamases (ESBLs) produced by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca. Currently, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommends the use of ESBL confirmatory tests in addition to standard susceptibility testing. In order to evaluate the accuracy of VITEK 2-positive results regarding clinical isolates of E. coli (n5110) and K. pneumoniae (n572), four additional ESBL detection systems were compared: the Phoenix Automated Microbiology System (BD Diagnostic Systems) and the MicroScan WalkAway-96 System (Dade Behring), and two manual systems as confirmatory tests, the Etest (AB Biodisk) and double disc diffusion (DDS) test. Epidemiological data regarding the tested strains were also collected and their susceptibility phenotypes were determined. The four methods resulted in concordant results for 126 of the 182 strains. However, the different tests displayed distinct results: the VITEK 2 system was in disagreement in 23.9 % of cases with DDS, in 15.3 % with Etest, in 23 % with the MicroScan WalkAway-96 System and in 23.6 % with the Phoenix Automated Microbiology System. Epidemiological data indicated that the majority of ESBL-positive E. coli strains were isolated from patients admitted to internal medicine wards (72.7 %), whilst K. pneumoniae ESBL-positive isolates were equally distributed between internal medicine wards (45.8 %) and intensive care units (45.8 %). Most of these strains were isolated from urine. In contrast to ESBL-negative isolates, the ESBL-positive strains displayed multiple drug resistance, namely to quinolones, aminoglycosides and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. No significant resistance to carbapenems was detected. Overall, this study demonstrates the need for a confirmatory test following positive ESBL detection with the VITEK 2 system (panel AST-037), which appears to yield a large number of false-positive results.

Malaria diagnosis remains a concern in non-endemic countries, with rapid diagnosis being crucial to improve patients' outcome. Rapid diagnostic tests have high sensitivity but they also have flaws and false-negative results that might jeopardize malaria diagnosis. Some falsenegative results might relate to a prozone-like effect. The authors describe two patients with false-negative rapid diagnostic tests in which a prozone-like effect might have been involved. The authors highlight that these tests should not be used without accompanying light microscopy observation of blood films and discuss potential benefits of using rapid diagnostic tests with more than one specific antigen for Plasmodium falciparum.