Leishmania infantum (syn. Leishmania chagasi) is the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil. The epidemiology of VL is poorly understood. Therefore, a more detailed molecular characterization at an intraspecific level is certainly needed. Herein, three independent molecular methods, multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT), random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and simple sequence repeats-polymerase chain reaction (SSR-PCR), were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of 53 L. infantum isolates from five different endemic areas in Brazil. Population structures were inferred by distance-based and Bayesian-based approaches. Eighteen very similar genotypes were detected by MLMT, most of them differed in only one locus and no correlation was found between MLMT profiles, geographical origin or the estimated population structure. However, complex profiles composed of 182 bands obtained by both RAPD and SSR-PCR assays gave different results. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean trees built from these data revealed a high degree of homogeneity within isolates of L. infantum. Interestingly, despite this genetic homogeneity, most of the isolates clustered according to their geographical origin.

Foi realizada uma revisão integrativa com o objetivo de sintetizar as contribuições das pesquisas em Enfermagem sobre obesidade juvenil com enfoque na promoção da saúde. Através do levantamento bibliográfico foram identificados 20 artigos considerando os critérios: data, idioma e os descritores Enfermagem, adolescente, obesidade e promoção da saúde. O periódico Pediatric Nursing Journal apresentou 7 (35%) artigos. As publicações indexadas ocorreram, nos últimos dez anos, nos idiomas português e inglês. Os resultados evidenciaram a construção do conhecimento científico da Enfermagem para o desenvolvimento de estratégias com enfoque na promoção da saúde na obesidade juvenil e, assim, contribuir para o desenvolvimento da profissão. Consideramos que a visualização do risco cumulativo que a obesidade juvenil apresenta em tornar o sujeito um adulto obeso é um dado precioso para que o planejamento das ações de enfermagem direcionadas a essa população seja implementado e alcance resultados efetivos.

An integrative review was carried out to summarize Nursing research contributions on juvenile obesity from a health promotion focus. Through a bibliographic survey, 20 articles were identified, based on the following criteria: date, language and the descriptors Nursing, adolescent, obesity and health promotion. The Pediatric Nursing Journal published seven papers (35%). Indexed papers were published in the last ten years in Portuguese and English. The results evidenced scientific knowledge construction in Nursing to develop health promotion strategies in cases of juvenile obesity, thus contributing to the development of the profession. Visualizing the cumulative risk of juvenile obesity to turn subjects into obese adults is a precious data with a view to nursing action planning for this population and the achievement of effective results.

Fue desarrollada una revisión integradora para sintetizar las contribuciones de las investigaciones en Enfermería sobre obesidad juvenil con foco en la promoción de la salud. A través de levantamiento bibliográfico fueron identificados 20 artículos, considerando los criterios: fecha, idioma y los descriptores Enfermería, adolescente, obesidad y promoción de la salud. El periódico Pediatric Nursing Journal mostró siete artículos (35%). Las publicaciones indexadas ocurrieron en los últimos diez años, en portugués e inglés. Los resultados evidenciaron la construcción del conocimiento científico de Enfermería para el desarrollo de estrategias con foco en la promoción de la salud en obesidad juvenil y, así, contribuir al desarrollo de la profesión. Consideramos que la visualización del riesgo cumulativo que la obesidad juvenil muestra en hacer del sujeto un adulto obeso es un dato precioso para la implementación de la planificación de acciones de enfermería dirigidas a esa población y el alcance de resultados efectivos.

An integrative review was carried out to summarize Nursing research contributions on juvenile obesity from a health promotion focus. Through a bibliographic survey, 20 articles were identified, based on the following criteria: date, language and the descriptors Nursing, adolescent, obesity and health promotion. The Pediatric Nursing Journal published seven papers (35%). Indexed papers were published in the last ten years in Portuguese and English. The results evidenced scientific knowledge construction in Nursing to develop health promotion strategies in cases of juvenile obesity, thus contributing to the development of the profession. Visualizing the cumulative risk of juvenile obesity to turn subjects into obese adults is a precious data with a view to nursing action planning for this population and the achievement of effective results.

Fue desarrollada una revisión integradora para sintetizar las contribuciones de las investigaciones en Enfermería sobre obesidad juvenil con foco en la promoción de la salud. A través de levantamiento bibliográfico fueron identificados 20 artículos, considerando los criterios: fecha, idioma y los descriptores Enfermería, adolescente, obesidad y promoción de la salud. El periódico Pediatric Nursing Journal mostró siete artículos (35%). Las publicaciones indexadas ocurrieron en los últimos diez años, en portugués e inglés. Los resultados evidenciaron la construcción del conocimiento científico de Enfermería para el desarrollo de estrategias con foco en la promoción de la salud en obesidad juvenil y, así, contribuir al desarrollo de la profesión. Consideramos que la visualización del riesgo cumulativo que la obesidad juvenil muestra en hacer del sujeto un adulto obeso es un dato precioso para la implementación de la planificación de acciones de enfermería dirigidas a esa población y el alcance de resultados efectivos.

Foi realizada uma revisão integrativa com o objetivo de sintetizar as contribuições das pesquisas em Enfermagem sobre obesidade juvenil com enfoque na promoção da saúde. Através do levantamento bibliográfico foram identificados 20 artigos considerando os critérios: data, idioma e os descritores Enfermagem, adolescente, obesidade e promoção da saúde. O periódico Pediatric Nursing Journal apresentou 7 (35%) artigos. As publicações indexadas ocorreram, nos últimos dez anos, nos idiomas português e inglês. Os resultados evidenciaram a construção do conhecimento científico da Enfermagem para o desenvolvimento de estratégias com enfoque na promoção da saúde na obesidade juvenil e, assim, contribuir para o desenvolvimento da profissão. Consideramos que a visualização do risco cumulativo que a obesidade juvenil apresenta em tornar o sujeito um adulto obeso é um dado precioso para que o planejamento das ações de enfermagem direcionadas a essa população seja implementado e alcance resultados efetivos.

This was a retrospective descriptive study on a series of cases of schistosomal myeloradiculopathy (SMR) and the aim was to investigate the incidence of this disease and its clinical and epidemiological characteristics in cases diagnosed at three healthcare units in Pernambuco, Brazil between 1994-2006. The data were collected by reviewing the medical records from both the neurological and paediatric outpatient clinics and wards of the Hospital Clinics, Hospital of the Restoration and Pernambuco Mother and Child Institute. To gather the data, a spinal cord schistosomiasis evaluation protocol was used. The diagnoses were based on positive epidemiological evidence of schistosomiasis, clinical findings and laboratory tests (stool parasitological examination or rectal biopsies, magnetic resonance imaging findings and cerebrospinal fluid investigations). A total of 139 cases aged between 2-83 years were found. The most important determinants of SMR were male sex (66.2%), contact with fresh water (91%), origin in endemic regions (39.5%), lower-limb muscle weakness (100%), sensory level at the lower thoracic medulla (40.3%), myeloradicular form (76%) and presence of eggs in the stool parasitological examination (48%). This sample indicates the need for intervention policies guided by diagnostic standardization, thereby avoiding disease under-notification.

The most critical phase of exposure to schistosomal infection is the infancy, because of the more frequent contact with contaminated water and the immaturity of the immune system. One of the most severe presentations of this parasitosis is the involvement of the spinal cord, which prognosis is largely dependent on early diagnosis and treatment. Reports on this clinical form of schistosomiasis in children are rare in the literature. We present here the clinical-epidemiological profile of schistosomal myeloradiculopathy (SMR) from ten children who were admitted at the Instituto Materno-Infantil de Pernambuco over a five-year period. They were evaluated according to an investigation protocol. Most of these patients presented an acute neurological picture which included as the main clinical manifestations: sphincteral disorders, low back and lower limbs pain, paresthesia, lower limbs muscle weakness and absence of deep tendon reflex, and impairment of the gait. The diagnosis was presumptive in the majority of the cases. This study emphasizes the importance of considering the diagnosis of SMR in pediatric patients coming from endemic areas who present a low cord syndrome, in order to start the appropriate therapy and avoid future complications.