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BACKGROUND: Chagas disease (CD) treatment is commonly associated with a high incidence of adverse effects. It is crucial to study and update these adverse effects to improve the existing knowledge of which drugs to use and to clarify the information presented to patients. METHODS: We analyzed the adverse effects of benznidazole in two cohorts of patients: a large retrospective study and a small prospective study. RESULTS: This large retrospective study described the most and least common adverse effects in our area and characterized our Chagas disease population. This prospective study, along with a close follow-up of the treatment, detected more adverse effects and enhanced the patients' perception of the disease and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This information is important for preventing non-medical-related withdrawals and for removing baseless fears. Better knowledge of patients could help us provide better care.

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ABSTRACT Background: Chagas disease (CD) treatment is commonly associated with a high incidence of adverse effects. It is crucial to study and update these adverse effects to improve the existing knowledge of which drugs to use and to clarify the information presented to patients. Methods: We analyzed the adverse effects of benznidazole in two cohorts of patients: a large retrospective study and a small prospective study. Results: This large retrospective study described the most and least common adverse effects in our area and characterized our Chagas disease population. This prospective study, along with a close follow-up of the treatment, detected more adverse effects and enhanced the patients' perception of the disease and treatment. Conclusions: This information is important for preventing non-medical-related withdrawals and for removing baseless fears. Better knowledge of patients could help us provide better care.

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In recent decades and because of migration, Chagas disease has become a global public health problem. A significant focus has been placed on pregnant women who can transmit the disease to their offspring. Here, we report four cases of women who did not know that they were pregnant while they were being treated with benznidazole. A diagnosis was established according to serology and Trypanosoma cruzi polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-standardized tests. Treatment was discontinued when pregnancy was confirmed, and a thorough follow-up was carried out. Although each case was different, none of the mothers developed health problems during pregnancy, and their newborns were delivered without any teratogenic effects.

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Introducción: La prevalencia de la leishmaniasis visceral (LV), una parasitosis endémica en la cuenca mediterránea, puede verse afectada por movimientos migratorios. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los casos de LV valorados en hospitales de la región de Murcia. Material y métodos: Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo multicéntrico de los casos de LV diagnosticados y tratados en los diferentes hospitales de nuestra región, que se agruparon en 2 cohortes: período A (pA), el comprendido entre los años 1997 y 2005, y período B (pB), el transcurrido entre 2006 y 2013. Resultados: Se analizaron 97 casos de LV (75% fueron hombres y la edad media fue de 35 años), 36 en pA y 61 en pB; el 11% de los pacientes procedían de otros países en pA y el 22% en pB (subsaharianos en 10 casos); el 55% tenían algún tipo de inmunosupresión (80% de ellos estaban diagnosticados de infección por VIH). Las manifestaciones más frecuentes fueron: fiebre (85%) y astenia (66%). La duración media de los síntomas antes de la primera consulta fue de 47 días, y el tiempo medio transcurrido entre esta primera consulta y la realización de la prueba diagnóstica, de 13 días. El hallazgo más común en la exploración física fue la esplenomegalia (89%), mientras que la trombocitopenia fue el hallazgo de laboratorio más constante (78%). El diagnóstico se confirmó con la detección de amastigotes y/o PCR del aspirado medular en el 61% de los casos; en el 39% restante el aspirado fue negativo y fue necesario el estudio de otras muestras (biopsia de médula ósea, ganglio linfático, laringe, colon, parótida y amígdala, PCR en sangre, serología o inmunocromatografía en orina). El tratamiento más usado fue anfotericina B liposomal (71%), seguida de glucantime (27%) y anfotericina B complejo lipídico (1%); en un caso no se pudo averiguar el tratamiento administrado. Se objetivaron 16 recidivas, 11 de ellas en pacientes con sida. Conclusiones: Aun a riesgo de sesgos propios de estudios retrospectivos y a pesar del mejor control de la infección VIH, observamos en nuestra región un aumento en la frecuencia de casos de LV, probablemente favorecido por el aumento del número de inmigrantes.

Introduction: The prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), an endemic parasitic infection in the Mediterranean basin, can be affected by migratory movements. Objective: To analyze VL cases evaluated at several hospitals in the Murcia region. Methods: Retrospective, multicentric study of VL cases; patients were grouped into two time periods: period A (pA: 1997-2005) and period B (pB: 2006-2013). Results: A total of 97 VL cases were analyzed (75% men, mean age 35 years), 36 of them in pA and 61 in pB; 11% and 22% of the patients were foreigners in pA and pB, respectively (10 from sub-Saharan Africa); 55% suffered from some type of immunosuppression (80% HIV). The most common clinical manifestations were fever (85%) and asthenia (66%). The mean duration of symptoms before the first medical contact was 47 days and the average time between the first contact and the microbiological confirmation was 13 days. The most common finding on physical examination was splenomegaly (89%), whereas thrombocytopenia was the most frequent laboratory finding (78%). Diagnoses were confirmed by detection of amastigotes and/or PCR of bone marrow aspiration (BMA) in 61%; in the remaining 39% of cases, BMA was negative and additional samples were necessary (bone marrow, lymph node, larynx, colon, parotid and amygdala biopsy, PCR of blood samples, serology or urine antigen detection). The most commonly used treatment was liposomal amphotericin B (71%), followed by glucantime (27%) and amphotericin B lipid complex (1%). A total of 16 recurrent cases (11 in AIDS patients), were bserved. Conclusions: Although this is a retrospective study and despite better control of HIV infection, we have observed an increase in the frequency of VL cases in our region, which is probably related to migratory flows.

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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Histoplasma capsulatum infection in a group of volunteers who had traveled to Guatemala. METHODS: A review was performed of the clinical records of nine patients who consulted at the Tropical Medicine Outpatient Unit of Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain. RESULTS. All patients were attended for travelers' diarrhea. In addition, one student had also presented with respiratory symptoms and fever while in Guatemala and her chest X-ray showed interstitial infiltrates. The epidemiological history recognized risk factors for histoplasmosis in all patients (all of them had been working in the reconstruction of an old school building). The intradermal histoplasmin test was performed and was positive in all nine patients. None of the students required treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Histoplasmosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of returning travelers' fever. The diagnosis would have been missed in all of our patients if not for a directed clinical history taking. It is important to reinforce prevention measures, e.g. the use of face masks, when working in an environment with a risk for acquiring histoplasmosis.

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OBJECTIVE: To understand some of the clinical and demographic features of the epidemic of infection by HIV in El Salvador prior to the availability of antiretroviral therapy in that country. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of HIV-infected individuals who were admitted to Hospital Rosales, which is a large public teaching hospital in San Salvador, El Salvador, during the 5-year period of 1994 through 1998. Chart abstraction was done of 194 out of the 208 individuals admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit at Hospital Rosales (14 charts could not be located). We also carried out a sampling of other HIV-infected adults treated in other parts of the hospital. RESULTS: Of the 250 patients whose records we reviewed, 67% were men and 86% were from an urban area. The mean age at HIV diagnosis was 34 years. In terms of occupation, 50% of the men were day laborers; 76% of the women were housewives, and 8% of the women were commercial sex workers. All the women studied listed only heterosexual contact as their risk behavior. Of the men, 9% of them said they had sex only with men, 17% said with both men and women, and 65% said with female commercial sex workers. In terms of drug use, 2% of the patients reported they had used injection drugs at some point. At their initial medical visit to Hospital Rosales, over half of the 250 patients presented with a respiratory complaint or with diarrhea, 6% had pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), and 5% had extrapulmonary TB. Of the 250 patients, 177 of them (71%) had AIDS at the first medical visit. Of the 250, 138 of them (55%) were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 112 persons, 81 of them (72%) were known to have died. Of those 81, 38 of them (47%) died of unknown causes and 21 (26%) died of TB. CONCLUSIONS: The HIV-infected adults treated at the Hospital Rosales during the 1994-1998 period were usually infected through heterosexual sex, were symptomatic at the time of presentation, and were often lost to follow-up. Utilizing the results of our study and of other research, efforts to expand early intervention, counseling and testing, and targeted prevention activities should be strengthened.

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OBJECTIVE: To understand some of the clinical and demographic features of the epidemic of infection by HIV in El Salvador prior to the availability of antiretroviral therapy in that country. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of HIV-infected individuals who were admitted to Hospital Rosales, which is a large public teaching hospital in San Salvador, El Salvador, during the 5-year period of 1994 through 1998. Chart abstraction was done of 194 out of the 208 individuals admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit at Hospital Rosales (14 charts could not be located). We also carried out a sampling of other HIV-infected adults treated in other parts of the hospital. RESULTS: Of the 250 patients whose records we reviewed, 67 percent were men and 86 percent were from an urban area. The mean age at HIV diagnosis was 34 years. In terms of occupation, 50 percent of the men were day laborers; 76 percent of the women were housewives, and 8 percent of the women were commercial sex workers. All the women studied listed only heterosexual contact as their risk behavior. Of the men, 9 percent of them said they had sex only with men, 17 percent said with both men and women, and 65 percent said with female commercial sex workers. In terms of drug use, 2 percent of the patients reported they had used injection drugs at some point. At their initial medical visit to Hospital Rosales, over half of the 250 patients presented with a respiratory complaint or with diarrhea, 6 percent had pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), and 5 percent had extrapulmonary TB. Of the 250 patients, 177 of them (71 percent) had AIDS at the first medical visit. Of the 250, 138 of them (55 percent) were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 112 persons, 81 of them (72 percent) were known to have died. Of those 81, 38 of them (47 percent) died of unknown causes and 21 (26 percent) died of TB. CONCLUSIONS: The HIV-infected adults treated at the Hospital Rosales during the 1994-1998 period were usually infected through heterosexual sex, were symptomatic at the time of presentation, and were often lost to follow-up. Utilizing the results of our study and of other research, efforts to expand early intervention, counseling and testing, and targeted prevention activities should be strengthened

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