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ABSTRACT Objetivo: Determinar costos directos del tratamiento en tres grupos de pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar (TP): ambulatorios-adherentes (AA), hospitalizados adherentes (HA) y hospitalizados no adherentes (HNA). Material y métodos: Se consideraron tres grupos: ambulatorios-adherentes, hospitaliza dos adherentes y hospitalizados no adherentes. Se determinaron costos directos desde la perspectiva del financiador, según modulación del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires a julio 2022, cotización peso/dólar 140. El costo de las drogas antituberculosis fue provisto por el Programa de Tuberculosis del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Resultados: Se incluyeron 10 pacientes ambulatorios adherentes. El tiempo de trata miento fue de 24 ± 2,52 semanas; la adherencia, el 100 %. El costo directo fue de USD 257,79 por paciente (RIQ = 191,6-328,55). Se incluyeron 20 pacientes hospitalizados no adherentes y 10 hospitalizados adherentes, sin diferencias en edad y género entre ellos. Los primeros tenían mayor carga tabáquica, situación de calle, desnutrición, al coholismo, adicciones y HIV (todos p < 0,05). El tiempo de primer tratamiento fue para hospitalizados no adherentes 5,5 semanas (RIQ = 3-8) y 24 semanas para hospitalizados adherentes. La duración en hospitalizados no adherentes de siguientes tratamientos fue de 0,5-9 semanas. El costo final alcanzó USD 8165,87 por paciente (RIQ = 4706,45- 12 897,82) en hospitalizados no adherentes y USD 4015,26 (RIQ = 3458,15-4482,6), en hospitalizados adherentes (p < 0,01). Conclusión: El costo directo del tratamiento en ambulatorios adherentes fue USD 257 por paciente. El costo directo del abandono del tratamiento de hospitalizados no adherentes es el doble que en hospitalizados adherentes (USD 8165 vs. USD 4015). El costo de tratar a ambulatorios adherentes es quince veces menor que internarlos. Es el primer estudio de costos directos en nuestro país sobre el tema. Se deben instrumentar programas de mejora de adherencia al tratamiento para evitar un alto costo sanitario, drogorresistencia y aumento de la morbimortalidad.

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the direct costs of the treatment in three groups of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB): adherent outpatients (AOs), hospitalized-adherent (HA), and hospitalized non-adherent (HNA). Methods: Three groups were considered: AOs, HA, and HNA patients. Direct costs were determined from the perspective of the funder, based on the cost modules pro-vided by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires (GCBA) as of July 2022, with a peso/dollar exchange rate of 140. The cost of antituberculous drugs was provided by the Tuberculosis Program of the GCBA. Results: Ten AOs were included, with a treatment duration of 24±2.52 weeks and 100 % adherence. The direct cost was US$ 257.79 per patient (IQR [inter quartile range]=191.6-328.55). Twenty HNA patients and ten HA patients were included, with no differences between the groups in age and gender. HNA patients showed the following characteristics: higher smoking load, homelessness, malnutrition, alcoholism, addictions, and HIV (all p<0.05). The duration of the first treatment was 5.5 weeks for HNA patients (IQR=3-8), and 24 weeks for HA patients. The duration of subsequent treatments for HNA patients ranged from 0.5 to 9 weeks. The final cost was US$ 8,165.87 per patient (IQR=4,706.45-12,897.82) in the HNA group and US$ 4,015.26 per patient (IQR=3,458.15-4,482.6) in the HA group (p<0.01). Conclusion: The direct cost of treatment in AOs was US$ 257 per patient. The direct cost of treatment withdrawal in HNA patients is twice the cost of HA patients (US$ 8,165 vs. US$ 4,015). The cost of treating AOs is fifteen times lower than the cost of hospitalizing them. This is the first study about direct costs on this topic to be conducted in our country. Programs to improve treatment adherence should be implemented to prevent high healthcare costs, drug resistance, and increased morbidity and mortality.

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Analyzing the electrical double layer (EDL) in electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement at low frequencies remains a challenging task for sensing purposes. In this work, we propose two approaches to deal with the EDL in measuring impedance for particles and non-adherent cells in an electrolytic suspension. The first approach is a simple procedure to compute a normalized electrical impedance spectrum named dispersed medium index (DMi). The second is the EIS modeling through an equivalent electric circuit based on the so-called effective capacitance (Cef), which unifies the EDL phenomena. Firstly, as an experiment under controlled conditions, we examine polymer particles of 6, 15, and 48 µm in diameter suspended in a 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Subsequently, we used K-562 cells and leukocytes suspended in a culture medium (RPMI-1640 supplemented) for a biological assay. As the main result, the DMi is a function of the particle concentration. In addition, it shows a tendency with the particle size; regardless, it is limited to a volume fraction of 0.03 × 10-4 to 58 × 10-4. The DMi is not significantly different between K-562 cells and leukocytes for most concentrations. On the other hand, the Cef exhibits high applicability to retrieve a function that describes the concentration for each particle size, the K-562 cells, and leukocytes. The Cef also shows a tendency with the particle size without limitation within the range tested, and it allows distinction between the K-562 and leukocytes in the 25 cells/µL to 400 cells/µL range. We achieved a simple method for determining an Cef by unifying the parameters of an equivalent electrical circuit from data obtained with a conventional potentiostat. This simple approach is affordable for characterizing the population of non-adherent cells suspended in a cell culture medium.

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BACKGROUND: Adherence to pharmacological treatment (APT) is crucial for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to achieve metabolic control and decrease complications. AIM: To establish the proportion of APT in patients with T2DM, the influence of the same on blood glucose, and the factors involved in a lack of ATP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Diabetic patients were interrogated about sociodemographic factors, the evolution of the disease, their fasting blood glucose levels, and the use of other treatments. APT was evaluated with the Morisky-Green questionnaire, patient beliefs about treatments with the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and patient knowledge about T2DM with the standard questionnaire. RESULTS: A representative sample of 400 individuals of both sexes was studied, finding a lack of APT in 74.5% of patients. The latter patients showed a significantly greater level of blood glucose while being more preoccupied and less informed about the disease. A lack of APT was associated with the refusal to undergo the blood glucose test among men (Odds ratio (OR)=3.70; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.58-8.66) and with the consumption of medicinal plants among women (OR=2.53; IC 95%, 1.23-5.23). CONCLUSIONS: A lack of APT in patients with T2DM is a serious problem and associated with a lack of knowledge about the disease. It is urgent to strengthen the educational programs in relation to T2DM to promote adherence to treatment.

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Spheroids are 3D spherical cell aggregates, which, cultivated in vitro, behave differently than regular monolayer cellular cultures. Cancer spheroids share many characteristics with in vivo solid tumors, making them a powerful tool in cancer research. The use of cancer spheroids makes it possible to identify the potential of new anticancer pharmacological targets, leading them to be widely used in preclinical oncology research. 3D in vitro models allow the study in detail of many important aspects of the cellular transformation process, such as cell morphology, gene expression, cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, angiogenesis, and vasculogenic mimicry.In this chapter, the importance of studies using spheroids for current cancer research is described, focusing on vasculogenic mimicry, its morphological structure, and the different methods used in the formation of spheroids. The main method uses agarose to produce the molds for the cancer spheroids, is known as the non-adherent hydrogel micro-mold method, and is being covered in more detail below.

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Introducción: Existen varias curaciones para quemaduras. La sulfadiazina de plata se ha usado por años pero las membranas microporosas son cada vez más preferidas. Objetivos: Comparar la eficiencia de las membrana microporosa (Telfa Clear®) versus sulfadiazina de plata (Platsul®) en menores de 15 años hospitalizados por quemadura. Pacientes y Métodos: Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de 87 pacientes, dividido en 2 grupos comparables en extensión y profundidad de la quemadura, edad y sexo. Durante enero a diciembre 2007 se curaron 52 pacientes con Platsul® y desde enero a octubre 2008 se curaron 35 con Telfa Clear®. Se evalúa tiempos y extensión de reepitelización, porcentaje de injertos, costos, días de hospitalización, número de curaciones, complicaciones, almacenamiento-estabilidad y costos. Estadística no paramétrica para el análisis univariado y regresión logística multivariado en Stata 11.2. Resultados: Los pacientes curados con Platsul® se injertaron más tardíamente y presentan más curaciones. Platsul® es peor evaluado por su almacenamiento-estabilidad y mayores costos. No hay diferencia en la incidencia de infección. Conclusiones: Ambas Técnicas son eficientes en permitir reepitelización, pero Platsul® puede demorar el injerto. La Telfa Clear® es mejor evaluado por el equipo de salud en cuanto a almacenamiento y estabilidad. El menor costo de Telfa Clear® es una ventaja.

Introduction: There are several dressings for burns. Silver sulfadiazine has been used for years but microporous membranes are increasingly preferred. Objectives: To compare the efficiency of microporous membrane (Telfa Clear®) versus silver sulfadiazine (Platsul®) in children younger than 15 years old hospitalized for burns. Patients and Methodology: Retrospective cohort study of 87 patients, divided into 2 comparable groups in extent and depth of the burn, age and sex. During January to December 2007, in 52 patients Platsul® were use and in 35 patients Telfa Clear® were use from January to October 2008. The time and extent of re-epithelialization, percentage of grafts, costs, length of stay, number of dressing change, complications, storage-stability and costs are evaluated. Non-parametric statistics were used for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis en Stata 11.2. Results: Platsul® was associate to a later graft and had a greater number of dressing changes. Platsul® is worst rated for its storage-stability and higher costs. No difference in infection rate was observed. Conclusions: Both techniques are efficient in allowing re-epithelialization, but burns treated with Platsul® were grafted later than when Telfa Clear® was used. Telfa Clear® is best evaluated by the health team in terms of storage and stability. The cost of Telfa Clear® is presented as an advantage.

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