Several factors could explain our findings, including the possibility of publication bias in the current literature.”
“Background: Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are infrequent diseases. Data on incidence and prevalence are scarce and conflicting. There are no such data in Latin America and in Argentina in particular.

Objectives: We undertook to examine the incidence and prevalence of PM/DM in the prepaid health maintenance organization (HMO) of our hospital, in the city of Buenos Aires.

Methods: Members of the

HMO between January 1999 and June 2009 were identified from medical records of patients followed up by us at the HMO. Incident cases and prevalence were calculated at the end Omipalisib of the period.

Results: During the study period, 146,747 persons contributed a total URMC-099 of 937,902.6 person-years (mean age was 46.6 [SD, 18.4] years, and 59% were female). Ten incident cases were detected, 7 women and 3 men with a global incidence rate (IR) of 1.07 per 100,000 person-years

(95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5-1.84). Three subjects had DM with an IR of 0.32 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.1Y0.99), and 7 had PM with an IR of 0.75 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.35-0.16). On June 1, 2009, 17 prevalent cases were detected, with a mean age of 48.9 (SD, 17.7) years; 76% were female, representing a prevalence of 17.4 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 10.1-27.8). Among the 17 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, 10 patients had DM, with a prevalence Caspase activation of 10.22 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 4.9-18.8), and 7 had PM (prevalence, 7.2 per 100,000 persons [95% CI, 2.9-14.7]).

Conclusions: It is difficult to compare studies from different populations and using different ascertainment techniques. These first data from Latin America are in general agreement with many studies.”
“The aim of this randomized, parallel-arm, open-label trial was to compare lumbar versus thoracic epidural morphine for severe isolated blunt chest wall injury as regards the incidence of pulmonary complications and pain control.

Fifty-five patients who sustained

severe isolated blunt chest wall trauma were randomized using a computer-generated list to receive epidural morphine injection every 24 h through an epidural catheter inserted into the lumbar (n = 28) or thoracic (n = 27) region. Need for mechanical ventilation, incidence of pneumonia, arterial blood gas values, and pulmonary function tests were compared in both groups. Pain scores, supplemental analgesic consumption, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and occurrence of epidural morphine-related side effects were compared as well. Primary outcome measures were need for mechanical ventilation and incidence of pneumonia.

Five (17.9 %) patients in the lumbar group were mechanically ventilated, compared with six (22.2 %) in the thoracic group (hazard ratio 1.