Padrões de violência domiciliar associada ao uso de álcool no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Analisar as situações de violência domiciliar ocorridas com o agressor sob efeito do álcool. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um levantamento domiciliar que incluiu as 108 cidades brasileiras com mais de 200 mil habitantes em 2005. A amostragem foi por conglomerados, estratificada, probabilística e autoponderada, obtida em três estágios de seleção: setores censitários, domicílios e respondentes (população entre 12-65 anos de idade). O instrumento utilizado para obtenção dos dados foi o Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, com perguntas sobre dados sociodemográficos e uso de drogas psicotrópicas. RESULTADOS: Foram pesquisados 7.939 domicílios. Em 33,5% foi relatado histórico de violência domiciliar, sendo 17,1% com agressores alcoolizados. Os tipos de violência em associação com uso de álcool mais freqüentes foram: discussões direcionadas a pessoas do domicílio (81,8%), escândalos não direcionados a alguém específico (70,9%), ameaça de agressão física (39,5%) e de quebra de objetos (38,7%), agressões físicas (27,8%), com armas (5,5%) e abuso sexual (3,2%). Mais da metade dos agressores era morador do domicílio, 88,8% deles do sexo masculino. A maioria das vítimas era do sexo feminino (63,9%); 33,9% eram esposas e 18,2% filhos. Quanto às reincidências, 14,1% dos casos perduraram por período entre um a cinco anos e em 14,3% ultrapassaram uma década. A maior parte das vítimas (86%) e dos agressores (77,9%) não procurou por ajuda em serviço de saúde e/ou delegacia. CONCLUSÕES: Além da alta proporção de domicílios brasileiros com histórico de violência com agressores alcoolizados, as agressões apresentaram várias especificidades. A baixa procura por ajuda em serviços de saúde/segurança indica a importância da detecção ativa de casos de violência domiciliar.

Drug use in college students: a 13-year trend

OBJECTIVE: To analyze drug use trends among college students in 1996, 2001 and 2009. METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological study with a multistage stratified cluster sample with 9,974 college students was conducted in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on drug use assessed in lifetime, the preceding 12 months and the preceding 30 days. The Bonferroni correction was used for multiple comparisons of drug use rates between surveys. RESULTS: There were changes in the lifetime use of tobacco and some other drugs (hallucinogens [6.1% to 8.8%], amphetamines [4.6% to 8.7%], and tranquilizers [5.7% to 8.2%]) from 1996 to 2009. Differences in the use of other drugs over the 12 months preceding the survey were also seen: reduced use of inhalants [9.0% to 4.8%] and increased use of amphetamines [2.4% to 4.8%]. There was a reduction in alcohol [72.9% to 62.1%], tobacco [21.3% to 17.2%] and marijuana [15.0% to 11.5%] use and an increase in amphetamine use [1.9% to 3.3%] in the preceeding 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Over the 13-year study period, there was an increase in lifetime use of tobacco, hallucinogens, amphetamines, and tranquilizers. There was an increase in amphetamine use and a reduction in alcohol use during the preceding 12 months. There was an increase in amphetamine use during the preceding 30 days.

Candida albicans skin abscess

Subcutaneous candidal abscess is a very rare infection even in immunocompromised patients. Some cases are reported when breakdown in the skin occurs, as bacterial cellulites or abscess, iatrogenic procedures, trauma and parenteral substance abuse. We describe a case of Candida albicans subcutaneous abscess without fungemia, which can be associated with central venous catheter.

Effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and modafinil challenge on sleep rebound after paradoxical sleep deprivation in rats

Sleep loss is both common and critically relevant to our society and might lead to the abuse of psychostimulants such as amphetamines, cocaine and modafinil. Since psychoactive substance abuse often occurs within a scenario of sleep deficit, the purpose of this investigation was to compare the sleep patterns of rats challenged with cocaine (7 mg/kg, ip), methamphetamine (7 mg/kg, ip), or modafinil (100 mg/kg, ip) subsequent to paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) for 96 h. Our results show that, immediately after 96 h of PSD, rats (10 per group) that were injected with a psychostimulant presented lower percentages of paradoxical sleep compared to those injected with saline (P < 0.01). Regarding slow wave sleep (SWS), rats injected with psychostimulants after PSD presented a late rebound (on the second night subsequent to the injection) in the percentage of this phase of sleep when compared to PSD rats injected with saline (P < 0.05). In addition, the current study has produced evidence of the characteristic effect of each drug on sleep architecture. Home cage control rats injected with modafinil and methamphetamine showed a reduction in SWS compared with the saline group. Methamphetamine affected sleep patterns most, since it significantly reduced paradoxical sleep, SWS and sleep efficiency before and after PSD compared to control (P < 0.05). Cocaine was the psychostimulant causing the least changes in sleep pattern in relation to those observed after saline injection. Therefore, our results suggest that abuse of these psychostimulants in a PSD paradigm aggravates their impact on sleep patterns.