Background: Fournier's Gangrene (FG) is a severe necrotizing infection of soft tissues, primarily affecting the perineum, genitals, and lower abdomen. Although rare, its high mortality and rapid progression demand a comprehensive understanding of its management. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of Fournier's gangrene, providing an updated overview of its management and outcomes. Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on recent and relevant studies on Fournier's gangrene. Articles addressing clinical management, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, and associated comorbidities were evaluated. Results: The reviewed studies indicate that Fournier's gangrene is often associated with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and urological diseases. Early detection and prompt surgical intervention are crucial for improving prognosis. Standard treatment involves aggressive surgical debridement, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, and management of underlying conditions. Despite advancements in treatment strategies, mortality rates remain high. Conclusion: Fournier's gangrene is a medical emergency that requires rapid intervention and a multidisciplinary approach. The combination of early debridement, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and management of comorbidities is essential for improving outcomes and reducing mortality. Ongoing research is needed to optimize treatment strategies and improve the quality of life for affected patients. General area of ​​study: medicine. Specific study area: general surgery and coloproctology. Type of study: narrative review.

Introduction: In recent years, a significant increase in the prevalence of resistant uropathies has been observed, with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria being one of the most important groups, due to their mechanism of hydrolyzing beta-lactam antibiotics. Objective: To determine the prevalence of beta-lactamases in urine cultures of outpatients at the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital, period 2019 – 2022. Methodology: The methodology is quantitative research, with a cross-sectional, observational, descriptive-explanatory study. It was conducted at the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital, the study universe constitutes all the urine cultures of patients seen in the outpatient clinic in the period 2019 to 2022, with a total of 903 patients, the variables to be studied are: Age, sex, isolated microorganism, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, resistance to other antibiotics. The SPSS statistical package was used for data analysis. Results: the population was female with 80.3 %. Among the main bacteria producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase in urine cultures from outpatients, Escherichia coli was identified as the most common bacterium in urine cultures with a total of 89.8%; however, only 21.0% reported positive for beta-lactamase, as well as 7.7% of Klebsiella oxytoca and 58.1% of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Conclusion: the prevalence and patterns of resistance and sensitivity of bacteria producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases are comparable with both local and international epidemiology.

Introduction. Neurodegenerative diseases refer to a heterogeneous set of disorders whose onset is unknown, and which progressively affect the degeneration of neuronal circuits, resulting in a progressive loss of functions such as memory, movement, and speech. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Huntington's are common examples of these diseases. Alzheimer's is caused by the accumulation of amyloid beta leading to the formation of plaques that damage neurons, Parkinson’s is a progressive degeneration of neurons in a specific region of the brain called the substantia nigra. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and Huntington's affects a region of the brain called the striatum. Objectives: To investigate and evaluate the impact and efficacy of biomarkers in the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Methodology: The writing was based on a rigorous methodology in the bibliographic review, in which transparency is prioritized in the presentation of information. All the sources consulted were duly cited and referenced, providing assurance of the traceability of the data and the possibility of verifying the information. Results: Biomarkers in the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases allow detecting alterations before clinical symptoms appear, in such a way as to facilitate the choice of effective treatments, monitoring of the disease and the personalization of therapies. This article comprehensively reviews updated information on the several types of biomarkers of neurodegenerative pathologies to provide a new overview of them. Conclusions: Biomarkers in their current and future role are considered an important tool for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Huntington's, because they allow the identification of specific abnormal proteins of each pathology in fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, blood or tissues, providing a higher degree of specificity that contributes significantly to the quality of patients' lives. General area of study: Health Sciences. Specific area of study: Clinical laboratory. Type of study: Bibliographic Review.

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally in older adults, and to reduce this morbidity and mortality gap, intervention programs have been designed to modify changes in lifestyles. Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify programs developed for older adults, their duration, areas intervened, and effectiveness through a systematic review of the literature that was based on the PRISMA methodology, in which the academic databases EBSCOhost, Dialnet, PubMed, Redalyc, Scopus, and Google Scholar were examined. Methodology: The studies included in the review consist of articles published in the period 2019 to 2024. A total of 194 preliminary articles were obtained, of which 44 studies were selected following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The results show that most of the programs last between 2 and 12 months, based on comprehensive activities, with nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction and personalized behavioral counseling being the most implemented. Conclusions: Regarding the effectiveness of the programs, most of them present significant changes in body mass index, glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides, better physical performance, improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and in health habits. General area of study: medicine. Specific area of study: cardiology. Type of study: Bibliographic Review.

Introduction: Ingestion of contaminated foods can cause foodborne illnesses (FADs). The presence of E. coli and Coliforms are indicators of contamination due to poor handling. In the “9 de Octubre” Market in Cuenca, Ecuador, the microbiological quality of cooked salads was examined since it is one of the mainready-to-eat foods, preventing food spoilage and guaranteeing food safety. Objective: To determine the presence of E. coli/Coliforms in cooked salads sold in the “9 de Octubre” Market in Cuenca, August 2023. Methodology: This article was developed using an experimental design of laboratory microbiological analysis. The universe of this study is constituted by the “9 de Octubre” Market of the city of Cuenca. A group of 30 samples of cooked salads were analyzed using Compact Dry EC plates to determine E. coli/Coliforms. The presence of colony-forming units (CFU) was quantified according to INEN 1529-7 and NTS N° 071-MINSA/DIGESA/V 01 regulations. Results: The presence of E. coli/Coliforms was identified by CFU/g in the samples, exceeding the permissible limit mentioned in Peruvian regulations, determining that the sale and consumption of this food is unacceptable. Conclusion: The microbiological quality of the cooked salads on the “9 de Octubre” Market was analyzed, with evidence of sanitary risk due to the high growth of microorganisms observed on the Compact Dry EC plates. General area of study: Microbiology. Specific area of study: Bacteriology. Type of study: Original article.

Introduction. Cases of COVID-19 in older adults have revealed an association between a respiratory infection and vitamin D deficiency. It has been observed that calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, attacks antigen-presenting cells, triggering an adaptive immune response. Objective. To describe the most common pathologies associated with vitamin D deficiency in post-COVID-19 geriatric patients through a systematic review. Methodology. This research is a literature review article with a descriptive approach using a systematic overview to collect information based on research articles related to vitamin D deficiency in geriatric patients and SARS-CoV-2. Information was collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Results. Sixteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were included, in which it was observed that most patients had serum vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL, suggesting a significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency in this population. Furthermore, a relationship between this deficiency and arterial hypertension, diabetes, and, above all, severe cases of the disease was evidenced. Conclusion. The relationship between low vitamin D levels and worse outcomes in cases of COVID-19 or complications during and after the disease is evident, emphasizing the relevance of considering vitamin D as a significant factor in managing and prognosing the disease in older adults.