Doentes Cirúrgicos e Politraumatizados numa Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Médica

OBJECTIVE: to characterize and to assess in terms of severity the surgical and trauma patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit (ICU). DESIGN: retrospective study base on clinical records and the ICU computerized database. SETTING: the medical ICU of a tertiary hospital. RESULTS: of the 2468 patients admitted to the ICU in 1989, 289 (11.7%) were surgical or trauma ones. The more frequent reasons for admission were: the need for mechanical ventilation, metabolic problems, and depression of consciousness. Of these 289 patients, 48.1% required mechanical ventilation, 14.9 hemodialysis; 4.8% had a pulmonary artery catheter inserted. Mean APACHE II, TISS and MOF scores were high (20.09 +/- 9.29, 24.17 +/- 11.45 and 5.4 +/- 3.59); they were determined in 79.2, 88.2 and 43.9% of patients respectively. Both APACHE and TISS scores were correlated with mortality. When compared with medical patients, surgical/trauma ones although younger (52.9 +/- 20.7 years versus 55.9 +/- 20.2, p = 0.00152), had a longer mean stay in the ICU (7.63 +/- 12.7 days v. 3.64 +/- 7.61, p = 0.0001), and a higher mortality (also in the ICU) (28.7 v. 16.7, p = 0.0005. COMMENTS: these are seriously ill patients, who are frequently referred to the ICU in late stages of clinical evolution. We propose they should be closely followed, from the earliest possible stage, by medical-surgical teams, in order to benefit from a multidisciplinary approach.

Frequency of toxocara infection in children attended by the health public service of Maringá, south Brazil

The lack of specific laboratorial diagnosis methods and precise symptoms makes the toxocariasis a neglected disease in Public Health Services. This study aims to determine the frequency of Toxocara spp. infection in children attended by the Health Public Service of Hospital Municipal de Maringá, South Brazil. To evaluate the association of epidemiological and clinical data, an observational and cross-section study was carried out. From 14,690 attended children/year aged from seven month to 12 years old, 450 serum samples were randomly collected from September/2004 to September/2005. A questionnaire was used to evaluate epidemiological, clinical and hematological data. An ELISA using Toxocara canis larval excretory-secretory products as antigen detected 130 (28.8%) positive sera, mainly between children from seven month to five years old (p = 0.0016). Significant correlation was observed between positive serology for Toxocara, and frequent playing in sandbox at school or daycare center (p = 0.011) and the presence of a cat at home (p = 0.056). From the families, 50% were dog owners which exposed soil backyards. Eosinophilia (p = 0.776), and signs and symptoms analyzed (fever p = 0.992, pneumonia p = 0.289, cold-like symptoms p = 0.277, cough p = 0.783, gastrointestinal problems p = 0.877, migraine p = 0.979, abdominal pain p = 0.965, joint pain p = 0.686 and skin rash p = 0.105) could not be related to the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies. Therefore, two asthmatics children showed titles of 1:10,240 and accentuated eosinophilia (p = 0.0001). The authors emphasize the needs of prevention activities.

Conhecer e saber: uma caracterização enunciativa

Conhecer e saber remetem, pelo seu semantismo, para actividades .que exprimem funções cognitivas. São aliás classificados como verbos de actividade mental (Mateus et alii, 1998: 270-272). Não seria, porém, necessário recorrer ao seu semantismo específico para, enquanto formas lingüísticas, se constituírem, desde logo, como representações lingüísticas, marcadoras, portanto, de determinadas operações de natureza cognitiva, operações essas de que resultam, naturalmente, os enunciados. Partimos, pois, de uma concepção de linguagem como actividade simbólica de representação - de base cognitiva, portanto -, actividade que implica um sistema de operações concatenadas que se fazem marcar por formas gramaticais. Segundo esta concepção de linguagem, definida no interior da Teoria Formal Enunciativa proposta por Antoine Culioli, a enunciação enquadra-se no contexto global da construção da significação. Ora, a significação não é considerada em si mesma como um dado, mas, antes pelo contrário, concebida como o resultado ou finalidade última da actividade lingüística levada a cabo por um sujeito.

C4d Detection in Renal Allograft Biopsies: Immunohistochemistry vs. Immunofluorescence

Introduction. Peritubular capillary complement 4d staining is one of the criteria for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection, and research into this is essential to kidney allograft evaluation. The immunofluorescence technique applied to frozen sections is the present gold-standard method for complement 4d staining and is used routinely in our laboratory. The immunohistochemistry technique applied to paraffin-embedded tissue may be used when no frozen tissue is available. Material and Methods. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemistry compared with immunofluorescence. We describe the advantages and disadvantages of the immunohistochemistry vs. the immunofluorescence technique. For this purpose complement 4d staining was performed retrospectively by the two methods in indication biopsies (n=143) and graded using the Banff 07 classification. Results. There was total classification agreement between methods in 87.4% (125/143) of cases. However, immunohistochemistry staining caused more difficulties in interpretation, due to nonspecific staining in tubular cells and surrounding interstitium. All cases negative by immunofluorescence were also negative by immunohistochemistry. The biopsies were classified as positive in 44.7% (64/143) of cases performed by immunofluorescence vs. 36.4% (52/143) performed by immunohistochemistry. Fewer biopsies were classified as positive diffuse in the immunohistochemistry group(25.1% vs. 31.4%) and more as positive focal (13.2% vs. 11.1%). More cases were classified as negative by immunohistochemistry (63.6% vs. 55.2%). Study by ROC curve showed immunohistochemistry has a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 81.2% in relation to immunofluorescence (AUC: 0.906; 95% confidence interval: 0.846-0.949; p=0.0001). Conclusions. The immunohistochemistry method presents an excellent specificity but lower sensitivity to C4d detection in allograft dysfunction. The evaluation is more difficult, requiring a more experienced observer than the immunofluorescence method. Based on these results, we conclude that the immunohistochemistry technique can safely be used when immunofluorescence is not available.

Do grego ao latim - a relatividade da tradução

A comunicação interlinguística constitui, por imperativos da socialização e da mobilidade dos povos, um dos factores determinantes da própria evolução dos idiomas. A língua latina, associada, pelo menos, à fundação de Roma (753 a. C), ainda que desde sempre em contacto com o osco e o úmbrico, viu-se, desde o século VII, confrontada com a colonização grega, ao Sul do território itálico, na zona chamada, por tal motivo Magna Grécia. Na bagagem, traziam os habitantes do Egeu e do Jónio a sua língua polidialectal, juntamente com a sua economia, a sua cultura e a sua civilização. Mas é, sobretudo, a expansão romana que, com a tomada de Cápua e Nápoles (c. de 340), de Tarento (272) e de Siracusa, na Sicília (212), já no decorrer da I Guerra Púnica, permite à nova potência militar e marítima assimilar novas informações, novos conhecimentos e novas posturas reflexivas perante a Vida, a Natureza e a condição humana. As Ciências Matemáticas e Físicas, integradas na matriz questionadora da Filosofia grega, desempenharam, desde os Pré-Socráticos, papel preponderante na formação de um corpus lexical que paulatinamente se foi impondo entre os cidadãos mais ilustres de Roma. O próprio Direito Romano, tão importante na mentalidade e na legislação que dirigia o comportamento colectivo e dirimia as questões conflituais, está estruturado sobre a chamada Lei das Doze Tábuas, inspirada na consulta de três cidadãos, no século V, a Atenas, sobre as leis de Sólon e dos costumes de outras cidades gregas.

Alergia a Fármacos com Manifestações Cutâneas. Abordagem Diagnóstica

As reacções adversas a fármacos (RAF) representam um problema frequente na prática clínica. A alergia a fármacos resulta de mecanismos de hipersensibilidade imunológica e representa 6-10% do total de RAF. Clinicamente, as reacções alérgicas a fármacos podem ser classificadas como imediatas (tipo I) ou não-imediatas (com manifestações clínicas diversas e associadas sobretudo a reacções de tipo IV). Neste artigo são abordados aspectos gerais, nomeadamente os mecanismos imunopatogénicos implicados na alergia a fármacos e reactividade cruzada mas também as manifestações cutâneas mais relevantes, nomeadamente exantemas máculo-papulares, eritema fixo a fármacos (EFF), pustulose exantemática aguda generalizada (PEAG), síndrome de hipersensibilidade a fármacos (DRESS – drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms), síndrome de Stevens-Johnson/necrólise epidérmica tóxica (SSJ/NET). O papel dos testes cutâneos (epicutâneos ou intradérmicos de leitura tardia) na abordagem de reacções não-imediatas é também revisto. Os beta-lactâmicos (BL) são o grupo farmacológico mais frequentemente envolvido em reacções de hipersensibilidade imunológica e que mais dificuldades coloca na prática clínica diária, nomeadamente devido aos riscos de reactividade cruzada, pelo que é analisado em maior detalhe ao longo da revisão. A indução de tolerância a fármacos poderá ser considerada em casos selecionados, sobretudo quando na ausência de alternativas terapêuticas igualmente eficazes ou seguras.

SOUTH AMERICAN COLLABORATION IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ON LEISHMANIASIS: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS IN SCOPUS (2000-2011)

Objectives: Evaluate the production and the research collaborative network on Leishmaniasis in South America. Methods: A bibliometric research was carried out using SCOPUS database. The analysis unit was original research articles published from 2000 to 2011, that dealt with leishmaniasis and that included at least one South American author. The following items were obtained for each article: journal name, language, year of publication, number of authors, institutions, countries, and others variables. Results: 3,174 articles were published, 2,272 of them were original articles. 1,160 different institutional signatures, 58 different countries and 398 scientific journals were identified. Brazil was the country with more articles (60.7%) and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) had 18% of Brazilian production, which is the South American nucleus of the major scientific network in Leishmaniasis. Conclusions: South American scientific production on Leishmaniasis published in journals indexed in SCOPUS is focused on Brazilian research activity. It is necessary to strengthen the collaboration networks. The first step is to identify the institutions with higher production, in order to perform collaborative research according to the priorities of each country.

TOXOPLASMOSIS-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AMONG PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN ATTENDED IN PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS IN NITERÓI, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

The present study conducted a toxoplasmosis-related knowledge level survey with 400 pregnant and puerperal women attended in public health units in the municipality of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Only 111 (27.8%) women claimed to know about the disease. Most of them (n = 289; 72.2%) had never heard about toxoplasmosis nor knew how to prevent the infection by Toxoplasma gondii. A significant difference (p = 0.013) regarding the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG was observed between women who claimed to know about the disease and those who had never heard about it. These results highlight the importance of a systematic serological screening process for toxoplasmosis, as well as the importance of primary prevention by accurate information during prenatal care, an important Public Health action to be implemented.

The Role of Propranolol in the Treatment of Infantile Hemangioma

INTRODUCTION: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is one of the most common childhood tumors. There are various medical or surgical therapeutic options, all with suboptimal results. Recently, the successful use of propranolol for involution of IH was described. We report the results of a single-center experience with this therapeutic option. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the efficacy and safety of propranolol in children with infantile hemangioma. METHODS: We performed a prospective analysis of clinical data of all patients with IH referred to a pediatric cardiology center for baseline cardiovascular assessment prior to propranolol therapy. Propranolol was given at a starting dose of 1 mg/kg/day and titrated to a target dose of 2-3 mg/kg/day according to clinical response. Efficacy was assessed through a photograph-based severity scoring scale. Safety was assessed by collecting data regarding significant side effects. RESULTS: Starting in 2010, 30 patients (15 female) were referred for propranolol treatment of IH, at a median age of six months (1-63 months). The mean target propranolol dose was 2.8 mg/kg/day, with a mean duration of therapy of 12 months. All patients experienced significant reduction of IH size and volume. There were no side effects. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience propranolol appears to be a useful and safe treatment option for severe or complicated IH, achieving a rapid and significant reduction in their size. No adverse effects were observed, although until larger clinical trials are completed, potential adverse events should be borne in mind and consultation with local specialists is recommended prior to initiating treatment.

Displasia Fibrosa Crânio-Facial a Propósito de Dois Casos Clínicos

Dependendo da localização e do número de ossos envolvidos, a Displasia Fibrosa (D.F.) crânio-facial pode ser responsável por síndromes dismórficos e por sintomatologia otológica, oftalmológica ou rinológica. Este artigo tem por objectivo i1ustrar dois casos clínicos de D. F. Poliostótica com envolvimento predominante dos ossos temporal a etmóide. No primeiro caso clínico o envolvimento do osso temporal é responsável por síndrome vertiginoso resultante de hipofunção vestibular esquerda e da obliteração do aqueduto vestibular homolateral. Neste coso o doente foi submetido a neurectomia dos nervos vestibulares, por via retrosigmóide. O segundo caso clínico é um caso de D.F. predominantemente do osso etmóide, acompanhado de proptose e obstrução nasal, em que se procedeu à excisão total por via paralateronasal sob controlo endoscópico. Os autores fazem uma revisão da literatura sobre a clínica, o diagnóstico, e a terapêutica do da doença a nível crânio-facial.

Intoxicações numa Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Polivalente

Apresenta-se aqui um estudo retrospectivo de 1340 admissões por intoxicação numa Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Polivalente durante um período de quatro anos (1986-1989). Em 666 doentes ocorreram 735 intoxicações medicamentosas e em 674 doentes 691 intoxicações não medicamentosas. Nas intoxicações medicamentosas destacam-se os fármacos com acção principal a nível do sistema nervoso central (82.3%), predominando os insecticidas organofosforados (5 1.2%) nas não medicamentosas. Ao longo dos anos considerados constatou-se uma diminuição absoluta e relativa do número de doentes intoxicados (480 vs 244, 15.1% vs 9.9%). Dos internados, 698 era do sexo masculino (289 nas intoxicações medicamentosas e 409 nas não medicamentosas) e 642 do sexo feminino (377 nas medicamentosas e 265 nas não medicamentosas), existindo uma diferença estatisticamente muito significativa no tipo de intoxicação quanto ao sexo (p

Corporate social responsibility and its effect on image and reputation: The case of L’Oréal and its acquisition of The Body Shop

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Obesity and socioeconomic gradient

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics