Agent based risk patient management

This paper explores the role of information and communication technologies in managing risk and early discharge patients, and suggests innovative actions in the area of E-Health services. Treatments of chronic illnesses, or treatments of special needs such as cardiovascular diseases, are conducted in long-stay hospitals, and in some cases, in the homes of patients with a follow-up from primary care centre. The evolution of this model is following a clear trend: trying to reduce the time and the number of visits by patients to health centres and derive tasks, so far as possible, toward outpatient care. Also the number of Early Discharge Patients (EDP) is growing, thus permiting a saving in the resources of the care center. The adequacy of agent and mobile technologies is assessed in light of the particular requirements of health care applications. A software system architecture is outlined and discussed. The major contributions are: first, the conceptualization of multiple mobile and desktop devices as part of a single distributed computing system where software agents are being executed and interact from their remote locations. Second, the use of distributed decision making in multiagent systems, as a means to integrate remote evidence and knowledge obtained from data that is being collected and/or processed by distributed devices. The system will be applied to patients with cardiovascular or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) as well as to ambulatory surgery patients. The proposed system will allow to transmit the patient's location and some information about his/her illness to the hospital or care centre

Update in the management of critically ill burned patients

The management of critically ill burn patients is challenging. These patients have to be managed in specialized centers, where the expertise of physicians and nursing personnel guarantees the best treatment. Mortality of burn patients has improved over the past decades due to a better understanding of burn shock pathophysiology, optimal surgical management, infection control and nutritional support. Indeed, a more aggressive resuscitation, early excision and grafting, the judicious use of topical antibiotics, and the provision of an adequate calorie and protein intake are key to attain best survival results. General advances in critical care have also to be implemented, including protective ventilation, glycemic control, selective decontamination of the digestive tract, and implementation of sedation protocols.

Medición de la cultura de seguridad del paciente en un hospital público de primer nivel en el municipio de Villeta

Esta investigación midió la percepción del personal asistencial sobre la cultura de seguridad de los pacientes en un hospital de primer nivel de complejidad por medio de un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Se utilizó como herramienta de medición la encuesta ‘Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Cultura’ (HSOPSC) de la Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) versión en español, la cual evalúa doce dimensiones. Los resultados mostraron fortalezas como el aprendizaje organizacional, las mejoras continuas y el apoyo de los administradores para la seguridad del paciente. Las dimensiones clasificadas como oportunidades de mejora fueron la cultura no punitiva, el personal, las transferencias y transiciones y el grado en que la comunicación es abierta. Se concluyó que aunque el personal percibía como positivo el proceso de mejoramiento y apoyo de la administración también sentía que era juzgado si reportaba algún evento adverso.

Colic surgery in the equine patient: novel biomarkers, postoperative management, microbiotal influence and epidemiological analysis on the italian territory

The aim of this work was to investigate novel diagnostic and prognostic tools, postoperative treatments and epidemiologic factors impacting the outcome of surgical cases of colic. To make a more accurate diagnosis and establish a prognosis, several biomarkers have been investigated in colic patients. In this study we evaluated peritoneal PCT and blood ADMA and SDMA in SIRS positive and negative colic patients to be used as prognostic biomarkers. Our results highlighted the limits of these biomarkers in detection and the lack of specificity. In fact PCT was not detectable and even if ADMA and SDMA significantly increased in colic horses, they are not diagnostic nor prognostic markers for SIRS. Fluid therapy has been described to be crucial for the outcome of colic patients, nevertheless no guidelines have been established. Overhydration was the common practice in post surgical management. We compared cases with an extended fluid therapy protocol and cases with a restricted protocol. Results showed that survival rate and postoperative complications were similar between the groups, despite costs being significantly lower in the restricted group. The possible correlation between intestinal microbiota and colics has gained interest. In this study, cecal and colonic content from horses undergoing laparotomy were collected, and the microbiota analized. Results showed some differences in microbiota between discharged and non discharged patients, and between strangulating and non strangulating types of colic, that might suggest some influence of hind gut microbiota on the disease. A multicentric study involving three veterinary teaching hospitals on the italian territory was conducted investigating factors affecting postoperative survival and complications in colics. Results showed that the influence of age, PCV, TPP, blood lactate, reflux, type of disease, type of lesion, presence of anastomosis, duration of surgery and surgeons, were in line with literature. Amount of crystalloids used could affected the outcome.

A Decade Of Malaria During Pregnancy In Brazil: What Has Been Done Concerning Prevention And Management.

In Brazil, malaria remains a disease of major epidemiological importance because of the high number of cases in the Amazonian Region. Plasmodium spp infections during pregnancy are a significant public health problem with substantial risks for the pregnant woman, the foetus and the newborn child. In Brazil, the control of malaria during pregnancy is primarily achieved by prompt and effective treatment of the acute episodes. Thus, to assure rapid diagnosis and treatment for pregnant women with malaria, one of the recommended strategy for low transmission areas by World Health Organization and as part of a strategy by the Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Control Program has focused on integrative measures with woman and reproductive health. Here, we discuss the approach for the prevention and management of malaria during pregnancy in Brazil over the last 10 years (2003-2012) using morbidity data from Malaria Health Information System. Improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare and education and the consolidation of prevention programmes will be challenges in the control of malaria during pregnancy in the next decade.

Management Of Severe Thoracic Impalement Trauma Against Two-wheeled Horse Carriage: A Case Report And Literature Review.

Thoracic injuries in general are of great importance due to their high incidence and high mortality. Thoracic impalement injuries are rare but severe due to the combination of cause, effect and result. This study's primary objective is to report the case of a young man who was impaled by a two-wheeled horse carriage shaft while crashing his motorcycle in a rural zone. An EMT-B ferry was called at the crash scene and a conscious patient was found, sustaining a severe impalement injury to the left hemithorax, suspended over the floor by the axial skeleton with the carriage shaft coming across his left chest. As a secondary objective, a literature review of thoracic impalement injuries is performed. Cases of thoracic impalement injury require unique and individualized care based on injury severity and affected organs. Reported protocols for managing impalement injuries are entirely anecdotal, with no uniformity on impaled patient's approach and management. In penetrating trauma, it is essential not to remove the impaled object, so that possible vascular lesions remain buffered by the object, avoiding major bleeding and exsanguination haemorrhage. Severed impaled thoracic patients should be transferred to a specialist centre for trauma care, as these lesions typically require complex multidisciplinary treatment. High-energy thoracic impalement injuries are rare and hold a high mortality rate, due to the complexity of trauma and associated injuries such as thoracic wall and lung lesions. Modern medicine still seems limited in cases of such seriousness, not always with satisfactory results.

Key Issues In Inhibitor Management In Patients With Haemophilia.

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[consensus Of The Brazilian Society Of Rheumatology For The Diagnosis, Management And Treatment Of Lupus Nephritis].

To develop recommendations for the diagnosis, management and treatment of lupus nephritis in Brazil. Extensive literature review with a selection of papers based on the strength of scientific evidence and opinion of the Commission on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus members, Brazilian Society of Rheumatology. 1) Renal biopsy should be performed whenever possible and if this procedure is indicated; and, when the procedure is not possible, the treatment should be guided with the inference of histologic class. 2) Ideally, measures and precautions should be implemented before starting treatment, with emphasis on attention to the risk of infection. 3) Risks and benefits of treatment should be shared with the patient and his/her family. 4) The use of hydroxychloroquine (preferably) or chloroquine diphosphate is recommended for all patients (unless contraindicated) during induction and maintenance phases. 5) The evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment should be made with objective criteria of response (complete remission/partial remission/refractoriness). 6) ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs are recommended as antiproteinuric agents for all patients (unless contraindicated). 7) The identification of clinical and/or laboratory signs suggestive of proliferative or membranous glomerulonephritis should indicate an immediate implementation of specific therapy, including steroids and an immunosuppressive agent, even though histological confirmation is not possible. 8) Immunosuppressives must be used during at least 36 months, but these medications can be kept for longer periods. Its discontinuation should only be done when the patient achieve and maintain a sustained and complete remission. 9) Lupus nephritis should be considered as refractory when a full or partial remission is not achieved after 12 months of an appropriate treatment, when a new renal biopsy should be considered to assist in identifying the cause of refractoriness and in the therapeutic decision.

Conservative Management For Lingual Thyroid Ectopic.

Lingual thyroid gland is a rare clinical entity. The presence of an ectopic thyroid gland located at the base of the tongue may be presented with symptoms like dysphagia, dysphonia, and upper airway obstruction. We are introducing a case of an 8-year-old girl who had lingual thyroid that presented dysphagia and foreign body sensation in the throat. The diagnostic was reached with clinical examination, thyroid scintigraphy with Tc(99m) and ultrasound. A laryngoscopy was performed which confirmed a spherical mass at base of tongue. Investigation should include thyroid function tests. In this case we observed subclinical hypothyroidism. There are different types of surgical approaches for the treatment of this condition; however, the treatment with Levothyroxine Sodium allowed the stabilization of TSH levels and clinical improvement of symptoms in a follow-up of 2 years.

Contribution Of Antepartum And Intrapartum Hemorrhage To The Burden Of Maternal Near Miss And Death In A National Surveillance Study.

To evaluate the occurrence of severe obstetric complications associated with antepartum and intrapartum hemorrhage among women from the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity. Multicenter cross-sectional study. Twenty-seven obstetric referral units in Brazil between July 2009 and June 2010. A total of 9555 women categorized as having obstetric complications. The occurrence of potentially life-threatening conditions, maternal near miss and maternal deaths associated with antepartum and intrapartum hemorrhage was evaluated. Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and the use of criteria for management of severe bleeding were also assessed in these women. The prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals adjusted for the cluster effect of the design, and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to identify factors independently associated with the occurrence of severe maternal outcome. Antepartum and intrapartum hemorrhage occurred in only 8% (767) of women experiencing any type of obstetric complication. However, it was responsible for 18.2% (140) of maternal near miss and 10% (14) of maternal death cases. On multivariate analysis, maternal age and previous cesarean section were shown to be independently associated with an increased risk of severe maternal outcome (near miss or death). Severe maternal outcome due to antepartum and intrapartum hemorrhage was highly prevalent among Brazilian women. Certain risk factors, maternal age and previous cesarean delivery in particular, were associated with the occurrence of bleeding.

Dysphagia Progression And Swallowing Management In Parkinson's Disease: An Observational Study.

Dysphagia is relatively common in individuals with neurological disorders. To describe the swallowing management and investigate associated factors with swallowing in a case series of patients with Parkinson's disease. It is a long-term study with 24 patients. The patients were observed in a five-year period (2006-2011). They underwent Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, Functional Oral Intake Scale and therapeutic intervention every three months. In the therapeutic intervention they received orientation about exercises to improve swallowing. The Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's tests were used. The period of time for improvement or worsening of swallowing was described by Kaplan-Meier analysis. During the follow-up, ten patients improved, five stayed the same and nine worsened their swallowing functionality. The median time for improvement was ten months. Prior to the worsening there was a median time of 33 months of follow-up. There was no associated factor with improvement or worsening of swallowing. The maneuvers frequently indicated in therapeutic intervention were: chin-tuck, bolus consistency, bolus effect, strengthening-tongue, multiple swallows and vocal exercises. The swallowing management was characterized by swallowing assessment every three months with indication of compensatory and rehabilitation maneuvers, aiming to maintain the oral feeding without risks. There was no associated factor with swallowing functionality in this case series.

Comparative analysis of adverse events between infliximab and adalimumab in Crohn's disease management: a Brazilian single-centre experience

INTRODUCTION: Data is scarce regarding adverse events (AE) of biological therapy used in the management of Crohn's Disease (CD) among Brazilian patients. OBJECTIVES: To analyse AE prevalence and profile in patients with CD treated with Infliximab (IFX) or Adalimumab (ADA) and to verify whether there are differences between the two drugs. METHOD: Retrospective observational single-centre study of CD patients on biological therapy. Variables analysed: Demographic data, Montreal classification, biological agent administered, treatment duration, presence and type of AE and the need for treatment interruption. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were analysed, 25 treated with ADA and 24 with IFX. The groups were homogeneous in relation to the variables studied. The average follow-up period for the group treated with ADA was 19.3 months and 21.8 months for the IFX group (p = 0.585). Overall, 40% (n = 10) of patients taking ADA had AE compared with 50% (n = 12) of IFX users (p = 0.571). There was a tendency towards higher incidence of cutaneous and infusion reactions in the IFX group and higher incidence of infections in the ADA treated group, although without significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: No difference was found in the AE prevalence and profile between ADA and IFX CD patients in the population studied.

Comparative analysis of the new guidelines and consensuses for the management of hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, and differentiated thyroid cancer

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Na rede, pelo lado de fora? : Gestão matricial e politicas publicas de lazer na cidade de Santo Andre

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Clinical management for epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) consists of a group of genetic hereditary disorders in which patients frequently present fragile skin and mucosa that form blisters following minor trauma. More than 20 subtypes of EB have been recognized in the literature. Specific genetic mutations are well characterized for most the different EB subtypes and variants. The most common oral manifestations of EB are painful blisters affecting all the oral surfaces. Dental treatment for patients with EB consists of palliative therapy for its oral manifestations along with typical restorative and periodontal procedures. The aim of this article is to describe two dental clinical treatments of recessive dystrophic EB cases and their specific clinical manifestations. The psychological intervention required during the dental treatment of these patients is also presented.