Brachial blood pressure but not carotid arterial waveforms predict cardiovascular events in elderly female hypertensives

Central arterial waveforms and related indices of large artery properties can be determined with relative ease. This would make them an attractive adjunct in the risk stratification for cardiovascular disease. Although they have been associated with some classical risk factors and the presence of coronary disease, their prospective value in predicting cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. The present study determined the relative predictive value for cardiovascular disease-free survival of large artery properties as compared with noninvasive brachial blood pressure alone in a population of elderly female hypertensive subjects. We measured systemic arterial compliance, central systolic pressure, and carotid augmentation index in a subset of female participants in the Second Australian National Blood Pressure Study ( untreated blood pressure 169/88 +/- 12/ 8 mm Hg). There were a total of 53 defined events during a median of 4.1 years of follow-up in 484 women with complete measurements. Although baseline blood pressures at the brachial artery predicted cardiovascular disease-free survival ( hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.1 for pulse pressure >= 81 versus < 81 mm Hg; P = 0.01), no such relation was found for carotid augmentation index ( HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.44; P value not significant) or systemic arterial compliance ( HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.16; P value not significant). Blood pressure, but not noninvasively measured central arterial waveforms, predict outcome in the older female hypertensive patient. Thus, blood pressure measurement alone is superior to measurement of arterial waveforms in predicting outcome in this group.

Prevenção de úlceras por pressão segundo a perspectiva do enfermeiro intensivista

Analisar a atuação dos enfermeiros de unidade de terapia intensiva na prevenção da úlcera por pressão. Método: trata-se de estudo descritivo desenvolvido com 13 enfermeiros da unidade de terapia intensiva do Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes (HUOL), em Natal-RN. Foi aplicado um questionário, submetido à análise de conteúdo temática. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), sob o CAAE n. 0240.0.051.000-10. Resultados: os enfermeiros reportaram a realização da mudança de decúbito, a avaliação de risco, a discussão com os colegas sobre as medidas adotadas, a higiene e hidratação da pele do paciente através de uso de ácidos graxos essenciais e hidratante corporal, o cuidado com a disposição dos lençóis, de forma a evitar dobras, a utilização de colchão de ar e a aplicação de placas de hidrocoloide nas proeminências ósseas. Conclusão: a prática da prevenção das úlceras por pressão aplicada pelos enfermeiros da unidade de terapia intensiva ocorre sem padronização dos cuidados

Prevenção de úlceras por pressão segundo a perspectiva do enfermeiro intensivista

Analisar a atuação dos enfermeiros de unidade de terapia intensiva na prevenção da úlcera por pressão. Método: trata-se de estudo descritivo desenvolvido com 13 enfermeiros da unidade de terapia intensiva do Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes (HUOL), em Natal-RN. Foi aplicado um questionário, submetido à análise de conteúdo temática. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), sob o CAAE n. 0240.0.051.000-10. Resultados: os enfermeiros reportaram a realização da mudança de decúbito, a avaliação de risco, a discussão com os colegas sobre as medidas adotadas, a higiene e hidratação da pele do paciente através de uso de ácidos graxos essenciais e hidratante corporal, o cuidado com a disposição dos lençóis, de forma a evitar dobras, a utilização de colchão de ar e a aplicação de placas de hidrocoloide nas proeminências ósseas. Conclusão: a prática da prevenção das úlceras por pressão aplicada pelos enfermeiros da unidade de terapia intensiva ocorre sem padronização dos cuidados

Prevalencia de punto de úlceras por presión y nivel de riesgo en el Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá

Las úlceras por presión causadas por una presión sostenida sobre la piel y sus tejidos adyacentes es una problemática considerada de salud pública, dada su alta prevalencia, se presentan mayormente en personas que tienen restricción en su movilidad, en el 3 a 10 % de los pacientes hospitalizados; con una tasa de incidencia que oscila entre 7,7 y 26,9 %, con consecuencias para la institución por altos costos, la comunidad, el paciente y su familia. En Colombia solo se cuenta con algunos estudios en instituciones en Bogotá, Cartagena, Bucaramanga y Medellín. Los estudios de prevalencia son importantes porque permiten visualizar la situación de la problemática, incentiva la implementación de medidas preventivas y la formulación de políticas institucionales que promuevan la seguridad del paciente y la calidad de la atención. En el Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá no se conoce con exactitud la prevalencia pero se sabe que está presente por las complicaciones y consecuencias ya mencionadas, por ende el objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia de punto de úlceras por presión en los pacientes hospitalizados, y al finalizar ser insumo para un estudio posterior que genere un Programa de Piel Sana institucional. El estudio se realizó mediante la medición en 1 día donde se valoró todos los pacientes hospitalizados, se realizó un análisis descriptivo de cada variable, y con un análisis bivariado se obtuvo medidas de asociación para identificar la relación entre los factores de riesgo y el desarrollo de ulceras por presión.

Proposta educacional on-line sobre úlcera por pressão para alunos e profissionais de enfermagem

OBJETIVOS: Desenvolver uma proposta educacional on-line sobre o tema úlcera por pressão para alunos e profissionais de enfermagem. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa aplicada, de produção tecnológica, composta pelas etapas de concepção/ planejamento e desenvolvimento, caracterizadas por um conjunto de procedimentos, documentação, digitalização de informações e de imagens. Foram utilizados recursos computacionais didáticos interativos como: o Cybertutor e o Homem Virtual. RESULTADOS: Desenvolvimento de uma proposta educacional virtual sobre úlcera por pressão (UP) dividida em módulos de aprendizagem, contendo lista de discussão, estudos de casos e recursos didáticos, tais como fotos e o Homem Virtual. CONCLUSÕES: Utilizou-se de novas tecnologias educacionais, com a finalidade de promover o aprendizado sobre UP a estudantes de graduação de enfermagem e possibilitar a educação continuada de enfermeiros, uma vez que as UP representam um desafio aos profissionais da saúde e aos serviços de saúde.

The effectiveness of educational practice in diabetic foot: a view from Brazil

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevention and self-inspection behavior of diabetic subjects with foot at ulcer risk, no previous episode, who participated in the routine visits and standardized education provided by the service and who received prescribed footwear. This evaluation was carried out using a questionnaire scoring from 0-10 (high scores reflect worse practice compliance). Results: 60 patients were studied (30 of each sex); mean age was 62 years, mean duration of the disease was 17 years. As for compliance, 90% showed a total score <= 5, only 8.7% regularly wore the footwear supplied; self foot inspection 65%, 28,3% with additional familiar inspection; creaming 77%; proper washing and drying 88%; proper cutting of toe nails 83%; no cuticle cutting 83%; routine shoe inspection 77%; no use of pumice stones or similar abrasive 70%; no barefoot walking 95%. Conclusion: the planned and multidisciplinary educational approach enabled high compliance of the ulcer prevention care needed in diabetic patients at risk for complications. In contrast, compliance observed for the use of footwear provided was extremely low, demonstrating that the issue of its acceptability should be further and carefully addressed. In countries of such vast dimensions as Brazil multidisciplinary educational approaches can and should be performed by the services providing care for patients with foot at risk for complications according to the reality of local scenarios. Furthermore, every educational program should assess the learning, results obtained and efficacy in the target population by use of an adequate evaluation system.

The vacuum assisted closure of complex wounds: report of 3 cases

Treatment of wounds using conventional methods is frequently limited by inadequate local wound conditions, or by a poor systemic clinical situation. Vacuum system may promote faster granulation tissue formation, remove excessive exudate, increase blood flow in the wound, and attract the borders of the wound to the center, reducing its dimension. We present 3 cases of patients with difficult wounds, due to bad local conditions, or poor clinical situation, in whom we used a vacuum system to prepare the wound for the surgical closure. One patient had a pressure ulcer, another had a diabetic foot ulcer, and the third one had an open foot stump. In the 3 cases a significant improvement of the wound conditions was achieved after 7 to 8 days, allowing successful surgical treatment with flap or skin grafts.

Prevalencia y factores asociados a desnutrición entre pacientes ingresados en un hospital de media-larga estancia

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of hyponutrition at admission at a mid- to long-term stay hospital. To analyze the possible factors associated to hyponutrition; the possible relationship with mortality at one month, and the treatments for hyponutrition performed. MATERIALS AND METHOD Descriptive study from the laboratory data obtained in 140 patients. For diagnosing hyponutrition, a tool based on albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocytes levels was used. Demographical (age and gender) and clinical data (presence of pressure soars, nasogastric tube, dementia, neoplasm, previous admission to the ICU, and main diagnosis) were gathered at admission as well as the mortality at the first month. The treatments used for hyponutrition were reviewed. RESULTS patients' age was 77.1 years and 63% were females. 17.1% of the patients presented normal nutritional status, 50.7% met the criteria for mild hyponutrition, 26.4% of moderate hyponutrition, and 5.7% of severe hyponutrition. We found no association between hyponutrition and gender, nasogastric tube, soars, dementia or neoplasm, but we did so with age (P = 0.033). We found a relationship between moderate-severe hyponutrition and pressure soars (P = 0.036). We found an association between hyponutrition and mortality at one month (OR = 1.357, 95% CI 1.121 to 1.643; P = 0.02). 35.6% of the patients with moderate-severe hyponutrition received therapy for this condition (28.9% with protein supplements and 6.7% with enteral diet). CONCLUSIONS hyponutrition affects most of the patients admitted to a mid to long-term stay hospitals and is associated with higher mortality. One third of hyponutrition patients receive nutritional therapy.

Pulmonary hypertension in Switzerland: treatment and clinical course.

The prognosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), especially idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), has improved during the recent years. The Swiss Registry for PH represents the collaboration of the various centres in Switzerland dealing with PH and serves as an important tool in quality control. The objective of the study was to describe the treatment and clinical course of this orphan disease in Switzerland. We analyzed data from 222 of 252 adult patients, who were included in the registry between January 1999 and December 2004 and suffered from either PAH, PH associated with lung diseases or chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) with respect to the following data: NYHA class, six-minute walking distance (6-MWD), haemodynamics, treatments and survival. If compared with the calculated expected figures the one, two and three year mean survivals in IPAH increased from 67% to 89%, from 55% to 78% and from 46% to 73%, respectively. Most patients (90%) were on oral or inhaled therapy and only 10 patients necessitated lung transplantation. Even though pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) was performed in only 7 patients during this time, the survival in our CTEPH cohort improved compared with literature data and seems to approach outcomes usually seen after PEA. The 6-MWD increased maximally by 52 m and 59 m in IPAH and CTEPH, respectively, but in the long term returned to or below baseline values, despite the increasing use of multiple specific drugs (overall in 51% of IPAH and 29% of CTEPH). Our national registry data indicate that the overall survival of IPAH and presumably CTEPH seems to have improved in Switzerland. Although the 6-MWD improved transiently, it decreased in the long term despite specific and increasingly combined drug treatment. Our findings herewith underscore the progressive nature of the diseases and the need for further intense research in the field.

Pessoas com úlceras vasculogênicas em atendimento ambulatorial de enfermagem: estudo das variáveis clínicas e sociodemográficas

Objetivou-se analisar características sociodemográficas e clínicas de pessoas com úlceras vasculogênicas e investigar a associação entre estas variáveis. Realizou-se um estudo clínico observacional transversal, em salas de curativo de serviços municipais de saúde, de fevereiro a agosto de 2009. Realizou-se entrevista, exame clínico, aplicação da escala Pressure Ulcer Scale Healing (PUSH) e registro fotográfico das lesões. Participaram 42 indivíduos, com média de 60 anos (± 12), 73,8% do sexo masculino, com lesões únicas (66,7%), decorrentes de alteração da circulação venosa (90,5%), duração de até um ano (55,5%). Houve associação entre o escore da PUSH (p=0,019) e profundidade da lesão (p=0,027) com exercício de atividade ocupacional na atualidade, assim como entre o histórico de tabagismo e o gênero (p=0,049). As características sociodemográficas evidenciadas são semelhantes às de outros, com exceção do gênero masculino, o que indica a necessidade de maiores investigações na população goianiense.

Protocole pour l'évaluation et la prise en charge des plaies chroniques [Protocol for the evaluation and treatment of chronic wounds in the home care setting]

In 2001, it became evident that the domiciliary care nurses needed a tool to assist them in treating patients with chronic wounds. A protocol was therefore developed which could be used not only by the nurses but also by doctors and other health care professionals working in home care. As a parallel measure, a network of nurses specialised in wound care and available for advice and consultation was established.

Tachycardia is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in the value trial

Objective: Tachycardia is associated with hypertension and is a predictor of cardiovascular events. The predictive effect of tachycardia might reflect its connection with hypertension. In this analysis of 15,245 VALUE study patients we explore whether tachycardia predicts cardiovascular endpoints in high risk hypertension and whether the in-trial blood pressure lowering modified the tachycardia - related risk. Methods: Heart rate from ECG readings at baseline and annually throughout the trial. Results: In the Cox Regression analysis the primary endpoint hazard ratio for a 10 beats per minute increment of baseline heart rate was 1.16 (1.12-1.2) p < 0.0001, 1.17 (1.13-1.22) p < 0.0001 and 1.22 (1.18-1.27) p < 0.0001 unadjusted, adjusted for baseline blood pressure and for blood pressure plus risk factors, respectively. Primary endpoints strikingly increased in the highest quintile of baseline heart rate (=/>79 beats). Primary endpoints in the highest heart rate quintile were 30 % higher in first, 55 % in second, 55 % in third, 52 % in fourth and 46 % in the fifth year of the study. The in-trial heart rate was also a potent predictor. The primary endpoint hazard ratios of highest heart rate quintile versus pooled lower 4 quintiles was (1.34-1.66) p < 0.0001 unadjusted, 1.52 (1.36-1.69) p <0.0001 adjusted for baseline blood pressure and risk factors and 1.52 (1.36-1.69) p < 0.0001 further adjusted for in trial pressure. The increase of primary events in the upper quintile of in-trial heart rate was 68% in the group with good and 63% in the group with inadequate blood pressure control (both p < 0.0001 by log rank test). Conclusions: 1./ Tachycardia is a short term marker and a long term predictor of adverse event in high risk hypertension. 2./ Tachycardia contributes to the residual cardiovascular risk regardless of the degree of BP control. We hypothesize heart rate lowering with appropriate drugs may further decrease the cardiovascular risk in patients with high risk hypertension and tachycardia.

Influència de l'educació envers prevenció d'úlceres per pressió en els coneixements dels professionals de l'equip d'infermeria i en la prevalença

Les úlceres per pressió són considerades com una de les cinc causes més comunes de dany al pacient. El 95% de les lesions, són evitables i els membres de l’equip d’infermeria són responsables de la seva prevenció. Varis estudis demostren un dèficit de coneixement dels professionals de l’equip d’infermeria envers prevenció d’UPP.En el següent projecte d’estudi, de disseny experimental longitudinal ambispectiu, es proposa avaluar l’eficàcia d’una intervenció educativa enfocada en la prevenció d’UPP i dirigida a l’equip d’infermeria per la disminució de la incidència d’UPPEl projecte consta de 6 fases. Una primera en la que es determinarà, mitjançant la revisió de les històries clíniques, la prevalença d’UPP. Posteriorment i amb l’aplicació d’un qüestionari, es valoraran els coneixements d’infermeria abans (fase 2) i després (fase 4) de la realització d’un programa educatiu (fase 3). Durant la fase 5 i amb l’ajuda d’una graella d’observació, es determinarà la incidència d’UPP durant un any des de l’aplicació del programa educatiu. A la fase 6 i passat més d’un any, es tornaran a avaluar els coneixements de l’equip d’infermeria

Induced maritime accidents

Humanity system of life is highly supported by maritime transport when circa 8 thousand million people require about 8.800 million tons of merchandises by sea, going in some 105.000 merchant ships of over 100 GT, sailing every thinkable dangerous waters 365 days year 24 hours day. All that Enormous activity plus others different factors produce accidents, as is shown in an ascendant 1.7 rate related to ships lost with big number in life, cargoes losses, and pollution. That is why this study pretend to detect causes factors of maritime accidents, to try to reduce them, and with that targetin mind it was tested the new theory of Induced Maritime Accidents, crossing itsproposals with relevant sinister of different times and circumstances, as Andrea Doria, Torrey Canyon, Costa Concordia, among others. Those cases were re evaluated to establish the key points of such theory, as they are the Production Pressure, the Risk Homeostasis, technological advances and the rupture of safety margin. Cases studies gave as result the existence of referred key points, in a manner combined that the chain of events derived to the fatality, and more than that highlights the possibility that been suppressed to acceptable limits the production pressure or the risk homeostasis, a permissible safety margin were been maintained, avoiding catastrophe.

Le délai entre le traumatisme médullaire et la chirurgie a-t-il un impact sur la survenue de complications durant la phase aigüe d’hospitalisation

Le délai optimal entre une lésion médullaire traumatique (LMT) et la chirurgie demeure indéterminé. Cependant, la relation entre la prévention de complications et le délai chirurgical n’a jamais été spécifiquement étudiée. L’objectif principal de ce travail était de détecter si les taux de complications chez des LMT étaient associés avec le délai chirurgical. L’objectif secondaire était d’identifier si le délai chirurgical est un prédicteur indépendant de la survenue de complications. Un premier article présente l’analyse d’une cohorte rétrospective de 431 LMTs. Une chirurgie réalisée dans un délai inférieur à 24h (ou inférieur à 72h si un délai de 24h ne peut être respecté) prédisait une diminution du taux de l’ensemble des complications, du taux de pneumonies et du taux de plaies de pression. Les autres facteurs prédictifs de complications identifiés étaient : l’âge, la sévérité de l’atteinte neurologique de la lésion selon l’échelle ASIA, un traumatisme cervical plutôt que thoracique, la présence de comorbidités, la sévérité du traumatisme selon l’échelle ISS et la complexité de la chirurgie. Les connaissances actuelles suggèrent qu’une opération chirurgicale rapide n’a que peu d’effet sur la récupération neurologique chez les LMTs complètes (interruption complète des fonctions sensorimotrices). Pour cette raison, notre second article analyse l’impact du délai chirurgical sur la survenue des complications à partir d’une sous-population de 197 LMTs complètes de notre cohorte. Un délai chirurgical supérieur à 24h prédisait une augmentation des complications, notamment les pneumonies et les infections urinaires. Bien que des études prospectives randomisées sont nécessaires pour confirmer nos conclusions, nos études supportent un délai chirurgical rapide afin de diminuer le taux de complications non neurologiques chez les LMTs.