Resumo em Inglês:

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of Nd:YAG (neodymium: yttrium-aluminum- garnet) laser unilateral posterior capsulotomy on visual acuity and patients' perception of difficulties with vision-related activities of daily life. METHODS: We conducted an interventional survey that included 48 patients between 40 and 80 years of age with uni- or bilateral pseudophakia, posterior capsule opacification, and visual acuity <0.30 (logMAR) in one eye who were seen at a Brazilian university hospital. All patients underwent posterior capsulotomy using an Nd:YAG laser. Before and after the intervention, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire that was developed in an exploratory study. RESULTS: Before posterior capsulotomy, the median visual acuity (logMAR) of the included patients was 0.52 (range 0.30-1.60). After posterior capsulotomy, the median visual acuity of the included patients improved to 0.10 (range 0.0-0.52). According to the subjects' perceptions, their ability to perform most of their daily life activities improved after the intervention (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After patients underwent posterior capsulotomy with an Nd:YAG laser, a significant improvement in the visual acuity of the treated eye was observed. Additionally, subjects felt that they experienced less difficulty performing most of their vision-dependent activities of daily living.

Resumo em Inglês:

OBJECTIVE: To compare the measurements of spirometric peak expiratory flow (PEF) from five different PEF meters and to determine if their values are in agreement. Inaccurate equipment may result in incorrect diagnoses of asthma and inappropriate treatments. METHODS: Sixty-eight healthy, sedentary and insufficiently active subjects, aged from 19 to 40 years, performed PEF measurements using Air Zone®, Assess®, Galemed®, Personal Best® and Vitalograph® peak flow meters. The highest value recorded for each subject for each device was compared to the corresponding spirometric values using Friedman's test with Dunn's post-hoc (p<0.05), Spearman's correlation test and Bland-Altman's agreement test. RESULTS: The median and interquartile ranges for the spirometric values and the Air Zone®, Assess®, Galemed®, Personal Best® and Vitalograph® meters were 428 (263-688 L/min), 450 (350-800 L/min), 420 (310-720 L/min), 380 (300-735 L/min), 400 (310-685 L/min) and 415 (335-610 L/min), respectively. Significant differences were found when the spirometric values were compared to those recorded by the Air Zone® (p<0.001) and Galemed ® (p<0.01) meters. There was no agreement between the spirometric values and the five PEF meters. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the values recorded from Galemed® meters may underestimate the actual value, which could lead to unnecessary interventions, and that Air Zone® meters overestimate spirometric values, which could obfuscate the need for intervention. These findings must be taken into account when interpreting both devices' results in younger people. These differences should also be considered when directly comparing values from different types of PEF meters.

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OBJECTIVE: The association between polycystic ovarian syndrome and increased cardiovascular disease risk is still a controversial issue. In light of data documenting some common pathways or common end-points, the present study was undertaken to determine whether there is a relationship between sleep blood pressure pattern disturbances and polycystic ovarian syndrome in young women. METHOD: The daytime and nighttime ambulatory blood pressures (BPs) were determined for each subject, according to the actual waking and sleeping times recorded in their individual diaries, in this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: The study group comprised 168 women (mean age: 25.7±5.5) diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, while the control group included 52 age- and BMI-matched healthy subjects (mean age: 26.1±5.4). When nocturnal BP declines very little or not at all, with the BP falling less than 10% during sleep compared with waking values, this pattern is classified as a non-dipping BP pattern. However, the non-dipping pattern of BP changes was significantly more common in polycystic ovarian syndrome patients compared to the control group (p<0.01). The prevalence of a non-dipping BP pattern was 43.4% (73 patients) in polycystic ovarian syndrome patients and 3.9% (2 patients) in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our cross-sectional study revealed that a non-dipping BP pattern is highly prevalent in polycystic ovarian syndrome patients, even if they are young and non-obese.

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OBJECTIVES: To explore the risks and rates of readmission and their predictors 14 days, one year, and five years after discharge for the psychiatric population in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a prospective study based on claims from 44,237 first-time hospitalized psychiatric patients discharged in 2000, who were followed for up to five years after discharge. The cumulative incidence and incidence density of readmission were calculated for various follow-up periods after discharge, and Cox proportional hazard models were generated to identify the significant predictors for psychiatric readmission. RESULTS: The less than 14-day, one-year, and five-year cumulative incidences were estimated at 6.1%, 22.3%, and 37.8%, respectively. The corresponding figures for incidence density were 4.58, 1.04, and 0.69 per 1,000 person-days, respectively. Certain factors were significantly associated with increased risk of readmission irrespective of the length of follow-up, including male gender, length of hospital stay >15 days, economic poverty, a leading discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia/affective disorders, and residence in less-urbanized regions. Compared to children/adolescents, young adults (20-39 years) were significantly associated with increased risks of <one-year and <five-year readmissions, but not <14-day readmission. Additionally, hospital characteristics were significantly associated with increased risk of <14-day and <one-year readmission, but not with risk of <five-year readmission. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the significant predictors for psychiatric readmission 14 days to five years after discharge were essentially the same except for patient's age and hospital accreditation level. This study also highlighted the importance of socioeconomic factors in the prediction of readmission.

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OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to present special clinical and laboratory features of 294 cases of mushroom poisoning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 294 patients admitted to the Pediatric and Adult Emergency, Internal Medicine and ICU Departments of Cumhuriyet University Hospital were investigated. RESULTS: Of 294 patients between the ages of 3 and 72 (28.97 ± 19.32), 173 were female, 121 were male and 90 were under the age of 16 years. One hundred seventy-three patients (58.8%) had consumed the mushrooms in the early summer. The onset of mushroom toxicity symptoms was divided into early (within 6 h after ingestion) and delayed (6 h to 20 d). Two hundred eighty-eight patients (97.9%) and six (2.1%) patients had early and delayed toxicity symptoms, respectively. The onset of symptoms was within two hours for 101 patients (34.3%). The most common first-noticed symptoms were in the gastrointestinal system. The patients were discharged within one to ten days. Three patients suffering from poisoning caused by wild mushrooms died from fulminant hepatic failure. CONCLUSION: Education of the public about the consumption of mushrooms and education of health personnel working in health centers regarding early treatment and transfer to hospitals with appropriate facilities are important for decreasing the mortality.

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BACKGROUND: A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a common congenital heart disease, which affects 1-2% of the population. However, the relationship between BAVs and aortic dilation has not been sufficiently elucidated. METHODS: A total of 241 BAV patients who were referred to this hospital for cardiac surgey over a 4.75-year period were included in this study. In addition to the clinical characteristics of the included patients, the morphological features of the aortic valve and aorta, the length of the left main coronary artery, and the laboratory findings (the coagulation and hematological parameters as well as the total cholesterol concentration) were determined and compared with those of the tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) patients. RESULTS: The BAV patients were younger than the TAV patients for a valve surgery in the last 3 months of the study period. The BAV patients were predominantly male. Most of the BAVs that were surgically treated were stenotic, regurgitant, or combined, and only 19 (7.88%) were normally functioning valves. According to echocardiography or operative records, 148 (78.31%) were type A, 31 (16.40%) were type B, and 10 (5.29%) were type C. The left main coronary artery was much shorter in the BAV patients than it was in the TAV patients. There was no significant difference between BAV and TAV patients in the total cholesterol concentrations; whereas differences were noted between patients receiving lipid-lowering therapy and those not receiving lipid-lowering therapy. The dimensions of the aortic root, sinotubular junction, and ascending aorta were beyond normal limits, while they were significantly smaller in the BAV patients than in the TAV patients. They were also much smaller in patients receiving statin therapy than those not receiving statin therapy in both groups. Moreover, the aortic dilation in the BAV group was found to be significantly associated with patient age. CONCLUSIONS: The BAV patients developed aortic wall and aortic valve disorders at a younger age than the TAV patients and were predominantly male. Aortic dilation was observed in the aortic root, sinotubular junction, and ascending aortic segments in both the BAV and TAV patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement, although the BAV patients had a smaller degree of dilation than the TAV patients, and dilation was also significantly age-related in this group. The shorter left main coronary artery that the BAV patients possess may contribute to the progressive course of aortic dilation that these patients experience. Statin therapy did not affect the aortic annulus in either group, but did decrease the dimensions of the aortic root, sinotubular junction and ascending aorta. In general, statin therapy had a better effect on the aortas of the TAV patients than it did on those of the BAV patients.

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OBJECTIVES: We describe the results of over one hundred nephrectomies performed using a subcostal mini incision. INTRODUCTION: A major effort has been undertaken to encourage living donor renal transplantation. New techniques that use minimally invasive approaches to perform donor nephrectomy have been progressively accepted. Among these new procedures is the mini-incision approach. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed one hundred and seventeen consecutive donors that were subjected to subcostal mini-incision nephrectomy at a single center. Surgical time, warm and cold ischemia time, intraoperative complications, time until hospital discharge, presence of infection, bleeding, the need for a second operation, and death were analyzed. Eventual loss of donor renal function was indicated by increases in serum creatinine and proteinuria. RESULTS: The mean time of surgery was 180.5 ± 26.2 minutes. The mean warm ischemia time was 93 ±8.3 seconds, while the mean cold ischemia time was 85.9 (±23.5) minutes. We had one case with an intraoperative complication, and only two patients required another operation. An intra-abdominal abscess occurred in one patient (0.85%), proteinuria occurred in one patient (0.85%), and a transitory increase of creatinine levels occurred in two patients (1.7%). DISCUSSION: Reducing the length of the abdominal incision did not influence surgical time or result in an increase in intraoperative complications relative to our historical data or literature reports. Organ preparation was accomplished successfully with a brief warm ischemia time. Additionally, the mean hospital stay was short, and few surgical complications occurred. CONCLUSION: The use of a subcostal mini incision is both safe and similar to conventional techniques previously described in the literature.

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INTRODUCTION: Sexual dysfunction symptoms in patients with HIV have not been fully investigated in Brazil. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between sexual dysfunction symptoms and AIDS among participants in the Brazilian Sex Life Study. METHODS: The Brazilian Sex Life Study is a cross-sectional population study. The participants answered an anonymous self-responsive inquiry. It was applied to a population sample in 18 large Brazilian cities. Answers given by those who reported having AIDS (75) were compared with those who reported not having AIDS (control; 150). This was a case-control study nested in a cross-sectional population study. RESULTS: In females, AIDS was associated with "sexual inactivity over the last 12 months" and "does not maintain sexual arousal until the end of the sex act" (P < 0.05) after adjusting for race and thyroid disease. Compared to the control group, men with AIDS had more difficulty becoming sexually aroused (they required more help from their partner to begin the sex act, they required longer foreplay than they wished, they reported losing sexual desire before the end of the sex act, and they required longer to ejaculate than they desired) (P < 0.05). After adjusting for sexual orientation, sex hormone deficiency, depression, and alcoholism, only "does not have sexual desire," "have longer foreplay," and dyspareunia were associated with AIDS. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that sexual dysfunctions are associated with AIDS. Men with AIDS need more time and stimulation to develop a sexual response, and a significant portion (37%) of women with AIDS reported sexual inactivity over the last 12 months.

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OBJECTIVES: To identify the most cited articles in general surgery published by Brazilian authors. INTRODUCTION: There are several ways for the international community to recognize the quality of a scientific article. Although controversial, the most widely used and reliable methodology to identify the importance of an article is citation analysis. METHODS: A search using the Institute for Scientific Information citation database (Science Citation Index Expanded) was performed to identify highly cited Brazilian papers published in twenty-six highly cited general surgery journals, selected based on their elevated impact factors, from 1970 to 2009. Further analysis was done on the 65 most-cited papers. RESULTS: We identified 1,713 Brazilian articles, from which nine papers emerged as classics (more than 100 citations received). For the Brazilian contributions, a total increase of about 21-fold was evident between 1970 and 2009. Although several topics were covered, articles covering trauma, oncology and organ transplantation were the most cited. The majority of classic studies were done with international cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the most influential Brazilian articles published in internationally renowned general surgery journals.

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BACKGROUND: Original sevoflurane (Sevo A) is made with water, while a generic sevoflurane (Sevocris) is produced with propylene glycol as a stabilizing additive. We investigated whether the original and generic sevoflurane preparations differed in terms of their minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) values and hemodynamic effects. METHODS: Sixteen pigs weighing 31.6±1.8 kg were randomly assigned to the Sevo A or Sevocris groups. After anesthesia induction via mask with the appropriate sevoflurane preparation (6% in 100% oxygen), the MAC was determined for each animal. Hemodynamic and oxygenation parameters were measured at 0.5 MAC, 1 MAC and 1.5 MAC. Histopathological analyses of lung parenchyma were performed. RESULTS: The MAC in the Sevo A group was 4.4±0.5%, and the MAC in the Sevocris group was 4.1±0.7%. Hemodynamic and metabolic parameters presented significant differences in a dose-dependent pattern as expected, but they did not differ between groups. Cardiac indices and arterial pressures decreased in both groups when the sevoflurane concentration increased from 0.5 to 1 and 1.5 MAC. The oxygen delivery index (DO2I) decreased significantly at 1.5 MAC. CONCLUSION: Propylene glycol as an additive for sevoflurane seems to be as safe as a water additive, at least in terms of hemodynamic and pulmonary effects.

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Patients with schizophrenia have a two- to three-fold increased risk of premature death as compared to patients without this disease. It has been established that patients with schizophrenia are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Moreover, an important issue that has not yet been explored is a possible existence of a "cerebral" focus that could trigger sudden cardiac death in patients with schizophrenia. Along these lines, several structural and functional alterations in the thalamic complex are evident in patients with schizophrenia and have been correlated with the symptoms manifested by these patients. With regard to abnormalities on the cellular and molecular level, previous studies have shown that schizophrenic patients have fewer neuronal projections from the thalamus to the prefrontal cortex as well as a reduced number of neurons, a reduced volume of either the entire thalamus or its subnuclei, and abnormal glutamate signaling. According to the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia, hypofunctional corticostriatal and striatothalamic projections are directly involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. Animal and post-mortem studies have provided a large amount of evidence that links the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) that occurs in patients with schizophrenia and epilepsy to thalamic changes. Based on the results of these prior studies, it is clear that further research regarding the relationship between the thalamus and sudden cardiac death is of vital importance.

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Data collected from medical literature indicate that dopaminergic agonists alleviate Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms while dopaminergic agonists antagonists aggravate them. Dopaminergic agonists is a physiological regulator of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Dopaminergic agonists infusion diminishes the levels of thyroid hormones, which have the ability to provoke restlessness, hyperkinetic states, tremors, and insomnia. Conditions associated with higher levels of thyroid hormones, such as pregnancy or hyperthyroidism, have a higher prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms. Low iron levels can cause secondary Restless Legs Syndrome or aggravate symptoms of primary disease as well as diminish enzymatic activities that are involved in dopaminergic agonists production and the degradation of thyroid hormones. Moreover, as a result of low iron levels, dopaminergic agonists diminishes and thyroid hormones increase. Iron therapy improves Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms in iron deprived patients. Medical hypothesis. To discuss the theory that thyroid hormones, when not counterbalanced by dopaminergic agonists, may precipitate the signs and symptoms underpinning Restless Legs Syndrome. The main cause of Restless Legs Syndrome might be an imbalance between the dopaminergic agonists system and thyroid hormones.