Using Voice Change as an Indicator of Dysphagia: A Systematic Review.

Voice change post-swallow, observed during a clinical swallow examination, is often used as a clinical indicator of dysphagia risk. However, there has been limited research that evaluated the level of agreement between voice change and swallow dysfunction reported to date. This systematic review aims to investigate existing evidence relating to the relationship between vocal change post-swallow and swallow deficits identified on a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS). The studies were selected by two independent evaluators for inclusion, without restriction on language or date of publication and the methodological quality and the risk of bias were assessed using QUADAS-2. Following the PRISMA recommendation, 271 articles were analyzed, of which 17 were included in the study. Of these, the methodology described in five studies employed voice analyses using only acoustic methods, seven others conducted only auditory-perceptual analyses, and five other studies used both. Across the studies there was no homogeneity in the voice quality parameters assessed, analytic methods used, and results obtained. Forty seven per cent of the studies presented a high risk of bias in the analysis of vocal quality due to lack of clarity and blinding of VFSS. There was no homogeneity in the choice of consistencies evaluated during swallowing, as well as standardization of the outcome investigated in VFSS without a vocal parameter attributable to accurate detection in each outcome. It is not possible to obtain a consensus regarding the recommendation of the use of vocal evaluation as an accurate method for identifying swallowing alterations due to heterogeneity of the vocal evaluation methods, the outcomes evaluated in the VFSS examination, heterogeneity in food and liquid consistencies, and the methodological quality of the studies.

Prevalence, Circumstances, and Risk Factors of Falls Among Community Dwelling Members of University of the Third Age.

Introduction: The transition from adolescence to adulthood involves a variety of physical, behavioral, and social transformations, often including tobacco use. Because understanding smoking at this stage is important for tobacco control, we aimed to analyze the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the Brazilian youth population. Methods: This study included participants aged 16-25 years from all Brazilian capitals. A standardized questionnaire was administered by trained healthcare professionals to collect information about sociodemographic status, sexual behavior, and tobacco use. The samples from each capital were weighted by age range and sex. Results: Of the 8,581 participants, 15.1% were current smokers, and 20.0% were former smokers; the average age at first tobacco use was 15.5 years. The prevalence of smoking in men was higher than that in women (20.1 vs. 10.3%, p < 0.01). Education level was associated with current smoking and former smoking. Participants with an elementary education level had a higher smoking prevalence (PR: 5.84, 95%, CI: 4.29-7.95) than those with a secondary education (PR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.63-2.93) and those with higher education. Those without current partners (PR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03-1.56) also had a higher prevalence of smoking than those with partners, and participants who had a previous same-sex sexual experience smoked more (PR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.78-2.96) than those who did not. In addition, regular use of alcohol was associated with higher prevalence of cigarette smoking (PR: 5.65, 95% CI: 4.03-7.90) than a lack of alcohol consumption. Skin color and socioeconomic class did not exhibit significant relationships with tobacco use patterns. Conclusions: Smoking was associated with education level regardless of social class, and some specific behaviors associated with a same-sex sexual experience were associated with a higher prevalence of smoking. These findings are important for formulating policies and directing actions to combat and prevent smoking among young populations.

Accuracy of p57KIP2 compared with genotyping for the diagnosis of complete hydatidiform mole: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Distinguishing hydatidiform moles (HMs) from non-molar specimens and the subclassification of HM are important because complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) is associated with an increased risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. However, diagnosis based solely on morphology has poor interobserver reproducibility. Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of p57KIP2 immunostaining improves diagnostic accuracy for CHM. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic review of prospective and retrospective studies to evaluate the accuracy of p57KIP2 immunostaining compared with molecular genotyping for the diagnosis of CHM. A high-sensitivity search strategy will be employed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, The Grey Literature Report, OpenGrey, OAIster, and Cochrane CENTRAL. Two reviewers will independently screen all identified references for eligibility and extract data. The methodological quality and bias of the included studies will be assessed according to the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool, and the overall quality of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. If a meta-analysis is possible, pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios will be calculated using bivariate random-effects models. Statistical heterogeneity will be evaluated with I 2 statistics and explored through sensitivity analysis. DISCUSSION: There is considerable overlap between the histological features of molar and non-molar pregnancies and between complete and partial HMs, which results in significant interobserver variability in the diagnosis of CHM and its mimics. Therefore, molecular techniques are used to correctly diagnosis and treat CHM. However, these molecular diagnostic methods are technically difficult to perform, relatively costly, and unavailable in most pathology laboratories. According to our results, p57KIP2 immunostaining appears to be a practical and accurate adjunct for the diagnosis of CHM and its mimics because this technique is relatively simple, reliable, cost-efficient, and rapid. This systematic review will help to determine whether p57KIP2 immunostaining is an adequate alternative diagnostic test for CHM. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015024181.