Metabolic disease and the liver: A review.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of 31% in Latin America. The presence of metabolic comorbidities coexisting with liver disease varies substantially among populations. It is acknowledged that obesity is boosting the type 2 diabetes mellitus "epidemic," and both conditions are significant contributors to the increasing number of patients with MASLD. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis represents a condition of chronic liver inflammation and is considered the most severe form of MASLD. MASLD diagnosis is based on the presence of steatosis, noninvasive scores and altered liver tests. Noninvasive scores of liver fibrosis, such as serum biomarkers, which should be used in primary care to rule out advanced fibrosis, are simple, inexpensive, and widely available. Currently, guidelines from international hepatology societies recommend using noninvasive strategies to simplify case finding and management of high-risk patients with MASLD in clinical practice. Unfortunately, there is no definite pharmacological treatment for the condition. Creating public health policies to treat patients with risk factors for MASLD prevention is essential.

Quality management of the periodic medical examination at a university hospital, from the workers' perspective.

Introduction: Implementation of quality assessment methodologies at healthcare services enables the results achieved to be monitored in terms of established objectives and standards of care delivery. Objectives: To assess the quality of the processes involved in provision of periodic medical examinations at a University Hospital, from the workers' perspective. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using questionnaires to conduct quality assessment of the periodic medical examination processes, including Net Promoter Score satisfaction questions. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using SPSS version 18. Data on categorical variables are expressed as absolute frequencies and data on continuous variables as means and standard deviations. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance were used to identify associations. A significance level of 0.05 was adopted to determine the statistical relevance of findings. Results: A total of 381 respondents with a mean age of 45.25 years were included, 66% of whom were female. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) association between duration of consultations and the number of items assessed in the periodic medical examination. In general, the findings from application of the Net Promoter Score for self-scheduling (45%) and service at reception (42%) indicate a need for process improvement, whereas clinical care (50%) rated as a quality process. Conclusions: This study identified a set of information that can be used to describe, analyze, and improve the care delivered by the institution's occupational health service and to identify opportunities for improvement of periodic medical examination processes.

Effect of night-shift work on cortisol circadian rhythm and melatonin levels.

Objectives: Night-shift work has been associated with several negative effects on worker's health, possibly due to circadian desynchronization, sleep deprivation and suppression of nocturnal melatonin secretion including exposure to light during the work shift. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of fixed night-shift work versus day-shift work on the sleep-wake cycle and on the night and day levels of cortisol and melatonin. Material and Methods: Saliva samples were obtained from 36 individuals, 19 day workers (12 women and 7 men) and 17 night workers (12 women and 5 men) from a university hospital in southern Brazil, with no history of chronic diseases. Demographic and personal information were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire and sleep information by the Munich chronotype questionnaire. Results: Salivary cortisol showed normal circadian rhythm in day- and night-shift workers, but was attenuated in night-shift workers during their working hours and on leave days. Night workers sleep fewer hours at night and have higher negative social jet lag than day workers. Conclusion: Intervals between night shifts can be beneficial for the recovery of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, minimizing the negative effects on workers' health, in addition to a preventive approach to aspects related to sleep hygiene and healthy life habits.

Association between fixed night work and obesity: a systematic literature review

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between fixed night work and overweight or weight gain. PubMed and EMBASE were searched until October 2021 for studies evaluating the association between fixed night work patterns and the risk of overweight or obesity (for cross-sectional designs) or weight gain (for longitudinal designs). The outcomes extracted were mean body mass index (BMI), mean BMI difference, overweight %, obesity %, odds ratio, relative risk, and prevalence ratio. The quality of the report was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (# 42017080515). In total, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies were observational, 16 were cross-sectional, three were cohorts (two also had baseline cross-sectional data), and the other eight were cross-sectional at baseline and had longitudinal follow-up studies (six prospective cohorts, one retrospective, one interventional). Most had good reporting quality. The fixed night work definition and weight outcomes varied according to the different studies. Most of them found an association between fixed night work and overweight, obesity, or weight gain. This systematic review reinforces the evidence that fixed night work is associated with overweight or obesity, and prolonged night work exposure leads to weight gain. Future research should be conducted with more accurate measures and a prospective design. Fixed night workers should be monitored and advised, especially those with prolonged exposure.

Heart failure secondary to myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 reinfection: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac involvement in COVID-19 can range from mild damage to severe myocarditis. The precise mechanism by which COVID-19 causes myocardial injury is still unknown. Myocarditis following administration of COVID-19 vaccines, especially those based on mRNA, has also been described. However, no reports of heart failure following reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 in patients immunized with an inactivated vaccine have been identified. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient was a 47-year-old male construction worker of African descent, with type II diabetes and a history of infection by SARS-CoV-2 in December 2020 and May 2021, confirmed by RT-PCR. He received two doses of an inactivated vaccine against COVID-19. Between the two COVID-19 episodes with positive RT-PCR, he had two episodes of bacterial lung infection. After the second episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection, he was diagnosed with severe heart failure as a sequela of myocarditis. CONCLUSION: It is essential to perform a thorough follow-up after infection with SARS-CoV-2 since, even with proper immunization, it is possible that the patient was reinfected and suffered severe cardiac sequelae as a consequence. The hypothesis of an etiology associated with the use of an inactivated vaccine against COVID-19, with a potential immune enhancement mechanism following reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, cannot be rejected.

Reduction in COVID-19 prevalence in healthcare workers in a university hospital in southern Brazil after the start of vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: The quick spread of SARS-CoV-2 led to the development of vaccines that are capable of reducing infection and the number of more severe COVID-19 cases. AIM: To assess COVID-19 prevalence among healthcare workers (HCWs) after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of COVID-19 diagnosis among 7523 HCWs vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in a university hospital, in southern Brazil, between January 18 and March 18, 2021.The variables evaluated were: sex, age, work area, role, source of infection, previous diagnosis of COVID-19, date of vaccine administration, type of vaccine, and need for hospitalization. The statistical analysis used Poisson regression and Fisher's exact test with SPSS software version 25, and a level of significance set at 5%. RESULTS: 813 vaccinated HCWs showed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, of whom 35.4% (288) had a detectable result after undergoing RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. There was a reduction of 62% in new cases of COVID-19 among HCWs in the institution 7 weeks after the start of vaccine rollout. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the vaccines used by the institution reduced the number of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella in a tertiary hospital of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul.

INTRODUCTION: Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral contagious diseases preventable by the MMR vaccine. MMR is a part of the immunization schedule of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, which recommends 2 doses of the vaccine for professionals working in health care facilities. OBJECTIVES: To determine the vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella among active professionals of a tertiary hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul; to analyze the importance of vaccinating professionals that work at health care facilities; to detect and highlight high-risk services for contagious diseases according to patient profiles - children, pregnant and puerperal women, immunocompromised individuals. METHODS: This is a descriptive transversal study that analyzed the database of the Occupational Medicine Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre considering active professionals in January 2019. RESULTS: We evaluated the vaccination records of 7802 active professionals of this hospital; 52% of them had taken at least 1 dose of the MMR vaccine (1 or 2 doses) and 47% had not been vaccinated. Among high-risk services, 56.4% of the professionals had had at least 1 MMR dose, while 43.4% had not been vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella at the analyzed health care facility was still far from the ideal; however, the Occupational Medicine Service has been making efforts to gradually broaden this coverage.

Night shift work, short sleep and obesity.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with increased general mortality and comorbidities, it is multifactorial and some evidence has shown that sleep duration and shift work may be implicated in its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between shift work, quality of life and obesity among healthcare workers of a Brazilian University Hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed from April 2013 to December 2014 with 200 workers of a University Hospital. Sociodemographic data were evaluated and BREF WHOQOL was used for quality of life. The physical activity was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Chronotypes and daily sleep preference were investigated using Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Venous blood was collected after 12-h of fasting for laboratory tests. RESULTS: In this sample, the night shift workers had higher income and were older compared to day shift workers. Night shift workers sleep less hours, had higher weight, body mass index and abdominal circumference when compared to the day shift workers. Night shift workers had almost 3 times higher association with abdominal obesity independent of age and gender, than day shift workers. MCTQ parameters showed that night shift workers had lower sleep duration during working days and also during free days, associated with a higher level of social jetlag. Social jetlag had an association with obesity. We found no difference for quality of life between shifts. CONCLUSIONS: Night work was a risk factor for abdominal obesity, social jetlag was higher in night shift workers and it was associated with presence of obesity.

Risk factors affecting occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among dental students: a cross-sectional study in a Brazilian Federal University

Introduction: Dental students are often exposed to bloodborne pathogens during dental training. Several factors are involved in increased risk of human deficiency, hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus (HIV, HBV, and HCV) infection. However, there are few studies that address the risks and forms of prevention among dental students in Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study of occupational exposure to blood or body fluids among dental students of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was performed. These students were referred to the Occupational Medicine Department of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre from January 2007 to April 2015. Analyzed data included type of exposure (needlestick injury, mucosal exposure, and exposure to non-intact skin); source patient status for HBV, HIV and HCV infection, accident during dental training, procedure performed, biological material involved, type of accident, and hepatitis B vaccination and serological protection status. The objective was to know the incidence rate and others characteristics of accidents in order to prevent them. Results: There were 312 accidents during the study period of 8 years and 4 months. Incidence rate was 87,42 exposures per 1000 students year. Source patient was known in 297 of the cases (95.2%), of which 3 were HBsAg reagent, 12 were HIV reagent, and 17 were HCV reagent. The majority of accidents occurred during procedure, but nearly as high as 40% occurred after procedure, of which 63% occurred during instrument cleaning, disinfecting or sterilizing. Most involved sharp instruments were anesthetic syringe needle and curette. Only 48% of dental students knew their antiHBs was > 10 mIU/mL. Conclusions: Dental students should be tested for hepatitis B immune status at the beginning of training, and vaccination should be available to all dental students before they start clinical practice. Work practice controls on sharp devices should be addressed at the beginning and strengthened during dental training. Dental training institutions should review instrumental cleaning process to minimize handling of loose contaminated instruments (AU)

Shift work and its association with metabolic disorders.

Although the health burden of shift work has not been extensively studied, evidence suggests that it may affect the metabolic balance and cause obesity and other metabolic disorders. Sleep deprivation, circadian desynchronization and behavioral changes in diet and physical activity are among the most commonly mentioned factors in studies of the association between night work and metabolic disorders. Individual adaptation to night work depends greatly on personal factors such as family and social life, but occupational interventions may also make a positive contribution to the transition to shift work, such as exposure to bright lights during the night shift, melatonin use, shift regularity and clockwise rotation, and dietary adaptations for the metabolic needs of night workers. The evaluation of the impact of night work on health and of the mechanisms underlying this relationship can serve as a basis for intervention strategies to minimize the health burden of shift work. This review aimed to identify highlights regarding therapeutic implications following the association between night and shift work and metabolic disorders, as well as the mechanisms and pathways responsible for these relationships.

Needlestick accident resulting in occupational transmission of HCV: report of two cases

Occupational transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through needlestick injury is a serious problem worldwide. Occupational transmission of HCV is estimated at an average rate between 0.5% and 0.75%. There are factors associated with increased risk of transmission, such as deep injuries, procedures involving hollow-bore needle placement in the source patient’s vein or artery, and high HCV RNA titer in the source patient. We describe two cases of HCV seroconversion in nursing assistants after different risk needlestick injuries...

Internato em atencao primaria a saude: relato de uma experiencia / Trainning in primary health care: a rotatory discipline experience description

O presente trabalho descreve a experiencia da autora durante seu treinamento em Atencao Primaria a Saude como estagiaria de sexto ano do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, enfatizando os atendimentos ambulatoriais realizados no periodo de janeiro a setembro de 1992. Os resultados demonstram uma elevada prevalencia de pacientes do sexo feminino (75 por cento ), sendo os motivos de consulta mais frequente as queixas de origem ginecologica. Observou-se tambem uma reduzida solicitacao de exames complementares (28,1 por cento ). Entre as condutas mais prevalentes esteve a prescricao de medicamentos e a adocao de medidas de carater educativo e preventivo. Compara- se estes dados advindos da pratica ambulatorial com os objetivos previstos pelo estagio, concluindo que os objetivos iniciais foram parcialmente alcancados, destacando o de propiciar o contato do futuro medico com as varias nuancas da pratica medica

Estágio urgência e emergência: projeto integrado de avaliação do ensino médico

Resumo: Este trabalho descreve o nível referido de aquisição de habilidades psicomotoras na área de urgência e emergência, obtidas por estudantes de Medicina do 11º semestre, durante um mês de treinamento no Hospital Municipal de Pronto Socorro de Porto Alegre (HPS-PoA). Questionários contendo uma listagem de habilidades técnicas inquiriam, antes do treinamento e imediatamente após, se os alunos consideravam-se aptos ao desempenho dessas habilidades. Na análise, as habilidades foram agrupadas de acordo com áreas de treinamento: clínica médica, politraumatizados, sutura, traumatologia e hemoterapia. Houve incremento significativo de respondentes que se consideraram aptos em 23 das 32 habilidades listadas. Quanto ao desempenho não houve diferença significativa em 15 das habilidades estudadas. Estes resultados sugerem que o fato do aluno julgar-se apto à execução de uma habilidade não significa que ele a lenha desempenhado durante seu período de treinamento.

Abstract: Urgency and Emergency Rotatory Program: Integrated Project for Undergraduate Medical Evaluation This work describes the opportunities for undergraduate medical students in their 11th semester to acquire basic skills within one month of training at an emergency hospital in Porto Alegre. Questionnaries containing a list of technical skills asked the students both on arrival and immediately after termination of the training programme whether they considered themselves capable to perform those tasks. For the analysis the skills were grouped according to the training area: clinical, politrauma, stitching, traumatology and hemotherapy. Out of 32 skills, 23 showed a significant improvement in the percentage of respondents who considered themselves competent after the training period. As far as performance opportunities, there were no significant changes for 15 of the skills studied. These results suggest that while the trainees might have the "cognitive aptitude" this does not mean they had the opportunity to perform it.