The Strongest Correlates of PTSD for Firefighters: Number, Recency, Frequency, or Perceived Threat of Traumatic Events?

Firefighters experience a wide range of traumatic events while on duty and are at risk to develop psychopathology and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to cognitive models, the person's interpretation of the traumatic event is responsible for the development of PTSD rather than the traumatic event itself. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the contribution of perceived threat to explain PTSD symptoms in Portuguese firefighters, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A sample of 397 firefighters completed self-report measures of exposure to traumatic events, psychopathology, and PTSD. Perceived threat explained unique variance in PTSD symptoms, R(2) = .40, ΔR(2) = .02, F(10, 367) = 24.55, p < .001, Cohen's f(2) =.03, after adjusting for psychopathology, number, recency, and frequency of the events, and other potential confounding variables. The association between psychopathology and PTSD was also moderated by perceived threat, R(2) = .43, ΔR(2) = .03, F(11, 366) = 25.33, p < .001, Cohen's f(2) =.05. Firefighters may benefit from interventions that focus on perceived threat to prevent PTSD symptoms.

The influence of maternal reflective functioning and parenting behavior on infant development in the context of perinatal intimate partner violence: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 25% of children under the age of five worldwide, yet the impact of perinatal IPV and its underlying mechanisms on infant development remains poorly understood. IPV indirectly affects infant development through the mother's parenting behavior, but research on maternal neuro and cognitive processes, such as parental reflective functioning (PRF), is scarce, despite its potential as an unfolding mechanism. The objective of our study, Peri_IPV, is to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking perinatal IPV and infant development. We will analyze the direct impact of perinatal IPV on mothers' neuro and cognitive parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, the direct impact of perinatal IPV on infant development, and whether maternal PRF mediates the link between perinatal IPV and parenting behavior. We will also explore the mediation role of parenting behavior in the association between perinatal IPV and infant development and whether the impact of perinatal IPV on infant development occurs through the links between maternal PRF and parenting behavior. Finally, we will examine the moderation role of mother's adult attachment in the impact of perinatal IPV on maternal neuro and cognitive PRF and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, as well as on infant development. METHODS: Our study will use a multi-method, prospective design to capture different levels of PRF, parenting behavior, and infant development. Three-hundred and forty pregnant women will participate in a 4-wave longitudinal study from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. In the 3rd trimester and 2 months postpartum, women will report on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. In all assessment waves, mothers will complete self-reported measures of IPV, cognitive PRF, and adult attachment. At 2 months postpartum, women's neuro PRF will be monitored, and at 5 months postpartum, their parenting behavior will be assessed. The infant-mother attachment will be assessed at 12 months postpartum. DISCUSSION: Our study's innovative focus on maternal neuro and cognitive processes and their impact on infant development will inform evidence-based early intervention and clinical practices for vulnerable infants exposed to IPV.

Validation of the geriatric sleep questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing sleep in later life is essential for diagnosing and treating sleep problems and their consequences. We aimed to test a short questionnaire specifically designed to assess the subjective sleep quality in older people, the Geriatric Sleep Questionnaire (GSQ). METHOD: The GSQ was validated in a Portuguese sample of older people (N = 443; 65-100 years; M = 80.02; SD = 6.95). We analyzed reliability, factor validity, convergent validity with other theoretical similar constructs, discriminant validity with a theoretically divergent measure, and predictive power to detect sleep problems (ROC analysis). RESULTS: A six-item version was obtained with good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.79), and adequate convergent and divergent validity (p < 0.01). ROC analysis revealed a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 66.7% in detecting sleep problems with a cutoff point of 16 (AUC = 0.72). Older people in social care, low education, and living in rural areas reported worse sleep quality. CONCLUSION: The GSQ-6 is a brief instrument with good psychometric characteristics to assess the subjective sleep quality in older people. The GSQ-6 seems to be a valuable tool for future investigations on the relationship of sleep quality with mental health and well-being in older people.

Double Root Switch Repair for Taussig-Bing Anomaly.

The double root switch was used to repair a Taussig-Bing anomaly in a two-month-old child. The surgery was performed with translocation of the aortic root to the left ventricular outflow tract and the pulmonary root to the right ventricular outflow tract, after closure of the ventricular septal defect with a patch that ultimately directed flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. This surgical approach has the theoretical advantage of reducing the likelihood of subneopulmonary obstruction, left ventricular outflow obstruction, neoaortic dilatation, and regurgitation and therefore has the potential to minimize the mortality and morbidity related to reintervention and reoperation.

Mixed type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection: early results and surgical techniques.

INTRODUCTION: The mixed total anomalous pulmonary connection is a rare type of congenital cardiopathy. The occurrence of multiple connections of the pulmonary veins has important implication in the diagnosis and surgical planning. These types of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) and the infracardiac have higher surgical mortality. METHODS: Between December 1994 and July 2013, a total of 58 children underwent surgical treatment of TAPVC. Twenty-five (43.1%) patients had supracardiac connection, 15 (25.8%) patients had intracardiac type, 12 (20.6%) patients had a mixed type, and 6 (10.3%) patients had an infracardiac type. In children with mixed TAPVC, four (33.3%) patients had type I, five (41.6%) patients had type II, and three (25.0%) patients had type III. The diagnosis of TAPVC was performed in all patients using Doppler echocardiography, and they underwent cardiopulmonary bypass with aorta-bicaval cannulation and lately we use mild hypothermia with normal flow. The drainage channels were ligated in all patients. RESULTS: The immediate surgical results were as follows: one (16.6%) death in the infracardiac group, four (16.0%) deaths in the supracardiac group, one (8.3%) death in the mixed group, and no death in the cardiac group (no statistical difference, P = .488). CONCLUSION: In this series of patients, the mixed TAPVC could be corrected only with preoperative two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography with good immediate results, and we believe that the use of computed angiotomography combined with three-dimensional reconstruction may improve the surgical outcome mainly in the mixed and infracardiac group of TAPVC.

Double root switch: a complete anatomical correction for transposition of the great arteries.

We report the cases of two neonates with transposition of the great arteries, whose surgical correction consisted of translocation of the aortic root with the aortic valve and coronary arteries to the left ventricle and translocation of the pulmonary root with the pulmonary valve to the right ventricle. We believe that the aortic translocation may reduce the likelihood of dilatation of the neoaorta, aortic regurgitation, and changes in the endothelium of coronary arteries which have occasionally been seen following arterial switch operations.

New technique: aortic and pulmonary translocation with preservation of pulmonary valve.

We applied successfully, a new surgical technique, in two children with transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, that utilized aortic translocation with the aortic valve and the coronary arteries to the left ventricle, after correction of left outflow tract obstruction and correction of the ventricular septal defect, associated to pulmonary root translocation to the right ventricle, conserving integrally the pulmonary valve.

New technique: Norwood operation with regional cerebral and coronary perfusion.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the immediate result of the modified Norwood procedure with new technique of anterograde regional cerebral perfusion (ARCeP) and retrograde regional coronary perfusion (RRCoP) in substitution of profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with extremely hypoplastic ascending aorta (HA). METHODS: In the period of December of 2006 to February 2008 the modified Norwood procedure with tube between the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries or Sano shunt was performed in eight children with HLHS and with ascending aorta diameter less than 3 mm, (four male and four female) with median age of 9.2 days (ranging from 1 to 29 days) and median weigh of 3.3 kg (ranging from 2.7 to 3.8 kg). We used cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermia at 25 masculineC with two venous cannulas and suture with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft sutured to the innominate artery as an arterial line and used to ARCeP. The RRCoP was performed by a deviation in the arterial line and placement of a catheter in the ascending aorta. The immediate surgical results and the clinical neurological manifestation were assessed. RESULTS: The immediate surgical results revealed mortality of 25% and there were absence of neurological injury at clinical examination. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Norwood procedure can be accomplished with ARCeP and RRCoP in children with HLHS with HA with satisfactory immediate surgical result and without neurological complications.

Nova técnica: translocação aórtica e pulmonar com preservação da valva pulmonar / New technique: aortic and pulmonary translocation with preservation of pulmonary valve

Realizamos com sucesso novo procedimento cirúrgico, em duas crianças portadoras de transposição das grandes artérias associada a comunicação interventricular e obstrução da via de saída do ventrículo esquerdo. A cirurgia consiste na realização de translocação aórtica com a valva aórtica e as artérias coronárias para o ventrículo esquerdo, após a ampliação da via de saída desse ventrículo e da comunicação interventricular com pericárdio autólogo fixado em glutaraldeído, associada à translocação do tronco pulmonar para o ventrículo direito, conservando integralmente a valva pulmonar.

We applied successfully, a new surgical technique, in two children with transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, that utilized aortic translocation with the aortic valve and the coronary arteries to the left ventricle, after correction of left outflow tract obstruction and correction of the ventricular septal defect, associated to pulmonary root translocation to the right ventricle, conserving integrally the pulmonary valve.

Nova técnica: operação de Norwood com perfusão regional cerebral e coronariana / New technique: Norwood operation with regional cerebral and coronary perfusion

Objetivo: Avaliar o resultado imediato da operação de Norwood modificado com nova técnica de perfusão regional cerebral (PRCeA) anterógrada associado a perfusão regional coronariana (PRCoR) retrógrada em substituição à parada circulatória total com hipotermia profunda em crianças portadoras da Síndrome da Hipoplasia do Coração Esquerdo (SHCE) com aorta ascendente extremamente hipoplásica (AH). Métodos: No período de dezembro de 2006 a fevereiro de 2008, a operação de Norwood modificado com tubo entre o ventrículo direito e as artérias pulmonares ou shunt tipo Sano foi realizada em oito crianças portadoras de SHCE e aorta ascendente com diâmetro inferior a 3 mm, (quatro do sexo masculino e quatro do sexo feminino) com idade média de 9,2 dias (variando de 1 a 29 dias) e peso médio de 3,3 kg (variando de 2,7 a 3,8 kg). Utilizada CEC e hipotermia a 25ºC com duas cânulas venosas e anastomose de um enxerto de politetrafluoretileno com a artéria inominada utilizado como linha arterial e para PRCeA. A PRCoR foi realizada por meio de um desvio na linha arterial e colocação de um cateter na aorta ascendente. Foram analisados o resultado cirúrgico imediato e a presença de alterações neurológicas nesse período. Resultados: O resultado cirúrgico imediato revelou mortalidade de 25 por cento e ausência de comprometimento neurológico ao exame clínico. Conclusão: A operação de Norwood modificado pode ser realizada com PRCeA e PRCoR em crianças com SHCE e AH com resultado cirúrgico imediato satisfatório e ausência de complicações neurológicas.

Objective: To assess the immediate result of the modified Norwood procedure with new technique of anterograde regional cerebral perfusion (ARCeP) and retrograde regional coronary perfusion (RRCoP) in substitution of profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with extremely hypoplastic ascending aorta (HA). Methods: In the period of December of 2006 to February 2008 the modified Norwood procedure with tube between the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries or Sano shunt was performed in eight children with HLHS and with ascending aorta diameter less than 3 mm, (four male and four female) with median age of 9.2 days (ranging from 1 to 29 days) and median weigh of 3.3 kg (ranging from 2.7 to 3.8 kg). We used cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermia at 25ºC with two venous cannulas and suture with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft sutured to the innominate artery as an arterial line and used to ARCeP. The RRCoP was performed by a deviation in the arterial line and placement of a catheter in the ascending aorta. The immediate surgical results and the clinical neurological manifestation were assessed. Results: The immediate surgical results revealed mortality of 25 percent and there were absence of neurological injury at clinical examination. Conclusions: The modified Norwood procedure can be accomplished with ARCeP and RRCoP in children with HLHS with HA with satisfactory immediate surgical result and without neurological complications.

Quando indicar e quando não indicar a cirurgia de duplo switch / Double switch for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: when indicate or not

A transposição congenitamente corrigida das grandes artérias (ccTGA) é uma cardiopa-tia pouco frequente e complexa, em que os ventrículos e suas respectivas válvulas estão inapropriadamente conectados com os átrios e na qual as grandes artérias estão trans-postas. Na ccTGA, os efeitos da inversão ventricular estão fisiologicamente corrigidos pela presença da transposição das grandes artérias, isto é, o retorno venoso sistêmico é ejetado para o tronco pulmonar e o retorno venoso pulmonar é ejetado para a aorta. A maioria dos casos apresenta defeitos associados, como comunicação interventricular, obstrução da via de saída do ventrículo morfologicamente esquerdo, anomalias da valva atrioventricular morfologicamente direita e a localização anormal do tecido de condução atrioventricular. A sobrevida é determinada pelos defeitos associados e mesmo na ccTGA isolada há menor expectativa de sobrevida, podendo ser melhorada pelo duplo switch, chamado de correção anatômica. O switch arterial, juntamente com o switch atrial e a correção dos defeitos associados existentes para que o ventrículo esquerdo fique conectado à circulação sistêmica, é a proposta atual de tratamento destes pacientes e tem excelentes resultados. É essencial o entendimento dos reais benefícios deste tra-tamento e sua aplicabilidade frente ao tratamento convencional chamado de correção fisiológica. A indicação do double switch ainda é muito tímida em nosso país e é ne-cessário que haja confiança na técnica cirúrgica. Devemos raciocinar em termos de lon-gevidade e qualidade de vida para escolher a melhor tática para estes pacientes. Neste trabalho, são enumeradas e discutidas as possibilidades cirúrgicas para o tratamento da ccTGAe seus resultados.