"H" is not for hydroxychloroquine-"H" is for heparin: lack of efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and the role of heparin in COVID-19-preliminary data of a prospective and interventional study from Brazil.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic is the major public health problem in the world actually. It's associated with high morbidity and mortality. To date, no therapeutic measure has a curative potential. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a drug with immunomodulatory properties that has demonstrated antiviral efficacy in in vitro experiments, with conflicting results in in vivo studies. METHODS: A single-center, prospective and interventional study, that evaluates the impact on mortality of the HCQ use in 154 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a Brazilian public hospital. The study also aims to determine prognostic factors that predict mortality, ICU admission and endotracheal intubation in this population. RESULTS: 154 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR and hospitalized were included. There was a male predominance (87/154, 56.5%), median age 60 years and 88% (136/154) had comorbidities. Among these, 76% (117/154) were admitted to the ICU and 29.2% (45/154) experienced EOT. The OMR was 51.3% (79/154). There was no difference in mortality between patients treated with HCQ (N = 95) and non-HCQ (N = 59) (44.1% × 55.8%, p = 0.758). In univariate analysis, age ≥ 60 years (HR 3.62, p < 0.001), need for mechanical ventilation (HR 2.17, p = 0.001), ≥ 2 comorbidities (HR 1.83, p = 0.049), SAH (HR: 1.56, p = 0.054) were predictors of mortality, as well as no use of prophylactic or therapeutic heparin (HR 3.60, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis identified admission to the ICU (HR 8.98, p = 0.002) and advanced age (HR 3.37, p < 0.01) as independent predictors of mortality, although, use of heparin (HR 0.25, p = 0.001) was independently associated with a favorable outcome. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the absence of a benefit associated with the use of HCQ in Brazilian patients hospitalized with COVID-19. However, prophylactic or therapeutic heparin was an independent predictor for reducing mortality in this population.

Medida da pressão arterial: passado, presente e futuro / Blood pressure measurement: past, present and future

A pressão arterial sempre foi um importante tema de estudo, desde as mais antigas civilizações. Os conhecimentos acerca de sua medida e seu significado clínico foram se aprimorando ao longo do tempo, e atualmente está consolidado o papel da hipertensão arterial na gênese das doenças cardiovasculares. Os estudos em HA têm dado cada vez mais importância ao diagnóstico e tratamento precoces, buscando evitar o acomedimento dos órgãos alvo. Para que isso seja possível, se faz necessário o conhecimento do grande arsenal de métodos de diagnóstico da hipertensão arterial, tanto para avaliar a eficácia terapêutica. Esta monografia pretende fazer uma revisão sistemática sobre a medida da PA, permitindo ao leitor entender como o conhecimento sobre a medida da pressão arterial foi se modificando ao longo dos tempos, as indicações e a impotância da cada método diagnóstico, e como os novos equipamentos poderão revolucionar a medida da pressão arterial na prática clínica. No cenário atual, em que as doenças cardiovasculares representam a principal causa de óbito no mundo, o diagnóstico precoce e o controle dos fatores de risco cardiovasculares, em que se insere a HA, são os únicos meios que temos para aumentar a expectativa de vida da população, com qualidade de vida, que é o mais importante.