RESUMO
Despite recent and exponential improvements in diagnostic-therapeutic pathways, an existing "GAP" has been revealed between the "real world care" and the "optimal care" of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We present the T.O.S.CA. Project (Trattamento Ormonale dello Scompenso CArdiaco), an Italian multicenter initiative involving different health care professionals and services aiming to explore the CHF "metabolic pathophysiological model" and to improve the quality of care of HF patients through research and continuing medical education.
Assuntos
Educação Médica Continuada , Insuficiência Cardíaca/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Cardíaca/terapia , Educação de Pacientes como Assunto , Projetos de Pesquisa , Padrão de Cuidado , Algoritmos , Doença Crônica , União Europeia , Medicina Baseada em Evidências , Aconselhamento Genético , Insuficiência Cardíaca/etiologia , Humanos , Itália , Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Pobreza , Guias de Prática Clínica como Assunto , Qualidade de Vida , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrine complications in thalassemic patients, usually appearing in the second decade of life related to iron overload. Ultrasonography is one of the techniques most frequently used to evaluate the volume and structure of the gland. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the possible correlation between thyroid function and its appearance on ultrasound in 45 thalassemic patients. We found reduced antero-posterior diameter of the thyroid in 12 patients (26.6%), reduced echogenicity of the glandular tissue in 24 patients (46.6%), and diffuse spotty echogenicity in 15 patients (33.3%). In our opinion, these patterns may be useful to indicate the need for further diagnostic evaluation of thyroid function. Follow-up studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
