Prognostic impact of thrombocytosis in gastric cancer-A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Solid tumors are a common cause of secondary thrombocytosis, which has been identified as a prognostic factor in various cancers. However, the impact of thrombocytosis on the prognosis of gastric cancer is not yet well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and prognostic value of thrombocytosis in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with gastric carcinoma treated surgically, with curative intent, in our hospital, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, between January 2009 and December 2019. Clinical files were consulted and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: In the present sample (n = 352), the prevalence of pretreatment thrombocytosis was 16.5%. Thrombocytosis was associated with more advanced T stage, greater number of metastatic nodes, and more frequent lymphatic and venous permeation. The presence of thrombocytosis had a negative impact on disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 3.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.35-5.33, P < .001) and overall survival (HR 4.45, 95% CI 2.95-6.71, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of pretreatment thrombocytosis had a negative impact on overall survival and disease-free survival and thus could be used as an independent prognostic factor.

The Impact of Nasal Intubation on Feeding Outcomes in Neonates Requiring Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial.

Neonates who require surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently have difficulty with oral feeds post-operatively and may require a feeding tube at hospital discharge. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral or nasal intubation route on feeding method at hospital discharge. This was a non-blinded randomized control trial of 62 neonates who underwent surgery for CHD between 2018 and 2021. Infants in the nasal (25 patients) and oral (37 patients) groups were similar in terms of pre-operative risk factors for feeding difficulties including completed weeks of gestational age at birth (39 vs 38 weeks), birthweight (3530 vs 3100 g), pre-operative PO intake (92% vs 81%), and rate of pre-operative intubation (22% vs 28%). Surgical risk factors were also similar including Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery category (3.9 vs 4.1), shunt placement (32% vs 41%), cardiopulmonary bypass time (181 vs 177 min), and cross-clamp time (111 vs 105 min). 96% of nasally intubated patients took full oral feeds by discharge as compared with 78% of orally intubated infants (p = 0.05). Nasally intubated infants reach full oral feeds an average of 3 days earlier than their orally intubated peers. In this cohort of patients, nasally intubated infants reach oral feeds more quickly and are less likely to require supplemental tube feeding in comparison to orally intubated peers. Intubation route is a potential modifiable risk factor for oral aversion and appears safe in neonates. The study was approved by the University of Virginia Institutional Review Board for Health Sciences Research and was retrospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05378685) on May 18, 2022.

Subcentimetric papillary thyroid carcinoma with extensive lymph node and brain metastasis: case report and review of literature.

Summary: We report a 61-year-old male patient without personal history of thyroid carcinoma or radiation exposure. In 2011, he presented with a cervical mass whose biopsy diagnosed a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in a lymph node metastasis (LNM). Total thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy of central and ipsilateral compartment was performed. Histopathology identified a 2 mm follicular variant of PTC and LNM in 25/25 lymph nodes. The patient was treated with 150 mCi of radioactive iodine (RAI), followed by levothyroxine suppressive therapy. In 2016, a retrotracheal mass was diagnosed, suggesting local recurrence; patient was submitted to surgical excision and RAI therapy (120 mCi). Due to seizures, in 2019, a brain CT was performed that diagnosed brain metastases. The patient underwent debulking of the main lesion. Histopathology analysis confirmed a metastatic lesion with variated morphology: classical PTC and follicular pattern and hobnail and tall cell features. Molecular analysis revealed BRAFV600E in LNM at presentation and BRAFV600E and TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations in the recurrent LNM and brain metastasis. Based upon this experience we review the reported cases of subcentimetric PTC with brain metastases and discuss the molecular progression of the present case. Learning points: Papillary microcarcinoma (PMCs) usually have very good prognosis with low impact on patient survival. PMCs presenting in elderly patients with LNM at diagnosis may carry a guarded outcome. Brain metastasis although rare indicate aggressive phenotypic features. Patient risk stratification of PMCs based on histopathological analysis and genetic testing may have a significant impact on prognosis providing therapeutic markers, that may predict disease progression and overall outcome.

Look, you are (not) alone: circulating gift and the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. / Olha, você (não) está sozinho: a circulação da dádiva e a saúde mental de profissionais de saúde durante a pandemia de COVID-19.

The mental health of health professionals who worked directly in services during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for patients affected by the disease became a fundamental issue to be considered, given the several consequences of this activity for these professionals. This article aimed to understand the challenges and demands of health professionals concerning support to address the emotional and physical exhaustion of working on the so-called frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative methodological approach was based on semi-structured interviews conducted online with these professionals after the first months of the pandemic. The hero's place in which they were set, even if only in media discourses, soon gave way to their weaknesses and fragile work relationships to emerge: stress, fear, and the listening and reception desire. Marcel Mauss' gift theory was brought up considering that new ways of reading and interpreting health work relationships contribute to necessary and urgent reformulations of their current context, targeting mental health and, more broadly, the comprehensive health of healthcare professionals.

Durante a pandemia de COVID-19, a saúde mental dos profissionais de saúde, que trabalharam diretamente nos serviços voltados para o cuidado dos pacientes afetados pela doença, tornou-se questão fundamental a ser considerada, dado os diversos desdobramentos que essa atuação gerou para esses profissionais. O objetivo deste artigo foi compreender desafios e demandas dos profissionais de saúde em termos de suporte para lidar com o desgaste emocional e físico com a atuação na chamada linha de frente durante a pandemia de COVID-19. A abordagem metodológica qualitativa se deu a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas em ambiente online com esses profissionais, passados os primeiros meses de pandemia. O lugar de herói em que eles foram colocados, ainda que apenas nos discursos midiáticos, logo deu espaço para que as fragilidades destes e das relações de trabalho aparecessem: estresse, medo e o desejo de escuta e acolhimento. A teoria da dádiva de Marcel Mauss foi trazida considerando que novas formas de leitura e interpretação das relações de trabalho em saúde contribuem para reformulações necessárias e urgentes do contexto em que se encontram hoje, visando a saúde mental e, mais amplamente, a saúde integral dos profissionais da área de saúde.

Olha, você (não) está sozinho: a circulação da dádiva e a saúde mental de profissionais de saúde durante a pandemia de COVID-19 / Look, you are (not) alone: circulating gift and the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resumo Durante a pandemia de COVID-19, a saúde mental dos profissionais de saúde, que trabalharam diretamente nos serviços voltados para o cuidado dos pacientes afetados pela doença, tornou-se questão fundamental a ser considerada, dado os diversos desdobramentos que essa atuação gerou para esses profissionais. O objetivo deste artigo foi compreender desafios e demandas dos profissionais de saúde em termos de suporte para lidar com o desgaste emocional e físico com a atuação na chamada linha de frente durante a pandemia de COVID-19. A abordagem metodológica qualitativa se deu a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas em ambiente online com esses profissionais, passados os primeiros meses de pandemia. O lugar de herói em que eles foram colocados, ainda que apenas nos discursos midiáticos, logo deu espaço para que as fragilidades destes e das relações de trabalho aparecessem: estresse, medo e o desejo de escuta e acolhimento. A teoria da dádiva de Marcel Mauss foi trazida considerando que novas formas de leitura e interpretação das relações de trabalho em saúde contribuem para reformulações necessárias e urgentes do contexto em que se encontram hoje, visando a saúde mental e, mais amplamente, a saúde integral dos profissionais da área de saúde.

Abstract The mental health of health professionals who worked directly in services during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for patients affected by the disease became a fundamental issue to be considered, given the several consequences of this activity for these professionals. This article aimed to understand the challenges and demands of health professionals concerning support to address the emotional and physical exhaustion of working on the so-called frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative methodological approach was based on semi-structured interviews conducted online with these professionals after the first months of the pandemic. The hero's place in which they were set, even if only in media discourses, soon gave way to their weaknesses and fragile work relationships to emerge: stress, fear, and the listening and reception desire. Marcel Mauss' gift theory was brought up considering that new ways of reading and interpreting health work relationships contribute to necessary and urgent reformulations of their current context, targeting mental health and, more broadly, the comprehensive health of healthcare professionals.

Midgut Cell Damage and Oxidative Stress in Partamona helleri (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Workers Caused by the Insecticide Lambda-Cyhalothrin.

The stingless bee Partamona helleri plays a role in pollinating both native and cultivated plants in the Neotropics. However, its populations can be reduced by the pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin. This compound may cross the intestinal barrier and circulate through the hemolymph, affecting various non-target bee organs. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent of cellular damage in the midgut and the resulting oxidative stress caused by lambda-cyhalothrin in P. helleri workers. Bees were orally exposed to lambda-cyhalothrin. The lethal concentration at which 50% of the bees died (LC50) was 0.043 mg a.i. L-1. The P. helleri workers were fed this concentration of lambda-cyhalothrin and their midguts were evaluated. The results revealed signs of damage in the midgut epithelium, including pyknotic nuclei, cytoplasm vacuolization, changes in the striated border, and the release of cell fragments, indicating that the midgut was compromised. Furthermore, the ingestion of lambda-cyhalothrin led to an increase in the activity of the detoxification enzyme superoxide dismutase and the levels of the NO2/NO3 markers, indicating oxidative stress. Conversely, the activities of the catalase and glutathione S-transferase enzymes decreased, supporting the occurrence of oxidative stress. In conclusion, the ingestion of lambda-cyhalothrin by P. helleri workers resulted in damage to their midguts and induced oxidative stress.

Metabarcoding approach to identify bacterial community profiling related to nosocomial infection and bacterial trafficking-routes in hospital environments.

Nosocomial infections (NIs) appear in patients under medical care in the hospital. The surveillance of the bacterial communities employing high-resolution 16S rRNA profiling, known as metabarcoding, represents a reliable method to establish factors that may influence the composition of the bacterial population during NIs. The present study aimed to utilize high-resolution 16S rRNA profiling to identify high bacterial diversity by analyzing 11 inside and 10 outside environments from the General Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Brazil. Our results identified a high bacterial diversity, and among these, the most abundant bacterial genera linked to NIs were Cutibacterium, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium. A Acinetobacter was detected in cafeterias, bus stops, and adult and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). Data suggest an association between transport and alimentation areas proximal to the hospital ICU environment. Interestingly, the correlation and clusterization analysis showed the potential of the external areas to directly influence the ICU pediatric department microbial community, including the outpatient's clinic, visitor halls, patient reception, and the closest cafeterias. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution 16S rRNA profiling is a robust and reliable tool for bacterial genomic surveillance. In addition, the metabarcoding approach might help elaborate decontamination policies, and consequently reduce NIs.

Combined superior mesenteric artery syndrome and nutcraker syndrome presenting as acute pancreatitis: a case report.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome designates compression of the third part of the duodenum between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. This condition has a low incidence, being more common in thin young women. Nutcracker syndrome is compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. Both entities are rare, and their coexistence has been reported in a few cases. Conservative treatment targeting weight gain is sufficient in most cases. An association between the superior mesenteric artery syndrome and acute pancreatitis has rarely been reported. We intend to describe the case of an 18-year-old girl who was admitted to the emergency room with epigastric pain and emesis. Our investigation revealed acute acalculous pancreatitis. During work-up, we discovered superior mesenteric artery syndrome and a compressed left renal vein. The patient is on conservative treatment, and her symptoms have improved.

A síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior designa compressão da terceira parte do duodeno pela artéria mesentérica superior e a aorta. Essa condição tem uma baixa incidência, sendo mais comum em mulheres jovens magras. A síndrome de quebra-nozes resulta da compressão da veia renal esquerda pela artéria mesentérica superior e a aorta. Ambas as entidades são raras, e a sua coexistência foi descrita em poucos casos. Tratamento conservador com o objetivo de ganho ponderal é suficiente na maioria dos casos. A associação entre a síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior e a pancreatite aguda foi raramente relatada. Pretendemos descrever o caso de uma jovem de 18 anos que recorreu ao serviço de urgência com epigastralgia e vômitos. A investigação realizada revelou pancreatite aguda alitiásica. Durante o estudo complementar, foi identificada a síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior, bem como uma veia renal esquerda comprimida. A paciente encontra-se em tratamento conservador, apresentando melhora clínica.

Contextualizing and optimizing novel strategies to improve the latent TB continuum of care: Insights from people living with HIV and health care providers in Brazil.

Tuberculosis (TB) causes 1 in 3 deaths among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Diagnosing and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is critical to reducing TB incidence and mortality. Blood-based screening tests (e.g., QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT+)) and shorter-course TB preventive therapy (TPT) regimens such as 3HP (3 months weekly isoniazid-rifapentine) hold significant promise to improve TB outcomes. We qualitatively explored barriers and solutions to optimizing QFT+ and 3HP among PLHIV in three cities in Brazil. We conducted 110 in-depth interviews with PLHIV, health care providers (HCP) and key informants (KI). Content analysis was conducted including the use of case summaries and comparison of themes across populations and contexts. LTBI screening and treatment practices were dependent on HCP's perceptions of whether they were critical to improving TB outcomes. Many HCP lacked a strong understanding of LTBI and perceived the current TPT regimen as complicated. HCP reported that LTBI screening and treatment were constrained by clinic staffing challenges. While PLHIV generally expressed willingness to consider any test or treatment that doctors recommended, they indicated HCP rarely discussed LTBI and TPT. TB testing and treatment requests were constrained by structural factors including financial and food insecurity, difficulties leaving work for appointments, stigma and family responsibilities. QFT+ and 3HP were viewed by all participants as tools that could significantly improve the LTBI cascade by avoiding complexities of TB skin tests and longer LTBI treatment courses. QFT+ and 3HP were perceived to have challenges, including the potential to increase workload on over-burdened health systems if not implemented alongside improved supply chains, staffing, and training, and follow-up initiatives. Multi-level interventions that increase understanding of the importance of LTBI and TPT among HCP, improve patient-provider communication, and streamline clinic-level operations related to QFT+ and 3HP are needed to optimize their impact among PLHIV and reduce TB mortality.

Bronchobiliary fistula after stenting of biliary duct as the management of iatrogenic bile duct injury during elective cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Bronchobiliary fistula is a rare and complex entity defined by an abnormal communication between the biliary and bronchial systems. The etiopathogenesis is not completely understood, but the most common factors implicated are hepatobiliary tumors, biliary obstruction, iatrogenic damage or trauma. METHODS: Here we present a case of a 69-year-old man that developed a bronchobiliary fistula and a pulmonary abscess after migration of a bile duct stent placed as part of the treatment of an iatrogenic bile duct injury that occurred during elective cholecystectomy. RESULTS: A conservative approach, that included broad-spectrum antibiotic, removal of the stent, and sphincterotomy, was enough for the closure of the fistula and resolution of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: We emphasize the importance of prompt recognition of this entity and a concerted therapeutic strategy to optimize the probability of success, avoiding the destructive consequences of the bile in the pulmonary parenchyma and septic complications.

Combined superior mesenteric artery syndrome and nutcraker syndrome presenting as acute pancreatitis: a case report / Síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior em combinação com síndrome de quebra-nozes manifestando-se como pancreatite aguda: relato de caso

Abstract Superior mesenteric artery syndrome designates compression of the third part of the duodenum between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. This condition has a low incidence, being more common in thin young women. Nutcracker syndrome is compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. Both entities are rare, and their coexistence has been reported in a few cases. Conservative treatment targeting weight gain is sufficient in most cases. An association between the superior mesenteric artery syndrome and acute pancreatitis has rarely been reported. We intend to describe the case of an 18-year-old girl who was admitted to the emergency room with epigastric pain and emesis. Our investigation revealed acute acalculous pancreatitis. During work-up, we discovered superior mesenteric artery syndrome and a compressed left renal vein. The patient is on conservative treatment, and her symptoms have improved.

Resumo A síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior designa compressão da terceira parte do duodeno pela artéria mesentérica superior e a aorta. Essa condição tem uma baixa incidência, sendo mais comum em mulheres jovens magras. A síndrome de quebra-nozes resulta da compressão da veia renal esquerda pela artéria mesentérica superior e a aorta. Ambas as entidades são raras, e a sua coexistência foi descrita em poucos casos. Tratamento conservador com o objetivo de ganho ponderal é suficiente na maioria dos casos. A associação entre a síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior e a pancreatite aguda foi raramente relatada. Pretendemos descrever o caso de uma jovem de 18 anos que recorreu ao serviço de urgência com epigastralgia e vômitos. A investigação realizada revelou pancreatite aguda alitiásica. Durante o estudo complementar, foi identificada a síndrome da artéria mesentérica superior, bem como uma veia renal esquerda comprimida. A paciente encontra-se em tratamento conservador, apresentando melhora clínica.

Ultra-low dose radiotherapy in the management of low-grade orbital lymphomas.

Background: Ultra-low dose radiotherapy (ULDRT) (2 × 2 Gy) has been used for symptomatic control of low-grade lymphomas with surprising local control rates, suggesting that these entities could respond to lower doses. These are particularly desirable for the treatment of orbital sites and some publications refer to high rates of complete responses. In this paper, we present our experience with the use of ULDRT for indolent orbital lymphomas. Materials and methods: Electronic files and treatment plans of patients treated with ULDRT for low-grade orbital lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. Oncological outcomes and toxicities were collected and described for each patient. Results: Seven patients (median age of 75 years) with 8 lesions (3 follicular, 2 MALT, 1 marginal and 1 low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma) were considered for analysis. The majority had stage IE disease and one patient had bilateral disease. Six tumors were detected on imaging (median size of 20 mm). Involved orbital sites were periocular, conjunctival and palpebral; there was one case of intraocular (choroid) and one case of lacrimal gland involvement. One patient received consolidative rituximab after RT. The median follow-up time was 22 months. Two patients had partial response, one of them with persistent minimal choroidal disease and the other with partial response on CT. Five (71%) patients had clinical (n = 2) or radiologic (n = 3) complete response on treated sites. Reported late toxicities were minimal and included dry eye and pruritus. Conclusion: In our experience, ULDRT achieved a local control rate of 100% and complete response rate of 71% with minimal toxicity.

Target selectivity of cholesterol-phosphatidylcholine liposome loaded with phthalocyanine for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment by photodynamic therapy.

This study investigated the ability of cholesterol-phosphatidylcholine liposomes loaded with chloride aluminum phthalocyanine (CL-AlClPc) to discriminate between healthy (MCF-10A) and neoplastic (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) breast cells for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment by photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a new drug delivery system consisting of CL-AlClPc. When PDT treatment was applied at an energy fluence of 700 mJ/cm², CL-AlClPc was more cytotoxic to neoplastic cells than to healthy breast cells because CL-AlClPc was better internalized by the tumor cells. An even higher fluorescence signal is expected for neoplastic cells during clinical treatment than for healthy cells, which will be useful for precise and targeted tumor cell detection. CL-AlClPc also facilitated better drug distribution and targeting of essential organelles inside the cells. This selectivity is critical for future in vivo diagnosis and treatment; it prevents side effects because it prioritizes tumor cells and tissues instead of healthy ones. The CL-AlClPc system designed herein had a small size (150 nm), low zeta potential (-6 mV), low polydispersity (0.16), high encapsulation rate efficiency (82.83%), and high shelf stability (12 months).

Management strategies for implementing a multicenter cross-sectional study: lessons from the ADHERE Brazil study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies involving large samples usually face financial and operational challenges. OBJECTIVES: To describe the planning and execution of ADHERE Brazil, an epidemiological study on 1,105 kidney transplant patients, and report on how the study was structured, difficulties faced and solutions found. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional multicenter study in 20 Brazilian kidney transplantation centers. METHODS: Actions developed in each phase of implementation were described, with emphasis on innovations used within the logistics of this study, aimed at estimating the prevalence of nonadherence to treatment. RESULTS: Coordination of activities was divided into four areas: general, regulatory, data collection and statistics. Weekly meetings were held for action planning. The general coordination team was in charge of project elaboration, choice of participating centers, definition of publication policy and monitoring other coordination teams. The regulatory team provided support to centers for submitting the project to ethics committees. The data collection team prepared a manual on the electronic collection system, scheduled web meetings and was available to respond to queries. It also monitored the data quality and reported any inadequacies found. Communication with the centers was through monthly reports via e-mail and distribution of exclusive material. The statistical team acted in all phases of the study, especially in creating the data analysis plan and data bank, generation of randomization lists and data extraction. CONCLUSIONS: Through these logistics, we collected high-quality data and built a local research infrastructure for further studies. We present supporting alternatives for conducting similar studies. CLINICAL TRIAL ANNOTATION: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ on October 10, 2013; NCT02066935.