Spiritual Well-Being and Depression in Patients with Heart Failure

BACKGROUND: In patients with chronic heart failure, depression is common and associated with poor quality of life, more frequent hospitalizations, and higher mortality. Spiritual well-being is an important, modifiable coping resource in patients with terminal cancer and is associated with less depression, but little is known about the role of spiritual well-being in patients with heart failure. OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationship between spiritual well-being and depression in patients with heart failure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients aged 60 years or older with New York Heart Association class II–IV heart failure. MEASUREMENTS: Spiritual well-being was measured using the total scale and 2 subscales (meaning/peace, faith) of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-being scale, depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form (GDS-SF). RESULTS: The median age of participants was 75 years. Nineteen participants (32%) had clinically significant depression (GDS-SF > 4). Greater spiritual well-being was strongly inversely correlated with depression (Spearman’s correlation −0.55, 95% confidence interval −0.70 to −0.35). In particular, greater meaning/peace was strongly associated with less depression (r = −.60, P < .0001), while faith was only modestly associated (r = −.38, P < .01). In a regression analysis accounting for gender, income, and other risk factors for depression (social support, physical symptoms, and health status), greater spiritual well-being continued to be significantly associated with less depression (P = .05). Between the 2 spiritual well-being subscales, only meaning/peace contributed significantly to this effect (P = .02) and accounted for 7% of the variance in depression. CONCLUSIONS: Among outpatients with heart failure, greater spiritual well-being, particularly meaning/peace, was strongly associated with less depression. Enhancement of patients’ sense of spiritual well-being might reduce or prevent depression and thus improve quality of life and other outcomes in this population

Dietas enterais não industrializadas: análise microbiológica e verificação de boas práticas de preparação Non industrialized enteral diets: microbiological analysis and verification of good preparation practices

OBJETIVO: Verificar a adequação das áreas de produção e o nível de contaminação microbiana de dietas enterais utilizadas em três hospitais privados da Região Noroeste do Paraná. MÉTODOS: A análise das Boas Práticas de Preparação da Nutrição Enteral seguiu a Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada nº 63/2000, da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, e as análises microbiológicas das 15 amostras de dietas enterais seguiram as recomendações da Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada nº 12/2001, da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, nas quais foram pesquisados bolores e leveduras, bactérias mesófilas, coliformes a 35 e 45ºC, Estafilococos coagulase positiva, Salmonella sp. e Bacillus cereus. RESULTADOS: A maior porcentagem para as Não Conformidades foi do hospital HS (61%) e a menor do hospital HT (43,5%). Foi observada, em 100% das amostras dos hospitais HP e HT, contaminação por coliformes a 45ºC acima do padrão de referência da Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada nº 12/2001 e 60% das amostras do hospital HS apresentaram contaminação por coliformes a 35ºC acima do limite aceitável. As amostras encontravam-se dentro dos padrões para Estafilococos coagulase positiva, Salmonella sp., Bacillus cereus e bactérias mesófilas. Nos hospitais HT e HP a contaminação por bolores e leveduras estava acima do padrão permitido pela legislação. Os resultados das análises mostraram que a contaminação das dietas está relacionada ao tipo de ingrediente utilizado e ao excesso de manipulação. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que as boas práticas de preparação da nutrição enteral não estavam de acordo com a Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada nº 63/2000 e que os hospitais estavam inadequados para preparar esse tipo de alimento.<br>OBJECTIVE: To verify the degree of suitability of production areas and the level of microbial contamination in enteral diets used in three private hospitals in the Northwest region of Paraná, Brazil. METHODS: The analysis of the Good Enteral Nutrition Preparation Practices followed the Collegiate Directory Resolution nº 63/2000 of the Brazilian National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance, and the microbiological analyses of 15 samples of enteral diets followed the recommendations of the Collegiate Directory Resolution nº 12/2001 of the Brazilian National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance, where molds and yeasts, mesophilic bacteria, coliforms at 35 and 45ºC, coagulase-positive Staphylococci, Salmonella sp. and Bacillus cereus were sought. RESULTS: The highest percentage of Non-Conformities was from hospital HS (61%) and the lowest from hospital HT (43.5%). In 100% of the samples from hospitals HP and HT, contamination by coliforms at 45ºC was higher than the reference standard of the Collegiate Directory Resolution nº 12/2001, and in 60% of the samples from hospital HS, contamination by coliforms at 35ºC was above the acceptable level. The samples were found to be within the standards for coagulase-positive staphylococci, Salmonella sp., Bacillus cereus and mesophilic bacteria. In hospitals HT and HP, contamination by molds and yeasts was above that permitted by standard regulation. The results of the analyses show that the contamination of the diets is related to the type of ingredients used and to excess handling. CONCLUSION: The hospitals were not in accordance with good enteral nutrition preparation practices regulated by the Collegiate Directory Resolution nº 63/2000 and not suited to prepare this type of food

Measurements of cancer extent in a conservatively treated prostate cancer biopsy cohort.

The optimal method for measuring cancer extent in prostate biopsy specimens is unknown. Seven hundred forty-four patients diagnosed between 1990 and 1996 with prostate cancer and managed conservatively were identified. The clinical end point was death from prostate cancer. The extent of cancer was measured in terms of number of cancer cores (NCC), percentage of cores with cancer (PCC), total length of cancer (LCC) and percentage length of cancer in the cores (PLC). These were correlated with prostate cancer mortality, in univariate and multivariate analysis including Gleason score and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). All extent of cancer variables were significant predictors of prostate cancer death on univariate analysis: NCC, hazard ration (HR) = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.28, P = 0.011; PPC, HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.01-1.02, P < 0.0001; LCC, HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01-1.03, P = 0.002; PLC, HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.01-1.02, P = 0.0001. In multivariate analysis including Gleason score and baseline PSA, PCC and PLC were both independently significant P = 0.004 and P = 0.012, respectively, and added further information to that provided by PSA and Gleason score, whereas NNC and LCC were no longer significant (P = 0.5 and P = 0.3 respectively). In a final model, including both extent of cancer variables, PCC was the stronger, adding more value than PLC (χ² (1df) = 7.8, P = 0.005, χ² (1df) = 0.5, P = 0.48 respectively). Measurements of disease burden in needle biopsy specimens are significant predictors of prostate-cancer-related death. The percentage of positive cores appeared the strongest predictor and was stronger than percentage length of cancer in the cores