Impact of the updated TNM staging criteria on prediction of persistent disease in a differentiated thyroid carcinoma cohort

Objective: The 8th TNM system edition (TNM-8) released in 2018 presents significant changes when compared to the 7th edition (TNM-7). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of changing the TNM staging criteria on the outcomes in a Brazilian cohort of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Subjects and methods: DTC patients, attending a tertiary, University-based hospital, were classified by TNM-7 and TNM-8. Prediction of disease outcomes status of the two systems was compared in a retrospective cohort study design. Results: Four hundred and nineteen DTC patients were evaluated, comprised by 82% (345/419) women, with mean age at diagnosis of 46.4 ± 15.6 years, 89% (372/419) papillary thyroid carcinoma, with a median tumor size of 2.3 cm (P25-P75, 1.3-3.5). One hundred and sixty patients (38%) had lymph node metastases and 47 (11%) distant metastases at diagnosis. Using the TNM-7 criteria, 236 (56%) patients were classified as Stage I, 50 (12%) as Stage II, 75 (18%) as Stage III and 58 (14%) as Stage IV. When evaluated by the TNM-8, 339 (81%) patients were classified as Stage I, 64 (15%) as Stage II, 2 (0.5%) as Stage III and 14(3%) as Stage IV. After a median followup of 4.4years (P25-P75 2.6-6.6), the rate of incomplete biochemical and/or structural response was 54% vs. 92% (P = 0.004) and incomplete structural response was 42% vs. 86% (P = 0.009) for patients classified as stage IV by TNM-7 vs TNM-8, respectively. Only 4 (1%) disease-related deaths were recorded. Conclusions: In our cohort, 37% of DTC patients were down staged with the application of TNM-8 (vs. TNM-7). Additionally, TNM-8 seems to better stratify the risk of structural incomplete response at follow-up

Informatização de escalas de predição de risco: estratégia à segurança e qualidade assistencia

Objetivo: Descrever o desenvolvimento da informatização de escalas de predição de risco, utilizadas pela enfermagem no prontuário eletrônico, no sistema AGHUse®. Método: Relato de experiência de produção tecnológica em um hospital universitário, que seguiu as fases de concepção, detalhamento, construção e prototipagem.Resultados: Foram informatizadas diferentes escalas, destacando-se as de Braden e de Braden Q, que avaliam risco de lesão por pressão, e a de Severo-Almeida-Kuchenbecker, que avalia risco de quedas. O processo de informatização e implantação ocorreu por meio do cadastro das escalas no software, aplicação delas na prática assistencial, integração e visualização de seus escores em relação às demais funcionalidades do prontuário eletrônico. Considerações finais: As funcionalidades desenvolvidas na informatização das escalas de predição de risco favoreceram a sua operacionalização, refletindo-se positivamente na prática do enfermeiro e na segurança do paciente. Palavras-chave: Tecnologia da informação. Informática em enfermagem. Registros de enfermagem. Segurança do paciente. Qualidade da assistência à saúde

Effect of suppressive levothyroxine therapy on bone mineral density in young patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Suppressive levothyroxine therapy (sT4) is a cornerstone in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Long-term sT4 may affect bone mineral density (BMD). We evaluated the effect of sT4 on the bone mass of young DTC patients. In this cross-sectional study, BMD was evaluated via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in DTC patients younger than 25 years at diagnosis and undergoing sT4 for ≥1 year. The two control groups comprised patients matched for sex, age, and body-mass-index who were thyroidectomized for indications other than DTC and undergoing L-T4-replacement therapy, and healthy individuals with no prior known thyroid disease. Ninety-three participants were included (thirty-one in each group). There were no differences in the mean age, female sex (77.4% in all groups), or BMI between the sT4 group and each control group. The median TSH level was lower (0.4 [0.04–6.5] vs. 2.7 [0.8–8.5] mIU/mL, p = 0.01) and the mean L-T4 mcg/Kg levels were higher (2.4 ± 0.6 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3, p = 0.01) in the sT4 group compared to the L-T4-replacement therapy group. Lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total femur BMD were all similar among the groups. sT4 does not impact BMD in young DTC patients after a median time of suppression of 8 years. These findings may help in the decision-making and risk/benefit evaluation of sT4 for this population

Tuberculous meningitis: evaluation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic tool – a pilot study.

Meningite é uma forma grave e potencialmente fatal de tuberculose. O diagnóstico envolve a detecção de bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes no líquido cefalorraquidiano por microscopia ou cultura. Entretanto, a dificuldade de detectar o organismo representa um desafio ao diagnóstico. O uso da reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) na abordagem diagnóstica de meningite causada por Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) tem sido relatado como um método rápido e preciso, com diversos kits comerciais disponíveis. Como alternativa, algumas instituições vêm desenvolvendo testes in house com baixo custo. Em nossa instituição, usamos PCR in house para tuberculose. O desempenho de nossa PCR para o diagnóstico de meningite causada por MTB foi analisado em 148 pacientes consecutivos, usando a cultura do MBT como padrão-ouro. A sensibilidade da PCR no líquido cefalorraquidiano para o diagnóstico de meningite causada por MTB foi de 50%, especificidade de 98,6% e concordância coma cultura de 96% (kappa = 0,52). O desempenho de nossa PCR é semelhante ao obtido com os kits comerciais disponíveis.Meningitis is a severe and potentially fatal form of tuberculosis. The diagnostic workup involves detection of acid-fast bacilli in the cerebrospinal fluid by microscopy or culture. However the difficulty in detecting the organism poses a challenge to diagnosis. Use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnostic approach to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) meningitis has been reported as a fast and accurate method, with several commercial kits available. As an alternative, some institutions have been developing inexpensive in-house assays. In our institution, we use an in-house PCR for tuberculosis. The performance of our PCR for the diagnosis of MTB meningitis was analyzed in 148 consecutive patients, using MTB culture as the gold standard. Sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid PCR for the diagnosis of MTB meningitis was 50%, specificity was 98.6%, and concordance with culture was 96% (kappa = 0.52). The performance of our PCR is similar to that obtained with the available commercial kits

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in Brazil

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up visits of patients with thyroid cancer. However, the magnitude with which these restrictions affected the Brazilian health care is still unknown. Methods: Retrospective analysis of thyroid cancer-related procedures performed in the Brazilian public health system from 2019 to 2021. Data were retrieved from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). The following procedures were evaluated: fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs), oncologic thyroidectomies, and radioiodine (RAI) therapies for thyroid cancer. The year of 2019 served as baseline control. Results: Compared with 2019, FNABs, oncologic thyroidectomies, and RAI therapies performed in 2020 decreased by 29%, 17% and 28%, respectively. In 2021, compared with 2019, FNABs increased by 2%, and oncologic thyroidectomies and RAI therapies decreased by 5% and 25%, respectively. Most pronounced reductions were observed in the first months of the pandemic. In April 2020, FNABs decreased by 67%, oncologic thyroidectomies by 45%, and RAI therapies by 75%. In 2021, RAI therapies were the only procedure with a statistically significant decrease. Conclusion: The restrictions to public health care during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in diagnostic and treatment procedures for thyroid cancer in Brazil. The effects of these transitory gaps in thyroid cancer care, due to COVID-19, are still unclear

Strategic management of virtual education for quality of learning in university students, Covid-19, Peru

The objective of this review article is to describe the strategic management that was given to virtual education in such a way as to guarantee a quality standard of learning for university students in times of pandemic. For this, through a bibliographic review, the state of the art of university management provided during the COVID-19 pandemic is reviewed, in which higher-level educational institutions through their respective administrative areas in union with the state they looked for ways to be able to resume academic activities that had to cease due to the confinement decreed by the Peruvian state, due to this, virtual education was chosen, a model that allowed continuing academic activities, however this led to various new challenges that had to be faced as the model was implemented. It is concluded that, although virtual education in its initial implementation caused various problems, thanks to the strategic management provided by the different universities hand in hand with the Peruvian state, it is possible to provide a quality education taking advantage of the multiple benefits that education offers. virtual

Case reports of hypercalcemia and chronic renal disease due to cosmetic injections of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)

Injeções de preenchimento de caráter estético são procedimentos comuns em cirurgia plástica em todo o mundo. O polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) é um material de preenchimento aprovado apenas para procedimentos minimamente invasivos no tecido facial, e está entre as substâncias injetáveis mais frequentemente usadas para fins estéticos. A injeção de um grande volume de PMMA pode levar ao desenvolvimento de hipercalcemia grave e lesão renal crônica em uma frequência provavelmente subestimada. Nesses casos, a hipercalcemia se desenvolve devido a uma reação granulomatosa de corpo estranho, secundária à produção extrarenal de calcitriol. No presente artigo, descrevemos os casos de dois pacientes que receberam injeções de grandes volumes de PMMA e desenvolveram hipercalcemia grave e doença renal crônica avançada. Esses relatos destacam a importância de seguir as regulamentações sobre o uso do PMMA e informar adequadamente os pacientes sobre a possibilidade de complicações antes de realizar tais procedimentos.Cosmetic injections of fillers are common plastic surgery procedures worldwide. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is a filler approved only for minimally invasive procedures in facial tissue and is among the most frequently used injectable substances for cosmetic purposes. Injection of a large volume of PMMA may lead to the development of severe hypercalcemia and chronic kidney damage in a probably underestimated frequency. In such cases, hypercalcemia develops due to a granulomatous foreign body reaction with extrarenal production of calcitriol. In the present report, we describe the cases of two patients who received injections of large volumes of PMMA and developed severe hypercalcemia and advanced chronic kidney disease. These reports highlight the importance of adhering to regulations regarding the use of PMMA and properly informing patients of the possibility of complications before undertaking such procedures