Salt consumption awareness in Portugal: comparison between the ECOS surveys of 2014 and 2018

O consumo excessivo de sal aumenta o risco de doenças crónicas, pelo que a sensibilização da população é uma medida recomendada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) e pela Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS) para a diminuição do seu consumo. O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar a prevalência relativa à preocupação com o consumo de sal, em 2014 e 2018 em Portugal, avaliar a sua evolução e caracterizar o perfil sociodemográfico dos participantes que manifestaram preocupação com o consumo de sal nos dois anos em análise. Os dados foram recolhidos no âmbito do inquérito telefónico ECOS (Em Casa Observamos Saúde) para esses anos. Em 2014, 77% dos inquiridos referiram ter preocupação quanto ao consumo de sal face a 75% em 2018. Em ambos os anos, as mulheres revelaram uma maior preocupação quanto ao consumo de sal, comparativamente ao sexo masculino, embora essa diferença fosse mais evidente em 2014. Adicionalmente, verificou-se que a preocupação com o consumo de sal aumenta com a idade, sendo o grupo etário com mais de 65 anos o que registou uma maior preocupação relativamente ao consumo do sal, nos dois anos em análise. Não se observaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os níveis de escolaridade ou as regiões.Excessive salt consumption increases the risk of chronic diseases. Thus raising awareness is a measure to reduce its consumption, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Portuguese Directorate General of Health. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of individuals who reported awareness regarding their salt consumption in 2014 and 2018, and to investigate its distribution among several sociodemographic characteristics. Data was collected by means of a national representative panel telephonic survey, ECOS. In 2014, 77% of respondents reported watching or reducing salt consumption, compared to 75% in 2018, but this difference between years was not significant. In both years, women were more aware of salt intake than men, although this difference was more significant in 2014. Additionally, awareness regarding salt consumption increased with age, with the age group over 65 years old being the most aware, in the two years under analysis. No statistically significant differences were found among the different educational level groups, or regions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as a cavernous sinus syndrome: Case report with review of existing literature

Tuberculoma involving the cavernous sinus is a rare presentation of CNS disease, with only twelve cases reported in previous literature. We report a case of a 48 year old woman who presented with a right cavernous sinus syndrome of 2 months duration. MRI showed a mass in the right cavernous sinus, and serologic workup revealed an elevated sedimentation rate and positive Quantiferon®-GOLD testing. 18-FDG PET-CT demonstrated a hypermetabolic 3 cm subcarinal lymph node, and lymph node biopsy showed caseating granuloma. Culture of lymphatic tissue grew drug-sensitive M. tuberculosis. The patient was treated with a non-standard 4-drug regimen and prednisone, with rapid improvement of symptoms and radiologic abnormalities. Total length of treatment was 12 months. In addition, we review the 12 cases found in literature, and discuss clinical features, diagnostic dilemmas, and approaches to treatment

Erratum: PRAJA is Overexpressed in Glioblastoma and Contributes to Neural Precursor Development.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.151.]

Evolution over Time of Ventilatory Management and Outcome of Patients with Neurologic Disease∗

OBJECTIVES: To describe the changes in ventilator management over time in patients with neurologic disease at ICU admission and to estimate factors associated with 28-day hospital mortality. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of three prospective, observational, multicenter studies. SETTING: Cohort studies conducted in 2004, 2010, and 2016. PATIENTS: Adult patients who received mechanical ventilation for more than 12 hours. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among the 20,929 patients enrolled, we included 4,152 (20%) mechanically ventilated patients due to different neurologic diseases. Hemorrhagic stroke and brain trauma were the most common pathologies associated with the need for mechanical ventilation. Although volume-cycled ventilation remained the preferred ventilation mode, there was a significant (p < 0.001) increment in the use of pressure support ventilation. The proportion of patients receiving a protective lung ventilation strategy was increased over time: 47% in 2004, 63% in 2010, and 65% in 2016 (p < 0.001), as well as the duration of protective ventilation strategies: 406 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2004, 523 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2010, and 585 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2016 (p < 0.001). There were no differences in the length of stay in the ICU, mortality in the ICU, and mortality in hospital from 2004 to 2016. Independent risk factors for 28-day mortality were age greater than 75 years, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II greater than 50, the occurrence of organ dysfunction within first 48 hours after brain injury, and specific neurologic diseases such as hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and brain trauma. CONCLUSIONS: More lung-protective ventilatory strategies have been implemented over years in neurologic patients with no effect on pulmonary complications or on survival. We found several prognostic factors on mortality such as advanced age, the severity of the disease, organ dysfunctions, and the etiology of neurologic disease