Internação em unidade de terapia intensiva: percepção de pacientes

Estudo com abordagem qualitativa que objetivou compreender, a partir da perspectiva do paciente adulto, a experiênciade se vivenciar uma internação em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI), de modo a contribuir para melhoriana qualidade da assistência e facilitar a adaptação em um ambiente tão estigmatizado. Os dados foram coletadosna UTI de um hospital do sudoeste de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram entrevistados dez pacientes, e identificadastemáticas relacionadas à percepção prévia da UTI; diferenciação com a assistência nos setores de internamento;tecnologia e assistência especializada; alterações ambientais e de hábitos em UTI. Inicialmente, os informantesrelacionavam a UTI com a terminalidade e passaram a retratar o setor como local para o tratamento erecuperação, passando a ter uma visão positiva do ambiente de terapia intensiva.

Bioceramics for osteochondral tissue engineering and regeneration

Considerable advances in tissue engineering and regeneration have been accomplished over the last decade. Bioceramics have been developed to repair, reconstruct, and substitute diseased parts of the body and to promote tissue healing as an alternative to metallic implants. Applications embrace hip, knee, and ligament repair and replacement, maxillofacial reconstruction and augmentation, spinal fusion, bone filler, and repair of periodontal diseases. Bioceramics are well-known for their superior wear resistance, high stiffness, resistance to oxidation, and low coefficient of friction. These specially designed biomaterials are grouped in natural bioceramics (e.g., coral-derived apatites), and synthetic bioceramics, namely bioinert ceramics (e.g., alumina and zirconia), bioactive glasses and glass ceramics, and bioresorbable calcium phosphates-based materials. Physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties, as well as bioceramics applications in diverse fields of tissue engineering are presented herein. Ongoing clinical trials using bioceramics in osteochondral tissue are also considered. Based on the stringent requirements for clinical applications, prospects for the development of advanced functional bioceramics for tissue engineering are highlighted for the future.The authors acknowledge the project FROnTHERA (NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000023), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Also, H2020-MSCA-RISE program, as this work is part of developments carried out in BAMOS project, funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement N° 734156. The financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the funds provided under the program Investigador FCT 2012, 2014, and 2015 (IF/00423/2012, IF/01214/2014, and IF/01285/2015) is also greatly acknowledged.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Insights on the properties of levofloxacin-adsorbed Sr- and Mg-doped calcium phosphate powders

Several types of biodegradable materials have been investigated for the treatment of osteomyelitis. Calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics are among the most performing materials due to their resemblance to human hard tissues in terms of mineralogical composition, and proven ability to adsorb and deliver a number of drugs. This research work was intended to study the suitability of modified CaP powders loaded with a fluoroquinolone as drug delivery systems for osteomyelitis treatment. Levofloxacin (LEV) was chosen due to the well-recognized antistaphylococcal activity and adequate penetration into osteoarticular tissues. Substituted CaP powders (5 mol% Sr2+ or 5 mol% Mg2+) were synthesised through aqueous precipitation. The obtained powders were characterised by X-ray diffraction, SEM and FTIR analysis. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of HA and beta-tricalcium phosphates (beta-TCP) phases in doped compositions, especially in the case of Mg-doped system. The fixation of LEV at the surface of the particles occurred only by physisorption. Both the in vitro microbiological susceptibility, against Staphylococcus spp, and biocompatibility of LEV-loaded CaP powders have not been compromised