Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Prospective study on respiratory parameters

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Objective: To verify how efficient respiratory parameters are in the follow-up of subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to observe possible correlations between respiratory and nutritional functions. Method: Sixteen patients with probable or defined ALS were selected and evaluated over eight months using the following respiratory parameters: spirometry, maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), arterial gasometry and pulse oximetry; and nutritional parameters such as body mass index (BMI) and percentage weight loss. Results: P(a)CO(2) was a significant parameter to follow up disease evolution (p=0.051). There was significant correlation between MIP and MEP (r: 0.83); BMI and MIP (r: 0.70); BMI and MEP (r: 0.72); pulse oximetry and forced vital capacity (r: 0.57). Conclusion: P(a)CO(2) was shown to be an efficient and significant parameter in the measurement of respiratory impairment; the correlations among MIP, MEP and BMI indicated that these are significant parameters for periodic clinical evaluation.682258262Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Low prevalence of H. pylori Infection in HIV-Positive Patients in the Northeast of Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study conducted in Northeastern Brazil, evaluated the prevalence of <it>H. pylori </it>infection and the presence of gastritis in HIV-infected patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>There were included 113 HIV-positive and 141 age-matched HIV-negative patients, who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms. <it>H. pylori </it>status was evaluated by urease test and histology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of <it>H. pylori </it>infection was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in HIV-infected (37.2%) than in uninfected (75.2%) patients. There were no significant differences between <it>H. pylori </it>status and gender, age, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy and the use of antibiotics. A lower prevalence of <it>H. pylori </it>was observed among patients with T CD4 cell count below 200/mm³; however, it was not significant. Chronic active antral gastritis was observed in 87.6% of the HIV-infected patients and in 780.4% of the control group (p = 0.11). <it>H. pylori </it>infection was significantly associated with chronic active gastritis in the antrum in both groups, but it was not associated with corpus chronic active gastritis in the HIV-infected patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrated that the prevalence of <it>H. pylori </it>was significantly lower in HIV-positive patients compared with HIV-negative ones. However, corpus gastritis was frequently observed in the HIV-positive patients, pointing to different mechanisms than <it>H. pylori </it>infection in the genesis of the lesion.</p

Fragmentos históricos da assistência psiquiátrica no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil Fragmentos de la historia en la atención psiquiátrica en Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil Fragments of history in psychiatric care Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

O presente artigo objetiva resgatar aspectos do funcionamento terapêutico do Hospital-Dia (HD) Dr. Élger Nunes, em Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, durante sua vigência, e analisar os resultados referentes ao número de usuários atendidos no período de 1996 a 2004. Trata-se de um estudo empírico, descritivo, exploratório, ex posto facto de abordagem quantitativa, realizado a partir dos registros e prontuários de 910 usuários atendidos no HD. As informações foram submetidas ao recurso informacional Microsoft Excel e transformadas em gráficos. Os resultados constataram uma maior acessibilidade à modalidade de tratamento, diminuição no tempo de permanência e melhoria das condições de alta dos usuários com redução no número de interrupções no tratamento. Salienta-se a importância do HD no processo de reforma psiquiátrica, com atendimento pautado na utilização de práticas terapêuticas humanizadas e sem perda do vínculo com a família e a sociedade.<br>Este artículo tiene como objetivo el rescate de los aspectos del funcionamiento terapéuticos del hospital-día (HD) Dr. Elger Nunes, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, durante su mandato, e analizar los resultados relacionado con el número de pacientes tratados en el período de 1996 a 2004. Es un estudio empírico, descriptivo, de carácter exploratorio, ex posto facto con enfoque cuantitativo, realizado a partir de los registros de 910 usuarios atendidos en el HD. Las informaciones fueran tratadas en el programa Microsoft Excel y procesadas en gráficos. Los resultados verifican una mayor accesibilidad a esta modalidad de tratamiento, disminución de la duración del tiempo de permanencia y mejorar de las condiciones para alta hospitalaria de los usuarios con reducción en el número de interrupciones en el tratamiento. Se enfatiza la importancia del HD en proceso de reforma psiquiátrica, con un tratamiento basado en el uso de prácticas terapéuticas y humanizada, sin pérdida de vínculo con la familia y la sociedad.<br>This article aims to rescue aspects of the performing therapeutic of the Day Hospital (HD) Dr. Élger Nunes, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, during its term, and analyze the results regarding to the number of patients assisted from 1996 to 2004. This is an empirical, descriptive and exploratory study, ex post facto with a quantitative approach, carried out from records of 910 people attended in the hospital. The data was submitted to the informational resource software Microsoft Excel and converted into diagrams. The results shows a greater accessibility to this treatment modality, decreasing in hospitalization-time length and improving hospital discharge conditions for users, with reduction in number of patients who interrupted treatment. It focus on the importance of the Day Hospital in the process of psychiatric reform, with care grounded on the use of the humanized therapeutic practices, and still not losing the bond with family and society