Prevalence and follow-up analysis of evolution of severe and moderate neuropsychiatric manifestations in hospitalized systemic lupus erythematosus in the rheumatology service of the Hospital General de Fortaleza

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência e a resposta terapêutica das manifestações neuropsiquiátricas (MNP) moderadas ou graves em pacientes lúpicos internados no Hospital Geral de Fortaleza (HGF). MÉTODOS: Durante dois anos, 110 pacientes de internações consecutivas com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, segundo os critérios do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia, foram avaliados para MNP moderadas ou graves. Nestes pacientes estudou-se: causa da internação, presença de auto-anticorpos, liquor, imagens radiológicas, análise retrospectiva dos prontuários e terapêutica utilizada. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de MNP foi de 16,4% (18/110), em 17 mulheres e um homem, com idade média de 29 anos; por ocasião do internamento, 33% (6/18) dos pacientes apresentavam apenas MNP. A ocorrência da primeira MNP foi de 11% (2/18) antes do diagnóstico, 33% (6/18) por ocasião do diagnóstico e 56% (10/18) pós-diagnóstico. A mortalidade foi de 11% (2/18). As principais MNP foram: convulsões e cefaléia (50%), psicose (22%), acidente vascular cerebral (17%) e síncope e depressão maior (11%). Resposta terapêutica: 28% (5/18) pacientes responderam à corticoterapia oral, 17% (3/18) realizaram pulso de metilprednisolona e 56% (10/18) pulso de ciclofosfamida. CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de MNP na população estudada encontra-se no limite inferior da literatura. Na ausência de estudos clínicos controlados, a abordagem destes pacientes é fundamentada em séries de casos e na experiência profissional do serviço.OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the prevalence and therapy outcome of moderate and severe neuropsychiatric manifestations (NPM) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted at the Hospital Geral de Fortaleza. METHODS: During two years, 110 patients with consecutive hospitalizations suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus, according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, were evaluated for moderate and severe NPM. The following parameters were studied in these patients: cause of admission, presence of auto-antibodies, cerebral spinal fluid, radiological imaging, retrospective study of medical records and treatment. RESULTS: The prevalence of NPM was 16.4% (18/110), being seventeen women and one man; the mean age was 29 years; during the hospitalization term, only 33% (6/18) of the patients had an NPM. The occurrence of the first NPM was in 11% (2/18) of the cases before diagnosis, in 33% (6/18) during diagnosis and in 56% (10/18) after diagnosis. The mortality rate was 11% (2/18). The most common NPM's were: seizures and headache (50%), psychosis (22%), cerebrovascular disease (17%), syncope and major depression (11%). Treatment outcome: 28% (5/18) of the patients responded to oral corticoids, 17% (3/18) had a pulse of methylprednisolone and 56% (10/18) were treated with cyclophosphamide. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of NPM in the patients of this study was on the lowest limit reported by the related literature. With no controlled clinical trials, the approach to these patients is based on case reports and the professional experience of the service

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Prevalência das manifestações clínicas iniciais da granulomatose de Wegener no Brasil: relato de seis casos e revisão da literatura Wegener's granulomatosis: prevalence of the initial clinical manifestations - report of six cases and review of the literature

OBJETIVOS: Descrever as manifestações clínicas iniciais da Granulomatose de Wegener (GW) diagnosticada no Brasil. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Análise retrospectiva de seis prontuários do Serviço de Reumatologia do Hospital Geral de Fortaleza (HGF), assim como a realização de um levantamento bibliográfico dos casos de GW descritos no Brasil obtidos dos bancos de dados LILACS, SciELO e MEDLINE. RESULTADOS: O estudo identificou 49 pacientes; 15 (31%) do sexo masculino e 34 (69%) do sexo feminino. A forma sistêmica ocorreu em 35 pacientes (73%): 28 adultos, cinco crianças e dois adolescentes. A doença limitada ocorreu em 13 adultos e uma criança. A média da idade adulta no início da doença foi de 42,2 anos (18 a 65 anos). O quadro clínico agudo, com sintomas há menos de três meses do diagnóstico, ocorreu em 41% (20/49) da casuística e a forma insidiosa, em 59% (29/49) dos pacientes. A prevalência das manifestações clínicas iniciais nos adultos com doença sistêmica (n = 28) foi 64% (18/28) das vias aéreas superiores (VAS), 36% (10/28) pulmonares, 18% (5/28) renais, 25% (7/28) oculares, 11% (3/28) cutâneas, 25% (7/28) musculoesqueléticas e 7% (2/28) neurológicas. Na forma limitada do adulto (n = 13), os sintomas prevalentes foram 84% (11/13) VAS, 23% (3/13) oculares e 15% (2/13) pulmonares. CONCLUSÃO: No Brasil, a prevalência das manifestações clínicas iniciais da GW foi semelhante aos resultados da literatura. A falta de especificidade dos sintomas pode retardar o diagnóstico na forma insidiosa da doença e aumentar a morbimortalidade das formas agudas.<br>OBJECTIVES: To describe the initial clinical manifestations of Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) in Brazil. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of six medical records of WG patients followed-up at the Rheumatology Department of Hospital Geral of Fortaleza (HGF), as well as a bibliographic survey of cases of WG in Brazil on LILACS, SciELO, and MEDLINE databases. RESULTS: The study identified 49 patients, 15 (31%) males and 34 (69%) females. Systemic disease was observed in 35 patients (73%): 28 adults, 5 children, and 2 teenagers. Limited disease was observed in 13 adults and 1 child. The average age of onset in adults was 42.2 years (18 to 65 years). Acute clinical manifestations, with the onset of symptoms less than three months before the diagnosis, were observed in 41% (20/49) of the patients, and the insidious presentation in 59% (29/49) of the patients. The prevalence of the initial clinical manifestations in adults with systemic disease (n = 28) was 64% (18/28), upper airways, 36% (10/28), lungs, 18% (5/28), kidneys, 25% (7/28), eyes, 11% (3/28) skin, 25% (7/28), musculoskeletal, and 7% (2/28), neurological. In adults (n = 13) with limited disease, prevalent symptoms included: upper airway, 84% (10/13), eyes, 23% (3/13), and lungs, 15% (2/13). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the initial clinical manifestations of WG in Brazil was similar to that reported in the literature. The lack of specific symptoms may delay diagnosis cases with insidious presentation of the disease and increase the morbidity and mortality in acute disease

Manifestações musculoesqueléticas em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise

As anormalidades musculoesqueléticas em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise são numerosas e freqüentes, sendo mais prevalentes naqueles em tratamento dialítico de longa duração. A artralgia é o sintoma mais comum, ocorrendo em mais de 70% dos pacientes. O hiperparatireoidismo secundário é a principal causa da doença renal óssea, e as manifestações clínicas são: dor óssea, artralgia e prurido. A amiloidose, decorrente da deposição de proteína beta2-microglobulina nos tecidos, manifesta-se pela presença de ombro doloroso, síndrome do túnel do carpo, dedo em gatilho, ruptura espontânea de tendão e fratura patológica. Outras manifestações musculoesqueléticas observadas são a artrite induzida por cristais, necrose avascular, artrite séptica, fraqueza muscular e cãibras musculares

Effect of lung recruitment and titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) vs low PEEP on mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome - A randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: The effects of recruitment maneuvers and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration on clinical outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine if lung recruitment associated with PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance decreases 28-day mortality of patients with moderate to severe ARDS compared with a conventional low-PEEP strategy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multicenter, randomized trial conducted at 120 intensive care units (ICUs) from 9 countries from November 17, 2011, through April 25, 2017, enrolling adults with moderate to severe ARDS. INTERVENTIONS: An experimental strategy with a lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance (n = 501; experimental group) or a control strategy of low PEEP (n = 509). All patients received volume-assist control mode until weaning. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality until 28 days. Secondary outcomes were length of ICU and hospital stay; ventilator-free days through day 28; pneumothorax requiring drainage within 7 days; barotrauma within 7 days; and ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1010 patients (37.5% female; mean [SD] age, 50.9 [17.4] years) were enrolled and followed up. At 28 days, 277 of 501 patients (55.3%) in the experimental group and 251 of 509 patients (49.3%) in the control group had died (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42; P = .041). Compared with the control group, the experimental group strategy increased 6-month mortality (65.3% vs 59.9%; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.38; P = .04), decreased the number of mean ventilator-free days (5.3 vs 6.4; difference, −1.1; 95% CI, −2.1 to −0.1; P = .03), increased the risk of pneumothorax requiring drainage (3.2% vs 1.2%; difference, 2.0%; 95% CI, 0.0% to 4.0%; P = .03), and the risk of barotrauma (5.6% vs 1.6%; difference, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 6.5%; P = .001). There were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, ICU mortality, and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with moderate to severe ARDS, a strategy with lung recruitment and titrated PEEP compared with low PEEP increased 28-day all-cause mortality. These findings do not support the routine use of lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01374022