Acta Medica Port
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Diabetes is a very common chronic disease in the Portuguese population, with an estimated prevalence of 13.6% in the adults. Doubts often arise regarding the best preparation and the risks associated with doing imaging tests in these patients. ⋯ The main topics addressed in this article are the need to suspend metformin after the administration of endovascular iodinated contrast due to the risk of lactic acidosis, the precautions in insulin-treated patients or those taking medicines with a higher risk of hypoglycemia when performing imaging tests that require fasting, and the influence of hyperglycemia and of anti-diabetic therapy on the sensitivity of PET-FDG. With this review and the presentation of a guideline, we intend to demystify and simplify the management of individuals with diabetes who are undergoing imaging tests.
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Gender equality is one of the sustainable development goals. Low participation of women in leadership roles is an example of gender inequality. In Portugal, there are few studies regarding gender inequality in medical leadership roles. Therefore, we aimed to analyse gender distribution of candidates to regional bodies of the Portuguese Medical Association. ⋯ We identified a lower than expected participation of women in the elections for the Portuguese Medical Association. When they run, women are found mainly in less relevant positions or with less potential to be elected (secretary or alternate candidate). A deeper understanding and measures to fight gender inequality in leadership roles are required.
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Determination of renal function is particularly important when prescribing antibiotics to elderly patients. This study aims to determine the correlation between estimated creatinine clearance and the estimated glomerular filtration rate, for a hospitalized population of very elderly patients, and to audit antibiotic prescribing errors. ⋯ This study supports the maintenance of the Cockcroft-Gault equation for drug dosing in the very elderly population. Further studies are needed to investigate underlying causes of prescribing errors.
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Clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis have greatly improved with therapeutic advances. Despite the availability of substantial clinical trial evidence, there is a lack of real-life data. The aim of this study was to assess disease status and quality of life in an outpatient population treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. ⋯ Despite therapy switches and regular follow-up, a significant percentage of patients still presented with moderate disease activity, functional impairment and a poor health-related quality of life.