Acta Medica Port
-
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematopoietic malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation, with increased incidence with advancing age. AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) represents an AML subtype with a poor prognosis and challenging treatment, particularly in elderly patients. We report the case of a 77-year-old patient diagnosed with high-risk AML-MRC, ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, with frequent need of transfusion of red cell concentrates. The authors present, to the best of their knowledge, the first patient in Portugal with AML-MRC treated with an hypomethylating agent, azacytidine, and a BCL2 inhibitor (venetoclax), and that association was essential in the treatment and overall survival, which was much higher than expected.
-
Observational Study
How Anaesthesiology Helped to Fight the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal.
The dissemination of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, namely in Portugal, demanded an organizational and clinical reaction from the Portuguese National Health Service. With the unpredictable impact of COVID-19 infected patients redefining hospital logistics, reducing non-priority elective care and extending the hospital capacity for critical care patients made mobilizing a significant part of human resources a priority. We conducted a national survey to monitor the contribution and the role of anaesthesiologists belonging to the 53 Portuguese National Health Service hospitals in the first wave fight against the pandemic. ⋯ During the first pandemic wave there was an effective and fast reorganisation of the Portuguese National Health Service in order to increase level III critical care beds, which might have contributed to the low mortality rates in Portugal. We believe that this could have also been a result of the contribution given by all public anaesthesiology departments.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the reorganization of primary health care services. The aim of this study was to describe how the health services responded to organizational requests; how the health services involved and supported their employees; how professionals perceived their involvement in the procedures and what support was provided to them. Additions aims included assessing the levels of anxiety and depression of professionals and their association with the perceived support, availability of personal protective equipment and involvement in pandemic-related tasks. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic led to considerable changes in the dynamics of primary health care. The time pressure to carry out tasks and the level of concentration required were associated with a higher risk of mental disease. The support felt by healthcare professionals regarding their problems and concerns and the existence of places to relax in the health units were identified as protective factors. Health promotion, the maintenance of the social contacts of healthcare professionals and their involvement in the processes should be taken into account in the organizational dynamics of the institutions.
-
Observational Study
The COVID-19 Impact on Oral Healthcare Demand and Performance: The Experience of a Clinical and Academic Centre in Portugal (EU).
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has reshaped the global landscape as we know it and had a tremendous effect on healthcare systems around the world. However, its impact on oral healthcare is still to be fully assessed. The aim of this study was to understand if and how COVID-19 affected the demand and performance of oral healthcare, taking the Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra as an example, more specifically, the Department of Stomatology of the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre and the Dentistry Department of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a considerable impact on oral healthcare demand and performance. However, results also show a remarkable adjustment and improvement in the provided care, with a positive evolution throughout the COVID-19 period.