São Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
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Accelerated atherosclerosis has become a major problem in rheumatic inflammatory disease. The aim here was to analyze carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients and correlate this with clinical parameters and inflammatory markers. ⋯ SpA patients have a higher degree of subclinical atherosclerosis than in controls, thus supporting clinical evidence of increased cardiovascular risk in rheumatic patients.
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There is uncertainty in the literature regarding the theory that obstetric events and pelvic floor injuries give rise to lower risk of subsequent urinary incontinence among women delivering via cesarean section than among women delivering vaginally. The objective of this study was to assess the two-year postpartum prevalence of urinary incontinence and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and the factors responsible for them. ⋯ Gestational urinary incontinence was a crucial precursor of postpartum urinary incontinence. Weight gain during pregnancy increased the subsequent risk of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, and elective cesarean section did not prevent urinary incontinence.
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women have higher incidence, prevalence, persistence and recurrence of pre-invasive cervical lesions (CIN II or III). The aim here was to investigate the risk of recurrence of CIN II/III among HIV-infected women (HIV+) and uninfected women in a cohort treated by means of large-loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). ⋯ The HIV+ women in our cohort presented a risk of CIN II/III recurrence at least 42% higher than among the HIV-negative women. These patients should form part of a rigorous screening and follow-up protocol for identification and appropriate treatment of cervical cancer precursor lesions.
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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic disorder among people of African descent, affecting approximately 3,500 newborns each year in Brazil. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the only effective drug to treating patients with SCD, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. The objective was to analyze the effects of HU on SCD patients at our institution. ⋯ The mean dose of HU was 24.5 ± 5.5 mg/kg/day. RESULTS There were rises in three parameters: hemoglobin (8.3 g/dl to 9.0 g/dl, P = 0.0003), fetal hemoglobin (HbF) (2.6% to 19.8%, P < 0.0001) and mean cell volume MCV (89 to 105 fl, P = 0.001); and reductions in the numbers of leukocytes (10,050/µl to 5,700/µl, P < 0.0001), neutrophils (6,200/µl to 3,400/µl, P = 0.001), platelets (459,000/µl to 373,000/µl, P = 0.0002), painful crises (1.86 to 0.81, P = 0.0014), acute chest syndromes (0.35 to 0.08, P = 0.0045), infections (1.03 to 0.5, P = 0.047), hospitalizations (1.63 to 0.53, P = 0.0013) and transfusions (1.23 to 0.1, P = 0.0051). CONCLUSION The patients presented clinical and hematological improvements, with an increase in HbF and a reduction in the infection rate, which had not been addressed in most previous studies.
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Nouns and verbs indicate actions in oral communication. However, hearing impairment can compromise the acquisition of oral language to such an extent that appropriate use of these can be challenging. The objective of this study was to compare the use of nouns and verbs in the oral narrative of hearing-impaired and hearing children. ⋯ Among oralized hearing-impaired children who underwent speech therapy, their performance regarding verbs and noun use was similar to that of their hearing counterparts.