São Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
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Exposure to air pollutants and illness by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) infection can cause serious pulmonary impairment. ⋯ An association between exposure to air pollutants and hospital admission due to Sars-Cov-2 was observed with excess hospitalization and costs for the Brazilian public health system.
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Smartphone and application use can improve communication and monitoring of chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease, through self-management and increased adherence to treatment. ⋯ More than 64% of patients had a smartphone, although few knew of applications developed for kidney disease. More than half of the population believed that technology use could benefit chronic kidney disease treatment. Smartphone ownership was more common among the younger population, with higher educational attainment and income, and was associated with greater adherence to hemodialysis sessions.
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Maintenance of oral microbiota balance is the simplest way to prevent infectious oral diseases, through controlling dental biofilm. Combined use of mouthwash and mechanical removal has been shown to be a very effective way for this. ⋯ Mouthwashes containing chlorine dioxide and polyhexanide are viable alternatives to chlorhexidine, since they reduce oral biofilm and have little or no reported side or adverse effects.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Occult hepatitis B virus infection in patients with chronic liver disease of different etiology in a Brazilian referral center: comparison of two different hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid amplification protocols: a cross-sectional study.
Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is defined as the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the liver of individuals with undetectable hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) in the serum. The actual prevalence of OBI and its clinical relevance are not yet fully understood. ⋯ In addition to the differences in the prevalence of HBV infection in different regions, variations in the polymerase chain reaction technique used for HBV DNA amplification may be responsible for the large variations in the prevalence of OBI identified in different studies. There is a need for better standardization of the diagnostic methods used to diagnose this entity.
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Quick and accurate identification of critically ill patients ensures appropriate and correct use of medical resources. In situations that threaten public health, like pandemics, rapid and effective methods are needed for early disease detection among critically ill patients. ⋯ The NLR, which is a widely available simple parameter, can provide rapid insights regarding early recognition of critical illness and prognosis among COVID-19 patients.