ABSTRACT
Resumo A doação de sangue é uma prática social que auxilia no tratamento de doenças e na manutenção da saúde coletiva. O aplicativo DoeSangue foi concebido e desenvolvido para apoiar a captação e a fidelização de doadores, fortalecendo a promoção da saúde e o engajamento social. Objetivou-se avaliar o aplicativo DoeSangue sob a perspectiva de especialistas das áreas de hematologia e hemoterapia. Realizou-se uma pesquisa metodológica, aplicada e qualitativa, de setembro de 2015 a julho de 2017, em Fortaleza, Ceará. O estudo fundamentou-se no Design de Interação Participativo associado ao Interacionismo Simbólico. Após as duas primeiras etapas - concepção e desenvolvimento do aplicativo em laboratório, e avaliação pelos usuários doadores - o aplicativo foi validado por oito especialistas do hemocentro público de Fortaleza. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se o 'formulário de validação do aplicativo com especialistas', com base na escala de Likert, e realizou-se um grupo focal. A ferramenta foi avaliada positivamente pelos participantes, com Índice de Validação de Conteúdo médio de 0,88. Os avaliadores apontaram, dentre outras funcionalidades, a capacidade da ferramenta em promover interatividade, mobilização e engajamento social, além de contribuir com a captação e a fidelização de doadores de sangue.
Abstract Blood donation is a social practice that helps treat diseases and maintain public health. The DoeSangue application was designed and developed to support donor recruitment and loyalty, strengthening health promotion and social engagement. We aimed to assess the DoeSangue application from the perspective of hematology and hemotherapy experts. A methodological, applied and qualitative research was carried out from September 2015 to July 2017 in Fortaleza, Ceará. The study was based on Participatory Interaction Design associated with Symbolic Interactionism. After conducting the first two steps, application design and development in a laboratory and assessment by donor users, the application was validated by eight experts from the Fortaleza's public blood center. For data collection, the 'application validation form with experts' was used based on a Likert-type scale, and a focus group was conducted. The tool was positively assessed by participants, with an average Content Validation Index of 0.88. Evaluators pointed out, among other features, the tool's ability to promote interactivity, mobilization and social engagement, in addition to contributing to gathering and loyalty of blood donors.
Subject(s)
Humans , Blood Donors , Health Promotion , Brazil , Focus Groups , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease currently affects 5.7 million people in Latin America and is emerging in non-endemic countries. There is no consensus concerning the efficacy of trypanocidal therapy for patients with the chronic form of the disease. We evaluated cardiac function and sociodemographic, clinical, and serologic characteristics of a group of asymptomatic Trypanosoma cruzi-seropositive former blood donors, and compared the effects of benznidazole treatment applied for different lengths of time. METHODS: Blood donors who screened positive for T. cruzi between 1998 and 2002 were recruited 10 years later for follow-up (n = 244); 46 individuals had received treatment. Three subjects had terminated treatment prematurely. The remaining 43 individuals were divided into two groups: individuals who had received benznidazole therapy for 50-60 days (n = 28; BT ≤60 group) or more than 60 days (n = 15; BT >60). Serologic assays, biochemical tests, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and clinical examinations were performed on all participants. Parasite loads were determined by qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Parasitemia was significantly reduced in the BT ≤60 and BT >60 groups compared with the untreated group. There were no differences in epidemiologic profiles or clinical, biochemical, electrocardiographic, or echocardiographic data between any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite elimination or significant reduction in parasitemia in patients with chronic Chagas disease who received benznidazole, there was no clinical difference between those who were treated for >60 days and those treated for a shorter duration. Furthermore, the adverse effects of benznidazole appear to be less severe than previous reports would suggest.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Trypanocidal Agents/administration & dosage , Blood Donors , Chagas Disease/drug therapy , Parasitemia/parasitology , Nitroimidazoles/administration & dosage , Time Factors , Clinical Protocols , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Chronic Disease , Cross-Sectional Studies , Treatment Outcome , Chagas Disease/parasitology , Asymptomatic Infections , Parasite Load , Middle AgedABSTRACT
ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION:Since women are frequently the minority among blood donors worldwide, studies evaluating this population usually reflect male features. We assessed the features of female blood donors with positive serology for HBV and compared them with those of men.METHODS The study comprised consecutive blood donors referred to a specialized liver disease center to be evaluated due to HBsAg- and/or anti-HBc-positive tests.RESULTS: The study encompassed 1,273 individuals, 219 (17.2%) of whom were referred due to positive HBsAg test and 1,054 (82.8%) due to reactive anti-HBc test. Subjects' mean age was 36.8±10.9 years, and 28.7% were women. Female blood donors referred for positive HBsAg screening tests demonstrated higher prevalence of healthcare workers (9.3% vs 2.5%) and lower prevalence of sexual risk behaviors (15.1% vs 41.1%) and alcohol abuse (1.9% vs 19.8%) compared to men. Women had lower ALT (0.6 vs 0.8×ULN), AST (0.6 vs 0.8×ULN), direct bilirubin (0.2 vs 0.3mg/dL), and alkaline phosphatase (0.5 vs 0.6×ULN) levels and higher platelet count (223,380±50,293 vs 195,020±53,060/mm3). Women also had a higher prevalence of false-positive results (29.6% vs 17.0%). No differences were observed with respect to liver biopsies. Female blood donors referenced for reactive anti-HBc screening tests presented similar clinical, epidemiological, and biochemical characteristics to those reported for positive HBsAg screening tests and similarly had a higher prevalence of false-reactive results.CONCLUSIONS: Compared to men, female blood donors with positive HBsAg and/or anti-HBc screening tests demonstrated higher prevalence of professional risk and false-positive results and reduced alteration of liver chemistry.