Superwellness Program: a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based group intervention to reduce weight gain in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention (Superwellness Program) on weight gain compared with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) approach in patients treated with antipsychotics, and to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) variation and clinical variables. Method: Eighty-five patients treated with antipsychotics were allocated across two groups, experimental (n=59) and control (n=26). The Superwellness Program (experimental group) consisted of 32 twice-weekly 1-hour sessions, conducted by a psychologist and a nutritionist/nurse, concurrently with moderate food intake and moderate physical activity plans. Sociodemographic, clinical, and biological variables were collected at baseline, at the end of intervention (16 weeks), and after 6 months. Results: BMI change from baseline differed significantly between the experimental and control groups, with a larger decrease in the experimental group (F = 5.5, p = 0.021). Duration of illness moderated the effect of treatment on BMI (p = 0.026). No significant (p = 0.499) effect of intervention during the follow-up period was found. Interestingly, the intervention indirectly induced a significant (p = 0.024) reduction in metabolic risk by reducing BMI. Conclusion: A cognitive-behavioral therapy-based intervention could be useful in reducing weight in a clinical population taking antipsychotics, with consequent benefit to physical and mental health.

Localización del ganglio centinela “natural“ en el carcinoma de laringe e hipofaringe / Localization of "natural" sentinel node in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer

La técnica del ganglio linfático centinela localiza el ganglio que drena primariamente el territorio neoplásico anatómico. Más tarde, este procedimiento ha sido aplicado a pacientes con carcinoma epidermoide (CE) de cabeza y cuello. Nuestra experiencia de veinte años con las disecciones cervicales funcionales en el cáncer de laringe e hipofaringe nos permite asegurar que existe un ganglio linfático centinela natural en estos órganos. En nuestro estudio, examinamos una serie de 170 pacientes con disecciones funcionales del cuello con metástasis mediante el uso de un procedimiento quirúrgico de acuerdo con la anatomía topográfica clásica. En los casos con metástasis ganglionares únicas, resultaban afectados en alto porcentaje los ganglios de Küttner, supraomohioideo y prelaríngeo (46%, 38% y 6%, respectivamente), lo que representa una prueba in vivo de ganglio linfático centinela. En los casos con más de tres metástasis ganglionares, los ganglios de Küttner y supraomohioideo siempre estaban afectados primariamente. En cambio, en las metástasis detectadas en otros ganglios, podría suponerse la aparición de un drenaje linfático inconstante del pedúnculo laríngeo superior o un cambio patológico del flujo linfático. Por lo tanto, el examen histopatológico intraoperatorio simple de estos ganglios permitiría a los cirujanos controlar la difusión locorregional de la neoplasia y reducir la disección cervical total. Esta acción no es predecible cuando se emplea la división de los ganglios cervicales por niveles que se utiliza actualmente.

Sentinel lymph node technique locates that node whichprimarily drains anatomic neoplastic territory. Lately, thisprocedure has been applied to patients with head andneck squamous cell carcinoma. Our twenty-yearexperience in functional neck dissections for larynx andhypo pharynx cancer let us to assert that there exists anatural sentinel lymph node in these organs. In our study,we examined a series of 170 patients with metastasized functional neck dissections using a surgical procedure according to classic topographic anatomy. In the cases with single nodal metastasis, Küttner, Supraomohyoid, Pre-laryngeal nodes were involved with a high percentage(46%, 38%, 6% respectively) representing an “in vivo”evidence of sentinel lymph node. In cases with more thanthree nodal metastases, Küttner and supraomohyoid werealways primarily interested. Instead, for the metastasesdetected in other nodes, it might be supposed theoccurrence of an unsteady lymphatic drainage of thesuperior laryngeal peduncle or a pathological change ofthe lymphatic flow. Therefore, the simple intraoperative histopathological examination of these nodes would allow surgeons to control locoregional diffusion of neoplasia and to reduce total neck dissection. This acting is not predictable using the division of cervical nodes bylevels currently used.

Tromboembolia pulmonar em necropsias no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 1985-1995 / Pulmonary thromboembolism in necropsies at the Clinics Hospital Of Porto Alegre 1985-1995

Objetivo: Determinar a prevalência da tromboembolia pulmonar (TEP) em necropsias e o seu grau de suspeiçäo "antemortem" no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). Delineamento: Estudo de coorte com dados históricos. Local: Hospital geral de agudos, de ensino universitário, de 728 leitos. Material e métodos: Foram estudados de necropsias de adultos de 1985 a 1995 e os prontuários dos pacientes cujas necropsias foram positivas para TEP. Suspeita "antemortem" de TEP foi considerada a partir de registros explícitos no prontuário ou por solicitaçäo de cintilografia pulmonar ou por anticoagulaçäo plena. Resultados: Ocorreram 9607 óbitos em adultos, com a realizaçäo de 767 (7,98 por cento) necropsias. Foi identificada...