Discriminant analyzes for the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs among adolescents in an urban center in southern Brazil

Introduction: The consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is a problem in adolescence, especially in the school context. This study aimed to identify the demographic and social variables that distinguished the students who had used tobacco, alcohol and/or other drugs at some point of their lives from those who had never used these substances. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate students attending the ninth year of elementary education in the city of Caxias do Sul (n = 1,285). Results: Alcohol was the most consumed drug (74.9%). In all the three discriminant profiles, adolescents who used tobacco throughout their lives presented more family conflict and hierarchy, higher age, greater difficulty in talking to their mother, father, and siblings, and higher school failure rates. The group that reported lifetime use of alcohol showed similar characteristics, and also reported greater loneliness. The group that has used illicit drugs was characterized, as well as other factors, by meeting with friends outside school more often, not having a good friend, being lonely, and having difficulties in talking to their father. Conclusions: Several aspects of the social and family environment can act as factors that propitiate or distance adolescents from drugs. Public policies have a role of fundamental importance in this regard.

Fases pré-analítica, analítica e pós-analítica no monitoramento laboratorial da anticoagulação com antagonistas da vitamina K / Pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases in laboratory monitoring of anticoagulant therapy with vitamin K antagonists

A trombose é uma doença caracterizada por eventos de hipercoagulabilidade. A terapêutica anticoagulante oral com antagonistas da vitamina K (AVKs) é amplamente indicada para prevenção e/ou controle de distúrbios da coagulação. O manuseio de administração dos AVKs é difícil devido à complexidade da definição da dose. Em geral, o monitoramento de indivíduos submetidos à terapêutica com AVK é realizado pela determinação do tempo de protrombina, em que se avalia o grau de anticoagulação através do coeficiente internacional normatizado. Invariavelmente, o fluxo do processamento laboratorial, que compreende as fases pré-analítica, analítica e pós-analítica, é importante para a fidedignidade dos resultados, repercutindo na conduta médica de forma determinante. O objetivo deste estudo foi a realização de uma revisão da literatura científica descritiva utilizando bases de dados eletrônicos para busca de materiais científicos, como Google Scholar, MEDLINE, LILACS, PubMed, SciELO e Science Direct. Abordamos alguns aspectos relacionados ao fluxo analítico da monitoração laboratorial em um laboratório de análises clínicas. Em conclusão, é necessária uma apropriada condução das fases analíticas para que seja possível o sucesso terapêutico com uso dos AVKs (AU)

Thrombosis is a disease characterized by hypercoagulable events. Oral anticoagulant therapy with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) is widely indicated for prevention and/or control of coagulation disorders. The administration of VKAs is difficult because of the complexity of dose setting. In general, individuals submitted to VKA therapy are monitored by prothrombin time, in which the degree of anticoagulation is assessed by the international normalized ratio. Invariably, the flow of laboratory processing, which comprises pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases, is of importance to the trustworthiness of results, with significant consequences to the medical practice. The purpose of this study was to carry out a review of the scientific literature using electronic databases to search for scientific materials, such as Google Scholar, MEDLINE, LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, and Science Direct. We discuss some aspects related to the analytical flow of laboratory monitoring in a clinical laboratory. In conclusion, appropriate management of the analytical phases is necessary so that therapeutic success using VKAs is possible (AU)