Prejudice impairing quality of life in sickle cell disease patients in a developing country: faces of suffering

ABSTRACT Introduction: The perception of prejudice against, and stigmatization of, sickle cell disease (SCD) leads the patient to perceive a different treatment, due to the disease stigma and maybe related to a worse quality of life (QoL). Objectives: Describe and evaluate the perception of the prejudice against the disease and its impact on the quality of life of patients with sickle cell disease. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between March 2019 and February 2020, with patients diagnosed with SCD. Patients were questioned about the perception of prejudice in any kind of situation, choosing between "Yes" or "No", not differentiating situations related to prejudice. To assess the QoL and impact of the disease, the volunteers answered a version of the SF-36 questionnaire translated and validated into Brazilian Portuguese. Results: In this study, 113 patients with SCD were followed up, 92% were classified as HbSS and the rest, divided between HbSC and HbS-β-0. Regarding the SF-36, the worst scores were in the summary of the physical components (mean 48.19 ± 21.51) and the physical aspect had the lowest mean (30.75 ± €42.65). When questioned if they had already perceived any kind of prejudice, including the SCD, 32.74% answered "Yes". For this comparison, there was a significant difference in the summary of the physical and mental components, with worse QoL for those who had already suffered prejudice. Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with SCD who reported perception of prejudice had statistically significant worse QoL, revealing the negative impact, that might lead to sadness and social isolation.

Assessment of pain and quality of life in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a cohort study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate postoperative pain and quality of life in patients undergoing median sternotomy. METHODS: A cohort study was carried out on a sample of 30 patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery by longitudinal median sternotomy. Patients were interviewed at Intensive Care Unit discharge and hospital discharge, when the Visual Numeric Scale and the Brief Pain Inventory were applied, and 2 weeks after hospital discharge, when the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref questionnaire was administered. The normality of the results was analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test, and Wilcoxon Rank Sum and McNemar tests were utilized for the analysis of numerical and categorical variables. For correlation between numerical variables, Spearman's linear correlation test was applied. To compare numerical variables, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied. Differences between groups were considered significant when the p-value was <0.05. RESULTS: Between Intensive Care Unit and hospital discharge, there was a reduction in median pain intensity assessed by the Visual Numeric Scale from 5.0 to 2.0 (p<0.001), as well as in eight Brief Pain Inventory parameters: worst pain intensity in the last 24 h (p=0.001), analgesic relief (p=0.035), and pain felt right now (p=0.009); and in interference in daily activities (p<0.001), mood (p=0.017), ability to walk (p<0.001), relationship with other people (p=0.005), and sleep (p=0.006). Higher pain intensity at Intensive Care Unit discharge was associated with worse performance in the psychological domain of quality of life at out-of-hospital follow-up. CONCLUSION: Proper management of post-sternotomy pain in the Intensive Care Unit may imply better quality of life at out-of-hospital follow-up.

Tranexamic acid effects in postoperative bleeding outcomes in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a controlled study

Purpose: To demonstrate through a controlled study whether the use of tranexamic acid in bariatric surgeries is effective for bleeding control. Methods: Prospective, comparative, and double-blind study performed with patients from 18 to 65 years old submitted to bariatric surgery. The selected patients received venous tranexamic acid (TXA) during the induction of anesthesia or not (CG). The anesthesia and thromboprophylaxis protocols were similar among the groups. For statistical analysis, the χ2 and analysis of variance tests were performed at a significance level of p < 0.05, using the statistical program SPSS 21.0®. Results: Sixty-one patients were included in the study, 31 in the control group and 30 in the TXA group (GTXA). In the intraoperative period, the bleeding volume was greater in the CG than in the GTXA. In the postoperative period, the tranexamic acid group had a higher value hematocrit, absence of surgical reoperations due to bleeding complications, and shorter hospitalization time than the control group. Conclusions: The use of tranexamic acid was effective in reducing bleeding rates and of hospital stay length, in addition to demonstrating the clinical safety of its use, for not having been associated with any thromboembolic events.

Pain management in patients with knee osteoarthritis by ultrasound-guided genicular nerve block. Case reports / Manejo de dor em pacientes com osteoartrite de joelho por bloqueio dos nervos geniculares guiado por ultrassonografia. Relato de casos

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that tends to affect elderly people and is characterized by severe pain, joint stiffness and limited function. In more advanced cases, the initial approach of knee osteoarthritis performed with traditional conservative pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatment may not present satisfactory results. There are alternatives for pain intervention with favorable results, with longer analgesia and that can help rehabilitation, such as analgesic peripheral nerve blocks, including the genicular nerve block, and radiofrequency ablation. The objective of this study is to report cases of genicular nerve block guided by ultrasonography, with favorable results in relation to analgesia and return of functional capacity. CASE REPORTS: Four elderly patients diagnosed with advanced knee osteoarthritis, with limited range of motion, and with severe chronic pain (mean visual numeric scale - VNS=7.75) were submitted to ultrasound-guided genicular nerve block, presenting significant pain improvement (mean VNS after 1 month of block=2.25) and regain of functional capacity. There were no cases of complications. CONCLUSION: Genicular nerve block guided by ultrasonography is a technique that can be performed as an intervention measure in pain. It presents satisfactory results of analgesia and regain of functional capacity, facilitating the rehabilitation process, and can be adopted in an outpatient clinic context.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A osteoartrite do joelho é uma doença crônica que tende a afetar pessoas idosas e é caracterizada por dor intensa, rigidez articular e limitação da mobilidade. Em casos mais avançados, a abordagem da osteoartrite do joelho com o tratamento conservador convencional farmacológico e não farmacológico pode não apresentar resultados satisfatórios. Nesse sentido, existem alternativas de intervenção em dor com resultados favoráveis, com maior tempo de analgesia e que auxiliam a reabilitação, como a realização de bloqueios analgésicos em nervos periféricos, como bloqueio dos nervos geniculares e a ablação por radiofrequência. Este estudo teve como objetivo relatar casos de bloqueios dos nervos geniculares guiados por ultrassonografia, com resultados favoráveis em relação à analgesia e retorno da capacidade funcional. RELATO DOS CASOS: Quatro pacientes idosos diagnosticados com osteoartrite de joelho em grau avançado, com limitação da amplitude de movimento e com dor crônica, com intensidade média de 7,75 pela escala visual numérica, foram submetidos ao bloqueio de nervos geniculares guiado por ultrassonografia, apresentando melhora importante da dor após um mês do bloqueio, com intensidade média de 2,25 e reganho da capacidade funcional, não havendo casos de complicações relacionadas aos bloqueios. CONCLUSÃO: O bloqueio dos nervos geniculares guiado por ultrassonografia é uma técnica que promoveu analgesia satisfatória e ganho da capacidade funcional, além de facilitar o processo de reabilitação, podendo ser realizada em caráter ambulatorial.

Vertical gastrectomy vs. extended vertical gastrectomy: what is the impact on gastroesophageal reflux disease in obese rats? / Gastrectomia vertical vs. gastrectomia vertical ampliada: qual o impacto na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico em ratos obesos?

ABSTRACT Background: Extended vertical gastrectomy is a variation of the vertical gastrectomy technique requiring studies to elucidate safety in relation to gastroesophageal reflux. Aim: To analyze comparatively vertical gastrectomy (VG) and extended vertical gastrectomy (EVG) in rats with obesity induced by cafeteria diet in relation to the presence of reflux esophagitis, weight loss and macroscopic changes related to the procedures. Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were randomized into three groups, and after the obesity induction period by means of a 28-day cafeteria diet, underwent a simulated surgery (CG), VG and VGA. The animals were followed up for 28 days in the post-operative period, and after euthanasia, the reflux esophagitis evaluation was histopathologically performed. Weight and macroscopy were the other variables; weight was measured weekly and the macroscopic evaluation was performed during euthanasia. Results: All animals presented some degree of inflammation and the presence of at least one inflammation criterion; however, there was no statistically significant difference in the analysis among the groups. In relation to weight loss, the animals in CG showed a gradual increase during the whole experiment, evolving to super-obesity at the end of the study, while the ones with VG and EVG had weight regain after the first post-operative period; however, a less marked regain compared to CG, both for VG and EVG. Conclusion: There is no difference in relation to reflux esophagitis VG and EVG, as well as macroscopic alterations, and both techniques have the ability to control the evolution of weight during postoperative period in relation to CG.

RESUMO Racional: A gastrectomia vertical ampliada é uma variação da técnica da gastrectomia vertical, necessitando de estudos a fim de elucidar a segurança em relação ao refluxo gastroesofágico. Objetivo: Analisar comparativamente gastrectomia vertical (GV) e gastrectomia vertical ampliada (GVA) em ratos com obesidade induzida por dieta cafeteria em relação à presença de esofagite de refluxo, perda de peso e alterações macroscópicas relacionadas aos procedimentos. Método: Trinta ratos Wistar foram randomizados em três grupos, e após período de indução de obesidade por meio de dieta cafeteria de 28 dias, foram submetidos a operação simulada (grupo controle GC), gastrectomia vertical (grupo GV) e gastrectomia vertical ampliada (grupo GVA). Os animais foram acompanhados por 28 dias no pós-operatório e, após a eutanásia, foi realizada a pesquisa de esofagite de refluxo através de avaliação histopatológica. Peso e avaliação macroscópica foram as outras variáveis de estudo, sendo o peso aferido semanalmente e a avaliação macroscópica no momento da eutanásia. Resultados: Todos os animais apresentaram algum grau de inflamação e a presença de ao menos um critério de inflamação, porém, não houve diferença estatisticamente significante na análise entre os grupos. Em relação à perda de peso, os animais do GC apresentaram aumento gradativo durante todo experimento evoluindo para super-obesidade ao término do estudo, enquanto os dos grupos GV e GVA tiveram reganho de peso após a primeira semana do pós-operatório, porém, reganho menos acentuado se comparável ao GC, tanto para GV quanto para GVA. Conclusões: Não há diferença em relação à esofagite de refluxo entre GV e GVA, bem como em relação às alterações macroscópicas. Ambas as técnicas têm capacidade de controlar a evolução do peso no pós-operatório em relação ao grupo controle.

Comparative analysis between patients undergoing Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastroplasty in a private hospital in Sao Luis-MA

Abstract Purpose: To compare the satisfaction levels about the surgery and anesthesia management, and to analyze the postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastroplasty surgeries in a private hospital in Sao Luís-MA. Methods: The sample consisted of patients undergoing Bypass and Sleeve bariatric surgeries from August 2018 to August 2019, who were in the range of 18 and 70 years old and had not used drugs or presented cardiac arrhythmias, dilated cardiomyopathy, and conduction disorder heart. Data were collected from the evaluation forms and recorded in a form with closed questions. Results: Most patients were female (Bypass - 56% and Sleeve - 67.4%) and aged between 30 and 39 years old (Bypass - 32% and Sleeve - 55.8%). Information (Bypass - 92% and Sleeve - 86.1%) was the highest satisfaction index found. Sleepiness in the immediate postoperative period (Bypass - 92% and Sleeve - 93%) was the main side effect. There were no postoperative complications in patients between the two types of surgery. Conclusions: Patients submitted to Bypass and Sleeve were completely satisfied with the perioperative management. There was no statistically significant difference when comparing adverse effects between the techniques.