How Important Is Thrombocytosis for Prognosis of Mds with 3q21q26 Syndrome?

The structural changes involving the long arm of chromosome 3 at bands 3q21 and 3q26.2 in the form of inversion are named paracentric inversion inv(3)(q21q26.2) and in myeloid neoplasms have long been recognized, but are rare. The 3q21q26 syndrome usually occurs in a high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or the setting of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is most commonly reported as inv(3)(q21q26.2). Myeloid neoplasms with inv(3) are rare disorders with an incidence of 1% in MDS and AML. Thus, this report aims to show a patient with MDS and high platelets count who presented inv(3)(q21q26.2). A 72-year-old woman looked for medical attention due to fatigue and weakness. The patient reported a history of smoking for 41 years and denied any exposure to toxic agents. At physical examination, only pale was detected. A complete blood count revealed hemoglobin 7g/dL, MCV = 94 fL, leukocytes 5,600/mm3, neutrophils 2,242/mm3 and thrombocytosis with a platelet count of 514,000/mm3. Bone marrow aspirate showed dyserythropoiesis in 30% of cells and 6,5% blasts. The bone marrow cytogenetic analysis showed 46,XX,inv(3)(q21q26.2)[16]/46,XX[4]. The diagnosis of MDS with excess blasts - 1 was established according to the 2016 World Health Organization classification and International Prognostic Scoring System was very high. While waiting for beginning treatment, the patient died of respiratory failure due to COVID-19. Myelodysplastic syndrome with inv(3)(q21q26.2) is a rare aggressive disorder that occurs in less than 1% of all MDS cases and has been associated with a poor outcome: chemoresistance, high risk of leukemic transformation and short survival. Our case showed thrombocytosis with a platelet count of 514,000/mm3. The incidence of thrombocytosis in MDS has been reported in 8% of cases with platelets > 400 x109/L. The major report which evaluated thrombocytosis in MDS studied 2,042 cases, detecting high platelets count in 5% of cases (102/2,042). It appears that thrombocytosis does not adequately capture the aggressive nature of inv(3)(q21q26.2) in MDS but still plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this heterogeneous and dynamic disease. Our patient reported herein showed dyserythropoiesis in 30% of cells and 6,5% blasts, but nothing was detected regarding megakaryocytic lineage. Our patient died very soon after diagnosis due to viral infection. Thrombocytosis is an unusual clinical feature in MDS associated with inv(3)(q21q26.2) and the unfavorable prognosis of inv(3) is independent of thrombocytosis. Copyright © 2022

Impact of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program in heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): This work was financially supported by the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030011, funded by FEDER, through COMPETE2020-POCI, and by national funds, through FCT/MCTES (PTDC/MEC-CAR/30011/2017). CIAFEL, UnIC and UMIB are supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. [(UIDB/00617/2020), (UIDB/00051/2020 and UIDP/00051/2020), and (UIDB/00215/2020 and UIDP/00215/2020), respectively]. CS received an individual grant from CAPES [BEX 0554/14-6]. Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an evidence-based recommended treatment of heart failure (HF) patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shutdown of CR centers was necessary to limit the infection risk among high-risk patients. The integration of a home-based CR (HBCR) program in CR units can help to improve the delivery of care and improve cardiovascular outcomes of HF patients. Purpose To assess the effectiveness of an HBCR program in HF patients. Methods This is a sub­study of the EXercise InTervention in Heart Failure trial (EXIT-HF), which include forty-nine HF patients (preserved and reduced ejection fraction). The HBCR program consisted in 12-week combined exercise program (60%-80% of peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak)), 2 training sessions per week, for a total of 24 sessions. Patients performed 4 supervised training sessions and the remaining sessions at home. All patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test (VO2 peak), the 6-minute-walking test (6MWT), collected blood analysis (plasma NT-proBNP), and answered the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Results Forty-two patients (86%) complete at least 80% of prescribed training sessions (age: 61.1±12;FEVE: 37.1±10.8). The HBCR program improve VO2 peak from 18.3 to 20.1ml/kg/min (+1.8 ml/kg/min;95%IC:1.4 to 2.4;p<0.001) and the walked distance at the 6MWT from 462 to 512 meters (+49 meters;95%IC: 38 to 60;p<0.001). In addition, overall quality of life was improved (-13 points;95%IC:-7.8 to -18.5;p<0.001), as well physical (-6.3 points;95%IC:-3.5 to -9;p<0.001) and emotional dimension of quality of life (-2.8points ;95%IC: -0.9 to -4.7;p=0.06). No significant change was found in NT-proBNP levels (820±1220 vs 674±903;p=0.285). Conclusions Our results showed that HBCR is feasible and can improve functional capacity and quality of life in HF patients.

Home-based cardiac rehabilitation can reduce anxiety and depression in heart failure patients

Introduction: The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in physical and mental health and has become a major challenge for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. CR is an essential component in the treatment of heart failure (HF), as it improves cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life, as well as reducing hospitalization rates. COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation, and the CR centers were closed. Center-based CR requires the patient to travel to the hospital, which increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this high-risk population. In this context, home-based CR can be an excellent strategy to reduce the physical and mental consequences of the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To test the effectiveness of a home-based CR program on cardiorespiratory fitness and anxiety and depression levels in individuals with HF during covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Forty-two individuals with HF (age: 61.3±12.0;LVEF: 37.5±11.2) were included in this study. The exercise training program consisted in 12 weeks of combined exercise training (2x/week;60min/day, 60-80% VO2peak), with 4 supervised exercise sessions in the hospital context and the remaining at home. Patients were monitored using a heart rate monitor and weekly phone calls. The following parameters were evaluated: cardiorespiratory fitness through the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and anxiety and depression levels through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: After the home-based CR program, there was a significant increase in the 6MWT of 49 meters (95%IC: 38 to 60;p<0.001) and a significant decrease in anxiety levels of -1.12 points (95%CI: - 2.163 to -0.075 p=0.036). No significant changes were found in depression levels (p=0.954). Furthermore, the improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness were significantly associated with the reduction in the levels of anxiety (r= -0.281;p=0.028) and depression (r=: -0.278;p=0.030). Conclusions: The home-based CR program was able to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and this improvement was associated with a decrease in anxiety and depression levels in individuals with HF. The results suggest that home-based CR can be an important strategy to minimize the physical and mental impact induced by social isolation imposed by COVID-19 pandemic in HF patients.

TEACHER TRAINING AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC COVID-19

The current Pandid-19 Pandemic scenario called for immediate reorganizations of teaching work to adapt it to emergency remote education. In the specificity of teaching, in the public university, new ways of working with digital and technological tools emerge, which required a revision of the fundamental principles of teaching associated with integral training - bildung. Remote teaching alters the essence of teaching, requiring new forms of action that help to overcome the fragmentation that remote teaching has imposed on teaching and the training of teachers at the public university. In this article we present an account of experience based on interdisciplinarity. Although we identified its approval, a portion of the students reported fatigue in relation to the time of exposure to the computer screen, in addition to difficulties in participating in the debates, and assimilating the content in this new teaching format.

COVID 19: a public health emergency - some aspects of the introduction of vaccination in Contagem (MG)

SARS-CoV-2 is a beta-coronavirus discovered in bronchoalveolar lavage samples, initiated in China in December 2019. It belongs to the subgenus Sarbecovirus of the Coronaviridae family and is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. Among the seven human coronaviruses (HCoVS), five of them (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, SARS-COV) cause severe acute syndrome. The mode of transmission is by contact, by droplets and aerosol of respiratory droplets by contaminated people or by contact with surfaces or objects used or touched by the contaminated person. Most infections are spread by close contact. The incubation period is estimated between 1 to 14 days, with a median of 5 to 6 days. On January 17, 2021, two vaccines against covid-19 were authorized for emergency use in Brazil by the National Health Surveillance Agency, one from the Sinovac laboratory (China), in partnership with the Butantan Institute, and the other from the Serum laboratory (India), in partnership with Oxford University, whose technology is part of the agreement between the AstraZeneca laboratory and BioManguinhos/Fiocruz. The objective of this review work is to seek information about the main changes after the introduction of the vaccine in Contagem (MG), metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (MG).