Quality of life in patients with malignant pleural effusion treated with an indwelling pleural catheter in an emerging country.

BACKGROUND: The use of Indwelling Pleural Catheter (IPC) in the care of patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE) is well established, however studies involving public health systems of low and middle-income countries are still lacking. This study aimed to determine the effect of IPC on the respiratory symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with MPE in the setting of a Brazilian public health system. METHODS: From August 2015 to November 2019, patients with MPE underwent IPC placement and were prospectively followed. QoL and respiratory symptoms were assessed by the EORTC questionnaires (QLQ-30; LC13) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively, at pre-treatment, 30 , and 60 days after IPC placement. RESULTS: 56 patients were enrolled with 57 catheters inserted. The mean age was 63 (23‒88) years, of which 17 (30%) were men and 39 (70%) were women. Breast 24 (42%) and lung 21 (37%) were the main primary neoplasms. Cellulitis was the most common complication and all patients recovered with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. QoL did not change significantly over time, however, the VAS showed a significant improvement in dyspnea (+1.2: -0.5; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: IPC relieves respiratory symptoms without compromising the QoL, with a low complication rate. It represents a suitable option for patients with MPE and short LE in an emerging country.

Quality of life in patients with malignant pleural effusion treated with an indwelling pleural catheter in an emerging country

Abstract Background: The use of Indwelling Pleural Catheter (IPC) in the care of patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE) is well established, however studies involving public health systems of low and middle-income countries are still lacking. This study aimed to determine the effect of IPC on the respiratory symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with MPE in the setting of a Brazilian public health system. Methods: From August 2015 to November 2019, patients with MPE underwent IPC placement and were prospectively followed. QoL and respiratory symptoms were assessed by the EORTC questionnaires (QLQ-30; LC13) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively, at pre-treatment, 30 , and 60 days after IPC placement. Results: 56 patients were enrolled with 57 catheters inserted. The mean age was 63 (23‒88) years, of which 17 (30%) were men and 39 (70%) were women. Breast 24 (42%) and lung 21 (37%) were the main primary neoplasms. Cellulitis was the most common complication and all patients recovered with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. QoL did not change significantly over time, however, the VAS showed a significant improvement in dyspnea (+1.2: -0.5; p = 0.001). Conclusion: IPC relieves respiratory symptoms without compromising the QoL, with a low complication rate. It represents a suitable option for patients with MPE and short LE in an emerging country. HIGHLIGHTS Indwelling pleural catheter represents a suitable option for patients with malignant pleural effusion and short life expectancy. It relieves respiratory symptoms without compromising the quality of life, and the complication rate is low, even in an emerging country, with a low socioeconomic and under-educated patient population. The rate of spontaneous pleurodesis was 45%. The analysis of the visual analog scale showed significant control of dyspnea (p = 0.001), but pain and quality of life did not change significantly.

Use of CentriMag for refractory cardiogenic shock in a puerperal woman: case report.

CONTEXT: Heart failure in Brazil is a major public health problem and, even with advances in treatment, it still presents high morbidity and mortality. As a treatment option, mechanical circulatory assist devices (MCADs) have greatly increased in importance over the last decade. CASE REPORT: This report concerns a case of refractory cardiogenic shock due to acute myocarditis in a 35-year-old puerperal female patient who presented with retrosternal pain, fatigue and dyspnea. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with myocarditis. There was no improvement in perfusion even after receiving dobutamine, intra-aortic balloon passage (IAB) and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Therefore, it was decided to implant a MCAD (CentriMag). During hospitalization, recovery from the bi-ventricular dysfunction was achieved. The CentriMag device was removed 10 days after it had been implanted, and the patient was discharged after another 8 days. The myocarditis was proven to be due to the Coxsackie virus. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to implant a MCAD should be individualized, as patient profiles do not always match the indications in the guidelines and protocols. In this study, clinical discussion of the case among the medical and multi-professional teams was essential in order to be able to successfully reverse the patient's severe clinical condition without sequelae, through using a CentriMag implant.

Evolution of the surgical treatment of lung cancer at a tertiary referral center in Brazil, 2011-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evolution of clinical and epidemiological data, as well as data related to diagnosis, staging, treatment, and survival, among patients undergoing curative surgery for lung cancer at a tertiary referral center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of cases in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer database. We selected only cases of patients undergoing curative surgery between January of 2011 and April of 2018. We determined overall and disease-free survival at 36 months and compared the data between two periods (2011-2014 and 2015-2018). RESULTS: Comparing the two periods (N = 437 cases), we observed trends toward increases in the number of female patients, as well as in the proportions of former smokers (44.09% vs. 53.59%), of patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (52.21% vs. 59.72%), and of patients diagnosed at an earlier pathological stage, together with a decrease in 30-day mortality (4.05% vs. 2.39%). There were significant increases in the proportions of cases diagnosed at an earlier clinical stage (p = 0.002) or incidentally (p = 0.003). Although lobectomy was the main surgical technique employed, there was a proportional increase in segmentectomies (2.67% vs. 7.11%; p = 0.026). Overall and disease-free survival rates were 79.4% (95% CI: 74.0-83.9%) and 75.1% (95% CI: 69.1-80.1%), respectively. The difference in overall survival between the periods lost statistical significance when adjusted for pathological stage, the only factor that affected survival (log-rank: p = 0.038 to p = 0.079). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and epidemiological evolution presented in this study corroborates global trends. The decrease in 30-day mortality was probably due to better patient selection and improved surgical techniques.

Adverse events after pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is an important sign of advanced disease in metastatic cancer. Pleurodesis is one option to treat recurrent MPE. The Inflammatory response after pleurodesis may lead to important adverse events (AE) in a set of very ill patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients submitted to pleurodesis (2009-2013). Clinical and laboratory data were collected. We compare the values in the day of pleurodesis, 2nd, 5th and 10th days after. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen patients were undergone to pleurodesis with silver nitrate (46%), iodine (52%) and talc (2%). Female was the most frequent (86%) and the breast cancer was the most common primary site. The most frequent adverse event was low hemoglobin account (37), followed by pain (31). 68% of patients presented AEs and 28% had at least one AE with grade 3 or higher. The most altered was CRP that peaked in the 5th day after pleurodesis. Changes in CRP curve were less severe with the use of iodine when compared with the other two agents. CONCLUSIONS: Pleurodesis leads to important systemic inflammatory response detected by different serum markers. The occurrence of adverse events in this set of patients was great number of events with being marked as grade 3 or higher.

Influence of the progression of pleural neoplasia on the outcome of pleurodesis in mice.

PURPOSE: Experimental study aimed at evaluating whether pleural neoplastic disease is associated with the degree of pleural fibrosis over time caused by talc pleurodesis. The study describes changes in levels of inflammatory mediators and determines whether the course of time involved in progression of neoplastic pleural disease is the factor that influences safety of talc pleurodesis usage in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animals were randomized into two groups: Cancer group (CG) that received intrapleural injection of Lewis cells or Saline group (SG) that received saline injection. After, the animals were subdivided into Early (pleurodesis 3 days after pleural injection) and Late (pleurodesis 7 days after pleural injection) groups. Half of the animals in each group were euthanized 24 hours after pleurodesis (to obtain the inflammatory data); the remaining animals were killed after 8 days (to obtain the scores of pleural fibrosis). RESULTS: CGs had lower fibrosis scores than SGs comparing early phases to late phases. Inflammation scores were lower in CGs, particularly in Late group. In SGs the inflammation was intense in 100% of the animals. In Late CG group pleural adhesions had the lowest scores; we found intense fibrosis only in SGs. VEGF and LDH levels had increased in animals with cancer, particularly in Late group. Systemic distribution of talc occurred only in Late CG. CONCLUSIONS: The time for pleural neoplasia to evolve is inversely proportional to the degree of pleural fibrosis. Earlier pleurodesis yielded the best results related to fibrosis, with less systemic inflammation and is safer in mice.

Analysis of Quality of Life after Pleurodesis in Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion is one of the most important complications of metastatic cancer, and recurrent pleural effusions do not only have an impact on survival but also cause a huge repercussion on a patient's quality of life. OBJECTIVES: The main objective was to describe quality of life status before and after pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusion. Secondary, we aimed to find predictors of quality of life improvement in such a population. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a database collected prospectively. We included patients who underwent pleurodesis from June 2004 to July 2014. Quality of life was evaluated through the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and applied before and 30 days after pleurodesis. We used a paired t test and the Wilcoxon rank-sum to compare pre-/post-pleurodesis results, Kaplan-Meier curves for survival analysis, and multiple linear regressions to find predictors of quality of life improvement. RESULTS: 183 patients were included (145 were women). Mean age was 58.3 ± 12.3 years, the most numerous primary tumor was breast cancer. Median survival time was 9 months. Dyspnea was the most prevalent symptom. Baseline results showed that patients had low quality of life scores. After pleurodesis, there was a significant improvement in respiratory symptoms, physical domain, and general health. Linear regression showed an improvement in physical domain with the sclerosing agent nitrate (p = 0.005). Male gender (p = 0.002) and a higher lymphocyte count (p = 0.01) were inversely associated with improvement in physical domain. CONCLUSIONS: Pleurodesis improved symptoms and quality of life in patients with malignant pleural effusion. Gender, lymphocyte count, and sclerosing agent might interfere with quality of life improvement.

Lung resection improves the quality of life of patients with symptomatic bronchiectasis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is a significant cause of morbidity. Surgical resection is a treatment option, but its main outcomes regarding quality of life (QOL) and physiologic consequences have not been addressed previously, to our knowledge. We aimed to evaluate the effect of surgical procedures on QOL, exercise capacity, and lung function in patients with bronchiectasis in whom medical treatment was unsuccessful. METHODS: Patients with noncystic fibrosis in whom medical treatment was unsuccessful and who were candidates for lung resection were enrolled in a prospective study. The main measurements before lung resection and 9 months afterward were QOL according to the Short Form 36 Health Survey and World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaires, lung function test results, and the results of maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer. RESULTS: Of 61 patients who were evaluated, 53 (50.9% male, age 41.3 ± 12.9 years) underwent surgical resection (83% lobectomies), and 44 completed the 9-month follow-up. At baseline, they had low QOL scores, mild obstruction, and diminished exercise capacity. After resection, 2 patients died and adverse events occurred in 24.5%. QOL scores improved remarkably at the 9-month measurements, achieving values considered normal for the general population in most dimensions. Functionally, resection caused mild reduction of lung volume; nevertheless, exercise capacity was not decreased. In fact, 52% of the patients improved their exercise performance. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that low QOL before resection was an important predictor of QOL improvement after resection (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Lung resection promotes a significant improvement in the QOL of patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis without compromising their exercise capacity.

Fluência digital e uso de ambientes virtuais: caracterização de alunos de enfermagem / Digital fluency and the use of virtual environments: the characterization of nursing students / Fluidez digital y uso de ambientes virtuales: caracterización de estudiantes de enfermería

O objetivo do estudo foi caracterizar o perfil de licenciandos de enfermagem, identificar a fluência digital, o conhecimento, a habilidade e o interesse no uso de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa, exploratório-descritiva realizada com 51 licenciandos de enfermagem por meio de questionário. Dos participantes do estudo 51 (100 por cento) afirmam ter conhecimento em informática, sendo que 26 (49 por cento) indicam um nível intermediário; 47 (92 por cento) fazem uso diário da Internet; 51 (100 por cento) navegam em redes sociais e possuem e-mail; 51(100 por cento) utilizam MSN e 32 (62,7 por cento) Skype; 41 (82 por cento) acessam Chats, 33 (64,7 por cento) Fóruns de discussão e 22 (43 por cento) Blogs; 33 (64,7 por cento) utilizam frequentemente o Moodle e 26 (51 por cento) o COL; e a grande maioria (45- 88,2 por cento) relatou interesse no uso de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. Os alunos foram considerados fluentes digitais e apresentaram conhecimento, habilidade e expressivo interesse no uso de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem em sua formação acadêmica.

The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of nursing undergraduate students, identify their digital fluency, knowledge, ability and interest in using virtual learning environments. This quantitative, exploratory-descriptive study, was performed with 51 nursing undergraduate students. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire. All 51 subjects (100 percent) reported having some knowledge in informatics, 26 (49 percent) of which reported having an intermediate knowledge; 47 (92 percent) use the Internet everyday; 51 (100 percent) surf the social networks and have e-mail; 51 (100 percent) are MSN users; 32 (62.7 percent) use Skype; 41 (82 percent) use Chat applications; 33 (64.7 percent) use discussion forums; 22 (43 percent) use blogs; 33 (64.7 percent) frequently use Moodle and 26 (51 percent) use COL; 45 (88.2 percent) reported interest in using virtual learning environments. The students are digitally fluent and show knowledge, ability and significant interest regarding the use of virtual learning environments in their academic studies.

Este estudio objetivó caracterizar el perfil de alumnos de enfermería, identificar su fluidez digital, conocimiento, habilidad e interés en uso de ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje. Investigación cuantitativa, exploratorio-descriptiva, realizada con 51 alumnos de Enfermería mediante cuestionario. De los participantes, 51 (100 por ciento) afirman tener conocimientos de informática, 26 (49 por ciento) refieren nivel intermedio; 47 (92 por ciento) utilizan Internet diariamente; 51 (100 por ciento) participan en redes sociales y poseen e-mail; 51 (100 por ciento) utilizan MSN y 32 (62,7 por ciento) Skype; 41 (82 por ciento) acceden a Chats; 33 (64,7 por ciento) escriben en foros de discusión y 22 (43 por ciento) en Blogs; 33 (64,7 por ciento) utilizan frecuentemente Moodle y 26 (51 por ciento) COL; y la gran mayoría (45, 88,2 por ciento) expresaron interés en utilización de ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje. Se consideró a los alumnos con fluidez digital, demostraron conocimientos, habilidad y expreso interés en utilización de ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje en su formación académica.

Digital fluency and the use of virtual environments: the characterization of nursing students. / Fluência digital e uso de ambientes virtuais: caracterização de alunos de enfermagem.

The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of nursing undergraduate students, identify their digital fluency, knowledge, ability and interest in using virtual learning environments. This quantitative, exploratory-descriptive study, was performed with 51 nursing undergraduate students. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire. All 51 subjects (100%) reported having some knowledge in informatics, 26 (49%) of which reported having an intermediate knowledge; 47 (92%) use the Internet everyday; 51 (100%) surf the social networks and have e-mail; 51 (100%) are MSN users; 32 (62.7%) use Skype; 41 (82%) use Chat applications; 33 (64.7%) use discussion forums; 22 (43%) use blogs; 33 (64.7%) frequently use Moodle and 26 (51%) use COL; 45 (88.2 %) reported interest in using virtual learning environments. The students are digitally fluent and show knowledge, ability and significant interest regarding the use of virtual learning environments in their academic studies.