Factors associated with surgical resection in patients with Crohn's disease: long-term evaluation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate patient characteristics and factors associated with surgical resection in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: An analysis was performed on data from 295 patients with CD in follow-up from 2001 to 2018. Medical record data comprised age, gender, location, behavior and duration of the CD, smoking, and extraintestinal manifestation. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of surgical resection. RESULTS: Out of the 295 patients with CD, 155 underwent surgical resection (53.2% male, mean age: 43.88 ± 14.35 years). The main indications for surgery were stenosis (44.5%), clinical intractability (15.5%), and intra-abdominal fistulas (15.5%). Smoking (p < 0.001), longer CD duration (p < 0.0001), ileo-colonic location (p = 0.003), stenosing behavior (p < 0.0001), and fistulizing behavior (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with surgical resection. Initial use of biological was significantly more frequent in the group of patients without surgical resection (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CD still frequently need surgical treatment. Smoking (current or past), longer disease time, stenosing and fistulizing behavior, and ileo-colonic localization in CD patients were associated with a higher risk of surgery. Awareness about factors associated with unfavorable outcome allows such patients to be treated more appropriately.

Integrated Relaxation Pressure and Its Diagnostic Ability May Vary According to the Conditions Used for HREM Recording.

Integrated Residual Pressure (IRP) measured under conditions alternative to supine single swallows may provide clinically useful information regarding EGJ relaxation. This study aimed to compare IRP values obtained under different situations and explore their potential clinical utility. We analyzed and compared the values of IRP obtained from healthy volunteers and patients with suspected achalasia during supine single swallows (Ssup-IRP), sitting single swallows (Ssit-IRP), supine multiple rapid swallows (Msup-IRP), and sitting multiple rapid swallows (Msit-IRP). We analyzed the HREM recordings of 40 healthy volunteers and 53 patients with suspected achalasia. The four metrics were significantly different from each other in healthy volunteers (Ssup-IRP > Msup-IRP > Ssit-IRP > Msit-IRP) and their corresponding 95th percentiles were substantially distinct (Ssup-IRP: 25.3 mmHg, Ssit-IRP: 20.9 mmHg, Msup-IRP: 15.9 mmHg, and Msit-IRP: 11.9 mm Hg, respectively). Complete agreement among the four metrics in predicting abnormal IRP was found in 39 of the 47 patients with suspected achalasia who completed the protocol. Optimal cutoffs derived from ROC curve analysis demonstrated ≥ 0.95 specificities for detection of impaired EGJ relaxation among patients with suspected achalasia. Among the eight patients with suspected achalasia with normal Ssup-IRP, five demonstrated abnormal Msit-IRP and four abnormal Ssit-IRP. Significant differences of IRP exist depending on the measurement situation, indicating that correct interpretation of IRP values requires specific cutoffs for each situation.The sensitivities of Ssit-IRP and Msit-IRP in detecting defective EGJ relaxation appear to be slightly higher than that of Ssup-IRP.

Factors associated with surgical resection in patients with Crohn's disease: long-term evaluation

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate patient characteristics and factors associated with surgical resection in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Methods: An analysis was performed on data from 295 patients with CD in follow-up from 2001 to 2018. Medical record data comprised age, gender, location, behavior and duration of the CD, smoking, and extraintestinal manifestation. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of surgical resection. Results: Out of the 295 patients with CD, 155 underwent surgical resection (53.2% male, mean age: 43.88 ± 14.35 years). The main indications for surgery were stenosis (44.5%), clinical intractability (15.5%), and intra-abdominal fistulas (15.5%). Smoking (p < 0.001), longer CD duration (p < 0.0001), ileo-colonic location (p = 0.003), stenosing behavior (p < 0.0001), and fistulizing behavior (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with surgical resection. Initial use of biological was significantly more frequent in the group of patients without surgical resection (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with CD still frequently need surgical treatment. Smoking (current or past), longer disease time, stenosing and fistulizing behavior, and ileo-colonic localization in CD patients were associated with a higher risk of surgery. Awareness about factors associated with unfavorable outcome allows such patients to be treated more appropriately.

Natural history and predictors for progression in pediatric keratoconus.

We studied the demographic and clinical predictors associated with keratoconus progression in a pediatric population. Retrospective cohort study. We evaluated 305 eyes without previous surgeries from 168 patients, 9 to < 18 years old, and with a minimum 36-month follow-up in a hospital corneal ambulatory. We used Kaplan-Meyer survival curves; the dependent variable (main outcome measure) was the interval time (months) until the event, defined as an increase of 1.5 D in the maximum keratometry (Kmax), obtained with Pentacam. We evaluated the predictors: age (< or ≥ 14 years), sex, keratoconus familial history, allergy medical history, and the baseline tomographic parameters: mean keratometry (Km), Kmax (< or ≥ 55 D); and thinnest pachymetry (TP). We used log-rank tests and compared median survival times for right (RE)/left eyes (LE) and better (BE)/worse eyes (WE). A p value < 0.05 was considered significant. The patients' mean ± SD age was 15.1 ± 2.3 years old; 67% were boys, 30% were < 14 years, 15% had keratoconus familial history, and 70% were allergic. The general Kaplan-Meyer curves showed no differences between RE/LE or BE/WE. RE with allergy and LE with Kmax ≥ 55 D had smaller survival times ((95%CI 9.67-32.1), p 0.031 and (95%CI 10.1-44.1), p 0.042, respectively). For BE and WE, Kmax ≥ 55 D had smaller survival times ((95% CI 6.42- ), p 0.031 and (95%CI 8.75-31.8), p 0.043, respectively). Keratoconus progression was similar between RE/LE and BE/WE. Steepest corneas are predictors of faster progression. Allergy is also a predictor of keratoconus progression in RE.

Alcohol and Alcohol Combined with Texting: Evaluation of Driving Impairment Effects in a Closed-Course Section.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the driving impairment effects of alcohol alone and of alcohol combined with texting. METHODS: Fifteen drivers (nine male, six female; mean age: 31.1 ± 6.9 years, range: 23 to 43 years) with similar drinking habit (i.e., social drinkers) completed a lap in a closed-course section in six different situations: (I) sober; (II) sober and while texting; (III) 30 minutes after ingesting a moderate dose of ethanol (0.50 g/kg); (IV) 30 minutes after drinking and while texting; (V) 60 minutes after drinking, (VI) 60 minutes after drinking and while texting. Driving performance was analyzed by means of maximum and mean speed, braking time and braking distance; and ability to control the car (i.e., evaluating if the drivers hit a traffic cone or exceeded the boundaries of the course). P values of < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Pre and post-alcohol consumption results show a significant increase concerning the drivers' mean and maximum speed after drinking (p < 3.2x10-8). However, neither alcohol nor texting had significant effects on braking parameters (p > 0.05). Traffic cones were knocked down only in texting experiments. In addition, when using the cell phone drivers tended to reduce the speed, and to accelerate abruptly right after they finish texting. CONCLUSION: Our findings strengthen the hypothesis that even moderate alcohol doses may significantly impair the driving performance. Additionally, alcohol and texting have complementary effects on driving impairment, and their combination represents a significant risk factor for crashes.

A Bayesian approach for the zero-inflated cure model: an application in a Brazilian invasive cervical cancer database.

This paper aims to discuss the Bayesian estimation approach for the zero-inflated cure class of models, which extends the standard cure model by accommodating zero-inflated data in the survival analysis context. A comprehensive simulation study is carried out to assess the performance of the estimation procedure. A new estimation methodology is illustrated using a real dataset related to women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in Brazil.

The Log-Normal zero-inflated cure regression model for labor time in an African obstetric population.

In obstetrics and gynecology, knowledge about how women's features are associated with childbirth is important. This leads to establishing guidelines and can help managers to describe the dynamics of pregnant women's hospital stays. Then, time is a variable of great importance and can be described by survival models. An issue that should be considered in the modeling is the inclusion of women for whom the duration of labor cannot be observed due to fetal death, generating a proportion of times equal to zero. Additionally, another proportion of women's time may be censored due to some intervention. The aim of this paper was to present the Log-Normal zero-inflated cure regression model and to evaluate likelihood-based parameter estimation by a simulation study. In general, the inference procedures showed a better performance for larger samples and low proportions of zero inflation and cure. To exemplify how this model can be an important tool for investigating the course of the childbirth process, we considered the Better Outcomes in Labor Difficulty project dataset and showed that parity and educational level are associated with the main outcomes. We acknowledge the World Health Organization for granting us permission to use the dataset.

Factors Predictive of Proximal Disease Extension and Clinical Course of Patients Initially Diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis in an IBD Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine whether risk factors at the time of diagnosis that are found to be predictive of proximal dis- ease extension in ulcerative proctitis (UP) occur in a cohort of Brazilian patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of data from 97 patients (67% female) with UP (Montreal classification: E1) with at least 12 months of follow-up who were admitted to the Ribeirão Preto Medical School IBD referral center between January 2001 and December 2018. Proximal disease extension, which was defined as E1 progressing to E3 (pancolitis), was evaluated endoscopically during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 29 (29.9%) patients experienced proximal disease extension. The risk factors at diagnosis associated with proximal disease extension were younger age (<40 years; P = .012), higher Mayo endoscopic score (P < .0001), higher partial Mayo score (P = .0018), and use of oral corticosteroids (P = .0016). During the follow-up period, increased disease relapse rates (P < .0001), immuno- modulators (P = .00014) or the use of biological agents (P = .00037), and colectomy (P = .0002) were all significantly higher among UP patients with proximal disease extension. CONCLUSION: Similar to what has been demonstrated in other studies, Brazilian UP patients with increased clinical and endoscopic sever- ity at the time of diagnosis are likely to evolve with both proximal extension and a more adverse clinical course. Therefore, these patients should be followed-up more carefully.

Behavior of pregnant women regarding physical activity in gestational diabetes mellitus: secondary analysis of a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Objective: The purposeof this study was to compare the physical activity of pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus regarding the physical activity domains and to verify possible associations between socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional status, and lifestyle with gestational diabetes.Design /Methods: Consists in a study including 798 adult pregnant women attended by the Unique Health System in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil from 2011 to 2012. The variables studied were recorded using questionnaires, as well as frequency (weekly), duration (minutes) and the metabolic equivalent. The frequency of the categorical variables and the mean and standard deviation (SD) of the continuous variables were calculated and the Mann Whitney test, Student's t test and the X2test calculated the differences of the study variables according to the presence of diabetes. The adopted significance level was α = 5%.Results:Indicate that pregnant women with diabetes have lower average energy expenditure in the physical activity domains. However, we found a significant difference between groups regarding the average energy expenditure related to the occupational domain. Considering the Physical Activity (PA) pattern, we found that the sedentary percentage was higher in both groups. However, there were no relevant differences between them. The variables: previously diabetes, nutritional status, pre-gestational and current body mass index were associated with the development of diabetes.Conclusion: Further studies are needed to explore physical activities in different domains in pregnancy and its relationship with gestational diabetes, especially in the occupational domain.

Estudio Descriptivo: Cumplimiento del estándar de estimación de la edad gestacional en la atención prenatal en un hospital general en Ecuador / Descriptive Study: Compliance of the standards for estimating gestational age during prenatal care in a general hospital in Ecuador.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La datación gestacional es un requisito crítico en la toma de decisiones durante el embarazo; la Organización Mundial de Salud recomienda realizar el primer estudio ecográfico antes de la semana 24 de gestación. La edad gestacional también se puede estimar en función de la historia menstrual. El objetivo del presente estudio fue describir la taza de cumplimiento del estándar de estimación de la edad gestacional en un hospital general en la ciudad de Machala, Ecuador. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: El presente es un estudio observacional, descriptivo, trasversal, cuyo universo fueron las pacientes embarazadas que acudieron a consulta prenatal al Hospital General de Machala, El Oro-Ecuador, entre abril del 2017 y marzo del 2020. Se estudió a la totalidad del universo. Se recopilaron datos de las variables: edad, paridad, FUM, edad menstrual, ecografía temprana, datación gestacional confiable. RESULTADOS: El 47.9% de la muestra tuvo entre 18 y 29 años de edad. El 83.33% (195/234) pacientes cumplieron con el registro de semanas de amenorrea. El 75.21% (176/234), de pacientes cumplieron con la recomendación de una ecografía temprana, a las 24 semanas o menos. El 1.28% no tuvo ningún de los métodos de datación gestacional. El 64%(n=149) de la muestra se le realizó la primera ecografía hasta la semana 20 de gestación. De las 140 pacientes que cumplen con tener tanto datación gestacional por FUM confiable y ecografía, en 31/140 pacientes (22.1%) no se pudo confirmar la edad gestacional dada por el tiempo de amenorrea, con la ecografía temprana. CONCLUSIÓN: Concluimos que la datación gestacional obtenida por semanas de amenorrea, se registró en el 83.33% de las pacientes, que califica como un cumplimiento regular. Se realizó ecografía temprana, a las ≤ 24 semanas, como recomienda la OMS en el 75% de las pacientes, que califica como un cumplimiento pobre.(au)

BACKGROUND: Gestational dating is an important requirement for decision-making during pregnancy; the World Health Organization recommends making the first ultrasound before week 24. Gestational age can also be estimated based on menstrual history. The aim of this study was to describe the rate of compliance of the standards for estimating gestational age in a general hospital in Machala, Ecuador. METHODS: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study; the universe was the total of pregnant women who attended for prenatal care to Hospital General Machala, El Oro- Ecuador, between April 2017 and March 2020. The entire universe was studied. We collected data for the variables: age, parity, last menstrual period( LMP), menstrual age, early ultrasound, reliable gestational dating. RESULTS: 47.9% of the sample was 18 to 29 years old. 83.33% (195/234) patients complied with the weeks of amenorrhea registry. 75.21% (176/234) of patients complied with the recommendation of an early ultrasound, at 24 weeks or less. 1.28% did not have any method of gestational dating. 64% (n=149) of the sample underwent the first ultrasound until week 20. Of 140 patients who complied with having both gestational dating by reliable LMP and ultrasound, in 31/140 (22.1%) the gestational age given by LMP could not be confirmed with early ultrasound. CONCLUSION: We concluded that gestational dating obtained by weeks of amenorrhea was registered n 83.33% of the patients, this rate qualifies as regular compliance. An early ultrasound was performed, at ≤ 24 weeks, as recommended by WHO, in 75% of the patients, this rate qualifies as poor compliance.(au)

Virtual Microscopy as a Learning Tool in Brazilian Medical Education.

Virtual microscopy (VM) is a widely used teaching method in Medical Education in many developed countries. In Brazil, however, this is not the case for most medical schools, considering Brazilian social inequality and uneven access to technology. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has also challenged Universities to seek and make a transition toward more effective methods of full-time online education. Thus, the main goal of this work was to verify student's perception and academic performance, assessed upon VM implementation in a Brazilian Medical School. Ribeirao Preto Medical School students answered a 26-question survey with regards to optical microscopy (OM) and VM. Academic performance was compared between participants that were (year of 2019) or were not (year of 2015) exposed to VM. Taken the results together, subjective impressions such as handling, suitability, learning effectiveness, and pleasure using the tools, have shown a higher score for virtual microscopy (median = 29), when compared to optical microscopy (median = 24) with a P-value < 0.001 by Wilcoxon rank test, upon measurement using an ordinal scale. Regarding academic performance, no statistically significant differences were found between groups (P-value = 0.38, Cohen's d = 0.19). Therefore, VM proved to be adequate to the Brazilian medical education in light of Brazilian social contexts and Covid-19 pandemic.

Padrão de atividade física em gestantes usuárias do Sistema Público de Saúde / Physical activity pattern among pregnant women users of the Brazilian Public Health System / Patrón de actividad física em mujeres embarazadas usuárias del Sistema de Salud Pública

Objetivos: Descrever o padrão de atividade física de gestantes usuárias de Unidades Básicas de Saúde, investigar a média do gasto energético relacionados aos domínios de atividade física. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal conduzido entre 799 gestantes atendidas nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde de Ribeirão Preto, SP. A prática de atividade física foi avaliada por meio do questionário de "frequência de atividade física diária" específico para gestantes, no qual foram obtidas a frequência, duração e o equivalentes metabólicos das atividades físicas. Resultados: A maioria das gestantes apresentaram o padrão sedentário (57%) seguido pelo padrão leve (43%). Em relação aos domínios de atividades físicas, o domínio doméstico teve a maior média de gasto energético (733,7), enquanto que, o domínio de lazer apresentou a menor média (20,5). Verificou-se que as variáveis idade acima de 30 anos , escolaridade baixa , solteira, não ser chefe de família, não trabalhar fora, e ter filhos, tiveram associações com o padrão sedentário. Conclusões: Elevada prevalência de sedentarismo foi observada entre as gestantes estudadas, sugerindo a necessidade de ações de promoção de atividade física neste público, principalmente no domínio de lazer.

Objective: To describe the physical activity pattern of pregnant women using Basic Health Units to investigate the average energy expenditure related to physical activity domains. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 799 pregnant women attended at Basic Health Units in Ribeirão Preto, SP. The practice of physical activity was assessed using the "frequency of daily physical activity" questionnaire specific for pregnant women, in which the frequency, duration and metabolic equivalents of physical activities were obtained. Results: Most pregnant women had a sedentary pattern (57%) followed by a mild pattern (43%). Regarding the domains of physical activities, the domestic domain had the highest average of energy expenditure (733.7), while the leisure domain presented the lowest average (20.5). It was found that the variables: older than 30 years old, low schooling, single, not head of family, not working outside the home, and having children had associations with the sedentary pattern. Conclusions: A high prevalence of physical inactivity was observed among the studied pregnant women, suggesting the need for actions to promote physical activity in this public, mainly in the leisure domain.

Objetivos: Describir el patrón de actividad física de las mujeres embarazadas que utilizan Unidades Básicas de Salud, para investigar el gasto energético promedio relacionado con los dominios de la actividad física. Métodos: Este es un estudio transversal realizado entre 799 mujeres embarazadas atendidas en las Unidades Básicas de Salud en Ribeirão Preto, SP. La práctica de actividad física se evaluó mediante el cuestionario de "frecuencia de actividad física diaria" específico para mujeres embarazadas, en el que se obtuvo la frecuencia, duración y equivalentes metabólicos de las actividades físicas. Resultados: la mayoría de las mujeres embarazadas tenían un patrón sedentario (57%) seguido de un patrón leve (43%). En cuanto a los dominios de las actividades físicas, el dominio doméstico tuvo el promedio más alto de gasto energético (733.7), mientras que el dominio del ocio presentó el promedio más bajo (20.5). Se encontró que las variables mayores de 30 años, baja escolaridad, soltero, no ser cabeza de familia, no trabajar fuera del hogar y tener hijos, tenían asociaciones con el patrón sedentario. Conclusiones: se observó una alta prevalencia de inactividad física entre las mujeres embarazadas estudiadas, lo que sugiere la necesidad de acciones para promover la actividad física en este público, principalmente en el dominio del ocio.

MEASUREMENT OF PELVIC RETROVERSION DURING HIP FLEXION: EVALUATION WITH ACCELEROMETERS.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify pelvic retroversion during clinical evaluation of hip flexion with accelerometers and to verify the reliability of these sensors to measure hip flexion. METHODS: An accelerometer was positioned laterally in the pelvis to measure pelvic retroversion. Another accelerometer was positioned anteriorly on the thigh to evaluate hip flexion amplitude. The evaluations were performed with volunteers in supine position by three raters. For evaluation of pelvic retroversion, the mean ± SD (minimum-maximum) was calculated. Reliability of the accelerometer between raters was determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The linear correlation coefficient between hip flexion was determined by using goniometer and accelerometer. RESULTS: The mean pelvic retroversion was 7.3° ± 0.93° (6°-11°) in the clinical limit of the hip range of motion, which was 106.25° ± 10.46° (93°-130°). The ICC between two raters were 0.60, 0.71 and 0.74 (goniometer) and 0.46, 0.71 and 0.83 (accelerometer). The linear correlation between hip flexion measurements with goniometer and accelerometer was 0.87. CONCLUSION: During clinical evaluation of the final range of hip flexion, there was an associated pelvic movement of approximately 7.3º. Accelerometers have proven to be reliable for measurement of hip flexion. Level of Evidence III, Study of nonconsecutive patients with no gold reference standard applied uniformly.

OBJETIVO: Quantificar a retroversão pélvica durante avaliação clínica da flexão do quadril com acelerômetros e verificar a confiabilidade destes sensores para mensurar flexão do quadril. MÉTODOS: Posicionou-se um acelerômetro lateralmente na pelve para mensurar retroversão pélvica. Outro foi posicionado anteriormente sobre a coxa para avaliar flexão do quadril. As avaliações foram realizadas com voluntários, em decúbito dorsal, por três avaliadores. Para avaliação da retroversão pélvica, determinou-se a média ± DP (mínimo-máximo). Avaliou-se a confiabilidade dos acelerômetros entre avaliadores pelo coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI). Determinou-se o coeficiente de correlação linear entre as mensurações de flexão do quadril com goniômetro e acelerômetro. RESULTADOS: A retroversão pélvica média foi de 7,3° ± 0,93° (6°-11°), mensurada no limite clínico da flexão do quadril, que foi de 106,25° ± 10,46° (93°-130°), ambos com acelerômetro. Os CCI entre dois avaliadores diferentes nas avaliações de flexão do quadril foram de 0,60, 0,71 e 0,74 (goniômetro) e 0,46, 0,71 e 0,83 (acelerômetro). A correlação linear entre as mensurações de flexão do quadril com goniômetro e acelerômetro foi de 0,87. CONCLUSÃO: Durante avaliação clínica da amplitude final de flexão do quadril, houve movimentação associada da pelve aproximadamente de 7,3°. Acelerômetros mostraram-se confiáveis para mensuração da flexão do quadril. Nível de evidência III, Estudo de pacientes não consecutivos sem padrão de referência "ouro" aplicado uniformemente.

Measurement of pelvic retroversion during hip flexion: evaluation with accelerometers / Mensuração de retroversão pélvica durante flexão do quadril: avaliação com acelerômetros

ABSTRACT Objective: To quantify pelvic retroversion during clinical evaluation of hip flexion with accelerometers and to verify the reliability of these sensors to measure hip flexion. Methods: An accelerometer was positioned laterally in the pelvis to measure pelvic retroversion. Another accelerometer was positioned anteriorly on the thigh to evaluate hip flexion amplitude. The evaluations were performed with volunteers in supine position by three raters. For evaluation of pelvic retroversion, the mean ± SD (minimum-maximum) was calculated. Reliability of the accelerometer between raters was determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The linear correlation coefficient between hip flexion was determined by using goniometer and accelerometer. Results: The mean pelvic retroversion was 7.3° ± 0.93° (6°-11°) in the clinical limit of the hip range of motion, which was 106.25° ± 10.46° (93°-130°). The ICC between two raters were 0.60, 0.71 and 0.74 (goniometer) and 0.46, 0.71 and 0.83 (accelerometer). The linear correlation between hip flexion measurements with goniometer and accelerometer was 0.87. Conclusion: During clinical evaluation of the final range of hip flexion, there was an associated pelvic movement of approximately 7.3º. Accelerometers have proven to be reliable for measurement of hip flexion. Level of Evidence III, Study of nonconsecutive patients with no gold reference standard applied uniformly.

RESUMO Objetivo: Quantificar a retroversão pélvica durante avaliação clínica da flexão do quadril com acelerômetros e verificar a confiabilidade destes sensores para mensurar flexão do quadril. Métodos: Posicionou-se um acelerômetro lateralmente na pelve para mensurar retroversão pélvica. Outro foi posicionado anteriormente sobre a coxa para avaliar flexão do quadril. As avaliações foram realizadas com voluntários, em decúbito dorsal, por três avaliadores. Para avaliação da retroversão pélvica, determinou-se a média ± DP (mínimo-máximo). Avaliou-se a confiabilidade dos acelerômetros entre avaliadores pelo coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI). Determinou-se o coeficiente de correlação linear entre as mensurações de flexão do quadril com goniômetro e acelerômetro. Resultados: A retroversão pélvica média foi de 7,3° ± 0,93° (6°-11°), mensurada no limite clínico da flexão do quadril, que foi de 106,25° ± 10,46° (93°-130°), ambos com acelerômetro. Os CCI entre dois avaliadores diferentes nas avaliações de flexão do quadril foram de 0,60, 0,71 e 0,74 (goniômetro) e 0,46, 0,71 e 0,83 (acelerômetro). A correlação linear entre as mensurações de flexão do quadril com goniômetro e acelerômetro foi de 0,87. Conclusão: Durante avaliação clínica da amplitude final de flexão do quadril, houve movimentação associada da pelve aproximadamente de 7,3°. Acelerômetros mostraram-se confiáveis para mensuração da flexão do quadril. Nível de evidência III, Estudo de pacientes não consecutivos sem padrão de referência "ouro" aplicado uniformemente.

Development of caesarean section prediction models: secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study in two sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Caesarean section is recommended in situations in which vaginal birth presents a greater likelihood of adverse maternal or perinatal outcomes than normal. However, it is associated with a higher risk of complications, especially when performed without a clear medical indication. Since labour attendants have no standardised clinical method to assist in this decision, statistical tools developed based on multiple labour variables may be an alternative. The objective of this paper was to develop and evaluate the accuracy of models for caesarean section prediction using maternal and foetal characteristics collected at admission and through labour. METHOD: This is a secondary analysis of the World Health Organization's Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty prospective cohort study in two sub-Saharan African countries. Data were collected from women admitted for labour and childbirth in 13 hospitals in Nigeria as well as Uganda between 2014 and 2015. We applied logistic regression to develop different models to predict caesarean section, based on the time when intrapartum assessment was made. To evaluate discriminatory capacity of the various models, we calculated: area under the curve, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: A total of 8957 pregnant women with 12.67% of caesarean births were used for model development. The model based on labour admission characteristics showed an area under the curve of 78.70%, sensitivity of 63.20%, specificity of 78.68% and accuracy of 76.62%. On the other hand, the models that applied intrapartum assessments performed better, with an area under the curve of 93.66%, sensitivity of 80.12%, specificity of 89.26% and accuracy of 88.03%. CONCLUSION: It is possible to predict the likelihood of intrapartum caesarean section with high accuracy based on labour characteristics and events. However, the accuracy of this prediction is considerably higher when based on information obtained throughout the course of labour.

Impact assessment on patients' satisfaction and healthcare professionals' commitment of software supporting Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course: A protocol proposal.

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals use software that affects the patients. Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course is the name given to the tuberculosis control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization. The main goal of this work is to propose a protocol for evaluating the impact of healthcare software supporting Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course on patients, healthcare professionals, and services. The proposed protocol consists of a set of instruments and steps. The instruments are reliable and validated existing questionnaires to be applied before and after using the software tool. The literature points out the need for standards on the software assessment. This is particularly critical when software affects patients directly. The present protocol is a universal tool to assess the impact of software used to support the fight against the tragedy of tuberculosis where a rigorous evaluation of IT in healthcare is highly recommended and of great importance.

On the comparison of risk of death according to different stages of breast cancer via the long-term exponentiated Weibull hazard model.

Long-term survivor models have been extensively used for modelling time-to-event data with a significant proportion of patients who do not experience poor outcome. In this paper, we propose a new long-term survivor hazard model, which accommodates comprehensive families of cure rate models as particular cases, including modified Weibull, exponentiated Weibull, Weibull, exponential and Rayleigh distribution, among others. The maximum likelihood estimation procedure is presented. A simulation study evaluates bias and mean square error of the considered estimation procedure as well as the coverage probabilities of the parameters asymptotic and bootstrap confidence intervals. A real Brazilian dataset on breast cancer illustrates the methodology. From the practical point of view, under our modelling, we provide a parameter that works as a metric to quantify and compare the risk between different stages of the disease. We emphasize that, we developed an online platform for oncologists to calculate the probability of survival of patients diagnosed with breast cancer according to the stage of the disease in real time.

Progression of the first stage of spontaneous labour: A prospective cohort study in two sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Escalation in the global rates of labour interventions, particularly cesarean section and oxytocin augmentation, has renewed interest in a better understanding of natural labour progression. Methodological advancements in statistical and computational techniques addressing the limitations of pioneer studies have led to novel findings and triggered a re-evaluation of current labour practices. As part of the World Health Organization's Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project, which aimed to develop a new labour monitoring-to-action tool, we examined the patterns of labour progression as depicted by cervical dilatation over time in a cohort of women in Nigeria and Uganda who gave birth vaginally following a spontaneous labour onset. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study of 5,606 women with singleton, vertex, term gestation who presented at ≤ 6 cm of cervical dilatation following a spontaneous labour onset that resulted in a vaginal birth with no adverse birth outcomes in 13 hospitals across Nigeria and Uganda. We independently applied survival analysis and multistate Markov models to estimate the duration of labour centimetre by centimetre until 10 cm and the cumulative duration of labour from the cervical dilatation at admission through 10 cm. Multistate Markov and nonlinear mixed models were separately used to construct average labour curves. All analyses were conducted according to three parity groups: parity = 0 (n = 2,166), parity = 1 (n = 1,488), and parity = 2+ (n = 1,952). We performed sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of oxytocin augmentation on labour progression by re-examining the progression patterns after excluding women with augmented labours. Labour was augmented with oxytocin in 40% of nulliparous and 28% of multiparous women. The median time to advance by 1 cm exceeded 1 hour until 5 cm was reached in both nulliparous and multiparous women. Based on a 95th percentile threshold, nulliparous women may take up to 7 hours to progress from 4 to 5 cm and over 3 hours to progress from 5 to 6 cm. Median cumulative duration of labour indicates that nulliparous women admitted at 4 cm, 5 cm, and 6 cm reached 10 cm within an expected time frame if the dilatation rate was ≥ 1 cm/hour, but their corresponding 95th percentiles show that labour could last up to 14, 11, and 9 hours, respectively. Substantial differences exist between actual plots of labour progression of individual women and the 'average labour curves' derived from study population-level data. Exclusion of women with augmented labours from the study population resulted in slightly faster labour progression patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical dilatation during labour in the slowest-yet-normal women can progress more slowly than the widely accepted benchmark of 1 cm/hour, irrespective of parity. Interventions to expedite labour to conform to a cervical dilatation threshold of 1 cm/hour may be inappropriate, especially when applied before 5 cm in nulliparous and multiparous women. Averaged labour curves may not truly reflect the variability associated with labour progression, and their use for decision-making in labour management should be de-emphasized.

Understanding alterations on blood and biochemical parameters in athletes that use dietary supplements, steroids and illicit drugs.

In recent years it was verified there are an alarming growing number of teenagers and young adults using a combination of dietary supplements (DS) anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and drugs of abuse. This practice is used to improve physical fitness and appearance, may cause serious side effects. This article shows the alterations in the hematological and renal function parameters associate with these substances in 40 athletes. This research involved three steps: 1-the administration of a self-completion questionnaire ; 2-the assessment of hematological and biochemical parameters of renal function and; 3-toxicological urinalysis. Hematological and biochemical tests were conducted in an accredited laboratory and the toxicological urinalysis was validated in our laboratory using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The testosterone levels in the participants who consumed steroids increased 20-60% and alterations in serum creatinine, urea and uric reached values of up to 1.9; 60.6 and 7.5mg/dL, respectively. The toxicological urinalysis supports self-reports confirming the use of AAS and recreational drugs, putting at risk the health of those athletes increasing the chances of kidney diseases.

Different Estimation Procedures for the Parameters of the Extended Exponential Geometric Distribution for Medical Data.

We have considered different estimation procedures for the unknown parameters of the extended exponential geometric distribution. We introduce different types of estimators such as the maximum likelihood, method of moments, modified moments, L-moments, ordinary and weighted least squares, percentile, maximum product of spacings, and minimum distance estimators. The different estimators are compared by using extensive numerical simulations. We discovered that the maximum product of spacings estimator has the smallest mean square errors and mean relative estimates, nearest to one, for both parameters, proving to be the most efficient method compared to other methods. Combining these results with the good properties of the method such as consistency, asymptotic efficiency, normality, and invariance we conclude that the maximum product of spacings estimator is the best one for estimating the parameters of the extended exponential geometric distribution in comparison with its competitors. For the sake of illustration, we apply our proposed methodology in two important data sets, demonstrating that the EEG distribution is a simple alternative to be used for lifetime data.