A qualitative study exploring the expectations of people living with type 1 diabetes regarding prospective use of a hybrid closed-loop system.

AIM: To identify the expectations of a diversified sample of informed adults with type 1 diabetes on their prospective use of a hybrid closed-loop system. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 adults with type 1 diabetes who shared their expectations on an experimental hybrid closed-loop system after receiving information on its design, functioning and capability. The sample had equal representation of genders and diabetes management methods and was diversified according to age, education and occupation when possible. Qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts with MaxQDA was used to identify expected benefits, expected inconveniences and concerns, expected improvements to design and functionalities, and interest and trust in the system. RESULTS: Participants expected benefits regarding diabetes management, clinical outcomes, psychosocial aspects of their lives, nutrition and meals, and physical activity. Participants expected inconveniences or shared concerns regarding wearability, costs and technical limitations. According to participants, improvements could be made to the system's physical appearance, practical convenience, functionalities, and software integration. Overall, 12 participants would use the system. While participants' trust could be immediate or grow over time, it could ultimately be conditional on the system's performance. CONCLUSION: Prospective users' general enthusiasm and trust foster the clinical and commercial success of hybrid closed-loop systems. However, poor user satisfaction caused by unrealistic expectations and plausible inconveniences and concerns may limit this success. Providing prospective users with comprehensive information while validating their understanding could mitigate unrealistic expectations. Improvements to design and coverage policies could favour uptake.

A critical review and analysis of ethical issues associated with the artificial pancreas.

The artificial pancreas combines a hormone infusion pump with a continuous glucose monitoring device, supported by a dosing algorithm currently installed on the pump. It allows for dynamic infusions of insulin (and possibly other hormones such as glucagon) tailored to patient needs. For patients with type 1 diabetes the artificial pancreas has been shown to prevent more effectively hypoglycaemic events and hyperglycaemia than insulin pump therapy and has the potential to simplify care. However, the potential ethical issues associated with the upcoming integration of the artificial pancreas into clinical practice have not yet been discussed. Our objective was to identify and articulate ethical issues associated with artificial pancreas use for patients, healthcare professionals, industry and policymakers. We performed a literature review to identify clinical, psychosocial and technical issues raised by the artificial pancreas and subsequently analysed them through a common bioethics framework. We identified five sensitive domains of ethical issues. Patient confidentiality and safety can be jeopardized by the artificial pancreas' vulnerability to security breaches or unauthorized data sharing. Public and private coverage of the artificial pancreas could be cost-effective and warranted. Patient selection criteria need to ensure equitable access and sensitivity to patient-reported outcomes. Patient coaching and support by healthcare professionals or industry representatives could help foster realistic expectations in patients. Finally, the artificial pancreas increases the visibility of diabetes and could generate issues related to personal identity and patient agency. The timely consideration of these issues will optimize the technological development and clinical uptake of the artificial pancreas.

The Portuguese version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ).

We report herein the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation into the Portuguese language of the parent's version of two health related quality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific health instrument that measures functional ability in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrument designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well being of children independently from the underlying disease. The Portuguese CHAQ CHQ were fully validated with 3 forward and 3 backward translations. A total of 130 subjects were enrolled: 69 patients with JIA (32% systemic onset, 19% polyarticular onset, 26% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 23% persistent oligoarticular subtype) and 61 healthy children. The CHAQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic, polyarticular and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a higher degree of disability, pain, and a lower overall well being when compared to their healthy peers. Also the CHQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic onset, polyarticular onset and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a lower physical and psychosocial well being when compared to their healthy peers. In conclusion the Portuguese version of the CHAQ-CHQ is a reliable, and valid tool for the functional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children with JIA.

Gestacão e mal formacão genital / Pregnancy and genital anomalies

Sao estuados 18 casos de malformacoes genitais e gravidez ocorridas na Clinica Obstetrica da FMUSP no periodo de 1977 a 1982. Analisaram varios parametros, como antecedentes obstetricos incidencia de abortamento e prematuridade, tipo de parto mobiletalidade-perinatal. Os antecedentes obstetricos revelaram 23,0% de prematuridade e 46,1% de abortamento; na gestacao atual 27,7% de prematuridade e 16,6% de abortamento. Ressaltam o alto indice de operacao cesarea (80,0%).Concluem pela importancia do diagnostico previo e tratamento adequado no pre-natal na diminuicao dos elevados indices de patologia materno-fetal

[Aneurysm of the membranous portion of the interventricular septum]. / Aneurisma de la porción membranosa del tabique interventricular

The membranous portion of the interventricular septum represents the final phase of the ventricular growth. It is situated between the orifice of the coronary sinus and the supraventricular crest; immediately below the right aortic semilunar valves and not the coronary. Four cases of aneurism of the membranous portion of the interventricular septum are presented; in two, the diagnosis was made by angiocardiography study and in the rest it was made with the findings of an autopsy. All were of the female sex. Two patients presented a systolic murmur in the low mesocardia; three had heart failure, two of which were secondary to an arteriovenous short circuit through an interventricular communication, and the other due to alternations in the automatism and in the atrioventricular circulation. One case had W-P-W, type A and during its evolution presented paroxysms of atrial fibrillation and flutter, variable degrees of atrioventricular block with Stokes-Adams syndrome and ventricular fibrillation. In one case an obstruction at the level of the outflow tract of the right ventricle was suspected through phonocardiographic studies, and was confirmed subsequently with hemodynamic study. This same case presented a protosystolic aortic snap, at 0.13-0.14 sec. of the q wave of the electrocardiogram, described as of value for the diagnosis of this malformation. In two cases the angiocardiographic study showed the presence of the aneurism in the membranous portion of the interventricular septum, in one, it was visualized in the posterioanterior projection and in another in the lateral. One of the specimens had the aneurism adhered to the tricuspid septal valve, and also a fissure which communicated the left ventricle with the right atrium. In the other, the aneurismal sac was located below the septal valve of the tricuspid, producing a distortion in the anatomical architecture of the atrioventricular orifice.