Development of a Mobile Application with Health Guidelines for TB Patients Care.

Health guidelines inform recommendations for different clinical practices or public health policies. They are a simple way to organize and retrieve relevant information that can impact patient care. Although these documents are easy to use, most are not user-friendly because they are difficult to access. Our work aims to present the developing approach for a decision-making tool based on health guidelines to assist health professionals in caring for patients with tuberculosis. This tool is being developed for use on mobile devices and as a web-based system, which will transform a passive and declarative health guideline document into an interactive tool that will provide data, information, and knowledge. User tests with functional prototypes developed for the Android platform show that this application has the potential to be applied in TB healthcare facilities in the future.

Analysis of Ki-67 expression in women with breast cancer: Comparative evaluation of two different methodologies by immunophenotyping.

The Ki-67 antigen is a nuclear protein with proven prognostic value in different neoplasms and recognizes the predictive value in breast cancer (BC). No consensus exists on the ideal cutoff point. In this study, Ki-67 expression was evaluated in samples of BC by flow cytometry (FC) and compared with immunohistochemical (IHC) examination. For this, the BC tissue samples were sectioned, macerated, filtered, and marked with anti-Ki-67 FITC and anti-CD45 V500 antibodies. We selected the neoplastic cells according to CD45 expression and size and internal complexity (FSC × SSC) using the Infinicity 1.7 software. Lymphocytes were negative control. We compared the results with IHC analyses carried out in parallel and independently. The expression of Ki-67 was evaluated in both methodologies through Bland-Altman analysis. Among the 44 samples analyzed, only three showed bias higher than the established confidence interval (mean bias 2.1%, p = 0.62), with no significant difference for the perfect mean bias (0%). Therefore, one can state that FC provides results equivalent to IHC analysis and possibly analyzes more cells simultaneously. The results obtained in this study show the absence of observational bias through software analysis in a larger number of tumor cell populations. We can conclude that FC may be a promising alternative method for investigating Ki-67 in solid tumours.

Publicização da gestão hospitalar no SUS: reemergência das Organizações Sociais de Saúde / Publicization of hospital management in SUS: re-emergence of Health Social Organizations

Resumo O Estado da Bahia foi pioneiro na privatização da gestão hospitalar por meio de uma política de incentivo às Organizações Sociais de Saúde (OSS), sob o discurso da eficiência. A rapidez de penetração do setor privado na esfera pública, com alteração da noção de democracia e interesse público, tem sido globalmente observada. A análise da incorporação das OSS à gestão dos hospitais estaduais baianos, proposta por este estudo de caso, utilizou documentos disponíveis em sites de domínio público e entrevistas com gestores de hospitais "publicizados" e da Secretaria Estadual de Saúde da Bahia (Sesab). A interpretação dos resultados sob o filtro de categorias históricas e analítico-operacionais evidenciou a ascensão das terceirizações, a partir de 1996, e a incorporação das OSS à cena hospitalar baiana, a partir de 2005, pari passu com o afrouxamento do Conselho Estadual de Saúde e o avivamento do discurso de maior resolutividade das OSS, que seriam "quase como o Estado". Para afinar-se com o novo discurso governamental, empresas antes terceirizadas mudaram sua personalidade jurídica para OSS, demonstrando um processo de privatização disfarçada, no bojo de um governo que sustentou discurso contrário a essa prática, antagônica aos princípios de seguridade da saúde, expressos na Constituição Federal.

Abstract The state of Bahia has been a "pioneer" in privatization of hospital management through a policy of encouraging Health Social Organizations (OSS) under the discourse of greater efficiency. The rapidity as the private sector penetrates the public sphere and modifies the notion of democracy and public interest has been noted around the world. To analyze the process of OSS management in two cases, documents available in the public domain sites and interviews with the hospital and the Health Department of Bahia State (SESAB) management staff were used. A comparison between the data collected by different sources was supported by historical and operational-analytical categories which allowed its interpretation and showed the rise of outsourcings since 1996, and the emergence of OSS in the Bahia hospital scene from 2005 forward, side by side with the weakness of the Health State Council control and the revival of the "best efficiency" discourse that would be "almost like the state." To meet the new policy and tune up with the new government discourse, ex-outsourced companies changed their legal personality to OSS. Such disguised privatization process was protagonized by a government that supported contrary speech about this practice antagonistical to the principles of health security, expressed by the Brazilian Constitution.

Analysis of the presence of FLT3 gene mutation and association with prognostic factors in adult and pediatric acute leukemia patients

ABSTRACT When the FLT3 gene is mutated, it originates a modified receptor with structural changes, which give survival advantage and malignant hematopoietic cell proliferation. Thus, the presence of mutations in this gene is considered an unfavorable prognostic factor. A total of 85 consecutive samples of newly diagnosed untreated patients with AL were included in the study after they provided their informed consent. FLT3 gene mutations were detected by PCR. For the pediatric group, a positive correlation was observed between WBC count and the presence of FLT3-ITD in patients with AML and ALL. Furthermore, children with AML who had the FLT3-ITD mutation showed a tendency to express CD34 in blast cells. In the adult group, the AML patients with FLT3-ITD who expressed CD34 in blast cells had a tendency to worse progression. The present data indicate no association between the prognostic factors evaluated and FLT3 gene mutations in adult with AL. Yet, the presence of FLT3-ITD mutation was significantly related with WBC count in the pediatric group. These findings demonstrate that FLT3 gene mutations can be considered as independent poor prognostic factors.

Home or community-based pulmonary rehabilitation for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (OPR) has shown positive results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of home or community-based pulmonary rehabilitation (HCPR) in individuals with COPD. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials compared HCPR to controls and HCPR to OPR according to functional capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life in individuals with COPD. 3,172 citations were identified in databases, and 23 were included in this review. HCPR proved superior to controls based on functional capacity in the 6-Minute Walk Test and Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, and based on dyspnea and quality of life in the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire and the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire. When HCPR and OPR were compared, there were no effect differences in functional capacity or quality of life. Improvement was greater in patients with more bronchial obstruction measured by FEV1. HCPR improves functional capacity and quality of life and decreases the sensation of dyspnea. Its benefits in functional capacity and quality of life are comparable to those obtained with OPR in individuals with COPD.

Home or community-based pulmonary rehabilitation for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis / Reabilitação pulmonar domiciliar ou comunitária para indivíduos com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica: revisão sistemática e meta-análise / Rehabilitación pulmonar domiciliaria o comunitaria para individuos con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (OPR) has shown positive results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of home or community-based pulmonary rehabilitation (HCPR) in individuals with COPD. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials compared HCPR to controls and HCPR to OPR according to functional capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life in individuals with COPD. 3,172 citations were identified in databases, and 23 were included in this review. HCPR proved superior to controls based on functional capacity in the 6-Minute Walk Test and Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, and based on dyspnea and quality of life in the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire and the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire. When HCPR and OPR were compared, there were no effect differences in functional capacity or quality of life. Improvement was greater in patients with more bronchial obstruction measured by FEV1. HCPR improves functional capacity and quality of life and decreases the sensation of dyspnea. Its benefits in functional capacity and quality of life are comparable to those obtained with OPR in individuals with COPD.

Resumo: A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) é uma das principais causas de morte e morbidade em todo o mundo e a reabilitação pulmonar ambulatorial (RPA) demonstra benefícios positivos. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos da reabilitação pulmonar domiciliar ou comunitária (RPDC) em indivíduos com DPOC. Esta revisão sistemática e meta-análise de ensaios clínicos randomizados comparou os efeitos de RPDC vs. controle e RPDC vs. RPA na capacidade funcional, dispneia e qualidade de vida de indivíduos com DPOC. Foram identificadas 3.172 citações em bancos de dados e 23 foram incluídas nesta revisão. A RPDC foi superior ao grupo controle para a capacidade funcional no Teste da Caminhada de Seis Minutos e no Teste de Caminhada com Carga Progressiva, para dispneia e para qualidade de vida no Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire e no Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire. Quando RPDC e RPA foram comparados, não houve diferença entre os efeitos de intervenções nem na capacidade funcional nem na qualidade de vida. A melhora foi maior nos pacientes com mais obtrução brônquica medida pelo VEF1. RPDC melhora capacidade funcional e qualidade de vida, diminui a sensação de dispneia e de seus benefícios em capacidade funcional e qualidade de vida podem ser comparados aos obtidos em RPA para indivíduos com DPOC.

Resumen: La enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) es una de las principales causas de muerte y morbilidad en todo el mundo, contando la rehabilitación pulmonar ambulatoria (RPA) con beneficios positivos. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar los efectos de la rehabilitación pulmonar domiciliaria o comunitaria (RPDC) en individuos con EPOC. Esta revisión sistemática y el metaanálisis de ensayos clínicos randomizados comparó los efectos de RPDC vs. control y RPDC vs. RPA en la capacidad funcional, disnea y calidad de vida de individuos con EPOC. Se identificaron 3.172 citas en bancos de datos y 23 se incluyeron en esta revisión. La RPDC fue superior al grupo control, respecto a la capacidad funcional en el Test de Paseo de 6 Minutos y en el Prueba de Caminata de Carga Progresiva; para la disnea y calidad de vida en el Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire y en el Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire. Cuando se compararon RPDC y RPA, no hubo diferencia entre los efectos de intervenciones, ni en la capacidad funcional, ni en la calidad de vida. La mejora fue mayor en los pacientes con más obstrucción bronquial, medida por el volumen espiratorio forzado durante el primer segundo. La RPDC mejora la capacidad funcional y calidad de vida, disminuye la sensación de disnea y sus beneficios en capacidad funcional y calidad de vida pueden ser comparados a los obtenidos en RPA para individuos con EPOC.

Expiratory and expiratory plus inspiratory muscle training improves respiratory muscle strength in subjects with COPD: systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) produces beneficial effects in COPD subjects, but the effects of expiratory muscle training (EMT) and EMT plus IMT in ventilatory training are still unclear. The aim of this study was to systematically review the effects of EMT and EMT plus IMT compared to control groups of COPD subjects. METHODS: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. The search strategy included MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, PEDro, and Cochrane CENTRAL and also manual search of references in published studies on the subject. Randomized trials comparing EMT and EMT plus IMT versus control groups of subjects with COPD were included. The outcomes analyzed were respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. RESULTS: The search retrieved 609 articles. Five studies were included. We observed that EMT provided higher gain in maximum expiratory pressure (P(E(max)) 21.49 cm H2O, 95% CI 13.39-29.59) and maximum inspiratory pressure (P(I(max)) 7.68 cm H2O, 95% CI 0.90-14.45) compared to control groups. There was no significant difference in the 6-min walk test distance (29.01 m, 95% CI -39.62 to 97.65) and dyspnea (0.15, 95% CI -0.77 to 1.08). In relation to EMT plus IMT, we observed that P(E(max)) (31.98 cm H2O, 95% CI 26.93-37.03) and P(I(max)) (27.98 cm H2O, 95% CI 20.10-35.85) presented higher values compared to control groups. CONCLUSIONS: EMT and EMT plus IMT improve respiratory muscle strength and can be used as part of the treatment during pulmonary rehabilitation of subjects with severe to very severe COPD.