Kisspeptin as a predictor of miscarriage: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: A highly accurate serum marker for predicting viable pregnancy needs to be developed. Recent studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin is a potential biomarker for this purpose. METHODS: This systematic review evaluated the available data in the literature on the role of kisspeptin as a miscarriage biomarker. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases using the following keywords: (kisspeptin) AND (miscarriage OR pregnancy loss OR spontaneous abortion OR reproductive failure). RESULTS: Seven case-control studies were selected for the systematic review. The included papers described the potential role of kisspeptin as a putative biomarker of pregnancy loss. Furthermore, two studies reported that changes in kisspeptin levels may be associated with unexplained infertility and low rates of embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. CONCLUSION: Kisspeptin might be used as a potential biomarker of pregnancy viability in the near future. However, studies with better evidence are needed to establish the applicability of kisspeptin as a diagnostic and prognostic tool.

Prevalence of COVID-19 infection in black people in primary health care, hospital units and intensive care units: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has affected people all over the world. In this context, health disparities are already evident in becoming ill and dying from this condition, further accentuating historical racial inequalities. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol will be developed based on the recommendations of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols. For this, searches will be carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs and ScienceDirect databases searching for cross-sectional studies that assessed the prevalence of black people with COVID-19 at different levels of complexity. All cross-sectional studies that analysed the prevalence of COVID-19 in black people assisted in primary care, hospital wards and intensive care units will be included. The research will be carried out by two independent researchers who will identify the articles; they will exclude duplicate studies. Through blind evaluation, they will select the articles using the Rayyan QCRI application. The instrument proposed by Downs and Black will be used to assess the risk of bias. The meta-analyses will be performed according to the data conditions included. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: For this study's development, there is no need for an ethical appraisal considering that it is a systematic review that will use secondary studies. This study's findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and condensed summaries for main stakeholders and partners in the field. The database search is expected to begin on 1 February 2021. It is expected to complete the entire review process by 30 October 2021 TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020209079.

The association between race and risk of illness and death due to COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Corona Virus Disease, 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic revealed many social disparities that already exist in countries that have social inequalities in their historical context. Studies have already been published on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of population groups considered to be at risk where they reveal that Black people are at greater risk of becoming ill and dying from this cause. In this context, this protocol describes a systematic review that aims to analyze the association of race as the higher risk for illness and death due to COVID-19. METHODS: This protocol will be developed based on the recommendations of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-P). For this, we will conduct searches in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs, and ScienceDirect databases in the search for cross-sectional studies. All cross-sectional studies that analyzed hospitalization and death by COVID-19 as race in its determinant will be included. The search will be carried out by 2 independent researchers who will carry out the selection of articles, then the duplicate studies will be removed and screened using the Rayyan QCRI application. To assess the risk of bias, the instrument proposed by Downs and Black will be used. Meta-analyzes and subgroup analyzes will be carried out according to included data conditions. RESULTS: Based on this review, it will be possible to carry out a high-quality synthesis of available evidence that brings race as a factor for illness and death by COVID-19 and to verify which race is most affected by this disease. CONCLUSION: The relevance of this systematic review to the current context is considered, as it has a high potential to assist in the development of public health strategies and policies that address existing racial differences.Record of systematic review: CRD42020208767.

Iniquidade racial no acesso ao pré-natal no primeiro trimestre de gestação: uma revisão sistemática e metanálise / Racial inequality in access to prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

O acesso ao pré-natal é o principal promotor do nascimento saudável e a principal medida de prevenção de mortalidade materna por causas evitáveis existente na atenção básica. A entrada precoce neste serviço possibilita atingir o número adequado de consultas, bem como a realização dos procedimentos preconizados e definidores de adequabilidade. A raça/cor da pele é um importante preditor do estado de saúde da população, assim como um marcador de desigualdades sociais. Objetivou-se, então, realizar revisão sistemática da literatura e meta-análise de estudos transversais, para identificar a prevalência de acesso ao pré-natal no primeiro trimestre de gestação de acordo com a raça ou etnia e sua magnitude de associação. O protocolo desta revisão está cadastrado na plataforma PROSPERO sob o número CRD42020159968. Foram realizadas buscas na PUBMED, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL e na literatura cinzenta (Google Scholar e Opengray), utilizando os descritores "pregnancy", "prenatal care" e "Health Services Accessibility". A qualidade dos estudos e o risco de viés foram analisadas utilizando o instrumento Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Após as etapas de análise, foram incluídos 17 estudos para compor esta revisão. Os dados extraídos foram tabulados e analisados de forma qualitativa e quantitativa por meio de metanálise. Observou-se que, na maioria dos estudos incluídos, as negras foram as que menos tiveram acesso aos serviços de pré-natal ainda no primeiro trimestre, com prevalência de acesso variando de 53% a 56,4%; já as mulheres brancas tiveram prevalência entre 74% a 76,5%; e as de outras etnias de 64,2% a 68,8%. Na análise quantitativa dos dados, verificou-se que as negras quando comparadas às brancas apresentam 43% de chances a menos (OR = 0,57 IC95% 0,51-0,64) de obterem cuidados obstétricos ainda no primeiro trimestre, e de 22% de chances a menos quando comparadas com as mulheres de outras etnias (OR = 0,78 IC95% 0,65-0,95). Assim, conclui-se que as mulheres negras, mesmo quando contrastadas com brancas e outras minorias de características sociodemográficas semelhantes, ainda sofrem com a dificuldade de acesso aos serviços de saúde materna, podendo-se inferir que a questão raça/ cor da pele é per si um determinante importante na obtenção de cuidados obstétricos, sendo necessário a elaboração de políticas públicas direcionadas a esta população e que ampliem o seu acesso aos serviços de saúde (AU).

Access to prenatal care is the main promoter of healthy birth and the main preventive measure of maternal mortality from preventable causes in primary care. Early entry to this service makes it possible to reach the appropriate number of consultations, as well as the performance of the recommended procedures and suitability definers. Race / skin color is an important predictor of the population's health status, as well as a marker of social inequalities. The objective was, then, to carry out a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies, to identify the prevalence of access to prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy according to race or ethnicity and its magnitude of association. The protocol for this review is registered on the PROSPERO platform under number CRD42020159968. Searches were conducted at PUBMED, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and in the gray literature (Google Scholar and Opengray), using the descriptors "pregnancy", "prenatal" and "Accessibility to health services". The quality of studies and the risk of biaswere analyzed using the Joanna Briggs Critical Assessment Checklist for Cross-Sectional Analytical Studies. After the analysis steps, 17 studies were included in this review. The extracted data were tabulated and distributed qualitatively and quantitatively through meta-analysis. It was observed that, in most of the included studies, black women were those who had less access to prenatal services in the first trimester, with a prevalenceof access ranging from 53% to 56.4%; white women between 74% and 76.5%; and those of other ethnicities from 64.2% to 68.8%. In the quantitative analysis of the data, it was found that black women, when compared to white women, had a 43% less chance (OR = 0.57 95% CI 0.51-0.64) of obtaining obstetric care in the first trimester, and of 22% less chances when compared with women of other ethnicities (OR = 0.78 CI 95% 0.65-0.95). Thus, it is concluded that black women, even when contrasted with white and otherminorities of similar sociodemographic characteristics, still received a difficulty in accessing maternal health services, and it can be inferred that the issue of race / skin color is itself an important determinant in obtaining obstetric care, requiringthe development of public policies aimed at this population and expanding their access to health services (AU).

Avaliação do Conhecimento de Médicos Professores, Residentes e Estudantes de Medicina acerca da Declaração de Óbito / Evaluation of the Knowledge of Medical Professors, Residents, and Medical Students regarding Death Certificate

RESUMO A Declaração de Óbito (DO) é o documento-base do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade, do Ministério da Saúde. Contudo, trata-se de um assunto pouco abordado na formação médica continuada. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o nível de conhecimento sobre questões básicas e de ordem prática no preenchimento e emissão da DO em alunos do 12º período do curso médico da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), em médicos residentes e em médicos docentes do Complexo Hospitalar da UFRN. Foram aplicados questionários com 11 questões de mútipla escolha, elaborado de acordo com o Manual de Preenchimento de Declaração de Óbito. Participaram da pesquisa 45 alunos, 66 médicos residentes e 96 médicos professores. Os médicos residentes obtiveram a melhor média de acerto entre as categorias. Nenhuma das três categorias obteve média de acertos de 70%. Considerando o tempo de formação em relação ao número de acertos, observou-se que, para cada ano de formação, em média, a porcentagem de acerto diminui em 0,485%. Este estudo evidencia a importância de uma educação médica continuada nas faculdades de Medicina para um adequado preenchimento e emissão da DO.

ABSTRACT The death certificate is the base document for the Ministry of Health’s Mortality Information System. However, this is a subject rarely addressed in continuing medical education. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge about basic and practical issues in completing and issuing death certificates among 6th year medical students from UFRN, residents and medical professors from the UFRN Hospital Complex. A questionnaire was used containing eleven multiple choice questions, prepared in accordance with the Death Certificate Completion Manual. 45 students, 66 medical residents and 96 medical professors participated in the study. The residents obtained the highest average score of the three groups. None of the groups obtained a mean score of 70%. Considering the amount of training in relation to the number of correct answers, it was observed that for each year of training, the success rate decreased by 0.485%. This study highlights the importance of continuing medical education in medical schools for proper completion and issuance of death certificates.