Sex-based differences and risk of recurrence in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation.

INTRODUCTION: Studies suggest increased likelihood of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation (CA) in women than in men, indicating that sex may be an independent risk factor for recurrence. Nevertheless, the influence of sex on AF recurrence and underlying mechanisms remains unclear. METHODS: Retrospective, single-centre study including patients undergoing AF CA between 2017 and 2021. Late recurrence (LR) was defined as AF recurrence ≥90 days after ablation, whereas early recurrence (ER) occurred within 90 days. RESULTS: 656 patients (32% women) were included, with a median follow-up period of 26 months. Compared to men, women undergoing CA were older, had higher body mass indexes, and had higher rates of hypertension, thyroid dysfunction, and valvular disease. Women also had increased LR risk after CA (HR 1.76, 95% CI [1.19, 2.59]). A time-split multivariable analysis at one year of follow-up showed no difference in LR risk during the first 12 months after CA (HR 1.19, 95% CI [0.73, 1.94]); however, LR risk increased in women (HR 2.90, 95% CI [1.68, 5.01]) after 12 months. In a sex-stratified analysis, coronary calcium score (CCS) >100 was associated with increased LR risk in men (HR 1.81, 95% CI [1.06, 3.08]), but not in women. Cardiac adipose tissue volume was not associated with increased LR risk. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer women underwent CA than men and LR was more frequent in women, particularly one year after the procedure. CCS was associated with increased LR risk in men.

The impacts of abnormal color vision on people's life: an integrative review.

BACKGROUND: This article shows an integrative review on the impact that abnormal color vision may have on the daily routine of individuals. PURPOSE: We followed the PRISMA guidelines for reviews and carried out researches in four databases (Pubmed, Lilacs, Scopus, and Web of Science) using keywords related to the impact of abnormal color vision. METHOD: Initially, 805 articles were retrieved and after a first filtering stage, we selected 74 articles for a detailed analysis of the abstracts in which it was found that a total of 20 studies were in fact related to the topic of this review. We then read the selected studies in full and those included in the final selection were analyzed and categorized into specific topic groups of findings. Seven categories were created in total: "impact on daily routine activities", "occupational impact", "impact on product choice motivation", "emotional impact", "impact on school or professional qualification", "impact on self-care and health", and "advantages". RESULTS: From the definition of these categories we could understand that people with some degree of color vision loss face challenges in different aspects of their daily life, especially in their work activities. Still, the amount of research and hence technical support which could be offered to this population is restricted. Additionally, the scarce availability of publications on the topic and the fact that they include very specific groups of people, such as drivers and medical students, allow us to draw only partial conclusions about the all possible impacts yield by such perceptual difference since they observe the impact of the color-vision deficiency in their daily routine from a specific and precise point of view. CONCLUSIONS: A broader view of the impact of this problem on the daily life of its carriers is fundamental for implementing strategies that allow such people to be included in all sorts of activities or for the impact of this sensory change to be decreased or treated in a way that would reduce the detrimental impacts.

The process of end-of-life care delivery to the families of elderly patients according to the Family Health Strategy.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the process of end-of-life care delivery to the families of elderly patients according to a Family Health Strategy (FHS) team, to identify the meanings the team attributes to the experience and to build a theoretical model. METHOD: Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory were applied. Fourteen professionals working in an FHS located in a country town in the state of São Paulo were interviewed. RESULTS: Through comparative analysis, the core category overcoming challenges to assist the family and the elderly during the dying process was identified, and it was composed of the following sub-processes: Identifying situational problems, Planning a new care strategy, Managing the care and Evaluating the care process. CONCLUSION: the team faces difficulties to achieve better performance in attending to the biological and emotional needs of families, seeking to ensure dignity to the elderly at the end of their lives and expand access to healthcare.

The 15-minute family interview: a family health strategy tool.

The 15-minute family interview is a condensed form of the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models (CFAM and CFIM) that aims to contribute to the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between nurses and family and to implement interventions to promote health and suffering relief, even during brief interactions. This study investigated the experience of nurses from the Family Health Strategy (FHS) who used the 15-minute interview on postpartum home. The qualitative research was conducted in three stages: participants' training program, utilization of the 15-minute family interview by participants, and interviews with nurses. The data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight nurses. The thematic analysis revealed two main themes: dealing with the challenge of a new practice and evaluating the assignment. This work shows that this tool can be used to deepen relationships between nurses and families in the Family Health Strategy.