Scientia Medica

Effects of a rehabilitation program on the physical capacity of patients after SARSCov- 2 infection

2024-03-13T15:35:14-03:00

Objective: to evaluate the effect of a rehabilitation program on the physical capacity of patients participating in a rehabilitation program after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: retrospective incidence observational study, with a sample of medical records of patients >18 years old, participants in the post-covid-19 rehabilitation program at the PUCRS Rehabilitation Center. Demographic, anthropometric and functional test data: six-minute walk test (TC6) and sit-to-stand teste (TSL) were extracted pre and post program. The program consisted of aerobic and resistance training, twice a week, totaling 16 sessions. Aerobic training was performed on a treadmill lasting 30 minutes, with heart rate, saturation, blood pressure and Borg (dyspnea and fatigue in the lower limbs) being evaluated. Resistance training was performed after the maximum repetition test (1RM) with a load ranging from 50-80% of 1RM, for 30 minutes.

Results: 13 patients were included, with a mean age of 51.0±16.4 years. When comparing the pre and post rehabilitation results, we found significant differences in the distance covered in the TC6, being 480.5±91.3 meters before and 722.1±235.9 meters after the intervention (p<0.001) and in the percentage of predicted, being 87.5±18.8 pre and 130.7±43.5 post (p=0.001). Furthemore, when analyzing the TSL, we found a significant reduction in time of 12.3±4.7 seconds pre-program and 8.8±2.2 post (p=0.005).

Conclusion: the rehabilitation program had a positive impact on the physical capacity of patients who participated in the rehabilitation program after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Eating attitudes and restrictive diets in an adult population

2024-03-13T16:17:40-03:00

Aims: to investigate if individuals, who have already been and/or are still on restrictive diets, present high scores for risk of disordered eating attitudes.
Methods: a cross-sectional study was carried out online in the Research Electronic Data Capture platform using social media (Instagram and Whatsapp). The study sample consisted of 539 individuals aged over 18 years and the questionnaire was divided into three parts: sociodemographic data, questions about the practice of restrictive diets developed by the authors, and the Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables and the Student’s t or ANOVA tests were used to compare averages. The significance level adopted was 5%.
Results: the final mean in the Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale was 74.4 (SD=18.6). Individuals who had already been and/or are still on restrictive diets presented higher scores than those who had never been on this type of diet.
Conclusions: eating attitudes of individuals who adhere to restrictive diets tend to be less healthy than those who have never been on this type of diet. Our findings demonstrate an increased focus on weight-related concerns following these dietary practices, as well as the challenges faced in maintaining a desired weight.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) for Brazil

2024-06-13T14:46:51-03:00

Objective: translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and content validity of the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) into Brazilian Portuguese.
Methods: the process of translating and adapting the instrument from English to Brazilian Portuguese was conducted following recommendations from the
literature in six steps: Translation, Synthesis of translations, Back-translation, Synthesis II, Pre-testing, and feedback of the final version. Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI).
Results: the pre-test questionnaire was evaluated by the target population and revealed an item clarity rate exceeding 80%. The CVI of the final questionnaire
obtained a score of 0.98, as assessed by the panel of judges. Among the 35 instrument questions, maximum agreement regarding their relevance was identified by the committee of experts in 31 of these questions.
Conclusion: through the translation, cross-cultural adaptation of the CEBQ for Brazilian children and adolescents, along with the content validation of the
instrument, it was possible to adjust it more accurately to the reality of the population without compromising its original purpose.

Medication errors in the brazilian media

2024-06-13T14:52:18-03:00

Aims: to identify and describe the news about medication errors that occurred in Brazil and were published in the Brazilian digital media.
Methods: exploratory research, with data collected in news from digital media in Brazil, between 2015 and 2019. The search for news about medication errors was carried out on Google®. The cases published in the media were described
according to the type and classification of the error, medication and professional involved in the occurrence of the error, characteristics of the patient who suffered
the error and place where the error occurred.
Results: of the 20 reported errors identified in the search, 11 cases of errors with death (55.0%), six cases of errors with harm (30.0%) and three cases of errors without harm (15.0%) were found. Of the 23 patients involved in the errors, 14 belonged to extreme age groups, nine pediatric patients (39.1%) and five geriatric patients (21.8%). As for the type of error, four reported cases involving prescription errors (20.0%), five reporting dispensing errors (25.0%), 10, administration errors (50.0%) and one involving concurrent dispensing and administration error (5.0%). Among the 11 cases of errors resulting in patient death, eight contained information about which medication was involved in the error, six of which were considered high alert medications.
Conclusions: the results of this study point to the need to implement improvements in health institutions in general - pharmacies, drugstores, hospitals, health centers - with regard to the prevention of medication errors. For this, initiatives involving medication systems with high effectiveness should be prioritized, especially in contexts of high-risk situations such as the use of high alert medications and care for patients at extremes of age.

The The effectiveness of a theory-based educational intervention on promoting physical activity-related behavior in patients with chronic low back pain

2023-12-14T18:51:04-03:00

Aims: this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) – based educational program in promoting physical activity (PA) behavior in Chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients. Methods: the Reasoned Action Theory-based Back Care program was a randomized controlled trial conducted at a Health Service Center. It compared the TRA construct’s effectiveness against a control group. Eighty patients referred to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were randomly assigned to either the TRA-based intervention group (n=40) or the control group (n=40). Both groups completed self-reported questionnaires at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Additionally, a checklist was used to assess lumbar spine range of motion test skills using the modified Schober test. Results: a significant interaction effect was observed between “group” and “test time” factors (p<0.001). A total of 77 cLBP patients were evaluated, with a mean age of 41.0±4.2 years in the intervention group and 39.0±3.5 years in the control group. While both groups initially aligned with TRA constructs (p>0.05), the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in PA-related behavior at both 3-month (p

<0.001) and 6-month (p><0.001) follow-ups. The mean score for PA behavior in the intervention group (8.4 ± 1.1) was significantly higher compared to the control group (3.2±1.0) (p><0.001). Similarly, pain intensity was significantly lower in the intervention group (3.8±2.2) compared to the control group (4.3±3.0) (p><0.001). Furthermore, the intervention group showed a significant improvement in lumbar spine range of motion test skills (p><0.05). The lumbar spine range of motion test skills of the intervention group significantly decreased (p><0.05). Conclusions: the TRA-BAC program demonstrates promise in improving PA-related behavior and reducing pain in cLBP patients through targeted educational strategies based on the TRA framework.

Mobile application about laboratory tests in chronic kidney disease

2024-06-13T11:10:57-03:00

Introduction: in primary health care, the performance of general practitioners is important in tracking and monitoring the early stages of chronic kidney disease, due to the high prevalence, lack of specialists, impact on morbidity and quality of life and the high cost to health systems. The use of mobile applications has become important in contemporary medicine because it facilitates access to information, which optimizes the provision of health care.

Objectives: to develop and validate a mobile application on laboratory tests in chronic kidney disease, for general practitioners.

Methods: study in the technological production modality, with software development based on a literature review, with validation by specialists (nephrologists) and by general practitioners. Validation took place through answers to questionnaires, which evaluated content, understanding, language and graphic presentation of the mobile application. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to analyze the internal consistency of the questionnaires, and the Content Validity Index was used to assess physicians' agreement on aspects of the app. The value adopted for the mobile application was greater than 80%.

Results: the responses of nephrologists (n=9) and general practitioners (n=13) were, respectively, median age 40 (35-71) years and 45 (30-50) years, 5 (55%) and 7 (54%) were female, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.8025 and 0.9145, Global Content Validity Index of 95.56% and 92.13%.

Conclusion: the reliability of the responses to the questionnaires was good and there was excellent agreement between the judges on aspects of the mobile application.

Cyanobacteria for Cardiomyocyte Protection against miocardial ischemia injury

2024-03-13T15:54:01-03:00

Objective: To perform a systematic review on using Cyanobacteria for protecting the cardiac tissue against damage caused by ischemia.
Methods: this review encompasses in vitro and controlled animal experimental studies.
Results: the results show that in general there are two types of interventions for treatment of ischemia and Ischemia/Reperfusion (IR) in cardiac tissue: (1) extracts treatments and (2) injection of Cyanobacteria in the damaged tissues. Extract treatments are based on the antioxidant potential of Cyanobacteria, and the studies focus mainly on Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). The direct injection methods are based on the high capacity of these organisms to release oxygen during photosynthesis. Synechococcus elongatus is the Cyanobacteria species most commonly utilized in injections, either delivered independently or carried by hydrogels or nanoparticles. The direct Cyanobacteria injections are innovative techniques which can promote protection against apoptosis and have shown promising results, however, further research is necessary to refine the techniques and improve overall efficacy.
Conclusion: the effects of these treatments were beneficial considering that the antioxidant effects of Cyanobacteria ameliorate blood biochemical markers and reduce damaged cardiac areas. The oxygen releasing of Cyanobacteria in the cardiac tissue also promoted recovery of cardiac tissue after ischemia or IR.