Echocardiographic predictors of early in-hospital heart failure during first ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction: does myocardial performance index and left atrial volume improve diagnosis over conventional parameters of left ventricular function?

Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been considered a major determinant of early outcome in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Myocardial performance index (MPI) has been associated to early evolution in AMI in a heterogeneous population, including non ST-elevation or previous AMI. Left atrial volume has been related with late evolution after AMI.

Severe physical punishment: risk of mental health problems for poor urban children in Brazil.

Objective: To examine the relationship between specific types of child mental health problems and severe physical punishment, in combination with other important known risk factors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Embu, São Paulo, Brazil, as the Brazilian component of a multicountry survey on abuse in the family environment. From a probabilistic sample of clusters that included all eligible households (women aged 15-49 years with a son or daughter < 18 years of age), we randomly selected one mother-child pair per household (n = 813; attrition rate: 17.

Risk factors for surgical site infection in kidney transplant recipients.

We analyzed the epidemiologic characteristics and risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) in kidney transplant recipients. From among 1,939 kidney transplant recipients, 120 with corresponding control subjects were evaluated in this study (1:1 ratio). Reoperation, chronic glomerulonephritis, acute graft rejection, delayed graft function, diabetes, and high body mass index were identified in the analysis as risk factors for SSI.

Disagreement between parents and health professionals regarding pain intensity in critically ill neonates.

Objective: To verify whether parents and health professionals homogeneously evaluate presence and intensity of neonatal pain.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 52 neonates and 154 adults. Inclusion criteria for neonates were admission to neonatal intensive care unit, presence of gastric tube, tracheal tube, and venous lines.

Chest expansion for assessing tidal volume in premature newborn infants on ventilators.

Objectives: To investigate whether clinical observation of chest expansion predicts tidal volume in neonates on mechanical ventilation and whether observer experience interferes with results.

Methods: An observational study that enrolled less experienced physicians in the first year of pediatric residency, moderately experienced (second year pediatric residency, first year of neonatology or pediatric intensive care specialization) or who were already experienced (second year neonatology specialization, graduate students or primary physician supervisors with minimum experience of 4 years in neonatology). These professionals observed the chest expansion of newborn infants on mechanical ventilation and estimated the tidal volume being supplied to the babies.

Multidimensional pain assessment of preterm newborns at the 1st, 3rd and 7th days of life.

Context And Objective: It is challenge to assess and treat pain in premature infants. The objective of this study was to compare the multidimensional pain assessment of preterm neonates subjected to an acute pain stimulus at 24 hours, 72 hours and seven days of life.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study, at Universidade Federal de São Paulo.

Apolipoprotein E4 allele and ribosomal genes in Alzheimer's disease.

Ribosomal genes are involved in cellular transcription, translation and gene expression modulation process. An association between 28S/18S rRNA ratio levels with apoptosis and aging has been reported. Moulder et al.

Influence of age, gender, body mass index, and functional capacity on heart rate variability in a cohort of subjects without heart disease.

We studied the time- and frequency-domain indexes of heart rate variability (HRV) in 653 patients without any evidence of heart disease relative to age, gender, heart rate, body mass index, and functional capacity. There was an inverse correlation of HRV with heart rate (p <0.001).

[Profile of opioid prescriptions for intubated and mechanically ventilated neonates].

Objective: To identify factors that affect the decision of prescribing opioids for intubated and ventilated neonates.

Material And Method: Retrospective study of intubated and ventilated newborn infants for periods longer than one hour, admitted to the NICU from January 1995 to June 1997. During this period, 203 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and data of 176 charts were reviewed.