Effects of using a mobile health application on the health conditions of patients with arterial hypertension: A pilot trial in the context of Brazil's Family Health Strategy.

Brazil's Family Health Strategy (FHS) leads public health policies and actions regarding community health, addressing arterial hypertension (AH) in primary care settings. In this scenario, the use of communication technologies becomes appropriate for the monitoring of patients with AH. To preliminary verify the intervention approach and the effects of using an m-Health application on the health conditions of patients with AH for a future study, we conducted a non-randomized, controlled, non-blind trial (N = 39), comparing the use of a mobile health app (m-Health) with conventional AH monitoring over 3 months.

An Electronic Health Platform for Monitoring Health Conditions of Patients With Hypertension in the Brazilian Public Health System: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Chronic noncommunicable diseases such as arterial hypertension have a high impact in the context of public health. Previous studies have shown improvements in blood pressure due to simple lifestyle changes, which were supported by electronic health (eHealth) solutions.

Objective: The aim of this study is to develop an eHealth platform and assess the effects of its use on the health conditions of patients with hypertension, with assistance from health professionals in the public health system of a Brazilian city.

Mobile health applications for chronic diseases: A systematic review of features for lifestyle improvement.

Aims: To identify mobile health applications with features for improving the lifestyle of patients with chronic diseases.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review between November 2017 and May 2018 on the Virtual Health Library's interface. A total of 816 records were identified.

Chronopharmacology of intrathecal sufentanil for labor analgesia: daily variations in duration of action.

Background: The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of opioids vary throughout the day, as demonstrated for oral morphine in chronic pain. However, little is known about the chronobiology of intrathecal lipid soluble opioids used for labor analgesia. The aim of this prospective study was to determine whether the duration of action of intrathecally administered sufentanil is influenced by the time of administration.

Background infusion is not beneficial during labor patient-controlled analgesia with 0.1% ropivacaine plus 0.5 microg/ml sufentanil.

Background: Although patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) during labor has been extensively studied in recent clinical trials, the role of a background infusion associated with self-administered boluses is still debated. The authors designed a study to assess whether the use of PCEA with or without background infusion could improve the comfort of parturients and their satisfaction during labor and delivery without affecting the total consumption of local anesthetics.

Methods: One hundred thirty-three laboring parturients requesting epidural analgesia administered via PCEA with a solution of 0.

[Remifentanil is an effective alternative to propofol for patient-controlled analgesia during digestive endoscopic procedures].

Purpose: Unlike propofol, the self-administration of remifentanil for sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopies has never been evaluated formally. We wanted to compare the efficacy and tolerance of patient self-administration of remifentanil vs propofol during gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Method: This prospective randomized, single-blinded study, included 77 patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Steady-state plasma and intrapulmonary concentrations of cefepime administered in continuous infusion in critically ill patients with severe nosocomial pneumonia.

Objective: To determine the steady-state plasma and epithelial lining fluid concentrations of cefepime administered in continuous infusion in critically ill patients with severe bacterial pneumonia.

Design: Prospective, open-label study.

Setting: An intensive care unit and research ward in a university hospital.

Ropivacaine 0.15% plus sufentanil 0.5 microg/mL and ropivacaine 0.10% plus sufentanil 0.5 microg/mL are equivalent for patient-controlled epidural analgesia during labor.

Unlabelled: We compared the administration of 0.15% ropivacaine plus 0.5 microg/mL of sufentanil with that of 0.

The induction of apoptosis by local anesthetics: a comparison between lidocaine and ropivacaine.

This study suggests that lidocaine can induce apoptosis (detected by dual staining with Annexin V and propidium iodide) on T-cell line cultures in a time-dependent manner. This was not observed with ropivacaine.

Intrathecal morphine overdose during combined spinal-epidural block for Caesarean delivery.

We describe a 25 mg intrathecal morphine overdose during a combined spinal-epidural block for a Caesarean delivery. Naloxone infusion (5.24 mg over 24 h) was started prior to the patient becoming symptomatic and almost immediately after the overdose.

Diffusion of isepamicin into cancellous and cortical bone tissue.

The degree of penetration of an antibiotic into the infection site is an important factor in its therapeutic efficacy, particularly in bone and joint infections. In the present study, we examined the bone tissue penetration of isepamicin at a dose of 15 mg/Kg, and the results were correlated to microbiologic data to estimate the clinical efficacy of isepamicin in bone infections. In this open-label, single-arm, noncomparative study, subjects of similar age, body weight, height and creatinine clearance who were undergoing elective total hip replacement received a single, parenteral 15 mg/Kg dose of isepamicin.

Alveolar and serum oxidative stress in ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: In several lung diseases, oxidative stress can be demonstrated. This has not been shown in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Methods: We studied plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples for markers of oxidative stress, taken from patients with VAP.

Effects of subhypnotic doses of propofol on gastric emptying in volunteers.

Background: Drugs which accelerate gastric emptying (GE) decrease nausea and vomiting. This could contribute to the antiemetic potential of subhypnotic doses of propofol. On the contrary, subhypnotic doses of propofol used for sedation could decrease GE and thus favor regurgitation and pulmonary inhalation.

Pharmacokinetic parameters of ciprofloxacin (500 mg/5 mL) oral suspension in critically ill patients with severe bacterial pneumonia: a comparison of two dosages.

The authors determined the pharmacokinetic parameters of a new immediate-release ciprofloxacin suspension in tube-fed intensive care patients with bacterial pneumonia, to compare two dosage regimens: 500 mg b.i.d and 750 mg b.

Noise in the postanaesthesia care unit.

Background: Although the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU) can be noisy, the effect of noise on patients recovering from anaesthesia is unknown. We studied the sources and intensity of noise in the PACU and assessed its effect on patients' comfort.

Methods: We measured noise in a five-bed PACU with a sound level meter.

Penetration of piperacillin/tazobactam (4 g/500 mg) into synovial tissue.

The degree of penetration of an antibiotic into the infected site is an important criterion for therapeutic success. This is particularly true for bone and joint infections. The association of piperacillin and tazobactam has been widely used in the treatment of serious infections including bone infections, but no study has been devoted to the subject of its diffusion into synovial tissue.

Chronobiology of epidural ropivacaine: variations in the duration of action related to the hour of administration.

Background: A temporal pattern of the kinetics of local anesthetics is demonstrated in dental and skin anesthesia, with an important variation in the duration of action related to the hour of administration. The aim of this study is to determine whether the hour of injection influences the duration of epidurally administered ropivacaine during labor.

Methods: One hundred ninety-four women in the first stage of labor were assigned to one of four groups throughout the day period: group 1 (night: from 1:01 to 7:00 am), group 2 (morning: from 7:01 am to 1:00 pm), group 3 (afternoon: from 1:01 to 7:00 pm), and group 4 (evening: from 7:01 pm to 1:00 am).

Alveolar and serum procalcitonin: diagnostic and prognostic value in ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: The potential role of serum and alveolar procalcitonin as early markers of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and its prognostic value were investigated.

Methods: Ninety-six patients with a strong suspicion of VAP were prospectively enrolled. VAP diagnosis was based on a positive quantitative culture obtained via a mini-bronchoalveolar lavage of 103 colony-forming units/ml or more.

Oxidative stress status during exposure to propofol, sevoflurane and desflurane.

Unlabelled: We evaluated the circulating and lung oxidative status during general anesthesia established with propofol, sevoflurane, or desflurane in mechanically ventilated swine. Blood samples and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) specimens were respectively performed via an internal jugular vein catheter and a nonbronchoscopic BAL for baseline oxidative activity measurements: malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). A 4-h general anesthesia was then performed in the three groups of 10 swine: the Propofol group received 8 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1) of IV propofol as the sole anesthetic; the Desflurane group received 1.

Influence of sepsis on sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration in a porcine model.

Sevoflurane is widely used in anaesthetic protocols for patients undergoing surgical procedures. However, there are no reports on the influence of sepsis on minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane (MAC(SEV)) in animals or in humans. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that sepsis could alter the MAC(SEV) in a normotensive septic pig model.

Influence of sepsis on minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane in a porcine model.

The effect of sepsis on the minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane (MAC(DES)) in humans and other animals has not been reported previously. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that sepsis might alter MAC(DES) in a normotensive septic porcine model. Twenty-four young healthy pigs were premedicated with ketamine 10 mg kg(-1 )i.

An evaluation of the Gram stain in protected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

We investigated the usefulness and reliability of the Gram stain value versus quantitative cultures in the early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using the protected bronchoalveolar lavage (PBAL). One hundred four mechanically ventilated patients (age = 52 +/- 19; SAPS II = 38 +/- 15) with a strong suspicion of VAP were consecutively included. One hundred sixteen PBAL were performed and mini-bronchoalveolar lavage were analyzed using the Gram stain standard method and the conventional quantitative culture technique.

The analgesic effect of sufentanil combined with ropivacaine 0.2% for labor analgesia: a comparison of three sufentanil doses.

Unlabelled: The combination of opioids with local anesthetics is commonly used for epidural labor analgesia. We examined whether increasing sufentanil in doses of 5, 10, and 15 microg prolonged the duration of labor analgesia produced by ropivacaine. One hundred healthy parturients in the first stage of labor who requested epidural analgesia were enrolled.

Transient expression assays with the proximal promoter of a newly characterized actin gene from the oyster Crassostrea gigas.

We undertook the characterization of an actin gene and its proximal promoter in the oyster Crassostrea gigas. A complete actin cDNA was identified, sequenced and its amino acid sequence deduced. Comparative analysis showed a high homology with actin of other species and that this gene is closer to the cytoplasmic form of actins than to the muscle type.