ACCIDENTAL POISONING IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ADMITTED TO A REFERRAL TOXICOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF A BRAZILIAN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.

Objective: To describe the profile of children and adolescents admitted for exogenous unintentional poisoning in the emergency room and analyze factors associated with subsequent in-hospital admissions.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on hospital records of all subjects up to 19 years-old admitted in 2013 at a specialized toxicology service on a major public emergency hospital due to unintentional intoxication (as reported). Accidents with poisonous animals and insects were excluded.

[The evolution of the profile of psychiatric admissions via the Unified Health System in Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2001-2013].

The scope of this article is to analyze the evolution of the profile of psychiatric admissions via the Unified Health System in psychiatric hospitals of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 2001 and 2013. Data were obtained from the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System. The analyses of trends were conducted by regression procedures, in which the independent variable was the year, and the dependent variables were the patients (sex, age, diagnosis) and admission characteristics (city, hospital administrative status, length of internment).

Community health services and risk of readmission in public psychiatric hospitals of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 2005-2011.

Introduction: The readmission phenomenon in psychiatry not only reflects the severity and chronicity of the underlying disorders, but also indicates the quality of mental healthcare. In the context of the Brazilian mental healthcare reform, no study has included the availability of outpatient care among the potential determinants for psychiatric readmission.

Objective: To correlate the availability of community healthcare resources at the place of residence with the risk of psychiatric readmission.

Evaluating the Brazilian zero tolerance drinking and driving law: Time series analyses of traffic-related mortality in three major cities.

Objective: A zero tolerance alcohol restriction law was adopted in Brazil in 2008. In order to assess the effectiveness of this intervention, the present study compares specific mortality in 2 time series: 1980-2007 and 2008-2013.

Methods: Data on mortality and population were gathered from official Brazilian Ministry of Health information systems.

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in children.

Introduction: Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential is a test used in neurotological examination. It verifies the integrity of vestibular function through a muscular response evoked by an acoustic stimulation which activates the saccular macula. Normal standards in adults have been established, however, there are few published data on the normal responses in children.

Seasonality of dizziness and vertigo in a tropical region.

Vertigo and dizziness are among the most common medical complaints in the emergency room, and are associated with a considerable personal and health care burden. Scarce and conflicting reports indicate those symptoms may present a seasonal distribution. This study aimed at investigating the existence of a seasonal distribution of vertigo/dizziness in a tropical region, and the correlations of these findings with climatic variables.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with cleft lip and palate.

Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) represent the most common congenital anomalies of the face.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (nsCL/P).

Methods: We conducted an observational, case-control study, with a case study group composed of 61 patients with nsCL/P, aged 7-17 years, and a control group of 61 clinically normal patients.

[Alteration of profile of treatment of the public psychiatric hospitals of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in the context of mental health care reform].

This article seeks to describe the profile of treatment and internment in public psychiatric hospitals in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, from 2002 to 2011. The changes in the characteristics of treatment and the profiles of the patients treated are analyzed in the context of health care reform. It is a study of temporal series with trend analysis by means of linear regression.

Relationship between anhedonia and impulsivity in schizophrenia, major depression and schizoaffective disorder.

Background: Anhedonia and impulsivity are prominent symptoms of many psychiatric disorders and may indicate worse prognosis, notably in schizophrenia and major depression. Despite the convergence of negative outcomes from both dimensions, the relationship between anhedonia and impulsivity in psychiatric disorders has been seldom directly assessed. The objective of the present study is to examine the correlations between anhedonia and impulsivity in three diagnostic groups: major depression, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

High bed occupancy rates: Are they a risk for patients and staff?

Aim: In order to produce empirical evidence on the relationship between high bed occupancy and its potential hazards, this study correlates bed occupancy rates with hospital patient safety and staff overload indicators.

Methods: Data from nine medium to large scale public hospitals, all pertaining to the Hospital Foundation of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were gathered for the period January 2007 to June 2011. Indicators were aggregated by month, resulting in 486 observations (54 months × 9 hospitals).

Seasonal influences on admissions for mood disorders and schizophrenia in a teaching psychiatric hospital in Egypt.

Background: Distinct seasonal variation in hospital admission and various associations with the climatic parameters for mood disorders and schizophrenia have been previously reported in several world regions. There are, however, no North-African studies on this association.

Methods: The charts of 1987 patients with mood disorders (mania 1181, depression 806) and 1359 patients with schizophrenia admitted from 2003 to 2007 from an university hospital at Mansoura, Egypt, were reviewed.

Correlation of Cesarean rates to maternal and infant mortality rates: an ecologic study of official international data.

Objective: To correlate international official data on Cesarean delivery rates to infant and maternal mortality rates and low weight-at-birth rates; and to test the hypothesis that Cesarean rates greater than 15% correlate to higher maternal and infant mortality rates.

Methods: Analyses were based on the most recent official data (2000-2009) available for 193 countries. Exponential models were compared to quadratic models to regress infant mortality rates, neonatal mortality rates, maternal mortality rates, and low weight-at-birth rates to Cesarean rates.

Effect of Epley's maneuver on the quality of life of paroxismal positional benign vertigo patients.

Unlabelled: Quality of life (QoL) is significantly impaired by vertigo. The effect of specific treatments on QoL deserves investigation.

Aim: To assess the effect of repositioning maneuvers on the QoL of benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV) patients.