Vascular Graft Impregnation with a Fosfomycin/Oritavancin Combination to Prevent Early Infection.

Vascular graft infections (VGIs) represent a life-threatening complication, occurring in 0.2-6% of patients following aortic prosthetic placements. Historically, the primary focus for reducing VGIs has been on prevention.

Cross-Mapping the Portuguese Nursing Ontology with ICNP, SNOMED CT and NANDA-I.

EHR Interoperability is crucial to obtain a set of benefits. This can be achieved by using data standards, like ontologies. The Portuguese Nursing Ontology (NursingOntos) is a reference model describing a set of nursing concepts and their relationships, to represent nursing knowledge in the Electronic Health Records (EHR).

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.

The challenging approach of a young patient with a primary intimal sarcoma of the heart: a case report.

Background: Primary intimal sarcomas of the heart are extremely rare and have a dismal prognosis. Their management represents a complex clinical challenge since complete surgical resection is the only reliable possibility of cure but is only possible in 50% of patients. In non-resectable disease, anthracycline-based therapy is the most effective treatment, but pazopanib may be used in patients unfit to receive anthracyclines.

New Perspective for Using Antimicrobial and Cell-Penetrating Peptides to Increase Efficacy of Antineoplastic 5-FU in Cancer Cells.

This study explores the effectiveness of the antineoplastic agent 5-FU in cancer cells by leveraging the unique properties of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Traditional anticancer therapies face substantial limitations, including unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles and inadequate specificity for tumor sites. These drawbacks often necessitate higher therapeutic agent doses, leading to severe toxicity in normal cells and adverse side effects.

A role for astrocytic insulin-like growth factor I receptors in the response to ischemic insult.

Increased neurotrophic support, including insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), is an important aspect of the adaptive response to ischemic insult. However, recent findings indicate that the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) in neurons plays a detrimental role in the response to stroke. Thus, we investigated the role of astrocytic IGF-IR on ischemic insults using tamoxifen-regulated Cre deletion of IGF-IR in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytes, a major cellular component in the response to injury.

Three-dimensional echocardiography for the evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients: relation to symptoms and exercise capacity.

Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may exhibit impaired functional capacity, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Systolic function is one of the determinants of functional capacity. Early identification of systolic disfunction may identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes.

Impact of Coronary Artery Calcium Score Screening on Cardiovascular Risk Stratification of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Ablation.

Introduction: There is a well-established association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is a helpful tool to refine cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification and inform on the best strategies for primary CV prevention. This study aims to evaluate the impact of opportunistic screening with CACS on risk stratification and decision of preventive therapies, in patients with AF.

Cardiac device-related infective endocarditis need for lead extraction whatever the device according to the ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry.

Aims: Cardiac device-related infective endocarditis (CDRIE) is a severe complication of cardiac device (CD) implantation and is usually treated by antibiotic therapy and percutaneous device extraction. Few studies report the management and prognosis of CDRIE in real life. In particular, the rate of device extraction in clinical practice and the management of patients with left heart infective endocarditis (LHIE) and an apparently non-infected CD (LHIE+CDRIE-) are not well described.

Microvascular Dysfunction Is Associated With Impaired Myocardial Work in Obstructive and Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Multimodality Study.

Background Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography has been shown to correlate with microvascular dysfunction, a hallmark of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We hypothesized that there is an association between myocardial work and left ventricular ischemia, with incremental value to global longitudinal strain, in patients with HCM. Methods and Results We performed a prospective assessment of patients with HCM, undergoing 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance.

Self-care nursing interventions: A qualitative study into electronic health records' contents.

Aims: This study aims to (1) analyse all self-care-related interventions Portuguese nurses documented, (2) determine potential issues that may impair semantic interoperability and (3) propose a new set of interventions representing nursing actions regarding self-care that may integrate any HER application.

Background: As populations age and chronic diseases increase, self-care concerns rise. Individuals who seek healthcare, regardless of context, need prompt access to accurate health information.

Epicardial adipose tissue volume is not an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Introduction And Objectives: Previous studies have suggested that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) could exert a paracrine effect in the myocardium. However, few studies have assessed its role in the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the association between EAT volume, and its attenuation, with the risk of AF recurrence after AF ablation.

Higher coronary artery calcium score is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

Background: Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) development, but scarce data are available regarding the impact on AF recurrence. This study aims to assess the impact of CACS on AF recurrence following catheter ablation.

Methods: Retrospective study of patients with AF undergoing cardiac computed tomography (CCT) before ablation (2017-2019).

Associations between perfusion defects, tissue changes and myocardial deformation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, uncovered by a cardiac magnetic resonance segmental analysis.

Background: Microvascular dysfunction is an often overlooked feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Our aim was to assess the association between microvascular dysfunction, wall thickness, tissue characteristics and myocardial deformation in HCM patients, by analyzing individual myocardial segments.

Methods: Prospective assessment including cardiac magnetic resonance to assess wall thickness, T1 and T2 mapping, extracellular volume, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and stress perfusion.

Blunted coronary flow velocity reserve is associated with impairment in systolic function and functional capacity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction constitutes an important pathophysiological feature in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We aimed to assess the association between impaired coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) and ventricular systolic function and functional capacity.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with HCM were enrolled in this prospective cohort study.

Nursing knowledge of people with paresis of voluntary muscles: a living scoping review protocol.

Objective: This review aims to continuously map the nursing knowledge about people with paresis of voluntary muscles in any context of care.

Introduction: Muscle paresis is a condition that significantly impacts quality of life. Nurses have a crucial role in managing this condition, particularly paresis of voluntary movement muscles.

The Impact of Ischemia Assessed by Magnetic Resonance on Functional, Arrhythmic, and Imaging Features of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

The aim of the study is to investigate the association between the degree of ischemia due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and the left ventricular (LV) tissue characteristics, systolic performance, and clinical manifestations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This prospective study enrolled 75 patients with HCM without obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease. Each patient underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) including parametric mapping, perfusion imaging during regadenoson-induced hyperemia, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and three-dimensional longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains analysis.

Nursing knowledge on skin ulcer healing: a living scoping review protocol.

Objective: This review aims to continuously map the nursing knowledge on skin ulcer healing in any context of care.

Introduction: Chronic wounds are an increasing concern for society and health care providers. Pressure ulcers and venous ulcers, among others, have devastating effects on morbidity and quality of life and require a systematic approach.

Neurological Complications in Patients with Infective Endocarditis: Insights from a Tertiary Centre.

Background: Neurological complications are common in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Recent data suggest that neurologic events are a major determinant of prognosis, and that surgery is critical in improving the outcome.

Objective: To characterize patients with IE and neurological complications and to determine predictors of embolization to the central nervous system (CNS) and mortality.

Prognostic Value of Reduced Heart Rate Reserve during Exercise in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Sympathetic dysfunction can be evaluated by heart rate reserve (HRR) with exercise test.

Objectives: To determine the value of HRR in predicting outcome of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: We enrolled 917 HCM patients (age = 49 ± 15 years, 516 men) assessed with exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) in 11 centres.

Genotype-phenotype correlations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a multicenter study in Portugal and Spain of the TPM1 p.Arg21Leu variant.

Introduction And Objectives: TPM1 is one of the main hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) genes. Clinical information on carriers is relatively scarce, limiting the interpretation of genetic findings in individual patients. Our aim was to establish genotype-phenotype correlations of the TPM1 p.

Nursing diagnoses focused on universal self-care requisites.

Aims: (1) To identify and analyse diagnoses documented by nurses in Portugal within the scope of universal self-care requisites; (2) to determine the main problems with nursing diagnoses syntaxes for semantic interoperability purposes; and (3) to suggest unified nursing diagnoses syntaxes within the scope of universal self-care requisites.

Background/introduction: Ageing societies and the increase in chronic diseases have led to significant concern regarding individuals' dependence to ensure self-care. ICNP is widely used by Portuguese nurses in electronic health records for documentation of nursing diagnoses and interventions.

Chitosan Films in Food Applications. Tuning Film Properties by Changing Acidic Dissolution Conditions.

Food contamination due to the presence of microorganisms is a serious problem. New food preservation systems are being studied to kill or inhibit spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms that contaminate food and reduce the shelf life of products. Chitosan films with potential application to food preservation have witnessed great developments during the last years.