Health literacy assessment of individuals with and without Chagas disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Chagas disease (CD) is neglected that affects vulnerable individuals, whose majority has low ability to understand health information.

Objectives: To assess health literacy and its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and quality of life (QoL) characteristics.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional study the participants with Chagas disease (ChD) were identified through serological diagnosis during blood donation, while those without the disease were seronegative blood donors.

Left atrial reservoir strain is a superior discriminator of cardioembolism in ischaemic stroke.

Aims: Echocardiographic measures of left heart size and function have long been associated with cardioembolic mechanisms of stroke development, however, the diagnostic performance and comparison of measures of atrial function in this context has not been well studied. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of left atrial reservoir strain (LASr) in identification of cardioembolism in the ischaemic stroke population relative to traditional measures of left heart size and function.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients admitted to our institution with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack were recruited and underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography.

Outcomes of latent rheumatic heart disease: External validation of a simplified score in patients with and without secondary prophylaxis.

Background: Secondary antibiotic prophylaxis reduces progression of latent rheumatic heart disease (RHD) but not all children benefit. Improved risk stratification could refine recommendations following positive screening. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a previously developed echocardiographic risk score to predict mid-term outcomes among children with latent RHD.

Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders in Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease: Unveiling what is Beyond Cardiac Manifestations.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most serious manifestation of rheumatic fever, which may also affect the brain. The current study assessed the prevalence of neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with RHD, including clinical features associated with basal ganglia motor dysfunction (BGMD).

Methods: We conducted neurologic and psychiatric assessments in consecutive patients with RHD referred to a tertiary center for heart valve diseases.

Association between Domains of the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index and Falls History in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The study aimed to determine which domains, sets, and isolated or combined questions of the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index (CFVI-20) are associated with falls history in older adults. Methods: Instruments used were the CFVI-20 assessment and reported falls during the last year. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves identified the performance of the CFVI-20 domains and questions in identifying older adults with and without falls history, while logistic regression identified relevant questions to identify fall history.

Comparison of the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index and the frailty phenotype for the identification of falls in older individuals: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Frailty increases the risk of falls, disability and death in older adults. The Cardiovascular Health Study identified a frailty phenotype (the Fried Phenotype) that was primarily based on physical domains. Instruments that incorporate additional domains (e.

Progression of Mitral Regurgitation in Rheumatic Valve Disease: Role of Left Atrial Remodeling.

Introduction: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valve abnormality in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) often associated with stenosis. Although the mechanism by which MR develops in RHD is primary, longstanding volume overload with left atrial (LA) remodeling may trigger the development of secondary MR, which can impact on the overall progression of MR. This study is aimed to assess the incidence and predictors of MR progression in patients with RHD.

Relationship of health literacy and adherence to oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional study.

Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) has increased substantially due to the aging population and prevalence rise of atrial fibrillation (AF). Medication adherence is important to achieve effectiveness and safety of OAT. The study aim was to investigate the relationship between health literary (HL) and the adherence to OAT in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Cytokine gene functional polymorphisms and phenotypic expression as predictors of evolution from latent to clinical rheumatic heart disease.

Introduction: Inflammation associated with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is influenced by gene polymorphisms and inflammatory cytokines. There are currently no immunologic and genetic markers to discriminate latent versus clinical patients, critical to predict disease evolution. Employing machine-learning, we searched for predictors that could discriminate latent versus clinical RHD, and eventually identify latent patients that may progress to clinical disease.

Factors associated with quality of life in patients with Chagas disease: SaMi-Trop project.

NCT02646943.

Impact of left atrial compliance improvement on functional status after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.

Background: Conventional hemodynamic parameters may not accurately predict symptomatic improvement after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV). Changes in left heart chamber compliance following adequate relief o0066 mitral stenosis (MS) may be useful in determining functional capacity after PMV. This study aims to determine the acute effects of PMV on compliance of the left heart and whether its changes relate to the patient's functional capacity.

Evaluation of accuracy of IHI Trigger Tool in identifying adverse drug events: a prospective observational study.

Aims: Adverse drug events (ADEs) can seriously compromise the safety and quality of care provided to hospitalized patients, requiring the adoption of accurate methods to monitor them. We sought to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of the triggers proposed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) for identifying ADEs.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a public university hospital in 2015 with patients over the age of 18.

Heart rate variability as predictor of mortality in sepsis: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Sepsis is a serious medical condition with increasing prevalence and high mortality. The role of the autonomic nervous system in pathophysiology of sepsis has been increasingly researched. The objective of this study is to evaluate the Heart rate variability (HRV) as a predictor of mortality in septic patients.

Normal limits of the electrocardiogram derived from a large database of Brazilian primary care patients.

Background: Knowledge of the normal limits of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is mandatory for establishing which patients have abnormal ECGs. No studies have assessed the reference standards for a Latin American population. Our aim was to establish the normal ranges of the ECG for pediatric and adult Brazilian primary care patients.

Quality of life in responders after palliative radiation therapy for painful bone metastases using EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BM22: results of a Brazilian cohort.

Background: Bone metastases cause pain, suffering and impaired quality of life (QoL). Palliative radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy are effective methods in controlling pain, reducing analgesics use and improving QoL. This study goal was to investigate the changes in QoL scores among patients who responded to palliative treatment.

Factors associated with compliance to AHA/ACC performance measures in a myocardial infarction system of care in Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate compliance with American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) performance measures for adults with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to investigate the factors associated with compliance, in an AMI System of Care in Brazil.

Design: Observational longitudinal study.

Setting: A high-complexity University Hospital, part of the AMI System of Care implemented in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2010.

The Impact of a Clinical Decision Support System in Diabetes Primary Care Patients in a Developing Country.

Background: Telehealth strategies have the potential to improve diabetes care, but there is a lack of evidence about the impact of these strategies in developing countries. Our objective was to analyze the feasibility, usability, and clinical impact of a decision support system (DSS) in Brazilian primary care diabetes patients.

Materials And Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study that included type 2 diabetes primary care patients >40 years of age.

In-hospital mortality risk prediction after percutaneous coronary interventions: Validating and updating the Toronto score in Brazil.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the accuracy of the simple, contemporary and well-designed Toronto PCI mortality risk score in ICP-BR registry, the first Brazilian PCI multicenter registry with follow-up information.

Background: Estimating percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) mortality risk by a clinical prediction model is imperative to help physicians, patients and family members make informed clinical decisions and optimize participation in the consent process, reducing anxiety and improving quality of care. At a healthcare system level, risk prediction scores are essential to measure and benchmark performance.

Different prognostic impact of the tissue Doppler-derived E/e' ratio on mortality in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with heart failure.

Background: Risk assessment of Chagas cardiomyopathy patients is essential for clinical decision making. The ratio of the ratio of early transmitral velocity to tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/e') is a powerful predictor of adverse outcome in patients with heart failure. However, its prognostic value remains to be established in the setting of Chagas cardiomyopathy.