Publications by authors named "R Ascencao"

Introduction: Despite the importance of medication reconciliation for the continuity of care, there is currently no information on the practices, knowledge, and attitudes of Portuguese family doctors on this subject. This study aimed to characterize the formal medication reconciliation procedures in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Health Region, as well as the perception of family doctors in this region about what they know, how they think and how they practice medication reconciliation.

Methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study, using two observation units: primary health care units (study 1) and family doctors (study 2) in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Health Region.

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Background: The mortality associated with high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is remarkably high, and reperfusion to unload right ventricle should be a priority. However, several registries report reperfusion underuse. In Portugal, epidemiological data about the incidence, rate of reperfusion and mortality of high-risk PE are not known.

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Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADR), both preventable and non-preventable, are frequent and pose a significant burden. This study aimed to produce up-to-date estimates for ADR rates in hospitals, in Portugal, from 2010 to 2018. In addition, it explores possible pitfalls when crosswalking between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM code sets for ADR identification.

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Background: Medication reconciliation is advocated to ensure the continuity, safety, and effective use of medicines across transitions of care.

Case Report: In this report, we describe the case of a 90-year-old female with previous diagnoses of atrial fibrillation and cutaneous metastatic breast cancer presenting with bilateral ulcerative lesions on the chest wall. The patient was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis at the Emergency Department and started on rivaroxaban, although the patient was already taking edoxaban.

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Article Synopsis
  • Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm disorder that significantly impacts public health and economics, and this study aims to explore how using oral anticoagulants affects stroke rates in people with this condition in mainland Portugal.
  • Researchers analyzed hospital data from January 2012 to December 2018 to assess the frequency of stroke cases linked to atrial fibrillation and the number of patients using anticoagulants, including both traditional and newer medications.
  • Findings indicate that as the use of oral anticoagulants increased from 2012 to 2018, the incidence of strokes related to atrial fibrillation decreased, with a notable reduction of about 833 stroke cases (4.2%) attributed to the switch to newer anticoagulants between
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