Trends in Health-Care Utilization at the End of Life Among Patients With Hematologic Malignancies in a Middle-Income Country: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil.

Patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) often receive poor-quality end-of-life care. This study aimed to identify trends in end-of-life care among patients with HM in Brazil. We conducted a retrospective cohort study (2015-2018) of patients who died with HM, using electronic medical records linked to health insurance databank, to evaluate outcomes consistent with health-care resource utilization at the end of life.

Quality in intensive care units: proposal of an assessment instrument.

Background: There is an increasing need for standardized instruments for quality assessment that are able to reflect the actual conditions of the intensive care practices, especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of this article is to describe the preparation of an instrument for quality assessment of adult intensive care services adapted to the actual conditions of intensive care in a middle-income country and comprising indicators validated in the literature.

Methods: The study consisted of five steps: (1) a literature survey; (2) a discussion with specialists by consensus method; (3) a pilot field test; (4) a description of indicators; and (5) an elaboration of the final version of the instrument.

A first postoperative day predictive score of mortality for cardiac surgery.

Purpose: Several prognostic scores for cardiac surgery based on preoperative variables are available. We propose a new one based on pre-and intraoperative and first postoperative day variables for cardiac surgery patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit.

Materials And Methods: Classical cohort of data consecutively collected from June 2000 to March 2003 (1,458 patients).

Predictive factors for pneumonia onset after cardiac surgery in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Objective: To develop a predictive system for the occurrence of nosocomial pneumonia in patients who had cardiac surgery performed.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.Setting.

Circulating levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor are associated with mild pulmonary dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a central mediator of inflammatory response and acute lung injury that is secreted in response to corticosteroids. A rise in systemic MIF levels was described after cardiac surgery in steroid-treated patients. This study aimed to investigate the circulating levels of MIF and the possible relationship of this cytokine to pulmonary dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).