Barriers to telemedicine for patients with heart failure: Who are the patients being left behind?

Heart failure is associated with high rates of hospitalization, which are more prevalent in frail patients, impacting the quality of life and clinical outcomes. Telemedicine is considered cost-effective for improving patient self-management and hospitalization. However, socioeconomic deprivation and frailty could hinder access to virtual care.

Focused review on nutritional status of patients with immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis.

Background: Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a complex disease marked by a poor clinical portrait and prognosis generally leading to organ dysfunction and shortened survival. We aimed to review the available evidence on whether AL amyloidosis can lead to malnutrition, thus having a negative impact on quality of life (QoL) and survival.

Materials: We searched Pubmed for studies that assessed malnutrition in amyloidosis patients, with no restrictions to the year of publication or language.

Fasting abbreviation among patients submitted to oncologic surgery: systematic review.

Introduction: The abbreviation of perioperative fasting among candidates to elective surgery have been associated with shorter hospital stay and decreased postoperative complications.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review from randomized controlled trials to detect whether the abbreviation of fasting is beneficial to patients undergoing cancer surgery compared to traditional fasting protocols.

Method: A literature search was performed in electronic databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), SciELO, EMBASE and Cochrane, without time restriction.