Effects of prophylactic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion with extended antigen matching on alloimmunization in patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Background: RBC alloimmunization remains a significant problem for many patients with SCD. To reduce alloimmunization some strategies have been implemented to provide limited or extended antigen matched RBC transfusions to patients with SCD who need chronic transfusion support. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prophylactic RBC transfusion with extended antigen matching on alloimmunization in patients with SCD.

Predictors of Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale in Hospitalized Patients Recovering From SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate whether peripheral and inspiratory muscle strength and architecture, functional capacity, functional mobility, fatigue, and health-related quality of life are predictors of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale score in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome who were hospitalized.

Design: A cross-sectional study included 69 patients (53.3 ± 13.

Systematic RHD genotyping in Brazilians reveals a high frequency of partial D in transfused patients serologically typed as weak D.

Background: The discrimination between weak D types and partial D can be of clinical importance because carriers of partial D antigen may develop anti-D when transfused with D-positive red blood cell units. The aim of this study was to determine by molecular analysis the type of D variants among Brazilian patients requiring transfusions with serologic weak D phenotypes.

Material And Methods: Samples from 87 patients (53 with sickle cell disease, 10 with thalassemia and 24 with myelodysplastic syndrome), serologic typed as weak D by manual tube indirect antiglobulin test or gel test were first RHD genotyped by using the RHD BeadChip Kit (BioArray, Immucor).

Low-Dose Coconut Oil Supplementation Induces Hypothalamic Inflammation, Behavioral Dysfunction, and Metabolic Damage in Healthy Mice.

Scope: Coconut oil (CO) diets remain controversial due to the possible association with metabolic disorder and obesity. This study investigates the metabolic effects of a low amount of CO supplementation.

Methods And Results: Swiss male mice are assigned to be supplemented orally during 8 weeks with 300 µL of water for the control group (CV), 100 or 300 µL of CO (CO100 and CO300) and 100 or 300 µL of soybean oil (SO; SO100 and SO300).

Evaluation of a portable Ultraviolet C (UV-C) device for hospital surface decontamination.

Background: Surface decontamination of hospital environments is essential to ensure the safety of health professionals and patients. This process is usually performed through active chemicals substances with high toxicity, and new decontamination technologies that do not leave residues have been currently used, such as UV-C light. Thus, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a portable UV-C light device on the viability of standard pathogenic strains and other microorganisms isolated from different surfaces of a public health hospital.

Rh antibodies as a result of altered Rh epitopes on transfused red cells: a case series of seven Brazilian patients.

Background: Rh antibodies produced by patients receiving Rh-matched RBC units may be associated with inheritance of altered RH alleles or a result of altered Rh epitopes on donor red blood cells (RBC). On this background, our aim was to evaluate unexpected Rh antibodies in Brazilian patients receiving regular transfusions and determine the clinical significance of the alloantibody produced.

Material And Methods: We investigated seven patients (5 with sickle cell disease, 1 with myelodysplastic syndrome and 1 with β-thalassaemia) with unexplained Rh antibodies.

Discrepancies between red cell phenotyping and genotyping in daily immunohematology laboratory practice.

False-positive and false-negative reactions exist for serological and molecular antigen typing methods. If the predicted phenotype is inconsistent with the patient`s known antibodies or serological phenotype, the discrepancy must be investigated. False-negative and false-positive results are clinically problematic in blood donors and patients.

Moderate-to-high intensity inspiratory muscle training improves the effects of combined training on exercise capacity in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: The effects of adding moderate-to-high intensity inspiratory muscle training (IMT) to short-term aerobic and resistance exercise (combined training [CT]), after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are not established. This study aimed to determine the effects of moderate-to-high intensity IMT + CT on exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, quality of life (QoL), and laboratory biomarkers in patients after CABG who were participants of a phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.

Methods: Twenty-four patients were randomly assigned to either the IMT + CT group (n = 12), who performed moderate-to-high intensity IMT with CT or the sham-IMT + CT group (n = 12).

Short-term inspiratory muscle training potentiates the benefits of aerobic and resistance training in patients undergoing CABG in phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.

Objective: To investigate the efficiency of short-term inspiratory muscle training program associated with combined aerobic and resistance exercise on respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity and quality of life in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass and are in the phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.

Methods: A prospective, quasi-experimental study with 24 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass and were randomly assigned to two groups in the Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program: inspiratory muscle training program associated with combined training (aerobic and resistance) group (GCR + IMT, n=12) and combined training with respiratory exercises group (GCR, n=12), over a period of 12 weeks, with two sessions per week. Before and after intervention, the following measurements were obtained: maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (PImax and PEmax), peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) and quality of life scores.