The Southern Brazilian Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (SBR-AF Registry): Predictors of Atrial Arrhythmia Recurrence after First-Time Catheter Ablation.

Background: Treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) with catheter ablation (CA) has evolved significantly. However, real-world data on long-term outcomes are limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: This multicenter prospective cohort of consecutive patients aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of first-time CA for AF in Southern Brazil from 2009 to 2024.

Mastering rectal cancer MRI: From foundational concepts to optimal staging.

MRI plays a critical role in the local staging, restaging, surveillance, and risk stratification of patients, ensuring they receive the most tailored therapy. As such, radiologists must be familiar not only with the key MRI findings that influence management decisions but also with the appropriate MRI protocols and structured reporting. Given the complexity of selecting the optimal therapy for each patient-which often requires multidisciplinary discussions-radiologists should be well-versed in relevant treatment strategies and surgical terms, understanding their significance in guiding patient care.

Factors Associated with HIV Risk Perception Among Cisgender Female Sex Workers in Brazil.

This study evaluated the association between HIV risk perception and sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics among cisgender female sex workers in the five regions of Brazil. A cross-sectional, multicenter study using respondent-driven sampling was used. Sex workers over 18 years of age and who reported commercial sex in the past four months were included.

360-Degree Running Suture Technique in Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Bladder Neck Contracture.

Introduction: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects a significant proportion of aging males, often requiring surgical intervention when conservative treatments fail.

Case Description: This case report details the management of a 58-year-old male with severe lower urinary tract symptoms and a markedly enlarged prostate, presenting with bladder stones and persistent obstruction despite medication. The patient underwent an open simple prostatectomy but developed bladder neck contracture and recurrent urinary retention, necessitating a suprapubic cystostomy.

Decrease in Fracture Rate with Mandatory Bone-protecting Agents in the EORTC 1333/PEACE-3 Trial Comparing Radium-223 Combined with Enzalutamide Versus Enzalutamide Alone: A Safety Analysis.

Bone health is central to the management of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). International guidelines recommend giving a bone-protecting agent (BPA) to patients with mCRPC and bone metastases. However, the data supporting these recommendations were generated before androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) were available.

Non-neoplastic and neoplastic scrotal pathologies on magnetic resonance imaging: a pictorial essay.

Magnetic resonance imaging is an essential tool for the assessment of the scrotum, particularly in cases with inconclusive ultrasound findings. It has a great capacity to differentiate between intratesticular and extratesticular lesions, as well as between neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. By providing an accurate characterization of lesions, magnetic resonance imaging plays a crucial role in preoperative tumor staging and decision-making.

MONITORING RESPIRATORY BIOMECHANICS, LUNG CAPACITY AND MOBILITY IN BARIATRIC SURGERY: PERIOPERATIVE ANALYSIS.

Background: Several preoperative pulmonary assessment protocols have been established over the years, but assessments of this magnitude are lacking in the bariatric population. Therefore, the assessment of lung capacity, maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures, the peak expiratory flow and mobility can be predictors of operative safety and determine the time of hospital discharge.

Objective: To evaluate lung capacity, respiratory muscle strength and level of mobility in the pre, immediate post-operative and hospital discharge of patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Global Challenges in the Access of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke (Global MT Access).

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for eligible acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) since 2015.

Aim: Our aim was to determine the key challenges for MT implementation and access worldwide.

Methods: We conducted an international online survey consisting of 37 questions, distributed through the World Stroke Organization network, and as invited by co-authors between December 2022 and March 2023.

Postvoid Residual Volume Correlates With Bladder Outlet Obstruction and Not With Detrusor Contraction Strength Parameters in Women: A Matched Case-Control Study.

Purpose: To compare voiding parameters in women with and without increased postvoid residual (PVR) volume, to correlate these parameters with PVR volume and PVR percentage, and to describe their ability to predict an increased PVR volume.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of urodynamics data prospectively acquired from consecutive symptomatic women over a 5-year period. Patients with spinal cord disorders and with abdominal straining during voiding (abdominal pressure ≥10 cm H2O over baseline at maximum flow rate [Qmax]) were excluded.

Clinical impact of healthcare-associated infections in Brazilian ICUs: a multicenter prospective cohort.

Background: Limited data is available to evaluate the burden of device associated healthcare infections (HAI) [central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP)] in low and-middle-income countries. Our aim is to investigate the population attributable mortality fraction and the absolute mortality difference of HAI in a broad population of critically ill patients from Brazil.

Methods: Multicenter cohort study from September 2019 to December 2023 with prospective individual patient data collection.

Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of the MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine Trial.

Objective: To evaluate descriptive efficacy data, exploratory immunogenicity data, and safety follow-up through study completion from the global, phase 3 MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) maternal vaccination trial of bivalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F protein vaccine (RSVpreF).

Methods: MATISSE was a phase 3, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Healthy pregnant participants aged 49 years or younger at 24-36 weeks of gestation were randomized (1:1) to receive a single RSVpreF 120 micrograms or placebo dose.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae among Brazilian children: Interplay with viral co-infection.

Nasopharyngeal transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for the development of pneumococcal diseases. Previous studies have reported a relationship between respiratory viruses and S. pneumoniae infections.

Protocols for Postanesthesia Care Unit Handoff and Patient Safety: A Scoping Review.

Aim: To map studies that tested an intervention orienting patient transfer to Postanesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and identify outcomes related to care safety.

Methods: Scoping review guided by recommendations of the JBI Manual and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guide. The Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework was used to develop the research question and consolidate inclusion and exclusion criteria in databases consulted without date parameters.

Ischemic Stroke Prevention in Patients Atrial Fibrillation and a Recent Ischemic Stroke, TIA, or Intracranial Hemorrhage; a World Stroke Organisation (WSO) Scientific Statement.

Background: Secondary stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the fastest growing areas in the field of cerebrovascular diseases. This Scientific statement from the World Stroke Organization Brain & Heart Task Force provides a critical analysis of the strength of current evidence this topic, highlights areas of current controversy, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes priorities for future research.

Methods: We select topics with the highest clinical relevance and perform a systematic search to answer specific practical questions.

Long-Term Cognitive Safety of Achieving Very Low LDL Cholesterol with Evolocumab.

Background: Concerns persist regarding the cognitive safety of achieving very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Although short-term studies are reassuring, the long-term cognitive effects of sustained exposure to very low LDL cholesterol levels through combined proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition and statin therapy remain unknown.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled a subset of adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who had completed a neurocognitive substudy (EBBINGHAUS) of a placebo-controlled randomized trial of evolocumab (FOURIER) and were eligible for a long-term open-label extension.

Can We Prevent Recurrent UTIs Without Antibiotics, in Both Those Who Do and Do Not Use Catheters? ICI-RS 2024.

Aims: Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons for antibiotic prescription. The widespread use of antibiotic treatments contributes to the global health problem of antimicrobial resistance development. To slow down the progression of antimicrobial resistance, it is essential that we explore nonantibiotic preventive treatments for this common condition.

Design for People With Dementia: A Scoping Review on the Perspective of Inclusion, Accessibility, and Equity in Healthcare.

We explored the literature on the use of design in dementia care and the relationships with inclusion, accessibility, and equity in the past decade. A body of research indicates the importance of studies that focus on a person-centered approach, with a direct potential to impact the quality of life of people with dementia through inclusion, accessibility, and equity. Although there is a growing presence of the literature on design approaches in dementia care settings, there is a need to integrate these findings for a better understanding of the progress in this field.

Cost evaluation of acute ischemic stroke in Latin America: a multicentric study.

Background: Current literature highlights a gap in precise stroke cost data for Latin America. This study measures the real costs associated with acute ischemic stroke care in Latin America using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC). The findings aim to lay a solid foundation for adopting value-based healthcare (VBHC) strategies in the region.

Seven versus 14 days of antimicrobial therapy for severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in intensive care unit patients (OPTIMISE): a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial.

Background: Shorter courses of antimicrobial therapy have been shown to be non-inferior to longer durations for the management of several infections. However, data on critically ill patients with severe infections by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) are scarce. In the duratiOn of theraPy in severe infecTIons by MultIdrug-reSistant gram-nEgative bacteria (OPTIMISE) trial, we assessed the non-inferiority of 7-day versus 14-day antimicrobial therapy for patients with intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired severe infections by MDR-GNB.

Urethral instrumentation in men with artificial urinary sphincter: a national survey among Brazilian urologists.

Purpose: Urethral instrumentation (UI) in patients with an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) demands technical considerations and poses a risk of urethral erosion, leading to serious clinical and legal consequences. We conducted a national survey to evaluate the knowledge and experience of Brazilian urologists with UI in these patients.

Methods: This study used an electronic survey distributed to members of the Brazilian Society of Urology.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients in a Latin American Country: Analysis of 11 Year of Data from the Brazilian Registry SBTMO/CIBMTR.

This study analyzed recent changes in the utilization of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and myeloproliferative diseases (MPDs) and the survival of HCT recipients ≥60 years of age in Brazil. This retrospective registry study included patients who received a first allogeneic HCT from any donor between 2012 and 2023. Of the 6657 patients, 444 (7%) were 60 years of age or older who received grafts from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related (42%) or unrelated (20%) donors or HLA-haploidentical donors (32%).

World Stroke Organization and World Hypertension League position statement on hypertension control strategies in prevention and management of stroke.

Background And Purpose: The goal of this consensus is to provide a comprehensive set of recommendations in regard to hypertension control strategies for the prevention and management of stroke. This document is intended for prehospital care providers, physicians, allied health professionals, and hospital administrators and healthcare policymakers.

Methods: Members of the writing group were representatives of the World Stroke Organization and World Hypertension League.