Glucocorticoids prescribing practices in systemic sclerosis: an analysis of the EUSTAR database.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of long-term exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) and to identify factors associated with, and variations in prescribing practices over time and across recruiting countries.

Methods: We included patients with SSc having a visit recorded in the EUSTAR database from January 2013 onward. We analysed the prevalence and the main features of GCs users, their exposure to GCs over time, and their GCs dosages.

Percutaneous Closure of Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Babies: The Initial Brazilian Experience.

Background: The presence of patent ductus arteriosus can be as high as 50% in preterm babies. Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus is a common cause of delayed weaning of respiratory support and an important risk factor of necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in this population.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe an initial experience of percutaneous closure of the ductus arteriosus in preterm infants weighing less than 2 kg.

Radiology for Thoracic Conditions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

With a disproportionately high burden of global morbidity and mortality caused by chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), access to radiological services is of critical importance for screening, diagnosis, and treatment guidance.

Measuring the density of the fissula antefenestram and the section of the basal turn of the cochlea: Are they useful in the radiological diagnosis of otosclerosis?

Introduction: The role of objective parameters in terms of improvement of the accuracy of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the temporal bone in the diagnosis of otosclerosis remains unclear.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the density of the fissula antefenestram (FAF) and of the width of the transversal section of the basal turn of the cochlea (BTC), and the diagnosis of otosclerosis.

Methods: This is a retrospective study in which preoperative HRCT data from ears of patients submitted to stapedotomy due to otosclerosis (case group) were evaluated.

Microinvasive Meniscal Suture with Disposable Needle.

The first meniscal suture was performed in 1885 and took about a century to become popular. Currently, all-inside meniscal repair devices are widely used. However, this technique presents the disadvantage of being a method dependent on specific devices, presenting a higher cost than other techniques.

Evaluation of lymphocyte count, T-cell subsets and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as early predictors for severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease-a report from a highly complex hospital in Brazil.

Introduction: Lymphopenia is a laboratory marker of poor prognosis and severity of disease in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to describe the immune profile of a Brazilian population.

Methods: A total of 121 consecutive patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were analyzed between April and June 2020.

The Mycophenolate-based Immunosuppressive Regimen Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Kidney Transplant Patients With COVID-19.

Background: The chronic use of immunosuppressive drugs is a key risk factor of death because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), although no evident association between the class of immunosuppressive and outcomes has been observed. Thus, we aimed to compare COVID-19-associated outcomes among KTRs receiving 3 different immunosuppressive maintenance regimes.

Methods: This study included data from 1833 KTRs with COVID-19 diagnosed between March 20 and April 21 extracted from the national registry before immunization.

Drug resistant epilepsy of the insular lobe: A review and update article.

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that affects millions of people around the world generating great expenses and psychosocial problems burdening the public health in different ways. A considerable number of patients are refractory to the drug treatment requiring a more detailed and specialized investigation to establish the most appropriate therapeutic option. Insular epilepsy is a rare form of focal epilepsy commonly drug resistant and has much of its investigation and treatment involved with the surgical management at some point.

Systematization of Steps for Printing 3D Models of Orthopedic Deformities.

As in many areas of knowledge, rapid prototyping technology or additive manufacturing, popularly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has been gaining ground in medicine in recent years, with different applications. Numerous are the benefits of this science in orthopedic surgery, by allowing the conversion of imaging tests into 3D models. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to describe a practical step-by-step for the printing of parts from patient imaging.

Prevalence of sarcopenia in women at stable weight phase after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Objective: Evaluating the prevalence of sarcopenia in women submitted to bariatric surgery - Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Design: Observational, cross-sectional study.

Subjects And Methods: Women (18-65 years old) who underwent bariatric surgery (BG) ≥ 2 years and reached stable weight ≥ 6 months, were investigated.

Factors Associated With Hospitalization or Intensive Care Admission in Children With COVID-19 in Latin America.

Background: Limited data is available from low-middle and upper-middle income countries of the factors associated with hospitalization or admission to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for children with COVID-19.

Objective: To describe the factors associated with hospitalization or PICU admission of children with COVID-19 in Latin America.

Method: Multicenter, analytical, retrospective study of children reported from 10 different Latin American countries to the Latin-American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE-COVID) research network from June 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021.

Depression, Self-Esteem, and Resilience and its Relationship with Psychological Features of Sexuality among Transgender Men and Women from Brazil.

This cross-sectional study investigated whether depression, self-esteem, and resilience (mental health indicators) are associated with some psychological features of sexuality (sexual fear, sexual anxiety, sexual dissatisfaction, and sexual body image worries) in a sample of 462 transgender men and women from Brazil. Pearson's correlations were performed between all continuous variables in the study. Those that were significantly associated with the psychological features of sexuality in previous analyses were tested as independent variables in multiple linear regression models.

Neural recovery function of the auditory nerve in cochlear implant surgery: Comparison between different regions of the cochlea.

Introduction: Cochlear implants allow measures of neural function, through Neural response telemetry (NRT) and Auditory nerve recovery function (REC). These help in programming the speech processor and understanding the auditory system. However, not many studies have evaluated and compared these in different regions of the cochlea.

Survival benefit of pediatric-based regimen for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A single-center retrospective cohort.

Introduction: Improving survival of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in adult patients has been a challenge. Despite intensive chemotherapy treatment, overall survival is poor. However, several studies demonstrate that young adult patients have better survival when treated with pediatric-based intensive regimens.

LIECHTENSTEIN VERSUS LAPAROSCOPIC TRANSABDOMINAL PREPERITONEAL (TAPP) HERNIA REPAIR: A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY FOCUSED ON POSTOPERATIVE OUTCOMES IN A GENERAL SURGERY UNIT.

Aim: Three surgical techniques for inguinal hernia repair are currently validated. Few studies have compared results among Lichtenstein and transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) laparoscopic approach obtained at an early step of the learning curve. This study aims to compare the early treatment results between the Liechtenstein technique and the laparoscopic TAPP approach to provide a basis for the surgeon's decision-making.

COVID-19 in HSCT recipients: a collaborative study of the Brazilian Society of Marrow Transplantation (SBTMO).

In the COVID-19 scenario, patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) infected with SARS-CoV-2 may have an increased risk of death. Through a national multicenter study, we aimed to describe the impact of COVID-19 on the survival of HSCT recipients in Brazil. Eighty-six patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (92% by RT-PCR) were included.

Standardisation and validation of an in-house quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection.

Objectives: Clostridioides difficile is an emerging enteric pathogen that causes nosocomial diarrhoea in adults. The excessive cost of commercial molecular tests restricts the access of developing countries to its diagnosis. This study aimed to develop and validate in-house quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting the C.