Assessment of the Impact of Home-Based Hospitalization on Health Outcomes: An Observational Study.

Introduction: In Portugal, evidence of clinical outcomes within home-based hospitalization programs remains limited. Despite the adoption of homebased hospitalization services, it is still unclear whether these services represent an effective way to manage patients compared with inpatient hospital care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of home-based hospitalization compared with conventional hospitalization in a group of patients with a primary diagnosis of infectious, cardiovascular, oncological, or 'other' diseases.

Proteomics to Identify New Blood Biomarkers for Diagnosing Patients With Acute Stroke.

Background: Blood biomarkers are a potential tool for early stroke diagnosis. We aimed to perform a pilot and exploratory study on untargeted blood biomarkers in patients with suspected stroke by using mass spectrometry analysis.

Methods And Results: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients with suspected stroke admitted within 6 hours of last being seen well.

Multidisciplinary Outpatient Clinic of Neurocutaneous Diseases: Five-year Experience of a Pediatric Tertiary Hospital in Portugal.

Introduction: Neurocutaneous syndromes (NCS) are a heterogeneous group of conditions with multiorgan involvement and diverse manifestations, evolving throughout life with significant morbidity. A multidisciplinary approach to NCS patients has been advocated, although a specific model is not yet established. The aim of this study was 1) to describe the organization of the recently created Multidisciplinary Outpatient Clinic of Neurocutaneous Diseases (MOCND) at a Portuguese pediatric tertiary hospital; 2) to share our institutional experience focusing on the most common conditions, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC); 3) to analyze the advantages of a multidisciplinary center and approach in NCS.

novel splice-site variant decreases protein S expression in patients from two families with thrombotic disease.

Our results prove that c.1871-14T>G is causative of type I PS deficiency, highlighting the importance of performing mRNA-based studies in order to evaluate variants pathogenicity. We evidence the increased risk of venous thromboembolism associated with this cryptic splice-site variant if present in patients with PS deficiency.

Low Adherence to Mediterranean Diet in Portugal: Pregnant Women Nutrition in Portugal and its Repercussions.

Introduction: Portuguese population is drifting away from the Mediterranean diet-like pattern. In this context, the current nutritionalstatus of women of childbearing age and of pregnant Portuguese women and their growing fetuses is critically reviewed.

Material And Methods: A narrative critical review was performed on recent published high quality studies assessing diet and nutritional status of women of childbearing age and pregnant women and its influence on the nutritional status of their offspring.

Causes of Death in an Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of a Portuguese General Hospital.

Introduction: Psychiatric patients are at increased risk of death from a number of natural and unnatural causes. This study examines the mortality causes of all psychiatric inpatients of an acute psychiatric unit at a general hospital in Portugal for sixteen years (1998 to 2013).

Material And Methods: Twenty-one inpatients died at the inpatient unit between 1998 and 2013 (average 1.