Clinics
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Hip fractures have been associated with increased mortality in the elderly. Several risk factors such as the time between the insult and the surgical repair have been associated with hip fracture mortality. Nevertheless, the risk of delayed surgical repair remains controversial. Few studies have examined this issue in Brazil. The aim of this study was to study the risk factors for death one year after hip fracture and in-hospital stay at a tertiary hospital in South Brazil. ⋯ Time to surgery is worryingly high at the South Brazil tertiary public health center studied here. Surgical delay is a risk factor that has the potential to be modified to improve mortality.
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To analyze the clinical results of a partial vertebrectomy with titanium mesh implantation and pedicle screw fixation using a posterior approach to reconstruct the spine in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures. ⋯ This surgical procedure is simple and can accomplish decompression, reduction, fixation and fusion of the spine in one stage. This approach could be widely used in orthopedics.
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Proper assessment of dyspnea is important in patients with heart failure. Our aim was to evaluate the use of the 5-point Likert scale for dyspnea to assess the degree of pulmonary congestion and to determine the prognostic value of this scale for predicting adverse events in heart failure outpatients. ⋯ In our series, higher baseline scores on the 5-point Likert scale were related to pulmonary congestion and were independently associated with adverse events during follow-up. This simple clinical tool can help to identify patients who are more likely to decompensate and whose treatment should be intensified.
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The association between rarely used anthropometric measurements (e.g., mid-upper arm, forearm, and calf circumference) and metabolic syndrome has not been proven. The aim of this study was to assess whether mid-upper arm, forearm, calf, and waist circumferences, as well as waist/height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio, were associated with metabolic syndrome. ⋯ Waist circumference was not linked to metabolic syndrome in obese and overweight subjects; however, forearm circumference, an unconventional but simple and appropriate anthropometric index, was associated with metabolic syndrome and bioelectric impedance-measured visceral fat, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio.
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The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of soybean extracts obtained using different extraction methods on the skin of female rats. ⋯ Our data suggest that oral intake of three different total soybean extracts might have positive estrogenic effects on the skin and that only a high-dose ethyl acetate extract can increase the expression of collagen, which may prove to be beneficial for postmenopausal facial skin.