Acta Medica Port
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Physical activity is recommended as a strategy for promoting mental health, and it can even be integrated into treatment plans for psychiatric disorders affecting the general population. However, elite athletes are a subpopulation with protective and risk factors inherent to high-level competition and are not shielded from psychiatric symptoms and conditions. The mental health of elite athletes has been the subject of increasing attention, driven in part by the initiatives of the International Olympic Committee and the growing importance of sports psychiatry. ⋯ Elite athletes do not show a significantly different prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder compared to the general population. Identifying specific protective and risk factors can contribute to adopting more effective preventive and intervention strategies. As in the general population, psychotherapy is recommended for elite athletes as the initial treatment for this condition, combined, if necessary, with pharmacotherapy, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.
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Aphasia is a common acquired language disorder following stroke or other brain injuries. However, it is not always easy to make a differential diagnosis with another communication disorder. Communication assessment in acute phases of the stroke, when the patient is bedridden or when there is no time for a more in-depth assessment, needs to be done with a formal screening test that has normative data. The aim of this study was to develop the Aphasia Screening Test (TeRAp) in digital format (appWeb) and present its clinimetric values. ⋯ An online aphasia screening test was developed, with excellent sensitivity and specificity results, which can be used by any health professional.
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Schizophreniform disorder manifests itself with similar symptoms to schizophrenia, but it is distinguished from the latter by its shorter duration, varying between at least one and six months. This study aimed to describe and analyze schizophreniform disorder related hospitalizations in a national hospitalization database. ⋯ Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder occur more frequently in young male patients. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first nationwide study analyzing all hospitalizations due to this diagnosis in Portugal.
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As the global population ages, managing medication use in older adults becomes increasingly complex due to polypharmacy and the associated risks of adverse drug events. To improve the safety and appropriateness of medication use in the older population, tools like the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) criteria have been developed. The availability of updated criteria is crucial to better support healthcare professionals in Portuguese-speaking regions. The aim of this study is to translate and validate the STOPP/START version 3 criteria for Portuguese, providing an updated and useful tool for healthcare professionals. ⋯ This study will be conducted through four phases: I) translation of the STOPP/START version 3 criteria to European Portuguese; II) collection of sociodemographic, clinical, and medication data; III) intrarater reliability study; and IV) interrater agreement study. This study obtained ethics approval by the Ethics Committee of the Administração Regional de Saúde do Centro, Portugal. The availability of the translated criteria will enable the integration of STOPP/START version 3 into clinical practice in Portugal, facilitating improved medication safety and appropriateness. This integration is expected to lead to better management of polypharmacy and a reduction in adverse drug events, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and supporting evidence-based prescribing practices.
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Practice Guideline
[Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Monitoring Approach in Suspected Neurosyphilis: Proposal for a Clinical Guideline].
This clinical guideline was designed to serve as a hospital guide in the diagnostic, therapeutic, and monitoring approach to neurosyphilis, considering whether there is positivity or not for the human immunodeficiency virus. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted notifiable disease, known as the great imitator. In around 30% of cases of untreated disease, there is a persistent central nervous system infection. ⋯ The importance of lumbar puncture lies not only in its diagnostic value but also in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment. The treatment of this disease in all stages consists of parenteral penicillin. With this guideline, our aim is to facilitate clinical decision-making in cases of suspected neurosyphilis through a systematized, individualized, and multidisciplinary approach.