Rev Assoc Med Bras
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To assess if there is evidence to support different interventions for treatment of heart failure based upon race/ethnicity. ⋯ According to the data ACE inhibitors and beta blockers should be considered as the essential drugs to improve the prognosis of heart failure both in blacks and whites. The A-HeFT study was not included in the review because it was restricted to blacks; however, it should be viewed as evidence that the combination hydralazine/nitrate is beneficial to improve survival in patients with advanced heart failure. Data support development of a clinical trial especially designed to assess if the combination hydralazine/nitrate is also efficient in patients not classified as blacks, with advanced heart failure.
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Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), also known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD), is a condition that has occurred only in patients with renal insufficiency. Besides lesions of the skin, this syndrome include fibrosis of skeletal muscle, joints, liver, lung, and heart, with possible fatal outcomes. ⋯ This review aims to alert physicians and nephrologists about this new pathology that affects patients with renal dysfunction, describing its demographic and epidemiologics aspects, clinic presentation, diagnosis and prognosis, beyond options to prevent and current treatment. We concluded that in all patient with elevated serum creatinine physicians should estimade his kidney function (creatinine clearence) in order to safety of magnetic resonance.
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The patient adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a crucial matter to AIDS treatment effectiveness and its' impact. This article aims to discuss the association between adherence and quality of health service providing care to people living with AIDS (PLWA), highlighting quality of the services as a central point to adherence and access. It is based on results of our previous studies about the health care to PLWA in Brazil. ⋯ New studies in adherence and quality of services are needed. Nevertheless, the existent findings have already pointed out the need to review the current distribution of AIDS care services as well as to make the quality of services more homogenous thorough the country. These are high priorities in order to keep acceptable levels of adherence to HAART in Brazil.
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To evaluate the nutritional status of pupils from public schools of two cities in the western part of the state of Parana according to socioeconomic status and race. ⋯ Despite socioeconomic and racial differences found, there was no important variation of the nutritional status in the group of schoolchildren evaluated.
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Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents, despite its infrequent occurrence, demands special preventive care. Decreased oesophageal sphincter function and protective airway reflexes caused by depression of consciousness, predispose patients to this severe complication. Recently developed preoperative fasting guidelines suggest shorter fasting periods, especially for liquids, providing more comfort to patients and less risk of hypoglycemia and dehydration, without increasing incidence of perioperative pulmonary aspiration. ⋯ Tracheal intubation after rapid sequence induction of anesthesia is indicated for patients at risk of gastric content aspiration without suspicion of difficult intubation. Adequate indication of the technique, its judicious application and rational use of available drugs may promote excellent intubation conditions, with fast onset, early return to consciousness and spontaneous breathing should tracheal intubation fail. This review intends to discuss methods recently used to control volume and pH of the gastric content, protect the airways during the intubation maneuver and to decrease the gastroesophageal reflux.