São Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
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Sodium excretion abnormalities in preeclampsia have been studied in relation to several factors. The objective of this study was to compare natriuria (mEq/24 h) and calciuria levels (mg/24 h) in preeclamptic patients. ⋯ Natriuria levels may be lower in preeclampsia when associated with calciuria. Natriuria assessment is an additional test for differential diagnosis of hypertensive diseases in pregnancy, but is a poor predictor when used alone.
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The Federal Constitution of 1988 allowed the National Congress to contribute towards formulation of new public policies. The objective of this study was to analyze the legislative production that dealt with health issues that was in passage in the National Congress between January 2007 and December 2008. ⋯ In analyzing the data from this study, it was noted that the legislative production relating to healthcare was low and the transformation rate from draft bill to legal regulation was negligible. The results from the evaluation showed that the quality of legislative production was impaired.
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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Orthopedic surgery implies high costs for both public and private healthcare. The aim of this study was to better understand the differences between the public and private sectors regarding treatment of a damaged anterior cruciate ligament, which is a common knee injury. DESIGN AND SETTING Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted during the Brazilian Orthopedics Congress in Brasília. ⋯ RESULTS The orthopedic surgeons who were evaluated used different approaches and treatment options in different Brazilian states, comparing between the public and private systems. CONCLUSION Both in the public and in the private systems in Brazil, because of non-medical issues surrounding the treatment, the best medical decision is not always made. This may be harmful both to patients and to physicians.
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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Analysis on accidents from the perspective of population segments shows there is higher incidence among children, adolescents and young adults. Since the characteristics and circunstances of the event are closely related to educational, economic, social and cultural issues, identifying them may contribute towards minimizing the causes, which are often fatal. The aim here was to identify the environmental, chemical, biological and cultural factors associated with deaths due to accidents among children, adolescents and young adults in Cuiabá, in 2009. ⋯ Regarding cultural factors and habits, a large proportion of the families had no idea whether accidents were foreseeable events and others did not believe that the family's habits might favor their occurrence. Delegation of household chores or care of younger siblings to children under the age of 10 was common among the families studied. CONCLUSION The results point towards the need to have safe and healthy behavioral patterns and environments, and to monitor occurrences of accidents, thereby structuring and consolidating the attendance provided for victims.
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Homozygous (SS) sickle-cell anemia complicated by acute splenic sequestration in adults is a rare event, and it has never been reported during pregnancy. ⋯ This case report demonstrates the importance of immediate blood transfusion for treatment of fetal distress in cases of splenic sequestration during pregnancy. This treatment is essential for avoiding maternal and fetal complications.