Dear Editor, Advanced age and comorbidities are associated with increased mortality related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The high prevalence of this combination, associated with physical environments that provide inadequate barriers to infection control, place patients in long-term care facilities at great risk. There are several reports worldwide about the high mortality related to COVID-19 among residents of long-term care institutions, showing they account for 25% of deaths from COVID-19, in the United States. ( , ) Percentages are even […]

Dear Editor, This letter is designed to complement data published by Silva et al., ( ) presenting the results of plasma concentrations of patients who used piperacillin (PIP) in an empirical dose (ED) or dose adjusted (DA) by means of the software Optimum Dosing Strategies (ID-ODS). In addition, it describes some limiting aspects observed by the authors when using the software in the reality of a Brazilian hospital. […]

Dear Editor, We very enthusiastically read the excellent review article entitled “COVID-19 findings identified in chest computed tomography”, by Rosa et al.,() published in the last issue of this journal. This manuscript shows the relevance of chest computed tomography (CT) in detecting the pulmonary manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), presenting cases in a very didactic manner, but not discussing its role in the follow-up of the disease. Although we know this was not the scope of the authors, […]

Dear Editor, In December 2019, the human history changed when a new virus was detected in the city of Wuhan, China. Millions of individuals were rapidly infected all over the world and the new coronavirus, initially called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), made a huge impact by causing severe acute respiratory syndrome; hence, it was later called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With a rapid transmission, in March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the infection a pandemic. […]

Dear Editor, Due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), thousands of scientific studies,(,) as well as diverse treatment protocols,(,) have been reported in the literature. So far, in the absence of vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it has been a routine to care for severe COVID-19 patients at intensive care units, who are on invasive mechanical ventilation for several days; on average, during three weeks.() This phase of the treatment will certainly […]

Dear Editor, Stem cell therapy has been investigated by a number of basic, pre-clinical and clinical studies, and these studies have proved that stem cells are safe and effective in the treatment of many medical conditions and diseases.(-) A study including 10 patients with confirmed diagnosis for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), and pneumonia due to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), reported significant improvement in symptoms of all patients treated with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with no adverse […]

Dear Editor, In this issue of einstein journal (São Paulo), Corrêa et al., reported intensive support recommendations for critically-ill patients with suspected or confirmed infection by the new coronavirus (COVID-19).() Based on preliminary demonstration of efficacy of chloroquine, the authors suggested the use of hydroxychloroquine in monotherapy or combined with a macrolide (azithromycin or clarithromycin), to treat severe patients with COVID-19, admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), to inhibit in vitro replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 […]

Dear Editor, Considering that today there is a growing concern with the quality of cells, tissues, and organs destined for the treatment of human diseases, within this context, many studies have been conducted by public institutions. Several organizations store biological samples and data, given the difficulty to obtain and characterize many of these materials, as they can possibly be used in new projects. Based on the current legislation, storage, as mentioned, characterizes a biobank.() These structures require investment for maintenance […]

Dear Editor, The article “Effects of overnight fasting on handgrip strength in inpatients” is relevant and has practical application in the hospital environment. Nevertheless, a few methodological issues need to be clarified: […]

Concerning the article by Maia et al., we have the following comments. Since noncompaction also known as left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) is frequently associated with genetic disease, first-degree family members should be screened for LVHT, visual impairment, and nystagmus. Disability and visual impairment should be specified and results of cerebral magnetic resonance imaging presented. Left ventricular hypertrabeculation is not congenital in each case. Acquired LVHT has been reported, particularly in patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs), professional athletes, and pregnant women. […]