The impact factor (IF) is the main tool to evaluate a journal nowadays. When you suggest a journal to submit a paper, the first question one may consider is “What is its impact factor?”. Everywhere investigators are pushed to publish their articles on high IF journals. It is a perverse situation, because some journals, like Science or Nature, have a rejection rate greater than 95% and only accept the very important articles that will be highly cited, thus contributing to […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the acute effects of maternal and fetal hemodynamic responses in pregnant women submitted to fetal Doppler and an aerobic physical exercise test according to the degree of effort during the activity and the impact on the well-being. Methods Transversal study with low risk pregnant women, obtained by convenience sample with gestational age between 26 to 34 weeks. The participants carry out a progressive exercise test. Results After the exercise session, reduced resistance (p=0.02) and pulsatility indices […]

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adolescents living in urban and rural areas. Methods An epidemiological, cross-section study with quantitative design, carried out at the regional level. The sample comprised 6,234 students aged 14 to 19 years, selected using random cluster sampling. The χ2 test and binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Results A total of 74.5% of adolescents lived in urban areas. After adjustment, rural residents spent less time watching […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate laparoscopic skills of third-year Gynecology and Obstetrics residents after training at a training and surgical experimentation center. Methods Use of a prospective questionnaire analyzing demographic data, medical residency, skills, competences, and training in a box trainer and in pigs. Results After the training, there was significant improvement in laparoscopic skills according to the residents (before 1.3/after 2.7; p=0.000) and preceptors (before 2.1/after 4.8; p=0.000). There was also significant improvement in the feeling of competence in surgeries […]

ABSTRACT Objective To prospectively evaluate the perioperative safety, early complications and satisfaction of patients who underwent the implantation of central catheters peripherally inserted via basilic vein. Methods Thirty-five consecutive patients with active oncologic disease requiring chemotherapy were prospectively followed up after undergoing peripheral implantation of indwelling venous catheters, between November 2013 and June 2014. The procedures were performed in the operating room by the same team of three vascular surgeons. The primary endpoints assessed were early postoperative complications, occurring within […]

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze predictive demographic and perioperative variables of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients who underwent exclusively coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods This was a retrospective cohort. We randomly selected 105 medical records of patients who underwent exclusively coronary artery bypass grafting in 2014. Demographic, clinical (preoperative and immediate postoperative) data and related with surgical procedure were collected from medical records. The occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation was considered until the third day after the surgery. Variables were analyzed […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the interday reproducibility, agreement and validity of the construct of short version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 applied to adolescents. Methods The sample consisted of adolescents of both sexes, aged between 10 and 19 years, who were recruited from schools and sports centers. The validity of the construct was performed by exploratory factor analysis, and reliability was calculated for each construct using the intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement and the minimum detectable change. […]

ABSTRACT Objective To describe clinical and epidemiological features of children and adolescents with interdisciplinary diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder and to investigate the prevalence of inter-hemispheric asymmetry in this population group. Methods Cross-sectional study including children and adolescents referred for interdisciplinary assessment with learning difficulty complaints, who were given an interdisciplinary diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder. The following variables were included in the analysis: sex-related prevalence, educational system, initial presumptive diagnoses and respective prevalence, overall non-verbal learning disorder prevalence, prevalence […]

ABSTRACT Objective To identify the prevalence of the main oral problems present in special needs children and to relate the underlying conditions with the clinical and demographic variables. Methods The study was based on the physical examination of 47 students from the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais diagnosed as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and intellectual deficit. For data collection, we used a self-administered questionnaire that included indices of dental caries and oral hygiene, Angle classification, malposition of dental […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the clinical-pathological profile of patients with minor salivary gland neoplasms. Methods A retrospective study of specific cases diagnosed as benign and malignant tumors of the minor salivary glands was performed. The data were collected from medical records of patients seen at a hospital over a period of 15 years. The sample was made up of 37 cases. For the pathological study, slides containing 5μm thick sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin were used. The data were […]

ABSTRACT Objective To translate, adapt and evaluate the properties of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy Patients with Diabetes, which is a questionnaire that evaluate diabetes knowledge. Methods A cross-sectional study with type 2 diabetes patients aged ≥60 years, seen at a public healthcare organization in the city of Sao Paulo (SP). After the development of the Portuguese version, we evaluated the psychometrics properties and the association with sociodemographic and clinical variables. The regression models […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the clinical and functional behavior of patients undergoing cuff tear arthroplasty at different stages of the disease. Methods Cuff tear arthroplasty hemiarthroplasties were performed in 34 patients with rotator cuff arthropathy and associated comorbidities, classified according to Seebauer. The mean age was 76.3 years, and the sample comprised 23 females (67.6%) and 11 males (32.4%). The mean follow-up period was 21.7 months, and evaluations were performed using the Visual Analog Scale for pain and the Constant […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the correlation between the treatment, the characteristics of the lesions and the clinical outcome of patients with traumatic injuries to the craniocervical junction. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients treated conservatively or surgically between 2010 and 2013 with complete data sets. Results We analyzed 37 patients, 73% were men with mean age of 41.7 years. Of these, 32% were submitted to initial surgical treatment and 68% received conservative treatment. Seven (29%) underwent surgery subsequently. […]

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the incidence of Y-chromosome microdeletions in individuals born from vasectomized fathers who underwent vasectomy reversal or in vitro fertilization with sperm retrieval by epididymal aspiration (percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration). Methods A case-control study comprising male children of couples in which the man had been previously vasectomized and chose vasectomy reversal (n=31) or in vitro fertilization with sperm retrieval by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (n=30) to conceive new children, and a Control Group of male children of […]

ABSTRACT Objective To determine adenosine 5’-triphosphate levels in the interstice of spinal cord L6-S1 segment, under basal conditions or during mechanical and chemical activation of urinary bladder afferents. Methods A microdialysis probe was transversally implanted in the dorsal half of spinal cord L6-S1 segment in female rats. Microdialysate was collected at 15 minutes intervals during 135 minutes, in anesthetized animals. Adenosine 5’-triphosphate concentrations were determined with a bioluminescent assay. In one group of animals (n=7) microdialysate samples were obtained with […]

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the major impact variables in the opinion of nursing staff about the Quality Program of a teaching hospital. Methods An exploratory-descriptive study was performed with 72 nursing staff. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire containing 24 statements about the Quality Program; and the degree of agreement of the participants was expressed in a Likert scale. The collected data were analyzed by factor analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results The analysis grouped the statements in six factors. […]

ABSTRACT The diagnosis of Graves’ orbitopathy is usually straightforward. However, orbital diseases that mimick some clinical signs of Graves’ orbitopathy may cause diagnostic confusion, particularly when associated to some form of thyroid dysfunction. This report describes the rare occurrence of localized inferior rectus muscle amyloidosis in a patient with autoimmune hypothyroidism, who was misdiagnosed as Graves’ orbitopathy. A 48-year-old man complained of painless progressive proptosis on the left side and intermittent vertical diplopia for 6 months. The diagnosis of Graves’ […]

ABSTRACT Liposarcoma is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas in adults, occurring in 15 to 20% of all patients with sarcoma. Primary liposarcoma of the stomach is rare. We report a case of patient with giant gastric liposarcoma who underwent surgery after a gastrointestinal bleeding. Preoperative hystopathological diagnosis was not established, even after three biopsy attempts. We discuss differential diagnosis, genetic causes, diagnosis strategies and treatment.

ABSTRACT Vascular punctures are often necessary in critically ill patients. They are secure, but not free of complications. Ultrasonography enhances safety of the procedure by decreasing puncture attempts, complications and costs. This study reviews important publications and the puncture technique using ultrasound, bringing part of the experience of the intensive care unit of the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo (SP), Brazil, and discussing issues that should be considered in future studies.

ABSTRACT Primary graft dysfunction is a multifactorial syndrome with great impact on liver transplantation outcomes. This review article was based on studies published between January 1980 and June 2015 and retrieved from PubMed database using the following search terms: “primary graft dysfunction”, “early allograft dysfunction”, “primary non-function” and “liver transplantation”. Graft dysfunction describes different grades of graft ischemia-reperfusion injury and can manifest as early allograft dysfunction or primary graft non-function, its most severe form. Donor-, surgery- and recipient-related factors have […]