scholarly journals MS Prevalence and Patients’ Characteristics in the District of Braga, Portugal

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Figueiredo ◽  
Ângela Silva ◽  
João J. Cerqueira ◽  
Joaquim Fonseca ◽  
Paulo A. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Disease Type ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Ratio ◽  
The North ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Clinical Records ◽  
Chronic Autoimmune Disease

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the Central Nervous System causing inflammation and neurodegeneration. There are only 3 epidemiological studies in Portugal, 2 in the Centre and 1 in the North, and there is the need to further study MS epidemiology in this country. The objective of this work is to contribute to the MS epidemiological knowledge in Portugal, describing the patients’ epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics in the Braga district of Portugal. This is a cross-sectional study of 345 patients followed in two hospitals of Braga district. These hospitals cover a resident population of 866,012 inhabitants. The data was collected from the clinical records, and 31/12/2009 was established as the prevalence day. For all MS patients, demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes are reported. We have found an incidence of 2.74/100,000 and a prevalence of 39.82/100,000 inhabitants. Most patients have an EDSS of 3 or lower and a mean age of 42 years. The diagnosis was done at mean age of 35, with RRMS being the disease type in more than 80% of patients. In this cohort, we found a female : male ratio of 1.79. More than 50% of patients are treated with Interferonβ-1b IM or IFNβ-1a SC 22 μg.

scholarly journals Thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment: a cross- sectional study at a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Solis-Pazmino ◽  
Jorge Salazar-Vega ◽  
Eddy Lincango-Naranjo ◽  
Cristhian Garcia ◽  
Gabriela Jaramillo Koupermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Mortality ◽  
Incidental Finding ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Anaplastic Carcinoma ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Referral Center ◽  
Clinical Records

Abstract Background In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer incidence, the mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, thyroid cancer mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador. Methods From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records. Results Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients’ median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15–5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 86% (375) received radioactive iodine. Conclusion Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.

scholarly journals Characteristics of prescriptions and costs for acute upper respiratory tract infections in Chinese outpatient pediatric patients: a nationwide cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Wang ◽  
Lihua Liu ◽  
Jianchao Liu ◽  
Likun Miao ◽  
Qian Zhuang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outpatient Care ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Clinical Records

Abstract Background To understand the characteristics of prescriptions and costs in pediatric patients with acute upper respiratory infections (AURI) is important for the regulation of outpatient care and reimbursement policy. This study aims to provide evidence on these issues that was in short supply. Methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study based on data from National Engineering Laboratory of Application Technology in Medical Big Data. All outpatient pediatric patients aged 0–14 years with an uncomplicated AURI from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017 in 138 hospitals across the country were included. We reported characteristics of patients, the average number of medications prescribed per encounter, the categories of medication used and their percentages, the cost per visit and prescription costs of drugs. For these measurements, discrepancies among diverse groups of age, regions, insurance types, and AURI categories were compared. Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test and Student-Newman-Keuls test were performed to identify differences among subgroups. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the independent effects of those factors on the prescribing behavior. Results A total of 1,002,687 clinical records with 2,682,118 prescriptions were collected and analyzed. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 2.8. The most frequently prescribed medication was Chinese traditional patent medicines (CTPM) (36.5% of overall prescriptions) followed by antibiotics (18.1%). It showed a preference of CPTM over conventional medicines. The median cost per visit was 17.91 USD. The median drug cost per visit was 13.84 USD. The expenditures of antibiotics and CTPM per visit (6.05 USD and 5.87 USD) were among the three highest categories of drugs. The percentage of out-of-pocket patients reached 65.9%. Disparities were showed among subgroups of different ages, regions, and insurance types. Conclusions The high volume of CPTM usage is the typical feature in outpatient care of AURI pediatric patients in China. The rational and cost-effective use of CPTM and antibiotics still faces challenges. The reimbursement for child AURI cases needs to be enhanced.

scholarly journals Bone Mass Loss and Sarcopenia in Ecuadorian Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
M. Intriago ◽  
G. Maldonado ◽  
R. Guerrero ◽  
O. D. Messina ◽  
C. Rios
Keyword(s):  
Bone Mass ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Intimate Relationship ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bone Mass Loss ◽  
Total Body

Introduction. An intimate relationship between osteoporosis and sarcopenia has been established. At present, there are few epidemiological studies about osteosarcopenia due to the recent use of this term, especially in Latin America. Objective. To study the association between osteoporosis and sarcopenia and determine the prevalence of osteosarcopenia in patients who attended a rheumatology center in Ecuador. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a population of patients who had a densitometric study. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was determined by the DXA standard gold test, screening, and conventional methods (bioimpedance, anthropometric measurements, SARC-F, muscle function, and gait test). Results. A total of 92 patients were studied. The median age was 66 ± 10, 90% females. Using the criteria of SMI, 65% had sarcopenia of which 9% had only sarcopenia and 56% had osteosarcopenia; 22% had only osteopenia/osteoporosis; and 13% none of these conditions. The prevalence of sarcopenia according to handgrip strength was 60%, gait speed 45%, and SARC-F score 40%. The prevalence of osteosarcopenia according to handgrip strength was 51%, gait speed 34%, and SARC-F score 32%. Osteoporosis was associated with a higher prevalence of sarcopenia using the criteria of SMI since 40% had sarcopenia in the normal DXA group, 64% in the osteopenia group, and 76% in the osteoporosis group (p=0.017). Of the women, 69% had sarcopenia compared to 33% of the men (p=0.034). The BMI was lower in the group with sarcopenia (25.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2) compared to the group without sarcopenia (29.4 ± 4.1 kg/m2, p<0.001). Patients with osteosarcopenia and sarcopenia had lower BMI, handgrip strength, ASM, SMI, and total-body skeletal muscle mass than those with osteopenia/osteoporosis or normal patients. Conclusion. 65% of the studied population had sarcopenia. It is clear that the prevalence of sarcopenia is higher in patients with greater loss of bone mass. Identifying pathways that affect both bone and muscle could facilitate the development of treatments that simultaneously improve osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

scholarly journals Prevalence of obesity, food choices and socio-economic status: a cross-sectional study in the north-west of Iran

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 996-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Dastgiri ◽  
Reza Mahdavi ◽  
Helda TuTunchi ◽  
Elnaz Faramarzi
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Products ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity

AbstractAimTo document the epidemiological features and influencing factors of obesity in the north-west of Iran, to provide baseline information for setting up a regional population-based centre to control and prevent obesity-related disorders in the area.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 300 subjects were selected/studied in Tabriz, one of the major cities in Iran. Data on basic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, dietary assessment and physical activity were collected. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg m− 2for both women and men.ResultsTotal prevalence of obesity in the area was 22.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.0–27.6). The prevalence of obesity was 24% (95% CI: 18.5–31.4) for women and 18% (95% CI: 12.5–25.6) for men. For both women and men obesity prevalence showed a positive association with age (P < 0.001), while there was a negative correlation of obesity with education and income (P < 0.001). Fruit consumption decreased the risk of obesity in both women and men (odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.49–0.71 vs. OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.51–0.74, respectively). The same significant pattern was observed for the consumption of green vegetables (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.57–0.63 vs. OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77–0.98 for women and men, respectively), legumes (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59–0.84 vs. OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66–0.91 for women and men, respectively) and dairy products (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61–0.91 vs. OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63–0.93 for women and men, respectively).ConclusionsOur study showed that educational attainment, higher income and consumption of certain food groups (i.e. vegetables, fruits, legumes and dairy products) may decrease the risk of obesity. Our findings also indicate the crucial necessity of establishing a population-based centre for obesity in the area. The essential information is now achieved to propose to local health authorities to act accordingly. However, more population-based investigations on dietary choices are needed to develop effective preventive strategies to control overweight and obesity disorders in different regions.

scholarly journals Thyroid Cancer Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment: a cross- sectional study at a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Solis-Pazmino ◽  
Jorge Salazar-Vega ◽  
Eddy Lincango-Naranjo ◽  
Cristhian Garcia ◽  
Gabriela Jaramillo Koupermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Cancer Mortality ◽  
Incidental Finding ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Anaplastic Carcinoma ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Referral Center ◽  
Clinical Records

Abstract Background: In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer (TC) incidence, thyroid cancer mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, TC mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador.Methods: From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo (HEEE), a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records. Results: Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients’ median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15-5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin (sTg) value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), 86% (375) received radioactive iodine (RAI). Conclusion: Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.

scholarly journals Geographical variation in demand, utilization, and outcomes of hospital services for COVID-19 in Brazil: A descriptive serial cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257643
Author(s):  
Claudia Cristina de Aguiar Pereira ◽  
Mônica Martins ◽  
Sheyla Maria Lemos Lima ◽  
Carla Lourenço Tavares de Andrade ◽  
Fernando Ramalho Gameleira Soares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Variation ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Region ◽  
The North ◽  
Public Data

Objective To analyze the geographical variation in the provision of health services, namely in demand, patterns of utilization, and effectiveness in the Brazilian Health Regions in four different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, from February 2020 to March 2021. Methods Descriptive serial cross-sectional study based on secondary data on COVID-19 hospitalizations from SIVEP-Gripe, a public and open-access database of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness records collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, and COVID-19 case notification data from Brasil.io, a repository of public data. Fifty-six epidemiological weeks were split into four periods. The following variables were considered for each Brazilian Health Region, per period: number of hospitalizations, hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants, hospitalizations per 100 new cases notified in the Health Region, percentage of hospitalizations with ICU use, percentages of hospitalizations with invasive and non-invasive ventilatory support, percentage of hospitalizations resulting in death and percentage of hospitalizations with ICU use resulting in death. Descriptive statistics of the variables were obtained across all 450 Health Regions in Brazil over the four defined pandemic periods. Maps were generated to capture the spatiotemporal variation and trends during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Results There was great variation in how COVID-19 hospitalizations grew and spread among Health Regions, with higher numbers between June and August 2020, and, especially, from mid-December 2020 to March 2021. The variation pattern in the proportion of ICU use in the hospitalizations across the Health Regions was broad, with no intensive care provision in large areas in the North, Northeast, and Midwest. The proportions of hospitalizations and hospitalizations with ICU use resulting in deaths were remarkably high, reaching medians of 34.0% and 62.0% across Health Regions, respectively. Conclusion The Heath Regions in Brazil are highly diverse, showing broad disparities in the capacity to respond to the demands imposed by COVID-19, services provided, use and outcomes.

scholarly journals Investigation on the Occurrence of Aedes Species in Borderline of Iran and Azerbaijan for Control of Arboviral Diseases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eslam Moradi-Asl ◽  
Hassan Vatandoost ◽  
Davod Adham ◽  
Daryosh Emdadi ◽  
Hassan Moosa-Kazemi
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Aedes Mosquitoes ◽  
Arboviral Diseases ◽  
First Time ◽  
North Western

Background: To investigate the diversity of the genus Aedes present in the natural areas of Ardabil Province, north-west of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from Apr to Oct 2016 in North-western of Iran. Thirty-three areas of 10 cities which are border areas were selected randomly. The larvae were collected 2 times in each month during the seasonal activities of mosquitoes and the larvae were identified morphologically according to the ap­propriate identification keys.  Results: Overall, 694 larvae were collected from four counties, from which only 7.2% were Aedes larvae. Three species of Aedes were identified which include Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans and Ae. flavescens. Aedes flavescens is reported from Ardabil Province for the first time. Conclusion: Aedes species were a high density in borderline of Iran and Azerbaijan. Therefore, the north parts of Ardabil Province are a suitable habitat for Aedes species mosquitoes. Care should be taken for vector control in the case of occurrence of any arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.

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