Maria de Fátima de Pina

International survey of primary and revision total knee replacement.

PurposeTotal knee arthroplasty (TKA) is currently the international standard of care for treating degenerative and rheumatologic knee joint disease, as well as certain knee joint fractures. We sought to answer the following three research questions: (1) What is the international variance in primary and revision TKA rates around the world? (2) How do patient demographics (e.g., age, gender) vary internationally? (3) How have the rates of TKA utilization changed over time?MethodsThe survey included 18 countries with a total population of 755 million, and an estimated 1,324,000 annual primary and revision total knee procedures. Ten national inpatient databases were queried for this study from Canada, the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Inpatient data were also compared with published registry data for eight countries with operating arthroplasty registers (Denmark, England & Wales, Norway, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand).ResultsThe average and median rate of primary and revision (combined) total knee replacement was 175 and 149 procedures/100,000 population, respectively, and ranged between 8.8 and 234 procedures/100,000 population. We observed that the procedure rate significantly increased over time for the countries in which historical data were available. The compound annual growth in the incidence of TKA ranged by country from 5.3% (France) to 17% (Portugal). We observed a nearly 27-fold range of TKA utilization rates between the 18 different countries included in the survey.ConclusionIt is apparent from the results of this study that the demand for TKA has risen substantially over the past decade in countries around the world.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Prevalence and Incidence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Portuguese Adults

Understanding the determinants of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults is essential to predict the burden of H. pylori‐related diseases. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of H. pylori infection and to identify its major sociodemographic correlates in an urban population from the North of Portugal.

Health conditions and residential concentration of poverty: a study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To establish the geographical relation of health conditions to socioeconomic status in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. DESIGN All reported deaths in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, from 1987 to 1995, obtained from the Mortality Information System, were considered in the study. The 24 “administrative regions” that compose the city were used as the geographical units. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to link mortality data and population census data, and allowed the authors to establish the geographical pattern of the health indicators considered in this study: “infant mortality rate”; “standardised mortality rate”; “life expectancy” and “homicide rate”. Information on location of low income communities (slums) was also provided by the GIS. A varimax rotation principal component analysis combined information on socioeconomic conditions and provided a two dimension basis to assess contextual variation. MAIN RESULTS The 24 administrative regions were aggregated into three different clusters, identified as relevant to reflect the socioeconomic variation. Almost all health indicator thematic maps showed the same socioeconomic stratification pattern. The worst health situation was found in the cluster composed of the harbour area and northern vicinity, precisely in the sector where the highest concentration of slum residents are present. This sector of the city exhibited an extremely high homicide rate and a seven year lower life expectancy than the remainder of the city. The sector that concentrates affluence, composed of the geographical units located along the coast, showed the best health situation. Intermediate health conditions were found in the west area, which also has poor living standards but low concentration of slums. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that social and organisation characteristics of low income communities may have a relevant role in understanding health variations. Local health and other social programmes specifically targeting these communities are recommended.

Inter-relacionamento de dados ambientais e de saúde: análise de risco à saúde aplicada ao abastecimento de água no Rio de Janeiro utilizando Sistemas de Informações Geográficas

Exposure assessment of population groups is based on linkage of environmental and health data. This relationship can be hard to establish due to spatial and temporal lags in data sets. GIS can be used as a basis for organizing health-related and environmental data sets. We examined potential health risk in the Rio de Janeiro city water supply based on the overlay of information layers containing data on the presence and quality of water supply services. We used census tracts as the primary georeferenced data, since they contain information on how households are supplied, water supply pipes, sources, and reservoirs, and water quality according to the monitoring program. Population groups exposed to risks were located and quantified using spatial operations among these layers and adopting different risk criteria. The main problems related to water supply are located on the northern slope of the Tijuca Mountain Range and in the western area of the city of Rio, where the population relies on alternative water supply sources. The different origins, objectives, and structures of data have to be analyzed critically, and GIS can be used as a data validation tool as well as an instrument for detailed identification of inconsistencies.

Avaliação das condições de atendimento do Programa de Saúde do Adolescente no Município do Rio de Janeiro

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries and need for treatment among 18 years-old males in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. In addition, the associations between dental caries and socioeconomic conditions were tested. A cross sectional study was carried out. A random sample of 300, was selected from a list of Brazilian Army conscripts. Clinical data were collected according to World Health Organization criteria. Socioeconomic data (years of education of the subjects, their fathers and mothers and family income) were collected through interviews. The statistical significance of associations between socioeconomic indicators and dental caries prevalence were tested using the chi-square test whilst for severity of dental caries Mann-Whitney test was used. The prevalence of dental caries was 81% and the mean DMF-T was 4.5. The mean number of teeth that needed treatment was 1.2. Both dental status and treatment need were statistically significantly associated with socioeconomic indicators. Those with low levels of education and income experienced more disease and needed more treatment than those from high levels of education and income.

Development of a cross-cultural deprivation index in five European countries

Background Despite a concerted policy effort in Europe, social inequalities in health are a persistent problem. Developing a standardised measure of socioeconomic level across Europe will improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and causes of inequalities. This will facilitate developing, implementing and assessing new and more effective policies, and will improve the comparability and reproducibility of health inequality studies among countries. This paper presents the extension of the European Deprivation Index (EDI), a standardised measure first developed in France, to four other European countries—Italy, Portugal, Spain and England, using available 2001 and 1999 national census data. Methods and results The method previously tested and validated to construct the French EDI was used: first, an individual indicator for relative deprivation was constructed, defined by the minimal number of unmet fundamental needs associated with both objective (income) poverty and subjective poverty. Second, variables available at both individual (European survey) and aggregate (census) levels were identified. Third, an ecological deprivation index was constructed by selecting the set of weighted variables from the second step that best correlated with the individual deprivation indicator. Conclusions For each country, the EDI is a weighted combination of aggregated variables from the national census that are most highly correlated with a country-specific individual deprivation indicator. This tool will improve both the historical and international comparability of studies, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying social inequalities in health and implementation of intervention to tackle social inequalities in health.

The social geography of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users in Brazil

Abstract The paper addresses the socio-geographical spread of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users (IDUs) in Brazil, highlighting patterns and trends of the epidemic in different Brazilian regions. Data relative to the Southeast are reviewed and original analyses for the South are presented. The results indicate that the epidemic is diminishing in the Southeast, after a significant increase in the late 1980s, following major cocaine trafficking routes. On the other hand, the AIDS epidemic is far from leveling off in the South. In this region, IDUs have been pivotal in the dynamics of the epidemics. This explains, at least partially, the recent spread in the South, affecting a large number of women, most of them partners of IDUs, and their offspring, and contributing for a less significant decline of AIDS related deaths, when compared with other Brazilian regions.

Increased Hospitalizations for Neuropathies as Indicators of Zika Virus Infection, according to Health Information System Data, Brazil

Neurologic manifestations of Zika infection must be adequately recognized and treated; our study methods can be used for monitoring and warning systems.

MIQuant – Semi-Automation of Infarct Size Assessment in Models of Cardiac Ischemic Injury

Background The cardiac regenerative potential of newly developed therapies is traditionally evaluated in rodent models of surgically induced myocardial ischemia. A generally accepted key parameter for determining the success of the applied therapy is the infarct size. Although regarded as a gold standard method for infarct size estimation in heart ischemia, histological planimetry is time-consuming and highly variable amongst studies. The purpose of this work is to contribute towards the standardization and simplification of infarct size assessment by providing free access to a novel semi-automated software tool. The acronym MIQuant was attributed to this application. Methodology/Principal Findings Mice were subject to permanent coronary artery ligation and the size of chronic infarcts was estimated by area and midline-length methods using manual planimetry and with MIQuant. Repeatability and reproducibility of MIQuant scores were verified. The validation showed high correlation (r midline length = 0.981; r area = 0.970 ) and agreement (Bland-Altman analysis), free from bias for midline length and negligible bias of 1.21% to 3.72% for area quantification. Further analysis demonstrated that MIQuant reduced by 4.5-fold the time spent on the analysis and, importantly, MIQuant effectiveness is independent of user proficiency. The results indicate that MIQuant can be regarded as a better alternative to manual measurement. Conclusions We conclude that MIQuant is a reliable and an easy-to-use software for infarct size quantification. The widespread use of MIQuant will contribute towards the standardization of infarct size assessment across studies and, therefore, to the systematization of the evaluation of cardiac regenerative potential of emerging therapies.

Osteoporotic hip fractures: Bisphosphonates sales and observed turning point in trend. A population-based retrospective study

The aim is to examine the temporal trends of hip fracture incidence in Portugal by sex and age groups, and explore the relation with anti-osteoporotic medication. From the National Hospital Discharge Database, we selected from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2008, 77,083 hospital admissions (77.4% women) caused by osteoporotic hip fractures (low energy, patients over 49years-age), with diagnosis codes 820.x of ICD 9-CM. The 2001 Portuguese population was used as standard to calculate direct age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) (100,000 inhabitants). Generalized additive and linear models were used to evaluate and quantify temporal trends of age specific rates (AR), by sex. We identified 2003 as a turning point in the trend of ASIR of hip fractures in women. After 2003, the ASIR in women decreased on average by 10.3 cases/100,000 inhabitants, 95% CI (-15.7 to -4.8), per 100,000 anti-osteoporotic medication packages sold. For women aged 65-69 and 75-79 we identified the same turning point. However, for women aged over 80, the year 2004 marked a change in the trend, from an increase to a decrease. Among the population aged 70-74 a linear decrease of incidence rate (95% CI) was observed in both sexes, higher for women: -28.0% (-36.2 to -19.5) change vs -18.8%, (-32.6 to -2.3). The abrupt turning point in the trend of ASIR of hip fractures in women is compatible with an intervention, such as a medication. The trends were different according to gender and age group, but compatible with the pattern of bisphosphonates sales.