Paula Vanessa Peclat Flores

Effect of an orientation group for patients with chronic heart failure: randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of the orientation group on therapeutic adherence and self-care among patients with chronic heart failure. Method: Randomized controlled trial with 27 patients with chronic heart failure. The intervention group received nursing consultations and participated in group meetings with the multi-professional team. The control group only received nursing consultations in a period of four months. Questionnaires validated for use in Brazil were applied in the beginning and in the end of the study to assess self-care outcomes and adherence to treatment. Categorical variables were expressed through frequency and percentage distributions and the continuous variables through mean and standard deviation. The comparison between the initial and final scores of the intervention and control groups was done through the Student’s t-test. Results: The mean adherence in the intervention group was 13.9 ± 3.6 before the study and 4.8 ± 2.3 after the study. In the control group it was 14.2 ± 3.4 before the study and 14.7 ± 3.5 after the study. The self-care confidence score was lower after the intervention (p=0.01). Conclusion: The orientation group does not improve adherence to treatment and self-care management and maintenance and it may reduce confidence in self-care. Registry REBEC RBR-7r9f2m.

Serotonin biomarkers and brain-derived neurotrophic factors in heart failure: a prospective cohort

Aim: To analyze the prognostic of serotonin biomarkers and brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) on depression in patients with systolic heart failure. Method: An observational, multicenter, prospective cohort study in three specialized centers, from April 2014 to November 2016. Study protocol: multidisciplinary medical consultation, depression inventory, quality of life questionnaire and blood test to measure serotonin and BDNF, with analysis via high performance liquid chromatography and ELISA, respectively. In order to study the association of these markers with the analytical methods used, a statistical evaluation will be carried out using the chi-square test and the Pearson correlation coefficient. For the analysis of mortality and hospitalization, logistic regression and analysis of mortality risk will be used. The statistical significance is 5%. Expected results: biological markers are more effective than conventional tests (questionnaires) when used to identify the degree of depression.