Background Over 66 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Therefore, understanding their clinical evolution beyond hospital discharge is essential not only from an individual standpoint, but from a populational level. Objectives Our primary aim was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 3 months after hospital discharge. Additionally, we screened for anxiety and depression and assessed important clinical outcomes. Methods This was a single-centre cohort study performed in Sao Paulo (Brazil), in which participants were contacted by telephone to answer a short survey. EQ-5D-3L was used to assess HRQoL and clinical data from patients’ index admission were retrieved from medical records. Results We contacted 251 participants (59.8% males, mean age 53 years old), 69.7% of which had presented with severe COVID-19. At 3 months of follow-up, 6 patients had died, 51 (20.3%) had visited the emergency department again and 17 (6.8%) had been readmitted to hospital. Seventy patients (27.9%) persisted with increased dyspnoea and 81 had a positive screening for anxiety/depression. Similarly, patients reported an overall worsening of EQ-5D-3L single summary index at 3 months compared to before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms ( 0.8012 (0.7368 – 1.0) vs. 1.0(0.7368 – 1.0), p<0.001). This affected all 5 domains, but especially pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Only female sex and intensive care requirement were independently associated with worsening of HRQoL. Conclusion Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 frequently face persistent clinical and mental health problems up to 3 months following hospital discharge, with significant impact on patients’ HRQoL.

IAGG 2017 World Congress do you have a number of involvements with someone?". Support expectation was measured by "Can you expect to get a support by each of families or relatives, friends, and formal services?".Results: Statistically significant differences were found between social isolation and support expectation. When the support could be expected from "families and relatives", "friends" who live inside or outside of the community, a number of involvements were found significantly higher average (P<.05). Between the expectation for formal services and a number of involvements were not found a significant difference.Conclusion: These results are suggested that support expectations for daily lives are given up by social isolation in the elderly. Social isolation can be a risk of life continuation in the marginal community.

Background Foz do Iguassu is a Brazilian municipality located in the most populous international border of the country and provides medical care to foreigners. Neonatal mortality in the city is higher than Brazil’s average and corresponds to 61% of all deaths in children under five. The current study aimed to identify the determinants of neonatal mortality in Foz do Iguassu. Methods In this case-control study, we analyzed all neonatal deaths occurred in Foz do Iguassu from 2012 to 2016. Birth and mortality data were extracted from two national governmental databases (SINASC and SIM). We extracted data on (i) maternal sociodemographic characteristics, (ii) pregnancy care, and (iii) newborn characteristics. Multiple logistic regression with the conceptual framework was applied to examine the factors associated with neonatal mortality. Results Most of the deaths occurred in the early neonatal period (65.9%). The factors associated with neonatal death were fetal congenital anomaly (OR 22.49; CI 95% 7.44–67.95; p = < 0.001); low birth weight (OR 17.15; CI 95% 8.56–34.37; p = < 0.001), first minute Apgar score under 7 (OR 15.60; CI 95% 8.23–29.67; p = < 0.001); zero to 3 prenatal appointments (OR 3.34; CI 95% 1.28–8.73; p = 0.014) and prematurity (OR 3.60; CI 95% 1.87–7.11; p = < 0.001). Conclusion The high rate of neonatal death in Foz do Iguassu is strongly associated with newborn characteristics and not associated with maternal sociodemographic characteristics. Thus, the health services in the Brazilian side of this international borders should be aware of the quality of the prenatal care and childbirth attention provided.

BackgroundFew studies have specifically investigated the inverse relationship between reduced quality of life in different domains and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels in older adults. Therefore, this study investigates the cross-sectional association between quality of life and inflammation in older Brazilian adults.MethodsData were collected from 1255 participants from the third wave (2010) of the Brazilian Health, Well-being and Aging study (SABE), a community-based cohort study of aging. Inflammation was assessed using CRP serum levels and quality of life (QoL) was measured using the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire. The covariates included age, sex, education level, financial sufficiency, number of non-communicable diseases, self-reported doctor diagnosed diseases, Activity of Daily Living (ADL) difficulties, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference.ResultsThe fully adjusted models showed that older adults with low scores in the physical domain of the SF12 (OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.02;1.77) and high BMI values (> 30) (OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.50;2.81) were more likely to present high CRP serum levels.ConclusionOur findings suggest a significant association of lower scores in the physical domain of quality of life and the presence of obesity with high CRP serum levels.

Purpose: To evaluate the perception of attending physicians, medical residents, and undergraduate medical students about death and dying, the end of life (EoL), and palliative care (PC) during training and clinical practice, highlighting knowledge gaps, and the changes needed in medical school curricula. Method: Cross-sectional study of 12 attending physicians, residents, and undergraduate medical students randomly selected from a single teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, 2018. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcripts were coded in depth, and categorizing analysis was carried out. Results: Three topical categories were recognized: Negative feelings about death and the EoL, importance of PC, and gaps in curricular structure hindering preparedness for PC and EoL communication. Besides differing perspectives depending on their years of experience, all participants strongly endorsed that the current medical school curriculum does not train and support physicians to handle EoL and PC. Conclusions: Medical education plays a fundamental role in the development of knowledge and skills on death, dying, and PC. Such practices should extend throughout the course and be continuously improved after graduates move to clinical practice.