The resistance mutational profile of Brazilian patients failing antiretroviral therapy is quite variable, depending on the city where patients were tested. This variation likely reflects distinctive choice of antiretrovirals drugs to initiate therapy, adherence to specific drugs, or circulating HIV-1 strains. Overall, etravirine and DRV/r remain as the most active drugs.

Introduction The interpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is fundamental for the identification of cardiovascular diseases, which are among the main causes of death in the world. The acquisition of this competence is essential in the training of the general practitioner and the use of new teaching tools, based on technology such as the use of mobile learning, can facilitate the acquisition of this knowledge. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the usability and the potentiality for the use in medical education of a mobile teaching application for ECG interpretation. Methods With the participation of two health professors and a computer scientist, a systems analyst, a programmer and a graphic designer, a mobile application was developed to teach ECG interpretation using the Java language. For validation analysis, a usability evaluation questionnaire based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a questionnaire used to evaluate the suitability of software for use in medical education, previously translated into Portuguese and applied in Brazil, were used. Results The “ECG Fácil” application was developed for off-line use and free access on iOS and Android platforms. In the validation phase of the application, a total of 109 students had free access to the mobile application for 6 weeks and then evaluated usability through a SUS-based questionnaire. The answers to the questionnaire showed good reliability, according to the validation analysis by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (value: 0.74), and the application presented an excellent acceptance with a mean score on the SUS scale of 85.3. Meanwhile, fifteen faculty members evaluated the application through the questionnaire used to assess the suitability of software for use in medical education, with most agreeing with items indicating that it is suitable for use in medical education. Conclusion The “ECG Fácil” application was considered to be of good usability by students and suitable for educational purpose by teachers. Future studies with this application will be needed to assess the acquisition and retention of knowledge about ECG interpretation by students.

Genotype testing for HIV-1 drug resistance is useful for selecting antiretroviral drug regimens for patients experiencing therapeutic failure, but the optimal means for interpreting the test results is unknown because many HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) mutations contribute to drug resistance. This study identified common combinations of resistance mutations related to antiretroviral resistance profiles. From April 2002 to March 2004, 101 protease and RT sequences were determined for HIV-1 isolates from patients who were failing antiretroviral therapy. The resistance profile was evaluated using the Stanford Database program. Male patients predominated (76.2%), the median age was 38 years, the average CD4 count was 279.21 cells/mm(3) and the average viral load was 4.49 log. In relation to protease inhibitors (IP) 31 mutation patterns were detected, 49 mutation patterns were detected in Nucleoside RT Inhibitors (NRTI), and 17 patterns were found in the Non Nucleoside RT Inhibitors (NNRTI). K65R was detected in 5.9% of the isolates. The most frequent mutations were: L90M, M184V and K103N related to PI's, NRTI's and NNRTI's, respectively. The best antiretroviral susceptibility was found to be Lopinavir in the PI class and Tenofovir in the NRTI class. The top six mutation patterns accounted for 49% of the resistance to PI's, for 38.5% of NRTI resistance, and the top two mutation patterns accounted for 40.9% of resistance to NNRTI's.

Resumo: Introdução: O momento da pandemia por Covid-19 tem um impacto direto na formação dos estudantes de Medicina, tanto pela modificação repentina na metodologia presencial para remota quanto pelo estresse e pela ansiedade gerados. A saúde mental dos estudantes necessita de estratégias de coping para que eles possam lidar com situações de extrema ansiedade. Relato de experiência: O grupo Estudo de Literatura e Arte na Medicina (Elam) criou, durante o período da pandemia, momentos de discussão de literatura por meio de produção textual e discussões em mídia social, e principalmente por meio de atividades artísticas com pintura em aquarela e artes plásticas, para lidar com os conflitos apresentados pelos alunos na quarentena. Foram 24 telas de aquarela, vídeos, telas de colagem em artes plásticas e textos de crônicas e poesias. Os temas abordados nos textos foram principalmente: amor (N = 2), envelhecer (N = 2), pecado e religiosidade (N = 4), ciclo da vida (N = 6), câncer, caos, sabedoria, mortalidade (N = 3), tempo, olhar e ver (N = 2) e regionalismo (N = 2). Discussão: O enfrentamento da Covid-19 impõe o isolamento social, o distanciamento físico e a restrição à mobilidade das pessoas como medidas fundamentais para evitar a rápida disseminação do vírus. Quando o jovem não dispõe de mecanismos para lidar com a situação estressante propiciada pela situação, pode haver o desencadeamento de uma série de psicopatologias, como depressão, ansiedade e distúrbios do humor. É uma tendência mais ampla na educação médica: cada vez mais, as escolas de Medicina estão investindo em currículo e programação em torno das artes, e, no momento atual, essa estratégia de coping se torna importante no enfrentamento da pandemia pelo estudante de Medicina. Conclusão: Atravessar esse momento de pandemia pela Covid-19 exigiu uma estratégia de coping para ajudar os alunos a vivenciar e extravasar seus medos, sendo a arte a melhor forma de expressão, o que foi atingido pelo grupo Elam.

Brazil is a large developing country where almost all FDA-licensed antiretrovirals are made available to more than 200,000 individuals under antiretroviral treatment. General primary HIV-1 resistance in Brazil is assumed to be low, but data are scarce, especially in the Northeast region. To evaluate the prevalence of primary HIV-1 antiretroviral resistance in the state of Ceará, Brazil, a cross-sectional prospective study of antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected individuals was performed between May 2008 and May 2009. Genomic sequences of reverse transcriptase and protease regions of the pol gene of HIV-1 using PCR products were obtained. Mutations related to resistance to NRTI, NNRTI, and PI were evaluated according to the WHO mutation list for primary resistance surveillance, which excludes common polymorphisms. Seventy-four individuals were evaluated (50% male) with a median age 30 years; 55.4% were men who have sex with men. Median CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts were 418 and 960 cells/mm(3) and the median viral loads were 4.41 and 4.46 log(10) RNA copies/ml for individuals older and younger that 18 years, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of patients were symptomatic. Five patients (6.8%) were recently infected, as detected by the BED test. The mutations 41L, 67N, 215D, 219Q, 101E, and 103N in the RT and 32I, 46I, 54V, 82T, and 90M, in the PR were identified in 9.5% of samples, more frequently in HIV subtype B (85.1%). A significant level of primary HIV resistance was detected in urban Northeast Brazil, a region geographically distant from the more highly populated and wealthier areas of Southeast Brazil, and this emphasizes the need for monitoring resistance in the studied area.

Introduction The interpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is fundamental for the identification of cardiovascular diseases, which are among the main causes of death in the world. The acquisition of this competence is essential in the training of the general practitioner and the use of new teaching tools, based on technology such as the use of mobile learning, can facilitate the acquisition of this knowledge. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the usability and the potentiality for the use in medical education of a mobile teaching application for ECG interpretation. Methods With the participation of two health professors and a computer scientist, a systems analyst, a programmer and a graphic designer, a mobile application was developed to teach ECG interpretation using the Java language. For validation analysis, a usability evaluation questionnaire based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a questionnaire used to evaluate the suitability of software for use in medical education, previously translated into Portuguese and applied in Brazil, were used. Results The “ECG Fácil” application was developed for off-line use and free access on iOS and Android platforms. In the validation phase of the application, a total of 109 students had free access to the mobile application for 6 weeks and then evaluated usability through a SUS-based questionnaire. The answers to the questionnaire showed good reliability, according to the validation analysis by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (value: 0.74), and the application presented an excellent acceptance with a mean score on the SUS scale of 85.3. Meanwhile, fifteen faculty members evaluated the application through the questionnaire used to assess the suitability of software for use in medical education, with most agreeing with items indicating that it is suitable for use in medical education. Conclusion The “ECG Fácil” application was considered to be of good usability by students and suitable for educational purpose by teachers. Future studies with this application will be needed to assess the acquisition and retention of knowledge about ECG interpretation by students.

Objectives: This study proposes to evaluate risk factors for kidney disease in HIV patients treated chronically and correlate with microalbuminuria measurements. Methods: Review charts and analyses of microalbuminuria in subgroup of HIV patients treated at Ceara/Brazil. Results: 149 patients, 69.1% male, mean 38.5 years old, infection mean 86.8 months. Mean Creatinine Clearance 110.2%, Creatinine 0.97, Urea 27.76 mg/dl, CD4+ 600.37 cels/mm 3 and detectable viral load 530.59 copies with 61.7% undetectable. Mean Dosages of microalbuminuria/24h 147, 46 ± 820, 45 (N = 48) and microalbuminuria (mg/dl) 32.05 ± 85.25 (N = 43). Kidney Diseases Classification analyses evidenced 6.4% patients in stages ≥3 and 6.2% presented altered Microalbuminuria/24h. Patients using Tenofovir (TDF) 27.27% had Stage 2 and protease inhibitors (PI) had 4.1% in Stage 3. Proteinuria was observed in 5% stage ≥3. Association PI/TDF had 4.1% in Stage 3. No statistical difference between CD4 > or < 350 cels/mm 3 and microalbuminuria/24h > 300 mg (p = 0.69); detectable/undetectable viral load and microalbuminuria/24h (p = 0.63) or stage ≥3 (p = 0.17); relation to Diabetes or arterial hypertension and microalbuminuria 24 h (p = 0.5 and p = 0.21); relation stage ≥3 and microalbuminuria/24h (p = 0.33); relation HIV diagnoses >/< 60 months and stage ≥3 (p = 0.51); or microalbuminuria/24h and TDF (p = 0.4), PI (p = 1), TDF/PI (p = 0.69), Atazanavir (p = 0.4) or Lopinavir/r (p = 1) regimens. There was statistical significance comparing age > or < 50 years and stage ≥3 (p = 0.001) without difference with age > or < 50 years and microalbuminuria/24h (p = 0.55) or microalbuminuria mg/d (p = 0.32). Relating comorbidities risk (Diabetes Mellitus plus Systemic Arterial Hypertension) to Kidney Diseases, it was found that 55.5% patients in Stage 3 or above with comorbidities compared with 15% with comorbidities in lower stages (P = 0.005). Nevertheless, comorbidities presence was not associated with microalbuminuria (p = 0.08). Conclusion: Kidney disease is a real risk for HIV patients and stages ≥3 have to be early detected. Microalbuminuria dosage did not demonstrate more sensibility than proteinuria to early diagnoses, even related to antiretroviral drugs. Major risk factor for kidney damage evidenced to be older than 50 years and there was no protective effect from CD4 or undetectable viral load.

Several biomarkers have been evaluated as predictors of severity or in directing the treatment of COVID-19, however there are no conclusive results with prediction of the pathobiology of the infection. In this study, we evaluated serum levels of cytokines, chemokines, and cell growth factors in association with the pathobiology of mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection. Those markers may act as immuno-inflammatory biomarkers in adults with mild to moderate flu syndrome who sought care at health units. Serum levels of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (n=113) and flu symptoms individuals negative for SARS-CoV-2 (n=58), tested by the RT-qPCR test - nasal swab were compared to healthy controls (n=53). Participants who were symptomatic but negative for SARS-CoV-2 were tested for Influenza A/B and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Results showed that the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, MCP-3, TNF-α and G-CSF were increased in symptomatic patients and the cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 were associated with patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 when compared to healthy controls. Symptoms associated with COVID-19 were fever, anosmia, ageusia and myalgia. For patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection their major symptom was sore throat. Five percent (4/83) of SARS-CoV-2 negative patients were positive for RSV. The pathobiology of mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with increasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and also a pleiotropic IL-6 and anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokines compared to healthy controls.