No abstract

The aim of this quantitative study was to identify the socio-demographic and academic profile of intensive care registered nurses and participants of the events organized by the Department of Nursing of the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine. Data were collected by means of 400 questionnaires applied between January and July of 2010, however only 324 questionnaires were returned and 295 questionnaires were considered for the analysis. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics resources with absolute relative frequency and simple mean, presented in tables. Results show the predominance of women, with specific graduate degrees. The skills and values highlighted include technical and scientific knowledge, and leadership. These professionals seek work in intensive care because of the high technological complexity. The study emphasized the existence of the professional profile required to work in the intensive care unit. The qualification of these professionals must prioritize the mastering of the technological language and the comprehensive and safe care.

Objetive:to identify risk factors for death in patients who have suffered non-infectious adverse events. Method:a retrospective cohort study with patients who had non-infectious Adverse Events (AE) in an Intensive Care Unit. The Kaplan Meier method was used to estimate the conditional probability of death (log-rank test 95%) and the risk factors associated with death through the Cox regression. Results:patients over 50 years old presented a risk 1.57 times higher for death; individuals affected by infection/sepsis presented almost 3 times the risk. Patients with a Simplified Acute Physiology Score III (SAPS3) greater than 60 points had four times higher risk for death, while those with a Charlson scale greater than 1 point had approximately two times higher risk. The variable number of adverse events was shown as a protection factor reducing the risk of death by up to 78%.Conclusion:patients who had suffered an adverse event and who were more than 50 years of age, with infection/sepsis, greater severity, i.e., SAPS 3>30 and Charlson>1, presented higher risk of death. However, the greater number of AEs did not contributed to the increased risk of death.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate mid-to late clinical and echocardiographic outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with Acurate neo™ (Boston Scientific, Boston, MA). Background: TAVR is an established treatment for aortic stenosis (AS). Few data exist on mid-to long-term outcomes and durability after new-generation valves. Methods: All consecutive patients (n = 104) who underwent Acurate neo™ implantation from 2012 to 2018 were included. Follow-up was systematically performed at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months and yearly thereafter. Outcomes were reported according to VARC-2, and structural valve deterioration (SVD) or bioprosthetic valve failure defined accordingly to new definitions. Results: Mean age was 82 ± 5.4 years, 56.7% were female and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score for mortality was 5.9 ± 4%. Patients were followed for a median of 3 years (1,092 days; IQR 1.5-4 years), and the maximum follow-up was 7 years. All-cause mortality values at 1 and 5 years were 8.5% and 40.5%, respectively. No relevant changes in mean gradient and orifice area occurred (7.9 ± 3.8 mmHg and 1.9 ± 0.3 cm 2 at 1 year; 6.6 ± 2.1 mmHg and 1.8 ± 0.3 cm 2 at 5 years), and there was a significant rate of paravalvular leaks resolution at 1, 2, and 3 years (p = .004; p < .001; p < .001, respectively). None of the patients had leaflet thrombosis or endocarditis. One patient developed SVD at 84 months. Conclusions: Acurate neo™ was associated with sustained echocardiographic results. Reassuring mid-to long-term outcomes was observed in this cohort of elderly patients with severe AS.

Serological testing is a powerful tool in epidemiological studies for understanding viral circulation and assessing the effectiveness of virus control measures, as is the case of SARS-CoV-2, the pathogenic agent of COVID-19. Immunoassays can quantitatively reveal the concentration of antiviral antibodies. The assessment of antiviral antibody titers may provide information on virus exposure, and changes in IgG levels are also indicative of a reduction in viral circulation. In this work, we describe a serological study for the evaluation of antiviral IgG and IgM antibodies and their correlation with antiviral activity. The serological assay for IgG detection used two SARS-CoV-2 proteins as antigens, the nucleocapsid N protein and the 3CL protease. Cross-reactivity tests in animals have shown high selectivity for detection of antiviral antibodies, using both the N and 3CL antigens. Using samples of human serum from individuals previously diagnosed by PCR for COVID-19, we observed high sensitivity of the ELISA assay. Serological results with human samples also suggest that the combination of higher titers of antiviral IgG antibodies to different antigen targets may be associated with greater neutralization activity, which can be enhanced in the presence of antiviral IgM antibodies

Objective: to analyze how intensive care nurses practice patient advocacy in view of the need for hospitalization by court order to an intensive care due to bed unviability. Method: analytical exploratory qualitative research. Data were obtained through interviews with 42 nurses, selected via snowball sampling, between January and December 2016. The interviews were analyzed using elements of the Discursive Textual Analysis. Results: two categories emerged: 1) Between obedience to the law and the ethical-moral duty of the intensive care nurse; 2) The position of nurses in the practice of patient advocacy for patients requiring intensive care beds. Conclusions: intensive care nurses exercise sensitivity and moral duty of the care process when defending their patients by informing them of their rights, guiding, acting and talking to and on behalf of patients and their families, valuing care free of judgment and harm to the patient hospitalized by court order.

Vaccination certainly is the best way to fight against the COVID‐19 pandemic. In this study, the seroconversion effectiveness of two vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was assessed in healthcare workers: virus‐inactivated CoronaVac (CV, n = 303), and adenovirus‐vectored Oxford–AstraZeneca (AZ, n = 447). The immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies anti‐spike glycoprotein and anti‐nucleocapsid protein were assessed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay at the time before vaccination (T1), before the second dose (T2), and 30 days after the second dose (T3). Of all individuals vaccinated with AZ, 100% ( n = 447) exhibited seroconversion, compared to 91% ( n = 276) that were given CV vaccine. Among individuals who did not respond to the CV, only three individuals showed a significant increase in the antibody level 4 months later the booster dose. A lower seroconversion rate was observed in elders immunized with the CV vaccine probably due to the natural immune senescence, or peculiarity of this vaccine. The AZ vaccine induced a higher humoral response; however, more common side effects were also observed. Nonvaccinated convalescent individuals revealed a similar rate of anti‐spike IgG to individuals that were given two doses of CV vaccine, which suggests that only a one‐shot COVID‐19 vaccine could produce an effective immune response in convalescents.

Objective: to relate nursing diagnoses/outcomes and interventions for critically ill patients affected by COVID-19 and sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit, according to the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®). Method: a documentary study conducted in March and April 2020 from the ICNP® terminology subset for adult patients with sepsis. The documentary corpus was composed of the list of nursing diagnoses/outcomes and interventions based on Horta's Theory of Basic Human Needs; on the 7-Axis Model of the International Classification for Nursing Practice, version 2017; on the Pathophysiological model of sepsis; as well as relying on the authors' expertise in direct care for suspected or confirmed critically ill patients affected by COVID-19. Outcomes: a total of 58 nursing diagnoses/outcomes were identified that belong to the psychobiological needs of oxygenation (13-22.4%), vascular regulation (12-20.7%), neurological regulation (10-17.2%), hydration (08-13.8%), elimination (08-13.8%), immunological regulation (04-6.9%) and thermal regulation (03-5.2%), evidencing a total of 172 nursing interventions with a mean of 03 for each nursing diagnosis/outcome. Conclusion: data analysis provided greater knowledge about the disease and the nursing process in the ICU setting, serving as a guide for the professional practice for critically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and sepsis.