Spiral-shaped biliary endoprosthesis: initial study

A new flexible, spiral-shaped biliary endoprosthesis is described. This spiral endoprosthesis can negotiate acute angles, can be cut to any length, and has been specifically designed to deal with the problem of stent migration. The authors report their initial experience with this endoprosthesis in 14 patients.     

Nocardia choroidal abscess in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Purpose: Nocardia asteroides, a respiratory saprophyte in humans, may cause localized infection of the lungs in debilitated or immunosuppressed individuals. Haematogenous spread to the eye via the choroidal circulation may result in choroidal abscess formation. Method: We report the development of a choroidal abscess in the left eye of a woman treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide for systemic lupus erythematosus. Haematogenous spread of N. asteroides from a localized infection of the lung (empyema) is thought to have been the cause of the choroidal abscess. Results: Surgical drainage of the empyema combined with intravenously administered antibiotics resulted in resolution of the choroidal abscess and improvement of vision. Conclusions: A choroidal abscess, caused by haematogenous spread of N. asteroides, may respond to appropriate systemic antibiotic treatment alone and not require ocular treatment.     

Evidence-based practices published in Brazil: identification and analysis of their types and methodological approches

This is an integrative review of Brazilian studies on evidence-based practices (EBP) in health, published in ISI/JCR journals in the last 10 years. The aim was to identify the specialty areas that most accomplished these studies, their foci and methodological approaches. Based on inclusion criteria, 144 studies were selected. The results indicate that most EBP studies addressed childhood and adolescence, infectious diseases, psychiatrics/mental health and surgery. The predominant foci were prevention, treatment/rehabilitation, diagnosis and assessment. The most used methods were systematic review with or without meta-analysis, protocol review or synthesis of available evidence studies, and integrative review. A strong multiprofessional expansion of EBP is found in Brazil, contributing to the search for more selective practices by collecting, recognizing and critically analyzing the produced knowledge. The study also contributes to the analysis itself of ways to do research and new research possibilities.     

The micropolitics of the work of health professionals in health centers: regarding the health needs of families

The objective of this study was to understand the strengths and limitations of the process of nursing work at a health center in terms of recognizing the health needs of the population. The methodological framework used was social research in the qualitative perspective, with discourse analysis based on hermeneutics-dialectics and founded on the Theory of Praxis Interpretation of Community Health Nursing. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews, and the working processes of the teams were examined according to the Analyzing Flowchart of the Model of a Health Care Service. In conclusion, there are limitations in the daily working process of the nursing team regarding the recognition of the health needs of the population. Coping with these needs consisted of the identification of complications, relegating the social determinants of the poor life conditions associated with the health-disease process to a secondary concern.     

A1, a Bcl-2 family member, prolongs cell survival and permits myeloid differentiation

A1, a bcl-2 family member, has been identified as a hematopoietic- specific, early inducible gene. In this study it is shown that stable transfection of A1 into an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent myeloid precursor cell line, 32D c13, leads to a retardation of IL-3 withdrawal- induced cell death similar to that observed with transfection of bcl-2. However, unlike bcl-2. A1 expression permits the accumulation of differentiated myeloid cells both before and after IL-3 withdrawal. Total cell accumulation, on the other hand, is considerably greater after IL-3 deprivation in the bcl-2 transfectant than in A1-expressing cells. Cells cotransfected with the two genes behave similarly to cells singly transfected with bcl-2, except that viability following IL-3 withdrawal is somewhat further enhanced. These results suggest that these two proteins have distinct roles that may be related to the divergent regulation of their expression during myeloid differentiation.