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Objective: To evaluate the outcomes and costs associated with surgery versus sclerotherapy as treatment of hydroceles. Methods: A total of 53 men consecutively treated for hydrocele at our organization, between December 2015 and June 2019, were retrospectively analyzed (39 with Jaboulay technique and 14 with sclerotherapy). All charts were reviewed, assessing clinical data, ultrasound findings, surgical data, and post-procedure outcomes. The hospital finance department calculated the cost of outpatient evaluation, complementary tests, supplies, drugs, and professionals’ costs throughout all procedures. Results: The median age for both groups was similar (58 and 65 years old). Comorbidities were less frequent in the Surgery Group (20; 51%) than in the Sclerotherapy Group (14; 100%, p

A major challenge for hospitals in low-income and middle-income countries is to improve management of patients diagnosed with sepsis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model as a strategy to implement a managed sepsis protocol aimed at reducing sepsis mortality. We performed a longitudinal, prospective, non-randomised study using PDSA cycles for translating and implementing improvement actions and tools. Baseline case mortality/case fatality data were collected, and compliance rates were evaluated according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (3-hour care-bundle). Sepsis multidisciplinary work teams were designated and were responsible to develop Driver Diagrams and implement process changes in the intensive care unit, wards and emergency department. Satisfaction levels of healthcare professionals were assessed (balance variables). The study was carried out in a public quaternary hospital, in São Paulo city, Brazil (Hospital Municipal da Vila Santa Catarina). The number of patients with sepsis studied was 416 who were followed over a 15-month period. The data analyses were carried out by statistical process control. Case fatality rates were kept below a prespecified target of 25% (15.9%) during the period. Satisfaction level of the participating staff was high (95.2%) and 71% of participants reported no work overload. The IHI model was found to be a feasible and useful strategy for implementing a sepsis management clinical protocol.

Background:As medication non-adherence is a major risk factor for poor post-transplant outcomes, we explored how adherence is assessed, enhanced and integrated across the transplant continuum.Aim:The aim of this study was to study practice patterns regarding pre- and post-transplant medication adherence assessment and interventions in international heart transplant centres.Methods:We used data from the Building Research Initiative Group: chronic illness management and adherence in heart transplantation (BRIGHT) study, a cross-sectional study conducted in 36 heart transplant centres in 11 countries. On a 27-item questionnaire, 100 clinicians (range one to five per centre) reported their practice patterns regarding adherence assessment and intervention strategies pre-transplant, immediately post-transplant, less than one year, and one or more year post-transplant. Educational/cognitive, counselling/behavioural and psychosocial/affective strategies were assessed. Clinicians’ responses (intervention present vs. absent; or incongruence in reporting intervention) were aggregated at the centre level.Results:The adherence assessment method most commonly used along the transplant continuum was questioning patients (range 75–88.9%). Pre-transplant, all three categories of intervention strategy were applied. Providing reading materials (82.9%) or instructions (68.6%), involving family or support persons in education (91.4%), and establishing partnership (91.4%) were used most frequently. Post-transplant, strategies closely resembled those employed pre-transplant. Training patients (during recovery) and cueing were more often applied during hospitalisation (74.3%). After the first year post-transplant, except for motivational interviewing (25.7–28.6%), the number of strategies decreased.Conclusions:Across the transplant continuum, diverse adherence interventions are implemented; however, post-transplant, the frequency of adherence interventions decreases. Therefore, increased investment is necessary in long-term adherence interventions.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: (1) explore the proportion of HTx centers that have a multidisciplinary team and (2) assess the relationship between multidisciplinarity and the level of chronic illness management (CIM). BACKGROUND: The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) recommends a multidisciplinary approach in heart transplant (HTx) follow-up care but little is known regarding the proportion of HTx centers that meet this recommendation and the impact on patient care. HTx centers with a multidisciplinary team may offer higher levels of CIM, a care model that has the potential to improve outcomes after HTx. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the BRIGHT study, a cross-sectional study in 11 countries. Multidisciplinarity in the 36 HTx centers was assessed through HTx director reports and was defined as having a team that was composed of physician(s), nurse(s), and another healthcare professional (either a social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist, pharmacist, dietician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist). CIM was assessed with the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC). Multiple linear regression assessed the relationship between multidisciplinarity and the level of CIM. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (80.6%) of the HTx centers had a multidisciplinary team. Furthermore, multidisciplinarity was significantly associated with higher levels of CIM (β = 5.2, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Majority of the HTx centers follows the ISHLT recommendation for a multidisciplinary approach. Multidisciplinarity was associated with CIM and point toward a structural factor that needs to be in place for moving toward CIM. ispartof: Heart & Lung vol:46 issue:5 pages:351-356 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Health literacy (HL) is a major determinant of health outcomes; however, there are few studies exploring the role of HL among heart transplant recipients. The objectives of this study were to: (1) explore and compare the prevalence of inadequate HL among heart transplant recipients internationally; (2) determine the correlates of HL; and (3) assess the relationship between HL and health-related behaviors.A secondary analysis was conducted using data of the 1,365 adult patients from the BRIGHT study, an international multicenter, cross-sectional study that surveyed heart transplant recipients across 11 countries and 4 continents. Using the Subjective Health Literacy Screener, inadequate HL was operationalized as being confident in filling out medical forms none/a little/some of the time (HL score of 0 to 2). Correlates of HL were determined using backward stepwise logistic regression. The relationship between HL and the health-related behaviors were examined using hierarchical logistic regression.Overall, 33.1% of the heart transplant recipients had inadequate HL. Lower education level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.24, p0.001), unemployment (AOR 0.69, p = 0.012) and country (residing in Brazil, AOR 0.25, p0.001) were shown to be associated with inadequate HL. Heart transplant recipients with adequate HL had higher odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity (AOR 1.6, p = 0.016). HL was not significantly associated with the other health behaviors.Clinicians should recognize that almost one third of heart transplant participants have inadequate health literacy. Furthermore, they should adopt communication strategies that could mitigate the potential negative impact of inadequate HL.

PURPOSE: To assess and compare the prevalence of medication nonadherence (MNA) (implementation and persistence) to immunosuppressants and co-medications in heart transplant recipients. METHODS: MNA prevalence was assessed using the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medications Scale (self-report) and compared using logistic regression in a 4-continent sample of 1397 heart transplant recipients from 36 heart transplant centers in 11 countries. FINDINGS: MNA was significantly (α = 0.05) higher to co-medications than to immunosuppressants (taking nonadherence: 23.9% vs 17.3%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.30-1.73; drug holiday: 5.7% vs 1.9%; OR = 3.17; 95% CI, 2.13-4.73; dose alteration: 3.8% vs 1.6%; OR = 2.46; 95% CI, 1.49-4.06; and discontinuation: 2.6% vs 0.5%; OR = 5.15; 95% CI, 2.36-11.20). IMPLICATIONS: The observed MNA necessitates adherence-enhancing interventions encompassing the entire post-heart transplant medication regimen. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01608477. ispartof: CLINICAL THERAPEUTICS vol:41 issue:1 pages:130-136 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Intestinal transplantation has shown exceptional growth over the past 10 years. At the end of the 1990’s, intestinal transplantation moved out of the experimental realm to become a routine practice in treating patients with severe complications related to total parenteral nutrition and intestinal failure. In the last years, several centers reported an increasing improvement in survival outcomes (about 80%), during the first 12 months after surgery, but long-term survival is still a challenge. Several advances led to clinical application of transplants. Immunosuppression involved in intestinal and multivisceral transplantation was the biggest gain for this procedure in the past decade due to tacrolimus, and new inducing drugs, mono- and polyclonal anti-lymphocyte antibodies. Despite the advancement of rigid immunosuppression protocols, rejection is still very frequent in the first 12 months, and can result in long-term graft loss. The future of intestinal transplantation and multivisceral transplantation appears promising. The major challenge is early recognition of acute rejection in order to prevent graft loss, opportunistic infections associated to complications, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease and graft versus host disease; and consequently, improve results in the long run.

Objective To establish, measure and analyze quality indicators in the evaluation and enrolment process of patients in a liver transplant program. Methods A quantitative and non-experimental research, with data collected from the database of a liver transplant program, from September 2012 to September 2014. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quality indicators identified. Results We analyzed 1,311 visits in the transplant outpatient clinic, most males (66.7%), white (65.1%), mean age of 53 (±12.5) years, from the Southeastern Region (91.2%), and from the State of São Paulo (80.8%). The indicators measured were efficiency of patient admission process (54.8%), efficiency of evaluation of transplant indication (39.9%), efficacy of treatment of patients seen in the program (21.8%), and waiting time to inclusion in the waiting list, median of 84 days (36-142). Conclusion The quality indicators analyzed in this study enabled a quantitative view of the process, facilitating management of results and benchmarking with other transplant centers. Continuous monitoring can optimize resource allocation and planning of services in patient's admission process. RESUMO Objetivo Estabelecer, mensurar e analisar indicadores de qualidade no processo de avaliação e admissão dos pacientes em um programa de transplante hepático. Métodos Pesquisa de abordagem quantitativa não experimental, com dados coletados a partir do banco de dados da gestão de um programa de transplante hepático entre setembro de 2012 e setembro de 2014. Estatística descritiva foi utilizada para analisar os indicadores de qualidade identificados. Resultados Foram analisados 1.311 atendimentos no ambulatório de transplante, a maioria do sexo masculino (66,7%), branca (65,1%), com média de idade de 53 (±12,5) anos, da Região Sudeste (91,2%) e do Estado de São Paulo (80,8%). Os indicadores mensurados foram eficiência do processo de admissão dos pacientes (54,8%), eficiência da avaliação de indicação ao transplante (39,9%), eficácia do tratamento dos pacientes atendidos no programa (21,8%), e tempo de inclusão na lista de espera, com mediana em 84 dias (36-142). Conclusão Os indicadores de qualidade analisados neste estudo possibilitaram uma visão quantitativa do processo, facilitando o gerenciamento de resultados e o benchmarking entre instituições transplantadoras. O monitoramento contínuo pode otimizar a alocação de recursos e o planejamento de serviços relacionados ao processo de admissão do paciente.