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Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an important chronic disease that occurs worldwide. Aims: This study aims to investigate how the use of the FreeStyle® Libre system in Unified Health System (SUS) patients impacts diabetes parameters in patients who receive education on proper insulin administration and the use of the continuous monitoring device, as well as how this affects patients without any concomitant multidisciplinary support in Sergipe, Brazil. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized study in a diabetes clinic in Sergipe, Brazil, using the flash method FreeStyle® Libre (Abbott). The participants were divided into two groups: one receiving diabetes education on CGM (continuous glucose monitoring), while the other did not. Before the intervention, the patient's treatment motivation and quality of life were assessed using a questionnaire, and baseline levels of glycated hemoglobin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the point of care AlereTM Afinion with boronate fixation. We compared first- and second-phase data with respect to glycated hemoglobin, mean interstitial blood glucose, time on and above target for hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events, and mean hypoglycemic duration. Results: In group A, which received the diabetes education intervention, there was a significant reduction in average HbA1c levels from 8.6% to 7.9% after 3 months (p = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in average glycemic values. Time above target decreased significantly from 50.62% to 29.43% (p = 0.0001), while time below target decreased from 22.90% to 20.21% (p = 0.002). There was no significant change in the number of hypoglycemic events, but the duration of hypoglycemia decreased significantly from 130.35 min to 121.18 min after 3 months (p = 0.0001). In Group B, there was no significant difference in mean HbA1c levels before (7.07%) and after (7.28%) sensor installation. This group maintained lower HbA1c levels compared to the other group. Average blood glucose levels also remained similar before (148.37 mg/dL) and after (154.65 mg/dL) the intervention. Although the time above the target glucose level increased significantly from 35.94% to 48.17%, the time at target decreased from 50.40% to 37.97%. No significant changes were observed in the time below target, the number of hypoglycemic events, or the duration of hypoglycemia. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that utilizing continuous glucose monitoring technology can enhance glycemic control, particularly in motivated, educated, low-income patients dependent on the SUS. To achieve positive results with FreeStyle Libre, it is imperative to allocate resources for multidisciplinary support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The disposal of plastic material has been gaining negative attention due to its impact on the environment and people's health. Insulin pens used by people living with diabetes are disposed of through landfills or incineration, negatively impacting the environment and generating costs for the state. Methods: In an attempt to reduce the disposal of plastic in the environment and reduce disposal costs, the "Insulinadiamor" project was created, which uses handicrafts as a means of re-socializing women deprived of their liberty. In this project, female inmates in the state of Sergipe turn insulin pens into ballpoint pens. Results: During the year 2022, 2000 insulin pens were transformed into ballpoint pens. We estimate a loss of around USD 37,150.28 for the state due to the inappropriate use of medicines, which was reflected in the return of complete insulins. In addition, by avoiding landfill or incineration of the plastic content collected, we contributed to an estimated saving of almost USD 603.91 for the state and more than 80 kg of CO2-equivalent emissions. Conclusions: This project brings a sustainable and transformative approach involving financial savings, rehabilitation of inmates, and contribution to the environment. It also raises the importance of creating more sustainable initiatives to reduce plastic waste in the health sector and other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the impact of the pandemic in Brazil, vaccination is essential to prevent illness and death. Thus, this study sought to compare, after vaccination, the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the response to vaccination in the least and most vaccinated municipalities of a Brazilian state during the height of the pandemic when the Omicron variant was dominant. Methods: We tested for the SARS-CoV-2 antigen and confirmed infection using an RT-qPCR and measured IgM and IgG antibodies in fully vaccinated participants from municipalities with higher and lower vaccination rates. Results: We showed that participants from the least vaccinated municipalities were more likely to have detectable IgM antibodies and a positive antigen/RT-qPCR result for SARS-CoV-2 than participants from the most vaccinated municipalities. There were no differences between the vaccines used (BNT162b2, Ad26.COV2.S, AZD1222, and CoronaVac) and antibody production. Conclusions: Our study evaluated municipal vaccination coverage and its effects on mortality, infections, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during a critical phase of the pandemic. The results suggest that higher vaccination coverage reduces acute cases and confers higher memory antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2. Even with a full vaccination schedule, individuals living in places with low vaccination rates are more susceptible to infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 led to the suspension academic activities worldwide, affecting millions of students and staff. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the presence of IgM and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in an academic population during the return to classes after a one-year suspension. The study took place over five months at a Brazilian university and included 942 participants. Results: We found that most participants had reactive IgG and non-reactive IgM. All received at least one dose, and 940 received two or more doses, of different COVID-19 vaccines. We obtained a higher average of memory antibodies (IgG) in participants who received the CoronaVac/ChAdOx1 combination. IgG was consistently distributed for each vaccine group, but individuals who completed the vaccination schedule had higher levels. There were no differences between antibodies and gender, presence of symptoms, and previous COVID-19 infection, but older participants (>53 years) and contacts of infected individuals had higher IgM levels. Conclusion: This study makes significant contributions to the assessment of antibodies in the academic environment, allowing us to infer that most participants had memory immunity and low indications of recent infection when returning to face-to-face classes, as well as demonstrating the need to monitor immunity and update vaccinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even with the current advances that have been made in regard to COVID-19, such as a better understanding of the disease and the steady growth in the number of vaccinated individuals, it remains a challenge for humanity. Dealing with the disease in prison settings has been particularly difficult. This study sought to discover whether in-person visiting affected the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the penitentiaries in the state of Sergipe (Brazil). We conducted a two-phase study (when visiting was suspended and after it recommenced) in seven penitentiaries in Sergipe using immunochromatography and nasopharyngeal swab testing to evaluate whether visiting affects the number of COVID-19 cases. In the first phase (n = 778), 57.6% of inmates reported risk factors and 32.5% were positive for COVID-19 (18.9% IgM, 24.2% IgG, 1% antigen). In the second phase, 19.6% tested positive (13.9% IgM, 7.9% IgG, 0.2% antigen). The occurrence of positive cases of COVID-19 and positive results (IgM and IgG) were significantly higher in the first phase. In the second phase, 56.7% of inmates had received visits and 18.7% were positive for COVID-19 (14% IgM, 7% IgG). Among those who had not received visits, 20.9% tested positive (13.8% IgM, 9.2% IgG, 0.5% antigen). There was no significant difference in positive cases/results between inmates that had and had not received visits. These findings suggest that, under the conditions assessed, visiting does not seem to affect the number of COVID-19 cases in prisons and reinforces the importance of sanitary measures to control dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]