Conectar
by Aline Veras Morais Brilhante, Christina César Praça Brasil, Raimunda Magalhães da Silva, Marjan Askari, Luciana Andrade da Mota Sampaio, Jonas Loiola Gonçalves, Layane Sabóia, Lucas Alessandro Macedo Cruz, Helena Rodrigues Dias, Luciel Almeida Cavalcanti, Maria Julya Albuquerque Parente, Mariana Tavares Rocha, Melania Maria Ramos de Amorim
Autistic women experience increased obstetric and perinatal risks, partly driven by communication barriers within maternity care. Evidence on how these barriers are experienced in low- and middle-income countries remains scarce. This study aimed to analyze communication barriers in perinatal care based on narratives of autistic women who experienced pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care in Brazil. A qualitative study was conducted using the Hermeneutic-Dialectic Circle (HDC) approach. Thirty-four autistic women (22 with support level 1 and 12 with support level 2, including three non-speaking participants with complex communication needs) were recruited through convenience sampling, supplemented by active recruitment through participant referral, and participated in semi-structured interviews conducted in multiple accessible formats (video call, real-time messaging, in-person, and augmentative and alternative communication). Data were analyzed using constant comparative methods within the hermeneutic-dialectic framework, guided by the social model of disability and the neurodiversity paradigm. Three central categories were constructed: (1) communicational demands of autistic women and their non-recognition, including alexithymia, sensory hypersensitivity, and need for predictability; (2) institutional and interpersonal communication failures, encompassing symptom invalidation, disrespectful care, and exclusion of non-speaking women; and (3) experiences of respectful and effective communication, demonstrating that adapted strategies promote safety and autonomy. Participants’ narratives indicate that communication barriers in perinatal care for autistic women operate systemically rather than individually. Training healthcare professionals and implementing accessible communication strategies are essential to promote respectful, safe, and inclusive maternity care.by Isabela Oliveira Sousa, João Lucas Pinheiro Leite, Amanda Oliveira dos Santos Melo, Adriano Souza Santos Monteiro, Carolina Ferreira Cavalcanti Xavier, Valmira de Jesus Santos, Ana Paula Silva de Lemos, Samanta Cristine Grassi Almeida, Ana Paula de Oliveira Menezes, Soraia Machado Cordeiro, Joice Neves Reis
BackgroundMonitoring the prevalence and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal carriage is essential for understanding transmission dynamics and assessing the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). In Brazil, PCV10-GSK is routinely administered at 2 and 4 months of age with a booster at 12 months. This study aimed to determine the nasopharyngeal carriage rate, serotype distribution, antimicrobial susceptibility, and factors associated with carriage among healthy children aged 2–5 years vaccinated with PCV10-GSK under the Brazilian routine immunization program.
MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2023 among children aged two to five years from 10 randomly selected schools in Salvador, Brazil. Within each school, all eligible children whose parents or legal guardians provided written informed consent were enrolled. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, and demographic, vaccination, and risk factor data were recorded. S. pneumoniae isolates were serotyped using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and/or the Quellung reaction. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using disk diffusion and gradient strip minimum inhibitory concentration methods. Risk factors for carriage were assessed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis.
ResultsAmong the 400 children enrolled, the overall S. pneumoniae carriage rate was 39.5%. White race was independently associated with lower odds of carriage compared with mixed race, whereas none of the evaluated factors was significantly associated with carriage of non-PCV20 serotypes among colonized children. The most frequent serotypes were 6C (17.9%), 19A (13.0%), 11A (9.3%), 15B (8.6%), 23A (8.6%), and 15A (7.4%). Estimated vaccine serotype carriage was 3.2% for PCV10-GSK, 17.3% for PCV13/PCV15/PCV10-SII, and 39.5% for PCV20. Penicillin non-susceptibility was observed in 21.8% of isolates, with the highest rates among serotypes 19A (71.4%), 23A (35.7%), and 6C (20.7%).
ConclusionsA high pneumococcal carriage rate, predominantly involving non-PCV10-GSK serotypes, was observed among children vaccinated under the Brazilian PCV10-GSK program. The limited serotype coverage of PCV10-GSK, together with antimicrobial resistance among circulating serotypes, underscores the need for ongoing surveillance to guide vaccine policy and antimicrobial stewardship in Brazil.
This study aims to investigate the association between hourly nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations and emergency hospital admissions for adult patients with asthma in the Birmingham–Solihull metropolitan area, West Midlands, UK.
A time-series study.
The study was conducted in the Birmingham–Solihull metropolitan area, West Midlands, UK.
Adult patients with asthma (aged ≥16 years at the time of admission) from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2022 residing in Birmingham and Solihull, West Midlands.
We analysed the hourly rate of emergency hospital admissions for acute asthma. A Poisson generalised additive model combined with the distributed lag non-linear model was applied to assess the association between hourly NO2 concentrations and hourly counts of hospital admissions for acute asthma. Furthermore, the effect modification of the NO2-asthma association in specific participant groups, such as sex, deprivation index and ethnicity, was explored in stratified analyses.
The study included 18 943 adults with asthma exacerbations who attended the four acute hospitals in the study area during the study period. The study observed a significant positive association between hospital admissions for acute asthma and hourly NO2 concentrations. The mean NO2 exposure (18 µg/m3) over a lag of 0–24 hours was associated with a 13% (RR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.26) increase in the risk of daytime emergency hospital admissions for acute asthma in comparison with no exposure. The results show a significant association between NO2 exposure and hospital admissions for a lag of 3–6 hours. Furthermore, subgroup-specific analysis indicated a higher positive risk associated with hourly NO2 among patients living in the most deprived areas.
This study strengthens the evidence for the importance of using high-temporal resolution air pollution data to examine impacts on health, particularly where there are marked temporal patterns in exposure. Understanding these exposure–response relationships will improve healthcare preparedness and resource allocation in relation to air pollution levels.
To examine the dimensions and meanings of the work environment of Primary Health Care nurses in relation to organizational conditions and professional practice.
Sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.
This study was conducted with Primary Health Care nurses in Manaus, Brazil. The quantitative phase included 243 participants using a validated work environment scale, analysed descriptively and compared across health districts. The qualitative phase involved 16 interviews analysed through thematic analysis. The phases were integrated using joint displays and meta-inferences to connect, compare and interpret the findings.
Work motivation was classified as healthy, particularly regarding meaning, recognition and autonomy, whereas safety and strategic management fell within the attention range, without differences across the districts. The qualitative findings confirmed and expanded these results and, for motivation, reframed them: motivation rested on the meaning nurses attribute to care rather than on favourable conditions, compensating for weaknesses in safety and management, the most fragile dimension.
The work environment is sustained from within, through professional commitment, whereas the structures that should protect and organize the work remain fragile, especially in a territorially complex, resource-constrained Amazonian setting.
The findings support continuous, institutionalized strategies for worker protection, violence prevention, psychological support and participatory management.
This study shows that professional engagement coexists with organizational challenges, informing policy and workforce interventions.
STROBE and COREQ guidelines.
No patient or public involvement.
Ageing is associated with declines in physical and cognitive function that increase the risk of disability and dependence. Intrinsic capacity (IC), proposed by the WHO, provides a multidimensional framework to assess health in older adults. This study aims to evaluate whether a multicomponent recreational exercise programme (Fun Exercise for Older Adults (FEXO)) improves IC, motivation and adherence compared with a conventional programme (OTAGO).
A randomised controlled trial with two groups (2:1 ratio) will be conducted among 120 community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years). Participants will be randomly assigned to FEXO (intervention) or OTAGO (control). Both programmes will consist of 3 weekly sessions for 14 weeks. Primary outcomes: IC, assessed through validated measures (Short Physical Performance Battery, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and sensory evaluation), motivation (BREQ-3) and adherence rate. Secondary outcomes include body composition, cardiovascular parameters, frailty, cognition and resilience (PRIFOR). Data will be analysed using two-way ANOVA (groupxtime) under an intention-to-treat approach. Effect sizes (p²) and 95% CIs will be reported. Additional analyses (correlation, regression, mediation and moderation) will explore associations and intervention effects.
Approved by the Ethics Committee of Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera (Ref. CEEI23/487 and CEEI25/639). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. The findings of this study will contribute to improving evidence-based strategies for promoting healthy ageing and will support the development of more engaging and effective exercise interventions for older adults.
This study has been prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT07133568).
by Wenshu Li, Jeffrey A. Leibowitz, Shuoguo Wang, Louisa Walker, Chang Xu, Kuei-Ting Chen, Alexa B. Schrock, Jason Hughes, Nimesh Patel, Julia A. Elvin, Lauren L. Ritterhouse, Ethan Sokol, Garrett Frampton, Lucas Dennis, Bahar Yilmazel, Brennan Decker
Homologous recombination repair (HRR) is a cellular pathway for high-fidelity double strand DNA break repair that uses the sister chromatid as a guide to ensure chromosomal integrity and cell viability. Deficiency in the HRR pathway (HRD) can sensitize tumors to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) and platinum-based chemotherapy, offering an avenue to identify patients who may benefit from targeted therapies. HRD signature (HRDsig) is a pan-solid-tumor biomarker on the FoundationOne®CDx (F1CDx®) assay that employs a DNA scar-based approach to calculate a score based on copy number features (e.g., segment size, oscillation patterns, and breakpoints per chromosome arm) and does not rely on HRR gene alterations, enabling detection of genomic and epigenetic mechanisms of HRD. After finalizing the HRDsig algorithm, analytical validation was conducted in a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory on 278 solid tumor and normal tissue specimens. HRDsig results were compared with an independent HRD biomarker, defined by the presence of a reversion mutation restoring HRR gene function. In this evaluation, 100 HRD-positive and 126 HRD-negative samples showed a positive percent agreement of 90.00% and a negative percent agreement of 94.44%. The limit of detection (LoD) was estimated at 23.04% tumor purity, with the limit of blank (LoB) confirmed as zero in 60 normal tissue replicates. Reproducibility testing on 11 positive and 11 negative samples across multiple labs, reagent lots, and sequencers yielded agreement in 99.49% of positive and 99.73% of negative replicates. HRDsig status remained consistent in the presence of interfering substances, demonstrating 100% concordance in spiked samples. These validation results underscore the high analytical concordance, low false-positive rate, and overall robustness of HRDsig for reliable assessment of homologous recombination deficiency.To analyse the relationship between authentic nursing leadership and safety climates across hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authentic nursing leadership shapes the safety climate by fostering positive perceptions of workplace policies, processes, procedures and practices that influence how safety is prioritised and addressed within an organisation.
A cross-sectional study.
Our study was conducted from December 2021 to December 2022 in six Brazilian hospitals. Participants were nursing staff working in General Medicine Units, Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Emergency Departments (ED) who provided care to patients with COVID-19. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire were used to measure nursing staff perceptions of authentic leadership and safety climates. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
391 nursing staff across six hospitals participated. Self-awareness significantly enhanced perceptions of the safety climates. Additionally, being a Registered Nurse and working in the ICU were positively associated with achieving safe climates in the working environment. In contrast, working in EDs was significantly negatively related to safety climates.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored a lack of authentic nursing leadership and unsafe climates. Therefore, it is critical to implement educational strategies that foster authentic leadership, particularly focusing on self-awareness, to promote more positive safety climates. Ensuring that leadership and safety climates are relationship-focused is critical to enhancing patient outcomes.
Nursing staff's perceptions of authentic leadership and safety climates are important in making more informed decisions about patient management.
Since self-awareness increases positive perceptions of safety climates, nursing staff should exercise it to guide their actions in facing future health crises.
STROBE guidelines.
Higher self-awareness in relationships with others is a predictor of safety climates and can lead to enhanced patient outcomes.
Introducción: La motivación cumple un rol fundamental sobre todo en el desempeño laboral del profesional de Enfermería. Esta motivación representa un factor protector tanto para el profesional de Enfermería como también al paciente que se encuentra a su cuidado. Se objetivó analizar la relación existente entre factores motivacionales y desempeño laboral del profesional de Enfermería quienes ejercen funciones en dos hospitales del departamento Central 2023. Metodología. Estudio observacional descriptivo transversal realizado en dos centros asistenciales de referencia nacional, de alta complejidad de la República del Paraguay, muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. El instrumento, un cuestionario pre-elaborado y validado. Resultados. Respeto al desempeño laboral, predominó el nivel alto. En referencia a las dimensiones del desempeño laboral, ha predominado mayoritariamente el nivel alto, no registrándose ningún participante en el nivel bajo. Al relacionar los factores motivacionales con el desempeño laboral, se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa, con lo que se acepta la hipótesis de investigación que indica que existe asociación entre factores motivacionales y el desempeño laboral de profesionales de enfermería. Discusión. Al relacionar los factores motivacionales con el desempeño laboral, se observó una asociación estadísticamente significativa. Esto se respalda en un estudio realizado en Perú, cuyos resultados sugieren que el desempeño laboral de los profesionales de enfermería estaría influenciado por la dependencia de factores motivacionales extrínsecos. Conclusión: Se recomienda fortalecer programas de reconocimiento y mejora de condiciones laborales para estimular la motivación extrínseca, como implementar oportunidades de desarrollo profesional y participación en la toma de decisiones.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Motivation plays a fundamental role, especially in the work performance of nursing professionals. This motivation represents a protective factor for both the nursing professional and the patient under their care. The objective was to analyze the existing relationship between motivational factors and work performance of nursing professionals who work in two hospitals in the Central department 2023. Methodology. A cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study carried out in two national reference, highly complex healthcare centers in the Republic of Paraguay, using a non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The instrument was a pre-prepared and validated questionnaire. Results. Regarding work performance, a high level predominated. Regarding the dimensions of work performance, the high level predominated, with no participants registered at the low level. When relating motivational factors with work performance, a statistically significant association was found, thereby accepting the research hypothesis that indicates an association between motivational factors and the work performance of nursing professionals. Discussion. When relating motivational factors to job performance, a statistically significant association was observed. This is supported by a study conducted in Peru, whose results suggest that nursing professionals' job performance may be influenced by their dependence on extrinsic motivational factors. Conclusion. Strengthen recognition programs and improve working conditions is recommended to stimulate extrinsic motivation, such as implementing opportunities for professional development and participation in decision-making.
Objetivo principal: Identificar el número y tipo de abreviaturas estandarizadas utilizadas al elaborar los registros de enfermería en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) del Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo transversal realizado con una muestra de 641 registros de enfermería de 25 Historias Clínicas. Resultados principales: El glosario de abreviaturas, siglas y acrónimos fue filtrado en bases terminológicas para comprobar si existía una estandarización a las mismas. De la muestra de los 641 registros se identificaron un total de 3.445 abreviaturas, siglas y acrónimos, siendo 247 diferentes entre sí. Los vocablos identificados están reconocidos en un 45,5 %, en el primero de los diccionarios, aumentando el porcentaje al 51,2 % en la base segunda base terminológica. Conclusión principal: El uso de las abreviaturas, siglas y acrónimos puede generar problemas de comprensión e interferir en la seguridad de los pacientes, aconsejándose la protocolización de su uso para no deteriorar la calidad asistencial.
FreshRSS 