Abstract: Introduction: The consolidation of rural internship programs is not a simple phenomenon, although its importance is currently recognized by students and teachers as a differentiated activity in their training itineraries. Medical schools still face considerable challenges in carrying out this type of activity. The existence of evidence that recruiting students to rural internships, offering meaningful experiences during undergraduate school and implementing a specific training program for rural areas after graduation, are the most effective interventions for recruitment and retention. Objective: Identify the rural internship programs in operation in Brazil, through the evaluation of Curricular Pedagogical Projects (PPCs,) of medical courses, fostering the debate on medical training for rural and remote areas, as well as emphasizing the importance of this type of training. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive and documentary analysis study, with a quantitative characteristic, with a sampling of the access to the Curricular Pedagogical Projects (PPCs) of medical schools in Brazil with rural internships in the curriculum. Result: Of the 357 Medical Schools in Brazil, the authors found 18 programs with rural internships, corresponding to 5% of the institutions. The Southeast Region, when compared to the North region, concentrates the largest number of medical schools in Brazil (148), but the largest number of PPCs with rural internship is in the North Region of Brazil, totaling 6 (16%) in relation to medical schools in the region. Furthermore, of the 47 medical schools in the Southeast Region, in Minas Gerais, 2 rural internship programs were identified by the authors, in relation to other states in the same region. Conclusion: There are few rural internship programs identified in the PPCs in Brazilian medical schools. Changes are needed in the PPCs, with the inclusion of rural internships, with the inclusion of well-defined competencies and based on people’s health needs; construction of knowledge and development of skills and attitudes to solve problems, consistent with the reality of Brazil.

Resumo Introdução: A consolidação de programas de internato rural não é um fenômeno simples, embora sua importância atualmente seja reconhecida por alunos e professores como uma atividade diferenciada em seus itinerários formativos. As escolas médicas ainda enfrentam desafios consideráveis para concretizar esse tipo de atividade. Há evidências de que o oferecimento de experiências significativas durante a graduação e a implementação de um programa específico de treinamento para a zona rural, após a formação, são as intervenções mais efetivas para o recrutamento de estudantes para o internato rural e a retenção deles. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar os programas de internato rural em atividade no Brasil, por meio da avaliação dos projetos pedagógicos curriculares (PPC) dos cursos de Medicina, de modo a fomentar o debate sobre a formação médica para áreas rurais e remotas, e ressaltar a importância desse tipo de formação. Método: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo e de análise documental, com caráter quantitativo, com uma amostragem do acesso aos PPC de escolas médicas do Brasil com a existência de internato rural no currículo. Resultado: Nas 357 escolas médicas existentes no Brasil, os autores encontraram 18 programas com internato rural, o que representa 5% das instituições. A Região Sudeste, quando comparada com a Região Norte, concentra o maior número de escolas médicas no Brasil (148), porém o maior número de PPC com internatos rurais fica no Norte, totalizando seis (16%) em relação às escolas médicas da região. Ainda, nas 47 escolas médicas do Sudeste, identificaram-se, em Minas Gerais, apenas dois programas de internato rural. Conclusão: Nos PPC das escolas médicas brasileiras, identificaram-se poucos programas de internato rural. Por conta disso, são necessárias mudanças nos PPC, como inclusão de internato rural, inserção de competências bem definidas e baseadas nas necessidades de saúde das pessoas, construção do conhecimento e desenvolvimento de habilidades e atitudes para resolver problemas; tudo isso de forma condizente com a realidade do Brasil.

ABSTRACT Objective Vitamin D has several metabolic functions and possible reproductive functions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Brazilian women of reproductive age, and to evaluate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and infertility causes. Subjects and methods This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated data from a private Brazilian assisted reproduction center that were collected between January 1 and May 5, 2012. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured and compared for infertile and fertile women. Concentrations of 25(OH)D that were < 20 ng/mL were defined as deficiency and concentrations of 21-30 ng/mL were defined as hypovitaminosis D. Results Among the 369 evaluated women, 81.1% exhibited hypovitaminosis D and 32.0% exhibited deficiency. The infertile and control patients did not exhibit any significant differences in the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (30.2% vs. 35%, respectively; p = 0.33) or in the mean 25(OH)D concentrations (24.3 ± 7.9 ng/mL vs. 23.8 ± 8.7 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.51). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the mean 25(OH)D concentrations among subgroups of patients with single infertility factors, or between these subgroups and the control group. Conclusions A high proportion of Brazilian women of reproductive age exhibited vitamin D deficiency, regardless of their fertility status. Thus, it may be useful to evaluate this population for vitamin D deficiency, although future studies are needed to determine whether this deficiency might affect the outcomes of treatments for infertility.

CONTEXTO: Na isquemia crítica, a artéria femoral profunda pode tornar-se a opção mais distal como origem de fluxo para derivações distais em casos de oclusão da origem da artéria femoral superficial associada a prega inguinal hostil. OBJETIVO:Avaliar, retrospectivamente, a artéria femoral profunda como doadora de fluxo para derivações infrageniculares. MÉTODOS: De 2000 a 2005, 129 derivações infrageniculares apresentaram anastomose proximal nas artérias femorais, comum (40), superficial (72) e profunda (17). O presente estudo teve como foco a artéria femoral profunda, e suas indicações foram: prega inguinal hostil (seis casos), limite da extensão do substituto (seis casos) e ambos os fatores (outros cinco casos). Foram abordadas a primeira e a segunda porção em 12 casos e a terceira porção em cinco casos. As cirurgias foram secundárias em 47% dos casos, e os substitutos utilizados foram veias do membro superior em 11 casos, safena interna em cinco e safena externa em um caso. RESULTADOS: No total dos enxertos (129), as estimativas de perviedade primária e salvamento do membro foram: 68,0% e 84,7%, respectivamente, com erro padrão (EP) aceitável (0,1) em 36 meses. Quando o grupo foi estratificado, as artérias femorais comum, superficial e profunda apresentaram resultados comparáveis de perviedade primária (63,3, 70,2 e 64,7%; p = 0,63) e salvamento do membro (83,1, 82,4 e 92,3%; p = 0,78). A perviedade dos enxertos com origem nas porções proximal e distal da artéria femoral profunda, bem como das cirurgias primárias e secundárias, foram comparáveis, sem diferença estatística significante (p = 0,89 e p = 0,77, respectivamente). CONCLUSÃO: A artéria femoral profunda mostrou ser acessível e efetiva como origem de fluxo de enxertos infrageniculares, com resultados satisfatórios de perviedade e salvamento do membro.

BACKGROUND: Deep femoral artery can be the most distal technical option as donor site in patients with critical limb ischemia presenting superficial artery occlusion and hostile groins. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively assess the deep femoral artery as an inflow site for infragenicular bypass grafts. METHODS: From 2000 to 2005, 129 infragenicular bypass grafts with proximal anastomosis located in femoral arteries were performed. Forty were located in the common femoral artery (CFA), 72 in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and 17 in the deep femoral artery (DFA). Indications for using the DFA as inflow were hostile groin (six cases), limited arterial substitute length (six cases) or both (five cases). Anastomosis site was located in the first or second portion in 12 cases, and in the third in five cases. The surgery was secondary in 47% of the cases, and the arterial substitutes used were arm veins (11), greater saphenous vein (five) and lesser saphenous vein (one). RESULTS: Primary patency and limb salvage rates were 68.0 and 84.7%, respectively, with acceptable standard error (0.1) in 36 months. The results of patency divided by inflow artery were similar (CFA, 63.3%; SFA, 70.2%; DFA 64.7%; p = 0.63), as well as limb salvage rates (CFA, 83.1%; SFA, 82.4%; DFA 92.3%; p = 0.78). Analyzing the deep femoral group, no difference of patency rates was observed when the anastomotic site was compared (proximal vs. distal portions of the DFA) or between patients with or without previous grafts. (p = 0.89 and 0.77, respectively). CONCLUSION: Deep femoral artery is a feasible and effective option as donor site for infragenicular bypass grafts, with satisfactory patency and limb salvage rates.