RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a síndrome do doente eutireóideo como fator prognóstico em pacientes na unidade de terapia intensiva, detectar fatores que possam influenciar a mortalidade e desenvolver uma equação para calcular a probabilidade de morte. Métodos: Este foi um estudo de coorte longitudinal, observacional e não concorrente realizado na unidade de terapia intensiva da Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará. Realizou-se coleta de 20mL de sangue em 100 adultos sem endocrinopatia previamente documentada para a dosagem do hormônio estimulante da tireoide, da tetraiodotironina livre, da tri-iodotironina livre e da tri-iodotironina reversa. Resultados: A maioria dos pacientes era do sexo feminino, com idades entre 20 e 29 anos. A maioria dos pacientes que morreram era mais velha (idade mediana de 48 anos), e 97,5% deles possuíam a síndrome do doente eutireóideo. A síndrome do doente eutireóideo esteve relacionada à morte, às comorbidades, à idade e ao tempo de internação (mediana de 7,5 dias) na unidade de terapia intensiva. A baixa dosagem de hormônio estimulante da tireoide estava associada à morte. Os pacientes com dosagem da tri-iodotironina livre menor que 2,9pg/mL tinham maior probabilidade de morrer e, naqueles que morreram, a dosagem de tri-iodotironina reversa era maior que 0,2ng/mL. A tri-iodotironina livre apresentou maior sensibilidade e acurácia, e a tri-iodotironina reversa teve maior especificidade para prever a mortalidade. Com base nos resultados e pontos de corte, desenvolveu-se uma fórmula de regressão logística múltipla para calcular a probabilidade de morte. Conclusão: Sugere-se verificar oportunamente a dosagem da triiodotironina livre e reversa em pacientes graves e aplicar a equação proposta.

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess euthyroid sick syndrome as a prognostic factor in patients in the intensive care unit; to detect factors that may affect mortality; and to develop an equation to calculate death probability. Methods: This was a longitudinal, observational, nonconcurrent cohort study developed in the intensive care unit of Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará. One hundred adults with no prior documented endocrinopathy were submitted to a 20mL blood sample collection for the measurement of thyroid stimulating hormone, free tetraiodothyronine, free triiodothyronine and reverse triiodothyronine. Results: Most patients were female, aged 20 to 29 years. Most patients who died were older (median age of 48 years), and euthyroid sick syndrome was present in 97.5% of them. Euthyroid sick syndrome was related to death, comorbidities, age and length of stay in the intensive care unit (median of 7.5 days). There was an association between lower thyroid stimulating hormone and death. Patients with free triiodothyronine levels below 2.9pg/mL were more likely to die; reverse triiodothyronine rates were above 0.2ng/mL in those who died. Free triiodothyronine had greater sensitivity and accuracy, and reverse triiodothyronine had greater specificity to predict mortality. Based on the results and cutoff points, a multiple logistic regression formula was developed to calculate the probability of death. Conclusion: The main limitation of this study is the fact that it was conducted in a reference hospital for maternal and child care; therefore, there was a greater number of female patients and, consequently, a sampling bias existed. However, opportune measurement of free and reverse triiodothyronine levels in critical patients and application of the proposed equation are suggested.

ABSTRACT Background: Some studies have suggested the importance of vitamin D [25(OH)D] in malaria clinical practice. The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in the Amazon population is not well known, and there are few studies in patients with malaria. This study aimed to evaluate 25(OH)D serum levels in patients with malaria and determine their relationships with epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and parasitemia data. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study of 123 patients with malaria and 122 individuals without malaria was performed in Itaituba, Pará, Brazil, from January 2018 to October 2019, by evaluating sociodemographic, clinical-epidemiological, parasitological, and laboratory data and adopting a 5% significance level. Parametric tests (Student's t-test), non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U), and Spearman’s correlation ([rs], for non-parametric variables) were used according to the nature of the distribution of the variables. For the qualitative variables, Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and the G test were used. Spearman's correlation was used to compare the results of the 25(OH)D levels and blood counts performed among patients and the control group. Results: Malaria patients residing in a mining area had 25(OH)D serum levels that were significantly lower than those in the control group residing in the mining area, though both were within normal levels. Red blood cell counts had an inverse correlation with parasitemia (Plasmodium falciparum), and platelet levels had an inverse correlation with parasitemia (Plasmodium vivax). 25(OH)D deficiency was evidenced in Itaituba, in the state of Pará, which is an endemic area of malaria in the Amazon region.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of using passion fruit peel flour together with diet therapy and counseling in 36 patients with HIV lipodystrophy who were in an ambulatory clinic in a university hospital. The patients were divided into two groups. One received 30 g of passion fruit peel flour daily for 90 days and diet therapy counseling. The other group received only diet therapy counseling. The metabolic changes were analyzed before and after the intervention, with a significance level predetermined at p ≤ 0.05. The use of passion fruit peel flour was effective in reducing total cholesterol and triacylglycerides after 30 days. The concentrations of LDL-C decreased, while HDL-C increased in the blood of lipodystrophy patients after 90 days passion fruit peel flour treatment. No significant differences in food consumption were seen between groups. The use of 30 g of passion fruit peel flour for 90 days together with diet therapy counseling was effective in improving plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triacylglycerides.

Malaria remains a major public health problem in Brazil where Plasmodium vivax is the predominant species, responsible for 82% of registered cases in 2013. Though benign, P. vivax infection may sometimes evolve with complications and a fatal outcome. Here, we report a severe case of P. vivax malaria in a 35-year-old Brazilian man from a malaria endemic area, who presented with reversible myocarditis.

A terapia anti-retroviral altamente ativa, usada contra o Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana, vem possibilitando a melhora do quadro clínico-laboratorial de portadores da Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida. Contudo, alterações metabólicas e complicações morfológicas, associadas ao uso da terapia, vêm sendo investigadas. A utilização prolongada desta terapia tem um impacto importante sobre o estado nutricional dos pacientes. Antes da sua utilização, a perda de peso e a desnutrição, conseqüências das infecções oportunistas, eram os maiores problemas nutricionais. Atualmente, o foco principal das discussões têm sido as complicações metabólicas e morfológicas, dentre elas a lipodistrofia, com a dislipidemia, a resistência à insulina, a osteopenia, e a distribuição alterada da gordura corporal, aumentando assim os riscos de doenças cardiovasculares. A nutrição desempenha um papel fundamental no suporte da saúde desses pacientes, integrando as equipes multiprofissionais, promovendo a melhora da adesão à terapia anti-retroviral e do prognóstico da doença. No entanto, para que se tenha mais conhecimento sobre a terapia, as proporções de seus efeitos adversos, e o perfil nutricional desses pacientes, a curto e a longo prazos, é de suma importância que se estude mais sobre este assunto, a fim de permitir perspectivas de um regime terapêutico mais seguro dentro de seus alcances metodológicos, proporcionando uma melhor qualidade de vida aos pacientes.

The highly active antiretroviral therapy used against Human Immunodeficiency Virus provides an improvement in laboratory and clinical findings of patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. However, metabolic and morphologic disturbances associated with the therapy are being investigated. The drawn out use of these therapy has an important impact on the nutritional status of the patients. Before the use of this therapy, weight loss and malnutrition caused by opportunistic infections were the biggest nutritional problems. Nowadays the main discussion points are the resulting metabolic and morphologic complications, among them lipodystrophy with dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, osteopenia and altered distribution of body fat, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nutrition plays an essential role in supporting the health of these patients, integrating the multidisciplinary teams, improving antiretroviral therapy adherence rates and disease prognosis. However, in order to better understand the therapy, the side effect rates and the nutritional profile of these patients on the short and long run, it is vital to study this subject more deeply to obtain perspectives of a safer therapeutic regimen within its methodological scope, improving the quality of life of these patients.