To analyze and compare COVID-19 patient characteristics, clinical management and outcomes between the peak and plateau periods of the first pandemic wave in Portugal.
This was a multicentric ...ambispective cohort study including consecutive severe COVID-19 patients between March and August 2020 from 16 Portuguese intensive care units. The peak and plateau periods, respectively, weeks 10 - 16 and 17 - 34, were defined.
Five hundred forty-one adult patients with a median age of 65 57 - 74 years, mostly male (71.2%), were included. There were no significant differences in median age (p = 0.3), Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (40 versus 39; p = 0.8), partial arterial oxygen pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (139 versus 136; p = 0.6), antibiotic therapy (57% versus 64%; p = 0.2) at admission, or 28-day mortality (24.4% versus 22.8%; p = 0.7) between the peak and plateau periods. During the peak period, patients had fewer comorbidities (1 0 - 3 versus 2 0 - 5; p = 0.002) and presented a higher use of vasopressors (47% versus 36%; p < 0.001) and invasive mechanical ventilation (58.1 versus 49.2%; p < 0.001) at admission, prone positioning (45% versus 36%; p = 0.04), and hydroxychloroquine (59% versus 10%; p < 0.001) and lopinavir/ritonavir (41% versus 10%; p < 0.001) prescriptions. However, a greater use of high-flow nasal cannulas (5% versus 16%, p < 0.001) on admission, remdesivir (0.3% versus 15%; p < 0.001) and corticosteroid (29% versus 52%, p < 0.001) therapy, and a shorter ICU length of stay (12 days versus 8, p < 0.001) were observed during the plateau.
There were significant changes in patient comorbidities, intensive care unit therapies and length of stay between the peak and plateau periods of the first COVID-19 wave.
Smart device microphone spirometry, based on the audio recording of forced expiratory maneuver (FEM), can be a simple, ubiquitous and easy tool for patients to self-monitor their asthma. Automatic ...validity assessment is crucial to guarantee that the global effort of the FEM fulfil the admissible minimum or if the maneuver needs to be repeated. In this work an automatic method to classify the sounds from FEM with respect to global effort was developed and evaluated using data from 54 children (5-10 years). The method proposed was able to correctly classify the microphone spirometry with respect to admissible minimum of effort with an accuracy of 86% (specificity 87% and sensitivity 86%). This method can be used to provide immediate feedback of the correct execution of the maneuver, improving the clinical value and utility of this self-monitoring tool.
No âmbito do projeto Euro4Science foi criado um kit forense educativo que propõe diversas atividades experimentais atrativas, que inclui os principais tópicos: Biodiversidade, Ciências Químicas e ...Identificação Individual Humana. O kit forense educativo está projetado para ser utilizado pelos alunos do secundário sob supervisão dos professores. Baseado num guião que explora casos forenses, os estudantes irão dispor de diferentes materiais com os quais poderão realizar diversas atividades aplicando métodos forenses e relacionando essas atividades com os conteúdos programáticos de disciplinas curriculares, como Biologia, Química, Física e Matemática. Estes materiais educativos visam também proporcionar aos professores recursos de ensino inovadores que apoiem as suas iniciativas de transformação das práticas, visando desenvolver abordagens de ensino que motivem os alunos e lhes proporcionem oportunidades para aprender a pensar de forma científica e crítica, explorando inter-relações ciência – tecnologia – sociedade (CTS). Os guiões e os kits educativos produzidos no âmbito do projeto Euro4Science pretendem contribuir para que os professores criem contextos interessantes para o ensino de tópicos de ciência e tecnologia, valorizando e realizando trabalho multidisciplinar com os seus pares, com vista ao desenvolvimento de abordagens de ensino que proporcionem aos alunos a familiarização com formas de pensamento científico, assim como dinâmicas de trabalho colaborativo e de debate. O kit forense educativo foi projetado e testado no laboratório de Genética Forense da Universidade de Aveiro (conceção, planeamento e otimização) e posteriormente validado por professores e alunos em contexto escolar.
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