Nanium (Portugal)

ABSTRACT Research suggests psychopathic traits may differ by gender, yet comparative studies are limited. This study compared Portuguese incarcerated men and women on psychopathy and examined whether psychopathy and its facets are associated with violent offenses. A total of 131 men and 63 women were assessed with the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R). Men scored higher on total psychopathy, interpersonal, and affective facets, while women scored higher on the lifestyle facet. No significant associations were found between psychopathy (total or facets) and violent offenses in either gender. These findings may inform interventions and policies to reduce reoffending among individuals with psychopathic traits.

Thymic epithelial tumours represent a heterogeneous group of rare thoracic cancers. In adults, thymomas are the most common neoplasms arising in the thymus which is located in the anterior mediastinum. Mediastinal mass can be incidental findings on chest x-ray or present with systemic symptoms and/or direct effect of the mediastinal mass. The authors present the case of a 65-year woman with iron deficiency anaemia, hepatosplenomegaly, paravertebral node and mediastinal mass. Biopsy of the paravertebral node revealed extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH). Biopsy of mediastinal mass revealed thymoma. She underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy. The lesion was classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) system type B2 thymoma staging system of the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) pT1a R0, Masaoka-Koga stage II. Three months later, thoracic computed tomography (CT) revealed a nodule inferior to the tumor site suspected of residual disease. The unexpected residual thymoma required treatment with radiotherapy. This case illustrates the difficulty of differentiating the etiology of anaemia. It highlights the current diagnostic approach to mediastinal mass.

Background: Predicting short-term mortality in patients receiving palliative care can help tailor interventions, manage expectations, and improve end-of-life planning. This study explores whether candidiasis, particularly in patients on corticosteroids, is associated with increased 30-day mortality. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients admitted to a specialized palliative care unit in 2022. Data collected included demographics, candidiasis diagnosis (oral/esophageal), corticosteroid use, and mortality. Patients with candidemia were excluded. Of 59 deaths in the unit, 35 had complete records and met inclusion criteria. Results: Of the 35 patients analyzed, 71.4% were female; the median age was 61. Ten patients developed candidiasis, all with advanced cancer and functional decline. Among candidiasis cases, 30-day mortality was 60% versus 0% in those without. Median time from candidiasis diagnosis to death was 19 days. Among corticosteroid users, candidiasis was associated with significantly higher short-term mortality. Conclusions: Candidiasis in patients receiving palliative care—particularly those on corticosteroids—may indicate imminent death. These findings suggest its potential as a simple prognostic marker in resource-limited settings, meriting further prospective validation.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a clinically useful parameter, considered the standard-of-care for diagnosing and monitoring type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the presence of Hb variants, including Hb Montfermeil, may interfere with HbA1c assay, affecting the accuracy of the results. Here, we report the first case diagnosed in Portugal of this rare hemoglobin variant.

Introdução: O uso do ISBAR (Identificação, Situação, Antecedentes, Análise e Recomendação), como uma ferramenta estruturada, juntamente com as mudanças organizacionais, pode contribuir para a melhoria da qualidade da transferência do doente e por sua vez, melhorar a segurança do doente. Objetivo: Identificar se a metodologia ISBAR promove a segurança do doente hospitalizado. Métodos: O artigo assume-se como uma revisão sistemática da literatura, especificamente uma rapid review. Foi realizada pesquisa nas bases de dados CINAHL Complete e MEDLINE Complete. Dos 523 artigos disponíveis nessas bases de dados, e após filtragem, foram incluídos na revisão dois artigos. Foi colocado como critério de pesquisa e análise artigos dos últimos cinco anos, em língua inglesa e portuguesa. Resultados: A utilização da ferramenta ISBAR melhora a comunicação, a qualidade dos cuidados e a segurança do doente. Conclusões: O ISBAR é uma ferramenta de comunicação validada e confiável que traz benefícios, nomeadamente na segurança do doente.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the number one chronic liver disorder worldwide. Progression to advanced fibrosis marks the emergence of a significant risk of liver-related negative outcomes. However, only a minority of patients will present at this stage. Since widespread liver biopsy in unfeasible at such high disease prevalence, there was a need to develop noninvasive tests (NITs) that could easily and reliably be applied to patients with MASLD, regardless of clinical setting. The NITs include simple scores, like the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) Index, patented serum tests, like the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test (ELF™), and imaging-based modalities, like the vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Guidelines suggests a stepwise approach that utilizes more than one NIT, with FIB-4 <1.30 being used as a first step to rule out patients that do not need further testing. Subsequent choice of NIT will be influenced by setting, cost, and local availability. While these NITs are accurate, they are not perfect. As such, research is ongoing. A promising avenue is that of omics, a group of technologies that provide concomitant results on a large number of molecules (and other variables). With the advance of artificial intelligence, new NITs may arise from large demographic, biochemical, and radiological data sets.

This study is the first to explore the psychosocial experience of young Portuguese adults at genetic risk for hereditary amyloid transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN). The work focuses on the developmental peculiarities of their experience with the disease. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults coming for pre-symptomatic testing (PST) at a single genetics outpatient center in Portugal. The data were analyzed qualitatively. The main findings suggest that four themes mark the psychosocial experience of the young adults interviewed. The first refers to the development of psychological representations, namely beliefs, mental representations, and social perceptions about hATTR-PN. The second regards the experienced and anticipated psychosocial impacts, namely, suffering, anxiety, and relief related to the disease. The third is related to using strategies such as performing PST, strategies focused on emotional regulation and the meaning of hATTR-PN, and social strategies to deal with these impacts over time. Finally, the fourth aspect concerns the perceived and expected support for the participants’ needs provided by social contexts, that is, family and genetic counseling. In a period of life also marked by qualitatively different characteristics and developmental tasks from other life cycle stages (e.g., identity explorations, instability, and independent decision-making), experience with the disease can add psychosocial challenges to young adults at risk for hATTR-PN. Genetic counseling practices and health policies can be optimized to respond to the psychosocial needs of young adults. Future research should deepen the understanding of the psychosocial experience of individuals and families with late-onset hATTR-PN to improve the clinical response in this population.