Objective: To evaluate cognitive learning, ability to perform and interpret lung ultrasound exams, and self-perception of learning among medical students after a short pedagogical intervention at a medical school in Brazil. Methods: An experimental pilot study was conducted with medical students at different stages of their education (basic cycle, clinical cycle, and medical internship). The participants underwent a cognitive test before and after the intervention, a practical test, a test to recognize lung ultrasound pathologies, and a qualitative evaluation test at the end of the intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: A total of 42 students were included in the study, with a median age of 23 years and a predominance of males. The mean score of the pre-intervention cognitive test was 2.97 ± 0.87, and that of the post-intervention test was 6.57 ± 1.41, showing significant improvement (p < 0.001). The score of the practical test and that of the recognition of pathologies test also showed significant improvement after the intervention. There was no significant difference in execution time between the groups. Students in the clinical cycle had a better self-perception of learning. Conclusions: Theoretical teaching and practical training of lung ultrasound in a short pedagogical intervention can improve cognitive performance, practical skills, and interpretation of the exam. The level of learning achievement was higher among more advanced students in medical education. Additionally, the students in the clinical cycle had a better perception of their learning.

Keywords: Ultrasonography; Lung; Students, medical; education, medical.

Background: The Hospital Ferreira Machado, utilized, in part, as a clinical training center for graduate students from the Faculdade de Medicina de Campos, admitted 65 tuberculosis (TB) patients in 2001. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests (TST) among medical students during distinct periods of their training and to identify and analyze correlated factors. To compare positivity rates, taking into account the booster effect, and estimate incidence of positive TST by class year. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 students registered in the first semester of 2002. Using a structured and validated questionnaire, data regarding demographics, BCG vaccination and potential exposure to TB patients were obtained. A professional licensed by the Health Department administered the TSTs, and the twostep Mantoux method (PPD Rt23) was used. Results: Of the 500 eligible subjects, 316 (63.2%) were excluded. Analysis showed increasing two-step TST positivity rates corresponding to extent of clinical experience (4%, 6.4% and 13.1%) and a tendency toward correlation with professional level. The highest percentage of positive TSTs was found during the period of clinical training, which corresponded to the time of greatest exposure to patients (1000 hours). Conclusions: a) the TST positivity rate was high (7.9%) among students; b) TST was correlated with in-hospital training stage; c) evaluation of the booster effect lead us to highly recommended boosters in order to reduce the number of false-negative TST results.

Keywords: Tuberculin. Tuberculin test. Tuberculosis. Students/Medical. Cross-sectional studies.

Objective: To evaluate the appropriateness of the use of auscultation terminology in Brazilian respiratory disease-related medical journals published between January of 1980 and December of 2003. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted, evaluating three medical journals: the Jornal de Pneumologia (Journal of Pulmonology), Jornal de Pediatria (Journal of Pediatrics) and Revista Brasileira de Medicina (Brazilian Journal of Medicine). Original articles and case reports about respiratory diseases were selected, and auscultation terminology was extracted from these articles. The appropriateness of terms used to describe adventitious sounds was assessed. Results: We found that the inappropriate use of terms was more frequent when intermittent sounds were described than when continuous sounds were described (87.7% versus 44.0%; p = 0.0000). No significant difference was observed between the inappropriate use of terms by pulmonologists and that observed for other specialists (56.5% versus 62.0%; p = 0.26). In addition, there were no significant differences among the various regions of the country or between the periods prior to and after the dissemination of international nomenclature. Conclusion: Inappropriate use of pulmonary auscultation terms describing adventitious sounds remains common and widespread in Brazilian medical publications.

Keywords: Auscultation; Lung/physiopathology; Lung diseases/diagnosis; Respiratory sounds; Terminology

Objective: This study aimed to assess the adequacy of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis prescription after a protocol implementation. Methods: This was a before‑and‑after study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Medical and surgical inpatients aged 18 years or older were assessed for VTE risk and subsequently for thromboprophylaxis adequacy, according to their risk. The evaluations occurred before and after the protocol strategy implementation; it consisted of an online platform to access the protocol, a public posting of the protocol diagram, clinical alerts on the medical staff TV, e-mail alerts, and pop-up alerts on the computerized physician order entry system. The main outcome measure was the adequacy of VTE prophylaxis prescription according to the protocol. Results: A total of 429 patients were evaluated for thromboprophylaxis adequacy (213 before and 216 after). The prevalence of adequacy increased from 54% to 63% (pre and post‑intervention, respectively), and after adjustment for patient type and phase of the study, the prevalence ratio reached (PR)=1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.42. Conclusion: The results showed that the overall appropriateness of thromboprophylaxis prescription was weakly improved. Despite these results, this study provides evidence to date a bunch of strategies for protocol implementations in private institutions in middle‑income countries with an open medical staff, as there are few studies investigating these simple and pragmatic interventions.

Keywords: Venous thromboembolism; Guideline adherence; Prevention; Thromboprophylaxis.

Objective: To assess the quality of life of patients with lung cancer and to compare it with that of individuals without cancer. Methods: The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was administered to 57 patients diagnosed with lung cancer, treated at the Lung Cancer Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital São Paulo, and to a control group of 57 individuals recruited from the Extra Penha workout group. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the groups, domain by domain. The first model of logistic regression was adjusted for male gender, nonsurgical treatment, Karnofsky performance status and smoking, which were included as predictors. The second model was adjusted for each SF-36 domain in order to identify increases in the proportions of patients in stage IIIB or IV. Results: The lung cancer group and the control group presented the following mean scores, respectively, for the SF-36 domains: role limitations due to physical health problems, 29.39 ± 36.94 and 82.89 ± 28.80; role limitations due to emotional problems, 42.78 ± 44.78 and 86.55 ± 28.77; physical function, 56.49 ± 28.39 and 89.00 ± 13.80; vitality, 61.61 ± 23.82 and 79.12 ± 17.68; bodily pain, 62.72 ± 28.72 and 81.54 ± 19.07; general health, 62.51 ± 25.57 and 84.47 ± 13.47; emotional well-being, 68.28 ± 23.46 and 82.63 ± 17.44; and social functioning, 72.87 ± 29.20 and 91.67 ± 17.44. The logistic regression model showed that role limitations due to physical health problems, physical function and emotional well-being were predictors of stages IIIB and IV. Conclusions: The patients with lung cancer had a poorer quality of life, especially regarding physical aspects, than did the control subjects.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Quality of life; Health status.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of and factors associated with smoking among medical students, as well as to evaluate the profile of this group. Methods: A total of 316 medical students (98.7% of the total) at the University of Passo Fundo, in the city of Passo Fundo, Brazil, completed a self-report questionnaire with questions on tobacco intake and on attitudes related to smoking. In accordance with the World Health Organization guidelines, the students were classified as daily smokers, occasional smokers, former smokers or nonsmokers, those in the two first categories being considered active smokers. Results: We found that 16.5% of the students were active smokers (daily smokers, 5.4%; occasional smokers, 11.1%) and that 3.5% were former smokers. The mean age was 22.2 ± 2.4 years. Factors significantly associated with the smoking habit (p < 0.05) were male gender, paternal smoking, regular alcohol consumption and use of antidepressants or anxiolytics. For the majority (69.2%) of the smokers, the age at smoking onset was 15-19 years of age, and the main motivations to start smoking were self-initiative and influence of friends. The conceptualization of smoking as an illness was significantly higher among the nonsmokers. In 70.6% of the smokers, tobacco intake was 1-10 cigarettes a day. Among the smokers, 92.3% agreed that smoking is harmful to health, 67.3% had tried to quit smoking, 96.0% believed themselves able to do so, and 87.2% intended to quit smoking. Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking remains significant among medical students. Therefore, it is fundamental that we develop more effective strategies for smoking prevention and cessation in order to reduce the number of smokers among future doctors.

Keywords: Smoking; Prevalence; Students, medical; Behavior.

Objective: Water-pipe tobacco smoking is becoming increasingly more common among young people. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the use of water pipes and other forms of tobacco use, including cigarette smoking, among medical students, as well as to examine the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of those students regarding this issue. Methods: We administered a questionnaire to students enrolled in the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, in São Paulo, Brazil. The respondents were evaluated in their third and sixth years of medical school, between 2008 and 2013. Comparisons were drawn between the two years. Results: We evaluated 586 completed questionnaires. Overall, the prevalence of current cigarette smokers was low, with a decline among males (9.78% vs. 5.26%) and an increase among females (1.43% vs. 2.65%) in the 3rd and 6th year, respectively. All respondents believed that health professionals should advise patients to quit smoking. However, few of the medical students who smoked received physician advice to quit. Experimentation with other forms of tobacco use was more common among males (p<0.0001). Despite their knowledge of its harmful effects, students experimented with water-pipe tobacco smoking in high proportions (47.32% and 46.75% of the third- and sixth-year students, respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of experimentation with water-pipe tobacco smoking and other forms of tobacco use is high among aspiring physicians. Our findings highlight the need for better preventive education programs at medical schools, not only to protect the health of aspiring physicians but also to help them meet the challenge posed by this new epidemic.

Keywords: Tobacco products; Smoking/prevention & control; Education, medical, undergraduate; Health knowledge, attitudes, practice.

Objective: To evaluate and compare subjective sleep quality in medical students across the various phases of the medical course. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving medical undergraduates at one medical school in the city of Botucatu, Brazil. All first- to sixth-year students were invited to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which has been validated for use in Brazil. Participants were divided into three groups according to the phase of the medical course: group A (first- and second-years); group B (third- and fourth-years); and group C (fifth- and sixth-years). The results obtained for the instrument components were analyzed for the total sample and for the groups. Results: Of the 540 students invited to participate, 372 completed the instrument fully. Of those, 147 (39.5%) reported their sleep quality to be either very or fairly bad; 110 (29.5%) reported taking more than 30 min to fall asleep; 253 (68.0%) reported sleeping 6-7 h per night; 327 (87.9%) reported adequate sleep efficiency; 315 (84.6%) reported no sleep disturbances; 32 (8.6%) reported using sleeping medication; and 137 (36.9%) reported difficulty staying awake during the day at least once a week. Group comparison revealed that students in group A had worse subjective sleep quality and greater daytime dysfunction than did those in groups B and C. Conclusions: Medical students seem to be more exposed to sleep disturbance than other university students, and first- and second-years are more affected than those in other class years because they have worse subjective sleep quality. Active interventions should be implemented to improve sleep hygiene in medical students.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Risk groups; Exercise.

Objective: The identification of behavioral and clinical factors that are associated with pulmonary tuberculosis might improve the detection and treatment of the disease, thereby reducing its duration and transmission. Our objective was to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors that are associated with the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between April of 2008 and March of 2009 at three health care clinics in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. We selected 233 patients older than 14 years of age who spontaneously sought medical attention and presented with cough for ≥ 2 weeks. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral data were collected. Sputum smear microscopy for AFB and mycobacterial culture were also carried out, as were tuberculin skin tests and chest X-rays. The patients were divided into two groups (with and without pulmonary tuberculosis). The categorical variables were compared by the chi-square test, followed by logistic regression analysis when the variables were considered significant. Results: The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis was 41.2%. The unadjusted OR showed that the following variables were statistically significant risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis: fever (OR = 2.39; 95% CI, 1.34-4.30), anorexia (OR = 3.69; 95% CI, 2.03-6.75), and weight loss (OR = 3.37; 95% CI, 1.76-6.62). In the multivariate analysis, only weight loss (OR = 3.31; 95% CI, 1.78-6.14) was significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusions: In areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, weight loss could be used as an indicator of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with chronic cough for ≥ 2 weeks.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, pulmonary/epidemiology; Risk factors.

Abstract Objective: To determine the validity and reproducibility of two subjective instruments to assess limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Brazil: the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea ­Questionnaire ‑ ­Modified version (PFSDQ-M) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Methods: Thirty patients with COPD (age, 67 ± 10 years; males, 17; forced expiratory volume in one second, 42% ± 13% of predicted) completed the Portuguese-language versions of the two instruments on two occasions, one week apart. The PFSDQ-M has three components: influence of dyspnea on ADLs, influence of fatigue on ADLs and change experienced by the patient with ADLs. The MRC scale is simple, with only five items, in which patients report the degree to which dyspnea limits their performance of ADLs. The traditional Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), previously validated for use in Brazil, was used as a validation criterion. Results: The test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) of the PFSDQ-M was 0.93, 0.92 and 0.90 for the dyspnea, fatigue and change components, respectively, compared with 0.83 for the MRC scale. Bland-Altman plots showed good test-retest concordance for the PFSDQ-M. The components of the PFSDQ-M and the MRC scale correlated significantly with all of the domains and the total score on the SGRQ (0.49 < r < 0.80; p < 0.01 for all). Conclusions: The Portuguese-language versions of the PFSDQ-M and the MRC scale proved reproducible and valid for use in patients with COPD in Brazil.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Activities of daily living; Validation studies.

Objective: To determine the correlations among various dyspnea scales, spirometric data, exercise tolerance data, and the Body mass index, airway Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE) index in patients with COPD. Methods: Between March of 2008 and July of 2009, 79 patients with COPD were recruited, and 50 of those patients were included in the study. After being regularly treated with formoterol for one month, the patients completed the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC, dyspnea scale), Baseline Dyspnea Index (BDI), Oxygen Cost Diagram (OCD), and Shortness Of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ). Subsequently, the patients underwent spirometry and six-minute walk tests (6MWTs), with determination of the six-minute walk distance (6MWD), as well as initial and final SpO2. All patients also completed the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Borg scale. Results: The best correlations were between the Borg scale and the VAS (rs = 0.79) and between the BDI and the SOBQ (rs = −0.73). Among the one-dimensional scales (the VAS, mMRC, OCD, and Borg scale), only the VAS correlated with the spirometric parameters, whereas the multidimensional scales BDI and SOBQ did correlate, but poorly. The MRC, BDI, and SOBQ correlated well with 6MWD. Among the spirometric data, inspiratory capacity (IC) and FVC had the strongest correlations with 6MWD. In the multivariate analysis, BDI and IC were selected as the best predictors of 6MWD. Conclusions: Multidimensional dyspnea scales should be applied in the evaluation of COPD patients.

Keywords: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Spirometry; Dyspnea; Exercise tolerance.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of and factors associated with experimentation with and current use of water pipes and e-cigarettes among medical students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicentric study involving a convenience sample of students from medical schools in most Brazilian geographic regions. Information about experimentation with and current use of conventional cigarettes, water pipes, and e-cigarettes; beliefs and attitudes toward tobacco products; religiosity; and demographics were collected by means of an online structured questionnaire. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to analyze the association of those factors. Results: Our sample comprised 700 individuals from four Brazilian regions. Prevalence of experimentation with and current use of cigarettes, water pipes, and e-cigarettes were, respectively, 39.1% and 7.9%; 42.6% and 11.4%; and 13.1% and 2.3%. Water pipe experimentation was higher among those who had a sibling (adjusted OR = 2.64; 95% CI, 1.24-5.61) or friends (adjusted OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.63-3.31) who smoke. The same occurred regarding e-cigarette experimentation: siblings (adjusted OR = 2.76; 95% CI, 1.17-6.50) and friends (adjusted OR = 2.47; 95% CI, 1:45-4.22). Curiosity and scent/taste were the major reasons for water pipe use and e-cigarette experimentation. Although 93% of the responders learned about health damages of smoking during medical school classes, 51.4% reported having experimented with at least one of these tobacco products. Most responders who reported feeling the presence of God/the Holy Spirit in their lives were never experimenters of water pipes (59.2%) or e-cigarettes (55.3%). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of experimentation with tobacco products among medical students whose siblings or friends smoke, despite their knowledge about smoking harms.

Keywords: Education, medical; Health knowledge, attitudes, and practice; Electronic nicotine delivery systems; Smoking water pipes; Religion.

Introduction: There have been few Latin American studies investigating the fact that the rate of tuberculosis (TB) infection among medical students is higher than the 1.3% rate seen in the population at large. Objective: To describe the cumulative incidence and the relative risk for TB infection among medical students. Method: In 1998, a prospective cohort study was conducted involving medical students at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Faculdade de Medicina who tested negative (induration <10 mm) on the tuberculin skin test (TST). Students were tested using the two-step TST method and were retested one year later. The students tested were at two different stages in their training: pre-clinical (no contact with patients) and final year (contact with patients). Information about demographic characteristics, BCG vaccination history, and instances of potential exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis were obtained using a standardized questionnaire. Of the 575 students initially enrolled, 72% (414) completed the study. Results: The TSTs of 16 (3.9%) of the 414 students converted, representing a cumulative incidence of 3.9% (95% confidence interval = 1.06 to 12.1). Senior medical students were at an almost fourfold higher risk for M. tuberculosis infection than were those in pre-clinical training. Conclusion: The risk for TST conversion is very high in this population.

Keywords: PPD. Tuberculosis-infection. Tuberculin conversion. Medical students

Objective: EBUS-TBNA cytological sampling is routinely performed for pathological diagnosis, mediastinal staging, and molecular testing in lung cancer patients. EBUS-TBNA samples are not formally accepted for testing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. The objective of the study was to compare the feasibility, reproducibility, and accuracy of PD-L1 expression assessment in cytological specimens and histological samples. Methods: We prospectively collected histological (transbronchial forceps biopsy) and cytological (EBUS-TBNA) samples from peribronchial neoplastic lesions during an endoscopic procedure at the same target lesion for the pathological diagnosis and molecular assessment of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results: Fifteen patients underwent the procedure. Adequate cytological samples (at least 100 neoplastic cells) were obtained in 12 cases (92.3%). Assessment of PD-L1 expression was similar between histological and cytological samples (agreement rate = 92%). Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA cytological specimens were 88.9% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: The evaluation of PD-L1 expression in EBUS-TBNA cytological specimens is feasible and presents good reproducibility when compared with routine histological samples. EBUS-TBNA cytological samples could be used for the assessment of PD-L1 expression in patients with NSCLC as a minimally invasive approach in stage IV NSCLC cancer patients.

Keywords: Ultrasonography; Biopsy, needle; Lung neoplasms; Molecular targeted therapy.

Objective: To assess the frequency and severity of 24-hour respiratory symptoms according to COPD GOLD-ABCD classification (2017-version), the distribution of the patients with COPD into GOLD categories using mMRC (=2) or CAT (=10) scores, and agreement between these cut-off points. Methods: In this cross-sectional study (LASSYC study), 24-hour day respiratory symptoms were assessed by the Evaluating Respiratory Symptoms in COPD (E-RS) questionnaire, Nighttime Symptoms of COPD Instrument (NiSCI), Early Morning Symptoms of COPD Instrument (EMSCI), CAT and mMRC scores. Results: Among the 734 patients with COPD, 61% were male, age 69.6±8.7 years, FEV1% post-BD 49.1±17.5%, mMRC 1.8±1.0 and CAT 15.3±.8.1. By mMRC 33.7% were group-A, 29.2% group-B, 10.2% group-C and 26.9% group-D. By CAT 22.3% were group-A, 41% group-B, 4.8% group-C and 31.9% group-D. Using the mMRC the severity of E-RS, NiSCI and EMSCI scores increased from group A to D. Using the CAT, the groups B and D had the higher scores. Agreement between mMRC and CAT was 89.5% (Kappa statistics=75.7%). For mMRC score of 2, CAT score of =11 showed the maximum Youden's index (1.34). For mMRC score of 1, CAT score of =9 and =10 showed the maximum Youden's index (1.48). Conclusion: GOLD COPD classification by CAT seems to better discriminate 24-hour symptoms. Results do not support the equivalent use of CAT=10 and mMRC=2 for assessing symptoms.

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Symptoms and COPD.

Background: Tracheostomy is a procedure commonly required in the intensive care unit. In the last two decades, the use of the percutaneous method has increased in parallel with improvements in the technique. Objective: To describe our experience in employing the percutaneous method over the last 3.5 years. Methods: We created, retrospectively, a database of prospective tracheostomy data related to 78 patients evaluated between January 2000 and July 2003. We used the percutaneous tracheostomy techniques of either progressive dilatation (in 36 patients) or forceps dilatation (in 42 patients). Data are expressed as number of occurrences or median with interquartile ranges. Results: The mean age of the patients was 66 (range, 43-75), and the median APACHE II score was 16 (range, 12-21). The median time spent on mechanical ventilation prior to tracheostomy was 14 days (range, 10-17 days). Of the 78 patients studied, 18 (23%) died while in the intensive care unit. The most common cause of admission was acute central nervous system disturbance (in 45%). Most of the tracheostomies performed were indicated due to difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation (in 50%) or to Glasgow Coma scores consistently lower than 8 (in 49%). Bronchoscopy was used in all but 6 of the procedures. There were complications in 33% of the procedures. The most common complication was light bleeding, without need for transfusion. No patient died due to complications arising from the procedure. Conclusion: Percutaneous tracheostomy is reasonable and safe when performed in an intensive care unit.

Keywords: Tracheostomy/methods. Respiration, Artificial/methods. Respiratory insufficiency/therapy. Respiratory insufficiency/complications.

Objective: To evaluate the competence of senior medical students in diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) based on their reading of chest X-rays, as well as to identify the factors associated with high scores for the overall interpretation of chest X-rays. Methods: In October 2008, a convenience sample of senior medical students who had undergone formal training in radiology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro School of Medicine, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were invited to participate in the study. Six chest X-rays (three of TB patients and three of patients without TB) were selected. Participants were asked to choose one of the three probable radiological interpretations, and one of the four subsequent suitable clinical approaches. They also completed a questionnaire designed to collect data related to demographics, career of interest, time spent in emergency rooms and year of study. The sensitivity and specificity related to competence in the radiological diagnosis of TB, as well as a score for the overall interpretation of chest X-rays, were calculated. Results: The sensitivity of the probable radiological diagnosis of pulmonary TB, based on the three chest X-rays of patients with TB (minimal, moderate and extensive) was 86.5%, 90.4% and 94.2%, respectively, and the specificity was 90%, 82% and 42%. The only factor associated with a high score for the overall radiological interpretation was the year of study. Conclusions: In this sample of medical students, who had received formal training in radiology early in their medical school course, the competence in interpreting the chest X-rays of TB patients was good. The year of study seems to influence overall chest X-ray reading skill.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, pulmonary; Radiology; Education, medical.