Browsing by Author "Oliveira, AS"
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- COPD control: Can a consensus be found?Publication . Guimarães, M; Bugalho, A; Oliveira, AS; Moita, J; Marques, AThere are currently no reliable instruments for assessing the onset and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or predicting its prognosis. Currently, a comprehensive assessment of COPD including several objective and subjective parameters is recommended. However, the lack of biomarkers precludes a correct assessment of COPD severity, which consequently hampers adequate therapeutic approaches and COPD control. In the absence of a definition of "well-controlled disease", a consensus regarding COPD control will be difficult to reach. However, COPD patient assessment should be multidimensional, and anchored in five points: control of symptoms, decline of pulmonary function, levels of physical activity, exacerbations, and Quality of Life. Several non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures are currently available to achieve disease control. Smoking cessation, vaccination, exercise training programs and pulmonary rehabilitation are recognized as important non-pharmacological measures but bronchodilators are the pivotal therapy in the control of COPD. This paper discusses several objective and subjective parameters that may bridge the gap between disease assessment and disease control. The authors conclude that, at present, it is not possible to reach a consensus regarding COPD control, essentially due to the lack of objective instruments to measure it. Some recommendations are set forth, but true COPD control awaits further objective assessments.
- Ontem, hoje e amanhã O Trabalho da Equipa de Pedopsiquiatria do Hospital de Vila Franca de Xira – Intervenção em contexto de Grupos TerapêuticosPublication . Moura, M; Oliveira, AS; Ribeiro, JP
- Teleconsultation in respiratory medicine – A position paper of the Portuguese Pulmonology SocietyPublication . Morais, A; Bugalho, A; Drummond, M; Ferreira, AJ; Oliveira, AS; Sousa, S; Winck, JC; Cardoso, JThe COVID-19 pandemic crisis, among so many social, economic and health problems, also brought new opportunities. The potential of telemedicine to improve health outcomes had already been recognised in the last decades, but the pandemic crisis has accelerated the digital revolution. In 2020, a rapid increase in the use of remote consultations occurred due to the need to reduce attendance and overcrowding in outpatient clinics. However, the benefit of their use extends beyond the pandemic crisis, as an important tool to improve both the efficiency and capacity of future healthcare systems. This article reviews the literature regarding telemedicine and teleconsultation standards and recommendations, collects opinions of Portuguese experts in respiratory medicine and provides guidance in teleconsultation practices for Pulmonologists.
- Tribomechanical Comparison between PVA Hydrogels Obtained Using Different Processing Conditions and Human CartilagePublication . Oliveira, AS; Seidi, O; Ribeiro, NA; Colaço, R; Serro, APDesigning materials for cartilage replacement raises several challenges due to the complexity of the natural tissue and its unique tribomechanical properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels have been explored for such purpose since they are biocompatible, present high chemical stability, and their properties may be tailored through different strategies. In this work, the influence of preparation conditions of PVA hydrogels on its morphology, water absorption capacity, thermotropic behavior, mechanical properties, and tribological performance was evaluated and compared with those of human cartilage (HC). The hydrogels were obtained by cast-drying (CD) and freeze-thawing (FT), in various conditions. It was found that the method of preparation of the PVA hydrogels critically affects their microstructure and performance. CD gels presented a denser structure, absorbed less water, were stiffer, dissipated less energy, and withstood higher loads than FT gels. Moreover, they led to friction coefficients against stainless steel comparable with those of HC. Overall, CD hydrogels had a closer performance to natural HC, when compared to FT ones.
- Unmasking the hidden threat: COPD awareness and knowledge in Portugal study of COPD and awareness in the Portuguese populationPublication . Oliveira, AS; Cortesão, N; Gomes, J; Pinto, P; Shiang, T; Alfaro, T; Rodrigues, C; Ferreira, L; Barros, A; Morais, A