According to these results, 12 weeks of moderate load IMT resulted in improved sleep quality, but there were no significant repercussions on functional capacity to exercise or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Purpose To evaluate macular and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) measurements in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (cCHD) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Patients and methods Thirty patients with cCHD (18 females and 12 males, mean age 10.9 years) and 60 healthy controls (35 females and 25 males, mean age 11.2 years) underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and OCT measurements of macular and peripapillary RNFL thickness. Results Patients with cCHD had significantly thinner measurements in all macular subfields compared with healthy controls (Po0.001). There was no significant difference in peripapillary RNFL thickness between the two groups, with the exception of the upper quadrant, for which thickness measurements were higher in patients with cCHD (P ¼ 0.021). Conclusions Patients with cCHD showed a significant decrease in macular thickness and a thickened superior quadrant RNFL thickness when compared with healthy controls. This may represent the damage caused by the effect of hypoxia.

The lengthening of QT dispersion may reflect on cardiac involvement in rheumatic fever and be a new important parameter in the diagnosis and therapeutic decision for rheumatic carditis.

BackgroundLeft ventricular global longitudinal strain value (GLS) can predict functional capacity in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) heart failure (HF) and to assess prognosis in reduced LVEF HF.ObjetiveCorrelate GLS with parameters of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) and to assess if they could predict systolic HF patients that are more appropriated to be referred to heart transplantation according to CPET criteria.MethodsSystolic HF patients with LVEF < 45%, NYHA functional class II and III, underwent prospectively CPET and echocardiography with strain analysis. LVEF and GLS were correlated with the following CPET variables: maxVO2, VE/VCO2 slope, heart rate reduction during the first minute of recovery (HRR) and time needed to reduce maxVO2 in 50% after physical exercise (T1/2VO2). ROC curve analysis of GLS to predict VO2 < 14 mL/kg/min and VE/VCO2 slope > 35 (heart transplantation’s criteria) was performed.ResultsTwenty six patients were selected (age, 47 ± 12 years, 58% men, mean LVEF = 28 ± 8%). LVEF correlated only with maxVO2 and T1/2VO2. GLS correlated to all CPET variables (maxVO2: r = 0.671, p = 0.001; VE/VCO2 slope: r = -0.513, p = 0.007; HRR: r = 0.466, p = 0.016, and T1/2VO2: r = -0.696, p = 0.001). GLS area under the ROC curve to predict heart transplantation’s criteria was 0.88 (sensitivity 75%, specificity 83%) for a cut-off value of -5.7%, p = 0.03.ConclusionGLS was significantly associated with all functional CPET parameters. It could classify HF patients according to the functional capacity and may stratify which patients have a poor prognosis and therefore to deserve more differentiated treatment, such as heart transplantation.

Purpose. To assess the potential effectiveness or efficacy of early mobilization on respiratory and peripheral muscle strengths and functionality in nonintubated patients. Methods. For 40 nonintubated patients over 18 years of age with over 24-hour intensive care unit (ICU) stay allocated to a single intervention, an incremental mobilization protocol was initiated. Maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP), peripheral muscle strength (handgrip strength (HGS) and Medical Research Council scale (MRC-s)), and functionality (FIM, ICF-BMS, PFIT-s, and FSS-ICU scales) were evaluated at ICU admission and discharge. Results. All outcomes were significantly improved (pre vs. post values): MIP (43.93 ± 21.95 vs. 54.12 ± 21.68 cmH2O; P<0.001), MEP (50.32 ± 28.65 vs. 60.30 ± 21.23; P=0.002), HGS (25.5 (9.58) vs. 27.5 (9.48); P=0.046), MRC-s (58.52 ± 2.84 vs. 59.47 ± 1.81; P=0.023), FIM (54.4 ± 22.79 vs. 69.48 ± 12.74), ICF-BMS (28.63 ± 16.19 vs. 14.03 ± 11.15), PFIT-s (9.55 ± 2.34 vs. 11.18 ± 1.32) (P<0.001), and FSS-ICU (28.7 ± 9.1 vs. 32.6 ± 5.0; P=0.001). The ceiling effect at admission/discharge was in MRC-s (60/82.5%), FSS-ICU (50/70%), and FIM (35/62.5%). The floor effect occurred at discharge in ICF-BMS (7.5/52.5%). Conclusions. The early mobilization protocol seemed effective at maintaining/increasing the respiratory muscle strength and functionality of nonintubated patients in critical care. Ceiling effect was high for MRC-s, FSS-ICU, and FIM scales.