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A monitorização fetal eletrônica (MFE) tem sido o método mais amplamente utilizado para a vigilância fetal direta, especialmente durante o trabalho de parto. Na tentativa de elucidar o efeito da MFE sobre os índices de cesárea (IC), um estudo retrospectivo foi realizado no Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria (HUSM). Estudamos dois grupos de pacientes perfazendo um total de 2.114 gestantes: um grupo (n=517) com MFE e outro (n=1.597) com ausculta intermitente (AI). No grupo MFE observamos um IC de 38,0%, contra 27,2% do grupo AI. Para todas as pacientes, o IC foi de 29,9%. O sofrimento fetal agudo foi a indicação mais comum de cesárea no grupo MFE (40,6%), ao passo que a cesárea prévia foi a terceira causa (10,1%). No grupo AI, o sofrimento fetal foi a terceira causa de cesárea (14,3%), ao passo que a cesárea prévia foi a indicação mais comum (32,4%). Baseados no presente estudo, acreditamos que a MFE não tem efeito, por si só, sobre as taxas de cesárea, se considerados todos os nascimentos no HUSM. Com uma educação adequada dos obstetras e uma correta interpretação dos traçados, a MFE não aumenta os índices de cesárea, ao contrário permite mais acuracidade na descrição das condições fetais intraparto.Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (EFM) is the most widely used method of direct fetal surveillance especially during labor. In an attempt to elucidate the effect of EFM on cesarean section (CS) rates, a retrospective study was performed at the University Hospital of Santa Maria (HUSM). We studied two groups of patients, consisting of 2114 pregnant women: EFM group (n=517) and intermittent auscultation (IA) group (n=1597). In the EFM group we observed 38.0% of CS vs. 27.2% in the IA group. For all patients, the CS rate was 29.9%. Fetal distress was the most common indication for CS in the EFM group (40.6%), while previous CS was the third cause (10.1%). On the IA group, fetal distress was the third cause in CS (14.3%), while previous CS was the most common cause (32.4%). On the basis of this study, we believe that EFM has no effect in itself on cesarean section rates considering overall deliveries at HUSM. With proper education of the clinician and correct interpretation of the findings, EFM would not increase cesarean section rates, but rather should allow for a more accurate description of intrapartum fetal well-being.

Introduction: Smoking is an important risk factor for the development, recurrence and progression of bladder cancer. Our aim was to analyze smoking habits after diagnosis in bladder cancer patients. Additionally, we evaluated patient knowledge about smoking as a risk factor and the urologist role in promoting abstinence., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study was performed in bladder cancer patients, diagnosed between January 2013 and September 2015 (n = 160) in Braga Hospital, in Portugal., Results: Smoking history was present in 71.9% of the sample, with 21.9% current smokers, (40.7% of abstinence after diagnosis). Smoking was acknowledged as a risk factor by 74.4% of the sample, with only 51.3% of ever smokers and 24.4% of non-smokers recognizing smoking as the leading risk factor (p = 0.008). The presence of other household smokers were significantly higher in patients who continued smoking (40%) than in ex-smokers after diagnosis (4.2%) (p = 0.005). The majority of smokers at diagnosis (83.1%) were advised to quit by their urologist, but only one smoker (1.7%) was offered any specific intervention to aid in cessation., Discussion: Smoking is not recognized as the leading risk factor for bladder cancer. This limited awareness, associated with the known difficulties in quitting smoking and the observed lack of smoking cessation interventions, may account for the high current smoking prevalence, albeit in line with other studies., Conclusion: This study highlights the need for efficient smoking cessation programs directed to bladder cancer patients.