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Introduction: Infectious diseases can spread rapidly in the globalized world, and the complex intersection of individual, social, economic, and cultural factors make it difficult to identify vulnerabilities in the face of pandemics., Methods: Therefore, this study aimed to identify vulnerability factors to infection and worse outcomes associated with COVID-19. This is a scoping review study of six databases that selected publications between 2019 and 2023, focusing on individual, social, and programmatic dimensions of vulnerability. The results were recorded in a spreadsheet and analyzed, considering the interrelationships among these dimensions., Results: A total of 45 articles were included in the review. Content analysis was conducted using the theoretical framework of health vulnerability, which divides vulnerability into individual, social, and programmatic dimensions. Race/ethnicity, homelessness, incarceration, socioeconomic level, food insecurity, and remote areas were classified as social dimensions. On the other hand, cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, advanced age, obesity, mental disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, and pregnancy were classified as individual dimensions. None of the publications found explicitly mentioned programmatic vulnerabilities., Discussion: The research found that social vulnerabilities reinforce individual vulnerabilities, creating a vicious cycle. In addition, programmatic vulnerabilities reinforce this relationship. This study emphasizes that public policies should address these different dimensions of vulnerability. It suggests that this information should be incorporated into health surveillance and future decision-making to face new pandemics., Systematic Review Registration: https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-wgfmj-v1., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Couto, dos Santos, Sanine, Pires dos Santos, Kmetiuk, Biondo and Boing.)

Objective: to analyze nurses' role in collecting, identifying and preserving traces in Emergency care for victims of violence, from the perspective of these professionals., Method: a qualitative study with an exploratory and descriptive approach. It was developed through semi-structured interviews with 21 nurses from hospitals that are part of the intersectoral flow to assist victims of violence from two reference hospitals in this type of care, in a capital city from southern Brazil. Nurses that are members of the multiprofessional team working in the Emergency areas at the respective hospitals were included; in turn, the exclusion criteria corresponded to professionals relocated in Emergency areas during the pandemic. Data analysis was performed according to Thematic Content Analysis., Results: the data were discussed in five categories: 1) Professional qualification; 2) Institutional protocol and materials; 3) The professionals' perceptions; 4) The professionals' actions; and 5) Team structure., Conclusion: Nursing professionals' skills in collecting, identifying and preserving traces in Emergency assistance provided to victims of violence need to be better organized, structured and standardized. The presence of Nursing professionals in the care of victims of violence in Emergency services is undeniable, but their importance is still underestimated and their potential contribution to the forensic approach is underused.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disease that affects approximately 6.1 million people and is primarily caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Naphthoquinones have several biological activities explored in the literature, including neuroprotective effects. Therefore, this review shows an overview of naphthoquinones with neuroprotective effects, such as shikonin, plumbagin and vitamin K, that prevented oxidative stress, in addition to multiple mechanisms. Synthetic naphthoquinones with inhibitory activity on the P2X7 receptor were also found, leading to a neuroprotective effect on Neuro-2a cells. It was found that naphthazarin can act as inhibitors of the MAO-B enzyme. Vitamin K and synthetic naphthoquinones hybrids with tryptophan or dopamine showed inhibition of the aggregation of α-synuclein. Synthetic derivatives of juglone and naphthazarin were able to protect Neuro-2a cells against neurodegenerative effects of neurotoxins. In addition, routes for producing synthetic derivatives were also discussed. With the data presented, 1,4-naphthoquinones can be considered as a promising class in the treatment of PD and this review aims to assist the scientific community in the application of these compounds. The derivatives presented can also support further research that explores their structures as synthetic platforms, in addition to helping to understand the interaction of naphthoquinones with biological targets related to PD.

Amazonian forest conversion into agricultural and livestock areas is considered one of the activities that contribute most to the emission of greenhouse gases, including methane. Biogenic methane production is mainly performed by methanogenic Archaea, which underscores the importance of understanding the drivers shaping microbial communities involved in the methane cycling and changes in methane metabolism. Here, we aimed to investigate the composition and structure of bacterial and archaeal communities in tropical soils in response to land-use changes, emphasizing the methanogenic communities. We collected soil samples from primary forest, pasture, and secondary forest of the Amazonian region and used a strategy based on the enrichment of the methanogenic community with three different methanogenic substrates followed by measurements of methane emission, quantification of mcrA gene copies by qPCR, and total 16 S rRNA gene sequencing (metataxonomics). We observed variations in the structure of bacterial and archaeal communities of soils under different uses. The richness of methanogenic communities was higher in pasture than forest soils and this richness remained during the incubation period, and as a consequence, the enrichment induced earlier methane emission in pastures-derived samples. Furthermore, pastures enrichments exhibited methanogenic archaea networks more complex than primary and secondary forests. In conclusion, pastures harbor a richer and more responsive methanogenic community than forest samples, suggesting that conversion of forest areas to pasture may boost methane emission., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), which infest the sorghum crop, has been an economically important pest which have been causing severe damage to sorghum crops in Brazil since 2019. These species have been observed mainly at the end of vegetative stage and beginning of reproductive stage of plants. Their high reproductive rate on sorghum raises concerns about these pests. Therefore, the present study aimed to estimate the life expectancy and fertility tables of Melanaphis sorghi fed on 15 hybrids of grain sorghum, in order to know the resistance characteristics of these materials and understand how plant resistance can help manage this insect. This study was carried out in a laboratory at 26±2 ºC and 60±10% R.H (relative humidity). Fifty insects were kept in each hybrid, each insect was considered one repetition. According to biological parameters and fertility life table, hybrids BRS373, DKB590 and 50A10 were less suitable for the sugarcane aphid multiplication. Thus, these hybrids could be useful to manage this pest, since the population growth speed is one of the worst problems for the implementation of cropping systems. Genotypes AG1090, MSK327 and XGN1305 favored the development of this pest and, when chosen within a cropping system, other management strategies should be considered.

Background: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies have shown that this disease has affected the male population on a significant scale in various parts of the world, making men one of the main risk groups., Objective: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and experiences of illness in men with COVID-19., Design and Setting: A mixed sequential-explanatory study with cross-sectional and exploratory-descriptive approaches., Method: Data was collected from a small municipality located in the central-north region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Primary quantitative data was extracted from compulsory notification forms from 598 men. Qualitative data from individual interviews of 30 men was analyzed by the Discourse of the Collective Subject method., Results: The findings identified the characterization of reports of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in men, the organization of the healthcare system, and strategies for the control and combat of COVID-19 directed towards the men of the investigated municipality. They revealed the clinical characteristics based on the collective discourse of men with COVID-19., Conclusion: In men, the individual experience of disease explicitly explains the clinical markers of COVID-19 expressed by the self-reported syndromic approach. Additionally, this understanding also explains the behaviors observed in their search for health care, as well as the adoption of prevention and control measures and therapies recommended by health professionals.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the primary pathogens that are associated with acute respiratory infections (ARI) that cause high rates of morbidity and mortality among children under five years of age in developed and developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nasopharyngeal colonization, the antimicrobial resistance profile, and the capacity for biofilm formation by S. pneumoniae isolated from children aged 0-6 years with ARI throughout the Porto Velho-RO. A total of 660 swabs were collected from children with ARI. Molecular and biochemical tests were performed to characterize the isolates. The disk-difusion method and the E-test were used for antimicrobial sensitivity testing (TSA). Biofilm formation capacity was assessed using microtiter plate assays, and serotype detection was acheived using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. The colonization rate for S. pneumoniae was 8.9% (59/660) and exhibited a high prevalence in children under 23 months of age 64.4% (38/59). The observed serotypes were 9V and 19F with frequencies of 1.7% (1/59) and 13.6% (8/59), respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed 100% (59/59) sensitivity to vancomycin. In contrast, trimethoprim and oxacillin exhibited high resistance rates of 76.3% (45/59) and 52.5% (31/59), respectively. Of the biofilm-forming isolates, 54.8% (23/42) possessed resistance to some antimicrobials. In this study, S. pneumoniae showed high rates of antimicrobial resistance and the ability to form biofilms, as these are factors that favor bacterial persistence and can cause serious damage to the host.

Throughout history, Sexuality Education (SE) has undergone many changes in formal education curricula. The education systems should incorporate SE and promote an understanding of sexuality from the critical perspective of gender. Objectives: To examine the approach to SE in young people in Spain and Portugal, considering the incorporation of the gender perspective, and analyze the legislation in both countries. A scoping review was conducted considering studies with SE programs, gender perspective, and legislation in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, without any time limits. The population consisted of young people aged 10 to 18 years who did not attend higher education. Databases used: CINAHL Complete, ERIC, LILACS, SciELO, MEDLINE, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Scopus, Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal, Base de Datos de Tesis Doctorales , Theses and Dissertations Online, and governmental websites. Thirty-two studies were found, including intervention, diagnosis, and documental programs. Eight of the studies adopted the gender perspective. Legislation in both countries is vast, with 23 main references. Although SE is legislated in both countries, the social-health and educational programs are insufficient. The relevance of the gender perspective is not incorporated into SE.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has the potential to improve upper limb motor outcomes after stroke. According to the assumption of interhemispheric inhibition, excessive inhibition from the motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere to the motor cortex of the affected hemisphere may worsen upper limb motor recovery after stroke. We evaluated the effects of active cathodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere (ctDCSM1 UH ) compared to sham, in subjects within 72 hours to 6 weeks post ischemic stroke. Cathodal tDCS was intended to inhibit the motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere and hence decrease the inhibition from the unaffected to the affected hemisphere and enhance motor recovery. We hypothesized that motor recovery would be greater in the active than in the sham group. In addition, greater motor recovery in the active group might be associated with bigger improvements in measures in activity and participation in the active than in the sham group. We also explored, for the first time, changes in cognition and sleep after ctDCSM1 UH . Thirty subjects were randomized to six sessions of either active or sham ctDCSM1 UH as add-on interventions to rehabilitation. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Recovery after Stroke (FMA), Barthel Index (BI), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were assessed before, after treatment, and three months later. In the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, there were significant GROUP∗TIME interactions reflecting stronger gains in the sham group for scores in NIHSS, FMA, BI, MoCA, and four SIS domains. At three months post intervention, the sham group improved significantly compared to posttreatment in FMA, NIHSS, BI, and three SIS domains while no significant changes occurred in the active group. Also at three months, NIHSS improved significantly in the sham group and worsened significantly in the active group. FMA scores at baseline were higher in the active than in the sham group. After adjustment of analysis according to baseline scores, the between-group differences in FMA changes were no longer statistically significant. Finally, none of the between-group differences in changes in outcomes after treatment were considered clinically relevant. In conclusion, active CtDCSM1 UH did not have beneficial effects, compared to sham. These results were consistent with other studies that applied comparable tDCS intensities/current densities or treated subjects with severe upper limb motor impairments during the first weeks post stroke. Dose-finding studies early after stroke are necessary before planning larger clinical trials., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Danielle De S. Boasquevisque et al.)

Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasite of the human urogenital tract and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease of worldwide importance. This parasite is usually found as a motile flagellated trophozoite. However, when subjected to stressful microenvironmental conditions, T. vaginalis trophozoites can differentiate into peculiar cyst-like stages, which exhibit notable physiological resistance to unfavourable conditions. Although well documented in morphological and proteomic terms, patterns of gene expression changes involved in the cellular differentiation into cyst-like stages are mostly unknown. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is recognized as a sensitive and accurate method for quantification of gene expression, providing fluorescence-based data that are proportional to the amount of a target RNA. However, the reliability of relative expression studies depends on the validation of suitable reference genes, which RNAs exhibit a minimum of variation between tested conditions. Here, we attempt to determine suitable reference genes to be used as controls of invariant expression during cold-induced in vitro differentiation of T. vaginalis trophozoites into cyst-like forms. Furthermore, we reveal that the mRNA from the meiotic recombinase Dmc1 is upregulated during this process, indicating that cryptic sexual events may take place in cyst-like stages of T. vaginalis.

Brazil holds a series of favorable climatic conditions for agricultural production including the hours and intensity of sunlight, the availability of agricultural land and water resources, as well as diverse climates, soils and biomes. Amidst such diversity, Brazilian coffee producers have obtained various standards of qualities and aromas, between the arabica and robusta species, which each present a wide variety of lineages. However, temperatures in coffee producing municipalities in Brazil have increased by about 0.25 °C per decade and annual precipitation has decreased. Therefore, the agricultural sector may face serious challenges in the upcoming decades due to crop sensitivity to water shortages and thermal stress. Furthermore, higher temperatures may reduce the quality of the culture and increase pressure from pests and diseases, reducing worldwide agricultural production. The impacts of climate change directly affect the coffee microbiota. Within the climate change scenario, aflatoxins, which are more toxic than OTA, may become dominant, promoting greater food insecurity surrounding coffee production. Thus, closer attention on the part of authorities is fundamental to stimulate replacement of areas that are apt for coffee production, in line with changes in climate zoning, in order to avoid scarcity of coffee in the world market.

Objective: To perform a survey of international drug donations by the Brazilian government from 2005 to 2016, identifying the number of drug units donated and the corresponding financial amount., Method: This descriptive and exploratory study used secondary data available at the Brazilian Health Ministry's Materials Management System (SISMAT). The following information was retrieved: requesting country, year of donation, drug donated, number or pharmaceutical unit donated, and corresponding amount (in Brazilian reais)., Results: During the study period, 66 554 892 pharmaceutical units were donated, corresponding to R$ 84 371 308.72 (US$ 25 505 235.70). Drugs were donated to Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guiana, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Libya, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Syria, and Suriname, countries from the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), and Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). No distribution pattern was detected in quantitative terms. Peaks in the number of drugs donated were recorded in 2008, 2011, and 2012, with the largest number of countries receiving donations in 2006 (n=13) and 2012 (n=14). Drugs were donated for the treatment of HIV/Aids, malaria, leishmaniasis, diabetes, cholera, schistosomiasis, tuberculosis, influenza, opportunistic diseases, immunizations, nutrition support, and health conditions associated with natural disasters., Conclusions: The drugs donated by the Brazilian government included mostly antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases. Further studies are suggested to correlate public health interventions with the donation of drugs as a means to promote the sustainable economic development of the recipient countries., Competing Interests: Conflitos de interesse. Nada declarado pelos autores.

The hand is an important part of the body used to express information through gestures, and its movements can be used in dynamic gesture recognition systems based on computer vision with practical applications, such as medical, games and sign language. Although depth sensors have led to great progress in gesture recognition, hand gesture recognition still is an open problem because of its complexity, which is due to the large number of small articulations in a hand. This paper proposes a novel approach for hand gesture recognition with depth maps generated by the Microsoft Kinect Sensor (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) using a variation of the CIPBR (convex invariant position based on RANSAC) algorithm and a hybrid classifier composed of dynamic time warping (DTW) and Hidden Markov models (HMM), called the hybrid approach for gesture recognition with depth maps (HAGR-D). The experiments show that the proposed model overcomes other algorithms presented in the literature in hand gesture recognition tasks, achieving a classification rate of 97.49% in the MSRGesture3D dataset and 98.43% in the RPPDI dynamic gesture dataset.

Objective: To evaluate the functional mobility of patients with stroke over 12 sessions of hydrotherapy., Methods: Ten stroke patients aged between 5 and 85 years were evaluated by means of the Timed Up and Go test, which contains some items, such as balance, walking speed, changing directions, and standing up from a seated position. The study patients performed the test before and after each hydrotherapy session (total of 12 sessions). Each individual was compared to him/ herself both short-term (pre- and post-therapy) and long-term (after 12 therapy sessions)., Result: Comparing baseline and after 12 sessions, it was noted that the 10 patients improved their performance, with a decrease in time to execute the Timed Up and Go test., Conclusion: An exercise program in a hydrotherapy pool was beneficial for functional mobility performance improvement in stroke patients.

Background: Cardiac remodeling is generally an adverse sign and is associated with heart failure (HF) progression. NFkB, an important transcription factor involved in many cell survival pathways, has been implicated in the remodeling process, but its role in the heart is still controversial. Recently, a promoter polymorphism associated with a lesser activation of the NFKB1 gene was also associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of this polymorphism with clinical and functional characteristics of heart failure patients of different etiologies., Methods: A total of 493 patients with HF and 916 individuals from a cohort of individuals from the general population were investigated. The NFKB1 -94 insertion/deletion ATTG polymorphism was genotyped by High Resolution Melt discrimination. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between groups. In addition, frequencies or mean values of different phenotypes associated with cardiovascular disease were compared between genotype groups. Finally, patients were prospectively followed-up for death incidence and genotypes for the polymorphism were compared regarding disease onset and mortality incidence in HF patients., Results: We did not find differences in genotype and allelic frequencies between cases and controls. Interestingly, we found an association between the ATTG1/ATTG1 genotype with right ventricle diameter (P = 0.001), left ventricle diastolic diameter (P = 0.04), and ejection fraction (EF) (P = 0.016), being the genotype ATTG1/ATTG1 more frequent in patients with EF lower than 50% (P = 0.01). Finally, we observed a significantly earlier disease onset in ATTG1/ATTG1 carriers., Conclusion: There is no genotype or allelic association between the studied polymorphism and the occurrence of HF in the tested population. However, our data suggest that a diminished activation of NFKB1, previously associated with the ATTG1/ATTG1 genotype, may act modulating on the onset of disease and, once the individual has HF, the genotype may modulate disease severity by increasing cardiac remodeling and function deterioration.

Background: In Brazil, heart failure leads to approximately 25,000 deaths per year. Abnormal calcium handling is a hallmark of heart failure and changes in genes encoding for proteins involved in the re-uptake of calcium might harbor mutations leading to inherited cardiomyopathies. Phospholamban (PLN) plays a prime role in cardiac contractility and relaxation and mutations in the gene encoding PLN have been associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. In this study, our objective was to determine the presence of the -36A>C alteration in PLN gene in a Brazilian population of individuals with HF and to test whether this alteration is associated with heart failure or with a worse prognosis of patients with HF., Methods: We genotyped a cohort of 881 patients with HF and 1259 individuals from a cohort of individuals from the general population for the alteration -36A>C in the PLN gene. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between groups (patients and control). In addition, frequencies or mean values of different phenotypes associated with cardiovascular disease were compared between genotypic groups. Finally, patients were prospectively followed-up for death incidence and genotypes for the -36A>C were compared regarding mortality incidence in HF patients., Results: No significant association was found between the study polymorphism and HF in our population. In addition, no association between PLN -36A>C polymorphism and demographic, clinical and functional characteristics and mortality incidence in this sample of HF patients was observed., Conclusion: Our data do not support a role for the PLN -36A>C alteration in modulating the heart failure phenotype, including its clinical course, in humans.

The improvement of gene therapy protocols is intimately related to the establishment of efficient gene transfer methods. Electroporation has been increasingly employed in in vitro and in vivo protocols, and much attention has been given to increasing its transfection potential. The method is based on the application of an electric field of short duration and high voltage to the cells, forming reversible pores through which molecules can enter the cell. In this work, we describe the optimization of a protocol for the electroporation of K562 cells involving the combination of electric field, resistance and capacitance values. Using RPMI 1640 as pulsing buffer and 30 mug of pEGFP-N1 plasmid, 875 V cm(-1), 500 muF and infinite resistance, we achieved transfection rates of 82.41 +/- 3.03%, with 62.89 +/- 2.93% cell viability, values higher than those reported in the literature. Analyzing cell cycle after electroporation, with three different electric field conditions, we observed that in a heterogeneous population of cells, viability of G(1) cells is less affected by electroporation than that of cells in late S and G(2)/M phases. We also observed that efficiency of electroporation can be improved using the DNAse inhibitor Zn, immediately after the pulse. These results can represent a significant improvement of current methods of electroporation of animal and plant cells.

Chromosome number, meiotic behavior, and pollen viability were analyzed in 15 species of two genera, Vriesea and Aechmea, native to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This study is the first cytogenetic analysis of these taxa. The chromosome numbers are all n = 25, consistent with the proposed base number of x = 25 for Bromeliaceae. All examined taxa displayed regular bivalent pairing and chromosome segregation at meiosis. Observed meiotic abnormalities include univalents in metaphase I; missing or extra chromosomes and precocious division of centromeres in metaphase II; laggards in telophase I and anaphase II/telophase II. The high pollen viability (>88%) reflects a regular meiosis.

Background and Purpose: The mechanisms of excitotoxic cell death in cerebral ischemia are poorly understood. In addition to necrosis, apoptotic cell death may occur. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an established model of cerebral hypoxia-ischemia in the neonatal rat demonstrates any features of apoptosis., Methods: Seven-day-old neonatal rats underwent bilateral, permanent carotid ligation followed by 1 hour of hypoxia, and their brains were examined 1, 3, and 4 days after hypoxia-ischemia. The severity of ischemic damage was assessed in the dentate gyrus and frontotemporal cortex by light microscopy. Immunocytochemistry was performed to detect the cleavage of actin by caspases, a family of enzymes activated in apoptosis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) reactivity was examined in the cortical infarction bed and dentate gyrus. Neonatal rat brain DNA was run on agarose gel electrophoresis to detect DNA fragmentation. Ethidium bromide-staining and electron microscopy were used to determine whether apoptotic bodies, 1 of the hallmarks of apoptosis, were present., Results: The frontotemporal cortex displayed evidence of infarction, and in most rats the dentate gyrus showed selective, delayed neuronal death. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated caspase-related cleavage of actin. TUNEL and DNA electrophoresis provided evidence of DNA fragmentation. Ethidium bromide-staining and electron microscopy confirmed the presence of chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies., Conclusions: Features of apoptosis are present in the described model of cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. Apoptosis may represent a mode of ischemic cell death that could be the target of novel treatments that could potentially expand the therapeutic window for stroke.

Between the period of January 1994 and June 1995, the results of Autotransfusion Program of the Hospital do Aparelho Motor SARAH-BSB were evaluated. The goals of the program are: 1. Minimise and, if possible, eliminate the risks of homologous transfusion; 2. Increase the security, efficiency and cost to benefits relation of the hemotherapic procedures; 3. Minimise the demand of blood products for those patients with difficult compatible blood to be found. The program has received 194 patients, among these, 100 have been selected for this study because they had had blood collection and surgery concluded. The average age of the patients was 34.3 years (11/72 years) median was 30 years and mode 15 years. The patients have undergone elective orthopaedic operations. Autologous transfusions have been made by predeposit and intraoperative salvage (Cell Saver). Six patients (6%) presented mild reactions associated to blood drawn. Additional homologous blood was needed to 20 (20%) patients. Our experience demonstrates the security and efficiency of transfusion in patients from childhood until elderly. It recommends the creation and expansion of existing programs using autologous transfusion in services with elective surgery. We also consider that nursing care stimulates patients participation in the program.