ORCID Profile
0000-0002-0184-8949
Current Organisations
Klinička bolnica Sveti Duh
,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
,
Rede de Química e Tecnologia Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde
,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
,
InovBreath, Lda
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-01-2022
DOI: 10.3390/MEMBRANES12010098
Abstract: Spent caustic effluents are very challenging due to their very hazardous nature in terms of toxicity as well as their extreme pH (approximately 12–14). Spent caustic has presented a challenge for wastewater treatment in refineries, due to its composition rich in mercaptans, sulfides and other aromatic compounds. To address such problems, membrane filtration was studied using real effluents from Sines Refinery, in Portugal. The present study attempts to assess the potential for spent caustic treatment with nanofiltration (NF) polymeric and ceramic membranes, assessing membrane life expectancy. For that, membrane aging studies in static mode were performed with the polymeric membrane before attempting NF treatment (dynamic studies). A ceramic membrane was also tested for the first time with this type of effluents, though only in dynamic mode. Although the polymeric membrane performance was very good and in accordance with previous studies, its lifespan was very reduced after 6 weeks of contact with spent caustic, compromising its use in an industrial unit. Contrarily to expectations, the ceramic membrane tested was not chemically more resistant than the polymeric one upon direct contact with spent caustic (loss of retention capacity in less than 1 h in contact with the spent caustic). The results obtained suggest that a pH of 13.9 is very aggressive, even for ceramic membranes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 24-06-2022
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 25-03-2021
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011885
Abstract: To measure the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of IV thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with 2 control 4-month periods. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases. There were 91,373 stroke admissions in the 4 months immediately before compared to 80,894 admissions during the pandemic months, representing an 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] −11.7 to −11.3, p 0.0001) decline. There were 13,334 IVT therapies in the 4 months preceding compared to 11,570 procedures during the pandemic, representing a 13.2% (95% CI −13.8 to −12.7, p 0.0001) drop. Interfacility IVT transfers decreased from 1,337 to 1,178, or an 11.9% decrease (95% CI −13.7 to −10.3, p = 0.001). Recovery of stroke hospitalization volume (9.5%, 95% CI 9.2–9.8, p 0.0001) was noted over the 2 later (May, June) vs the 2 earlier (March, April) pandemic months. There was a 1.48% stroke rate across 119,967 COVID-19 hospitalizations. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was noted in 3.3% (1,722/52,026) of all stroke admissions. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decline in the volume of stroke hospitalizations, IVT, and interfacility IVT transfers. Primary stroke centers and centers with higher COVID-19 inpatient volumes experienced steeper declines. Recovery of stroke hospitalization was noted in the later pandemic months.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 19-08-2023
DOI: 10.1177/17474930231190745
Abstract: Most strokes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are potentially preventable if their risk factors are identified and well controlled. Digital platforms, such as the PreventS-MD web app (PreventS-MD) may aid health care professionals (HCPs) in assessing and managing risk factors and promoting lifestyle changes for their patients. This is a mixed-methods cross-sectional two-phase survey using a largely positivist (quantitative and qualitative) framework. During Phase 1, a prototype of PreventS-MD was tested internationally by 59 of 69 consenting HCPs of different backgrounds, age, sex, working experience, and specialties using hypothetical data. Collected comments/suggestions from the study HCPs in Phase 1 were reviewed and implemented. In Phase 2, a near-final version of PreventS-MD was developed and tested by 58 of 72 consenting HCPs using both hypothetical and real patient (n = 10) data. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with real patients (n = 10) were conducted, and 1 month adherence to the preventive recommendations was assessed by self-reporting. The four System Usability Scale (SUS) groups of scores (0–50 unacceptable 51–68 poor 68–80.3 good .3 excellent) were used to determine usability of PreventS-MD. Ninety-nine HCPs from 27 countries (45% from low- to middle-income countries) participated in the study, and out of them, 10 HCPs were involved in the development of PreventS before the study, and therefore were not involved in the survey. Of the remaining 89 HCPs, 69 consented to the first phase of the survey, and 59 of them completed the first phase of the survey (response rate 86%), and 58 completed the second phase of the survey (response rate 84%). The SUS scores supported good usability of the prototype (mean score = 80.2 95% CI [77.0–84.0]) and excellent usability of the final version of PreventS-MD (mean score = 81.7 95% CI [79.1–84.3]) in the field. Scores were not affected by the age, sex, working experience, or specialty of the HCPs. One-month follow-up of the patients confirmed the high level of satisfaction/acceptability of PreventS-MD and (100%) adherence to the recommendations. The PreventS-MD web app has a high level of usability, feasibility, and satisfaction by HCPs and in iduals at risk of stroke/CVD. In iduals at risk of stroke/CVD demonstrated a high level of confidence and motivation in following and adhering to preventive recommendations generated by PreventS-MD.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 18-10-2022
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201426
Abstract: Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020). We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, IVT treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases. There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the 1 year immediately before compared with 138,453 admissions during the 1-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% CI [95% CI 7.1–6.9] p 0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8% [5.1–4.6] p 0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1% [6.4–5.8] p 0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high-volume compared with low-volume centers (all p 0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7% [0.6–0.9] p = 0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31–1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82–2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations. There was a global decline and shift to lower-volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year. This study is registered under NCT04934020 .
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 28-07-2022
Abstract: Prior studies indicated a decrease in the incidences of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated differences in the incidence, severity of aSAH presentation, and ruptured aneurysm treatment modality during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the preceding year. We conducted a cross-sectional study including 49 countries and 187 centres. We recorded volumes for COVID-19 hospitalisations, aSAH hospitalisations, Hunt-Hess grade, coiling, clipping and aSAH in-hospital mortality. Diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes or stroke databases from January 2019 to May 2021. Over the study period, there were 16 247 aSAH admissions, 344 491 COVID-19 admissions, 8300 ruptured aneurysm coiling and 4240 ruptured aneurysm clipping procedures. Declines were observed in aSAH admissions (−6.4% (95% CI −7.0% to −5.8%), p=0.0001) during the first year of the pandemic compared with the prior year, most pronounced in high-volume SAH and high-volume COVID-19 hospitals. There was a trend towards a decline in mild and moderate presentations of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) (mild: −5% (95% CI −5.9% to –4.3%), p=0.06 moderate: −8.3% (95% CI −10.2% to –6.7%), p=0.06) but no difference in higher SAH severity. The ruptured aneurysm clipping rate remained unchanged (30.7% vs 31.2%, p=0.58), whereas ruptured aneurysm coiling increased (53.97% vs 56.5%, p=0.009). There was no difference in aSAH in-hospital mortality rate (19.1% vs 20.1%, p=0.12). During the first year of the pandemic, there was a decrease in aSAH admissions volume, driven by a decrease in mild to moderate presentation of aSAH. There was an increase in the ruptured aneurysm coiling rate but neither change in the ruptured aneurysm clipping rate nor change in aSAH in-hospital mortality. NCT04934020 .
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 27-05-2021
DOI: 10.1177/17474930211019568
Abstract: Improving stroke services is critical for reducing the global stroke burden. The World Stroke Organization–World Health Organization– Lancet Neurology Commission on Stroke conducted a survey of the status of stroke services in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries. Using a validated World Stroke Organization comprehensive questionnaire, we collected and compared data on stroke services along four pillars of the stroke quadrangle (surveillance, prevention, acute stroke, and rehabilitation) in 84 countries across World Health Organization regions and economic strata. The World Health Organization also conducted a survey of non-communicable diseases in 194 countries in 2019. Fewer surveillance activities (including presence of registries, presence of recent risk factors surveys, and participation in research) were reported in low-income countries than high-income countries. The overall global score for prevention was 40.2%. Stroke units were present in 91% of high-income countries in contrast to 18% of low-income countries (p 0.001). Acute stroke treatments were offered in ∼ 60% of high-income countries compared to 26% of low-income countries (p = 0.009). Compared to high-income countries, LMICs provided less rehabilitation services including in-patient rehabilitation, home assessment, community rehabilitation, education, early hospital discharge program, and presence of rehabilitation protocol. There is an urgent need to improve access to stroke units and services globally especially in LMICs. Countries with less stroke services can adapt strategies from those with better services. This could include establishment of a framework for regular monitoring of stroke burden and services, implementation of integrated prevention activities and essential acute stroke care services, and provision of interdisciplinary care for stroke rehabilitation.
Location: Portugal
Location: No location found
Location: Portugal
Location: Portugal
Location: Portugal
No related grants have been discovered for Hrvoje Budincevic.