Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000179
Luís Vale, José Sousa, Pedro Abreu-Mendes, Pedro Vale, Nuno Dias, Paulo Dinis, Tiago Antunes-Lopes, João Silva
{"title":"The value of surgeon's perception during transurethral resection of bladder tumors: can we trust in our eyes and experience to predict grade and staging?","authors":"Luís Vale, José Sousa, Pedro Abreu-Mendes, Pedro Vale, Nuno Dias, Paulo Dinis, Tiago Antunes-Lopes, João Silva","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000179","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transurethral resection of newly diagnosed bladder tumors (TURBT) is a hallmark ¡n the treatment of bladder cancer. We evaluated the surgeon capacity to predict bladder tumor stage (T), grade, and presence of muscular layer based upon cystoscopic characteristics during primary TURBT.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Prospective study enrolling 100 consecutive patients undergoing primary TURBT for newly diagnosed bladder cancers. Cystoscop¡c tumor characteristics at the time of TURBT was evaluated by an urology senior and a resident regarding histological grade, invasion (T stage), and presence of muscular layer in the specimen. We analyzed the surgeon's accuracy in predicting these parameters using the final histology as gold standard. In addition, the predictive capacity between seniors and residents was compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The resident's arm correctly predicted tumor invasiveness in 76% of cases, while seniors correctly predicted 87% of cases. Regarding tumor grade, high grade cancer was reported in 78% of the specimens and 75% and 77% of them were correctly predicted by residents and seniors, respectively. Finally, 80% of the TURBT specimens had muscle representativeness. In nearly 75% of the cases, both resident and senior correctly predicted the TURBT resection depth (presence of detrusor muscle in the specimen). The positive predictive value for this parameter was 79% for the resident, and 81% for the senior, and the negative predictive value was 25% and 40%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The surgeon's naked eye analysis showed a good, but limited predictive ability to detect non-muscle invasive and high-grade bladder tumors in TURBT specimens. Positive predictive value for muscle representativeness is around 80%, which reinforces the need of carrying out a careful and extensive TURBT, irrespective of the surgeon experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e179"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000156
Catarina Cidade-Rodrigues, Pedro Palma, Rogério Ruas, Rita Ferraz
{"title":"Letter to the Editor-Extensive aortic thrombosis in a patient with diabetes mellitus and COVID-19.","authors":"Catarina Cidade-Rodrigues, Pedro Palma, Rogério Ruas, Rita Ferraz","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000156","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521758/pdf/pj9-7-e156.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000177
Filipa M D Costa, Sónia P V Martins, Emilia C T D Moreira, José C M S Cardoso, Lia P N S Fernandes
{"title":"Anxiety in heart failure patients and its association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Filipa M D Costa, Sónia P V Martins, Emilia C T D Moreira, José C M S Cardoso, Lia P N S Fernandes","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anxiety is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in heart failure (HF) patients. However, it is often neglected in clinical practice and studies about the particular relationship with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes for HF are scarce. In this context, this study aims to analyze the presence of anxiety symptoms in HF outpatients and also its association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study is part of the longitudinal Deus Ex-Machina project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000026). HF patients were recruited at an outpatient clinic at a University Hospital. Patients with inability to communicate, severe visual/hearing impairment, or NYHA class IV were excluded. Sociodemographic data and NYHA class were registered. Anxiety was assessed with the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorders Scale (with a score ≥10 clinically relevant anxiety). Patients with and without anxiety were compared regarding socio-demographic and clinical variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The sample (n = 136) had a median age of 59years (Q<sub>1</sub>: 49; Q<sub>3</sub>: 68), 66.2% were male and 31.6% presented clinically relevant anxiety. A higher percentage of HF patients with anxiety had psychiatric disorders (58.1% vs 26.9%; <i>P</i> = .001), psychotropic medication (62.8% vs 30.1%; <i>P</i> = .001), and depression (60.5% vs 9.7%; <i>P</i>< .001). No significant differences were found regarding the remaining variables, including NYHA classes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A substantial proportion of HF patients present clinically relevant anxiety, particularly those with psychiatric history, depressive symptoms, or under psychotropic medication. Therefore, integrating routine screening and treatment of this comorbidity in clinical practice is of utmost importance. Further studies are needed to clarify the association of anxiety with HF.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e177"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521754/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000153
Andreia Maria Novo Lima, Maria Manuela Ferreira da Silva Martins, Maria Salomé Martins Ferreira, Carla Sílvia Fernandes, Soraia Dornelles Schoeller, Vítor Sérgio Oliveira Parola
{"title":"From the challenge of assessing autonomy to the instruments used in practice: A scoping review.","authors":"Andreia Maria Novo Lima, Maria Manuela Ferreira da Silva Martins, Maria Salomé Martins Ferreira, Carla Sílvia Fernandes, Soraia Dornelles Schoeller, Vítor Sérgio Oliveira Parola","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000153","DOIUrl":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autonomy is one of the essential components to live a quality life. Monitoring this autonomy is, in effect, essential, to allow the nurses to conceive, implement and evaluate interventions aimed at its promotion or even maintenance. For this reason, this scoping review aims to map the evidence to identify and analyze the instruments used to assess the person's autonomy, which emerges from scientific production.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Scoping review based on the recommended principles by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The research was realized in the databases: Scopus (excluding MEDLINE), CINAHL complete (via EBSCO, Excluding MEDLINE), and MEDLINE (via PubMed). Two independent reviewers evaluated the articles' pertinence for the study's investigation, the extraction, and synthesis of articles.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After the analysis, according to the inclusion criteria established, 34 articles were selected, allude to 7 different instruments to assess autonomy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The need for further development at this level is highlighted, namely through the construction and validation of more comprehensive instruments, integrating the different components of the concept of autonomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":"7 4","pages":"e153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9546556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000157
Catarina Vieira, Filipa Sales, Inês Coles, Mariana M Cunha
{"title":"Anesthesia-related unexpected cardiac arrest- What are we doing wrong on preoperative evaluation?","authors":"Catarina Vieira, Filipa Sales, Inês Coles, Mariana M Cunha","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000157","url":null,"abstract":"To the Editor, Preoperative risk stratification is recommended as part of any strategy to prevent perioperative cardiovascular complications. Most algorithms proposed by several international guidelines emphasize the assessment of preoperative cardiopulmonary fitness, or functional capacity (FC), as an important component of estimating patients’ risks for major cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is widely accepted that patients proceed directly to elective low and intermediate-risk noncardiac surgery if they are deemed capable of more than 4metabolic equivalents (METs) of activity without symptoms, even in the presence of stable heart disease or clinical risk factors. Regarding a case of cardiac arrest after anesthesia induction, we propose a reflection on preoperative cardiac risk evaluation. Informed consent for publication was obtained. A 63-year-old female, ASA III, with a history of obesity (BMI 31) and type 2 diabetes mellitus under insulin therapy and poor metabolic control, was scheduled for lumbar decompression surgery (intermediate-risk procedure). She attended a preanesthetic evaluation 2 months prior to surgery when her FC was assessed. Her exercise capacity was difficult to estimate because of leg motor deficit and pain, but she denied angina pectoris, dyspnoea on exertion, orthopnea, or any other symptom suggestive of heart failure. Physical examination and preoperative testing found little to note and she had a previous normal resting transthoracic echocardiogram (Table 1). Cardiovascular stratification scores were also used: Revised Cardiac Risk Index revealed a 6% 30-day estimated risk of myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or death. General anesthesia was induced with a target-controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil (effect-site concentration 2ng/ mL) and propofol (total of 80mg infused by TCI view mode),","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521774/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000165
Rafael Dias, Ricardo Soares Dos Reis, Sara Pereira de Sousa, Ana Filipa Rocha, Ana Margarida Ribeiro, Jorge Almeida
{"title":"Cerebral venous thrombosis in a young asymptomatic COVID-19 patient.","authors":"Rafael Dias, Ricardo Soares Dos Reis, Sara Pereira de Sousa, Ana Filipa Rocha, Ana Margarida Ribeiro, Jorge Almeida","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We report an unusual case of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT temporally associated with an otherwise asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with thrombotic events at different sites, most published cases report on symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. We are confident this was an otherwise asymptomatic infection as the patient reported no symptoms and molecular and serological testing was consistent with infection more than 3weeks in the past. We believe this is an important report as it adds to the existing literature on thrombotic events in patients with COVID. It may even inform discussion of COVID vaccines and CVT since our patient, as those reported in association with vaccines, also had thrombocytopenia on admission.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e165"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000192
Daniela Oliveira, Miguel Bernardes, Carlos Vaz, Lúcia Costa, João Almeida Fonseca, Cristina Jácome
{"title":"Portuguese adaptation and validation of a patient-reported experience measure for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol study.","authors":"Daniela Oliveira, Miguel Bernardes, Carlos Vaz, Lúcia Costa, João Almeida Fonseca, Cristina Jácome","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is a growing attention to patient-reported experience measures in assessing the quality of care in patient-centered care models. A specific patient-reported experience measure for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been developed in the United Kingdom-Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure. This patient-reported experience measure might be feasible to be used in Portugal, yet an adaptation and validation process is needed. Therefore, the aims of this study will be to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Portuguese version of the Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure, evaluate its content and face validity through a qualitative approach, and evaluate its psychometric properties through a clinical field testing.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study is based on a multimethod approach combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. This study will include patients with RA from a single rheumatology center. Three sequential phases are planned: Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure translation and cultural adaptation, Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure content and face validity assessed through 2 focus groups with at least 10 patients, and the Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure field testing through a cross-sectional study with 50 patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>By involving patients with RA in the validation and implementation of the Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient-Reported Experience Measure, we expect to demonstrate the usefulness of this specific patient-reported experience measure to improve health care provided to patients with RA.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e192"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/3d/e0/pj9-7-e192.PMC9521755.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Porto biomedical journalPub Date : 2022-09-09eCollection Date: 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000176
Mariana Rodrigues da Silva, Renato Andrade, Fatima S Cardoso, Sofia Oliveira, Susana O Catarino, Óscar Carvalho, Filipe S Silva, João Espregueira-Mendes, Paulo Flores
{"title":"Light stimulation on tenocytes: A systematic review of in vitro studies.","authors":"Mariana Rodrigues da Silva, Renato Andrade, Fatima S Cardoso, Sofia Oliveira, Susana O Catarino, Óscar Carvalho, Filipe S Silva, João Espregueira-Mendes, Paulo Flores","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze the methodologies, utilized stimulation parameters, and the main cellular outcomes obtained by in vitro studies that apply a light source on tenocyte cultures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to December 9, 2019 for in vitro studies that used light sources on tenocyte cultures. A 13-item checklist was used to assess methodological quality of the studies and the risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies tool.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six studies were included. Tenocytes from the Achilles tendon were used by 83.3% of the studies, with 16.7% utilizing the deep digital flexor tendon, with cells in passage 2 to 5. Four studies used lasers and the other 2 used light-emitting diode or intense pulsed light, in wavelengths ranges from 530 to 1100 nm. The application of light to tenocytes resulted in positive effects reported by all studies, including an increase in cell proliferation and migration, and higher protein and gene expression of tendon biomarkers. Studies presented a lack of standardization on reporting light stimulation parameters and experimental methodologies, leading to low methodological quality. There was a high risk of selection, performance, detection, and reporting bias.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>All studies showed positive effects after light stimulation on tenocytes, regardless of the light source used. However, the lack of standardized data on light stimulation parameters, experimental setup, and the studies' main limitations hindered representative conclusions and comparisons amongst studies' main outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":" ","pages":"e176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521787/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40389487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"DRESS syndrome: an unlikely diagnosis with an unlikely cause.","authors":"Sofia Garcês Soares, M H Mendes, P Pinto-Lopes","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome is a rare and severe adverse drug reaction which is potentially life-threatening. We report a case of a 66-year-old male, with no prior history of allergies, who went to the emergency department with fever, headache and a rash, 12 days following receiving metronidazole for 7 days. He had no recent trips, contact with sick people or animals. The authors aim to alert to an uncommon and serious syndrome caused by an unlikely drug.</p>","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":"7 5","pages":"e154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/d4/55/pj9-7-e154.PMC10194756.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9502808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Urology underexposure in medical schools: Are we catching up?","authors":"Tariq F Al-Shaiji","doi":"10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000184","url":null,"abstract":"I read with great interest the article by Pereira et al which aimed to evaluate how good undergraduate teaching of urology is in Portuguese medical schools. The authors distributed a 16-question questionnaire through email to freshly graduated junior doctors in an attempt to gather views regarding their exposure to the urology specialty during their time spent in medical schools. Based on the analysis of 186 responses, they concluded that Portuguese medical schools’ urology teaching is insufficient and does not reflect the anticipated importance of the specialty. The finding is intriguing, but it comeswith no surprise. Indeed, urology underexposure inmedical schools is a worldwide issue. Over the last decade, several authors examined this issue with similar outcome and suggestions. It is peculiarly worrying to know that in some medical schools, undergraduate urology exposure is not considered mandatory. A study from theUnited States indicated that itwas likely for amedical student to graduate without any clinical exposure to urology. The end result would be having difficulties in managing urology conditions when encountered in clinical practice. When it comes to the study by Pereira et al, the authors intentionally decided to question junior doctors who have recently graduated because they have acquired some degree of experience in clinical practice.Nevertheless,would it have beenof value to include a cohort of urology residents already enrolled in recognized urology residency programs because they are better suited to voice their opinion about their undergraduate exposure and how they ended up in urology, having had some actual structured exposure during residency. In addition, was the questionnaire used to gather participants’ views validated before implementing it? If so, how the validation was performed? Final thought. As urologists involved in the training process of medical students, junior doctors, and residents, are we doing enough to overcome this issue of poor exposure within the health system of our countries? A good example to follow is the Convergence Plan of Bologna signed in 1999. Its main objective is to normalize, harmonize, and standardize the teaching of medicine among European medical schools by implementing a similar curriculum in which it assumes the presence of urology as a university discipline in all European medical schools. Because undergraduate exposure to urology continues to be heterogeneous worldwide, let alone Europe, has the Bologna plan really been implemented in full or partial? If yes, has it been monitored and governed to achieve its objectives for better future physicians and health system? I think medical schools should be more transparent regarding any progress done or any shortcomings faced.","PeriodicalId":74479,"journal":{"name":"Porto biomedical journal","volume":"7 5","pages":"e184"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/65/ea/pj9-7-e184.PMC10194686.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9502806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}