Introduction: The use of high resolution ultrasonography (US) became a very important tool in nail assessment. This study evaluated nails clinical and ultrasound measurements in the psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and control groups. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed and 44 patients with PsA, 10 health individuals and 6 hand osteoarthritis patients (OA) were selected. PsA patients were included when filling the CASPAR criteria. Results: spectral Doppler (sD) was analyzed in 208 nail beds. Nail plates appearance on gray scale (GS) showed loss of the normal three-layered appearance in 89 nails (45.9%). Power Doppler (PD) signal was detected in 189 nail beds (92.2%), showing inflammatory activity in most of the patients and nails examined. Resistance index (RI) measured was significantly lower in PsA patients as compared with controls group in both longitudinal and transverse planes (p<0.001). The nail enthesitis was observed when RI values below 0.4, characterizing 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity (p<0.01). Conclusions: Nail US measurements presented statistical significance in PsA patients, in studies future could show many inflammatory situations, as treatment assessment.

Objective: Investigate in-patients weight loss during hospital stay. Methods: In a retrospective study carried out with 170 in-patients, weight loss during hospitalization and its relationship with the type of disease, diet therapy, subjective global assessment (SGA), nutritional risk screening (NRS), anthropometry and hospitalization time (HT) were investigated. The Chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney and the univariate and multiple Cox regression analysis were used. Results: During hospitalization 41.18% patients experienced weight loss. Patients who were overweight experienced a higher rate of weight loss while in the ward (45.7% of patients; p=0.0179). Patients who were overweight, were twice as likely to lose weight during hospitalization, when compared with those who were already underweight (p= 0.0339; HR = 2.312; CI % = 1.066; 5.018). The age, gender, disease, diet prescribed during hospitalization, SGA, NRS, anthropometry and fasting time were not considered risk factors associated with weight loss. Conclusion: There was no influence of the dietary therapy type on weight loss. Only those patients who were overweight according to BMI were more associated to lose weight during hospitalization.