Comparative Analysis of the Quality of Life in the Pretreatment of Head and Neck Cancer Patients According to Tumor Site

Abstract Introduction Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment can cause physical, psychological, and quality of life (QoL) damage, because it can disturb the physiology of eating, breathing, speaking, and compromise self-image. Objective To evaluate the QoL of the pretreatment of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer according to the anatomical location of the tumor. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 144 patients undergoing pretreatment for cancer from February 2017 to July 2019. The University of Washington QoL Questionnaire (version 4) was used to assess the QoL. The anatomical location data were obtained from medical records. The ANOVA test was used to compare the differences in QoL according to tumor location. Results A total of 144 participants were included, 66 (45.5%) of whom had the primary tumor located in the mouth. The median age of the patients was 62 years, with a higher prevalence of male (75.7%), Black (78.5%), single/divorced/widowed people (59%), and illiterates (32.6%); most of them were smokers (84.7%) and alcohol drinkers (79.2%). The mean QoL score was 830 for mouth cancer, 858 for pharynx cancer, and 891 for laryngeal cancer patients. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the QoL of patients with head and neck cancer was not influenced by tumor location. The most affected domains in the three groups were pain, appearance, chewing, swallowing, and speech (p < 0.05).

Fundamentos teóricos para un estudio sobre la ludopatía / Theoretical foundations for a study on compulsive gambling

RESUMEN El presente texto hace referencia al uso de las nuevas tecnologías entre los adolescentes y jóvenes y al modo en que a nivel mundial llega a convertirse en una conducta adictiva, debido a su empleo inadecuado en esta población. Su objetivo está dirigido a fundamentar los elementos epistemológicos sobre la ludopatía para su atención. Se incursiona en cuestiones inherentes a las adicciones, la drogadicción y en particular sobre la ludopatía y sus consecuencias en los sujetos comprendidos entre las edades mencionadas. Este artículo constituye una salida del proyecto de investigación Sistema de estrategias educativas para la prevención de conductas adictivas en los adolescentes del área de salud Tula Aguilera, el cual gestiona el Centro para el Desarrollo de las Ciencias Sociales y Humanísticas en Salud, de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Camagüey. El tipo de estudio es de carácter Investigación Desarrollo y se ejecutó en el período comprendido entre enero de 2017 y febrero de 2020.

ABSTRACT The present text makes reference to the use of the new technologies among the adolescents and young and to the way in that its inadequate employment at world level in the people, ends up becoming an addictive behavior. Their objective is directed to base the elements epistemológicos of the treatment of the ludopatía, from the school activity. This article constitutes an exit of the project of investigation System of educational strategies for the prevention of addictive behaviors in the adolescents of the area of health Tula Aerie, which negotiates the Center for the Development of the Social and Humanistic Sciences in Health, of the University of Medical Sciences of Camagüey. The study type is of character Investigation Development and it was executed in the period understood between January of 2017 and February of 2020.

Desarrollo socio sanitario de un asentamiento rural desde la perspectiva de las ciencias sociales / Social sanitary development of a rural establishment from the perspective of the social sciences

RESUMEN Se aplicó una intervención socio sanitaria en el asentamiento rural El León de Camagüey basada en los resultados de un estudio anterior, desde la comunicación social, educativa, así como aspectos socioculturales evaluados que permitieron la realización de este estudio. Su objetivo fue implementar una estrategia de intervención basada en acciones sociales y educativas colectadas en un manual que organizó contenidos de antropología socio cultural, psicología, sociología de la salud y trabajo social comunitario, la que fue conducida por profesionales de enfermería como prestadores, cuyo encargo social les asigna una mayor permanencia e intercambio con los pobladores, potenciándose el trabajo comunitario a partir de febrero de 2016,como etapa de sostenibilidad . La investigación constituyó un diseño mixto, con un estudio cuasi experimental sin grupo control (pre-post prueba) combinado con métodos cualitativos. La evaluación final efectuada en el periodo 2017-2018 exhibió modificaciones positivas en indicadores de las historias clínicas familiares de los pobladores, repercutiendo en el Análisis de la Situación de Salud, realizado en abril de 2018 y el entorno comunitario. Se demostró la importancia de la aplicación de la estrategia de intervención comunitaria desde las disciplinas de las ciencias sociales, por el personal de enfermería como agente de cambio de desarrollo local y protagonista de sostenibilidad.

ABSTRACT A social sanitary intervention was applied in the rural establishment El León of Camagüey, based on social and educational actions collected in a manual that organized social cultural anthropology contents, psychology, sociology of the health and community social work, which was led by infirmary professionals like lenders, whose social order assigns a major permanence and exchange of them with the settlers. The investigation constituted a mixed design, with a study quasi experimentally without control group (pre-post trial) combined with qualitative methods. The final evaluation carried out in the period 2017-2018 exhibited positive modifications in indicators of the familiar clinical history of the settlers, what reverberated in the Analysis of the Situation of Health, carried in April, 2018 and the community environment. It was demonstrated the importance of the application of the strategy of community intervention from the disciplines of the social sciences, by the infirmary personnel as change agent of local development and protagonist of sustainability.

Urinary tract infection in non-hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and no symptoms of urinary tract infection: a case series study

Bacterial infections are important factors in decompensation, and they increase the mortality rate of patients with liver cirrhosis. The most common infections among these patients are spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, pneumonia, skin infections and urinary tract infections (UTI). This transversal study evaluated the frequency of UTI in non-hospitalized patients with cirrhosis followed in a hepatology outpatient unit. Patients with clinical, laboratorial, echographic and/or histological diagnosis of cirrhosis were evaluated from April 2002 to August 2004. Patients who accepted participating in this study were submitted to clinical evaluation and the following laboratorial examinations: urine analysis, urine culture, blood culture and hepatic function tests. Patients with symptoms of UTI, diabetis, prostatic disease were excluded. Eighty-two patients with cirrhosis were studied. Their mean age was 51 years (SD = 11); 73 percent were male. Hepatitis C virus was the main etiology in 45 percent of the cases. The Child-Pugh B functional class was observed in 52 percent of the cases. Urine cultures were positive in 4.9 percent of these patients. In this study of non-hospitalized cirrhotic patients, with no symptoms of UTI, the frequency of urinary tract infection was approximately 5 percent. The bacteria found were E. coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. We conclude that it is necessary to screen for UTI in such patients.

Freqüência e implicaçöes dos auto-anticorpos em hepatites agudas virais / Frequency and implications of autoantibodies in acute viral hepatitis

Existem interaçöes entre viroses hepatotrópicas e o sistema imunológico do hospedeiro que podem influenciar na patogenicidade da agressäo hepática. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a freqüência de auto-anticorpos na fase aguda da hepatite viral, sua relaçäo com atividade bioquímica, gravidade da doença e cronicidade. Foram estudados 156 pacientes com hepatite aguda viral de 1992 a 2000. Destes, 32 por cento tiveram infecçäo por vírus A, 31 por cento por vírus B, 8 por cento por vírus C, 3 por cento tiveram hepatite E e 24 por cento näo A-E. Na fase aguda, 20,5 por cento apresentaram FAN e 14,8 por cento antimúsculo liso positivos. Na convalescença, 6,4 por cento persistiram com FAN e 3,9 por cento com antimúsculo liso positivos. Pacientes que persistiam com anticorpos detectáveis näo apresentavam níveis de transaminases e bilirrubinas significativamente diferentes daqueles com auto-anticorpos negativos. Concluindo, os anticorpos que aparecem na fase inicial da infecçäo säo transitórios e näo têm implicaçäo prognóstica

A baixa qualidade do soro caseiro em Salvador, Brasil

Durante o ano de 1988 foi realizada uma campanha de âmbito nacional com o objetivo de informar a população brasileira sobre o preparo e utilização do soro caseiro (solução sal/açúcar para reidratação oral). A campanha foi intensivamente divulgada pelos meios de comunicação de massa. Este estudo preliminar avaliou a qualidade do soro caseiro preparado por 23 mães de crianças internadas num hospital pediátrico de Salvador, Bahia. Catorze (60,9) dentre as 23 mães prepararam soluções, contendo concentrações de Na na faixa de 30-80mmol/L, recomendada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde. Onze (47,8) soluções continham glicose dentro da faixa recomendada de 30-112 mmol/L. Apenas 6 (26) das 23 mães prepararam soluções com concentrações adequadas de Na e glicose simultaneamente e, destas, somente 3 (13) apresentavam, também, balanço adequado das concentrações dos eletrólitos. Características potencialmente iatrogênicas devido a elevadas concentrações de Na e glicose foram encontrados em 30,4 e em 43,5 das soluções, respectivamente. Os resultados revelam grande dificuldade das mães em preparar o soro caseiro com características adequadas para sua utilização numa campanha de controle da diarréia