A systematic review of the epidemiology of epilepsy in Mexico during 1970 to 2020 / Revision sistematica de la epidemiologia en Mexico de la epilepsia de 1970 a 2020

Abstract Background Epilepsy is the most common major neurological disorder that affects people of all ages. The prevalence varies from one country to another and even between different areas, due to a lack of access to medical care for reasons related to limited resources. Objective Epilepsy is a worldwide public health problem that affects more deeply populations living in developing countries such as Mexico, where more aggressive health policies based on epidemiological data are needed; however, this information is scarce and the evolution of this data over time remains unclear. The aim of the present study is to provide an overview of the epidemiology of epilepsy in Mexico from 1970 to 2020. Methods We searched descriptive epidemiological studies on epilepsy in rural and urban regions of Mexico from 1970 to 2020. Available data on the sociodemographic characteristics, prevalence, and incidence data were extracted. Finally, the abstract, full-text review, and data abstraction were conducted in duplicate and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Descriptive statistics was also used. Results Overall, 11 underrepresented and heterogeneous epidemiological studies were included. In total, the prevalence of epilepsy in Mexico is 3.9 to 41:1,000 inhabitants; 3.9 to 41 per 1,000 persons in rural regions, and 3.49 to 44.3 per 1,000 persons in urban regions. None of these studies addressed the incidence of epilepsy. The prevalence of epilepsy in Mexico has remained unchanged during the last 5 decades. Conclusions Our results confirm a high prevalence of epilepsy in both urban and rural settings in Mexico that remain unchanged during the last 5 decades. All studies included in the present review showed multiple methodological limitations. New and robust epidemiological studies are needed to delineate the epidemiological profile of epilepsy in Mexico.

Resumen Antecedentes La epilepsia es el trastorno neurológico más común que afecta a individuos de todas las edades. La prevalencia varía entre paises e incluso entre diferentes áreas del mismo pais debido a la falta de acceso a la atención médica. Objectivo La epilpesía es un problema de salud pública mundial que afecta de manera más importante a los países en desarrollo como México, donde hacen falta políticas en salud y datos epidemiológicos, para conocer el impacto real de esta enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio es brindar una visión general de la epidemiología de la epilepsia en México (1970-2020). Métodos Se realizo unas búsquedas bibliografica de estudios epidemiológicos descriptivos sobre epilepsia en regiones rurales y urbanas de México desde 1970 a 2020. Se extrajeron los datos disponibles sobre las características sociodemográficas, prevalencia e incidencia. Finalmente, el resumen, la revisión completa del texto y la extracción de datos se realizaron por duplicado y se informaron utilizando PRISMA. Se utilizo estadística descriptiva. Resultados Se incluyeron 11 estudios epidemiológicos heterogeéneos. En total la prevalencia de epilepsia en México es 3.9-41: 1000 habitantes; 3,9 a 41 por 1000 personas en las regiones rurales y 3,49 a 44,3 por 1000 personas en las regiones urbanas. Ninguno de estos estudios abordó la incidencia de epilepsia. La prevalencia de la epilepsia en México se ha mantenido sin cambios durante las últimas cinco décadas. Conclusiones Nuestros resultados confirman una alta prevalencia de epilepsia en las areas urbanas y rurales de México que se mantiene sin cambios durante las últimas cinco décadas. Todos los estudios incluidos en esta revisión mostraron múltiples limitaciones metodológicas. Se necesitan estudios epidemiológicos nuevos y sólidos para delinear el perfil epidemiológico de la epilepsia en México.

A descriptive cross-sectional study on the motivation of work-from-home office workers in the National Capital Region / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#The landscape of work has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as more companies shifted from face-to-face to the work-from-home (WFH) setup. This change has affected several aspects of human life especially the motivation to WFH. The study aimed to determine the motivation of WFH among office workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from March 2020 to February 2022@*METHODS@#Using a descriptive cross-sectional study design, an online survey of WFH office workers around the NCR, Philippines was conducted. A 26-item questionnaire on motivation covering dimensions of availability (flexibility), safety (work-life balance), and meaningfulness (work performance) was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24.@*RESULTS@#A total of 252 respondents were included in the study, with a majority identifying as females aged 21 to 30, never married, and college graduates. Additionally, respondents reported having one to five years of work experience and were employed in professional/technical/managerial fields. Regarding the impact of remote work, the findings indicated that most individuals who worked from home (WFH) felt motivated by this setup due to its positive effects on availability, time and cost savings from reduced commuting, and the flexibility it provided for managing their schedules according to personal preferences. Furthermore, in terms of safety and conducive work environment, WFH office workers expressed agreement that the remote work setup contributed to a favorable work environment, leading to increased job satisfaction. This setup allowed them to effectively balance work responsibilities with personal and family commitments. The study also revealed that WFH office workers perceived a sense of meaningfulness in their work, as they felt trusted and valued by their employers. This sentiment contributed to their overall well-being, both physically and mentally@*CONCLUSION@#Work-from-home office workers are generally always motivated in terms of availability (flexibility), safety (work-life balance) and meaningfulness (work performance).

Incidence, recurrence and mortality among Filipinos with differentiated thyroid cancer: A systematic review / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Background@#The majority of thyroid malignancies are differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs). We examined the incidence, disease extent, recurrence and disease-specific mortality (DSM) of DTC among Filipinos residing in the Philippines and Filipino immigrants.@*Methodology@# In accordance with the 2020 PRISMA statement, we performed a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane and Clinicaltrials.gov for the period January 1, 1980 until January 27, 2022. Pooled incidence rate ratio and pooled proportions of disease extent, recurrence and DSM were determined.@*Results@#Literature search yielded 1,852 studies. Out of 26 articles retrieved, nine retrospective case controls and cohorts were included. Incidence of DTC was significantly higher in female Filipino immigrants compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Distant metastases and recurrence were more common among Filipinos and Filipino immigrants compared with NHW. Limited data showed higher DSM in Filipino immigrants and NHW than Filipinos, which may be influenced by reporting bias.@*Conclusion@#This review supports the trend of increased incidence and recurrence of DTC among Filipinos, although case registries are essential to confirm these findings. In the setting of the newly released Philippine guidelines for DTC, prospective studies with active long-term follow-up will help detect any changes in the outcomes of DTC among Filipinos.

Clinical characteristics, management, and outcome of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia patients with brain metastasis: A 10-year experience at the Philippine General Hospital / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Objective@#This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics, management, and outcome of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) patients with brain metastasis.@*Materials and Methods@#This was a 10‑year descriptive study that included all patients with brain metastasis from GTN. Patients’ sociodemographic and clinicopathological profiles were described. Using Kaplan–Meier survival curve, the survival time was determined@*Results@#From January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019, there were 33 GTN patients with brain metastasis. Four were excluded from the study due to incomplete records. Twenty‑nine patients were included in the study. Nineteen (65.51%) patients presented with neurologic symptoms upon diagnosis and one (3.44%) during treatment. All received etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin, oncovin (EMACO) as first‑line treatment. Five (17.24%) patients were given induction chemotherapy with low‑dose etoposide–cisplatin. Seventeen (58.62%) patients underwent whole‑brain radiation and two (6.89%) were given intrathecal methotrexate. Thirteen patients (44.82%) achieved biochemical remission with EMACO chemotherapy. Four patients (13.79%) had resistance to EMACO and were given Etoposide Cisplatin Etoposide Methotrexate Actinomycin (EP EMA). Four patients (13.79%) underwent an adjunctive hysterectomy. Four patients (13.79%) died during treatment. One patient (3.44%) was unable to continue her chemotherapy because she got pregnant before her first consolidation course. There were eight early deaths (<4 weeks of admission) and hence were excluded in the analysis. Three patients who went into biochemical remission relapsed on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months after their last consolidation course, respectively. The median follow‑up time was 27 months. After excluding early deaths, the survival rate between 3 and 7 years after treatment is at 61.9%. The mean survival time was 5.43 years. Six surviving patients were contacted. Five (17.24%) of them had resumed their everyday life, and one is currently undergoing chemotherapy.@*Conclusion@#The study was able to document brain metastasis from GTN to be 14.28% (29/203) among metastatic high‑risk admissions. The biochemical remission rate from first‑line treatment was of 61.90% (13/21) and resistance rate was 19.04% (4/21). Lost to follow up after achieving biochemical remission was a challenge encountered

Case series and literature review of Opalski syndrome: A rare brainstem stroke

@#A rare type of lateral medullary infarction, the Opalski Syndrome is weakness ipsilateral to the lesion of the infarct. The lesion involves the ipsilateral corticospinal tract below the pyramidal decussation. We report the first two known documented case in the Philippines, admitted on the same tertiary hospital almost one year apart.

Upside down words as initial clinical presentation of an underlying acute ischemic stroke

@#We report a diabetic patient who was diagnosed with an acute stroke who presented with a 3-day history of difficulty of reading, described as the words were turned upside down, as if the words were inverted horizontally with associated right homonymous hemianopia and multiple higher cortical function deficits (alexia without agraphia, achromatopsia, prosopagnosia). He has poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an acute infarct on the left posterior cerebral artery territory. The patient was managed as an acute ischemic stroke and follow up after 6 months revealed improvement of the visual field cut but with persistence of the higher cortical function deficits. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first rare occurrence reversal of vision metamorphopsia described as inverted words as the sole initial presentation of an underlying stroke.

Hypertension as a prognostic factor in the prediction of mortality in patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#Hypertension was identified by the CDC to be one of underlying medical conditions that might pose an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the effect of hypertension on the morbidity of COVID-19 patients to help physicians in adjusting the management plans for a better prognosis.@*METHODS@#Participants included all COVID-19 patients with hypertension as a pre-existing medical condition. Studies were selected based study design, participants, exposure, outcome, timing, setting and language. MEDLINE and CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Clinical Key, OVID database, Wiley Online library, and UpToDate were searched. The risk of bias in selection, comparability and outcomes were evaluated. All information gathered were collated and evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and CEBM.@*RESULTS@#There was a statistically significant positive association between mortality and hypertension as a prognostic factor (OR = 5.25, 95% CI 2.42, 11.40; HR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.75, 2.80). Individual studies all showed a significant relationship between hypertension and mortality in COVID-19 patients with OR ranging from 1.75 to 28.88, and HR of 1.49 to 3.32.@*CONCLUSION@#Hypertension as a comorbid condition is a significant prognostic factor in the prediction of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Ocular findings among Filipino patients with Leprosy in a tertiary hospital: A cross-sectional survey

Background@#Leprosy, a chronic granulomatous disease affecting mainly the skin and peripheral nerves, has widely recognized ocular complications. It is a significant cause of visual impairment in countries where it is still prevalent, including the Philippines. @*Methods@#This was a cross-sectional study that determined the clinical profile and distribution of ocular pathology among Filipino patients with leprosy seen at a tertiary institution in the Philippines. @*Results@#A total of 67 patients consented to be included in the study and were evaluated by an ophthalmologist. Thirty-seven out of the 67 patients diagnosed with leprosy had reported ocular findings. The average age was 41.2 ± 13.1 years and the majority of patients were men (78%). Thirty-six patients were multibacillary cases, 10 (27%) had a lepra reaction, and 24 (65%) were undergoing multi-drug therapy. Three patients had varying degrees of visual acuity impairment (one was visually impaired with visual acuity [VA] 6/24-6/60, one with VA 3/60-5/60, and one with VA <3/60). Steroid-induced cataracts occurred in four patients (6%) with concurrent or previous systemic corticosteroid treatment for lepra reactions. Univariate logistic regression and Fisher’s exact test of patient-, disease-, and treatment-related variables on ocular morbidity revealed non-significant values for all variables except for age with an odds ratio of 1.1 (95% CI, 1.04, 1.16) (p = 0.001). @*Conclusions@#No ocular morbidities directly caused by leprosy were seen, and treatment-related ocular findings (steroid-induced cataracts) were the only morbidities documented. There is an age-related risk for developing ocular morbidity in patients with leprosy.

Clinical characteristics and patient symptoms associated with poor outcomes among children with COVID-19: A rapid review

Objective@#To identify specific clinical characteristics and patient signs and symptoms that increase the risk of developing severe/critical COVID-19 disease or death in the pediatric population, and identify strength of these associations @*Methodology@#A systematic search was done in PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and grey literature databases focusing on severe and critical COVID-19 disease in the zero to eighteen year old age group until August 26, 2020. Data regarding patient characteristics, signs and symptoms on admission and disease severity were extracted. Outcomes measured were severe or critical COVID-19, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) or death. Results were pooled and meta-analyzed. @*Results@#Four eligible studies with a total of 292 pediatric patients with COVID-19 were examined. Older children (MD=6.62, 95%CI=4.23 to 9.00, p-value<0.00001, I2=33%) significantly present with a higher percentage of severe disease. Shortness of breath (OR=8.14, 95%CI=2.33 to 28.47, p-value=0.001, I2=42%) was also found to be associated with severe COVID-19 disease. The presence of a pre-existing medical condition (OR=4.02, 95%CI=1.55 to 10.43, p-value=0.004, I2=0%), especially cardiac disease (OR=6.40, 95%CI=1.45 to 28.38, p-value=0.01, I 2=13%) and diabetes (OR=7.01, 95%CI=1.54 to 31.95, p-value=0.01, I2=0%) was noted to be a risk factor for severe disease. @*Conclusion@#Based on poor quality observational studies, older age group, shortness of breath, and a pre-existing medical condition, especially cardiac disease or diabetes were found to be associated with poor outcomes in children with COVID-19.

The effect of a two-day training and refresher program on the basic emergency obstetric and newborn care knowledge and skills of health workers in Legazpi City, Albay

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> The availability of emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) services is one of the key strategies in improving maternal health and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3. Health staff knowledge and competency on these interventions are crucial to ensure the effective handling and management of obstetric and newborn emergencies. Health workers, despite having undergone formal training, require regular refresher courses to keep up with new, evidence-based information on EmONC intervention; and to ensure compliance with national and local referral guidelines. A two-day workshop was implemented to assess the knowledge and skills of health workers in Legazpi, Albay, regarding obstetric emergency cases and referral guidelines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> A pretest was conducted on the first day to assess the knowledge of the participants. A series of lectures were given before administering a posttest at the end of these lectures. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted on the second day, which aimed to assess the skills of the participants.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> The pretest findings indicated that the participants are generally knowledgeable about areas such as handwashing and prenatal care. Results of the posttest show that participants had difficulty with the category of referrals. Moreover, comparing the pretest and posttest scores, there is strong evidence that there is a difference in the median values of the pretest scores as compared to the posttest scores. The results of the OSCE also indicate the need for further training on partograph use and adherence to an EINC protocol. More than half of the participants passed all five parts of the OSCE.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The workshop contributed to an improvement in the knowledge of health care workers in obstetric emergency cases. Skills-wise, more frequent training may need to be conducted to improve other competencies such as partograph utilization and the practice of EINC interventions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Key Words:</strong> emergency obstetric care, training, skilled birth attendants, knowledge, skills</p>

Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease in a 40-year-old female: A case report

Introduction@#Rosai-Dorfman disease is a rare disease that manifests with painless cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, anemia, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and hypergammaglobulinemia. Extranodal lesions occur in 1/3 of patients, and the skin is involved in more than 10% of cases. Purely cutaneous disease is uncommon and only about more than 100 cases have been reported. Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman Disease (CRDD) appears to be a distinct entity with different age and race predilection from cases with lymph node involvement.@*Case report@#This is a case of a 40-year-old Filipino female who presented with multiple erythematous papules and plaques with pustules on the cheeks. Skin punch biopsy showed a dense dermal infiltrate of polygonal histiocytes with abundant cytoplasm and vesicular nuclei. Emperipolesis was also present. The histiocytes were highlighted by the immunohistochemical stains S-100 and CD68 and was CD1a negative. Complete blood count and ESR were normal. Cervical lymphadenopathy was absent. Findings were consistent with Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease. The patient was started on methotrexate at 15mg/week with folic acid supplementation. Mild soap, benzoyl peroxide 5% gel and tretinoin 0.05% cream once daily were maintained during the treatment course. There was significant decrease in erythema and size of existing lesions after 2 months. The patient was referred to a hematologist for monitoring of possible future systemic involvement.@*Conclusion@#Because of its rarity, clinicopathological correlation is always mandatory to establish a diagnosis of CRDD. Immu- nohistochemical stains are required to differentiate this entity form other forms of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Multidisci- plinary referral is required to rule out concomitant systemic involvement.

Caracterización de pacientes con trauma esplénico atendidos en un hospital de tercer nivel entre enero de 2000 y diciembre de 2017 / Characteristics of splenic trauma patients treated at a level III hospital between January 2000 and December 2017

Introducción. Es frecuente (46 %) que la lesión esplénica se acompañe de otra lesión visceral concomitante, con una alta tasa de morbimortalidad. La evolución de las técnicas para el abordaje de estas lesiones incluye procedimientos quirúrgicos, intervencionistas y de manejo expectante. Métodos. Se trata de un estudio con cohorte única retrospectiva y observacional. Se incluyeron pacientes mayores de 13 años de edad con trauma esplénico, atendidos entre enero de 2000 y diciembre de 2017. Se describieron las características relacionadas con el proceso de atención.Resultados. Se identificaron 116 pacientes con trauma esplénico, el 85,2 % de ellos hombres, con una edad promedio de 26 años. El 75,9 % de los pacientes presentaba lesiones concomitantes; las más frecuentes fueron de diafragma (31,0 %), de hígado (17,2 %) y de riñón (11,2 %). Los mecanismos de lesión más frecuentes fueron por arma corto-punzante (29,3 %), por arma de fuego (22,4 %) y por accidentes de tránsito (22,4 %). La gravedad fue clasificada como de grado V en el 24,1 % de los pacientes y de grado I en el 23,3 %. Se practicó esplenectomía total en el 39,7 % de los pacientes y el 15,2 % fue manejado de forma conservadora. La mortalidad fue del 4,3 %, tres casos en el posoperatorio inmediato (menos de 24 horas) y dos en la primera semana postoperatoria. Discusión. El manejo conservador de las lesiones esplénicas de poca gravedad es una estrategia segura y efectiva, con una tasa de fracaso de menos del 5 %. El abordaje quirúrgico se reserva para lesiones de mayor gravedad y su relación con otros órganos lesionados, con una mayor morbimortalidad (63 %)

Introduction. Splenic injuries are usually accompanied by another concomitant visceral lesion (46 %), with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The evolution of techniques for approaching these injuries includes surgical, interventional and expectant management procedures.Methods. Retrospective, observational single cohort study. Patients older than 13 years of age with splenic trauma who were treated between January 2010 and December 2017 were included. The characteristics related to the care process were described.Results. 116 patients with splenic trauma were identified, 85,2 % were men and the average age was 26 years. Concomitant lesions were identified in 75,9% of patients, the most common were diaphragm (31 %), liver (17,2 %), and kidney (11,2 %). The most common mechanisms of injury were stab wounds (29,3 %), gunshot wounds (22,4 %), and motor vehicle collisions (22,4 %). Severity was classified as grade V in 24,1 % of patients and grade I in 23,3 %. Total splenectomy was performed in 39,7 % of patients and 15,2 % was conservatively managed. Mortality was 4,3 %, three cases in the immediate postoperative period (within 24 hours) and two in the first week postoperative week. Discussion. Conservative management of low-grade splenic injuries is a safe and effective strategy, with a failure rate of less than 5 %. Surgical approach is reserved for injuries with greater severity and their relationship with other injured organs, with greater morbidity and mortality (63 %)

Barriers to an Effective Maternal Health Service Delivery Network: A Qualitative Study among Health Providers in Legazpi City, Albay

Objectives@#To A functioning referral system is critical to the maternal health program, especially in the management of obstetric emergencies. This study explored supply-side barriers affecting the effective implementation of the said service delivery network (SDN) in Legazpi, Albay in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. @*Methods@#Face-to-face in-depth interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were performed with health care providers involved in the SDN in Albay. Extensive note taking was done by the primary investigator while participants were observed during performance of duties from June - November 2018. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed thematically along with the observation notes using NVivo. A deductive-dominant approach was utilized for the data content analysis.@*Results@#Referral system barriers identified were cross-cutting across the different components of the health system such as governance, human health resource, service delivery and information systems. The barriers were further classified into individual, organizational and external-related factors in relation to the SDN. Examples of barriers included lack of knowledge of protocols and guidelines, lack of coordination between facilities, poor data management, inadequate capacity building opportunities, and constantly changing political landscape and policies.@*Conclusions@#The study is the first to explore barriers to effective service delivery network in maternal health in the country. Findings from the study provide significant insight to areas of improvement in the SDN that must be addressed to strengthen local health systems, especially with the country’s movement towards Universal Health Care where local health systems play a key role.

Analysis of trends in maternal mortalities in Bicol region using national health surveys and maternal death reviews / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background@#Since 1976, Bicol Region had higher maternal mortality ratio (MMR) than the Philippine average and became the fourth region with the highest MMR in 2012. Looking at trends of maternal health outcomes and determining risk factors among mothers who died may guide interventions to reduce MMR.@*Objectives@#To determine the changes in maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the Bicol region from 2004 to 2017 and determine the sociodemographic profile of pregnant women who died from 2015 to 2018. @*Materials and Methods@#A records review of Bicol?s Regional Field Health Services Information System from 2004 to 2017 and maternal death review reports from 2015 to 2018 was done. Changes in MMR was determined using Poisson regression. The sociodemographic characteristics and causes of maternal deaths were analyzed using frequencies and proportion. @*Results@#From 2004 to 2017, MMR of 100.9 remained higher than the regional target of 31.6. Significant reductions in MMR were achieved in 2007 to 2008 and in 2011 to 2012 wherein MMR ranged between 75.3 to 89.3. However, by the end of 2012, maternal deaths again increased which reached 122.5 in 2017. From the maternal death reviews, it was observed that 29.5% of maternal deaths were aged 35 years and above and 7.5% were less than 20 years old. Mothers who had more than five pregnancies were 30.1% of total deaths. In terms of place of death, 15.7% died at home or in-transit to referral facilities. Hemorrhage or hypertension-related causes were the leading reasons for maternal deaths. @*Conclusion@#Significant reduction in MMR was not sustained after 2012 and higher deaths were reported in the succeeding years. Maternal deaths can be further reduced by using a systems approach, by promoting family planning, and by strengthening service delivery networks to effectively manage hemorrhage and hypertension-related emergencies.

Tamización para cáncer de mama en el departamento del Huila, Colombia / Screening for mammary cancer in the state of Huila, Colombia

Introducción. En Colombia, la tamización para cáncer de mama, de acuerdo con las normativas del Ministerio de Protección Social, se hace mediante el examen clínico anual de la mama a partir de los 40 años y la mamografía bienal entre los 50 y los 69 años. Se presenta la experiencia en tamización con mamografía y examen clínico de la mama en el departamento del Huila de Colombia. Materiales y métodos. El departamento del Huila, al sur de Colombia, tiene una población de 1'097.615 habitantes, y se seleccionaron 15 municipios para este estudio. La tamización se llevó a cabo entre junio de 2011 y diciembre de 2013, y se adaptó un vehículo que permanecía en cada uno de los municipios durante un tiempo establecido. Dicha unidad móvil contaba con recepción, consultorio médico y unidad de mamografía digitalizada. Se hizo una ronda de tamización con el examen clínico de la mama y la mamografía de dos proyecciones. Resultados. Se valoraron 5.212 mujeres, 4.995 de las cuales contaban con información completa. De estas, 100 (2 %) tenían hallazgos positivos en el examen clínico de la mama. El 51,9 % de las mamografías fueron caracterizadas como BI-RADS 3 y el 1,12 %, como BI-RADS 4 o 5. Se confirmó el diagnóstico de cáncer en 29 pacientes, 9 con carcinoma in situ y 20 con carcinoma infiltrante, de las cuales 17 (59 %) tenían tumores en los estadios clínicos tempranos. Discusión. Se muestra que es posible hacer tamización para cáncer de mama con mamografía y examen clínico de la mama en municipios alejados de los grandes centros urbanos de Colombia, si se cuenta con una infraestructura básica y médicos generales o enfermeras con entrenamiento en la detección temprana del cáncer de mama

Introduction: Breast cancer screening in Colombia is performed following the "Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social" guidelines, through annual clinical examination starting with women 40 years old and biennial mammography in women between 50 and 69 years old. The article shows the experience in screening with mammography and breast clinical examination in the state of Huila, Colombia. Methods and materials: The state of Huila, located in southern Colombia, has a population of 1,097,615. Fifteen townships were selected for the study. Screening was carried out between June 2011 and December 2013. A customized vehicle stayed in every single township during an stablished period of time. This mobile unit was equipped with a reception area, a doctor´s office and a digitalized mammography unit. Screening was performed by breast clinical examination and a two-projection mammography. Results: 5,212 patients were screened, of which 4,995 had complete information. 100 women (2%) had positive clinical breast examination findings; 51.9% of the mammographies were BI-RADS 3, and 56 (1.12%) were BI-RADS 4 or 5. Diagnosis of cancer was confirmed in 29 patients, 9 of them with carcinoma in situ, and 20 with infiltrating carcinoma, of which 17 (59%) had early stage tumors. Discussion: This work shows that it is possible to screen for mammary cancer with mammography and breast clinical examination in townships away from the large urban centers of Colombia, provided there are a basic infrastructure and general physicians or nurses with training in early detection of breast cancer

Tendencia de los años perdidos de vida potencial por trauma en Colombia: análisis de un periodo de nueve años / Trend of lost years of potential life due to trauma in Colombia: Analysis of a nine-year period

Introducción. El trauma es reconocido como una epidemia global que varía según las regiones donde se presenta. Una parte de la carga de la enfermedad está determinada por los años perdidos de vida potencial, la cual es una estimación de amplio uso para la vigilancia en salud pública; sin embargo, existe poca información disponible en relación a esto. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la tendencia de los años perdidos de vida potencial por el trauma en un período de nueve años.Métodos. La información se obtuvo del Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses en un período de nueve años (2007-2015). La población de referencia se determinó con base en las proyecciones del Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, que indicaron una expectativa de vida de 75 años.Resultados. En el 2015, a las lesiones por traumatismos en Colombia les correspondieron 1.920,7 años perdidos de vida potencial por cada 100.000 personas. Durante el período de estudio, las principales causas fueron los homicidios (rango, 51 a 68 %) y los accidentes de tránsito (rango, 19 a 28 %); la relación entre hombres y mujeres fue de 7:1, y la tendencia estadística fue hacia la disminución de los años perdidos de vida potencial.Conclusiones. Los homicidios siguen aportando el mayor número de lesiones por trauma y años perdidos de vida potencial. Los hombres jóvenes continuaron siendo la población mayormente afectada. Se conceptúa la necesidad de incrementar los esfuerzos para mejorar la vigilancia en salud pública y ahondar en las intervenciones oportunas relacionadas con el trauma (AU)

Introduction: Trauma is a worldwide leading cause of external injuries that varies according to the regions. In 2015, trauma injuries were the third cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) with the 9% of the total global burden of disease. A portion of the burden of disease is determined by the Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL). In Colombia in 2015, from the total of deaths due to external cause injuries, homicides had the highest number of YPLL with a total of 495.667; traffic accidents had 236.237 YPLL and accidental deaths 90.745 YPLL. The YPLL trauma trends and baselines are important to public health surveillance but there's no consolidated description. The aim of this study is to determine trauma trends in a five-year period.Material and methods: The information was obtained from the reports of Instituto Nacional de Medicinal Le-gal y Ciencias Forenses in a nine-year period (2007-2015). The reference population was identified through the population projections from the Departmento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE). YPLL calculation was compared to a 75 years life expectancy.Results: In 2015 trauma injuries in Colombia had a total of 1.920,7 YPLL per 100.000 people. Overall the study period, leading cause of YPLL was homicides (range= 51-68%) and traffic accidents (range= 19-28%), ratio male: female was 7:1 and YPLL observed had decreased. The percentage of the total decrease was 6.3%, the highest increase was observed in 2009 with a raise of 30.5%.Conclusions: Homicides are a major public health issue such as the leading cause in YPLL of trauma injuries. Despite there was no increase in sex ratio, younger males are getting more affected through the time increasing YPLL in this population group. More efforts are needed to improve public health surveillance for assessing baselines, DALYs, policies and evidence for interventions in trauma-related injuries (AU)

Effects of 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes and bleachbased wipes in disinfecting nurses' mobile phone: a quasi-experimental approach / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#Concerns have been increased about the use of mobile phones in hospitals as they may be vehicles for the transmission of hospital-acquired infections. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes with bleach-based wipes in decreasing bacterial colony counts of mobile phones of staff nurses.@*METHODS@#Mobile phones of staff nurses in the UERM Hospital were assigned to be disinfected with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes or bleach-based wipes. Mobile phones were swabbed using standard techniques before and after disinfection with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes or bleach-based wipes. Post-disinfection colony counts were compared with baseline counts in each group and compared between the two test groups.@*RESULTS@#There was a significant decrease in the post-disinfection mean colony count compared with the mean baseline colony count in both the 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes (p < 0.001) and bleach-based wipes (p = 0.002) groups. The decrease in the 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes group was bigger (121,635 vs 85,769 CFU/mL). The mean post-disinfection colony count of the 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes was significantly lower (p = 0.007) than the other group.@*CONCLUSION@#Both 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes and bleach-based wipes are effective in decreasing bacterial colony counts of mobile phones of staff nurses. The alcohol wipes resulted in a greater decrease in colony count compared with the bleach wipes.

Perforación de colon sigmoides por espina de pescado: tratamiento combinado laparoscópico y endoscópico / Fishbone perforation of the sigmoid colon: combined laparoscopic and endoscopic treatment

La ingestión accidental de cuerpos extraños, más frecuentemente espinas de pescado, causa perforaciones intestinales en menos del 1 % de los casos; la alta morbimortalidad asociada con estas ha favorecido la búsqueda de alternativas frente a la cirugía convencional. El caso presentado muestra cómo el abordaje combinado secuencial laparoscópico y endoscópico, permite resolver con menor grado de agresión una perforación sigmoidea por cuerpo extraño

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies, more frequently fishbones, causes intestinal perforations in less than 1% of cases. The associated high morbidity and mortality has lead to the search for alternatives to conventional surgery. The presented case shows how sequential approach, laparoscopic and endoscopic combined, allows a sigmoid perforation by a foreign body to be solved with a lower aggressive approach

Caracterización de trauma arterial periférico en un hospital de tercer nivel / Characterization of peripheral arterial trauma at a third level of care hospita

Introducción. El trauma vascular es un evento de baja frecuencia, con alta carga de morbilidad y mortalidad, que afecta mayormente a hombres jóvenes y en muchas ocasiones requiere manejo quirúrgico. Se asocia con múltiples complicaciones, que van desde la reintervención quirúrgica, hasta la amputación de la extremidad, las cuales, a su vez, se ven influenciadas por variables relacionadas tanto con el trauma como con la atención hospitalaria. Objetivo. Caracterizar los pacientes mayores de 13 años con traumatismos arteriales periféricos en el Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, de Neiva, Huila, Colombia, en el periodo enero de 2014 a diciembre de 2016. Materiales y métodos. Estudio observacional, retrospectivo, de tipo descriptivo, con población a conveniencia de pacientes mayores de 13 años que sufrieron traumatismos arteriales periféricos y fueron llevados a procedimiento quirúrgico en el Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo. Resultados. Se encontraron 54 pacientes con trauma arterial periférico, cifra que representa el 1,5 % de los ingresos por trauma en la Institución durante el período de estudio. El género más representativo fue el masculino (n=49), las heridas por arma cortopunzante el principal mecanismo de trauma (n=22) y las extremidades el área comúnmente afectada (n=47). Se halló un puntaje de gravedad de la lesión promedio al ingreso de 26 puntos, y un tiempo de isquemia de extremidad mayor a seis horas al momento del ingreso en el 31,5 % de los casos (n=17). Conclusiones. Las intervenciones quirúrgicas fueron hechas en mayor medida por cirugía de trauma, seguido de cirugía vascular. El principal manejo fue la anastomosis término-terminal y el injerto de safena invertida. Las complicaciones fueron en mayor medida la trombosis arterial (n=12), seguida de la amputación de extremidad (n=7)

Introduction. Vascular trauma is a low frequency event, with a high burden of morbidity and mortality that mostly affects young men. It often requires surgical management, which is associated with multiple complications ranging from reoperation to limb amputation; that in turn, are influenced by variables associated with both trauma and hospital care. Objective. To characterize the patients over 13 years of age with peripheral arterial trauma admitted to the Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo University Hospital, Neiva, Colombia, from January 2014 to December 2016. Methods. Retrospective observational study of descriptive type with population of patients older than 13 years with peripheral arterial trauma who had a surgical procedure at the Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo University Hospital. Results. This study showed that the 54 patients with peripheral arterial trauma represented 1.5% of the total trauma admissions at the Institution during the study period. The most representative gender was male (n = 49), short stab wounds were the main mechanism of trauma (n = 22), and the extremities were the most commonly affected area (n = 47). An average ISS (Injury Severity Score) and a limb ischemia time of more than 6 hours in 31.48% (n = 17) of the patients were recorded at entry. Conclusions. Surgical interventions were undertaken by trauma surgery followed by vascular surgery. The main postoperative complications were arterial thrombosis (n=12) followed by limb amputation (n=7)

A retrospective study on the accuracy of sassone, lerner and IOTA simple rules in determining malignancy of ovarian masses in a tertiary hospital ob-gyn ultrasound diagnostics unit / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Ultrasonography has been established as one of the important diagnostic tools in detecting and classifying ovarian masses. Several studies have been made in determining the sensitivity and specificity of the different scoring systems as to determining the malignancy of ovarian masses. In a tertiary hospital ultrasound diagnostic unit, three scoring systems are utilized namely Lerner, Sassone and IOTA simple rules.<br /><strong>OBJECTIVE</strong>: To determine and compare the sensitivity and specificity on the most utilized ultrasound scoring systems in determining malignancy of ovarian masses.<br /><strong>METHODS:</strong> A single center observational, analytical, cross-sectional study utilizing review of the transvaginal or pelvic ultrasound results of women with ovarian masses that were scored using Sassone, Lerner and IOTA Simple Rules in a tertiary hospital ultrasound diagnostics unit from January 2013 to June 2016 was done. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of each scoring system utilized was determined and compared with the histopathologic result.<br /><strong>RESULTS</strong>: Out of the 111 ovarian masses that were included in the study, 44 ovarian masses were scored using Lerner Scoring system with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 65% 22.2% and 100%. 105 ovarian masses screened using Sassone Scoring System showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 68%, 20.5% and 100%. A total of 33 out of the 111 ovarian masses were scored using the IOTA scoring system with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 85.6%, 55.5% and 100%.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> IOTA simple rules had a high sensitivity and specificity compared to Sassone or Lerner Scoring System. However, we cannot fully conclude that individual specificity will be better than combined tests since there is limited number of ovarian masses analyzed.</p>