[The automation of the calculations in surveys of food consumption frequency]. / Automatización de los cálculos en las encuestas de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos.

With the aim of facilitating and reducing the cost of food consumption frequency surveys, an automated reading, codification and nutrient calculation survey has been developed. Graphite mark optical reader sheet were used, with an XR-5 Datascan reader, and C and Dbase IV programming languages to create the programs and routines for the process. Data on food composition were obtained from the main tables currently published. Reading time for 220 surveys was 130 minutes and the time for calculation of the dietary composition was 175 minutes. This system facilitates the reading and codification of surveys, reducing the time required and cutting costs.

[Temperature of refrigerated parenteral nutrition solutions at the end of 2 infusion systems]. / Temperatura de las soluciones de nutrición parenteral refrigeradas al final de dos sistemas de infusión.

It is common practice to let parenteral nutrition bags that are kept refrigerated stand at room temperature before administration. In this study the temperature of the mixtures administration. In this study the temperature of the mixtures flowing at the end of a conventional system (Intrafix 145 cm long) and at the end of a flow-control system (Dial-a-flow 226 cm long) were measured. Mixture temperatures within the parenteral nutrition bag were recorded upon removal from the refrigerator, at the end of the infusion system after purging the system with the fastest flow rate possible (time 0), and at 5, 10, and 15 minutes, after sustaining continuous flow at 100 cc/hour. The conventional system showed no statistically significant differences (P less than 0.05) between room temperature (23.7 +/- 0.5) and mixture temperature at the end of the infusion line at 15 minutes of infusion (23.0 +/- 0.9). The Dial-a-flow system showed no statistically significant differences between room temperature (24.5 +/- 0.9) and mixture temperatures at the end of the system (time 0: 23.7 +/- 2.2; 5 minutes, 24.1 +/- 0.8; 10 minutes, 24.3 +/- 0.7; 15 minutes, 24.4 +/- 0.7) (p less than 0.05). Therefore, the results indicate that refrigerated parenteral nutrition bags can be administered directly to the patient without waiting for the mixture to warm up, anytime the length of the infusion system is over 145 cm. Occasional reactions observed at the onset of parenteral nutrition therapy cannot be attributed to low mixture temperature, and as such, other reasons must be searched for.

[Essential fatty acid deficiency in enteral nutrition]. / Déficit de ácidos grasos esenciales durante nutrición enteral.

A case is presented of a 57-year-old patient who developed a clinical picture compatible with linoleic acid deficit while on a diet with 6.4 g of this fatty acid (2.8% of total calories). The factors involved in essential fatty acid requirements, and the need of some patients for up to 50 g of linoleic acid in order to reach normal serum levels are discussed. It was concluded that some commercial diets should be supplemented with additional linoleic acid.