[The use of antithrombotic drugs in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation in a local health area]. / Utilización de fármacos antitrombóticos en pacientes con fibrilación auricular crónica en un área sanitaria comarcal.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study is to assess the degree of ambulatory use of prophylactic antithrombotic therapy in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF) in a county health area. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, prospective survey carried out in patients admitted at a community-hospital, detected 44 patients with CAF. RESULTS: The inappropriateness of anti-thrombotic therapy (48%) was associated with no having a previous echocardiography (p < 0.004), not being controlled in a hospital (p < 0.02) and in patients without information on the cardioembolic risks (p < 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: The antithrombotic prophylaxis is scarcely used in patients affected by CAF in the county health area studied.

[Description of the habits of agricultural workers in relation to the applying of pesticides]. / Descripción de los hábitos de los agricultores en relación con la aplicación de plaguicidas.

OBJECTIVES: To find the habits of farm-workers when they apply these products, to detect dangerous practices, to find the most important defects in farm-workers' protection and to analyse the personal variables associated with the level of self-protection. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary Care. Rural Health Centre. PARTICIPANTS: Farm-workers and spouses in our Health Area who underwent a health examination. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A questionnaire was designed specifically for the study and filled out by the doctor or nurse at the centre where the person interviewed was registered. 72.8% of the farm-workers had inadequate protection. 79.3% said they had suffered on some occasion symptoms related to pesticide use. CONCLUSIONS: In the rural health areas where there is intensive agriculture, exposure to pesticides is a major health problem, as these substances are hazardous and people applying them wear inadequate protection. Action strategies in this field involve integrating health at work services into health centres. Health education tasks have to be coordinated with the agricultural organisations in the area, such as associations for the defense of plants, cooperatives, etc.

[Symptoms related to the use of agricultural pesticides. The perspective from the primary care service]. / Síntomas relacionados con el uso de plaguicidas agrícolas. La perspectiva desde la consulta de atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: To find whether agricultural workers seen in the general medical clinic attend due to symptoms connected with the use of pesticides. DESIGN: A crossover descriptive study comparing agricultural workers with a control group. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: The clinical histories of 40 agricultural workers and a control group (sample of 58 paired for age and gender) who had been seen over the previous year. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Age, gender, frequency of attendance, motives for consultation, risk factors and the number of consultations for symptoms possibly due to exposure to pesticides--in line with a previously composed list. There were no differences in frequency of attendance, overall reasons for consultation or risk factors. It was seen that agricultural workers consulted 4 times more than the control group for suspected pesticide poisoning (p = 0.0015). CONCLUSIONS: In our health area agricultural workers present symptoms which should probably be attributed to insufficient protection against pesticides. The primary care doctor working in rural zones where these products are heavily used must be able to identify these symptoms and take appropriate measures.