ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Scientific and technological advances are changing medical practice and transforming hospitals, and both the age and comorbidities of hospitalized patients are rapidly increasing. The increasing complexity of these patients and the scant clinical differences between medical and surgical inpatients calls for changes in the organization and delivery of in-hospital care. Our objective has been to assess differences in age and comorbidity between surgical and medical inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective, observational, descriptive study in patients aged ≥16 years discharged from all medical and surgical services during 2019, except for obstetrics and intensive care. All data were obtained from the hospital's minimum basic data set and analyzed using univariate analysis. RESULTS: The study included 31,264 patients: 16,397 from the medical area and 14,867 from the surgical area. Those in the surgical area were 8 years younger (62.69 years [95% CI 62.4-62.98]), with a slightly higher proportion of women (OR 1.12 [95% CI 1.07-1.17]) compared to the medical area, and fewer non-scheduled admissions (OR 0.11 [95% CI 0.10-0.12]). There were no significant differences in comorbidity burden between study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the surgical area have a high burden of medical comorbidity, similar to those in the medical area. This information is important for surgeons and anesthetists, and should compel hospitals to change the current organizational model.
Subject(s)
Inpatients , Patient Discharge , Comorbidity , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Antecedentes y objetivo: El desarrollo científico y tecnológico está cambiando la práctica médica y transformando los hospitales, seleccionando los pacientes que permanecen hospitalizados, los cuales están aumentando su edad y comorbilidad. Son cada vez más complejos médicamente y con menos diferencias clínicas entre los pacientes médicos y quirúrgicos, lo que puede implicar cambios organizativos y asistenciales hospitalarios. Nuestro objetivo es valorar las diferencias en la edad y comorbilidad existentes entre los pacientes hospitalizados en las áreas médica y quirúrgica. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo observacional retrospectivo que ha incluido a los pacientes de edad ≥16 años dados de alta durante el año 2019 de todos los servicios médicos y quirúrgicos, excluidos Obstetricia y Cuidados Intensivos. Los datos se obtuvieron del CMBD del hospital y fueron analizados mediante análisis univariante. Resultados: Se incluyeron 31.264 pacientes, 16.397 del área médica y 14.867 del área quirúrgica. Los del área quirúrgica son 8 años más jóvenes (62,69 años [IC 95% 62,4-62,98]), con mayor proporción de mujeres (OR 1,12 [IC 95% 1,07-1,17]) y menos ingresos urgentes (OR 0,11 [IC 95% 0,10-0,12]). En las variables relacionadas con la carga de comorbilidad los resultados entre ambos grupos de pacientes son similares en todas ellas y sin diferencias significativas. Conclusiones: Los enfermos del área quirúrgica tienen una alta carga de comorbilidad médica, similar a los del área médica. Conocer este dato es importante para cirujanos y anestesistas y abre la puerta para planear alternativas a la organización hospitalaria actual.(AU)
Background and objective: Scientific and technological advances are changing medical practice and transforming hospitals, and both the age and comorbidities of hospitalized patients are rapidly increasing. The increasing complexity of these patients and the scant clinical differences between medical and surgical inpatients calls for changes in the organization and delivery of in-hospital care.Our objective has been to assess differences in age and comorbidity between surgical and medical inpatients. Materials and methods: Retrospective, observational, descriptive study in patients aged ≥ 16 years discharged from all medical and surgical services during 2019, except for obstetrics and intensive care. All data were obtained from the hospital's minimum basic data set and analyzed using univariate analysis. Results: The study included 31,264 patients: 16,397 from the medical area and 14,867 from the surgical area. Those in the surgical area were 8 years younger (62.69 years [95% CI 62.4-62.98]), with a slightly higher proportion of women (OR 1.12 [95% CI 1.07-1.17]) compared to the medical area, and fewer non-scheduled admissions (OR 0.11 [95% CI 0.10-0.12]). There were no significant differences in comorbidity burden between study groups. Conclusions: Patients in the surgical area have a high burden of medical comorbidity, similar to those in the medical area. This information is important for surgeons and anesthetists, and should compel hospitals to change the current organizational model.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Comorbidity , Surgery Department, Hospital , Medical Care , General Practice , Inpatients , Hospital Administration , Perioperative Nursing , Epidemiology, Descriptive , Retrospective Studies , Anesthesiology , Cardiopulmonary ResuscitationABSTRACT
Physicians have long needed and sought out the support and advice of experienced colleagues. This practice, endorse by Hippocrates and Galen, remaining unchanged until the Enlightenment. During that age, cross-consultations boomed. Monographic works were written, the characteristics and qualities that consulting physician had to possess were studied the problems that it could cause were examined, and rules and guidelines to follow during a cross-consultation were established. It remained unchanged until the end of the 19th century, when the emergence of various medical specialties offered the possibility of seeking specialized assistance. This specialization gave rise to a fragmentation of medical care which favored the emergence of the internist as a "universal consultant." In the last quarter of the 20th century, in light of the importance of and problems arising from cross-consultation, it began to be studied on its own, specialized services were created to attend to them, and, finally, comanagement appeared.
Subject(s)
Medicine , Physicians , Consultants , Humans , Referral and Consultation , SpecializationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The age and comorbidity of patients admitted to Otolaryngology are increasing, leading to increased consultations/referrals to Internal Medicine, but do not reach the required effectiveness. An alternative is comanagement. A study is conducted on the effect of comanagement on Otolaryngology. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients ≥16 years old admitted in Otolaryngology between 03 December 2017 and 03 December 2019, since 03/12/2018 with comanagement with Internal Medicine since 03 December 2018. An analysis was performed on age, gender, type of admission, and whether the patient had surgery, administrative weight associated with (diagnosis-related group) DRG, total number of diagnoses at discharge, Charlson comorbidity index, deaths, urgent readmissions, and length of stay. RESULTS: Comanaged patients were younger (3.1 years, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.4 to 4.8), but with higher Charlson comorbidity index (0.2; 95% CI; 0.1 to 0.3), number of diagnoses (0.9; 95% CI; 0.6 to 1.2), and administrative weight (0.04; 95% CI; 0 to 0.09). On adjustment, comanagement reduced Otolaryngology length of stay by 26.7%, 0.8 days (95% CI; 0.3 to 1.3), 50% of urgent readmissions, and 60% mortality, both non-significant. The decrease in length of stay implies an Otolaryngology savings of at least 320,476.5. CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted to Otolaryngology are increasing in age and comorbidity. Comanagement is associated with reduced length of stay and costs similar to those observed in other surgical services.
Subject(s)
Internal Medicine , Otolaryngology , Adolescent , Hospitalization , Humans , Length of Stay , Patient DischargeABSTRACT
Nowadays, the use of wild and culture harvest seaweed in food industry is a booming productive sector. In this context, a radiological characterization of five globally common seaweed species that were collected in arrival on Gran Canaria coast was carried out. The studied algae species were Cymopolia barbata, Lobophora variegata, Sargassum vulgare, Dictyota dichotoma and Haliptilon virgatum. Radionuclides analysed by alpha and gamma spectrometry were 238U, 234U, 235U, 210Po, 234Th, 226Ra, 210Pb, 228Th, 224Ra, 40K and 7Be. Activity concentrations, ratios, and concentration factors (CF) were determined for all samples collected. The CF in algae was higher for reactive-particle radionuclides (210Po, 234Th, 228Th and 210Pb) than for conservative ones (40K and the uranium isotopes). 210Po, 228Th and 234Th CF were one or two orders of magnitude higher than those recommended by the IAEA. L. variegata, C. barbata and S. vulgare showed a clear preference for 210Pb and 210Po, for uranium radioisotopes, and for 40K and 234Th, respectively. A dosimetry assessment due to seaweed ingestion showed considerable values of annual committed effective dose for H. virgatum (605⯱â¯19⯵Sv/y), L. variegata (574⯱â¯17⯵Sv/y) and D. dichotoma (540⯱â¯30⯵Sv/y). Hence, this study suggests that an algae radiological characterization is recommended as part of the product valorising process.
