[Treatment of pain and anxiety in terminal oncologic patients in the Castilla-La Mancha community]. / Tratamiento del dolor y la ansiedad en el paciente oncológico terminal en la comunidad de Castilla-La Mancha.

OBJECTIVE: To find what palliative treatment, in particular for pain and anxiety, terminal cancer patients in the Community of Castilla La Mancha receive. DESIGN: A descriptive, retrospective study by means of a questionnaire. SETTING: Primary Care. Autonomous Community of Castilla La Mancha. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A survey of 157 doctors with data referring to their last cancer patient deceased in the period from January to August, 1994. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data on 157 patients were received. Of all the tumours, lung cancer was the most common (22.93%). Pain was the symptom most often mentioned (92.91%); anxiety appeared in 70.06%. The most commonly used non-opiate analgesic was Paracetamol (58.22%). Morphine was used in 46.48%, for an average period of 2.35 months (SD = 2.21). Side-effects due to morphine appeared in 22.06%. Complementary drugs to treat pain were used in 13.01% of cases. 12% were referred to specialists for analgesic control. Doctors used pain measurement tables in 5.48% of cases. 19.09% of patients suffering anxiety received no type of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We think that analgesic tables to monitor the treatment should be used. Attention should be paid to the appearance of side-effects of morphine, the circulation of pain graduation tables and the evaluation of anxiety in this category of patient.

[Common health disorders: self-care and self-medication]. / Trastornos comunes de salud: autocuidado y automedicación.

SETTING: Community level. "Santa María de Benquerencia" Health District, Toledo. PARTICIPANTS: People over 15, chosen by random sampling from the municipal census, who stated that they had suffered some health disorder over the previous fortnight. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 212 surveys were accepted as valid (average age 42.75, 51.89% male and 48.11% female). 73% had suffered one of the disorders included in the survey during the previous fortnight. The commonest response was self-medication (39.84%), especially when dealing with pain and Pyrosis. Pyrazolones and Salicylates were the most commonly used drugs. The instructions were only read in 48.64% of cases. No measure was adopted in 34.56% of the disorders. The doctor was only consulted in 6.86% of cases. Both these responses were more common in men and young people. Non-pharmacological self-care was adopted in 30.07% of cases. This was generally of a dietetic or physical nature and was commoner in women and elderly people. CONCLUSIONS: Self-care, whether pharmacological or not, is the most common response to the perception of some symptom. These practices (especially self-medication because of its possible attendant problems) should be directed and used as one tool more in health care.