[Quality of life in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis]. / Calidad de vida en pacientes con diálisis peritoneal continua ambulatoria.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate different aspects of the quality of life of patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, using the survey SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Short Form Health Survey). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out with patients older than 18 years having chronic renal failure and being registered in the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis program in the last three months. A sample size of 48 patients was estimated. The version 1.1 of the SF-36 survey previously adapted for Mexican people was used to evaluate quality of life. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included, among which 52% were males, the mean of age was 45 years old. All eight domains of health were analyzed. The role limitations due to physical health showed the lower score (mean = 19.79; men: 13, women: 27.1) while mental health showed the higher (mean = 61.66; men: 59.68 women: 63.83).

[Acute asthma and its costs of care at an emergency service]. / Agudizaciones del asma y sus costos de atención en el servicio de urgencias.

BACKGROUND: The request in the urgency service for attention in acute asthma is determined by multiple factors as the medical handling, the constancy and the pursuance of the patient in the adequate follow up of the treatment, the climate, the food hygienic habits and the allergies. OBJECTIVE: To determine in one year period, the frequency, recurrence of medical attention for acute asthma and the cost in the hospital urgency service of second level in medical attention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We made an analysis of a secondary study done in 1999 in pediatric patients younger than 16 years with diagnosis of acute asthma. RESULTS: From 6,912 consultations given in the pediatric emergency area, 2,586 were from acute asthma, the half was 5.2 years old patients, the minimal average time a patient had to stay in the hospital per month was of 7.36 hours in January and the maximum average time was of 22.10 hours in the month of September. Regarding the frequency of attendance in the service for a new event, the following distribution was found: from two to three 25.72%, from 4 to 6 10.1% and from 7 to 15 0.96%. The cost of the attention had a total cost of 5'787,494.82 pesos. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of acute asthma was 41.58% and this figure was considered high in comparison to similar studies. The clinic evolution and the treatment response are related to the age, and, in the study results, the patients younger than 3 years had a longer stay in the hospital, also, there was an increase of patients in the rainy months. The frequency of patients who assisted between 2 or 3 times and the cost was 387,123.00 pesos. That frequency may be due to patients did not receive a long-term treatment provision, or because of ignorance in the initial rescue treatment, ignorance in the factors that raise the sickness, as well as patients not taking their treatment the way it was asked by the doctors. These factors increase the cost, which is feasible to be modifyied, if the patients and their families get acknowledge on the importance of respecting the instructions on the proper way of treating the acute asthma, and all the triggering factors of it.

Identificación de mecanismos de transmisión del virus papiloma humano en mujeres infectadas / Identification of transmission mechanisms for human papilloma virus (HPV) in infected women

Introducción: El virus del papiloma humano, es uno de los más frecuentes de trasmisión sexual y conocer los mecanismos de transmisión tiene vital importancia para el control de la incidencia de esta enfermedad. Objetivo: Evaluar el nivel de conocimientos de las pacientes con virus del papiloma humano, sobre los mecanismos de transmisión. Metodología: Se incluyeron 109 pacientes subsecuentes y de primera vez que acudieron a la clínica de displasias por diagnóstico de VPH. Para evaluar el nivel de conocimiento, se consideraron tres indicadores: Bueno (>20 aciertos), Regular (16-20 aciertos) y Malo (≤15 aciertos). El cuestionario fue validado por rondas de expertos. Resultados: Del total de pacientes 31.2% tuvo conocimiento bueno, 42.2% regulary 26.6% malo. De 109 pacientes47.7% son de estrato socioeconómico medio bajo, 49.5% con estudios de primaria, casadas 67%, con una pareja sexual 54.1%, con vida sexual activa 44% y 77.1 % no habían recibido pláticas informativas en relación al virus del papiloma humano. Conclusiones: Es evidente la necesidad de implementar nuevas y diversas estrategias dirigidas a la población afectada encaminadas al aprendizaje de los mecanismos de transmisión para incrementar su nivel de conocimiento y coadyuvar en el control de la propagación del virus.

Introduction: HPV is one of the most often sexual transmitted diseases, and knowing the transmission mechanisms is vital to control the incidence of this infection. Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge regarding transmission mechanisms in patients with HPV infection. Methodology: 109 first timers and subsequent patients who showed up to the Displasias Clinic for diagnosis of HPV were included in the study. To evaluate the level of knowledge, three indicators were considered; good (>20 items answered correctly), regular (16-20 items answered correctly), and bad (= or < 15 items answered correctly). The questionnaire was validated by review of experts. Results: From the total, 31.2% patients had good, 42.2% regular, and 26.6% bad knowledge. 47.7% out of 109 patients are half low socioeconomic status; 49.5% with elementary school of education; 67% got married; 54.1% with a single sexual partner; 44% sexual actives; and 77.1% had not received any sort of information talks regarding HPV. Conclusions: It is evident the necessity of implementing new and diverse strategies lead to affected population through learning the transmission mechanisms to increase their level of knowledge and collaborate in the control of virus spreading.

[Databases for surgical specialists in Cancún, Quintana Roo]. / Bases de datos personales de especialistas quiúrgicos en Cancún, Quintana Roo.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to identify the level of knowledge of surgical health-area specialists in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico, from the personal productivity database. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out an investigation of 37 surgical specialists: 24 belonged to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), while 13 belonged to the Mexican Health Secretariat (SSA). RESULTS: In our research, we found that 61% of surgical health-area specialist physicians were familiar with some aspects of the institutional surgical registry, including the following: 54% knew of the existence of a personal registry of surgeries carried out, and 43% keep a record of their personal activities. From the latter percentage, 69% of surgical health-area specialist physicians mentioned keeping their records manually, while 44% used the computer. Results of the research suggest that these physicians would like to have some kind of record of the surgeries carried out by each. CONCLUSIONS: An important percentage of these specialists do not keep a personal record on a database; due to this lack of knowledge, we obtain incorrect information in institutional records of the reality of what is actually done. We consider it important to inform surgical specialists concerning the existence of personal institutional records in database form or even of record done manually, as well as correct terminology for the International Codification (CIE-9 & 10). We inform here of the need to encourage a culture in records and databases in the formative stage of surgeon specialists.

[Pattern-profile of emergency consultations of children in acute asthmatic crisis]. / Patrón-perfil de consulta en urgencias de niños con crisis aguda de asma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most frequent illnesses in the pediatric age, the exacerbations account for one of the main consult causes to the emergency services. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of the consultation demand and the recurrence of patients with acute crisis of asthma. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A transverse study, performed at the service of pediatric emergencies, included pediatric patients with acute crisis of asthma from January to December, 2000. RESULTS: In this study 20.3% of the consultations were due to acute crisis of asthma, 54.29% needed handling in the service of pediatric emergencies with inhalotherapy; 94.3% responded to the treatment. The gender masculine-feminine relationship was of 1.7:1. The predominant ages were from 3 to 5 years. The consultation increased in September, October and November. CONCLUSIONS: When asthma is mistreated may present exacerbations.