Blood donor notification rate in a blood bank in Veracruz, Mexico.

Blood banks are primarily responsible for providing safe blood, but they also indirectly act to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by notifying blood donors of positive screening results. The notification process differs between countries and notifications rates are generally low. This study sought to analyze the notification rate of healthy and infection-positive donors who donated blood at CETS-Veracruz. A total of 41790 donors were analyzed, 1585 (3.79%) were positive for one or more of the screened infection markers. Only 4163 (9.96% of the total) were notified about their serology results. Of the positive donors, 157 were contacted by phone call; of them, 91 (57%) returned to the blood bank for their results. The average notification rate for positive donors was only 17.48%. The highest notification rate was for anti-HBc (26.63%), while the lowest was for HBsAg (4.17%). Age significantly influenced the return of donors: Those aged 18-24 and 25-39 years were 4.71 and 1.64 times less likely, respectively, to return for their results compared to the rate for all ages. The advice received in the pre-donation stage about the risks of transfusion-transmitted infections and the relevance of returning for results did not appear to impact donors, since the rate of notification was lower than those reported internationally. These data indicate that CETS-Veracruz should improve donor data registration and communication mechanisms to increase the notification rate, and that donor notification studies should be carried out in other Mexican blood banks to analyze the return rate at the national level.

[Reinsertion to the work in workers with partially permanent disability for hand injury]. / Reinserción laboral en trabajadores con incapacidad permanente parcial por lesiones de mano.

Background: Hand injuries resulting from accidents at work are one of the main causes of disability in workers. Every worker ruled with Partial Permanent Disability must legally be reinstated to the same workplace. Objective: To know the prevalence of reintegration and causes of non-reintegration into workers with Partial Permanent Disability due to hand injuries. Material and methods: A descriptive, observational, and retrospective study, which included 100% of the opinions of Parcial Permanent Disability due to hand injuries, generated from 2012 to 2016 at UMF 61 of Veracruz. Results: 143 cases were analyzed, 127 (88.8%) were men and 16 (11.2%) women, with a mean age of 37.3 ± 11.6 years. Labor reintegration in the same company occurred in 60 (42%) of the cases, 50 (35%) were reinstated in another company and 33 (23.1%) were not reinstated to work. Regarding work termination: 51 (35.7%) workers were laid off after their ruling, 13 (9.1%) resigned, 12 (8.4%) terminated their contract, and 7 (4.9%) were retired. Currently 72 (50.3%) workers continue to perform physical work and 18 (12.6%) did not return to work. Conclusions: Labor reintegration occurred in less than half of the cases ruled. The main cause of the non-reintegration was the unjustified dismissal by the company where the accident occurred. Not reintegrating into the same workplace has: legal, economic, medical and social implications to the worker.

Introducción: las lesiones de mano derivadas de accidentes de trabajo constituyen una de las principales causas de discapacidad en los trabajadores. Todo trabajador dictaminado con Incapacidad Permanente Parcial (IPP), jurídicamente debe ser reinsertado a su mismo centro de trabajo. Objetivo: conocer la prevalencia de reinserción y causas de no reinserción laboral en trabajadores con IPP por lesiones de mano. Material y Métodos: estudio descriptivo, observacional y retrospectivo, que incluyó el 100% de los dictámenes de IPP por lesiones de mano, generados del 2012 al 2016 en la UMF 61 de Veracruz. Resultados: se analizaron 143 casos, 127 (88.8%) fueron hombres y 16 (11.2%) mujeres, con edad media 37.3 ± 11.6 años. La reinserción laboral en la misma empresa se presentó en 60 (42%) de los casos, 50 (35%) se reinsertaron en otra empresa y 33 (23.1%) no se reinsertaron al trabajo. Respecto de la terminación laboral: 51 (35.7%) trabajadores fueron despedidos posterior a su dictaminación, 13 (9.1%) renunciaron, 12 (8.4%) finalizaron su contrato, y 7 (4.9%) fueron jubilados. Actualmente 72 (50.3%) trabajadores continúa realizando un trabajo físico y 18 (12.6%) no volvió a trabajar. Conclusiones: la reinserción laboral se presentó en menos de la mitad de los casos. La principal causa de no reinserción fue el despido injustificado por la empresa donde ocurrió el accidente. No reintegrarse al mismo centro de trabajo conlleva implicaciones: legales, económicas, médicas y sociales al trabajador.

Occult hepatitis B infections and anti-HBc prevalence at a resource-limited blood bank in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To identify blood donors with occult hepatitis B infections (OBIs), determine the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positivity and estimate the impact of anti-HBc screening on donor deferral at CETS-Veracruz (Mexico). BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus infection is a major concern in transfusion medicine. Mexican regulations only mandate screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and there are no requirements regarding testing for anti-HBc or use of a nucleic acid test (NAT). There is, therefore, limited information about the prevalence of anti-HBc positivity and occult hepatitis B among blood donors in Mexico. METHODS: This retrospective study examined individuals who donated blood to CETS-Veracruz from June 2014 to June 2017. All donors were serologically examined according to Mexican health regulations, and the prevalence of anti-HBc positivity was determined. A NAT was used to identify individuals with OBIs. RESULTS: We analysed the data of 28 016 blood donors. Over 4 years, the average prevalence of anti-HBc positivity was 1.05%. The risk factors for anti-HBc positivity were low education and age over 50 years. There were nine donors with OBIs. CONCLUSION: The presence of donors with OBIs in CETS-Veracruz and other Mexican blood banks highlights the need to mandate the implementation of anti-HBc screening in Mexico.

[Neonatal Hearing Screening and Early Intervention, a screening program to evaluate all infants to identify the hearing impaired]. / Factores asociados a hipoacusia basados en el programa Tamiz Auditivo Neonatal e Intervención Temprana.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal Hearing Screening and Early Intervention (NHSEI) is a screening program to evaluate all infants and identify those with hearing impairment. The objective of this work was to determine the factors associated with hearing loss in NHSEI program. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study was performed. 234 infants were included in the NHSEI program, hearing was evaluated with transitory evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOE) at frequencies of 1.5 to 4.5 kHz, and intensity of stimuli of 40-60 dB. The variables were: age from one to 28 days, sex, gestational age and perinatal history. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The presence of risk factors in newborns resulted in significant omnibus test (p < 0.05) predicted value by Nagelkerke R square model of 77%. The background inherited family acquired infection, craniofacial abnormalities, low birth weight, respiratory distress at birth and genetic syndromes were factors significantly associated (p < 0.05) to hearing loss in infants. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of hearing impairment in infants diagnosed by newborn hearing program was higher (5/234 newborns) than the reported in the literature.

Introducción: el Tamiz Auditivo Neonatal e Intervención Temprana (TANIT) es un programa de cribado que consiste en evaluar a todos los neonatos para identificar discapacidades auditivas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar los factores asociados a hipoacusia en neonatos, basados en el programa TANIT. Métodos: estudio analítico, transversal, en el que se incluyeron 234 neonatos en el programa TANIT. La audición se exploró evaluando las emisiones otoacústicas transitorias evocadas (EOAT) en frecuencias de 1.5 a 4.5 kHz, y los estímulos con intensidad de 40-60 dB. Las variables fueron: edad de uno a 28 días de nacido, sexo, edad gestacional y antecedentes perinatales. Los datos se analizaron con estadística descriptiva y regresión logística binaria. Resultados: la presencia de los factores de riesgo en los neonatos resultó significativa en la prueba de ómnibus (p < 0.05), valor de predicción por el modelo R cuadrado de Nagelkerke de 77%. Los antecedentes heredofamiliares, la infección adquirida, las anormalidades craneofaciales, el bajo peso, la dificultad respiratoria al nacer y los síndromes genéticos fueron factores que se asociaron de manera significativa (p < 0.05) a hipoacusia en neonatos. Conclusiones: la incidencia de deficiencia auditiva en recién nacidos diagnosticada mediante el programa de TANIT fue mayor a la reportada en la literatura (5/234 recién nacidos).