Motion deficit in nodal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis by digital goniometer in housewives.

Range of motion (ROM) measured objectively in nodal hand osteoarthritis (NHOA) is missing. Evaluation of collateral ligaments by ultrasound (US) is unknown in NHOA also. To compare ROM in interphalangeal joints in housewives with nodal OA, with a control group by a digital system using angle to voltage (Multielgon). The second objective was to assess correlation between collateral radial and ulnar ligaments thickness and ROM. For this cross-sectional observational study, we assessed 60 hands with symptomatic NHOA and 30 hands of healthy housewives matched for age. We obtained clinical and demographic characteristics (a complete standardized physical examination of hand joints, DASH questionnaire, pain surveys, gross grasp hand goniometer, and ROM measurements by Multielgon. Presence of synovitis, power Doppler signal, osteophytes, and collateral ligaments thickness was evaluated by US. We used descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, X2 test, t test and odds ratio. Significant less gross grasp and ROM in the right hand were observed in NHOA (p = 0.01 for both). Presence of OA, painful joints, disease duration, and score DASH were significant correlated with reduced ROM (OR 4.12, 4.12, 1.04 and 1.09, respectively). Reduced ROM was statistical significant in thumb MCP and IP joints, second and third DIP in dominant hand. There was no association between collateral radial and ulnar ligaments and reduced ROM. Synovitis and osteophytes were more prevalent in OA group. Multielgon demonstrated the pattern of reduced ROM in nodal OA of housewives particularly in MCP and IP thumb joints, second and third distal interphalangeal joints.

Análisis de los procesos centrados al paciente en el área de radiología: Un enfoque orientado al modelado de procesos de negocio / Analysis of processes centered to the patient in the radiology area: An approach oriented to modeling business processes

En los últimos años se han desarrollado herramientas para el modelado de procesos que fueron diseñadas en un principio para el ámbito industrial y que hoy en día aún no han sido ampliamente aplicadas en el medio hospitalario. En este trabajo se presenta el análisis de los procesos de atención a pacientes ambulatorios y hospitalizados atendidos en el servicio de radiología del Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación de la Ciudad de México, mediante la aplicación del modelado de procesos de negocio BPMN el cual mostró a través de índices de flujo de trabajo que la duración de los procesos a los pacientes de urgencias (7.87±4.50 min/estudio) fue menor en comparación a la atención a los pacientes de estudios especiales (53.69±13.12 min/estudio); así mismo se calcularon los tiempos de utilización de la tecnología médica radiológica y se mostró la secuencia de actividades del personal involucrado en los procesos. Además, fue posible identificar las variables que influyen en la realización de estudios radiológicos (edad y condición física) siendo la edad la más estadísticamente significativa en la realización de estudios de urgencias (p = 0.004). La aplicación de BPMN en los procesos de salud brinda una herramienta de apoyo a la mejora continua, a la optimización de los recursos e identificación de los elementos limitadores en los procesos de atención a los servicios médicos.

In recent years, a set of tools for processes modeling have been developed, that was originally designed for the industrial environment, and that up to date has not been widely applied in healthcare environment. This paper presents the implementation of the processes analysis of outpatients and inpatients care attended in the radiology department of the National Institute of Rehabilitation in Mexico City, applying the business processes modeling notation (BPMN), which showed through the use of workflow indexes, that the attention processes duration for emergency patients (7.87±4.50 min/study) was lower when compared to the special studies patients (53.96±13.12 min/study), as well as the using time of medical radiological technology and the sequence of activities of the personnel involved in the processes. In addition, it was possible to identify the variables that influence the realization time of radiological studies (age and physical condition), being age the one with the greatest statistical significance for the realization time of emergency studies (p = 0.004). The application of BPMN in health processes provides a supporting tool for continuous improvement, resources optimization and identification limiting factors in the processes of care medical services.

[Long QT syndrome presented as epilepsy]. / Síndrome de QT largo presentado como epilepsia.

INTRODUCTION: Long QT syndrome is characterised by an alteration in cardiac repolarisation that brings about ventricular arrhythmias. The resulting cerebral hypoxia leads to fainting and convulsions that, in up to 10% of cases, are interpreted as epilepsy. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient of paediatric age who was affected by an isolated presentation of congenital long QT syndrome, which had initially been diagnosed as idiopathic epilepsy, and who suffered a sudden loss of consciousness while doing exercise. The initial electrocardiographic monitoring revealed a ventricular tachycardia in torsades de pointes, which was reversed by advanced cardiopulmonary revival manoeuvres. At 12 days after admission, there was an absence of electrical brain activity and brain death resulted. CONCLUSION: The high mortality among symptomatic patients affected by long QT syndrome and the effectiveness of the treatment highlight the importance of a correct diagnosis. A detailed clinical history and an electroencephalogram with a simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, together with continuous EEG recording for 24 hours, with the manual evaluation of the corrected QT, would all help in the identification of unsuspected cases. A complete study of the family, including the possible associated mutations, could be a new form of early diagnosis.