[Prospective study in 2 hospitals]. / Estudio prospectivo en dos hospitales.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to know the incidence rate of medication reconciliation at admission and discharge in patients of La Rioja and to improve the patient safety on medication reconciliation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational prospective study, part of the Joint Action PaSQ, Work Package 5, European Union Network for Patient Safety and Quality of Care. The study has taken into account the definitions of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Any unintended discrepancy in medication between chronic treatment and the treatment prescribed in the hospital was considered as a reconciliation error. RESULTS: A total of 750 patients were included, 9 (1.2%) of whom showed at least one discrepancy. The patients had a total of 3,156 mediations registered: 2,313 prescriptions (73.4%) showed no differences, while 821 prescriptions (26%) were intended discrepancies and 21 prescriptions (0.6%) unintended discrepancies were considered by the physician as reconciliation errors. A percentage of 1.2 of the patients, which represents 0.6% of the medicines (one in 166 medications registered) had reconciliation errors during their hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: A proceeding has been implemented by means of the physician doing the medication reconciliation and reviewing it with the help of a medication reconciliation form. The medication reconciliation is a priority strategic objective to improve the safety of patients.

[Effect of birth cohort, period of diagnosis and age on cancer incidence in Navarra, 1973-1997]. / Efecto de la cohorte de nacimiento, período de diagnóstico y de la edad en la incidencia de cáncer en Navarra, 1973-1997.

BACKGROUND: Population-based registers are one source of information about cancer incidence. Systematic study of its incidence in a specific population is a fundamental tool for estimating the present-day and future magnitude of cancer and provides elements for taking decisions with regard to the allocation of health resources. The aim of this article was to investigate the time trend in the incidence pattern of cancer in Navarre during the period 1973-1997, and to identify the components of age, diagnosis period and birth cohort as determinants of the time trend of cancer incidence. METHODS: Descriptive study of cancer incidence through age-period-cohort models. Monitoring of dynamic cohort over 25 years. Classical incidence summarizing indicators were analysed. Log-linear Poisson models were developed to quantify cancer risk and the relative annual trend. Age-period-cohort models were adjusted in order to ascertain the effect on the time trend exerted by the respective age, diagnosis period and birth cohort components. RESULTS: The age-standardized rate incidence for all sites -except non melanoma skin tumours- is maximum in the five-year period 1993-1997, in men: 304,1 new cases per 100,000 person-years, and in women: 190,6 new cases per 100,000 person-years. The average incidence changes for each of the 25 years of monitoring of the set data studied is 1.88% (95% CI 1.69 to 2.07) in men and 1.32% (95% CI 1.09 to 1.54) in women. The cancer increase in women is more pronounced from 35 to 64 years, a fact which should alert health authorities about the future evolution of cancer incidence in women. In the analysis of the trend components sharp increases are observed for the consecutive generations of males born in Navarre since 1900. In women, the risk associated with the year of birth increases markedly in the generations born after 1930-1940. CONCLUSIONS: There was an important increase in cancer incidence in Navarre from 1973 to 1997, in men and women. The cancer incidence pattern in Navarre does not yet show signs of stabilization.

[Changes in epidemiological pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in a tertiary hospital. Experience of 5 years]. / Cambios en los patrones epidemiológicos de la infección por Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina en un hospital de tercer nivel. Experiencia de 5 años.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic pattern and tendency of the infections by MRSA between 1992 and 1997. DESIGN AND METHODS: Descriptive study of the infections by MRSA in a tertiary-care hospital. RESULTS: 267 MRSA infections, 131 infections were included within 58 buds and 136 cases isolated form. The more affected services were Internal Medicine, Urology, Neurology, Vascular surgery and intensive care unit. A tendency was observed to the increase in > 65 years cases and in medical services. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of elderly cases in medical services and > 65 years carriers in their nose could translate the existent situation in the community.