Medical education from the point of view of medical students: Results from four participatory Delphi panels in Quito, Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: Medical curricula have historically been designed in a top-down approach, usually excluding students. While Delphi panels have been used as a tool for medical education curricula design, none have been conducted in Ecuador. In addition, no such approach has ever included students both as panelists and researchers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four Delphi panels were developed and conducted using a participatory approach that allowed medical students to take part both as expert panelists and researchers: specifically, students developed the questionnaire and conducted a qualitative synthesis. Questionnaire responses were anonymized and dispatched online to panelists. The information was organized and collected to develop the qualitative syntheses and prepare the final statements. RESULTS: Thirty-two medical students participated between February and May 2018. A total of 32 questions were developed, corresponding to five different categories. For some questions, consensus was reached; for other questions, general statements were obtained.Discussion and conclusion: Developing the questionnaire, responding to it and analyzing the answers allowed students to raise significant concerns regarding medical education topics proposing relevant policy and curricula change. Participatory Delphi panels can be an efficient tool to obtain organized feedback, improve student class involvement, and promote research skills.

Pacientes pediátricos en insuficiencia hepática y pasibles de trasplante: Correlación del tiempo de protrombina y Razón Internacional Normatizada (RIN) entre dos combinaciones de reactivos e instrumentos de medición / Pediatric patients with liver failure who are candidates for transplantation: correlation of prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (INR) in two combinations of reagents and measurement instruments

El objetivo de este trabajo es correlacionar el tiempo de protrombina y RIN en dos combinaciones de reactivos e instrumentos de medición en muestras de pacientes pediátricos con insuficiencia hepática asistidos en el Hospital de Pediatría Juan P. Garrahan y pasibles de trasplante. Se estudiaron 62 muestras de sangre obtenidas de pacientes, con presencia de patología hepática, definida con evidencia bioquímica de injuria hepática. Se utilizaron 2 (dos) analizadores, un coagulómetro BCT de detección foto-óptica y un Sta Compact de detección electromagnética. Para el analizador BCT se utilizó el reactivo Thromborel S, en el Sta Compact el Sta Neoplastine. Se trabajó con el ISI correspondiente a cada Reactivo /Instrumento. El análisis estadístico se realizó con el programa informático Stata 9.0, aplicando los tests estadísticos de coeficiente de correlación (rho) y el intervalo de confianza 95%; se determino la ecuación de la recta, para cada caso, se determino la equivalencia clínica a través del EP evaluator. Nuestra conclusión es que en los pacientes con insuficiencia hepática, se halló mejor correlación estadística y clínica para el TP%, debido a que se independiza del Tiempo (seg.) y de la calidad de la tromboplastina (diferentes concentraciones de factor tisular). Según nuestros resultados el sistema ISI/RIN, no seria válido para aplicarlo a pacientes con falla hepática y pasible de trasplante. Una de las causas es la falta de un reactivo de Tromboplastina calibrado con plasmas de pacientes con insuficiencia hepática, ya que para el cálculo del ISI, se usan plasmas de pacientes con terapia ACO (AU)

The objective of this study was to correlate prothrombin time (PT) and INR in two combinations of reagents and measurement instruments samples of pediatric patients with liver failure seen at the Hospital de Pediatría Juan P. Garrahan and who are candidates for liver transplantation. Sixtytwo blood samples were studied obtained from patients with liver pathology defined by biochemical evidence of liver injury. Two analyzers were used: a BCT coagulometer with photo-optical clot detection and a Sta Compact with an electromagnetic detection system. For the BCT analyzer Thromborel S was used and in the Sta Compact Sta Neoplastine was used. The ISI corresponding to each Reagent /Instrument was used. Statistical analysis was done with Stata 9.0, with correlation coefficient (rho) and a 95% confidence interval; for each case the equation of the straight line was determined. Clinical equivalence was determined through the EP evaluator. Our conclusion is that in patients with liver failure a better statistical and clinical correlation was found for PT%, as it is independent of Time (sec.) and of thromboplastin quality (different concentrations of tissue factor). According to our results, the ISI/INR system is not adequate in patients with liver failure who are candidates for liver transplantation. One of the reasons is that we lack a thromboplastin reagent that is calibrated against plasma of patients with liver failure, as for the ISI calculation plasma of patients with OAC therapy is used (AU)

Prevalence and factors associated with headache in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Headache is common in systemic lupus erythematosus with reported prevalence as high as 70%. The aims of this study were: to estimate the prevalence and types of headache in a sample of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus comparing it with rheumatoid arthritis, to determine clinical and serological associations. Eighty-one systemic lupus erythematosus and 29 rheumatoid arthritis consecutive patients seen in our outpatient clinic were interviewed. Headache was evaluated using the diagnostic criteria proposed by the International Headache Society. Additional evaluations were carried out in the 81 systemic lupus erythematosus patients including depression, disease activity, lupus damage, function disability, quality of life, and severity degree using a validated scales. We analysed the following autoantibodies: anti-double stranded DNA, anti-nucleosomes, anti-histones, anti-ribosomal P, anti-cardiolipin antibodies, anti-beta2-glycoprotein-I (GPI), and antinuclear antibodies. Forty-one per cent of systemic lupus erythematosus and 17% of rheumatoid arthritis patients suffered from headache (P = 0.02). No significant difference for any primary headache type between the two groups was found. Frequency of headache types in systemic lupus erythematosus patients was: migraine 24%, tensional-type headache 11%, and mixed headache 5%. In systemic lupus erythematosus patients the risk factors associated with headaches were Raynaud's phenomenon (OR 3.6; 95% CI 1.3-9.5; P = 0.009) and beta2GPI antibody positivity (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.2-16.2; p = 0.016). We conclude that headache is more common in systemic lupus erythematosus than in rheumatoid arthritis patients and was independently associated with Raynaud's phenomenon and beta2GP-I antibodies.