Evaluation of add-on devices for the prevention of phlebitis and other complications associated with the use of peripheral catheters in hospitalised adults: a randomised controlled study.

The aim of this study was to assess the role of add-on devices for the prevention of phlebitis and other complications associated with the use of peripheral catheters. Patients admitted to an infectious diseases ward and requiring the insertion of a peripheral catheter for at least 24h were randomly allocated to be managed with or without add-on devices. Incidence of phlebitis and all complications were the primary outcomes. Extravasation, inadvertent withdrawal, obstruction and rupture were considered to be mechanical complications, and analysis was performed using survival methods. Of 683 evaluated catheters, 351 were allocated to the add-on device arm and 332 to the control arm. Despite randomisation, patients in the add-on device group were older (P=0.048), less likely to have human immunodeficiency virus (P=0.02) and more likely to have received antibiotics (P=0.05). After adjustment for these variables, the hazard ratio for phlebitis remained non-significant (hazard ratio: 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.7-1.3), but the risk of mechanical complications became lower in the add-on device arm (0.68; 0.5-0.94). This translated into a trend towards a lower risk of any complication (0.83; 0.67-1.01). The beneficial effect on mechanical or all complications was noticeable after six days of catheterisation. Add-on devices do not reduce the incidence of phlebitis but may prevent mechanical complications. However, the impact of add-on devices on the incidence of all complications is at most small and only apparent after the sixth day of catheter use.

[Health problems and social vulnerability in immigrants admitted for an infectious disease: a case-control study]. / Problemas de salud y la vulnerabilidad social en pacientes inmigrantes ingresados con patología infecciosa: estudio caso-control.

BACKGROUND: Health resources needed by immigrants have increased steadily in the last few years. Studying health problems and social vulnerability in immigrants would help to improve the health care quality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-control study performed in the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Immigrant patients admitted with infectious diseases from October 2002 to September 2003 were included. Controls were paired by age, gender and HIV infection. Clinical (emergency room attendance, days and number of admission to hospital, amount of clinical procedures and drugs used during the admission, etiological and microbiological diagnosis and post-admission control) and social vulnerability variables (social worker consultation, health care card, relatives or friends caregiver, drug use, language barrier and discharge document of the nurse) were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients (51 cases and 51 controls, all of them males) were studied. A total of 56% were HIV-1 infected in both groups. The number of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures was higher in the immigrant group (p = 0.02), a lower proportion of patients had a final etiologic diagnosis (82% vs 98%, p = 0.021) and the number of post-discharge controls was lower (55% vs 77%, p = 0.04). Immigrants had a higher social vulnerability index than the Spanish population and 35% could not speak Spanish, French or English. The number of immigrants with health care card was lower (63% vs 94%, p < 0,0001) and a higher number needed to be admitted to a social-health care center after discharge (16% vs 2%, p = 0.01). DISCUSSION: Social vulnerability influences the etiological diagnosis, the number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures during the admission to the hospital and post-discharge control of immigrant population.

Problemas de salud y la vulnerabilidad social en pacientes inmigrantes ingresados con patología infecciosa: estudio caso-control / Background. Health resources needed by immigrants have increased steadily in the last few years. Studying health problems and social vulnerability in immigrants would help to improve the health care quality

Introducción. La necesidad de recursos sanitarios de la población inmigrante ha aumentado en los últimos años. El estudio de los problemas de salud y la vulnerabilidad social planteados durante el ingreso hospitalario de estos pacientes ayudaría a mejorar su cuidado. Pacientes y métodos. Estudio caso-control realizado en el Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. Se incluyeron pacientes inmigrantes ingresados con patología infecciosa de octubre de 2002 a septiembre de 2003. Los casos fueron apareados por edad, sexo e infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Se evaluaron variables clínicas (visitas a Urgencias, días y número de ingresos, cantidad de procedimientos y fármacos, diagnóstico etiológico y control post alta) y de vulnerabilidad social (utilización de trabajo social, tarjeta sanitaria, cuidador de referencia, consumo de tóxicos, barrera idiomática y alta de enfermería). Resultados. Se estudiaron 102 pacientes (51 casos y 51 controles, todos varones). El 56% estaban infectados por VIH en ambos grupos. El número de procedimientos diagnósticos o terapéuticos fue mayor en el grupo de inmigrantes (p = 0,02), se llegó en menor proporción a un diagnóstico etiológico (el 82% frente al 98%, p = 0,021) y el número de visitas post alta fue inferior (el 55% frente al 77%, p = 0,04). Los pacientes inmigrantes tuvieron unos índices de vulnerabilidad social mayores que la población autóctona y en un 35% de ellos existía una barrera idiomática. Un menor número tenían tarjeta sanitaria (el 63% frente al 94%, p < 0,0001) y un número mayor tuvieron necesidad de traslado a un centro sociosanitario (el 16% frente al 2%, p = 0,01). Discusión. La vulnerabilidad social de los pacientes inmigrantes influye en una menor obtención del diagnóstico etiológico, mayor número de procedimientos durante la hospitalización y un menor seguimiento posterior al alta (AU)

Health problems and social vulnerability in immigrants admitted for an infectious disease: a case-control study Patients and methods. A case-control study performed in the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona. Immigrant patients admitted with infectious diseases from October 2002 to September 2003 were included. Controls were paired by age, gender and HIV infection. Clinical (emergency room attendance, days and number of admission to hospital, amount of clinical procedures and drugs used during the admission, etiological and microbiological diagnosis and post-admission control) and social vulnerability variables (social worker consultation, health care card, relatives or friends caregiver, drug use, language barrier and discharge document of the nurse) were analyzed. Results. One hundred and two patients (51 cases and 51 controls, all of them males) were studied. A total of 56% were HIV-1 infected in both groups. The number of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures was higher in the immigrant group (p = 0.02), a lower proportion of patients had a final etiologic diagnosis (82% vs 98%, p = 0.021) and the number of post-discharge controls was lower (55% vs 77%, p = 0.04). Immigrants had a higher social vulnerability index than the Spanish population and 35% could not speak Spanish, French or English. The number of immigrants with health care card was lower (63% vs 94%, p < 0,0001) and a higher number needed to be admitted to a social-health care center after discharge (16% vs 2%, p = 0.01). Discussion. Social vulnerability influences the etiological diagnosis, the number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures during the admission to the hospital and post-discharge control of immigrant population (AU)

Valoración del ruido nocturno en Unidades de Hospitalización de un Área de Medicina / Evaluation of night-time noise in Hospital Units in a Medicine Department

El ruido nocturno es causa de molestia en pacientes ingresados, destacando en las encuestas de opinión respecto de la calidad de la asistencia recibida en la estancia en el Hospital. Este artículo analiza las causas de insatisfacción del usuario respecto a la presentcia y tipo de ruido nocturno en las instalaciones del ICMIDER (AU)

Night-time noise disturbs hospitalized patients; this is what the opinion surveys reveal about the quality of care received during their stay in the Hospital. This article analyses the causes of user dissatisfaction with the presence and type of night-time noise in the ICMIDER facilities (AU)

Methylene blue--a promising treatment modality in sepsis induced by bowel perforation.

In this study, we compared the effects of methylene blue (MB) and an L-arginine analogue on host outcome, blood pressure, lung injury, and nitric oxide (NO) production in rats following fecal peritonitis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Sepsis syndrome was induced in 90 rats: 30 were treated with MB, 30 with an NO synthase inhibitor, and 30 with normal saline. We found significantly less alveolar damage, higher blood pressure, better respiratory function, and delayed mortality among animals treated with MB compared to the control group. We conclude that the ability of MB to reduce alveolar damage and therefore to delay mortality in this animal septic shock model may give this harmless substance a role among the treatment modalities of septic shock syndrome induced by fecal peritonitis.