Mouth ulcers: a deadly disease for children from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.

INTRODUCTION: Two processes of vastly different clinical characteristics-what we know today as "Aphthous Stomatitis" and "noma"-occupied the minds of dentists and doctors from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The aim of this article was to look at their knowledge-concerning the differential diagnosis and treatment of these two processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Publications of the Spanish physicians and dentists from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries are reviewed and analysed. RESULTS: The great difference as to how both evolved and about their-consequences led to serious efforts being made to establish a-differential diagnosis and their respective aetiology and treatment. CONCLUSION: While the first goal can be clearly said to have been achieved, practitioners only had the resources offered by authors of antiquity and the Middle Ages to explain the aetiology and apply therapeutic treatment, since microbial theories of disease were not developed until the end of the nineteenth century and antibiotic treatment had to wait until the twentieth century.

Efficient bibliographic searches on allergy using ISI databases.

The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to using databases from the Thomson ISI Web of Knowledge, with special reference to Citation Indexes as an analysis tool for publications, and also to explain the meaning of the well-known Impact Factor. We present the partially modified new Consultation Interface to enhance information search routines of these databases. It introduces distinctive methods in search bibliography, including the correct application of analysis tools, paying particular attention to Journal Citation Reports and Impact Factor. We finish this article with comment on the consequences of using the Impact Factor as a quality indicator for the assessment of journals and publications, and how to ensure measures for indexing in the Thomson ISI Databases.

Efficient bibliographic searches on allergology using PubMed.

INTRODUCTION: PubMed is the most important of the non-specialized databases on biomedical literature. International and quickly updated is elaborated by the American Government and contains only information about papers published in scientific journal/s. Although it can be used as an unique Data Base, as a matter of fact is the addition of several subgroups (among them MEDLINE) that can be searched simultaneously. OBJECTIVES: To present the main characteristics of PubMed, as well as the most important procedures of search, for obtaining efficient results in searches on allergology. CHARACTERISTICS AND SEARCH PROCEDURES: PubMed is elaborated by the American Administration, that condition the character of the registered papers, 90 % of them are written in English in American (50 %) or British (20 %) Journals. Because of this, the information for certain specialties or countries must be obtained from other sources. This paper shows how PubMed allows to search in natural language due to the Automatic Term Mapping that links terms from the natural language with the descriptors producing searches with a higher sensitivity although with a low specificity. Nevertheless the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) thesaurus allows to translate those terms from the natural language to the equivalent descriptor, as well as to make queries in the PubMed's documental language with a high specificity but with lower sensitivity than the natural language. The use of union (OR), intersection (AND) and exclusion (NOT) operators, as well as tags, such as delimiters of the search fields, allows to increase the specificity of the results. Similar results may be obtained with the use of Limits. Searches done using Clinical Queries are very interesting due to their direct clinical application and because allow to find systematic reviews, metaanalysis or clinically oriented papers (treatment, diagnostic, etiology, prognosis or clinical prediction guides) on the area of interest. Other procedures such as the Index, History of searches, and the widening of the selection using Related Articles and the storing of separate results in the Clipboard to be kept by the user, are presented in this paper.

Análisis temático y metodológico de la investigación en la revista Fisioterapia (1991-1999) / Thematic and methodological analysis research in the Fisioterapia journal (1991-1999)

Objetivo. Analizar la temática y la metodología de los artículos publicados en la revista Fisioterapia durante el periodo 1991-1999 para identificar los principales problemas que interesan a los profesionales de la Fisioterapia. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo y longitudinal. Material y método. La población de estudio fueron los 162 artículos de la sección de originales de la revista Fisioterapia unido a los 30 publicados en la sección de docencia. Los artículos han sido clasificados por su aportación a las diferentes funciones de los fisioterapeutas reconocidas por la A.E.F., por los aparatos y sistemas del organismo humano más relevantes para los fisioterapeutas así como sus deficiencias asociadas (A.P.T.A.). Finalmente, se ha llevado a cabo un análisis de las palabras clave. El análisis metodológico ha descrito el diseño empleado en los artículos de investigación. Se cuantificaron las frecuencias absolutas y relativas de las variables descritas utilizando el programa estadístico Spss 10.0. Resultados. El área asistencial recoge más de la mitad de los artículos originales estudiados 100 (52,1 %), seguida del área de investigación con un 27,6 %, docencia 16,1 % y gestión 4,2 %. En las principales áreas (asistencia e investigación) destaca el aparato musculoesquelético (49 %) seguido por el neuromuscular (16,3 %). Las deficiencias en la movilidad articular, función motora, acción muscular y rango de movilidad e integridad de los reflejos asociados a desordenes espinales son las más frecuentemente estudiadas. El número total de palabras clave empleadas ha sido de 585 con una media de 3,05 y una desviación típica de 1,76. El 90,6 % de los estudios tienen un carácter observacional y sólo el 9,4 % son experimentales. Conclusiones. El área asistencial es la más estudiada por los fisioterapeutas españoles. Entre los diferentes aparatos/sistemas orgánicos que se recogen en los artículos asistenciales y de investigación, el aparato musculoesquelético es el más frecuentemente analizado. Las deficiencias del aparato musculoesquelético más estudiadas son las relativas a "deficiencias en la movilidad articular, función motora, acción muscular y rango de movilidad, e integridad de los reflejos asociados a desordenes espinales". La alta variabilidad en el número de palabras clave empleadas por los autores para identificar sus estudios dificultan el proceso de recuperación de la información. Los estudios observacionales predominan sobre los experimentales

Objective. Analyze the thematic and the methodology of the articles published in the Physiotherapy during the period 1991-1999 to identify the main problems that interest the professionals of the Physiotherapy. Design. Study descriptive, retrospective and longitudinal. Material and method. The study population was the 162 articles of the section of original of the magazine Physiotherapy together to the 30 published in the docencia section. The articles have been classified by their contribution to the different functions of the physiotherapist recognized by the A.E.F., for the apparatuses and systems of the most excellent human organism for the physiotherapist as well as their associate impairments (A.P.T.A.). Finally, it has been carried out an analysis of the key words. The methodological analysis has described the design used in the investigation articles. The absolute and relative frequencies of the described variables were quantified using the statistical program Spss 10.0. Results. The assistance area picks up more than half of the studied original articles 100 (52.1 %), followed by the investigation area with 27.6 %, docencia 16.1 % and administration 4.2 %. In the main areas (attendance and investigation) the muscle-skeletal (49 %) continued by the neuromuscular (16.3 %). Impairments in mobility, motor function, muscular action and range of motion and integrity of the reflections associated to disorder spinal they are most frequently described ones. The total number of key words employees has been of 585 with a mean of 3.05 and a typical deviation of 1.76. 90.6 % of the studies has an observational character and 9.4 % is only experimental. Conclusions. The assistance area is the more studied by the Spanish physiotherapist. Among the different organic apparatus/sistem that are picked up in the assistance articles and of investigation, the apparatus muscle-skeletal is the most frequently analyzed one. The deficiencies of the apparatus more studied muscle-skeletal are the relative ones to deficiencies in the mobility to articulate, function motorboat, muscular action and range of mobility, and integrity of the reflections associated to you disorder spinal". The high variability in the key number of words used by the authors to identify their studies hinders the process of recovery of the information. The observational studies prevail on the experimental ones

La producción científica española en anestesiología y reanimación 1983-1995 / Scientific productivity in anesthesia and postoperative recovery in Spain, 1983-1995

OBJETIVOS: Cuantificar y analizar la información disponible internacionalmente sobre la producción científica de la anestesiología española en el período 1983 a 1995. MATERIAL: Publicaciones realizadas por autores españoles que se hallan indizadas en tres repertorios o bases de datos electrónicas: el índice Médico Español (IME) Medline y Embase (correspondiente a Excerpta Médica). MÉTODO: Estudio bibliométrico de la producción contenida en las tres bases, determinando la cuantificación, evolución temporal de los documentos circulantes, el solapamiento y las características de la producción. RESULTADOS: Durante el período estudiado fueron indizados en los tres repertorios un total de 2.608 trabajos producidos por anestesiólogos españoles (IME 79 por ciento Medline 54 por ciento Excerpta 29,5 por ciento). El crecimiento medio anual fue del 16,7 por ciento, con un período de duplicación de 10,2 años. CONCLUSIONES: El crecimiento es exponencial, similar al de otras disciplinas y cumple la ley de Price. Las tres bases recogen mayoritariamente la producción científica de los anestesiólogos españoles. IME y Medflne son los repertorios más importantes para la literatura anestesiológica española. Excerpta presenta el mayor crecimiento en la recopilación de las tres bases. Es imprescindible la inclusión de las tres bases en búsquedas bibliográficas y estudios bibliométricos sobre la anestesiología española (AU)

[Spanish scientific production in anesthesiology and resuscitation 1983-1995]. / La producción científica española en anestesiología y reanimación 1983-1995.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify and analyze the information available internationally on Spanish scientific productivity in anesthesiology from 1983 through 1995. MATERIAL: Publications by Spanish authors indexed in three electronic databases: the Spanish Indice Médico (SIM), MedLine, and Embase (belonging to Excerpta Médica). METHOD: A bibliometric study of productivity as reflected by entries in the 3 databases, quantifying documents in circulation, change over time in circulating documents, overlap, and article's characteristics. RESULTS: During the period studied, a total of 2608 papers by Spanish anesthesiologists were indexed in the 3 databases (SIM 79%, Medline 54%, Excerpta Médica 29.5%). Annual growth was 16.7%, with a period of 10.2 years until duplication. CONCLUSION: Growth is exponential in anesthesiology, as in other disciplines, and the distribution satisfies Price's law. The 3 databases are the major collectors of the papers of Spanish anesthesiologists. The SIM and MedLine are the main indexers of Spanish-authored articles in the literature. Excerpta presents the largest growth on the compilation of articles. The inclusion of the three databases is essential in bibliographic searches and bibliometric studies on Spanish anesthesiology.

La Fisioterapia en España durante los siglos XIX y XX hasta la integración en escuelas universitarias de Fisioterapia / Physical therapy in Spain during XIX and XX centuries to make up physical therapy schools

A través de las fuentes documentales y la investigación histórica se refleja cómo en España la realidad vivida por la Fisioterapia durante los siglos XIX y XX discurre por dos vertientes claramente diferenciadas. La del empleo de los agentes físicos con fines terapéuticos (desde el punto de vista conceptual) y la del antecedente del profesional fisioterapeuta institucionalizado. La primera ha estado presente desde el siglo XIX a través de establecimientos, publicaciones y participación de los profesionales en eventos científicos y la segunda como una figura silente, tanto por la falta de identidad de su labor asistencial como la tardía constitución como Fisioterapeuta (AU)

[The outlook for Spanish primary care starting with a bibliometric analysis of its scientific production (1971-1994)]. / Perspectiva de la atención primaria española a partir del análisis bibliométrico de su producción científica (1971-1994).

OBJECTIVE: To establish the relative weight of the various kinds of primary health care (PHC) research collected in the IME (Spanish medical index), In order to determine their possible relationships with Spain's PHC model. DESIGN: Bibliometric analysis. PARTICIPANTS: PHC documents (1971-1994) from the IME data base (CD-ROM), subdivided by years, journals, themes and Autonomous Communities (AC). RESULTS: 3,015 studies were published, with a first phase (1970s) of under 10 documents per year, a second (1980s) with a big increase and a third (1990s) of stagnation. Of the 117 journals containing studies, Atención Primaria gave a home to almost 58% (60% after 1984). CONCLUSIONS: PHC research production has stagnated recently, though the journal Atención Primaria has maintained its undisputed leadership position. The clinical model predominant in Spanish medicine is generally followed.

[Public health during Franco's regime]. / La Salud Pública durante el franqismo.

We compare the most relevant characteristics of the evolution of public health as a science during Franco's regime with the behavior of significant parameters in the evolution of health care in Spain (mortality and morbidity rates, spending on health care, institutional development of the health care system). Our purpose was to characterize how the legacy inherited by current health care legislation in Spain has given rise to the problems currently faced. The backslide during the post-Civil War periiod as a result of the victors' identification of the advances achieved in the Second Republic with leftist policies, delayed modernization imposed by the accelerated process of industrialization, and obstacles caused by the consolidation of National Health Insurance, led to a paradigm based exclusively on medical care.