Usos terapéuticos de la Centella asiática. El caso de blastoestimulina® / Therapeutic uses for Asian yellow-flowered crowfoot, genus Ranunculus: the case of Blastoestimulina

La Centella asiática es una planta utilizada con fines terapéuticos desde hace más de 3000 años. Sus principios activos consisten en el asiaticósido y madecasósido con actividad reepitelizante, cicatrizante y venotónica. Actualmente, el extracto de Centella asiática está indicado en el tratamiento de úlceras, llagas, escaras y quemaduras. También se utiliza como coadyuvante en el tratamiento de heridas quirúrgicas y en el prendido de injertos cutáneos. Su empleo en forma de óvulos vaginales permite el tratamiento adecuado de ciertas enfermedades vaginales. En la actualidad se encuentra en diversos preparados bajo la marca comercial de Blastoestimulina®. En el ámbito científico se están realizando numerosos estudios con el fin de obtener nuevos recursos terapéuticos de esta planta

Asian yellow-flower crowfoot is a plant which has been used for therapeutic purposes for more than 3000 years. Its main active ingredients are asiaticóside and madecasóside which give it a cicatrizing action as well as being a tonic for the blood. At present time, Asian yellow-flower crowfoot extract is indicated to treat ulcers, sores, scabs, and some types of burns. It is also used as a secondary helping agent to treat surgical wounds and to help skin grafts take root. Its use in the form of vaginal ovules make it be an appropriate treatment for some vaginal diseases. This extract is currently found in diverse medical preparations under the trade name «Blastoestimulina». Numerous studies are underway in the scientific field with the objective of discovering new therapeutic uses for this plant

[Antiseptic agents: chlorhexidine]. / Antisépticos. Clorhexidina.

Chlorhexidine is a broad spectrum antiseptic widely used in clinical practice. This antiseptic works rapidly and its effects last for six hours. Since it is not absorbed through the skin nor through mucus, its systematic toxicity is minimum. It keeps on working in contact with organic matter and, since it is transparent, it does not hide the evolution of injuries. In this article, the authors review the properties and indications for this antiseptic; they also comment on some studies having lesser known indications.

[Antiseptics]. / Antisépticos.

Antiseptics are chemical products which are applied on live tissues in order to eliminate microorganisms potentially pathogenic, or to inhibit their growth. The selection of the antiseptic must be done according to the properties and the recommended uses of the product. This article describes the main antiseptics used in the clinical practice, paying attention to its range of activity, recommended uses and toxicity.

[Innovations and new techniques: tracheostomy cannulas]. / Innovaciones y técnicas nuevas. Cánulas de traqueostomía.

In recent years, therapy by means of a tracheostomy has increased considerably due to the use of new trachea opening procedures and the development of the newest generation of tubes employed in tracheostomy. Percutaneous tracheostomy has become the preferred choice technique for patients in critical condition since it is a simple procedure, almost bloodless, and furthermore, this procedure can be carried out on a patient in a bed in a normal ward. The translaryngeal tracheostomy is one of the newest innovative techniques performed from inside the trachea; due to its complex nature, it is not commonly used yet although it promises to be an alternative procedure when confronting various counter-indications found in the percutaneous technique. In addition to the development of these techniques, substantial design modifications in the tubes used in tracheostomy have been produced; their objectives include improving a patient's comfortableness, reducing complications and easing a nurse's work.

[Percutaneous tracheostomy]. / Traqueostomía percutánea.

Percutaneous tracheostomy using dilatation is a new technique for opening up the trachea whose use has become generalized in intensive care units since this method has numerous advantages over conventional tracheostomy and a lesser number of adverse effects. This article describes a nursing protocol for this technique; it reviews its most frequent complications and it details the nursing care which patients require once they have undergone.

[Care levels in an intensive care unit. Analysis of therapeutic requirements and severity scales]. / Niveles asistenciales en un Servicio de Medicina Intensiva. Análisis de escalas de esfuerzo terapéutico y nivel de gravedad.

The APACHE II and TISS scales usually are used in intensive medicine services to assess patient's severity and therapeutic requirements, respectively. Both scales serve to classify ICU patient's into three care levels, each of which has its own well-defined surveillance and care requirements. Nursing personnel have used the TISS scale to determine work loads and plan nurse-patient ratios. However, this scale is complex and its application is time-consuming, thus impeding its routine use. In recent years, the NEMS (Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower) scale has been validated for this purpose. This scale uses just nine variables to objectively quantify nursing requirements. In order to determine if the NEMS scale could be used to evaluate the severity and nursing requirements of patient's admitted to our ICU and to establish care levels, we designed a descriptive study of a sample of 78 patients. The results showed that the APACHE II, TISS and NEMS scales has a good correlation and that the NEMS scale could be used to determine patient care requirements in our service. Based on the TISS and NEMS correlation, we determined discriminative numerical NEMS values for assigning patient's to different care levels.

[Tracheostomy cannulas]. / Cánulas de traqueostomia.

Tracheostomic clyster pipes are mechanisms which allow one to artificially maintain the permeability of the air passageway under those circumstances when it is not possible to breathe by the conventional way. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of clyster pipes available to medical professionals. Each of these has its own traits and precise applications. This article describes those clyster pipes most frequently used in hospitals and outpatient clinics; furthermore, their use, care and therapeutic applications are mentioned.