Long-term users of benzodiazepines in Colombia: Patterns of use and cessation of treatment.

BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepines have low abuse potential, but patients often develop physical dependence and neurological impairments. The objective of this study was to investigate treatment cessation and use of high doses in long-term benzodiazepine users in Colombia. METHODS: Retrospective study. Patients who used benzodiazepines for at least six months (long-term) were selected from a prescription database and followed from initiation of benzodiazepine treatment for up to 30 months. We investigated treatment duration and compared patients who received normal and high (≥2 mean prescribed daily dose) doses. RESULTS: Only 1255 (6.1 %) out of 20,567 patientsprescribed benzodiazepines became long-term users; their mean age was 60.6 years (SD=20.0) and 61.7 % were women. Mean high doses were used by 42.5 % (n=534) of the sample. Age under 20 years was a protector, whereas the long half-life benzodiazepines and use of other neurological medications were predictors of high dosage. Overall, 44.8 % (n=563) of the sample was still using benzodiazepines at the end of the study period. The use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants were negatively associated with cessation of benzodiazepine treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A low proportion of patients starting benzodiazepines became long-term users. Nearly half of them used high doses and continued the medication for up to 30 months. Use of concomitant neurological drugs was associated with higher doses and less cessation.

Mapping the residual incidence of taeniasis and cysticercosis in Colombia, 2009-2013, using geographical information systems: Implications for public health and travel medicine.

BACKGROUND: In Colombia, taeniasis and cysticercosis have been significantly reduced over the past decades, however still reported with implications for public health and travel medicine. METHODS: An observational, retrospective study, in which the incidence of taeniasis and cysticercosis (ICD-10 codes B68s/B69s) in Colombia, 2009-2013, was estimated based on data extracted from the Individual Health Records System (Registro Individual de Prestación de Servicios, RIPS) was performed. The Geographic Information System (GIS) generated national maps showing the distribution of taeniasis and cysticercosis by department by year. RESULTS: During the period, 3626 cases were reported (median 796/year), for a cumulative crude national rate of 7.7 cases/100,000pop; 58.2% corresponded to male; 57% were <40 year-old (10.2% < 9.9 year-old). Cases were 57.6% neurocysticercosis, the rest were taeniasis due to T. solium, T. saginata, ocular cysticercosis and cysticerci in other organs. Bolivar, a touristic department, had the highest cumulated incidence rate (16.17 cases/100,000pop), as also evident across the map series developed in this study. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of this study, data presented provide recent estimates of national taeniasis and cysticercosis incidence in the country useful in public health and for travel medicine practitioners, as some highly touristic areas presented higher disease incidence. Improved control, particularly of taeniasis, should be an attainable goal, which among other strategies would require improved sanitation and health education to prevent transmission, but also enhanced surveillance.

Caracterización entomológica del dengue en el departamento de Risaralda, Colombia, 2011-2012 / Entomological characterization of Dengue at the Departament Risalda, Colombia, 2011 - 2011

Introducción: El dengue es una enfermedad metaxénica, endemoepidémica en diferentes regiones de Colombia. Sin embargo pocos estudios entomológicos se realizan, por lo cual es importante la caracterización del vector por diferentes indicadores. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional evaluando la presencia de larvas y/o pupas de Aedes aegypti y los índices aédico, de depósitos, de Bretau, en barrios de los municipios de Risaralda, Colombia, en 2011-2012. Resultados: Se evaluó un total de 2420 barrios, en los 14 municipios (14,8% La Virginia; 12,7% Santuario y 9,7% Marsella). Se inspeccionaron 57352 casas (mediana 12/barrio, mínimo 1-máximo 324), de las cuales 2.645 fueron positivas (4,6% índice aédico crudo). Se evaluaron 70657 depósitos (mediana 17/barrio, 0-399) de los cuales 2987 fueron positivos (4,2% índice de depósitos crudo; 5,2% índice de Bretau crudo). Para Pereira (capital) se tuvo un índice aédico promedio de 11,76% (9,13% depósitos y 23,24% Bretau), seguido por La Virginia (municipio parte de la zona metropolitana de Risaralda) con 9,76% (8,24% depósitos y 11,1% Bretau) y Belén de Umbría con 6,72% (4,66% depósitos y 6,76% Bretau). Conclusiones: Como se esperaba los mayores índices correspondieron a las zonas más urbanas (Pereira y La Virginia). Esto concuerda con lo que reportan otros estudios a nivel epidemiológico donde dichas zonas muestran las mayores tasas de incidencia del dengue, por lo cual se desprende la importancia de relacionar las tasas entomológicas con las epidemiológicas para evaluar su importancia en términos de la transmisión vectorial en la región, así comootras variables ecológicas y sociales de importancia en dicho comportamiento.