Percepción del estado de salud en varones y mujeres en las últimas etapas de la vida

ResumenObjetivoAnalizar las diferencias en la percepción del estado de salud de los varones y mujeres en las últimas etapas de la vida y explorar su relación con variables sociodemográficas y de salud.MétodosDatos procedentes de la Encuesta de Salud de Cataluña de 1994, de 1.459 varones y 1.993 mujeres de 60 y más años. Se realizó un análisis de la autovaloración del estado de salud según la edad, el sexo, la clase social, la declaración de enfermedades crónicas y la discapacidades y se aplicó un modelo de análisis multivariable de regresión logística teniendo en cuenta el diseño muestral.ResultadosEl 57,3% de las mujeres de 60 y más años declaraba no tener buena salud, frente al 43,6% de los varones. También fue superior la proporción de mujeres que padecía una o más discapacidades (41,2%) respecto a los varones (28,7%), así como la de enfermedades crónicas, el 92,2% de las mujeres y el 85,6% de los varones. En el modelo de regresión logística multivariable continúa manteniéndose una percepción de mala salud superior en las mujeres y aparecen como factores explicativos el número de enfermedades crónicas, padecer discapacidades y pertenecer a las clases sociales más desfavorecidas. La edad en interacción con las enfermedades crónicas amortigua el efecto de éstas en la valoración del estado de salud.ConclusionesEntre la población anciana, la percepción de mala salud fue superior en las mujeres incluso ajustando por otras variables explicativas significativas (clase social, edad, discapacidades y enfermedades crónicas). Padecer enfermedades crónicas y/o discapacidades constituyen los factores explicativos más importantes en la percepción del estado de salud. El impacto del padecimiento de enfermedades crónicas en relación con la percepción de mala salud disminuye a medida que los grupos son de mayor edad.SummaryObjectivesTo analyze the differences in health self-perception between men and women in the later stages of life and to assess their association with sociodemographic and health variables.MethodsData on 1,459 men and 1,993 women aged 60 or older from the 1994 Catalan Health Survey, were collected and an analysis of health self-perception according to age, gender, social class, reporting of chronic disease and handicaps was performed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used, taking into account the survey design.ResultsOf the women aged 60 and older, 57.3% reported poor health compared with 43.6% of men of the same age. The proportion of women with one or more handicaps was also greater (41.2%) than that of the men (28.7%), as was the case with chronic disease (92.2% inwomen and 85.6% in men). The multivariate model also revealed that health self-peerception was poorer among women than among men. Other explanatory factors were the number of chronic diseases, having handicaps, and being a member of a lower social class. Age interacted with the number of chronic diseases to mitigate the effect of chronic diseases on perceived health status.ConclusionsIn the elderly population, poor health self-perception was greater among women, even when other significant explanatory variable (social class, age, handicaps and chronic disease) were adjusted for. The most important explanatory factors in health self-perception were having chronic disease and/or handicaps. The impact of chronic disease on poor health self-perception decreased in older age groups

Care bundle for the prevention of peripheral venous catheter blood stream infections at a secondary care university hospital: implementation and results

Background: Venous catheterization for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is part of routine hospital practice, as approximately 70% of hospitalized patients have a peripheral venous catheter (PVC). This practice, however, can lead to both local complications, (e.g., chemical, mechanical and infectious phlebitis) and systemic complications (e.g., PVC-related bloodstream infections [PVC-BSIs]). Surveillance data and activities are central to preventing nosocomial infections, phlebitis and improving patient care and safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a care bundle on reducing PVC-BSI rates and phlebitis at a secondary care hospital in Mallorca, Spain. Methods: Three-phase intervention study targeting hospitalized patients with a PVC. The VINCat criteria were used to define PVC-BSIs and calculate incidence. In phase I (August-December 2015), we retrospectively analyzed baseline PVC-BSI rates at our hospital. In phase II (2016-2017), we conducted safety rounds and developed a care bundle with the goal of reducing PVC-BSI rates. In phase III (2018), we expanded the PVC-BSI bundle to prevent phlebitis and analyzed its impact. Results: The incidence of PVC-BSIs decreased from 0.48 episodes per 1000 patient-days in 2015 to 0.17 episodes per 1000 patient-days in 2018. The 2017 safety rounds also detected a reduction in phlebitis (from 4.6% of 2.6%). Overall, 680 healthcare professionals were trained in catheter care and five safety rounds were conducted to assess bedside care. Conclusion: Implementation of a care bundle significantly reduced PVC-BSI rates and phlebitis at our hospital. Continuous surveillance programs are needed to adapt measures to improve patient care and guarantee safety

Microwave tomography: an algorithm for cylindrical geometries

The letter presents an efficient algorithm in cylindrical coordinates for microwave diffraction tomography. In comparison with algorithms in cartesian co-ordinates, the mechanical rotation of the object is avoided and higher-quality images are obtained with similar processing time.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Receptor para TV difundida directamente desde satélites

The direct broadcast satellite receiver in the 12 GHz band developed in the Electrophysics Department in cooperation with the R & D Departments of Mier Allende, S.A. and Tagra, S.A. is described. It features a low-noise amplifier with 0.3 and 0.5 mm gate width- GaAs MESFET, balanced mixer and monolithic IF amplifier along with filters, polarizer and feeder. The system has been integrated in a module installed in the focus a 0. 4 - f/D parabolic reflector. Noise figures lesser than 3 dB have been obtained leading to G/T factors greater than 24.5 db/K when using a 3 meterantenna.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Search for coherent charged pion production in neutrino-carbon interactions

We report the result from a search for charged-current coherent pion production induced by muon neutrinos with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV. The data are collected with a fully active scintillator detector in the K2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. No evidence for coherent pion production is observed and an upper limit of $0.60 \times 10^{-2}$ is set on the cross section ratio of coherent pion production to the total charged-current interaction at 90% confidence level. This is the first experimental limit for coherent charged pion production in the energy region of a few GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Evidence for muon neutrino oscillation in an accelerator-based experiment

We present results for muon neutrino oscillation in the KEK to Kamioka (K2K) long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. K2K uses an accelerator-produced muon neutrino beam with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV directed at the Super-Kamiokande detector. We observed the energy dependent disappearance of muon neutrino, which we presume have oscillated to tau neutrino. The probability that we would observe these results if there is no neutrino oscillation is 0.0050% (4.0 sigma).Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Scanner de microondas. Una alternativa a la radiación ionizante

La utilización de radiación de microondas para la obtención de imágenes tomográficas de cuerpos biológicos es un nuevo campo de investigación que puede englobarse dentro de los métodos de diagnóstico no invasivo. El elemento diferencial con respecto a los demás métodos en el propio sensor, lo que asegura la complementaridad con el resto de procedimientos. Las microondas, zona del espectro electromagnético comprendida entre 300 MHz y 300 GHz, no poseen la energía cuántica necesaria como para romper los enlaces intermoleculares y por tanto constituyen una radiación no ionizante. Este hecho, considerado aisladamente, hace atractivos los procedimientos de detección de imágenes biológicas basados en este tipo de radiación.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Generic pregabalin : current situation and implications for health authorities, generics and biosimilars manufacturers in the future

The manufacturer of pregabalin has a second use patent covering prescribing for neuropathic pain: its principal indication. The manufacturer has threatened legal action in the UK if generic pregabalin rather than Lyrica is prescribed for this indication. No problems exist for practitioners who prescribe pregabalin for epilepsy or generalized anxiety disorder. This has serious implications for health authorities. In Germany, however, generics could be legally prescribed for any approved indication once one indication loses its patent. We aim to establish the current situation with pregabalin among principally European countries. Personnel from 33 regional and national health authorities mainly from Europe, and nine from universities across Europe working as advisers to health authorities or with insight into their activities, were surveyed regarding four specific questions via email to shed light on the current situation with Lyrica and pregabalin in their country. The information collated from each country was subsequently checked for accuracy with each co-author by email and face-to-face contact and collated into five tables. The scenarios ranged from extending the patent life of Lyrica (e.g. France), endorsing the prescribing of Lyrica for neuropathic pain (e.g. Catalonia and South Korea), and current prescribing of pregabablin for all indications (e.g. Serbia and Germany). Little activity has taken place in European countries in which generic pregabalin is not yet reimbursed. The availability of generic pregabalin has prompted a number of different activities to be undertaken among the 33 countries and regions surveyed. The situation in Serbia and the historic situation in Germany provide examples of ways to maximize savings once a product loses its patent for at least one indication

Obstetric interventions in two groups of hospitals in Catalonia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Childbirth assistance in highly technological settings and existing variability in the interventions performed are cause for concern. In recent years, numerous recommendations have been made concerning the importance of the physiological process during birth. In Spain and Catalonia, work has been carried out to implement evidence-based practices for childbirth and to reduce unnecessary interventions. To identify obstetric intervention rates among all births, determine whether there are differences in interventions among full-term single births taking place in different hospitals according to type of funding and volume of births attended to, and to ascertain whether there is an association between caesarean section or instrumental birth rates and type of funding, the volume of births attended to and women's age. Methods: Cross-sectional study, taking the hospital as the unit of analysis, obstetric interventions as dependent variables, and type of funding, volume of births attended to and maternal age as explanatory variables. The analysis was performed in three phases considering all births reported in the MBDS Catalonia 2011 (7,8570 births), full-term single births and births coded as normal. Results: The overall caesarean section rate in Catalonia is 27.55% (CI 27.23 to 27.86). There is a significant difference in caesarean section rates between public and private hospitals in all strata. Both public and private hospitals with a lower volume of births have higher obstetric intervention rates than other hospitals (49.43%, CI 48.04 to 50.81). Conclusions: In hospitals in Catalonia, both the type of funding and volume of births attended to have a significant effect on the incidence of caesarean section, and type of funding is associated with the use of instruments during delivery. © 2014 Escuriet et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd