Functional assessment of older adults with Parkinson's disease

Introduction: paralysis agitans or Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive and disabling neurodegenerative disease that is physically, cognitively, and socially disabling. Objective: to evaluate the functional status of older adults with Parkinson's disease. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with a universe of 32 patients with Parkinson's disease. The Barthel Index and the Hoehn and Yahr scale were applied using the percentage method. Results: male sex and the age group 60 to 69 years predominated. The most frequent risk factors were associated diseases and white skin, the most common disabling symptoms were tremor and hypokinesia, stage 3 of the disease predominated being more representative the male sex and according to Barthel index moderate disability predominates. Conclusions: Parkinson's disease increases with age affecting mainly the male sex. The most frequent risk factors were associated chronic diseases and white skin color. Clinically it was characterized by hypokinesia, tremor and rigidity. Clinically, the patients presented different stages of the disease, predominantly stage 3. The disease affects the functionality of the patients, with moderate disability prevailing

Effectiveness of rehabilitative treatment in gonarthrosis in older adults

Introduction: in the rehabilitation service of the "Luis Augusto Turcios Lima" University Polyclinic in the city of Pinar del Río, gonarthrosis is one of the main reasons for consultation, but the effectiveness of this treatment in this disease is unknown. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment of gonarthrosis. Methods: an observational, descriptive and longitudinal research was carried out in patients with gonarthrosis. The universe consisted of 156 patients and the study sample consisted of 112. Qualitative and quantitative variables were studied and their information was processed by means of descriptive statistics. Medical ethics were respected and the results were reflected in tables and statistical graphs. Results: the predominant age range was 70 to 79 years (35,7 %), as well as male sex (64,3 %). The occupation of retiree was higher in patients studied with 32,1 % presenting risk factors such as mechanical overload in the knee (30,4 %), obesity (25 %) and knee trauma (15,2 %). The prevailing symptoms were pain and difficulty in walking with 75 % and 36,6 % respectively, being higher the intensity of moderate pain (59,5 %); while the results of the rehabilitation treatment were good in 75,9 % of the intervened patients. Conclusions: the rehabilitation treatment of gonarthrosis was evaluated as good, being essential in the integral approach, health care and rehabilitation of patients treated at the "Luis Augusto Turcios Lima" University Polyclinic

Lactancia materna exclusiva. Analisis comparativo. Exclusive breast feeding. Comparative analysis

Se realizó una investigación longitudinal de carácter retrospectivo realizada en 24 consultorios pertenecientes al área urbana del Policlínico Docente "Turcios Lima" del municipio Pinar del Río, cuyo objetivo fundamental fue analizar de forma comparativa el comportamiento de la lactancia materna exclusiva durante los años 1993 y 1994. Se pudo comprobar que el comportamiento de la lactancia materna exclusiva fue diferente en ambos años demostrándose que en el 1994 existió un 54.8% de niños que recibieron lactancia materna exclusiva hasta el cuarto mes. Se evidencio que en ambos años los niños con mayor tendencia a enfermarse por infección respiratoria aguda y enfermedades diarreicas agudas fueron aquellos que no se le ofreció por tiempo suficiente la alimentación materna de forma exclusiva. Con relación pondoestatural de los niños al an'o de vida se demostró asociación entre esta y el tiempo de lactancia en el an'o 1994. Los resultados fueron vertidos en cuadros de contingencia para su ulterior análisis, utilizándose el estadígrafo chi cuadrado con su nivel de significación del 95%. DeCS: LACTANCIA MATERNA EXCLUSIVA/epidemiología.A longitudinal retrospective investigation was carried out in 24 urban home offices belonging to Turcios Lima Teaching Clinic located in Pinar del Rio city. The comparative analisys of exclusive breast feeding behavior during 1993 and 1994 was the fundamental objetive of this study. Exclusive breast feeding behavior was different in both years; a 54.8% of children were exclusively breast fed for four months, during 1994. There was evidence that children, who weren't exclusively breast fed for the proper time, were more likely to acquire an Acute Respiratory Infection or an Acute Diarrhea Disease. A relation betwen weight and height evolution and breast feeding time on infants was found during 1994. Results were listed in tables for further analysis using chi-square with a 95% significance level. DeCS: BREAST FEEDING, EXCLUSIVE/epidemiology

Lactancia materna exclusiva. Analisis comparativo. Exclusive breast feeding. Comparative analysis

Se realizó una investigación longitudinal de carácter retrospectivo realizada en 24 consultorios pertenecientes al área urbana del Policlínico Docente "Turcios Lima" del municipio Pinar del Río, cuyo objetivo fundamental fue analizar de forma comparativa el comportamiento de la lactancia materna exclusiva durante los años 1993 y 1994. Se pudo comprobar que el comportamiento de la lactancia materna exclusiva fue diferente en ambos años demostrándose que en el 1994 existió un 54.8% de niños que recibieron lactancia materna exclusiva hasta el cuarto mes. Se evidencio que en ambos años los niños con mayor tendencia a enfermarse por infección respiratoria aguda y enfermedades diarreicas agudas fueron aquellos que no se le ofreció por tiempo suficiente la alimentación materna de forma exclusiva. Con relación pondoestatural de los niños al an'o de vida se demostró asociación entre esta y el tiempo de lactancia en el an'o 1994. Los resultados fueron vertidos en cuadros de contingencia para su ulterior análisis, utilizándose el estadígrafo chi cuadrado con su nivel de significación del 95%. DeCS: LACTANCIA MATERNA EXCLUSIVA/epidemiología.A longitudinal retrospective investigation was carried out in 24 urban home offices belonging to Turcios Lima Teaching Clinic located in Pinar del Rio city. The comparative analisys of exclusive breast feeding behavior during 1993 and 1994 was the fundamental objetive of this study. Exclusive breast feeding behavior was different in both years; a 54.8% of children were exclusively breast fed for four months, during 1994. There was evidence that children, who weren't exclusively breast fed for the proper time, were more likely to acquire an Acute Respiratory Infection or an Acute Diarrhea Disease. A relation betwen weight and height evolution and breast feeding time on infants was found during 1994. Results were listed in tables for further analysis using chi-square with a 95% significance level. DeCS: BREAST FEEDING, EXCLUSIVE/epidemiology

Intervención educativa en adultos mayores para una longevidad satisfactoria. San Luis / Educational intervention in the elderly to a satisfactory long life. San Luis

Se realizó una investigación descriptiva y longitudinal en adultos mayores pertenecientes al Consultorio Médico 40 del Policlínico "Epifanio Rojas Gil" del Municipio San Luís, Provincia Pinar del Río durante el 2007. Con el objetivo de aplicar un programa de intervención educativa a los ancianos, para modificar conocimientos y estilos de vida. El universo estuvo constituido por 129 adultos mayores y la muestra por 109 que cumplieron los requisitos de inclusión. La información se obtuvo a partir de una encuesta y el instrumento para evaluar el funcionamiento familiar. Los resultados obtenidos fueron llevados a tablas estadísticas para realizar un análisis, a los cuales se les aplicó Técnicas de Estadística Descriptiva (números absolutos, porcientos) y prueba de hipótesis de comparación de proporción para el nivel de significación 0,05, para demostrar que se reducen las actividades perjudiciales relacionadas con el ritmo de vida después de la intervención educativa. Se incrementaron los conocimientos relacionados con los hábitos perjudiciales para la salud con la estrategia intervencionista. Disminuyeron los estilos de vida dañinos al incrementar los conocimientos sobre temas de salud con la capacitación. Se logró disminuir la ingestión de alimentos dañinos e incrementar la de los alimentos saludables con la intervención educativa y el funcionamiento familiar moderadamente funcional resultó ser la mayor percepción en los ancianos. La Intervención Educativa se considero muy satisfactoria por los resultados estadísticos obtenidos para lograr una Longevidad Satisfactoria.DeCS: LONGEVIDAD SATISFACTORIA/ética, RITMO DE VIDA, ALIMENTOS SALUDABLES/clasificación.ABSTRACTA descriptive and longitudinal research was conducted with the elderly belonging to the Medical Office (No-40) at "Epifanio Rojas Gil" outpatient clinic in San Luis municipality, Pinar del Rio province during 2007. This research was aimed at applying a program of educational intervention to the elderly in order to increase knowledge and modify life styles. The target group was comprised of 129 old people and the sample with 109 having the criteria of inclusion. The information was collected from a survey and the tool to evaluate family function. The results obtained were described in statistical tables to complete the analysis. Descriptive statistics (absolute numbers, percentages) and the hypothesis test for the comparison of proportion to 0,05 level of significance were used to demonstrate that risky activities related to the pace of life after the educational intervention decreased . Knowledge related to the recognition of harmful health habits increased with the application of this intervention strategy. Negative life styles decreased with the increase of knowledge. Hazardous food consumption decreased and the ingestion of healthy food increased with the educational intervention. Moderately family function resulted in a major perception of the elderly. The educational intervention was very satisfactory due to the results achieved to accomplish a satisfactory long life.DeCS: Satisfactory long life/ethics, pace of life, healthy food/classification