Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis mortality and social deprivation: a spatial analysis in small areas of Madrid region.

OBJECTIVES: To study census-tract distribution of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis mortality in the Madrid Region and its association with socio-economic deprivation. METHODS: Cross-sectional, ecological (3906 census-tract) study, using mortality data for 1996-2003 and a deprivation index drawn up on the basis of 2001 census data. Standardised mortality ratios were calculated taking Spanish rates for 2001 as reference. Smoothed census-tract relative risks were computed using the Besag-York-Mollie model. Relative risks (RRs) of dying and their 95% credibility intervals (95% CIs) were calculated according to quartiles of the deprivation index (with the fourth quartile -Q- of the indicator being the most unfavourable situation). Maps were plotted depicting the distribution of the posterior probability of RR > 1. RESULTS: Census tracts with a high risk of mortality were detected, mostly located in the centre and on the eastern, south-eastern and south-western fringes of the city of Madrid. Mortality increased with deprivation. RRs of mortality according to quartíles of the deprivation index were: Q2 = 1.5 (CI: 1.3-1.6), Q3 = 1.9 (CI:1.7-2.2) and Q4 = 2.5 (CI:2.2-2.8) for men; and Q2 = 1.3 (CI:1.1-1.5), Q3 = 1.5 (CI:1.3-1.7) and Q4 = 1.6 (CI:1.3-1.8) for women. CONCLUSIONS: This small-area study enabled census tracts with excess mortality eligible for a special public health intervention to be identified, and their association with socio-economic deprivation to be confirmed.

Census tract socioeconomic and physical environment and cardiovascular mortality in the Region of Madrid (Spain).

BACKGROUND: Features of the area might contribute to differences in cardiovascular mortality. The census tract distribution of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the Region of Madrid and its association with deprivation and environmental variables were examined in this study. METHODS: Cross-sectional, ecological study covering 3906 census tracts (median of around 1000 inhabitants), using mortality data (population aged <75 years) for 1996-2003, as well as socioeconomic deprivation and other environmental indicators (subjective perceptions of pollution, background noise, lack of green spaces and delinquency) drawn from the 2001 census. Standardised mortality ratios were calculated. Smoothed census tract relative risks were calculated using the Besag-York-Mollié model. Relative risks (RRs) of dying and their 95% credibility intervals (95% CI) were calculated according to the indicators considered (with the fourth quartile, Q, being the most unfavourable situation). Maps were plotted depicting the distribution of the posterior probability of RR>1. RESULTS: Census tracts with excess mortality were mostly located in the city of Madrid. Mortality increased with deprivation: RRs of IHD and stroke mortality in Q4 with respect to Q1 were 1.42 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.54) and 1.66 (95% CI 1.45 to 1.88) for men, and 1.54 (95% CI 1.33 to 1.79) and 1.52 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.76) for women respectively. Associations with deprivation decreased only slightly when perceived lack of green spaces and delinquency were included in the model. In men, subjective perceptions of areas remained associated with cardiovascular mortality after adjustment for deprivation. CONCLUSION: Deprivation and subjective perceptions of physical environmental characteristics are ecologically associated with cardiovascular disease mortality.

The Applied Nutrition Project of eastern Kenya--an initiative for reducing hunger and malnutrition.

Sustainable development is the only kind of development possible for help in the third world. Due to various historical, political, geographic and climatic conditions the divergence between those countries providing and those receiving help is so vast that donations of labor and/or money is simply not enough. Rather, communities have to be taught to support and develop themselves during the receipt of aid and especially after the help pulls out. It is our goal in this article to summarize one such "sustainable development" project. As volunteers for AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation), we worked with the remarkable Makueni Applied Nutrition Project in eastern Kenya in the summer of 2001. Our job was to visit the various locations in this semi-arid and arid environment and to write a report on the situation of the diverse parts of the project. The Applied Nutrition Project (ANP) started in 1984 and serves as an excellent example of the significant help that can be provided to needy areas of the world with a multifaceted approach.

[Tuberculosis outbreak at a public school]. / Brote epidémico de tuberculosis en un colegio público.

BACKGROUND: At school there are special circumstances of living together and a particular susceptibility, which favour the emergence of tuberculosis microepidemics. We report here the microepidemic occurred at a school among 9-year old children. METHODS: After ruling out a possible familiar source in a child with pulmonary tuberculosis, we detected a case with high bacillar shedding in a female teacher and conducted a tuberculin search among children and teachers, initially outlining the theoretical groups at risk. Tuberculin positive children underwent chest-X-ray and when abnormalities were found, children were derived to the pediatrician for chemotherapy. All converters received secondary chemoprophylaxis and all non-respondents primary chemoprophylaxis. RESULTS: The classroom where the teacher spent most of het time had a higher rate of converters (70%) than other classroom, where the index teacher spent only a partial time (40%; RR: 1.75; CI: 1.06-2.88) or the collective of teachers (45.4%; RR: 1.45; CI: 0.94-2.23). Three additional cases of secondary disease were detected, all of them children. The initial compliance with chemoprophylaxis was greater among (for) children (97.0%) than among teachers (41.6%). Among children there was one case of tuberculin conversion compared with three cases among teachers. No additional cases were detected; also, an abnormal rate of reactors outside the initially studied groups was also not detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results somehow agree with those reported from other school outbreaks. To note the anergy and lack of symptoms in the index case and the suggestion to delineate the degree of spending hours together to identify groups with a higher theoretical risk of being infected. Thus, an unnecessary expense of resources and a social alarm would be avoided.

[Occupational asthma]. / Asma profesional.

OBJECTIVE: Description of three cases of work-related asthma. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical observations. SETTING: Primary care clinics in the centre of the metropolitan health area of Madrid. PATIENTS: A 19-year old male who worked in the manufacture of Psyllium and reported one month's evolution of an irritative cough on getting up in the morning. A 33-year-old male who worked as a car mechanic and reported episodes of respiratory difficulty while at work. A 17-year-old male employed by a bread manufacturer who attended because of a catarrhal condition accompanied by respiratory difficulty. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The maximum expiratory flow monitor (MEFM) was used to measure maximum expiratory flow (MEF) in two patients. The third was temporarily separated from his work environment. The monitoring of the MEF showed a slow fall of 25% in the patient who worked with Psyllium and a rapid fall of 36% in the mechanic, which coincided with the symptoms. The patient with asthma probably caused by flour evolved favourably while off work and deteriorated again on returning to work. The allergological study showed sensitivity to Psyllium, Isocyanate and flour, respectively. The three patients stayed asymptomatic on being separated from the catalysing substances. CONCLUSIONS: The early diagnosis of work-related asthma requires a high level of diagnostic awareness. It is extremely important to separate the patient from the catalysing agent. The MEFM is a very useful instrument of diagnosis for the primary care doctor.

[Bowen's disease. A report of 9 cases]. / Enfermedad de Bowen. Presentación de nueve casos.

OBJECTIVE: To revise clinical histological, therapeutic and evolutive specifications of Bowen's disease. To emphasise the importance of an early diagnosis and to promote treatment with topical 5-fluorouracil by the family doctor. DESIGN: Descriptive and transversal study. SETTING: Outpatient and dermatology departments in a hospital in the metropolitan area of Madrid. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Nine patients (5 male and 4 female), aged over 50, with slightly pigmented skin and diagnosed to have Bowen's disease. TREATMENT: In five patients. Topical 5-fluorouracil (Efudix) was applied once a day for 20-30 days. Surgery was performed on three patients and one underwent radiotherapy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The clinical histories of the patients were used. In each case a histological study of the papule that had confirmed diagnosis was carried out. Treatment was effective in all patients and no recidivation was observed during the one year follow up. CONCLUSIONS: An early diagnosis and treatment of Bowen's disease is important for preventing its progression to invasive epidermoid carcinoma and later dissemination. The use of topical 5-fluorouracil is an efficient measure that can be prescribed by the family doctor.

Five-year follow-up evaluation of the noncemented press-fit titanium hip-joint endoprosthesis.

A series of 260 noncemented total hip arthroplasties with a titanium alloy stem and fixation by the Zweymüller press-fit and an Endler polyethylene threaded cup was reviewed in detail. The minimum follow-up period was 48 months and the maximum 72 months, with an average of 60 months. A scale from zero to five points was applied to evaluate pain, mobility, and motion for a total possible accumulation of 15 points. The global results of the different etiologic groups (arthrosis, femoral head necrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and subcapital hip fractures) have been very good and good (12-15 points) in 67.5% of the cases and fairly good and bad in 32.3%. These results have been better in femoral head necrosis than in arthrosis or rheumatoid arthritis, but not as good in subcapital hip fractures. The age groups below 60 had better results than the above 60 groups. The Singh index higher than 3 was correlated with better-than-average results. The polyethylene cup migrated horizontally (more than 4 mm) in 7.6% of the cases and vertically (more than 5 mm) in 10%. The non-evolutionary cortical remodelation of the femur does not influence the results. Prosthetic stem sinking less than 4 mm has been found in 62% of the cases, from 4 to 9 mm in 21%, and greater than 9 mm in 6%. No alterations with clinical consequences attributable to stress-shielding have been detected.

[Evaluation of compliance with appointments and the control of blood pressure in a group of hypertensive patients]. / Evaluación del cumplimiento de la citación y del control de la tensión arterial en un grupo de hipertensos.

The social and public health relevance of hypertension (HT) is well know. In the present study, 308 hypertensive patients were evaluated in two six month periods. An organized variation was carried out, consisting of the suppression of the scheduled visit with subsequent attention of the patient by visit on demand. The evaluated variables were the degree of compliance with the appointment and the control of the blood pressure levels in the two periods, depending on sex, age, and degree of hypertension. Better results were achieved during the first period (with scheduled visit), both regarding compliance and control. Therefore, it seems preferable to keep scheduled visits for the HT protocols.