The cognitive impact of guard shifts in physicians: a before-after study.

OBJECTIVE: We intend to evaluate the change of different cognitive functions after a guard shift in physicians. METHODS: A descriptive observational study was performed. The study population included Spanish physicians who were asked to complete before and immediately after their guard shift the following tests: Digit Span, TMT-A, TMT-B, Symbol Digit, Stroop, Free and Cued Selective Reminding, creep and formal fluency, Visual Orientation and Space Perception tests, and the Leeds Sleep Questionnaire. RESULTS: Thirty subjects were included in the study among which 43.3% were female. The mean subjective impression of the guard shift was 4.47/10 (2.57) and was correlated with the number of sleep hours during the guard shift (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Statistically significant differences in the comparison between pre- and post-guard period results were found for the Symbol Digit test (88.27 vs. 81.47, p = 0.005), Digit Span test (7.43 vs. 7.00, p = 0.025), Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (22.73 vs. 21.20, p = 0.002), categorical fluency (39.03 vs. 34.53, p = 0.008), and phonemic fluency (19.57 vs. 16.13, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The realization of guard shift was associated with a lower yield in several cognitive functions, especially in tasks related to executive function and attention.

[Oral desensitization with Ketocal® in an infant with ketogenic diet and cow's milk protein allergy]. / Desensibilización con Ketocal® en lactante con dieta cetogénica y alergia a proteínas de leche de vaca.

Introduction: Introduction: ketogenic diet is a treatment with proven efficacy in drug-refractory childhood epilepsy. Cow's milk protein allergy may be a limitation for treating infants with ketogenic diet, as they need a product that contains cow's milk protein (Ketocal®). Case report: we report the case of an infant with a drug-refractory epileptic encephalopathy and IgE-mediated cow's milk protein allergy, who started a classic ketogenic diet. Oral desensitization was achieved with Ketocal 3:1®, allowing its use in the diet and achieving a clinical improvement with seizure control. Discussion: a patient with epilepsy and cow's milk protein allergy can benefit from the ketogenic diet, since it is possible to perform an oral immunotherapy with Ketocal®, also achieving a probable resolution of his/her allergy.

Introducción: Introducción: la dieta cetogénica es un tratamiento con eficacia demostrada en la epilepsia infantil refractaria a fármacos. La alergia a la proteína de leche de vaca puede ser una limitación para tratar a lactantes con dieta cetogénica, ya que necesitan un producto que contiene proteínas de leche de vaca (Ketocal®). Caso clínico: presentamos el caso de un lactante con una encefalopatía epiléptica refractaria a fármacos y alergia a las proteínas de leche de vaca IgE mediada al que se quiere instaurar una dieta cetogénica clásica. Se consigue la desensibilización con Ketocal 3:1®, pudiendo utilizarlo en la dieta y logrando una mejoría clínica con el control de las crisis. Discusión: un paciente con epilepsia y alergia a las proteínas de leche de vaca puede beneficiarse de la dieta cetogénica, ya que es posible realizar una inmunoterapia oral con Ketocal® y conseguir, además, una probable resolución de su alergia.