[Casual diagnosis of Gitelman's syndrome]. / Diagnóstico casual de un síndrome de Gitelman.

Gitelman's syndrome is a renal tubule disease of recessive autosomal inheritance in which the fundamental alteration is found in the distal tubule, specifically at the level of the Na/Cl cotransporter, is sensitive to thiazides, and coded in chromosome 16q. It is characterised by a metabolic alkalosis with normal blood pressure, hypokalaemia, as well as hypomagnesaemia and hypocalciuria, which separate it from Bartter's syndrome. Its diagnosis can be delayed up to the adult age, as patients may remain asymptomatic for long periods of time. The treatment consists of oral supplements of potassium and magnesium, and the use of potassium-sparing diuretics and indomethacin has also been described.

[The evaluation of a semiautomatic arterial pressure monitor]. / Validación de un monitor semiautomático de presión arterial.

OBJECTIVE: To study the reliability and precision of the arterial pressure digital monitor, Palm Monitor-2 FS-40, model 1083 (DM). The mercury sphygmomanometer (MSM) was used as the reference. DESIGN: Comparative crossover study. SETTING: Primary Care Centre. PATIENTS: 81 patients of both sexes between 26 and 65 found at random in a consultation during November and December, 1991. 24 of them had systolic arterial pressure (SAP) above 140 mmHg and/or diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) above 90 mmHg. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Four measurements of AP for each patient were carried out at one minute intervals: the first and the fourth with the MSM and the second and third with the DM. The SAP averages with the DM were 130.27 mmHg in the first take and 129.36 in the second. The DAP averages were 82.53 and 81.88, respectively. The Pearson correlation r between the averages for both devices and the difference of averages, both absolute and in so much per cent, were obtained. The values obtained were 0.887 for SAP and 0.810 for DAP. The difference between averages was -3.83 mmHg (-2.86%) for SAP and -2.55 mmHg (-3.04%) for DAP. CONCLUSIONS: The measurements obtained with this DM are quite reliable, although a tendency to underestimate the AP values in relation to the MSM was noted. Overall it can provide useful information on certain aspects of the diagnosis and follow-up of AHT.

[The conduct stemming from the application of a program of preventive activities]. / Actuación derivada de la aplicación de un programa de actividades preventivas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of putting into practice the Programme of Preventive Measures and Health Promotion of the SEMFYC and the level of intervention into each risk factor. DESIGN: Descriptive study of a sample of clinical records of patients included in the program. SITE. The population seen at a Health Centre. PATIENTS: A sample of 772 clinical records, 51.1% being women. Average age was 31.8. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: 389 smokers, 35 people with hypertension, 175 with hypercholesterolemia, 96 heavy drinkers and 268 suffering from overweight were found. The level of intervention recorded in the clinical histories is low by the criteria of the Programme: it swings between 27.68% for overweight and 47.6% for tobacco dependency. CONCLUSIONS: The Programme of Preventive Measures and Health Promotion (PAPPS in Spanish) is seen to be useful as a method of detecting health problems in the asymptomatic population. But it needs to be followed up with some minimal intervention and control of the problem, if the desired aims are to be met.