Validation of the PROFUND index to predict early post-hospital discharge mortality.

BACKGROUND: The PROFUND index (PI) is a prognostic scale for polypathological patients at 12 months. The objective of the study was to validate the PI as a predictor of 1-year mortality in a current cohort of polypathological patients and analyse its prognostic usefulness in the short-term (1 month and 3 months) after discharge from Internal Medicine. DESIGN: We conducted a prospective observational study and all polypathological patients discharged from an Internal Medicine Department between 01 March 2016 and 28 February 2017 were enrolled. METHODS: The variables recorded for each patient were age, sex, diseases and diagnostic categories defining patients as polypathological patients, PI at discharge, number of hospital admissions, length of stay, vital status at 1 year, and date and place of death if applicable. Follow-up lasted 1 year from the time of enrolment. RESULTS: Six hundred and ten polypathological patients were enrolled. Mortality was 41% and the patients who died were older, their length of stay was longer and their PI was higher compared with those who survived. The discrimination of the PI for predicting mortality was good, with a C-statistic of 0.718 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.76]. In addition, a subgroup of patients with early mortality after discharge was identified, with a C-statistic of 0.74 (95% CI 0.67-0.80) at 30 days and 0.73 (95% CI 0.68-0.78) at 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: The PI is a valid tool for predicting early and 1-year mortality in polypathological patients after discharge from Internal Medicine.

Analysis of patients shared in consultations of internal medicine and other medical specialties. / Análisis de pacientes compartidos en consultas de medicina interna y otras especialidades médicas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aging population is resulting in an increasing number of patients with multiple diseases that require treatment by various specialties. We examined the evolution of consultations and of the percentage of patients treated by several medical specialties. METHODS: We analysed internal medicine (IM) consultations and those of other medical specialties in a hospital during 1997, 2007 and 2017 for the general population and for those older than 65 years. RESULTS: Over the course of 20 years, the rate of first IM consultations per 1000 inhabitants increased 44%, and that of other medical specialties increased 137%. The percentage of patients seen by more than one specialty went from 13.8% in 1997 to 32.6% in 2017 and reached 45.5% for those older than 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: The care for populations with growing comorbidity has a major impact on health systems and requires organisational changes for their care.

Five-year economic evaluation of non-melanoma skin cancer surgery at the Costa del Sol Hospital (2006-2010).

BACKGROUND: The cost associated with treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer is expected to rise considerably over the coming decades. This important public health problem is therefore expected to have an enormous economic impact for the various public health services. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the cost of the surgical-care process of non-melanoma skin cancer at the Costa del Sol Hospital and seek areas to improve its efficiency, using the activity-based costing (ABC) method and the tools designed for decision analysis. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs for hospitalized patients obtained using the ABC method with the data published by the Spanish Ministry of Health, using the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) classification system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the cost of non-melanoma skin cancer surgery at the Costa del Sol Hospital. RESULTS: The total estimated cost from 2006 to 2010 was 3 398 540€. Most of the episodes (47.3%) corresponded to minor outpatient surgery. The costs of the episodes varied greatly according to the type of admission: 423€ (minor outpatient surgery), 1267€ (major outpatient surgery), and 1832€ (inpatient surgery). The average cost of an inpatient episode varied significantly depending on the calculation system used (ABC: 2328€ vs. DRG: 5674€). CONCLUSIONS: The ABC cost analysis system favours standardization of the care process for these tumours and the detection of areas to improve efficiency. This would enable more reliable economic studies than those obtained using traditional methods, such as the DRG.

[Clinical and performance results of functional endoscopic sinus surgery]. / Resultados clínicos y asistenciales de la cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal.

Our aim was to know the clinical performance and management results of Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) in Spanish hospitals. We sent a survey on the use and results of FESS to 160 Spanish public hospitals in June of 2002, obtaining a response rate of 69%. 82.9% of the interviewed hospitals carried out FESS and 17.1% of the remaining used the classic techniques of approaching the paranasal sinuses. The reported length of stay in hospital was 1.4 days for the FESS and 2.4 for the traditional surgery. The surgical time was 15 minutes shorter for the CENS, and the rate of recurrence was 16% less than for the classic surgery. As years of experience in the practice of the CENS go by, the surgical times tend to decrease, that didn't happen with the rate of recurrence. In conclusion, we consider that FESS seems to improve the analyzed clinical performance and assistential results.

[The implementation of endoscopic sinus surgery in Spain]. / Implantación de la cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal en España.

The purpose of this study is to find out more about the implementation of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in our country. To do that, we designed a survey which was sent to 160 public hospitals (June 2002). We received the answers of 111 hospitals. 82.9% of hospitals and 58% of surgeons performed FESS, with some differences among autonomic regions. The percentage of surgeons who performed FESS was higher in small hospitals and their mean experience time was 6.2 years. We consider the implementation of endoscopic sinus surgery very high, this can reflect that there are evident advantages for those who specialists who use it.

Lifestyles, environmental and phenotypic factors associated with lip cancer: a case-control study in southern Spain.

The aim of this study was to identify factors related to lip cancer (LC) considering individual characteristics and sociodemographic factors. A case-control study was carried out in the province of Granada (Andalusia, southern Spain). The cases were 105 males with squamous-cell carcinoma of the lip, diagnosed between 1987 and 1989 (aged 20-70 years) and identified by means of a population-based Cancer Registry. As controls, a randomised populational sample of 239 males, stratified by age, was used. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors are lifetime cumulative tobacco consumption and alcohol consumption. An interaction was found between alcohol consumption and the smoking habit (leaving the cigarette on the lip): OR=23.6; 95% CI: 3.9-142.0. Other risk factors identified are clear eyes (OR=3.5; CI: 95% 1.5-8.0), sun exposure early in life and cumulative sun exposure during outdoor work (OR=11.9; 95%: CI: 1.3-108.9), and skin reaction to sun exposure (Fitzpatrick levels). Another interaction was found between skin reaction and a previous history of common sporadic warts (OR=4.4; 95% CI: 1.01-19.1). We conclude that LC is related to phenotype, skin reaction to sun exposure, cumulative and early sunlight exposure, and tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as a low educational level. Leaving the cigarette on the lip is predictive of LC risk irrespective of cumulative tobacco consumption.