Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Mexican Lupus Patients Using the LupusQol.

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is affected by numerous clinical variables, including disease activity, damage, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety. However, these associations have not yet been described in Mexican patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between disease activity, damage, depression and fibromyalgia and HRQOL measured by the LupusQoL-instrument in Mexican patients with SLE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in women fulfilling the 1997 ACR classification criteria for SLE. HRQOL was evaluated using a disease-specific instrument for SLE, the LupusQoL (validated for the Spanish-speaking population). Patients were evaluated clinically to determine the degree of disease activity and damage using the Mexican Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (Mex-SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics-Damage Index (SLICC), respectively. Fibromyalgia and depression were assessed using the ACR criteria and the CES-D scale, respectively. The relationship between HRQOL and these variables was measured using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 138 women with SLE, age 40.3±11 years, disease duration 8.8±6.4 years, with disease activity in 51.4%, depression in 50%, damage in 43% and fibromyalgia in 19.6% were included. Poorer HRQOL correlated with depression (r = -0.61; p< 0.005), fibromyalgia (r = -0.42; p< 0.005), disease activity (r = -0.37; p < 0.005) and damage (r = -0.31; p < 0.005). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, damage (ß = -3.756, p<0.005), fibromyalgia (ß = -0.920, p<0.005), depression (ß = -0.911, p<0.005) and disease activity (ß = -0.911, p<0.005) were associated with poor HRQOL. CONCLUSION: SLE disease activity, damage, fibromyalgia and depression were associated with poor HRQOL in our sample of Mexican SLE patients.

Hip fracture registries: utility, description, and comparison.

Hip fractures (HF) are prevalent and involve high morbidity and mortality so improving their management is important. HF registries are a good way to improve knowledge about this condition and its quality of care, while at the same time reducing clinical variability, optimizing efficiency, improving outcomes, and reducing costs. INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures (HF) are a prevalent fragility fracture secondary to osteoporosis that involves high morbidity and mortality. They are low-impact fractures, resulting from a fall from a standing or sitting height. Despite numerous Clinical Practice Guidelines that establish uniform recommendations for their care, great variability persists regarding clinical and healthcare outcomes. Fracture registries can help detect deficits and establish measures to improve care. The objective of this work is to analyze the contents that a HF registry should have and to compare the characteristics of some national HF registries. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on several national hip fracture registries, and those that contain relevant information on the variables and their outcomes were selected. RESULTS: The selected HF registries were compared using the parameters they measure as well as the outcomes in the different countries. The variables collected in the majority of the databases and those that give useful information are as follows: sociodemographic variables (age, sex, place of residence), clinical variables (function before and after HF, anesthesia risk as measured by the ASA score, type of fracture, type of surgery and anesthesia, and in-hospital and 1-month mortality), and healthcare variables (pre-operative and overall stay, presence of collaboration with orthogeriatrics or with any clinician in addition to the surgeon, secondary prevention of new fractures by assessing the fall risk, and need for osteoporosis treatment). CONCLUSION: The recording of HF cases in different countries improves knowledge about handling this condition and its quality of care, while at the same time reducing clinical variability, optimizing efficiency, improving outcomes, and reducing costs. The debate on the variables that should be recorded is timely, such as organizing how to collect each measurement, and even trying to unify the national and international registries or using a current proposal such as the one from the Fragility Fracture Network.

[Results and complications of pertrochanteric hip fractures using an intramedullary nail with a helical blade (proximal femoral nail antirotation) in 200 patients]. / Resultados y complicaciones de la osteosíntesis de fracturas pertrocantéreas de fémur mediante clavo endomedular con espiral cefálica (clavo femoral proximal antirrotación) en 200 pacientes.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the surgical management, outcome and complications in patients with pertrochanteric fractures treated with PFNA nail. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted on 200 patients treated consecutively between April 2010 and February 2012. Radiological assessments were performed before and after the surgery, and during the follow-up (fracture reduction, blade position, consolidation or collapse signs). A clinical evaluation was performed as regards walking capabilities. The results were compared with those of a previous study on 700 patients treated with gamma 3 and TFN nails. RESULTS: The blade position was centre-centre in 64% of patients, and decreased to 53% in the mechanical complications group. Tip-apex distance was less than 25mm in 91.5%. The average hospital stay was 9.17 days, with a mean post-surgery stay of 5.95 days. Complications (7.5%): 2 cut out (1%), one cut through (0.5%), 4 cases of helical blade sliding (2%), one failure in distal locking procedure (0.5%), 2 cases with painful fasciae latae (1%), one union delay (0.5%), 2 cases of non-union with hardware failure (1%), one case of intense bleeding related to distal locking of the nail (0.5%), and one case of avascular necrosis (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The PFNA helical blade system seems to reduce the incidence of cut out and cut through in osteoporotic bone. Blade position was one of the main parameters associated with mechanical complications.