The influence of patient´s perspective in therapeutic adherence in rheumatoid arthritis : a case study from Spain.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective is to study the contribution of illness and medication beliefs to treatment adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: the design was a cross-sectional study. The compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR) was used to measure therapeutic adherence. The beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ) and the brief illness perception questionnaire (IPQ-b) were used to assess patient's beliefs about medicines and about the disease. Other factors studied were treatment satisfaction, patient´s demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: 144 patients were included in the study, 113 (78.4%) patients showed good treatment adherence. Patients with poor adherence presented higher scores in the BMQ harm domain (13±5 vs. 11±3, p= 0.013). Meanwhile, patients with good adherence presented higher scores in the necessity BMQ domain (21±3 vs. 20±3, p= 0.015), increased feeling of treatment control (8.8± 1.5 vs. 7.7± 2.1,p= 0.008), higher emotional response (6.2±3.1 vs. 4.8±3.4,p= 0.042) and a higher level of treatment satisfaction (77.2±12.4 vs. 69.9±12.5,p=0.004). In a multivariate analysis for each unit of increase in the score of BMQ´s harm domain, adherence was reduced by 20% (CI 95% 0.08-0.3, p= 0.001); for each unit of increase in treatment control item of the IPQ-b, adherence increased 1.4 times (CI 95% 1.1-1.8,p= 0.006); and for each unit of increase in the emotional response item of the IPQ-b, adherence increased 1.3 times (CI 95% 1.1-1.5,p= 0.002). CONCLUSION: in our cohort of RA patients, good adherence is associated with stronger treatment necessity perception, stronger feeling of treatment control, higher emotional response and higher level of treatment satisfaction; on the other side, patients with poor adherence had stronger beliefs of medicines as harmful substances.

[Prognostic value of the Charlson index in mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism associated with cancer versus non-tumour pulmonary embolism]. / Valor pronóstico del índice de Charlson en la mortalidad en pacientes con embolia pulmonar asociada a cáncer frente a embolia pulmonar no tumoral.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to analyse comorbidity, survival, and mortality from pulmonary embolism (PE) in people with cancer and without cancer. And to determine whether the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) predicts mortality in the short and long term in this population. METHODS: A retrospective observational study on survival in patients hospitalized in the Hospital Central de la Defensa from 1-01-2009 to 15-03-2018, stratifying into tumour PE group (EPT) and non-tumour PE group (EPnT), all of whom were classified according to age adjusted CCI. RESULTS: A total of 368 patients were diagnosed with PE, 108 with associated cancer. The mean CCI in the EPT group was 7.2 and 4.5 in the EPnT group. Patients with PE and CCI>5 were 10.7 times more likely to die (95%CI 1.5-77.6) compared to CCI 0 (P=.019). The CCI of patients with EPT was 2.6 points higher (95%CI 1.9-33) than EPnT patients (P<.001). Cancer patients were 1.9 times more likely to die (95%CI 1.23-2.8) and had higher mortality at 30 days and at one year after the event, with a median survival of 8.98 years and 3.4 years, respectively (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The CCI in EPT is an independent risk factor related to mortality. The CCI can predict higher mortality in the short and long term in patients with PE.

A Comparative Study of Biocompatibility in Rat Connective Tissue of a New Mineral Trioxide Compound (Theracal) versus MTA and a Bioactive G3 Glass.

The aim of this paper was to assess the differences in tissue response to implantation during 15, 30 and 45 days in the subcutaneous connective tissue of Wistar rats from three biomaterials: Angelus MTA®, Theracal LC®, and Angelus MTA® to which 25% bioglass G3 was added. Twenty-four Wistar rats were used, the materials were inserted into the rat's dorsal area in silicone tubes 5 mm long by 1.5 mm diameter. Histological reaction was assessed at 15, 30, and 45 days after implantation. They were then stained with hematoxylin eosin and evaluated by two observers. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney's U test was used to determine the association between variables. Angelus MTA induced the formation of dystrophic calcifications twice as much as Theracal LC (p < 0.05). The addition of G3 did not affect the greater or lesser occurrence of calcifications (p > 0.05). Theracal LC and MTA plus G3 caused an inflammatory reaction, which was chronic at 15 days and decreased in intensity, almost disappearing after 45 days. Theracal LC, as well as Angelus MTA plus G3, were well tolerated when implanted in the subcutaneous connective tissue of rat. Histologically, no inconvenience was found for the use by direct contact of Theracal LC, and the mixture of MTA with 25% bioactive glass G3, in the tissue of Wistar rats.

Martial arts injuries: a longitudinal study about judo, karate and wushu carried out in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Martial arts are currently being practiced throughout the world by about 100 million people. Considering that sports injuries account for 20% of all emergencies treated in hospitals, this is an issue that should be further studied. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and type of injuries in wushu, judo, and karate practitioners in Community of Madrid, Spain. METHODS: A descriptive epidemiology study was carried out. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 457 men and women practicing karate, judo and/or wushu, including injuries from the past five years, type of injury and occurrence during training or competition. RESULTS: Injuries that disrupted training occurred in 56% of judokas, in 36.7% of karatekas and in 38.9% of wushu practitioners (WP). For judokas, the most common injury site was "shoulder/arm/elbow" (13.43%), for karatekas, it was "lower leg/foot/ankle" (9.95%), and for WP it was "groin/hip/thigh" (9.45%) (P=0.000). The most common injuries in judo and karate were "ankle sprains and joint injuries" (4.98% and 3.98%), while for WP the most common injury were "hamstring strains" (5.47%) (P=0.008). There was no relationship between occurrence of a first injury and sex, age or belt rank. CONCLUSIONS: Judo is the martial art with the highest percentage of injuries, followed by wushu and then karate.

Prevalence, Disability and Associated Factors of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Pain among Musicians: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

Background: Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most frequent complaints among instrumental musicians. The aims of this study were: to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain; to evaluate neck, shoulder, and lower back disability; and to determine the associated factors with the presence of musculoskeletal pain among musicians. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. We selected Spaniard musicians over 16 years old who played a musical instrument for at least five hours per week. They answered the Spanish versions of the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire, the Oswestry Disability Index, Neck Disability Index and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index. Results: We found 94.8% of musicians presented at least one symptomatic region in the last 12 months, and 72.3% in the last seven days. Female musicians (OR 4.38, CI 2.11-9.12), musicians with overweight or obesity (OR 5.32, CI 2.18-12.97), and musicians who play more than 14 h per week (OR 3.86, CI 1.80-8.29)were shown to be a higher risk of suffering musculoskeletal pain. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal disorders symptoms are highly prevalent in musicians. The main risk factors related to musculoskeletal disorders symptoms were gender (being female), overweight, obesity, and spending playing more than 14 h a week practicing. This study highlights the need to provide strategies to prevent occupational disabilities among musicians. Further studies are needed to analyse the prevalence of pain in the musician using other sampling methods.

Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire Spanish Version in Musicians.

BACKGROUND: The Standardised Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) is an instrument to analyse the musculoskeletal symptoms in an ergonomic or occupational health context. We aimed to cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the SNQ among Spanish musicians. METHODS: Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation (reliability, validity, and feasibility) was performed. Reliability was analysed by test-retest reliability (Cohen's Kappa) and internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson). Content and face validity were measured by the Expert Committee and the opinion of participants. Construct validity (Mann-Whitney U test) was measured by comparing with questionnaires used to assess pain and disability in neck, shoulders, upper back, and low back regions. Feasibility was calculated with the average response time. RESULTS: A total of 312 Spanish musicians were included. The Spanish version of SNQ achieved good semantic, conceptual, idiomatic, and content equivalence. For most of the variables, test-retest reliability was good to very good (k = 0.60-0.81). The internal consistency showed good to acceptable (Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR20) = 0.737-0.873). Participants with versus without musculoskeletal problems in a related region showed significantly higher disability/pain, indicating a good construct validity. About the feasibility, the average response time of the questionnaire was 6 min (±2). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the Spanish SNQ is reliable, valid, and feasible screening tool to assess musculoskeletal problems among musicians.

Influence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on Volatile Organic Compounds in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The etiology of lung cancer is multifactorial. Exposure to tobacco smoke and the role played by the carcinogenic compounds that it contains would explain the common association between lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is closely linked to tobacco use. In both diseases, sustained inflammation is caused by increased oxidative stress (for example, lipid peroxidation). This generates low molecular weight substances called volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are excreted during breathing. VOC metabolomics provides an indirect measure of oxidative stress. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the relative influence of COPD on the VOC profile in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), by first studying the possible variation of VOC associated with lung cancer histology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Exhaled air was tested in 107 NSCLC patients, who were divided into 2 groups: NSCLC with COPD and non-COPD with NSCLC. The exhaled air sample was obtained with the BIOVOC® sampler, and transferred to desorption tubes for later analysis by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The VOC analysis showed lineal aldehydes and carboxylic acids. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant differences were found in VOC associated with histology. NSCLC and COPD patients present a 1.7-fold (1.1-2.7) greater probability of detection of propionic acid (95% CI: 1.22-6.2) than patients without COPD or NSCLC (p = 0.013).

Accessory Joint and Neural Mobilizations for Shoulder Range of Motion Restriction After Breast Cancer Surgery: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the methods to conduct a substantive clinical trial to evaluate the effects of accessory joint mobilization (AJM) vs neural mobilization (NM) techniques for shoulder motion restriction after breast cancer surgery. METHODS: This pilot study was a prospective randomized and double-blind clinical trial in which 18 women who underwent unilateral breast cancer surgery and axillary lymph node dissection participated. The study was conducted at the Women's Health Research Group at the Physical Therapy Department of Alcalá University, Madrid, Spain. The intervention was AJM vs NM, with a 6-month follow-up. Primary outcomes included recruitment, adherence to treatment and retention rates, assessment procedures, and implementation of the 2 manual therapy techniques. Secondary outcomes included range of motion, sensory disturbance, pain, and upper limb functionality. RESULTS: All participants accepted to be randomly assigned to study groups. One hundred percent retention was attained with all participants attending the 3-month and 6-month assessments. Adherence with treatment attendance was excellent. At 6-month follow-up, flexion range of motion had a mean change of 38.4° (±28.9) (P = .002) in the AJM group and a mean change of 36.8° (±21.8) (P = .002) in the NM group. Abduction range of motion had a median change of 52.4° (±43.6) (P = .004) in AJM group and a median change of 44° (±17.5) (P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results of the effects of AJM and NM techniques in breast cancer survivors indicate that a full clinical trial will be worthwhile. The research methods tested and the modifications proposed within this pilot study offer a suitable foundation to conduct a substantive clinical trial.

Study of 5 Volatile Organic Compounds in Exhaled Breath in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. / Estudio de 5 compuestos orgánicos volátiles en aire exhalado en la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica.

INTRODUCTION: A major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is tobacco smoke, which generates oxidative stress in airways, resulting in the production of volatile organic compounds (VOC). The purpose of this study was to identify VOCs in exhaled breath and to determine their possible use as disease biomarkers. METHOD: Exhaled breath from 100 healthy volunteers, divided into 3groups (never smokers, former smokers and active smokers) and exhaled breath from 57 COPD patients were analyzed. Samples were collected using BioVOC® devices and transferred to universal desorption tubes. Compounds were analyzed by thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. VOCs analyzed were linear aldehydesand carboxylic acids. RESULTS: The COPD group and healthy controls (never smokers and former smokers) showed statistically significant differences in hexanal concentrations, and never smokers and the COPD group showed statistically significant differences in nonanal concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Hexanal discriminates between COPD patients and healthy non-smoking controls. Nonanal discriminates between smokers and former smokers (with and without COPD) and never smokers.

Prevalence of Myofascial Pain Syndrome in Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic non-specific neck pain is a frequent complaint. It is a recognized medical and socioeconomic problem and a frequent cause of job absenteeism. In recent years, case reports about myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) are emerging among patients suffering from pain. MPS is a regional pain syndrome characterized by myofascial trigger points (MTrP) in palpable taut bands of skeletal muscle that refer pain to a distance, and that can cause distant motor and autonomic effects. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of active and latent MTrPs in subjects suffering from chronic non-specific neck pain. DESIGN: A population-based cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out from January 2012 to December 2014. SETTING: Three primary healthcare centers in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain). SUBJECTS: Two hundred and twenty-four participants diagnosed by their family doctor with chronic non-specific neck pain. METHODS: Participants were examined by a physical therapist to determine the presence of MPS. Pain descriptions from the subjects and pain body diagrams guided the physical examination. The subjects were not given any information concerning MPS or other muscle pain syndromes. RESULTS: All participants presented with MPS. MTrPs of the trapezius muscles were the most prevalent, in 93.75% of the participants. The most prevalent active MTrPs were located right (82.1%) and left (79%) in the nearly-horizontal fibers of the upper trapezius muscle. Furthermore, active MTrPs in the levator scapulae, multifidi, and splenius cervicis muscles reached a prevalence of 82.14%, 77.68%, and 62.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MPS is a common source of pain in subjects presenting chronic non-specific neck pain.

Dry needling of the trapezius muscle in office workers with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Neck pain is a frequent complaint in office workers. This pain can be caused by myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the trapezius muscle. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of deep dry needling (DDN) of active MTrPs in the trapezius muscle. METHODS: A randomized, single blinded clinical trial was carried out at the Physical Therapy Department at Physiotherapy in Women's Health Research Group at Physical Therapy Department of University of Alcalá, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. Forty-four office workers with neck pain and active MTrPs in the trapezius muscle were randomly allocated to either the DDN or the control group (CG). The participants in the DDN group were treated with DDN of all MTrPs found in the trapezius muscle. They also received passive stretch of the trapezius muscle. The CG received the same passive stretch of the trapezius muscle only. The primary outcome measure was subjective pain intensity, measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes were pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervical range of motion (CROM) and muscle strength. Data were collected at baseline, after interventions and 15 days after the last treatment. RESULTS: Differences were found between the DDN group and the CG for the VAS (P < 0.001), PPT (P < 0.001), range of motion (AROM) (P < 0.05) and strength (P < 0.05) after intervention and at the 15-day follow-up. DISCUSSION: Deep dry needling and passive stretch seems to be more effective than passive stretch only. The effects are maintained in the short term. The results support the use of DDN in the management of trapezius muscle myofascial pain syndrome in neck pain.

Spanish cultural adaptation and validation of the shoulder pain and disability index, and the oxford shoulder score after breast cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) are patient-based outcome scores with valid psychometric properties which are widely used for shoulder interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to adapt both questionnaires cross-culturally to Spanish, and to test their reliability, validity, responsiveness, and feasibility. DESIGN: Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation study. METHODS: Consecutive patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery referred to an outpatient clinic at the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain. One hundred and twenty women who had undergone breast cancer surgery, with pain and shoulder dysfunction. Cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the international guidelines. Reliability was analysed by test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Content and convergent construct validity were measured by the Expert Committee's and Spearman coefficient respectively. Responsiveness, feasibility, floor and ceiling effects were also tested. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty women aged 54.2 (±11) years took part in the study. The reliability was excellent; test-retest reliability was 0.974 (p < 0.001) for OSS, and 0.992 (p < 0.001) for SPADI; and Cronbach's alpha value was 0.947 for OSS, and 0.965 for SPADI. High construct validity was found between the OSS and SPADI questionnaires (r = -0.674). The effect size (ES) and standardized response mean (SRM) was moderate in OSS (ES = 0.50 and SRM = 0.70 (p < 0.001)), and moderate to good in SPADI (ES = 0.59 and SRM = 0.82 (p < 0.001)). LIMITATIONS: This study has some limitations, such as the group of participants is composed only of women following breast cancer treatment; the measurement took place in a single centre; and all the questionnaires administered were always provided to the participants in the same order. CONCLUSIONS: The OSS and SPADI Spanish versions are applicable, reliable, valid, and responsive to assess shoulder symptoms and quality of life in Spanish women with shoulder pain and disability after breast cancer treatment.

Responsiveness of the Spanish Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaires Short Forms (PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7) in women with pelvic floor disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the responsiveness of the Spanish versions of Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire Short Forms (PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7), in order to assess symptoms and quality of life in Spanish women with pelvic floor disorders. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study to assess the responsiveness in 85 women with pelvic floor disorders. PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 were completed before and after Physiotherapy intervention. The responsiveness was assessed with the p values using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the standardized response means of the change (SRM) and the effect size (ES). RESULTS: The Spanish PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 and the subscales demonstrated small to good responsiveness. The responsiveness was higher for PFDI-20 than for PFIQ-7. The statistic for PFDI-20 was moderate to good (ES 0.68 and SRM 0.84; p<0.0001), and small to moderate for PFIQ-7 (ES 0.48 and SRM 0.57; p<0.0001). Regarding the subscales, the responsiveness was better for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI) than Pelvic Organ Prolapse Impact Questionnaire (POPIQ) (ES 0.70 and SRM 0.78; ES 0.42 and SRM 0.47 respectively; p<0.0001). Moderate responsiveness was found for Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI) and Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ) (ES 0.54 and SRM 0.67; ES 0.52 and SRM 0.61 respectively; p<0.0001). Colo-Rectal-Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI) and Colo-Rectal-Anal Impact Questionnaire (CRAIQ) showed poor responsiveness, small in both (ES 0.42, SRM 0.50 and p<0.0001; ES 0.34, SRM 0.39 respectively; p<0.001). All responsiveness was significant. CONCLUSIONS: PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 Spanish versions showed good responsiveness to evaluate the symptoms and the quality of life in Spanish women with PFD undergoing Physiotherapy treatment.

Analysis of evacuations from areas of operation to the Spanish Role 4 medical treatment facility (2008-2013).

Since 1987, the Spanish Armed Forces have deployed their troops in a multitude of conflicts and natural disasters worldwide. The Spanish Military Medical Corps has the ability to deploy Role 1, Role 2, and one Role 3 medical treatment facilities. It also has a Role 4 in operation, the "Gómez Ulla" Central Hospital of Defense, in Madrid. The aim of this study is to describe the type of Spanish casualties evacuated from different areas of operation to the Role 4 from 2008 to 2013. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 232 patients. Among these, 211 (91%) were noncombat casualties: 126 because of illness, 53 because of an accident, and 32 because of sports injuries. The remaining 21 (9%) were combat casualties: 11 from improvised explosive devices and 10 from gunfire. Afghanistan, followed by Lebanon, is the operational area where most evacuees originate. The authors consider it essential that the Spanish Armed Forces rely on a Role 4 medical treatment facility as part of their medical support to international operations.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory short form (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire short form (PFIQ-7) Spanish versions.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a linguistically adapted and psychometrically validated Spanish version of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire Short Forms (PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7) to assess symptoms and quality of life in Spanish women with pelvic floor disorders. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-cultural linguistic adaptation was performed following the translation-backtranslation method in 30 native Spanish-speaking women with pelvic floor disorders to obtain PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 Spanish versions. The psychometric properties were evaluated in 114 women with pelvic floor disorders. We calculated the reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach's alpha coefficient, the validity with Spearman coefficient, the feasibility with the response rate and the filling time, and the ceiling and floor effects. RESULTS: Spanish versions of the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 achieved good semantic, conceptual, idiomatic and content equivalence. Concerning the psychometric validation, internal consistency was high with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.837 (p<0.001) for PFDI-20 and 0.967 (p<0.001) for PFIQ-7. The test-retest reliability was 0.644 (p<0.001) for the PFDI-20 and 0.786 (p<0.001) for the PFIQ-7. Good construct validity was found with questionnaires: SF-12, EPIQ and ICIQ-SF. The average administration time was 10.1 (5.8)min for the PFDI-20, and 7.5 (4.7)min for the PFIQ-7. A ceiling effect was detected in the PFIQ-7 (25.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 Spanish versions showed semantic, conceptual, idiomatic and content equivalence with the original versions. Both instruments are reliable, valid and feasible to evaluate symptoms and quality of life in Spanish women with pelvic floor disorders.

Volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath in a healthy population: effect of tobacco smoking.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco smoke is a source of free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are the main causes of oxidative stress. The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in exhaled breath is an indirect method of measuring the level of oxidative stress that occurs in the airways caused by tobacco consumption. The aim of this study was to determine whether smoking influences the production of VOC, in a clinically healthy population. METHODS: Exhaled breath from 89 healthy volunteers, divided into three groups (non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers) was analysed. Samples were collected using Bio-VOC® devices and transferred to universal desorption tubes. Chemical compounds were analysed by thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We analysed hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, nonanoic acid and propanoic acid, all identified by retention time and mass spectra referenced in the NIST 08 mass spectral library; confirmation was carried out using reference standards of the pure chemical compound. RESULTS: These VOC were found in very low concentrations. Only nonanal showed significant quantitative and qualitative statistical differences among the study groups. Nonanal concentration is dependent on smoking, but is independent of the amount of tobacco consumed, age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Nonanal in exhaled breath is associated with tobacco consumption, current or previous. Nonanal is a sub-product of the destruction of the cell membrane, and its finding may be indicative of cell damage in smokers. This result appears in many farmers who smoke.

Gunshot and improvised explosive casualties: a report from the Spanish Role 2 medical facility in Herat, Afghanistan.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an analysis of casualties treated during medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) or/and at the Spanish Role 2 in Herat, Afghanistan, including type of weapon, injuries, and effects of protective measures. METHOD: A retrospective analysis was carried out concerning patients who had suffered injuries from either gunshot or explosive devices treated during MEDEVAC or/and at this facility during the period 2005-2008. RESULTS: The total number of cases analyzed was 256. The majority of the casualties were produced by explosive devices (71%). The anatomical regions most affected were the lower limbs (48%). There was a higher New Injury Severity Score in casualties wounded by gunshot (14 +/- 1) than in those wounded by explosive devices (8.5 +/- 1.5) (p < 0.001). Surgical procedures for injuries caused by gunshots were 1.7 times more likely than for those due to explosive devices (95% confidence interval: 1.4 to 2.1). Protective devices were used only by 25% of casualties. CONCLUSIONS: The injury score indices of firearm casualties were higher than the explosive device casualties' injury score indices. The possible reasons for this finding are discussed.