Calidad de vida con órtesis de compresión frente a apósito en el postoperatorio de pacientes con cirugía conservadora de cáncer de mama / Quality of life in patients with compression orthoses compared with those with compressive bandage during the postoperative period after conservative surgery for breast cancer

Objetivos. Comparar el efecto producido por el uso de una órtesis de compresión controlada (sujetador de compresión) frente al apósito compresivo clásico, sobre la calidad de vida y otras características que también pueden incidir en esta como el bienestar, la satisfacción estética, la facilidad de uso y el dolor de pacientes intervenidas de cirugía conservadora de cáncer de mama. Método. Estudio prospectivo aleatorizado sobre 198 casos distribuidos en 2 grupos: apósito (n=88) y órtesis (n=99), recogiendo variables relacionadas con la calidad de vida, facilidad de uso, bienestar, satisfacción estética y dolor. Se realizó un estudio comparativo y de la evolución temporal de las variables durante el primer mes postoperatorio utilizándose para la valoración de la calidad de vida el cuestionario de salud general SF-12 cuyo objetivo es evaluar el grado de bienestar y capacidad funcional de las pacientes. Para la valoración del grado de facilidad de uso, bienestar y satisfacción estética se emplearon escalas de Likert. En cuanto a la intensidad del dolor fue valorado con una escala visual-analógica graduada numéricamente (0 a 10). Resultados. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la calidad de vida a favor del uso de la órtesis (p<0,0005). En cuanto a la valoración de la facilidad de uso, bienestar y la satisfacción estética también existen diferencias significativas (p<0,0005) entre los grupos, y en cada uno de los momentos de tiempo del postoperatorio. La intensidad del dolor mejoró también significativamente en el grupo experimental a los 7 (p=0,002) y a los 15 días (p=0,012). Conclusiones. La calidad de vida en el postoperatorio de las pacientes tratadas con órtesis es superior a la de las pacientes tratadas con apósito, mejorando también la facilidad de uso, bienestar, satisfacción estética y la intensidad del dolor, constituyendo por tanto una alternativa válida en la recuperación postoperatoria de las pacientes intervenidas de cirugía conservadora de cáncer de mama

Objectives. To compare the effects of controlled compression orthoses (compression bra) with those of traditional compressive bandage after conservative surgery for breast cancer. The analysed effects focussed on patients’ quality of life, convenience, aesthetic satisfaction, user-friendliness and pain after breast-conserving surgery. Method. A randomised prospective study was carried out in 198 patients distributed in 2 groups: bandage (n=88) and orthoses (n=99). The following variables were collected: quality of life, user-friendliness, convenience, aesthetic satisfaction and pain. This comparative study also analysed the temporal evolution of the variables during the first postoperative month. To assess quality of life, the SF-12 general health questionnaire was used, which aims to evaluate patients’ degree of well-being and functional capacity. To assess the degree of user-friendliness, convenience and aesthetic satisfaction, Likert scales were used. Pain intensity was assessed by using a numerically numbered (0 to 10) visual-analogue scale. Results. Significant differences were found in relation to quality of life favouring the use of orthoses (P<.0005). There were also differences (P<.0005) in the assessment of user-friendliness, convenience and aesthetic satisfaction between the two groups and throughout the postoperative period. Pain intensity also improved significantly in the experiment group after 7 (P=.002) and 15 days (P=.012). Conclusions. Quality of life during the postoperative period was higher among patients treated with orthoses than among those treated with bandages. User-friendliness, convenience, aesthetic satisfaction and pain intensity also improved. Therefore, the use of orthoses is a valid alternative for postoperative recovery in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery

Study of epsilon-caprolactone polymerization by NIR spectroscopy.

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is proposed for the in-line quantitative and kinetic study of the polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and eventually to facilitate real-time control of the manufacturing process. Spectra were acquired with a fibre-optic probe operating in transflectance mode immersed in the reactor. The NIR data acquired were processed using a multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) algorithm. The proposed method allows calculation of the concentration and spectral profiles of the species involved in the reaction. The key point of this method is the lack of reference concentrations needed to perform the MCR-ALS method. The use of an extended spectral matrix using both process and pure analyte spectra solves the rank deficiency. The concentration profiles obtained were used to calculate a kinetic fitting of the reaction, but the method was improved by applying kinetic constraints (hard modelling). The rate constants of batches at different temperatures and the energy of activation for this reaction were calculated. Whenever possible, the hard modelling combined with the MCR-ALS method improves the fit of the experimental data: the results show good correlation between the NIR and reference data and allow the collection of high-quality kinetic information on the reaction (rate constants and energy of activation).

Monitorización y medición de la presión intracraneal / Intracranial pressure monitoring and measurement

Cada día es más frecuente que las enfermeras se encuentren conpacientes con drenajes ventriculares, intraparenquimatosos y subduralespara la medición de la presión intracraneal (PIC) en áreasque no son de vigilancia intensiva o incluso en unidades no especializadasde neurocirugía. Esto hace necesaria una actualizaciónde los conocimientos de los profesionales enfermeros sobre el manejoy control de estos dispositivos.En este artículo se hace una breve revisión de la fisiología de lapresión intracraneal, se describen las características de los distintosdispositivos de medición de la PIC, la técnica adecuada para la medicióny los cuidados de Enfermería necesarios para prestar unaatención integral y de calidad a estos pacientes

It is more and more frequent for nurses to have to care for patientswith ventricular, intraparenchymatous and subduraldrainage lines for the measurement of intracranial pressure in areasthat are not part of the ICU or even in units that are not specialisedin neurosurgery. This makes it necessary to update theknowledge of nursing professionals on the management and controlof these devices.This paper presents a brief review of the physiology of intracranialpressure, describing the characteristics of the different devices forthe measurement of intracranial pressure, the appropriate techniquefor the measurement, and the necessary nursing care toprovide an integral quality care to those patients

Optimization of the separation of a group of triazine herbicides by micellar capillary electrophoresis using experimental design and artificial neural networks.

The micellar electrokinetic chromatography separation of a group of triazine compounds was optimized using a combination of experimental design (ED) and artificial neural network (ANN). Different variables affecting separation were selected and used as input in the ANN. A chromatographic exponential function (CEF) combining resolution and separation time was used as output to obtain optimal separation conditions. An optimized buffer (19.3 mM sodium borate, 15.4 mM disodium hydrogen phosphate, 28.4 mM SDS, pH 9.45, and 7.5% 1-propanol) provides the best separation with regard to resolution and separation time. Besides, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach of the MEKC separation, using the same variables, was developed, and the best capability of the combination of ED-ANN for the optimization of the analytical methodology was demonstrated by comparing the results obtained from both approaches. In order to validate the proposed method, the different analytical parameters as repeatability and day-to-day precision were calculated. Finally, the optimized method was applied to the determination of these compounds in spiked and nonspiked ground water samples.