Utilidad del análisis modal de fallos y efectos para la detección de errores en el transporte de muestras al laboratorio clínico / Modal failure analysis and effects in the detection of errors in the transport of samples to the clinical laboratory

Objetivo. Debido a un descenso en la concentración del parámetro bioquímico glucosa en algunas muestras procedentes de los centros externos de extracción y el riesgo para la seguridad del paciente que supone, se decidió aplicar una adaptación de la herramienta «Análisis Modal de Fallos y Efectos Aplicada a los Servicios de Salud» (HFMEA) para la gestión del riesgo en la fase preanalítica del transporte de muestras desde centros externos al laboratorio clínico. Material y métodos. Estudio retrospectivo de los valores del parámetro bioquímico glucosa, durante 2 meses consecutivos. Análisis en sus diferentes fases: identificación del problema, formación de equipo, descripción gráfica del proceso, análisis de riesgos, diseño de la intervención e indicadores y responsables para la implementación. Resultados. Los resultados del parámetro glucosa en una de las rutas de transporte fueron significativamente inferiores (p = 0,006). Se analizaron los fallos y las causas potenciales de este problema. Se aplicaron criterios de criticidad y detectabilidad (puntuación ≥ 8) en el árbol de decisión y se decidió intervenir en: el desarrollo del sistema gestor documental, la reorganización de las extracciones en algunos centros y rutas de transporte, los acumuladores de frío de los contenedores de muestra, y el control de tiempos y temperaturas de transporte. Conclusiones. Para la etapa preanalítica, se proponen indicadores de calidad para el control de tiempo y temperatura de las muestras transportadas. La revisión periódica de determinados parámetros analíticos puede ayudar a detectar problemas en el transporte de muestras. La técnica HFMEA es de gran utilidad para el laboratorio clínico (AU)

Objective. Owing to the decrease in values of biochemical glucose parameter in some samples from external extraction centres, and the risk this implies to patient safety; it was decided to apply an adaptation of the «Health Services Failure Mode and Effects Analysis» (HFMEA) to manage risk during the pre-analytical phase of sample transportation from external centres to clinical laboratories. Materials and methods. A retrospective study of glucose parameter was conducted during two consecutive months. The analysis was performed in its different phases: to define the HFMEA topic, assemble the team, graphically describe the process, conduct a hazard analysis, design the intervention and indicators, and identify a person to be responsible for ensuring completion of each action. Results. The results of glucose parameter in one of the transport routes, were significantly lower (P = .006). The errors and potential causes of this problem were analysed, and criteria of criticality and detectability were applied (score ≥ 8) in the decision tree. It was decided to: develop a document management system; reorganise extractions and transport routes in some centres; quality control of the sample container ice-packs, and the time and temperature during transportation. Conclusions. This work proposes quality indicators for controlling time and temperature of transported samples in the pre-analytical phase. Periodic review of certain laboratory parameters can help to detect problems in transporting samples. The HFMEA technique is useful for the clinical laboratory (AU)

[Modal failure analysis and effects in the detection of errors in the transport of samples to the clinical laboratory]. / Utilidad del análisis modal de fallos y efectos para la detección de errores en el transporte de muestras al laboratorio clínico.

OBJECTIVE: Owing to the decrease in values of biochemical glucose parameter in some samples from external extraction centres, and the risk this implies to patient safety; it was decided to apply an adaptation of the «Health Services Failure Mode and Effects Analysis¼ (HFMEA) to manage risk during the pre-analytical phase of sample transportation from external centres to clinical laboratories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of glucose parameter was conducted during two consecutive months. The analysis was performed in its different phases: to define the HFMEA topic, assemble the team, graphically describe the process, conduct a hazard analysis, design the intervention and indicators, and identify a person to be responsible for ensuring completion of each action. RESULTS: The results of glucose parameter in one of the transport routes, were significantly lower (P=.006). The errors and potential causes of this problem were analysed, and criteria of criticality and detectability were applied (score≥8) in the decision tree. It was decided to: develop a document management system; reorganise extractions and transport routes in some centres; quality control of the sample container ice-packs, and the time and temperature during transportation. CONCLUSIONS: This work proposes quality indicators for controlling time and temperature of transported samples in the pre-analytical phase. Periodic review of certain laboratory parameters can help to detect problems in transporting samples. The HFMEA technique is useful for the clinical laboratory.

Diferencias en las presiones del canal anal y la sensibilidad rectal en pacientes con incontinencia anal, estreñimiento crónico y sujetos sanos / No disponible

Introducción: Existe gran variabilidad en los hallazgos manométricos entre pacientes con incontinencia anal (IA) y sujetos sanos. La correlación entre las presiones del canal anal y la IA no es exacta por el amplio rango de valores normales. Objetivos: Estudio prospectivo para evaluar diferencias en las presiones del canal anal y en la sensibilidad rectal en pacientes con IA, estreñimiento crónico (EC) y sujetos sanos. Material y métodos: Noventa y cuatro pacientes con IA, 36 pacientes con EC y 15 sujetos sanos. Se obtuvieron: edad, sexo, presión de reposo, longitud del canal anal (LCA), presión de máxima contracción voluntaria (PMCV), duración de la contracción voluntaria, primera sensación, sensación de urgencia y máximo volumen tolerado (MVT). Estudio estadístico: test de Kruskal-Wallis, test de Mann-Whitney, regresión logística multinomial. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la edad (p < 0,001), la presión de reposo (p < 0,001), la LCA (p < 0,001) y la PMCV (p < 0,01) en el grupo de IA con respecto a los otros dos grupos. El volumen para la primera sensación fue significativamente más bajo en los sujetos sanos que en los otros dos grupos (p < 0,05). El volumen de urgencia y el MVT fueron menores en el grupo con IA con respecto a los otros dos grupos (p < 0,001). En el análisis multivariante la edad, la presión de reposo y el volumen de la primera sensación y de la urgencia aumentan el riesgo relativo de IA. Conclusiones: La mayor edad, la disminución presión basal del canal anal y la alteración del umbral sensorial rectal aumentan el riesgo de IA(AU)

Introduction: There exist a great variability in the manometric findings between patients with anal incontinence (AI) and healthy subjects. The correlation between the pressures of the anal canal and the AI is not exact by the wide rank of normal values. Objectives: Prospective study to evaluate differences in the pressures of the anal canal and in rectal sensitivity in patients with AI, chronic constipation (CC) and healthy subjects. Material and methods: Ninety four patients with AI, 36 patients with CC and 15 healthy subjects were included. The following data were obtained: age, sex, resting pressure, anal canal length (ACL), squeeze maximum pressure (SMP), squeeze pressure duration (SPD), first sensation, urge and maximum tolerated volume (MTV). Statistical study: test of Kruskal-Wallis, test of Mann-Whitney, and multinomial logistic regression test. Results: There were significant differences in the resting pressure (p < 0.001), the ACL (p < 0.001) and the SMP (p < 0.01) in the group of AI with respect to the other two groups. The volume for the first sensation was significantly lower in the healthy subjects than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05). The urge volume and the MVT were smaller in the group with AI with respect to the other groups (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis the age, the resting pressure and the volume for the first sensation and urge increase the relative risk for AI. Conclusions: The greater age, the decrease in anal canal resting pressure and the alteration of rectal sensation increase the risk for AI(AU)

Differences in the pressures of canal anal and rectal sensitivity in patients with fecal incontinence, chronic constipation and healthy subjects.

INTRODUCTION: There exists a great variability in the manometric findings between patients with anal incontinence (AI) and healthy subjects. The correlation between the pressures of the anal canal and the AI is not exact by the wide rank of normal values. OBJECTIVES: Prospective study to evaluate differences in the pressures of the anal canal and in rectal sensitivity in patients with AI, chronic constipation (CC) and healthy subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety four patients with AI, 36 patients with CC and 15 healthy subjects were included. The following data were obtained: age, sex, resting pressure, anal canal length (ACL), squeeze maximum pressure (SMP), squeeze pressure duration (SPD), first sensation, urge and maximum tolerated volume (MTV). Statistical study: test of Kruskal-Wallis, test of Mann-Whitney, and multinomial logistic regression test. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the resting pressure (p < 0.001), the ACL (p < 0.001) and the SMP (p < 0.01) in the group of AI with respect to the other two groups. The volume for the first sensation was significantly lower in the healthy subjects than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05). The urge volume and the MVT were smaller in the group with AI with respect to the other groups (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis the age, the resting pressure and the volume for the first sensation and urge increase the relative risk for AI. CONCLUSIONS: The greater age, the decrease in anal canal resting pressure and the alteration of rectal sensation increase the risk for AI.

Importancia de las mutaciones del NOD2/CARD15 en la enfermedad de Crohn / Importance of NOD2/CARD15 mutations in Crohn´s disease

No disponible

[Physicians today]. / Algunas consideraciones sobre el médico actual.

The last few years have witnessed radical changes in medical practices due to scientific and technological developments, the population's demands, the evolution of the economy, the optimisation of resources, the Media, not forgetting the major ethical, legal and political aspects, which have changed considerably in just a few years. Basic training, specialised training and ongoing training must allow doctors to assume many of these changes, although in general in should be they who are willing to put such changes into practice. Education and training should be modified to make it easier and faster to assume these changes. Medicine is no longer what it used to be: instead of being limited, knowledge is now boundless, instead of working alone, doctors now work in teams, instead of only the doctor having the information, patients now have it too. There has been a move from the ethics of welfare to the ethics Of autonomy, from problem-free spending to cost containment, from the demand for relief to the demand for treatment and healing, from a call for health to a call for quality of health, from non-judicialisation, and so on and so forth. All these factors have clearly affected the structure of medicine, and it is not surprising that nowadays there is more talk about the prestige of medicine that the prestige of the doctor, as occurred not so many years ago. There is really no substitute for individual attitudes to this situation. The article contains certain considerations about how current changes are affecting doctor's attitudes and the need not only to accept the change but also to lead it. The competitive doctor of today must meet a broad spectrum of requirements, ranging from initiative and flexibility to technological know-how-and capacity. Nowadays society is moving towards a situation in which it not only demands and expects these conditions from its leaders but also from all doctors. Patients have an increasingly higher level of education and, as such, are becoming more demanding because they have tools with which to compare and demand more from doctors.

[Addition of ritanserin to the treatment with propranolol in cirrhotic patients: effects on portal pressure]. / Adición de ritanserina al tratamiento con propranolol en enfermos cirróticos: efectos sobre la presión portal.

The use of vasodilators to prevent the rupture of esophagic varices (EV) due to portal hypertension (PH) would reduce the portal pressure (PP) as the result of increased portocolateral flow. Rinsaterine, a 5-HT2 receptor blocker, reduces PP in experimental models of PH. This pilot study was designed to verify if ritanserine has a sustained and additive effect to propranolol on PP in cirrhotic patients with PH. Ten chronic patients with EV, under prophylactic therapy with propranolol and with a suprahepatic venous pressure gradient (SVPG) > 12 mm Hg, received ritanserine (0.11-0.14 mg/kg/day). One patients completed one month of treatment due to drug intolerance. Nine patients completed one month of treatment; SVPG did not show any significant variation in four patients and decreased 3 mm Hg in five patients, which were treated during 70 days more. After then, HVPG returned to its previous values except in one patient. The long-term association between ritanserine and propranolol does not improve the results of propranolol. However, the initial response observed in all of these patients supports the role of the serotoninergic system in the PH and states the need for further studies on 5-HT2 blocking for the prophylaxis of EV rupture.