Belief That Caffeine Ingestion Improves Performance in a 6-Minute Time Trial Test without Affecting Pacing Strategy.

This study aimed to analyze the placebo effect associated with caffeine ingestion on running performance. METHODS: Thirteen recreationally trained males in long-distance running (age: 38.5 ± 11.9 years, 11.0 ± 8.8 years of running experience) performed a 6 min time trial test in each experimental condition (caffeine-informed/placebo ingested (placebo) and non-ingested (control)) separated by 7 days. The total distance covered was measured, and partial times of each 400 m were used to analyze the pacing strategy. Heart rate and kinematic variables were recorded for each split. In addition, the rate of perceived exertion and prevalence of caffeine side effects was measured using questionnaires. RESULTS: Placebo ingestion improved running performance in the 6 min time trial test (1668 ± 139 m placebo vs. 1642 ± 158 m control, t = 2.49; p = 0.03; moderate ES = 0.69), while pacing, heart rate, RPE, and kinematic variables were similar between conditions (p > 0.05 in all cases). Minor side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Beliefs of caffeine ingestion can improve running performance at speeds around maximal aerobic speed in recreationally trained runners without affecting pacing strategy so this "nutritional" strategy could be useful in competition scenarios. As a practical application, recreationally trained runners could improve ≈5 s in 1500 m or mile competitions.

NOM fractionation by HPSEC-DAD-OCD for predicting trihalomethane disinfection by-product formation potential in full-scale drinking water treatment plants.

Chlorination is a common method for water disinfection; however, it leads to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are undesirable toxic pollutants. To prevent their formation, it is crucial to understand the reactivity of natural organic matter (NOM), which is considered a dominant precursor of DBPs. We propose a novel size exclusion chromatography (SEC) approach to evaluate NOM reactivity and the formation potential of total trihalomethanes-formation potentials (tTHMs-FP) and four regulated species (i.e. CHCl3, CHBrCl2, CHBr2Cl, and CHBr3). This method combines enhanced SEC separation with two analytical columns working in tandem and quantification of apparent molecular weight (AMW) NOM fractions using C content (organic carbon detector, OCD), 254-nm spectroscopic (diode-array detector, DAD) measurements, and spectral slopes at low (S206-240) and high (S350-380) wavelengths. Links between THMs-FP and NOM fractions from high performance size exclusion chromatography HPSEC-DAD-OCD were investigated using statistical modelling with multiple linear regressions for samples taken alongside conventional full-scale as well as full- and pilot-scale electrodialysis reversal and bench-scale ion exchange resins. The proposed models revealed promising correlations between the AMW NOM fractions and the THMs-FP. Methodological changes increased fractionated signal correlations relative to bulk regressions, especially in the proposed HPSEC-DAD-OCD method. Furthermore, spectroscopic models based on fractionated signals are presented, providing a promising approach to predict THMs-FP simultaneously considering the effect of the dominant THMs precursors, NOM and Br-.

Screening of microplastics in water and sludge lines of a drinking water treatment plant in Catalonia, Spain.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants detected everywhere in the environment, with the potential to harm living organisms. The present study investigated the concentration, morphology, and composition of MPs, between 20 µm and 5 mm, in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) located close to Barcelona (Catalonia, NE Spain). The sampling included different units of the DWTP, from influent to effluent as well as sludge line. Sampling strategy, filtration, allows sampling of large volumes of water avoiding sample contamination, and during 8 h in order to increase the representativeness of MPs collected. The pre-treatment of the samples consisted of advanced oxidation with Fenton's reagent and hydrogen peroxide, followed by density separation of the particles with zinc chloride solution. Visual identification was performed with an optical and stereoscopic microscope with final Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) confirmation. MPs were found in all DWTP samples, with concentrations from 4.23 ± 1.26 MPs/L to 0.075 ± 0.019 MPs/L in the influent and effluent of the plant, respectively. The overall removal efficiency of the plant was 98.3%. The most dominant morphology was fibers followed by fragments and films. Twenty-two different polymer types were identified and synthetic cellulose, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyacrylonitrile were the most common. Although MPs could be incorporated from the distribution network, MPs intake from drinking water from this DWTP was not an important route compared to fish and seafood ingestion.

[Management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonian old people's homes]. / La gestión de la pandemia de COVID-19 en las residencias geriátricas de Cataluña.

The covid-19 pandemic has exposed the deficiencies in the provision of social and health services, especially in nursing homes in Catalonia. This fact has triggered the debate on the residential model that Catalonia needs for the 21st century has begun.The objective of this article is to describe the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, during the five epidemic waves that affected the nursing homes of Catalonia, from an initial stage of absolute lack of control, to a final stage of pandemic control thanks to the rapid vaccination rate against COVID-19 in this área.

Benchmarking empirical models for THMs formation in drinking water systems: An application for decision support in Barcelona, Spain.

Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) face changes in raw water quality, which affect the formation of disinfection by-products. Several empirical modelling approaches have been reported in the literature, but most of them have been developed with lab-scale data, which may not be representative of real water systems. Therefore, the application of these models for real-time operation of DWTPs might be limited. At the present study, multiple linear regression (MLR) and multi-layer perceptrons (MLP) were benchmarked using field-scale data for predicting the THMs formation in a case-study DWTP in Barcelona, Spain. After fitting the studied models, MLR exhibited good fit with the validation data set (R2 = 0.88 and MAE = 4.0 µg·L-1) and described the most plausible input-output relationships with field-scale data. The MLR predictive model was incorporated into an environmental decision support system (EDSS) for assessing the THMs formation at two critical points of the distribution network. A Monte Carlo scheme was applied for quantifying uncertainty of model predictions at these points, considering low and high water quality scenarios and different degrees of treatment by an electrodialysis reversal process. The results show that the use of the proposed EDSS can help in real operation of complex drinking water systems, which face important changes in water quality throughout the year.

Assessment of dead-end ultrafiltration for the detection and quantification of microbial indicators and pathogens in the drinking water treatment processes.

A safe water supply requires distinct treatments and monitoring to guarantee the absence of pathogens and substances potentially hazardous for human health. In this study we assessed the efficiency of the dead-end ultrafiltration (DEUF) method to concentrate faecal indicator organisms (FIO) and pathogens in water samples with different physicochemical characteristics. Water samples were collected at the treatment stages of two drinking water treatment plants to analyse the concentration of a variety of 7 FIO and 4 reference microbes which have some species that are pathogenic to humans: Campylobacter spp., enteroviruses, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. The samples were analysed before and after concentration by DEUF, detecting FIO concentrations about 1 log10 higher in non-concentrated samples from both catchments. Percent recoveries were highly variable with a mean of 43.8 ± 17.5%, depending on the FIO and inherent sample characteristics. However, DEUF enabled FIO concentration in high volumes of water (100-500 l), allowing a reduction in the detection limit compared to the non-concentrated samples due to the high volume processing capabilities of the method. As a consequence, the detection of FIO removal from water in the drinking water treatment process was 1.0-1.5 logarithms greater in DEUF-treated water compared to unfiltered samples. The DEUF method improved the detection of target indicators and allowed for the detection of pathogens in low concentrations in water after the treatment stages, confirming the suitability of DEUF to concentrate high volumes of different types of water. This method could be useful for microbial analysis in water treatment monitoring and risk assessment, allowing the identification of critical points during the water treatment process and potential hazards in water destined for several uses.

Implementation of an environmental decision support system for controlling the pre-oxidation step at a full-scale drinking water treatment plant.

Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) face changes in raw water quality, and treatment needs to be adjusted to produce the best water quality at the minimum environmental cost. An environmental decision support system (EDSS) was developed for aiding DWTP operators in choosing the adequate permanganate dosing rate in the pre-oxidation step. To this end, multiple linear regression (MLR) and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) models are compared for choosing the best predictive model. Besides, a case-based reasoning (CBR) model was approached to provide the user with a distribution of solutions given similar operating conditions in the past. The predictive model consisted of an MLP and has been validated against historical data with sufficient good accuracy for the utility needs (R2 = 0.76 and RSE = 0.13 mg·L-1). The integration of the predictive and the CBR models in an EDSS gives the user an augmented decision-making capacity of the process and has great potential for both assisting experienced users and for training new personnel in deciding the operational set-point of the process.

Utilidad del índice de Mannheim en pacientes con peritonitis difusa. 2012 -2014 / Usefulness of the Mannheim index in patients with diffuse peritonitis. 2012 -2014

Evaluar la viabilidad y utilidad del uso del índice de Mannheim en pacientes con peritonitis difusa como predictor de mortalidad en el Servicio de Cirugía General del Hospital Dr. Luis Razetti de Barinas, Venezuela. Métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal, enmarcado en una investigación epidemiológica de campo no experimental, del 01 de enero 2012 hasta 30 junio 2014. Resultados: Se incluyeron 156 pacientes, 88 hombres (56,4 %) y 68 mujeres (43,6 %), con una edad promedio de 49,44 años. Índice de Mannheim promedio de 27,21 puntos. Mortalidad general de 22,4 % (35 fallecidos). Setenta y cuatro pacientes con puntaje menor de 26 y mortalidad específica de 1,35 %, 82 pacientes con puntaje mayor de 26 y mortalidad específica de 41,46 %. La falla orgánica estuvo en el 41,7% de los casos y en el 100 % de los fallecidos. Estancia hospitalaria promedio de 6,45 días. Sensibilidad del índice de Mannheim del 97,14 % y especificidad del 60,33 % como predictor de mortalidad. Conclusiones: el índice de peritonitis de Mannheim constituye una herramienta útil, reproducible y de fácil aplicación por el cirujano para el pronóstico de mortalidad en pacientes con peritonitis del Hospital Dr. Luis Razetti de Barinas, los pacientes con índice igual o mayor de 26 puntos presentan un peor pronóstico y mayor mortalidad, por lo que deben ir a sala de cuidados intermedios o críticos, aplicando y ajustando un adecuado manejo y tratamiento(AU)

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of the use of the Mannheimen index in patients with diffuse peritonitis as a predictor of mortality in the General Surgery Service of the Dr. Luis Razetti Hospital in Barinas, Venezuela. Method: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study, framed in a non-experimental field epidemiological investigation, from January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014. Results: A total of 156 patients, 88 men (56.4 %) and 68 women (43.6 %), with an average age of 49.44 years. Average Mannheim index of 27.21 points. Overall mortality of 22.4 % (35 deaths). 74 patients with a score below 26 and specific mortality of 1.35 %, 82 patients with a score greater than 26 and a specific mortality of 41.46 %. Organic failure was in 41.7% of cases and 100 % of those killed. Hospital stay of 6.45 days on average. The study favors the Mannheim index as a predictor of mortality with a sensitivity of 97.14 %, and a specificity of 60.33 %. Conclusion: the Mannheim peritonitis index is a useful, reproducible and easily applied tool by the surgeon for the prognosis of mortality in patients with peritonitis, patients with an index equal to or greater than 26 points have a worse prognosis and higher mortality. what should go to the intermediate or critical care room, applying and adjusting proper management and treatment(AU)

Los boticarios de Cataluña entre los siglos XIII-XVIII. Una visión socioeconómica y de salud pública / The Apothecaries of Catalonia between the XIII-XVIII centuries. A socio-economic and public health vision

Introducción: Este estudio intenta dar una visión global del quehacer profesional y de la relevancia económica, política, social y de salud pública de los boticarios de Cataluña, desde su constitución, en el siglo XIII, hasta su extinción, a finales del siglo XVIII. Previamente es necesario hacer referencia al contexto histórico, al desarrollo de la salud pública durante el periodo de estudio y al origen de la profesión de boticario. Objetivo: Exponer la evolución de los boticarios en Cataluña durante el periodo de estudio. Métodos: Revisión bibliográfica, sobre la evolución de los boticarios en Cataluña, así como sobre el desarrollo de la salud pública y el contexto histórico durante el periodo de estudio. Resultados: El desarrollo de la profesión de boticario en Cataluña se puede dividir en tres etapas bien diferenciadas: el nacimiento de la profesión (siglos XIII-XV), la consolidación de la profesión (siglos XVI- XVII) y la decadencia de la profesión (siglo XVIII)

Introduction: This study tries to give a global vision of the professional task and of the economic, political, social and public health relevance of the Apothecaries of Catalonia, from its constitution, in the XIII century, until its extinction, at the end of the XVIII century. Previously it is necessary to refer to the historical context, the development of public health during the period of study and the origin of the apothecary profession. Objective: To present the evolution of apothecaries in Catalonia during the study period. Methods: Bibliographic review on the evolution of apothecaries in Catalonia, as well as on the development of public health and the historical context during the study period. Results: The development of the apothecary profession in Catalonia can be divided into three distinct stages: the birth of the profession (XIII-XV centuries), the consolidation of the profession (XVI-XVII centuries) and the decline of the profession (XVIII century)

Chemical characterization and relative toxicity assessment of disinfection byproduct mixtures in a large drinking water supply network.

In order to reduce the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during potabilization of water it is necessary to explore the potential of the source water and the applied treatment to generate these chemicals. This is actually more challenging in large drinking water networks that use different source waters to satisfy drinking water demand. In this regard, this work investigated the formation of DBPs in water matrices that are commonly supplied to the city of Barcelona and its metropolitan area. The regulated trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids were the most abundant DBP classes in these waters, followed by haloacetamides and haloacetonitriles or trihalogenated acetaldehydes (THALs). On the contrary, the formation potential of iodo-DBPs was minor. Mixing of drinking water treatment plant finished waters with desalinated water decreased the overall DBP formation potential of the water but resulted in the increased formation of brominated DBPs after long chlorine contact time. The formation of most DBPs was enhanced at high water temperatures (except for Br-THALs) and increasing residence times. Potential cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the DBP mixtures were mainly attributed to the presence of nitrogen-containing DBPs and HAAs.

Recomendaciones sobre el diagnóstico y manejo de la enfermedad pleural y pulmonar por asbesto / Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Asbestos-Related Pleural and Pulmonary Disease

Asbesto, también conocido en España como amianto, es el término utilizado para nombrar a un conjunto de silicatos minerales que suelen romperse en fibras. Su uso ha comportado la aparición de numerosas enfermedades, especialmente pleuropulmonares, todas ellas caracterizadas por su prolongada latencia. El asbesto es, además, un carcinógeno del grupo IA reconocido por la OMS desde 1987. En España está prohibido desde 2002. La publicación en 2013 de la 3.a edición del protocolo de vigilancia sanitaria específica del amianto junto con la aparición de nuevas técnicas diagnósticas han motivado al grupo EROM de SEPAR a promover la elaboración de esta normativa que revisa aspectos clínicos, radiológicos y funcionales de las diferentes enfermedades relacionadas. También establece recomendaciones para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de los pacientes expuestos. Dichas recomendaciones han sido establecidas mediante sistema GRADE (AU)

Asbestos is the term used for a set of mineral silicates that tend to break up into fibers. Its use has been associated with numerous diseases affecting the lung and pleura in particular, all of which are characterized by their long period of latency. Asbestos, moreover, has been recognized by the WHO as a Group IA carcinogen since 1987 and its use was banned in Spain in 2002. The publication in 2013 of the 3rd edition of the specific asbestos health monitoring protocol, together with the development of new diagnostic techniques, prompted the SEPAR EROM group to sponsor publication of guidelines, which review the clinical, radiological and functional aspects of the different asbestos-related diseases. Recommendations have also been made for the diagnosis and follow-up of exposed patients. These recommendations were drawn up in accordance with the GRADE classification system (AU)

Seasonal variability in clinical care of COPD outpatients: results from the Andalusian COPD audit.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical practice in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be influenced by weather variability throughout the year. To explore the hypothesis of seasonal variability in clinical practice, the present study analyzes the results of the 2013-2014 Andalusian COPD audit with regard to changes in clinical practice according to the different seasons. METHODS: The Andalusian COPD audit was a pilot clinical project conducted from October 2013 to September 2014 in outpatient respiratory clinics of hospitals in Andalusia, Spain (8 provinces with more than 8 million inhabitants) with retrospective data gathering. For the present analysis, astronomical seasons in the Northern Hemisphere were used as reference. Bivariate associations between the different COPD guidelines and the clinical practice changes over the seasons were explored by using binomial multivariate logistic regression analysis with age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, type of hospital, and COPD severity by forced expiratory volume in 1 second as covariates, and were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The Andalusian COPD audit included 621 clinical records from 9 hospitals. After adjusting for covariates, only inhaler device satisfaction evaluation was found to significantly differ according to the seasons with an increase in winter (OR, 3.460; 95% CI, 1.469-8.151), spring (OR, 4.215; 95% CI, 1.814-9.793), and summer (OR, 3.371; 95% CI, 1.391-8.169) compared to that in autumn. The rest of the observed differences were not significant after adjusting for covariates. However, compliance with evaluating inhaler satisfaction was low. CONCLUSION: The various aspects of clinical practice for COPD care were found to be quite homogeneous throughout the year for the variables evaluated. Inhaler satisfaction evaluation, however, presented some significant variation during the year. Inhaler device satisfaction should be evaluated during all clinical visits throughout the year for improved COPD management.

Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Asbestos-Related Pleural and Pulmonary Disease. / Recomendaciones sobre el diagnóstico y manejo de la enfermedad pleural y pulmonar por asbesto.

Asbestos is the term used for a set of mineral silicates that tend to break up into fibers. Its use has been associated with numerous diseases affecting the lung and pleura in particular, all of which are characterized by their long period of latency. Asbestos, moreover, has been recognized by the WHO as a Group IA carcinogen since 1987 and its use was banned in Spain in 2002. The publication in 2013 of the 3rd edition of the specific asbestos health monitoring protocol, together with the development of new diagnostic techniques, prompted the SEPAR EROM group to sponsor publication of guidelines, which review the clinical, radiological and functional aspects of the different asbestos-related diseases. Recommendations have also been made for the diagnosis and follow-up of exposed patients. These recommendations were drawn up in accordance with the GRADE classification system.

Determinants for changing the treatment of COPD: a regression analysis from a clinical audit.

INTRODUCTION: This study is an analysis of a pilot COPD clinical audit that evaluated adherence to guidelines for patients with COPD in a stable disease phase during a routine visit in specialized secondary care outpatient clinics in order to identify the variables associated with the decision to step-up or step-down pharmacological treatment. METHODS: This study was a pilot clinical audit performed at hospital outpatient respiratory clinics in the region of Andalusia, Spain (eight provinces with over eight million inhabitants), in which 20% of centers in the area (catchment population 3,143,086 inhabitants) were invited to participate. Treatment changes were evaluated in terms of the number of prescribed medications and were classified as step-up, step-down, or no change. Three backward stepwise binominal multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate variables associated with stepping up, stepping down, and inhaled corticosteroids discontinuation. RESULTS: The present analysis evaluated 565 clinical records (91%) of the complete audit. Of those records, 366 (64.8%) cases saw no change in pharmacological treatment, while 99 patients (17.5%) had an increase in the number of drugs, 55 (9.7%) had a decrease in the number of drugs, and 45 (8.0%) noted a change to other medication for a similar therapeutic scheme. Exacerbations were the main factor in stepping up treatment, as were the symptoms themselves. In contrast, rather than symptoms, doctors used forced expiratory volume in 1 second and previous treatment with long-term antibiotics or inhaled corticosteroids as the key determinants to stepping down treatment. CONCLUSION: The majority of doctors did not change the prescription. When changes were made, a number of related factors were noted. Future trials must evaluate whether these therapeutic changes impact clinically relevant outcomes at follow-up.

Guideline Adherence in Outpatient Clinics for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from a Clinical Audit.

OBJECTIVES: Previous clinical audits of COPD have provided relevant information about medical intervention in exacerbation admissions. The present study aims to evaluate adherence to current guidelines in COPD through a clinical audit. METHODS: This is a pilot clinical audit performed in hospital outpatient respiratory clinics in Andalusia, Spain (eight provinces with more than 8 million inhabitants), including 9 centers (20% of the public centers in the area) between 2013 and 2014. Cases with an established diagnosis of COPD based on risk factors, clinical symptoms, and a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 0.70 were deemed eligible. The performance of the outpatient clinics was benchmarked against three guidance documents available at the time of the audit. The appropriateness of the performance was categorized as excellent (>80%), good (60-80%), adequate (40-59%), inadequate (20-39%), and highly inadequate (<20%). RESULTS: During the audit, 621 clinical records were audited. Adherence to the different guidelines presented a considerable variability among the different participating hospitals, with an excellent or good adherence for symptom recording, MRC or CAT use, smoking status evaluation, spirometry, or bronchodilation therapy. The most outstanding areas for improvement were the use of the BODE index, the monitoring of treatments, the determination of alpha1-antitrypsin, the performance of exercise testing, and vaccination recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The present study reflects the situation of clinical care for COPD patients in specialized secondary care outpatient clinics. Adherence to clinical guidelines shows considerable variability in outpatient clinics managing COPD patients, and some aspects of the clinical care can clearly be improved.

Clinical Audits in Outpatient Clinics for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Methodological Considerations and Workflow.

OBJECTIVES: Previous clinical audits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have provided valuable information on the clinical care delivered to patients admitted to medical wards because of COPD exacerbations. However, clinical audits of COPD in an outpatient setting are scarce and no methodological guidelines are currently available. Based on our previous experience, herein we describe a clinical audit for COPD patients in specialized outpatient clinics with the overall goal of establishing a potential methodological workflow. METHODS: A pilot clinical audit of COPD patients referred to respiratory outpatient clinics in the region of Andalusia, Spain (over 8 million inhabitants), was performed. The audit took place between October 2013 and September 2014, and 10 centers (20% of all public hospitals) were invited to participate. Cases with an established diagnosis of COPD based on risk factors, clinical symptoms, and a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 0.70 were deemed eligible. The usefulness of formally scheduled regular follow-up visits was assessed. Two different databases (resources and clinical database) were constructed. Assessments were planned over a year divided by 4 three-month periods, with the goal of determining seasonal-related changes. Exacerbations and survival served as the main endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: This paper describes a methodological framework for conducting a clinical audit of COPD patients in an outpatient setting. Results from such audits can guide health information systems development and implementation in real-world settings.

Estudio de la incidencia de listeriosis en España / Incidence study of listeriosis in Spain

Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo, basado en la información documental disponible, sobre los casos de listeriosis ocurridos en España en 2001-2007, con el objetivo de conocer la carga y la evolución de esta enfermedad en nuestro país. Partiendo de diversas fuentes informativas, en total se recogió la información epidemiológica de 1242 casos de listeriosis, lo que supone una tasa de incidencia media de 0,56 casos por 100.000 habitantes y año, que consideramos el valor estimado global para España. La incidencia ha mostrado una tendencia anual ascendente estadísticamente significativa (p <0,001), y ha sido muy superior a la notificada en España (0,16) mediante el Sistema de Información Microbiológica, de carácter voluntario, lo que evidencia la infradeclaración existente. La inclusión de la listeriosis en el Sistema de Enfermedades de Declaración Obligatoria permitiría dimensionar su presencia, así como conocer las características de la afectación humana y mejorar su prevención y control (AU)

We performed a descriptive retrospective study of cases of listeriosis occurring in Spain from 2001 to 2007 to determine the burden and trend of this disease in our setting. Several sources of information were used. Epidemiological information was collected from 1.242 cases of listeriosis, representing a mean incidence rate of 0,56 cases per 100.000 inhabitants per year, which was extrapolated as an overall estimate for Spain. The annual incidence showed a statistically significant increasing trend (p <0,001) over the study period. This figure was higher than that reported in Spain (0,16) by the Microbiological Information System, which is voluntary, showing that underreporting exists. The inclusion of listeriosis in the Mandatory Notification System would allow determination of the distribution and characteristics of this infection in humans, as well as promotion of effective prevention and control (AU)

[Incidence study of listeriosis in Spain]. / Estudio de la incidencia de listeriosis en España.

We performed a descriptive retrospective study of cases of listeriosis occurring in Spain from 2001 to 2007 to determine the burden and trend of this disease in our setting. Several sources of information were used. Epidemiological information was collected from 1.242 cases of listeriosis, representing a mean incidence rate of 0,56 cases per 100.000 inhabitants per year, which was extrapolated as an overall estimate for Spain. The annual incidence showed a statistically significant increasing trend (p <0,001) over the study period. This figure was higher than that reported in Spain (0,16) by the Microbiological Information System, which is voluntary, showing that underreporting exists. The inclusion of listeriosis in the Mandatory Notification System would allow determination of the distribution and characteristics of this infection in humans, as well as promotion of effective prevention and control.

Medicación prehospitalaria sin diagnóstico en los pacientes intervenidos por apendicitis aguda y suimpacto en la evolución hacia peritonitis / Prehospital medication without diagnosis in patients underwent to acute appendicitis and its impact on the evolution to peritonitis

Objetivo: Determinar el volumen de pacientes medicados previo a su ingreso a nuestro centro asistencial sin haberse establecido el diagnóstico de apendicitis aguda y su impacto en la evolución hacia peritonitis. Servicio de Cirugía del Hospital "Dr. Luis Razetti" de Barinas, 2014-2015.Métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo Resultados: Un total de 506 pacientes, edad promedio 27,4años, masculinos 51,4%, tiempo promedio desde inicio de los síntomas hasta ingreso 21,29 horas y hasta la cirugía 30,8 horas.55,5% recibió atención médica previa al ingreso sin diagnóstico,49,6% en un centro de salud, 31,8% por médicos, 13% analgésicos no esteroideos, 12,6% antiespasmódicos, 9,9% analgésicos esteroideos, 7,1% analgésicos más antiespasmódicos. En el 33,1% delos casos se encontró algún grado de peritonitis. Conclusión: La medicación de los dolores abdominales sin diagnóstico retrasa el mismo y se refleja en un tratamiento quirúrgico tardío con incremento de la morbimortalidad y estadía hospitalaria(AU)

Objective: To determine the volume of medicated patients priorto joining our medical center without the diagnosis of acuteappendicitis and its impact have been established in the evolution towards peritonitis. Surgery Department of Hospital "Dr. Luis Razetti" Barinas, 2014-2015 Methods: Descriptive observational studyResults: A total of 506 patients, average age 27.4 years, 51.4% male, average time from on set of symptoms to admission 21.29 hours and up to 30.8 hours of surgery. 55.5% received medical attention un diagnosed before admission, 49.6% in a health center,31.8% of physicians, 13% nonsteroidal analgesics, antispasmodics 12.6 %, 9.9% steroidal analgesics 7, up 1% antispasmodic analgesics. In 33.1% of cases some degree of peritonitis was found. Conclusion: Medication undiagnosed abdominal pains and delays the same is reflected in a late surgical treatment with increased morbidity and hospital stay(AU)

Las funciones desempeñadas por los farmacéuticos titulares en la provincia de Valencia en 1954 / Functions of the municipal pharmacists in the province of Valencia (Spain) in 1954

Objetivos: Dar a conocer la organización y las funciones realizadas por los Farmacéuticos Titulares de la provincia de Valencia en el año 1954 en un contexto de importantes deficiencias sanitarias y mostrar al mismo tiempo las potencialidades de su labor en la mejora de la sanidad rural. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo realizado a partir de las Memorias del Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Valencia de 1954. Para el estudio descriptivo básico se ha utilizado el paquete estadístico SPSS. Resultados: La provincia de Valencia en 1954 contaba con 116 partidos farmacéuticos y 128 farmacéuticos titulares, de los cuales el 9,4% son mujeres. Las deficiencias sanitarias más destacadas son la falta de alcantarillado (78,4%), de pavimentación de las calles (70,7%) y de distribución suficiente de agua potable (60,3%). Se realizaron un total de 4.995 inspecciones a diversos tipos de establecimientos, 550 desinfecciones, 19.939 análisis clínicos y químicos, 1.848 análisis bromatológicos y 6.312 análisis de la beneficencia. Conclusiones: La intensa labor realizada por los farmacéuticos titulares evidencia el importante potencial en la mejora de la salud pública española. Desgraciadamente con el paso de los años los farmacéuticos titulares tuvieron un papel marginal en la sanidad rural (AU)

Aim: To present the organization and the functions performed by municipal pharmacists in the province of Valencia in 1954 in the context of important health deficiencies and simultaneously to show the potential of their work in improving rural health. Methods: This is a retrospective study carried out from the Memories of the College of Pharmacists of Valencia, 1954. For basic descriptive study has been used the statistical program SPSS. Results: The province of Valencia in 1954 had 116 pharmaceutical areas and 128 municipal pharmacists, of which 9.4% are women. The most significant health deficiencies are: sewage (78.4%),paved street (70.7%) and distribution of drinking water (60.3%). A total of 4,995 inspections of various types of establishments, 55 disinfections, 19,939 clinical and chemical analysis, 1,848 bromatological analysis and 6,312 analysis of the beneficence. Conclusions: The extensive work undertaken by municipal pharmacists evidence the significant potential in improving Spanish public health. Unfortunately over the years the municipal pharmacists had a marginal role in rural health (AU)