La ley de salud mental en Inglaterra / The mental health act in England

Introduction: People can become extremely vulnerable during episodes of severe mental ill health. Their ability to protect themselves can become impaired. They can also pose significant risks to the safety of others through their erratic or hostile behaviour. It could be actually argued that it is precisely during a mental health crisis when explicit legal safeguards are of critical importance for the protection of people's rights, including their dignity and autonomy. Method: An outline is provided of how the Mental Health Act operates in England, with particular reference to involuntary admissions to hospital as well as the right of appeal through the Mental Health Review Tribunal. Results: The roles of medical professionals, Approved Mental Health Professionals, the Nearest Relative as well as the type of evidence that professionals must submit to the Mental Health Review Tribunal and how this evidence is challenged are discussed. Conclusions: The independent legal review of the involuntary detention of a person in hospital is discussed both regarding the protection of human rights it provides as well as in terms of its impact on promoting higher standards of care.

Introducción: Las personas afectadas de un episodio severo de enfermedad mental pueden encontrarse en un estado de alta vulnerabilidad, incluyendo el ser incapaces de protegerse. Durante estos episodios, dichas personas pueden también suponer un riesgo significativo para otros debido, por ejemplo, a una conducta errática u hostil. En este artículo se arguye que es durante estos períodos de crisis cuando se requiere de disposiciones legales explícitas que protejan los derechos, la dignidad, y la autonomía de dichas personas. Métodos: Se provee de un resumen de cómo funciona la Ley de Salud Mental en Inglaterra, con particular referencia a la hospitalización involuntaria así como al derecho de apelación que los pacientes tienen contra dicha hospitalización, la que es vista por el Tribunal de Salud Mental. Resultados: Se discuten los roles de los médicos, de los denominados Profesionales Aprobados de Salud Mental (AMHP) y del Familiar Más Cercano (Nearest Relative), así como el tipo de evidencia que todos los profesionales deben presentar ante el Tribunal de Salud Mental y cómo dicha evidencia es cuestionada en detalle tanto por el abogado del paciente como por los miembros del Tribunal de Salud Mental. Conclusión: Se discute la importancia del hecho de que la hospitalización involuntaria es sometida a una revisión legal independiente de la profesión médica. En particular, se hace referencia al efecto de dicho derecho de apelación en términos tanto de la protección de los derechos humanos de los pacientes así como de la mejoría de los estándares de la calidad de los servicios de psiquiatría.

Los trastornos cognitivos de la esquizofrenia / Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia

Cognitive deficits exhibited by patients suffering schizophrenia are outlined, with a focus on verbal declarative memory, executive functioning, and sustained attention. These deficits are associated with most of the disability caused by the illness. They seem to be an independent dimension of the disorder and must be taken into account when planning clinical interventions and rehabilitation. Associations among these deficits, formal thought disorder, and lack of awareness of illness are also discussed.

Se reseñan algunos de los trastornos cognitivos más significativos presentes en los pacientes que sufren de esquizofrenia, en particular en la memoria declarativa, las funciones ejecutivas y la atención sostenida. Estos trastornos están asociados con parte importante de la discapacidad que aqueja a estos pacientes, parecen ser una dimensión independiente de la enfermedad, requieren una evaluación específica, y deben considerarse al planificar la rehabilitación psico-social. También se discute la relación entre los trastornos cognitivos de la esquizofrenia y el trastorno formal del pensamiento y la falta de conciencia de enfermedad.

[IGF-I sensitivity in small for gestational age children]. / Sensibilidad a IGF-I en niños pequeños para la edad gestacional.

BACKGROUND: The lack of catch up growth (CUG) in small for gestational age (SGA) children may be related to a reduced sensitivity to insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-I). AIM: To assess the sensitivity to IGF-I in small for gestational age children, measuring basal and post IGF-I nocturnal profile of growth hormone (GH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 34 prepubertal SGA children aged 4 to 11 years. Twenty three had CUG and 11 did not have CUG. As an IGF-I sensitivity test, nocturnal GH levels were measured every 20 minutes from 23:00 h to 07:00 h, both under baseline conditions and after the administration of a subcutaneous bolus of 1 mg/kg/body weight of the IGF-I + IGFBP-3 complex (Somatokine). RESULTS: At the time of the study, the Z scores for height among children with and without CUG were -1.55 +/- 0.22 and -3.24 +/- 0.28, respectively (p <0.0001). There were no statistical differences between CUG + vs CUG- patients in mean basal GH (6.6 +/- 0.5 and 5.6 +/- 0.6 ng/ml, respectively). After Somatokine administration, mean GH, and the mean GH area under the curve (AUC) decreased significantly in both groups. However, mean overnight GH AUC decreased in all SGA children with CUG, after Somatokine administration, whereas 3 out of 11 SGA children without CUG had an increase in their mean GH AUC in response to Somatokine. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that pituitary sensitivity to IGF-I may be decreased in some SGA children without CUG.

Sensibilidad a IGF-I en niños pequeños para la edad gestacional / IGF-I sensitivity in small for gestational age children

Background: The lack of catch up growth (CUG) in small for gestational age (SGA) children may be related to a reduced sensitivity to insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-I). Aim: To assess the sensitivity to IGF-I in small for gestational age children, measuring basal and post IGF-I nocturnal profile of growth hormone (GH). Patients and methods: We studied 34 prepubertal SGA children aged 4 to 11 years. Twenty three had CUG and 11 did not have CUG. As an IGF-I sensitivity test, nocturnal GH levels were measured every 20 minutes from 23:00 h to 07:00 h, both under baseline conditions and after the administration of a subcutaneous bolus of 1 mg/kg/body weight of the IGF-I + IGFBP-3 complex (Somatokine®). Results: At the time of the study, the Z scores for height among children with and without CUG were -1.55 ± 0.22 and -3.24 ± 0.28, respectively (p <0.0001). There were no statistical differences between CUG + vs CUG- patients in mean basal GH (6.6 ± 0.5 and 5.6 ± 0.6 ng/ml, respectively). After Somatokine® administration, mean GH, and the mean GH area under the curve (AUC) decreased significantly in both groups. However, mean overnight GH AUC decreased in all SGA children with CUG, after Somatokine® administration, whereas 3 out of 11 SGA children without CUG had an increase in their mean GH AUC in response to Somatokine®. Conclusions: These findings suggest that pituitary sensitivity to IGF-I may be decreased in some SGA children without CUG.

Hiperinsulinismo neonatal persistente: Caso clínico y tratamiento médico con octreotide / Persistent neonatal hypoglycaemia: a clinical case treated with octreotide

El hiperinsulinismo neonatal constituye la causa más común de hipoglicemia persistente en el menor de 1 año. Existe una secreción inapropiada de insulina en condiciones de hipoglicemia debido a una alteración en el receptor de sulfonilurea en la célula beta pancreática. Se describe el caso de un recién nacido prematuro, pequeño para la edad gestacional, que presentó precozmente hipoglicemias de difícil manejo, requiriendo cargas de glucosa de hasta 26 mg/kg/min. Tras confirmar el diagnóstico se inició tratamiento médico con octreotide. Luego de 72 horas de iniciado el tratamiento se logró disminuir el aporte de glucosa endovenosa, suspendiéndolo a las 6 semanas. En el seguimiento no se han presentado complicaciones derivadas del tratamiento, su situación nutricional es adecuada y su desarrollo psicomotor es normal. El uso de octreotide debe ser considerado como alternativa terapéutica en niños con hiperinsulinismo persistente, evitando la cirugía que presenta alta morbimortalidad, especialmente en este grupo etario.

Cronología del desarrollo puberal en niñas escolares de Santiago: relación con nivel socio-económico e índice de masa corporal / Age of pubertal events in Chilean school age girls and its relationship with socioeconomic status and body mass index

Background: Recent studies in the United States have demonstrated that a significant proportion of girls show thelarche before the age of eight years. Nutritional status, geographic influences and racial factors are known to affect the timing of puberty. Aim: To evaluate the age of onset of puberty, development of secondary sexual characteristics and menarche in Chilean girls, and its relation to obesity and socioeconomic status. Material and methods: Healthy girls attending elementary school, from first to ninth grade in Santiago, Chile, were studied. A pediatric endocrinologist evaluated pubertal development using Tanner classification. Breast development was assessed by inspection and breast palpation. Average age of onset of pubertal events was determined by probit analysis. Results: A total of 758 girls, aged 5.8 to 16.1 years, were recruited. Obesity, defined as a BMI greater than 90th percentile, was found in 24.4 percent. The age of menarche was 12.7 years, the onset of Tanner stage 2 breast development and pubic hair was at 8.9 and 10.4 years, respectively. Sixteen percent of girls aged 7 to 7,9 years, had thelarche. Upper class girls showed a later onset of breast Tanner stage 4 stage than low-middle class girls. Obesity was not found in logistic regression analysis to be a significant predictive factor in the onset of puberty. Conclusions: The age of menarche has not changed in the last thirty years, but an earlier onset of thelarche has occurred. The high frequency of thelarche between 7 and 8 years suggests that the normal age of breast development should be revised.

Expresión verbal de ansiedad en pacientes intentadoras de suicidios / Verbal expression of anxiety in attempters suicide patients

Se investigó la expresión verbal de ansiedad mediante análisis de contenido, en 46 mujeres intentadoras de suicidios de nivel socioeconómico bajo. La ansiedad de separación fue la más frecuente, y su mayor prevalencia se observó en pacientes con diagnósticos de depresión mayor y de trastorno de adaptación con ánimo depresivo. Casi la mitad de las pacientes con distimia evidenciaron niveles elevados de ansiedad de muerte. Otras formas, como ansiedad de culpa y difusa, fueron más evidentes en los trastornos de adaptación con rasgos emocionales mixtos y ansiosos. Los hallazgos corroboran la relevancia de los eventos de pérdida y de la ansiedad de separación en sujetos que han intentado suicidarse