Recommendations of the Spanish-Portuguese Internal Medicine services in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation.

Facing the severity of the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on human health, 32 Internal Medicine societies, colleges, and associations of 29 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries issue a consensus document in which they call for the implication of doctors and all health professionals in the global fight against the causes of these changes. This commitment requires the cooperation of health-related organizations, elaboration and implementation of good environmental sustainability practices, greater awareness of professionals and population, promotion of education and research in this area, increasing climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health systems, combating inequalities and protecting the most vulnerable populations, adopting behaviors that protect the environment, and claiming Internal Medicine as a core specialty for empowerment of the health system to respond to these challenges.

Recomendaciones de los servicios de Medicina Interna hispano-lusos en la lucha contra el cambio climático y la degradación ambiental / Recommendations of the Spanish-Portuguese Internal Medicine services in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation

Ante la gravedad del impacto sobre la salud del cambio climático y la degradación ambiental 32 sociedades, colegios y asociaciones de Medicina Interna de 29 países de habla hispana y lusa divulgan un documento de consenso en que llaman a la implicación de los médicos y todos los profesionales de salud en la lucha global contra las causas de estos cambios. Este compromiso requiere la cooperación de las organizaciones relacionadas con la salud, elaboración e implementación de buenas prácticas de sostenibilidad ambiental, sensibilización de los profesionales de la salud y de la población, promoción de la educación e investigación en esta área, refuerzo de la resiliencia climática y la sostenibilidad ambiental de los sistemas de salud, combatir las desigualdades y proteger a las poblaciones más vulnerables, adopción de comportamientos que protegen el medio ambiente, y defensa de la Medicina Interna como una especialidad central para habilitar al sistema de salud para responder a estos desafíos. (AU)

Facing the severity of the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on human health, 32 Internal Medicine societies, colleges, and associations of 29 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries issue a consensus document calling for the implication of doctors and all health professionals in the global fight against the causes of these changes. This commitment requires the cooperation of health-related organizations, elaboration and implementation of good environmental sustainability practices, greater awareness of professionals and population, promotion of education and research in this area, increasing climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health systems, combating inequalities and protecting the most vulnerable populations, adopting behaviors that protect the environment, and claiming Internal Medicine as a core specialty for empowerment of the health system to respond to these challenges. (AU)

RECALMIN IV. Evolución de la actividad de las unidades de medicina interna del Sistema Nacional de Salud (2008-2021) / RECALMIN IV. Evolution in the activity of internal medicine units of the National Health System (2008-2021)

Objetivos Analizar la estructura, la actividad y los resultados de los servicios y unidades de medicina interna (UMI) del Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS). Analizar los retos para la especialidad y realizar propuestas de políticas de mejora. Comparar los resultados de la encuesta RECALMIN 2021 con las anteriores oleadas de encuestas a las UMI (2008, 2015, 2017, 2019). Material y métodos Estudio descriptivo transversal entre las UMI en hospitales generales de agudos del SNS con datos referidos a 2020, comparándolos con los anteriores estudios. Las variables de estudio fueron recogidas mediante un cuestionario ad hoc. Resultados Entre 2014 y 2020 aumentó la frecuentación hospitalaria y las altas dadas por las UMI (promedio anual de 4 y 3,8%, respectivamente), así como las tasas interconsultas hospitalarias y primeras consultas (promedio anual: 2,1% en ambos casos). En 2020 aumentaron notablemente las consultas no presenciales. La mortalidad ajustada por riesgo y la estancia hospitalaria no mostraron cambios significativos en 2013-2020. Los progresos en la implantación de buenas prácticas y de una atención sistemática al paciente crónico complejo fueron escasos. Una constante en las encuestas RECALMIN es la variabilidad entre UMI en recursos y actividad, sin encontrarse diferencias estadísticamente significativas en relación con los resultados. Conclusiones Existe un notable margen de mejora en el funcionamiento de las UMI. La reducción de la variabilidad no justificada en la práctica clínica y las desigualdades en los resultados en salud deben ser un reto para los responsables de las UMI y para la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (AU)

Aims This work aims to analyze the structure, activity, and outcomes of internal medicine units and departments (IMU) of the Spanish National Health System (SNHS) and to analyze the challenges for the specialty and propose policies for improvement. It also aims to compare the results from the 2021 RECALMIN survey with IMU surveys from previous years (2008, 2015, 2017, 2019). Methods This work is a cross-sectional, descriptive study of IMUs in acute care general hospitals of the SNHS that compares data from 2020 with previous studies. The study variables were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire. Results Between 2014 and 2020, hospital occupancy and discharges by IMU increased (annual mean of 4% and 3.8%, respectively), as did hospital cross-consultation and initial consultation rates (2.1% in both cases). E-consultations increased notably in 2020. Risk-adjusted mortality and length of hospital stay did not show significant changes from 2013-2020. Progress in the implementation of good practices and systematic care for complex chronic patients was limited. A consistent finding in RECALMIN surveys was the variability among IMUs in terms of resources and activity, though no statistically significant differences were found in regard to outcomes. Conclusions There is considerable room for improvement in the operation of IMUs. The reduction in unjustified variability in clinical practice and inequities in health outcomes are a challenge for IMU managers and the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (AU)

RECALMIN IV. Evolution in the activity of internal medicine units of the National Health System (2008-2021).

AIMS: This work aims to analyze the structure, activity, and outcomes of internal medicine units and departments (IMU) of the Spanish National Health System (SNHS) and to analyze the challenges for the specialty and propose policies for improvement. It also aims to compare the results from the 2021 RECALMIN survey with IMU surveys from previous years (2008, 2015, 2017, 2019). METHODS: This work is a cross-sectional, descriptive study of IMUs in acute care general hospitals of the SNHS that compares data from 2020 with previous studies. The study variables were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire. RESULTS: Between 2014 and 2020, hospital occupancy and discharges by IMU increased (annual mean of 4% and 3.8%, respectively), as did hospital cross-consultation and initial consultation rates (2.1% in both cases). E-consultations increased notably in 2020. Risk-adjusted mortality and length of hospital stay did not show significant changes from 2013-2020. Progress in the implementation of good practices and systematic care for complex chronic patients was limited. A consistent finding in RECALMIN surveys was the variability among IMUs in terms of resources and activity, though no statistically significant differences were found in regard to outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable room for improvement in the operation of IMUs. The reduction in unjustified variability in clinical practice and inequities in health outcomes are a challenge for IMU managers and the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine.

[Acute postpartal myocardial infarct: the role of methylergometrin in its etiopathogenesis]. / Infarto agudo de miocardio posparto: papel de la metilergometrina en su etiopatogenia.

We report a 28-year-old patient with an acute myocardial infarction, without previous symptomatology of ischemic heart disease, 5 hours after a delivery. We discuss the role of methylergometrine, used for avoid the bleeding postpartum, in its etiopathology and its specific therapy.