Use of topical sevoflurane in pressure ulcer treatment in a double-lung transplant patient.

Pain caused by wounds of different etiology is usually treated with oral analgesics. New topical use of products such as the ether anesthetic sevoflurane shows good results for pain control and has additional benefits. Pressure ulcers are painful and patients may benefit from the use of sevoflurane. We present the case of a double-lung transplant patient with a long-standing sacral pressure ulcer with poor pain control, for which sevoflurane dressings were used. The number of pain-free hours after application, the amount of daily analgesics and the size of the wound were monitored with the mobile wound application MOWA. After several days of sevoflurane application, the patient reduced analgesic consumption, remained longer free of pain, and the size of the wound decreased. Unfortunately, the patient had serious complications due to multiple comorbidities and died before the wound healed completely. Topical use of sevoflurane in pressure ulcers may be a good option to treat pain and improve patient quality of life.

Adherence to initial exclusive breastfeeding among Chinese born and native Spanish mothers.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of breastfeeding on the health of children, mothers and society are well known. However, breastfeeding rates vary according to the population examined. Chinese-born women migrated to high-income countries have shown low breastfeeding rates. Nevertheless, studies comparing breastfeeding rates of Chinese-born immigrants and natives are scarce. The aims of this study were therefore: 1) to compare the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge after giving birth between Chinese-born women resident in Spain and native Spanish women, 2) to assess the influence of the biological, socioeconomic, work-related and cultural factors on exclusive breastfeeding in women of Chinese origin. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study with between group comparisons. This study included 73 postpartum women (33 Chinese-born and 40 native Spanish women). The association between exclusive breastfeeding and the country of origin was assessed by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Native Spanish women showed a greater prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (80%) compared to Chinese born immigrant women (36.4%) (adjusted for socioeconomic status, parental level of education, age, cesareans and birth weight) (OR = 0.21; 95% CI 0.05-0.91; p = 0.037). However, in other models that considered both work and cultural influences, no differences were observed. DISCUSSION: The classic biological and socioeconomic variables (educational and socioeconomic levels) do not seem to explain the lower rates of exclusive breastfeeding among Chinese immigrant women. This paradigm of inequity appears to be based on both the work conditions as well as cultural characteristics of Chinese born women in Spain, such as their overall attitude towards breastfeeding.

Comparison of attitudes to breastfeeding among Spanish-born and Chinese-born postpartum women in Madrid.

BACKGROUND: Maternal breastfeeding is a practice that is associated with multiple health benefits for mothers and children. One of the lowest rates of breastfeeding has been observed among Chinese women who immigrate to high income countries. At present, there is a lack of comparative information between this group and that of Spanish-born women. Considering the relationship between the attitude of women towards breastfeeding and the initiation of breastfeeding, the aim of the study was to determine whether the attitude towards breastfeeding among Chinese postpartum women who have immigrated to Spain differs from that of Spanish-born postpartum women. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, with between-group comparison, of 73 postpartum Spanish-born and Chinese immigrant women admitted to the maternity units of "12 de Octubre" Hospital (Spain) between April and November 2016. Attitudes toward breastfeeding were analyzed using the Spanish or Chinese version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). A wide set of socioeconomic, biological, working and attitudinal conditions were considered as covariates. The association between IIFAS and country of origin was assessed by three multiple linear regression models (B, SE, and 95% confidence interval were calculated). RESULTS: All Chinese women were first generation immigrants. Chinese-born women were four years younger than Spanish-born mothers, had a lower educational level, more frequently had a paid job (mainly self-employed), and planned to return to work almost two months earlier than Spanish-born mothers did. Most Chinese women did not breastfeed exclusively.Chinese immigrant women obtained scores of approximately 9 points less in the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) when compared to Spanish-born women [95% CI -15.59, -2.48], after adjusting for the different socioeconomic, educational and work-related factors. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese-born women resident in Spain present a lower score on the IIFAS, when compared to Spanish-born women, which implies a more negative attitude towards breastfeeding. The between-groups difference is consistent, even when adjusting for known confounders and other factors which could affect the attitude of the mothers. It is therefore striking that, despite being in Spain, Chinese-born women maintain these preferences/attitudes regarding breastfeeding, compared with Spanish-born women, who obtain overall high scores.