Cumplimiento del tratamiento antibiótico en niños en Atención Primaria / Antibiotic treatment compliance of children in Primary Care settings

Objetivo: Conocer el cumplimiento terapéutico en niños a los que se prescribe tratamiento antibiótico e identificar los factores relacionados con el incumplimiento. Diseño del estudio: Estudio descriptivo observacional. Emplazamiento: Consultas de Pediatría de Atención Primaria. Participantes: Se evaluaron al cabo de una semana a 117 niños que recibieron tratamiento antibiótico en dos Zonas Básicas de Salud. Mediciones principales: Se estudiaron variables sociodemográficas (edad, sexo, nacionalidad del niño y padres, nivel de estudios de los padres, estado civil de los padres, clase social de los padres), problemas de salud (clasificación CIAP-2), cumplimiento (cuestionario de Morisky-Green) y otras características relacionadas con el antibiótico prescrito y con los participantes. Resultados: La edad media fue de 4,8 años (DE: 3,3). El cumplimiento (Morisky-Green) no fue adecuado en el 55,6% (IC95%: 45,1-65,0%) de los pacientes. Los motivos más frecuentes para la administración incorrecta o abandono del tratamiento fueron: no despertar al niño (43,8%), mejoría (28,1%) y olvido de toma (13,8%). 14 pacientes (12,0%) presentaron algún efecto adverso. Las variables asociadas, mediante regresión logística, a incumplimiento del tratamiento antibiótico fueron: tener un padre con estudios secundarios o superiores (OR: 3,1; p=0,020), madre con estudios primarios o inferiores (OR: 3,3; p=0,010) y realizar 3 tomas de antibiótico diarias (OR: 5,2; p=0,012), quedando al borde de la significación haber asistido a consulta de pediatría en 2 o más ocasiones en el último mes (OR: 2,2; p=0,059). Conclusiones: Más de la mitad de los niños que toman antibióticos en Atención Primaria no cumple correctamente con el tratamiento prescrito. El nivel de estudios de los padres y el número de tomas al día se relacionan con el incumplimiento del tratamiento antibiótico, lo que se debería considerar al prescribir estos fármacos (AU)

Object: Collecting information about treatment compliance of children who have been prescribed antibiotics and identifying factors related to treatment noncompliance. Design of the study: Observational descriptive study. Setting: Primary Care Pediatric Outpatient Clinics. Participants: A group of 117 children under antibiotic treatment were assessed one week after prescription in two Basic Healthcare areas. Main measures: Several socio-demographic variables were studied: age, sex, child and parents' nationality, parent's educational level, marital status of parents and their social status. Health problems (ICPC-2 classification), treatment compliance (Morisky-Green questionnaire) and other characteristics in relation to the prescribed antibiotic and to the participants were also assessed. Results: The average age of participants was 4.8 years (SD: 3.3). Treatment compliance (Morisky-Green) was inadequate in 55.6% (CI95%: 45.1-65.0%) of patients. The most frequent reasons for incorrect administration or treatment discontinuation were: not waking up the child (43.8%), improved condition (28.1%) and forgetting administration (13.8%). Fourteen patients (12.0%) presented adverse effects. The associated variables, by logistic regression, to antibiotic treatment noncompliance were: having one of the parents with secondary or higher studies (OR: 3.1; p=0.020), mother with primary education or lower (OR: 3.3; p=0.010) and antibiotic administration in three daily doses (OR:5.2; p=0.012). The variable "two or more visits to the pediatric clinic in the last month" bordered on statistical significance (OR: 2.2; p=0.059). Conclusions: More than half of the children with antibiotic treatment in Primary Care do not comply correctly with the prescribed therapy. The parents' level of studies and the number of daily doses are related to noncompliance with antibiotic treatment, factors which should be considered when those medicines are prescribed (AU)

Stroke in young patients: a diagnostic challenge in the emergency room.

Stroke in young adults has been related to mechanisms different to those found in older individuals. Cardiogenic embolism, arteritis, atherosclerosis, fibromuscular dysplasia, pregnancy-related angiopathy, migrainous stroke, anaemia, antiphospholipid syndrome, arterial dissection, the consumption of toxic substances and head trauma have been described. We present a young man with a case history of tobacco and cocaine abuse who suffered a mild head trauma, with normal neurological examination, and a computed tomography scan image of a right anterior cerebral infarction. Serum biochemistry showed no alterations according to the diagnosis protocol for stroke in young patients. Various mechanisms have been involved, such as vasospasm, increasing arterial pressure and embolism. Considering the cocaine abuse and the mild head trauma, in our patient vasospasm was thought to be the mechanism involved in the cerebral infarction, which proved a challenge to diagnose in the emergency room.

Bradycardia related to hypoglycaemia.

Alterations in blood glucose levels are known to be involved in electrocardiogram changes. Various types of arrhythmias have been reported. We present here the case of an 81-year-old woman presenting with transient atrial fibrillation while being treated for hypoglycaemia with dextrose infusion, and finally developing a sinus rhythm. The presence of alterations in glucose blood levels should always be considered as a potential cause of transient atrial fibrillation.