Asthma exacerbations: risk factors for hospital readmissions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to analyse hospital readmissions due to asthma, as well as the factors associated with their increase. STUDY DESIGN: We carried out a retrospective study including all admissions of patients over 18 years old due to exacerbation of asthma occurring in our hospital between the years 2000 and 2010. METHODS: The data were gathered by two members of the research team, by reviewing the clinical records. The first hospital admission of each patient was included for this study. An early readmission (ER) was defined as that which occurred in the following 15 days after hospital discharge and late readmission (LR) to that occurring from 16 days after discharge. RESULTS: This study included 2166 hospital admissions and 1316 patients, with a mean age of 62.6 years. Of the 1316 patients analysed, 36 (2.7%) had one ER and 313 (23.8%) one LR. The only factor independently associated with a higher probability of an ER was poor lung function. A higher probability of LR was associated with a greater severity of the asthma (OR: 17.8, for severe asthma versus intermittent asthma), to have had any hospital admission in the previous year (OR: 3.5) and the use of a combination of ICS-LABA as maintenance treatment. CONCLUSIONS: About 25% of the patients in our area admitted to hospital due to asthma exacerbation had repeat episodes of hospitalisation.

[Reason for a medical visit in the diagnosis of lung cancer. A review of 481 cases]. / Motivo de consulta en el diagnóstico de cáncer de pulmón. Revisión de 481 casos.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer death related cause in the world. Its clinical presentation usually corresponds to advanced stages. The indication of screening programs for the diagnosis in early phases has been debated for years. AIMS: To know the clinical characteristics in the presentation of the lung cancer in our health care area. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All of the incident lung cancer cases for 3 years (January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999) among those patients with usual residence in the Santiago de Compostela health care area were retrospectively collected from the available information in the Codification Service. The histological type was graded according to the World Health Organization classification. Date of death was obtained from the patient's clinical history, mortality record, or telephonic calls to the patient's home. The rest of the information was obtained from the clinical records of the patient and Pathology Service. RESULTS: Four-hundred and eighty-one lung cancer cases were diagnosed (incident gross rate of 41.79 per 100,000 inhabitants and year). Median age was 66.9 years (interquartile range 60.5-74.4), 92.77% being males and 94.1% corresponding to smokers or former smokers. The most prevalent symptoms motivating the visit were general syndrome (20%), thoracic pain (19%) and hemoptisis (17%). A group of patients (56), fundamentally males, had an incidental diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of lung cancer seems to be high in our health care area. The standard patient with lung cancer in this health care area is a 67-year-old, male, who smokes, diagnosed in advanced stages, who consults due to a general syndrome and/or chest pain. Some of the symptoms appear with significant gender differences. Likewise, there are differences between histologies, the high frequency of chest pain in adenocarcinoma being outstanding, although it is also the first cause for consultation in small cell lung cancer. On the contrary, hemoptisis, the most frequent consultation cause in squamous cell carcinoma and the general syndrome in the big cells type or with clinical-radiological diagnosis.

Motivo de consulta en el diagnóstico de cáncer de pulmón. Revisión de 481 casos / Reason for a medical visit in the diagnosis of lung cancer. A review of 481 cases

Introducción: El cáncer de pulmón es la causa más frecuente de muerte por cáncer en el mundo. Su presentación clínica corresponde habitualmente a estadios avanzados. Desde hace años persiste la controversia sobre la indicación de programas de cribado para el diagnóstico en fases tempranas. Objetivos: Conocer las características clínicas en la presentación del cáncer de pulmón en nuestra área sanitaria. Material y métodos: Se recogieron retrospectivamente todos los casos incidentes de cancer de pulmón durante 3 años (1 de enero de 1997 a 31 de diciembre de 1999), de pacientes con residencia habitual en el área sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, a partir de la información disponible en el servicio de codificación. El tipo histológico se clasificó según la clasificación de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. La fecha de fallecimiento se obtuvo de la historia clínica del paciente, el registro de mortalidad o de llamadas telefónicas al domicilio del paciente. El resto de la información se obtuvo de la historia clínica del paciente y del servicio de anatomía patológica. Resultados: Se diagnosticaron 481 casos de cáncer de pulmón (tasa bruta de incidencia de 41,79 por 100.000 habitantes y año). La mediana de edad fue 66,9 años (rango intercuartil 60,5-74,4), siendo el 92,77% varones. El 94,1% correspondía a fumadores o exfumadores. Los síntomas más prevalentes como motivo de consulta fueron el síndrome general (20%), el dolor torácico (19%) y la hemoptisis (17%). Existe un grupo de pacientes (56), fundamentalmente varones, de diagnóstico incidental. Conclusiones: La incidencia de cáncer de pulmón parece elevada en nuestra área sanitaria. El paciente tipo con cáncer de pulmón en esta área sanitaria corresponde a un varón de 67 años, fumador, diagnosticado en estadios avanzados, que consulta por síndrome general y/o dolor torácico. Algunos de los síntomas se presentan con diferencias significativas entre sexos. Asimismo, hay diferencias entre histologías, siendo llamativa la elevada frecuencia de dolor torácico en adenocarcinoma, aunque también es la primera causa de consulta en microcítico. Por el contrario, la hemoptisis es el motivo de consulta más frecuente en epidermoide y el síndrome general en el tipo células grandes o con diagnóstico clínico-radiológico (AU)

Introduction: Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer death related cause in the world. Its clinical presentation usually corresponds to advanced stages. The indication of screening programs for the diagnosis in early phases has been debated for years. Aims: To know the clinical characteristics in the presentation of the lung cancer in our health care area. Material and methods: All of the incident lung cancer cases for 3 years (January l, 1997 to December 3l, 1999) among those patients with usual residence in the Santiago de Compostela health care area were retrospectively collected from the available information in the Codification Service. The histological type was graded according to the World Health Organization classification. Date of death was obtained from the patient's clinical history, mortality record, or telephonic calls to the patient's home. The rest of the information was obtained from the clinical records of the patient and Pathology Service. Results: Four-hundred and eighty-one lung cancer cases were diagnosed (incident gross rate of 41.79 per 100,000 inhabitants and year). Median age was 66.9 years (interquartile range 60.5-74.4), 92.77% being males and 94.1% corresponding to smokers or former smokers. The most prevalent symptoms motivating the visit were general syndrome (20%), thoracic pain (19%) and hemoptisis (17%). A group of patients (56), fundamentally males, had an incidental diagnosis. Conclusions: The incidence of lung cancer seems to be high in our health care area. The standard patient with lung cancer in this health care area is a 67-year-old, male, who smokes, diagnosed in advanced stages, who consults due to a general syndrome and/or chest pain. Some of the symptoms appear with significant gender differences. Likewise, there are differences between histologies, the high frequency of chest pain in adenocarcinoma being outstanding, although it is also the first cause for consultation in small cell lung cancer. On the contrary, hemoptisis, the most frequent consultation cause in squamous cell carcinoma and the general syndrome in the big cells type or with clinical-radiological diagnosis (AU)

[Tuberculosis in Santiago de Compostela from 1999 to 2002. An epidemiological study]. / Tuberculosis en el área de Santiago de Compostela durante los años 1999, 2000, 2001 y 2002. Un estudio epidemiológico.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) in the Public Health System District of Santiago de Compostela (population : 386125) from 1999 to 2002. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were: 1). microbiological and/or pathological diagnosis of TB in any specimen, and 2). patient younger 35 years old with recent medical history of TB. Mantoux test positive, and pleural effusion with linfocitosis and adenosine deaminase >47 IU/ml. RESULTS: 946 patients were included (568 men and 378 women), with ages ranging from 2 months to 96 years. The incidence of TB was 60.9/100000 in 1999, 67.6/100000 in 2000, 61.9/100000 in 2001 and 54.6/100000 in 2002. The incidence rate of tuberculous meningitis was 1.03/100000 in 1999 and 2000, 0.77/100000 in 2001 and 0.51/100000 in 2002. The percentage of cases associated with HIV was 3.4% in 1999, 1.9% in 2000, 2.4% in 2001 and 2002. We found an increase in the rate of males over 55 years of age; with incidence per 100000 inhabitants of 122.4 in 1999, 142.8 in 2000, 115 in 2001 and 119 in 2002, whereas in females the incidence was 40.6 in 1999, 60.9 in 2000, 54.1 in 2001 and 39.1 in 2002. CONCLUSIONS: In last four years the incidence of tuberculosis has decreased but remains high in males over 55 years old.

Tuberculosis en el área de Santiago de Compostela durante los años 1999, 2000, 2001 y 2002. Un estudio epidemiológico / Tuberculosis in Santiago de Compostela from 1999 to 2002. An epidemiological study

Objetivo: conocer los parámetros epidemiológicos entre los años 1999 y 2002 de la enfermedad tuberculosa (TB) en nuestra área, que consta de 386.125 habitantes. Métodos: se consideró caso TB el que cumplía los siguientes criterios: 1) hallazgos microbiológicos y / o patológicos diagnósticos de TB, en cualquier espécimen, 2) pacientes menores de 35 años con historia clínica reciente compatible con TB, con test de Mantoux significativo, linfocitosis y adenosina deaminasa (ADA) en líquido pleural > 47UI / mL. Resultados: Hemos estudiado 946 pacientes (568 hombres y 378 mujeres), con extremos de 2 meses y 96 años. El número de casos fue de 235 en 1999, 261 en 2000, 239 en 2001 y 211 en 2002. La incidencia de TB fue de 60,9 en 1999, de 67,6 en 2000, de 61,9 en 2001 y de 54,6 en 2002, con una incidencia de formas contagiosas de 37,6 en 1999, de 42,5 en 2000, de 37,3 en 2001 y de 31,1 en 2002. La incidencia de meningitis tuberculosa fue de 1,03 en 1999 y 2000, 0,77 en 2001 y 0,51 en 2002.Las formas de asociación con VIH fue de 3,4 por ciento en 1999, de 1,9 por ciento en 2000, 2,4 por ciento en 2001 y 2002. La relación hombre / mujer fue de 1,37 en 1999, 1,46 en 2000, 1,52 en 2001 y 1,74 en 2002. En tasas absolutas, el 38,1 por ciento de ambos sexos se encontraban entre 15 y 34 años y el 49,8 por ciento entre 15 y 44 años, aquí con predominio femenino. Se evidenció un importante aumento en mayores de 55 años, con predominio masculino, tanto en valores absolutos como relativos, con incidencias de 122,4 en 1999, 142,8 en 2000, 115 en 2001 y 119 en 2002, mientras que en mujeres fue de 40,6 en 1999, 60,9 en 2000, 54,1 en 2001 y 39,1 en 2002. Conclusiones: La incidencia de la tuberculosis en nuestro medio ha disminuido en los últimos años, especialmente en el último, pero se mantiene elevada en los varones mayores de 55 años (AU)