The bell jar / La campana de cristal

Review of the book: The bell jar, of Sylvia Plath. Random House, 2020.

Reseña del libro: La campana de cristal, de Sylvia Plath. Literatura Random House, 2020.

Effects of preoperative dexamethasone on postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting and respiratory function in women undergoing conservative breast surgery for cancer: Results of a controlled clinical trial.

The objective was to evaluate whether preoperative administration of dexamethasone improved postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain and respiratory function tests in women undergoing conservative surgery for breast cancer. This was a controlled clinical trial conducted between June 2013 and October 2014. Eighty patients were evaluated. Patients received a preoperative dose of 8 mg of dexamethasone (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40). The data on PONV and pain intensity was obtained and forced spirometry tests were performed, 1 hr before and at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hr after surgery. Any use of additional analgesic/antiemetic drugs was recorded. Patients were followed until 30 days after surgery for any surgical or medical complications. The pain intensity was lower in the treatment group for all periods; PONV was lower at 6, 12 and 24 hr; Additional analgesics/antiemetics were required less frequently (all p < .05). Both groups exhibited a restrictive ventilatory pattern immediately after surgery, which was reversed in the following hours. However, spirometric values were higher in the dexamethasone group. There were no pulmonary or metabolic complications after surgery. Our conclusions were that dexamethasone significantly reduced the incidences of PONV, pain and improved respiratory parameters, and reduced the need for additional postoperative analgesic and antiemetic drugs.

Body weight changes after adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with breast cancer: results of a Mexican cohort study.

Weight gain is observed in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and is a well-known complication. Several factors that contributing to weight gain have been identified. However, there is a lack of information about factors associated with weight changes following adjuvant chemotherapy. A retrospective cohort of 200 pre- and post-menopausal Mexican patients treated for breast cancer was made. Anthropometric variables were measured before/after treatment. Biomarkers, cellular differentiation and chemotherapy were similar between groups. Weight gain occurred in 85.6% of pre-menopausal and 72.6% of post-menopausal women (p = .03). At the end of chemotherapy, weight and body mass index (BMI) did not differ significantly between pre-menopausal (69.3 ± 12.6 kg; 26.6 ± 4.8 kg/m2 ) and post-menopausal women (69.5 ± 10.9 kg; 27.3 ± 4.4 kg/m2 ) (p = .91 and 0.34). Dexamethasone doses were higher in pre-menopausal (85.7 ± 39.1 g) than post-menopausal patients (79.2 ± 22.5 g; p = .13). Weight loss was observed in 9.2% of pre-menopausal and 20.2% of post-menopausal patients (p = .04). A multivariate analysis revealed that age (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.26-5.79; p = .01), menopausal status (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.09-4.80; p = .03), dexamethasone dosage (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.04-4.23; p = .03) and daily caloric intake (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.12-5.10; p = .02) were independent variables that inducted weight gain. Pre- and post-menopausal women gained weight, but more pre-menopausal patients showed gain. An effort should be made to administer lower steroid doses to reduce weight gain.

Clasificación del estado físico de los pacientes según la sociedad americana de anestesiología (saa) en adultos atendidos por emergencia odontológica / Health status of patients attended by dental emergency using the classification of american society of anesthesiologists(asa)

Determinar el estado físico de los pacientes atendidos por emergencia odontológica en la Clínica Periférica Azcapotzalco de la U.N.A.M. usando la clasificación ASA. Se incluyeron 102 historias clínicas de emergencia odontológica de pacientes adultos atendidos en la Clínica Periférica Azcapotzalco turno vespertino de la Facultad de Odontología de la U.N.A.M. en el año lectivo 2009-2010, se registraron variables sociodemográficas, motivo de la consulta y el estadio ASA de cada paciente. Se utilizaron proporciones, medidas de tendencia central y de dispersión. La información se capturó y analizó en el programa SPSS 15.0. Casi dos terceras partes de la población (65.7%) atendida se clasificó como ASA I, el 26.5% se situaron en ASA II y el 7.8% obtuvieron clasificación ASA III. El principal motivo de consulta fue dolor dental (96.1%). 1) La mayoría de los pacientes atendidos de urgencia dentaria fueron clasificados como ASA I...

To establish the health status of patients attended by dental emergency in the Azcapotzalco peripheral clinic of UNAM, using ASA classification. Materials and We included 102 emergency medical records of adult patients treated at the Azcapotzalco peripheral clinic in the afternoon shift at the Faculty of Dentistry, UNAM in the 2009-2010 school year, we recorded demographic variables, reason for consultation and ASA stage of each patient. We used proportions, measures of central tendency and dispersion. The information was captured and analyzed in SPSS 15.0 software. Almost two thirds of the population (65.7%) were classified as ASA I, 26.5% were at ASA II and 7.8% were ASA III. The main reason for consultation was dental pain (96.1%). 1) Most of emergency patients seen were classified as ASA I...