["Ready to use" medications. A guide to limit errors when using medications]. / Medicamentos "listos para usar". Una ayuda para limitar los errores de medicación.

Errors in the use of medicines are preventable incidents which may occur at any point in a chain beginning with prescription and continuing on through dispensation and administration of medicine; these errors have multi-factorial causes. Those which are potentially the most dangerous take place in hospital environment and some of them directly affect nursing personnel since they occur during the process when medicines are prepared and administered via an intravenous drip or injection. Pre-diluted medicines for intravenous use, known as "ready to use" preparations, help to reduce the amount of errors associated with the preparation and administration of medicines. These preparations guarantee the correct prescribed dose and eliminate errors related to an incorrectly labeled medicine. Moreover these ready to use medicines avoid a manipulation of the pharmaceutical product, limit the risk of particles being dragged, reduce nursing time employed in preparation of medicines substantially, and prevent accidental needle scratches during the preparation process.

Medicamentos "listos para usar". Una ayuda para limitar los errores de medicación / "Ready to use" medicines. A guide to limit errors when using medicines

Los errores de medicación son incidentes prevenibles que pueden producirse en cualquier lugar de la cadena de prescripción, dispensación y administración de medicamentos y obedecen a causas multifactoriales. Potencialmente, los más graves tienen lugar en el ámbito hospitalario y algunos de ellos afectan directamente al personal de enfermería, ya que acontecen durante el proceso de preparación y administración de medicamentos por vía intravenosa. Los medicamentos prediluidos de uso intravenoso, conocidos como «listos para usar» ayudan a reducir la tasa de errores de medicación asociados a la preparación y administración de medicamentos. Estas preparaciones garantizan la correcta dosis prescrita y eliminan los fallos relacionados con el etiquetado incorrecto. Además, evitan la manipulación de fármaco, limitan el riesgo de arrastre de partículas, reducen sustancialmente el tiempo utilizado por Enfermería e impiden los pinchazos accidentales por aguja durante la preparación

Errors in the use of medicines are preventable incidents which may occur at any point in a chain beginning with prescription and continuing on through dispensation and administration of medicine; these errors have multi-factorial causes. Those which are potentially the most dangerous take place in hospital environment and some of them directly affect nursing personnel since they occur during the process when medicines are prepared and administered via an intravenous drip or injection. Pre-diluted medicines for intravenous use, known as «ready to use» preparations, help to reduce the amount of errors associated with the preparation and administration of medicines. These preparations guarantee the correct prescribed dose and eliminate errors related to an incorrectly labeled medicine. Moreover, these ready to use medicines avoid a manipulation of the pharmaceutical product, limit the risk of particles being dragged, reduce nursing time employed in preparation of medicines substantially, and prevent accidental needle scratches during the preparation process

[Preventing nosocomial infections. Dressings soaked in polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)]. / Prevenir la infección nosocomial. Apósitos impregnados con polihexametileno biguanida (PHMB).

Polyhexamethlene biguanide (PHMB) is an antibacterial agent included in the chlorhexidine group which is active against a wide number of microorganisms including Staphylococcus Aureus Methycilin Resistant (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus Faecalis (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii which all cause antibiotic-resistant infections. Traditionally gauze dressings have been used to cover and protect wounds although their porous structure does not constitute an efficient barrier against bacterial penetration, especially when a dressing becomes wet due to the effects of a wound oozing and draining. Recently the use of a dressing soaked in a 0.2% PHMB solution which works as a biological barrier against pathogenic agents has been introduced in clinical practice. On the one hand, this PHMB soaked dressing inhibits bacterial growth in the areas where it is applied and, on the other hand, it prevents the penetration of microorganisms through the dressing itself. Simultaneously while a PHMB soaked dressing carries out these actions, it creates an environment favorable to the proliferation of the normal flora found in the epidermis. As opposed to porous gauze dressings, a PHMB dressing remains active during 72 hours even in wet environs. Its wide anti-micro-bacterial range prevents infections in surgical, acute or chronic wounds and in any type of intra-corporal access susceptible to infection, such as by means of intravascular catheters, tracheotomies, or thoracic tubes. A PHMB dressing can also be used as a primary covering to treat a chronic wound since it does not interfere in the process of tissue reepithelization.

Prevenir la infección nosocomial. Apósitos impregnados con polihexametileno biguanida (PHMB) / Preventing nosocomial infections. Dressings soaked in polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)

El Polyhexametileno biguanida es un antimicrobiano perteneciente al grupo de la clorhexidina (biguanidas) activo frente a un amplio número de microorganismos entre los que se incluyen el MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus Methycilin Resistente),VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecalis) y Acinetobacter baumannii, responsables de infecciones antibiótico resistentes. Carece de toxicidad sobre los tejidos vivos siendo sumamente biocompatible. Tradicionalmente se han utilizado los apósitos de gasa para cubrir y proteger las heridas, aunque su estructura porosa no constituye una barrera eficaz contra la penetración bacteriana, especialmente cuando el apósito se humedece por efecto de la supuración y el drenaje. Recientemente se ha introducido en la práctica clínica un apósito impregnado con Polyhexametileno biguanida al 0,2%, que actúa como barrera biológica contra los agentes patógenos. Por una parte, inhibe el crecimiento bacteriano en las zonas donde se aplica y, por otra, evita la penetración de microorganismos a través del mismo. Simultáneamente a esta acción, crea un ambiente favorable para proliferación de la flora normal de la epidermis. A diferencia de los apósitos de gasa porosa, mantiene su actividad incluso en ambiente húmedo durante unas 72 horas. Su amplio espectro antimicrobiano previene la infección en las heridas quirúrgicas, heridas agudas y crónicas y en cualquier tipo de acceso intracorporal susceptible de infección (catéteres intravasculares, traqueostomía, tubos torácicos...). También puede utilizarse como revestimiento primario en caso de heridas crónicas, ya que no interfiere en el proceso de reepitelización tisular

Polyhexamethlene biguanide (PHMB) is an antibacterial agent included in the chlorhexidine group which is active against a wide number of microorganisms including Staphylococcus Aureus Methycilin Resistant (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus Faecalis (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii which all cause antibiotic-resistant infections. Traditionally gauze dressings have been used to cover and protect wounds although their porous structure does not constitute an efficient barrier against bacterial penetration, especially when a dressing becomes wet due to the effects of a wound oozing and draining. Recently the use of a dressing soaked in a 0.2% PHMB solution which works as a biological barrier against pathogenic agents has been introduced in clinical practice. On the one hand, this PHMB soaked dressing inhibits bacterial growth in the areas where it is applied and, on the other hand, it prevents the penetration of microorganisms through the dressing itself. Simultaneously while a PHMB soaked dressing carries out these actions, it creates an environment favorable to the proliferation of the normal flora found in the epidermis. As opposed to porous gauze dressings, a PHMB dressing remains active during 72 hours even in wet environs. Its wide anti-micro-bacterial range prevents infections in surgical, acute or chronic wounds and in any type of intra-corporal access susceptible to infection, such as by means of intravascular catheters, tracheotomies, or thoracic tubes. A PHMB dressing can also be used as a primary covering to treat a chronic wound since it does not interfere in the process of tissue reepithelization

Quimioterápicos tópicos en el tratamiento de las quemaduras / Topical chemotherapy for the treatment of burns

Una quemadura es una lesión que provoca alteraciones en la piel que varían desde el eritema local hasta la destrucción total de la misma. Independien-temente de su magnitud es suficiente la lesión del estrato córneo para que la piel pierda su capacidad como barrera protectora. Por esta razón, un aspecto muy importante del tratamiento de las quemaduras pasa por conseguir la rápida reepitelización de los tejidos destruidos y evitar la infección. La Blastoestimulina® es un producto farmacéutico que asocia una sustancia reepitelizante, la Centella asiática, con un agente antibiótico, la neomicina. El extracto de Centella asiática se ha demostrado eficaz en la inducción, mantenimiento y regularización de la lesión, en tanto que la neomicina es un antibiótico que cubre perfectamente el espectro bacteriano frente a microorganismos grampositivos y negativos. Ofrece excelentes resultados en el tratamiento de las quemaduras ya que favorece la cicatrización de la herida, reduce la inflamación y previene su contaminación

A burn is a tissue lesion which provokes different alterations that vary from topical erythema to total destruction of the structures affected. A burn always produces an alteration in the skin, a lesion in the corneal strata is sufficient to cause the skin to lose its capacity to act as a barrier. The objective the treatment for a burn has i to produce epithelization as soon as possible in order to prevent infection and to reduce functional and esthetic aftereffects. Infection is the main cause of death due to burns due to the growth of endogenous flora or due to external contamination. The use of topical chemotherapy is fundamental to prevent infections when there are deep and superficial burns or extensive intermediary burns. Centella asiatica extract has proven to be efficient in helping, maintaining and regularizing cicatrisation of skin affected by burns. Its usage combined with an antibiotic agent such as neomycin covers the bacterial spectrum for grampositive or -negative microorganisms, guaranteeing an anti-infectious efficiency for this extract