Descriptive study of diving injuries in the Canary Islands from 2008 to 2017.

INTRODUCTION: This research reports the epidemiology of diving injuries managed in the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit of the Canary Islands University Hospital. METHODS: Data were extracted from the clinical records of all divers injured and admitted to the unit for treatment of dysbaric diving injuries between 2008 and 2017, inclusive. RESULTS: One-hundred and thirty diving injuries were recorded. Most (71%) occurred in men and 43% were foreigners. Eighteen per cent either had no diving certification or that information was not recorded in the clinical chart. Only a third of the 40% of divers who had some form of on-site first aid treatment received oxygen and oral rehydration. Type 1 decompression sickness (DCS) was diagnosed in 56 divers (43%) and Type 2 in 67 (52%), whilst seven were treated for omitted decompression. At discharge, 122 (94%) were asymptomatic, whilst 5% experienced some residual sensory or other changes. One diver who presented late remained quadriparetic and one, admitted in a state of coma, died. Only 76% of the injured divers had specific diving accident insurance and, of those, 58% were foreign divers. CONCLUSIONS: Over half of the injured divers did not receive any on-site first aid. The majority (94%) of treated injured divers were discharged without sequelae. Based on these data, several public health recommendations for the Canary Islands are made.

Day/Night and Summer/Winter Changes in Serum Total Antioxidant Capacity.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal and circadian changes are two factors described to affect blood levels of some biological molecules. The Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) is one global measure of the antioxidant capacity of a system. There is no agreement about the existence of day/night changes in TAC levels as well as there is no information about seasonal changes in TAC levels. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this research are studying if there are summer/winter changes in TAC concentrations or if TAC concentrations have day/night changes. METHOD: Ninety-eight healthy subjects took part in the summer study of whom 64 participated in the winter one. Blood was sampled at 09:00, 12:00 and 00:00 h. TAC was measured by the ABTS radical cation technique. Results are expressed in mmol/L of trolox equivalents. RESULTS: The subjects had significantly higher TAC levels in summer than winter at the three-time point studied. Summer 09:00 TAC concentration was significantly higher than the 12:00 and 00:00 h concentrations (1.34±0.26 vs 0.83±0.19, 0.75±0.18). Summer TAC 12:00 h concentrations were significantly higher than the 00:00 h concentrations (0.83±0.19 vs. 0.75±0.18). Winter 09:00 TAC concentrations were significantly higher than the 12:00 and 00:00 h concentrations (1.24±0.16 vs. 0.73±0.10, 0.67±0.13). There were no significant differences between the 12:00 and 00:00 h TAC concentrations. CONCLUSION: Strong methodological biases may be made if the seasonal and circadian changes in serum TAC concentration are not taken into account when researching in this area.

A three-month longitudinal study of changes in day/night serum total antioxidant capacity in paranoid schizophrenia.

Free radicals and an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance have been involved in the schizophrenia pathophysiology. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is a measure of the antioxidant capacity of a system. Day/night changes are a biological characteristic of hormones such as melatonin or cortisol. There is little information about TAC day/night changes in schizophrenia patients. The aim of this research is to study if there are day/night changes in serum TAC levels of schizophrenia patients. Thirty-two DSM-IV schizophrenia paranoid patients were studied. Blood was sampled at 12:00 and 00:00 h at admission, discharge and three months after hospital discharge (TMAHD). TAC results are expressed as mmol of Trolox/L. Patients did not have day/night TAC differences at admission (12:00: 0.67±0.12 vs. 00:00: 0.61±0.14, p>0.14) or discharge (12:00: 0.65±0.15 vs. 00:00: 0.65±0.12, p>0.99). At TMHD, patients had significantly higher TAC levels at midday than midnight (12:00: 0.83±0.10 vs. 00:00: 0.74±0.12, p<0.006) as it has been reported in healthy subjects. There were no significant TAC differences at 12.00 and 00:00 between admission and discharge. At TMAHD, patients had significantly higher TAC levels than at admission and discharge, both at 12:00 and 00:00 h. In conclusion, the absence of day/night serum TAC changes when clinically relapsed and the normalization of day/night serum TAC changes at TMHD can be considered as a biological marker of schizophrenia evolution.

Medicina popular canaria / Folk medicine in the Canaries

Folk medicine in the Canaries, as in other folk medicines, allows tite treatment of simple diseases by people without medical knowledge. It is based un the technique of trial and enor and is made up of occult elements, esoterie elements and other more primitive medicinal arts. But there is an empirical base to the practice of folk medicine in che use of active substances from different herbs and plants. in our article, WC have tried to approach this traditional medicine, collecting and collating the knowledge of che “herbalists” and healers, and the use that such people make of che different plants most common in the area, many of which are autochthonous (AU)

La medicina popular canaria, como el resto de medicinas populares, permite el tratamiento de enfermedades sencillas por personas sin conocimientos médicos. Se basa en la técnica del ensayo-error y forman parte de ella el ocultismo, el exoterismo así como elementos de otras artes galénicas más primitivas. Pero dentro de ella hay un fundamento empírico basado en el uso de tos principios activos de diferentes hierbas y plantas. En nuestro artículo, nos hemos querido acercar a esta medicina tradicional, recogiendo el saber de los “yerberos”, curanderos,.., y el uso que éstos les otorgan a las diferentes especies de plantas más comunes de la zona, muchas de ellas autóctonas (AU)