Influence of maternal and sociodemographic characteristics on the accumulation of organohalogen compounds in Argentinian women. The EMASAR study.

The occurrence of organohalogen compounds in venous serum from post-partum mothers from two Argentinian cities, Salta and Ushuaia, has been investigated (n = 698). 4,4'-DDE was the most abundant compound in these cities, with geometric means of 33 and 67ng/g lipid weight, respectively. City of residence, age and parity were the main determinants of the accumulation of these compounds. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was the second most abundant pollutant in Ushuaia, 8.7ng/g lipid, and ß-hexachlorocyclohexane (ß-HCH) in Salta, 7.8ng/g lipid. Decabromodiphenyl ether was higher in Ushuaia than Salta, 8.2 and 4.1ng/g lipid, respectively. The predominance of ß-HCH, 4,4'-DDE and 4,4'-DDT in Salta was related with higher use of pesticides for agricultural applications. The observed higher concentrations of 4,4'-DDE and 4,4'-DDT in the mothers from rural+semi-urban sites than in urban areas were consistent with this agricultural origin. In addition, the most volatile organochlorine compounds included in this study, HCB and α-HCH, were mainly found in Ushuaia. The concentrations of the studied organohalogen pollutants in Argentina were lower than those found in other similar studies which is consistent with the location of these cities in the southern hemisphere. Age, mainly for 4,4'-DDE and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners 138, 153 and 180, and parity, mainly for HCB, ß-HCH, 4,4'-DDT and PCB congener 118, were the second main determinants of the concentrations of these compounds. Gestational weight gain also influenced on the maternal levels of HCB, ß-HCH, 4,4'-DDT and PCB congeners 118, 138 and 153. Higher weight accumulation during pregnancy involved dilution of these persistent pollutants. Body mass index (BMI) was a statistically significant determinant for 4,4'-DDT, α-HCH and PCB congeners 153 and 180. The observed direct correspondence between higher BMI and 4,4'-DDT concentrations was in agreement with the above reported inputs related with agricultural applications. The reverse correspondence of BMI with α-HCH and the PCB congeners indicated higher dilution at higher weight increase.

Hemodonación plan estratégico: reposicionamiento del banco de sangre / Strategic plan: repositioning the blood bank

La necesidad de contar con sangre segura constitu­ye una prioridad para el Banco de Sangre de la Clínica San Jorge en Ushuaia. Lamentablemente, el modelo de donación de reposición, -en muchos casos, pago-, prevalece. Es por ello, que se plantea un enfoque dife­rente para abordar esta necesidad, utilizando la disci­plina del Marketing para captar y retener donantes vo­luntarios repetidos. Se realizó un análisis de la situa­ción actual del Banco y de la población en varios as­pectos, y se demostró que es imposible determinar con claridad un segmento de población de bajo riesgo al cual apuntar, debido a características de la comunidad, que, como punto de partida, surgió de la instalación de un penal. Se detectó un elevado consumo de alcohol, un altísimo índice de separaciones y divorcios, la proliferación de clubes nocturnos, niveles bajos de educa­ción, alto índice de embarazos y anemias en la mujer, desconocimiento del tema donación de sangre, entre otros. Todos éstos, factores que se evidencian en los principales motivos de rechazo histórico de donantes: conducta de riesgo y serología reactiva. Seguidamente, se llevó a cabo un análisis FODA, que permitió identificar el campo de acción del Banco de Sangre, y se concluyó en la elaboración de estrate­gias para la: organización interna y capacitación del personal participante, adecuación del espacio físico a la estrategia, fidelización de donantes actuales, recuperación de donantes rechazados temporalmente, implementación de un programa de satisfacción al do­nante, educación de la población acerca de la dona­ción de sangre. El objetivo fue incrementar hasta un número de 600 la cantidad de donantes voluntarios repetidos con que cuenta este servicio.

The necessity of having safe blood is a priority for the Sanatorium San Jorge Blood Bank. Unfortunately, the family replacement donation system, -in many ca­ses paid-, prevails. That is why, this paper sets out a different approach to tackle this need, using the disci­pline of Marketing to gain and keep regular, voluntary, nonremunerated blood donors. It was carried out a current situation analysis of the Bank and Ushuaia' s population in several aspects, which revealed that it is impossible to identify clearly a population segment with low risk to point to, due to the community characteristics, which, as a starting point, emerged with the settlement of a prison. The study, detected a high consumption of alcohol, a considerably high index of separations and divorces, the proliferation of nightclubs, low levels of education, high index of pregnancies and anaemia in women, ignorance in the blood donation subject, among other issues. AII of them, factors that are proved in the principal reasons for historical rejection of blood donors: risky behaviour and positive serology. Then, a SWOT analysis was made, which allowed the team to identify the action field of the Blood Bank, and the conclusion was the design of strategies for: internal organization and training of the participating team, adjustment of the space to the strategy, development of the current donors loyalty, recovery of temporally rejected donors, starting up a donors satisfaction program, education to the community in blood donation. The aim was to increase, up to 600, the quantity of present regular voluntary blood donors.