Utilidad y dificultades para la realización del informe de enfermería al alta hospitalaria según las enfermeras del Hospital de Fuenlabrada / Usefulness and difficulties for the elaboration of the nursing discharge report, according to Hospital de Fuenlabrada (Spain) nursing group

Objetivo. Evaluar la percepción de la utilidad y las dificultades de elaboración del actual informe de recomendaciones de cuidados al alta por parte de las enfermeras de hospitalización del Hospital de Fuenlabrada (Madrid). Método. Estudio descriptivo, transversal, a través de cuestionario, realizado a todas las enfermeras de unidades de hospitalizaciónen el Hospital de Fuenlabrada; desarrollado durante el último trimestre de 2006. El cuestionario recogía variables sociodemográficas, variables referidas a la percepción de la utilidad del informe en general y variables para medir la dificultad de cumplimentación del informe. Se entregaron y recogieron personalmente en las unidades de hospitalización. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizaron el test de 2 y el test de la t de Student y/o el análisis de la varianza. Se utilizó el paquete estadístico SPSS/PC versión 12.0.Resultados. Se obtuvieron un total de 74 cuestionarios contestados (57,4% de la población de estudio). De las enfermeras encuestadas, 61 (82,4%) consideraron útil el informe de recomendaciones de cuidados al alta para asegurar la continuidad de los cuidados y 57 (77%) estimaron que es útil para facilitar información a los pacientes. Un total de 60 (82,1%) profesionales consideraron que la estructura del informe es poco o algo adecuada. Conclusiones. El nivel de satisfacción de las enfermeras con el informe es alto. Lo consideran una buena herramienta para asegurarla continuidad de los cuidados, y además es útil para el paciente. El principal elemento que se debe mejorar es su estructura (AU)

Objective. To evaluate the utility and difficulty of writing the nursing discharge report perceived by nurses working in the hospitalization unit of the Fuenlabrada Hospital in Spain. Method. We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study in all nurses working in hospitalization units in the Fuenlabrada Hospital(Madrid) in the last trimester of 2006. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic variables, variables related to perceived utility of the report in general and variables measuring the difficulty of completing the report. The questionnaires weredelivered to the hospitalization units and collected personally. For the statistical analysis, the chi-square test and Student’s t-test and/or analysis of variance were used. The SPSS/PC statistical package, version 12.0, was used. Results. Seventy-four completed questionnaires were obtained (57.4 % of the population analyzed). Of the nurses surveyed, 61(82.4 %) considered the report to be useful in assuring continuity of care and 57 nurses (77 %) thought it useful in providing information to the patients. In total, 60 nurses (82.1 %) considered the report’s structure to be not very suitable or unsuitable. Conclusions. Nurses’ satisfaction with the report is high. The report is seen as effective in assuring continuity of care and as useful to patients. However, the report’s structure should be improved (AU)

[Inducing high-specificity anti-cortisol antibodies for use in RIA (radioimmunoassay)]. / Inducción de anticuerpos anticortisol con alta especificidad para uso en RIA.

A method for inducing highly specific cortisol antibodies for measuring plasmatic cortisol by RIA is described. The method is fast, direct (without extraction or separation), with high specificity, due to the high quality of the antibody produced in our laboratory. Reliability was demonstrated by: the sensitivity of the method, with a pattern curve of 50 pg of cortisol; the precision tests showed a variation rate intranalysis of < 9.7% and internalysis of < 17.6%; accuracy was > 87%; and specificity was demonstrated by antiserum characterization with other steroids. Measurings of cortisol in plasma of normal subjects could detect the circadian cycle pattern as well as normal supression with dexametasone. These findings support that our method allows fast measurement of plasmatic cortisol with accuracy and sensitivity, reducing operative cost.

[Male sterility and its association with genital disease and environmental factors]. / Esterilidad masculina y su asociación con patología genital y factores ambientales.

Semen quality may be affected by many factors, as there is evidence that conditions as varicocele, criptorquidia, orchitis and bacterian infections; as well as to exposure to physical agents as heat, or chemical substances, or ingestion of alcohol and drugs, may affect semen quality. The objective of this study is to investigate the risk implied in the exposure to these factors on the semen quality. The study was carried out in a prospective way in a group of males at Clínica de Infertilidad, Unidad de Biología de la Reproducción del Hospital Universitario Dr. J.E. González. Ninety nine males were studied, they received an intentioned questionnaire about antecedents of exposure to environmental factors, and urologic resolved pathology. Espermatobioscopy was done and it was classified according to OMS. Two groups were formed, one with the individuals with normal espermatobioscopy (n = 25); and the abnormal ones (n = 74). The statistical Incidences Reason, square Xi and Atributable Risk, were applied in order to determine the impact that different factors may have on semen quality. The found alterations in semen were astenozoospermia (n = 58); hypospermia (n = 22); oligozoospermia (n = 18); teratozoospermia (n = 7); polizoospermia (n = 7); and azoospermia (n = 6). The results of the mentioned statistical tests, show that in these alterations there is an associated risk factor to the use of tobacco, exposure to chemical substances, to physical aggresors; and anatomic anomalies previously corrected. It is considered that obtention of this information is a great help because once the unfavorable factors are eliminated, the environment is improved in order to obtain an espermatogenesis in optimal conditions.

[A simplified method in determination of blood 17-hydroxyprogesterone by radioimmunoanalysis]. / Método simplificado para medir 17-OH progesterona plasmática por radioinmunoanálisis.

A practical method to measure 17-OHP, in peripheral blood by radioimmunoanalysis using a highly specific antiserum, is described. The method usefulness described in dependability studies present a sensitivity of the pattern curve of 10 picograms; precision shows a variation rate intranalysis < or = 11.9% and interanalysis of < or = 10.0%. Accuracy was > or = 95% and specificity is demonstrated by antiserum characterization with other steroids. Measuring 17-OHP4 in ng/ml in plasma of women under different physiological conditions, it was found that the levels of this hormone on day -5 of proliferative phase were 0.31 +/- 0.24 nanograms (ng)/ml, and at day +7 of secretory phase of 1.47 +/- 0.65 ng/ml. In patients with stimulation with ACTH show as to the basal sample an increase (double) of levels at 30 minutes, that keeps increasing until 90 minutes with certain trend to diminish at 120 minutes. This study shows that it is possible, to measure 17-OHP4 in human plasma with good dependability degree and easy handling reducing, in addition, operative cost.

[Obtaining zona-free ova from the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus Waterhouse)]. / Obtención de óvulos de hamster dorado (Mesocricetus auratus Waterhouse) libres de zona pelúcida.

Our methodology for obtaining zona-free ova from golden hamster females (Mesocricetus Auratus Waterhouse) is described here. Five groups of 5 females were superovulated injecting intraperitoneally pregnant mare gonadothropins (PMG) at different dosages. The control group received 0.25 ml of distilled water. We harvested 653 ova from the stimulated females with an average of 32.65 per individual (range 16-52). The control group produced a total of 50 ova with an average of 10 (range 0-14). PMG optimum dose was 25 IU with an average of 39 (S.D. +/- 10.93) (n = 195 ova). The best conditions for denuding the cumulus was a 0.01% hyaluronidase solution with an average time of 10 minutes (S.D. +/- 03'56"). The optimum conditions for digesting the zona was 0.20% trypsin during 03'20" (S.D. +/- 01'19"). The proof that the ova were not damaged by the procedure was by means of a supravital stain (Eosin Y). All mature ova (N = 681) were not affected by enzymes or manipulation. Final preparation used a 1% acetic acid fixation and staining with 0.01% methylene blue, both acting for 1-3 minutes. Animal gametes give us the opportunity to substitute human ova in biology of reproduction studies and experiments, avoiding technical, ethical and moral problems.