Ultrasound based application for intraglandular mapping of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women worldwide. Breast cancer is one of the few cancers that can be early detected, and the survival rate of the women whose breast cancers are detected on their initial stage is virtually 100%. At the present time, ultrasound (US) is the most important imaging test together with the mammogram for the diagnostic evaluation of the breast. Recent studies have shown that ultrasound, in addition to mammography, helps doctors to spot significantly more cancers compared with mammograms alone. This work intends to standardize the process of the US breast examination, the storage and marking of the US images and their subsequent visualization and comparison. METHODS: It presents an innovative technique for the intraglandular mapping of breast cancer in a 3D scene. An anatomical based model of the breast is used for storage of the US images. Hardware equipment needed for the breast examination is described. Soft application programmed on Apple tools is fully described. The database for the storage is presented. RESULTS: First clinical applications of the presented tool are reported. Currently, the system is being distributed free of charge to clinical personal in order to evaluate its benefits. CONCLUSIONS: A first version of an application to standardize the process of the US breast examination is presented. First reports show the feasibility of the system to be applied on clinics.

[An analysis of the papers presented in national congresses of the Spanish Society of Intensive Nursing and Coronary Units in an 8-year period]. / Análisis de las comunicaciones admitidas en los congresos nacionales de la SEEIUC en 8 años (1998-2005).

INTRODUCTION: The research on critical care nursing is generally presented in the annual national congresses of the Spanish Society of Intensive Nursing and Coronary Units (SEEIUC). This study has aimed to analyze the main features of the papers presented in the above-mentioned congresses in order to get a deeper knowledge of the research capacity of our professional group. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: A descriptive, observational and retrospective study. SAMPLE: all the papers. Dimension studied: structure and process. Time: 8 years. DATA SOURCE: a collection of the papers presented in congresses. DEVELOPMENT: collected variables: number of authors, type of paper, city and region, type of study, timing, nursing role, dimension analyzed, topic, hospital, department, type of statistics, relevance, financing, structural quality and others. Statistical processing: descriptive statistics for quantitative variables with means and standard deviation (SD); qualitative variables are written in percentages. We have contrasted hypotheses with chi(2) accepting if p < 0.05 as a statistical significance. RESULTS: Papers 736 (65-119), oral papers 270 (40.4%), mean of authors 4.87 (1-16), SD 1.97; per provinces: Barcelona 146 (19.8%); per autonomous communities: Catalonia 166 (22.6%); hospitals: University Hospital from Bellvitge 27 (4.2%); research studies 426 (65.3%); prospective studies 333 (51%), quantitative 345 (53%); with descriptive statistics 305 (46.9%); with a health perception and health management pattern 76 (10.3%); analyzed quality area: structure 379 (51.5%); with the presence of an autonomous role 380 (51.6%); most mentioned theme: respiratory care 100 (13.6%), with relevance and/or applicability 450 (69%); financed 23 (3.5%). Fulfillment of scientific structure: 97%. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive Nursing Care shows an important amount of oral papers. Research studies stand out among these papers, the former having high structural quality and relevance and/or applicability.

Análisis de las comunicaciones admitidas en los congresos nacionales de la SEEIUC en 8 años (1998-2005) / An analysis of the papers presented in national congresses of the Spanish Society of Intensive Nursing and Coronary Units in an 8-year period

Introducción. La investigación en enfermería decuidados críticos suele comunicarse en los congresosnacionales de la Sociedad Española de EnfermeríaIntensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC) que serealiza anualmente. El objetivo de este estudio esanalizar las características principales de lascomunicaciones presentadas en este evento paraconocer en profundidad la capacidad investigadoradel colectivo.Material y método. Estudio descriptivo,observacional y retrospectivo. Muestreo: todas lascomunicaciones. Dimensión estudiada: estructura yproceso. Tiempo: 8 años. Fuente de datos: libros decomunicaciones. Desarrollo: las variables recogidasfueron el número de autores, tipo de comunicación,ciudad y región, tipo de estudio, temporalidad, rol deenfermería, dimensión estudiada, tema, hospital,servicio, tipo de estadística, relevancia, financiación,calidad estructural y otros. Procesamiento estadístico:estadística descriptiva para variables cuantitativas conmedias y desviación estándar (DE), las cualitativas seexpresan en porcentajes. Contrastes de hipótesis con X2 aceptando significación estadística si p < 0,05.Resultados. Comunicaciones 736 (65-119), enformato oral 270 (40,4%); media de autores 4,87 (1-16), DE 1,97; por provincias: Barcelona 146 (19,8%);por Comunidades: Cataluña 166 (22,6%); hospitales:Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge 27 (4,2%); estudiosde investigación 426 (65,3%); prospectivas 333(51%); cuantitativas 345 (53%); con estadísticadescriptiva 305 (46,9%); patrón percepción-manejode la salud 76 (10,3%); área de calidad estudiada:estructura 379 (51,5%); presencia de rol autónomo380 (51,6%); tema más referenciado: los cuidadosrespiratorios 100 (13,6%); con relevancia y/oaplicabilidad 450 (69%); financiadas 23 (3,5%).Cumplimiento de estructura científica: 97%.Conclusiones. La enfermería de cuidados críticospresenta un número importante de comunicacionesorales, con predominio de estudios de investigacióncon una calidad estructural alta, y con relevancia y/oaplicabilidad

Introduction. The research on critical care nursingis generally presented in the annual nationalcongresses of the Spanish Society of IntensiveNursing and Coronary Units (SEEIUC). This studyhas aimed to analyze the main features of thepapers presented in the above-mentioned congressesin order to get a deeper knowledge of the researchcapacity of our professional group.Materials and methodology. A descriptive,observational and retrospective study. Sample: allthe papers. Dimension studied: structure andprocess. Time: 8 years. Data source: a collection ofthe papers presented in congresses. Development:collected variables: number of authors, type ofpaper, city and region, type of study, timing,nursing role, dimension analyzed, topic, hospital,department, type of statistics, relevance, financing,structural quality and others.Statistical processing: descriptive statistics forquantitative variables with means and standarddeviation (SD); qualitative variables are writtenin percentages. We have contrasted hypotheseswith X2 accepting ‘if p < 0.05’ as a statisticalsignificance.Results. Papers 736 (65-119), oral papers 270(40.4%), mean of authors 4.87 (1-16), SD 1.97; perprovinces: Barcelona 146 (19.8%); per autonomouscommunities: Catalonia 166 (22.6%); hospitals:University Hospital from Bellvitge 27 (4.2%);research studies 426 (65.3%); prospective studies333 (51%), quantitative 345 (53%); withdescriptive statistics 305 (46.9%); with a healthperception and health management pattern 76(10.3%); analyzed quality area: structure 379(51.5%); with the presence of an autonomous role380 (51.6%); most mentioned theme: respiratorycare 100 (13.6%), with relevance and/orapplicability 450 (69%); financed 23 (3.5%).Fulfillment of scientific structure: 97%.Conclusions. Intensive Nursing Care shows animportant amount of oral papers. Research studiesstand out among these papers, the former havinghigh structural quality and relevance and/orapplicability