[Acetylation polymorphism in lung cancer]. / Polimorfismo acetilador en el cáncer de pulmón.

The acetylation phenotype was determined, by means of sulfamethazine measurement, in 87 patients (83 male) with confirmed bronchogenic carcinoma and in 93 healthy control patients (41 male) of equal ages. 48 patients and 54 controls were classified as being "slow acetylators" (Ch2 n.s.) When the persons were individually analysed by phenotype, it was confirmed that the patients showed a significantly lower rate of acetylated sulfamethazine than the control group (p less than 0.02), owing to the poor acetylation of patients with small-cell lung cancer. This difference should be confirmed by more detailed pharmacokinetic studies before regarding it as a possible interference of paraneoplasic type. The polymorphism acetylator cannot be considered a genetic marker related to the risk of having lung cancer.

[Poisoning by organophosphate insecticides. Epidemiology and prevention]. / Por. Epidemiología y prevención.

In an agrarian environment, exposure to anticholinesterasic insecticides is a potential health problem. Acute or chronic intoxication may cause serious health problems due to its frequency or its severity. Extremadura is, as are other Spanish autonomous regions, mainly a rural environment which means that this problems carries special relevance there. In this article, the authors evaluate the number of cases of intoxication, the validity of the measures taken, and they describe the pedagogical programs which exist dealing with this problem. They review the physiopathological causes of this intoxication, its symptoms and its treatment. The authors reveal the results obtained from a questionnaire given to a group of Extremaduran farmers. Furthermore, the authors provide information to health professionals responsible for the treatment and prevention of this intoxication; the authors consider health education, especially in an agrarian environment, to be one of the most important action plans in order to prevent this intoxication and to reduce its mortality and chronic manifestations due to exposure to these agents.

[Subcutaneous drug administration. Indications for the use in terminal patients]. / Vía subcutánea. Indicaciones de uso en el enfermo terminal.

The preferred methods to administer medicines to the sick are oral, under the tongue, or rectal; but in the case of the terminally ill patient, we may encounter the problem that the drugs which they tend to require do not come in either of these preferred administering methods since these patients symptoms and problems demand complex responses. In these cases, the subcutaneous way winds up being highly recommended; therefore, the authors present the pharmacological bases of this method, they describe continuous subcutaneous perfusion, and all those aspects of this method which might be interesting to the professionals who employ it.

[Pharmacological compliance in the treatment of arterial hypertension. A review of studies published between 1975 and 2011]. / Cumplimiento farmacológico en el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial. Revisión de los estudios publicados entre los años 1975 y 2011.

A systematic review was performed from published articles on compliance (PubMed), between 1975 and first of June 2011. Specifically those which measured medication adherence using indirect methods (RCS and/or MEMS-Medication Event Monitoring System) were searched. Descriptors used were: hypertension AND patient compliance AND medication adherence. The main objective is to update the topic of therapeutic compliance in arterial hypertension worldwide, with special attention to Spain, as well as a critical evaluation of the evolution of therapeutic compliance over the period 1975-2011. After analysing 37 research studies published worldwide, the results were: total number of 8623 hypertensive patients, of whom 25.62% were non-compliers (n=2209; 95% CI; 23.82-27.42), and 74.38% were compliers (n=6414; 95% CI; 73.32-75.44). The weighted average of non-compliance was 37.60%. We conclude that the default rate in the pharmacological treatment of hypertension worldwide is high.

Cumplimiento farmacológico en el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial. Revisión de los estudios publicados entre los años 1975 y 2011 / Pharmacological compliance in the treatment of arterial hypertension. A review of studies published between 1975 and 2011

Revisión sistemática (PubMed), de artículos publicados sobre cumplimiento, desde 1975 al 1 de junio de 2011, y más específicamente los que miden el cumplimiento farmacológico en la hipertensión arterial (HTA) utilizando métodos de medida indirectos (recuento de comprimidos y/o monitores electrónicos de control de la medicación [MEMS]). Los descriptores usados fueron: hypertension AND patient compliance AND medication adherence. El principal objetivo es actualizar el tema del cumplimiento terapéutico en HTA en todo el mundo, con especial atención a España, así como realizar una evaluación crítica de la evolución del cumplimiento terapéutico en el periodo 1975-2011. Después de analizar 37 estudios de investigación internacionales publicados, los resultados fueron: número total de pacientes hipertensos de 8.623, un 25,62% incumplidores (n=2.209; IC 95% 23,82-27,42) y un 74,38% cumplidores (n=6.414; IC 95% 73,32-75,44) y la media ponderada del porcentaje de incumplimiento fue del 37,60%. Se concluye que el porcentaje de incumplimiento en el tratamiento farmacológico de la HTA en todo el mundo es elevado (AU)

A systematic review was performed from published articles on compliance (PubMed), between 1975 and first of June 2011. Specifically those which measured medication adherence using indirect methods (RCS and/or MEMS-Medication Event Monitoring System) were searched. Descriptors used were: hypertension AND patient compliance AND medication adherence. The main objective is to update the topic of therapeutic compliance in arterial hypertension worldwide, with special attention to Spain, as well as a critical evaluation of the evolution of therapeutic compliance over the period 1975-2011. After analysing 37 research studies published worldwide, the results were: total number of 8623 hypertensive patients, of whom 25.62% were non-compliers (n=2209; 95% CI; 23.82-27.42), and 74.38% were compliers (n=6414; 95% CI; 73.32-75.44). The weighted average of non-compliance was 37.60%. We conclude that the default rate in the pharmacological treatment of hypertension worldwide is high (AU)