SU-E-T-264: New Concrete Designed and Evaluation for Megavoltage X Radiotherapy Facilities (CONTEK-RFH2).

PURPOSE: The most common material for shielding is concrete, which can be made using various materials of different densities as aggregates. New techniques in radiotherapy, as IMRT and VMAT, require more monitor units and it is important to develop specifically designed shielding materials. METHODS: Arraela S.L. has developed new concrete (CONTEK®-RFH2), which is made from an arid with a high percentage in iron (> 60%), and using the suitable sieve size, enables optimum compaction of the material and a high mass density, about 4.1-4.2 g/cm3 . Moreover, aluminate cement, used as base, gives high resistance to high temperatures what makes this product be structurally resistant to temperatures up to 1200 ° C. The measurements were made in a LINAC Elekta SL18 to energies 6MV and 15 MV with a field size of 10×10 cm2 for concrete samples in the form of tile 25cm×25cm with variable thickness. RESULTS: The linear attenuation coefficient, µm, was determined for each energy by fitting the data to Eq. 1, where Xxm is the exposure in air behind a thickness xm of the material, and X0 is the exposure in the absence of shielding. These results are compared with the ordinary concrete (2.35 g cm-3) for 6MV and 15MV energies (Ref. NCRP Report No.151). Results are tabulated in Table1. Results of attenuation are compared with ordinary concrete in Fig. 1. CONCLUSIONS: The new concrete CONTEK®-RFH2 increases photon attenuation and reduces the size of a shielded wall. A very high percentage in iron and a suitablesieve size approximately double the density of ordinary concrete. High mass attenuation coefficient makes this concrete an extremely desirable material for use in radiation facilities as shielding material for photon beam, and for upgrading facilities designed for less energy or less workload.

Calidad de vida del paciente asmático con beclometasona/formoterol. Análisis de coste-utilidad / Quality of life of patients with asthma on beclomethasone/formoterol. Cost-utility analysis

Objetivo. Realizar un estudio de coste-utilidad en pacientes asmáticos en tratamiento con beclometasona/formoterol en combinación fija en Atención Primaria de Salud. Material y métodos. Se seleccionó de forma no probabilística un grupo de pacientes asmáticos con severidad persistente moderada/grave (GEMA 2009), en tratamiento con beclometasona/formoterol a dosis fijas, mayores de 18 años, que habían otorgado su consentimiento informado. El período de observación del estudio fue de 6 meses. Las variables estudiadas fueron: edad, sexo, duración de la enfermedad, recursos sanitarios empleados, análisis de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud mediante EQ-5D y SF-36, y el cuestionario específico Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Para las variables cualitativas se analizó la frecuencia y la proporción. Para las cuantitativas, la media, la DE y el IC 95%. En la estadística inferencial se utilizaron los test de Chi-cuadrado, t de Student y ANOVA. Las comparaciones se realizaron con una significación estadística de 0,05. Resultados. Sesenta y cuatro pacientes completaron el estudio; el 59,4% eran mujeres. La edad media fue de 49 años y la duración media de la enfermedad fue de 93 meses. Para el control del asma el 53% de los pacientes tenían una pauta prescrita de uno/12 h. Todas las escalas de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud se modificaron respecto del inicio del estudio y las diferencias fueron estadísticamente significativas. Nuestros pacientes lograron mejores puntuaciones en calidad de vida relacionada con la salud que la cohorte española de asma. El coste-utilidad incremental de beclometasona/formoterol frente a la opción habitual de tratamiento fue de 6.256 €/AVAC (AU)

Aim. To perform a cost-utility analysis on asthmatic patients on beclomethasone/formoterol fixed combination in Primary Health Care. Material and methods Non-probability sampling was used to select a group of asthmatic patients with moderate/severe persistent severity (GEMA 2009), treated with beclomethasone/formoterol fixed combination, over 18 years, had given their informed consent. The study observation period was 6 months. The variables studied were: age, sex, duration of disease, health resources used, analysis of health related quality of life by EQ-5D and SF-36, and the specific Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. For the qualitative variables, the frequency and percentages were calculated, and for the quantitative variables, the mean, SD and 95% CI. Chi-square, Student t-test and ANOVA were used for statistical inference. Comparisons were made with a statistical significance of 0.05. Results. Of the 64 patients that completed the study, 59.4% were female. The mean age was 49 years, and mean disease duration was 93 months. For asthma control, 53% of patients had a prescription pattern of one/12 h. All health related quality of life scales were modified with respect to the baseline and the differences were statistically significant. Our patients had a better health related quality of life than Spanish asthma cohort. The incremental cost utility beclomethasone/formoterol versus usual treatment option was € 6,256/QALY (AU)