Evolution of polypharmacy in a spanish population (2005-2015): A database study.

PURPOSE: To analyze the evolution of the prevalence of polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy in a Spanish population, and to improve the identification of patients with polypharmacy. METHODS: A descriptive, annual cross-sectional observational study was carried out. PATIENTS: individuals over 14 years of age included in a multiregional primary care database of the Spanish population (BIFAP). ANALYSIS: prescription data. Period 2005-2015. VARIABLES: proportion of patients with polypharmacy (simultaneous prescription of ≥5 drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (≥10 drugs) for at least 6 months, according to sex and age groups. A trend analysis of the studied period was performed (overall, and by sex and age groups). RESULTS: The data are reported on a comparative basis (2005 vs 2015). Number of patients analyzed: 2664743 vs 4 002 877. The prevalence of polypharmacy increased significantly (2.5% vs 8.9%, P-value for trend <0.001), being greater in females throughout the study period and in the group aged ≥80 years (P-value for trends <0.001). The prevalence of excessive polypharmacy also increased significantly (0.1% vs 1%, P-value for trend <0.001), being higher in the group aged ≥80 years (P-value for trend <0.001). The proportion of patients with no chronic treatment decreased (80.2% vs 63.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of polypharmacy in this Spanish population has tripled in the period 2005-2015, while excessive polypharmacy has increased 10-fold. These increments are seen in both sexes and in all age groups, particularly in individuals over 80 years of age. The proportion of patients without chronic treatments has decreased.

[Variability in the autonomous communities of the clinical recommendations in the service portfolios in primary care]. / Variabilidad en las recomendaciones clínicas en las carteras de servicios de atención primaria de las comunidades autónomas.

The quality guidelines established in Primary Care Service Portfolios of Autonomous Communities were analysed. It was observed that there were similarities in the number and content of the controls in children over 2 years-old, time intervals of cardiovascular risk and breast cancer mammography screening. Variability was observed in the number of controls (from 2 to 8) recommended for infants less than 2 years old, in the time intervals of monitoring parameters of patients with risk factors (for example, glycosylated haemoglobin in the diabetic every 2, 6, or 12 months), in the time intervals in cervical cytology (every 3 or 5 years) and in the age periods of performing the cytology (from 15, 20, 25, or 30 years up to 55 or 60 years) or mammography (from 45 or 50 years up to 60 or 65 years).

Drug Prescription Profiles in Patients with Polypharmacy in Spain: A Large-Scale Pharmacoepidemiologic Study Using Real-World Data.

We aimed to identify and compare medication profiles in populations with polypharmacy between 2005 and 2015. We conducted a cross-sectional study using information from the Computerized Database for Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies in Primary Care (BIFAP, Spain). We estimated the prevalence of therapeutic subgroups in all individuals 15 years of age and older with polypharmacy (≥5 drugs during ≥6 months) using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system level 4, by sex and age group, for both calendar years. The most prescribed drugs were proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), statins, antiplatelet agents, benzodiazepine derivatives, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The greatest increases between 2005 and 2015 were observed in PPIs, statins, other antidepressants, and ß-blockers, while the prevalence of antiepileptics was almost tripled. We observed increases in psychotropic drugs in women and cardiovascular medications in men. By patient´s age groups, there were notable increases in antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antiepileptics (15-44 years); antidepressants, PPIs, and selective ß-blockers (45-64 years); selective ß-blockers, biguanides, PPIs, and statins (65-79 years); and in statins, selective ß-blockers, and PPIs (80 years and older). Our results revealed important increases in the use of specific therapeutic subgroups, like PPIs, statins, and psychotropic drugs, highlighting opportunities to design and implement strategies to analyze such prescriptions' appropriateness.

[Cardiovascular prevention according to CEIPC: a critical appraisal]. / La prevención según el Comité Español Interdisciplinario para la Prevención Cardiovascular: una valoración crítica.

We present a critical appraisal of the adaptation to the 4th European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice carried out by The Spanish Interdisciplinary Committee for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention (CEIPC), which is based on: 1) the removal, by the CEIPC, of important restrictions on the start of drug therapy that are contained in the European guide 2) the existence of internal contradictions and differing recommendations regarding the goals of LDL in the several publications of the CEIP adaptation; and 3) and the almost total lack of necessary discussion about risk tables in Spain. Therefore, it makes a critical appraisal of some of the most important clinical recommendations shared by the CEIPC and the European guide that are not supported by clinical evidence, like the implicit proposal of using the estimated cardiovascular risk as a target for treatment, the criteria to begin the antihypertensive drug therapy and therapeutic goals for blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol and HbA1c. The public health administration and also the scientific society must ensure transparency and independence in the drafting of documents endorsed by them, including the management and declaration of potential conflicts of interest among editors and group members. The public health administration and also the scientific society must guarantee a framework of honesty and transparency in the documents endorsed by them, with a complete declaration of the authors conflict of interests.

Radiotherapy versus laser microsurgery in the treatment of early glottic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in stages I or II can be treated by transoral CO2 laser microsurgery (TLM) or exclusive radiotherapy (RT). OBJECTIVES: To compare the oncological results of patients treated with TLM, to those treated with RT, in a tertiary hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from patients diagnosed with glottic SCC in stages I and II between 2004 and 2018 were analyzed. Response to treatment was studied in terms of recurrence, local control and laryngeal preservation. RESULTS: Of 164 patients, 63.41% received treatment with TLM and 36.58% with RT. 26.21% presented a recurrence or progression of the tumor. Both treatments obtained good local control rates (84.15% in the case of TLM and 89.6% in the case of RT) and no significant association was found between tumor recurrence and type of treatment, nor with the involvement of the anterior commissure. However, treatment with RT obtained worse laryngeal preservation rate compared to TLM (81.6% and 100% respectively) (p < .001LR). Conclusions and significance: Both treatments obtained good oncological results. There were no significant differences regarding local control. However, TLM obtained a better laryngeal preservation rate. The involvement of the anterior commissure was not a poor prognosis factor for tumor recurrence.

[Abscess of cavum and ophthalmoplegia secondary to malignant external otitis]. / Absceso de cavum y oftalmoplejía secundarios a otitis externa maligna.

We present a rare case of ophthalmoplegia, labyrinthitis and abscess of cavum secondary to skull base osteomyelitis by malignant external otitis. Since symptoms persisted in spite of antibiotic therapy, surgical drainage using a transnasal endoscopic approach was performed.

Tonsillectomy in adults: Analysis of indications and complications.

OBJECTIVE: Tonsillectomy is one of the surgical techniques most practiced by otolaryngologists, and despite being a relatively simple technique; it presents a considerable percentage of complications, such as postoperative bleeding. The aim of this study is to describe the surgical indications and most frequent complications, analyze whether surgical suture of the tonsillar pillars has an influence on bleeding, and study the data of hospital stay and its importance for the control of complications. METHODS: A retrospective study of 326 patients who underwent a tonsillectomy in our Department of Otolaryngology from 2006 to 2014 was conducted. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using the Excel and SPSS 21.0 programs. RESULTS: The most frequent indication was recurrent tonsillitis, with a 74.85% (244) occurrence, and the most recurrent complication was bleeding, in 5.21% (17) of the tonsillectomies, requiring surgical revision 13 of the 17 patients. No statistically significant differences in the risk of bleeding were observed in patients in whom tonsil pillars were sutured comparing to those that were not. No statistically significant differences were detected associating surgical indication and oropharyngeal post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. All operated patients were admitted, with a postoperative average hospital stay of 2.17 days, gaining a quick and effective control of the immediate complications. CONCLUSION: Bleeding is the most common and important complication. No statistically significant association between bleeding and tonsil pillar suture or surgical indication was found. Tonsillectomy was not set as outpatient surgery at the time.

[Subacute necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis. An almost unknown condition]. / Linfadenitis histiocitaria necrotizante subaguda. Una entidad poco conocida.

The etiology of neck masses is multifactorial, including genetical troubles, infections or tumoral lesions. A detailed medical history and a thorough physical check-up with the aid of analyses and imaging pictures properly selected, provide the doctor with the needle information in order to establish a correct diagnosis (table 1). We present the case of a young woman with lateral neck and supraclavicular adenopathies which diagnosis although sporadic must be keep in mind in daily clinic owing its growing incidence in last years.

[Emergency care in the autonomous regions of Spain. Improvement in pre-hospital emergency care and welfare coordination. SESPAS Report 2012]. / La atención a la urgencia en las comunidades autónomas. Mejoras en las urgencias prehospitalarias y la coordinación asistencial. Informe SESPAS 2012.

The present article describes the general organization of pre-hospital emergency care in the autonomous regions and provides data on activity corresponding to 2010, drawn from the information available in the Primary Care Information System of the Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality. Emergency care is provided through various organizational structures covering 24-hour periods. Family medicine attended 17.8 million emergency consultations and nursing attended 10.2 million (year 2010, 14 autonomous communities, 79.7% of the National Health System population). Emergency department utilization ranged between 0.11 and 0.83 urgent family physician consultations per inhabitant/year and between 0.05 and 0.57 nursing consultations per inhabitant/year. Any reform in the management of pre-hospital emergency care will involve organizational changes and aims to produce measurable improvements in healthcare coordination. In the new organizational designs, most of the responsibility lies with human resources in order to achieve the new goals for the future aims to be presented in an operational teamwork structure. Undoubtedly, the main challenge is to achieve optimal coordination with other welfare levels, including the police, social services, nursing homes, etc. If optimal care of the population needs to count on the efforts of all these groups, mobility, individual differences, consistent achievement of high standards, and -most of all- the use of these services by citizens will determine the final result. The results can be quantified in various ways, but evaluation should concentrate on the resources used, the degree of satisfaction among all the parties involved and optimal management of demand, which will help to disseminate the need for a rational resource use.

CO2 laser surgery of supraglottic carcinoma: our experience over 6 years.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The study goal was to analyze the oncologic and functional outcomes of transoral laser microsurgery in the treatment of carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 53 patients were included in this retrospective review between 2000 and 2006. The follow-up period was more than 2 years and the mean follow-up for all patients was 49 months. RESULTS: Tumour extension was as follows: T1 in 12 (22.6%), T2 in 37 (69.8%) and T3 in 4 (7.5%). Forty-seven patients (88.7%) had neck dissections. Nineteen patients (35.8%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier estimates for disease-specific survival were 80%, 74.11% and 65%, at 2, 3 and 5 years, respectively. The overall functional laryngeal preservation rate was 90.56%. (48 of 53), and local control 81.13%. During follow up, 13.2% of patients developed local recurrence, 11.3% regional recurrence and 5.7% loco-regional recurrence. Patients started swallowing early after surgery, with a mean time of 5.83 days, and the mean hospital stay was 14.69 days. Complications included 20.75% who suffered pneumonia and 11.32% with bleeding. Only one patient (1.88%) received total laryngectomy due to the impossibility of swallowing. CONCLUSIONS: With careful selection of patients, laser supraglottic laryngectomy is a safe and effective treatment for cancer of the supraglottic larynx.