[Analysis of infectious diseases care in Spanish hospitals from 2016-2020, including the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]. / Análisis de la atención a patologías infecciosas en los hospitales españoles en el periodo 2016-2020, incluyendo el primer año de pandemia por SARS-CoV-2.

Aims: This work aimed to review patients discharged from Spanish hospitals with a principal diagnosis of infection during a 5-year period, including the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Materials and method: This work analyzed the Basic Minimum Data Set (CMBD) of patients discharged during the 2016-2020 period from hospitals in the Spanish National Health Service in order to identify cases with a principal diagnosis of an infectious disease according to the ICD-10-S code. All patients older than 14 years of age admitted to a conventional ward or intensive care unit, excluding labor and delivery, were included in the analysis and were evaluated based on the discharging department. Results: Patients discharged with infectious diseases as the principal diagnosis have increased from 10% to 19% in recent years. A large part of the growth is due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Internal medicine departments cared for more than 50% of these patients, followed by pulmonology (9%) and surgery (5%). In 2020, 57% of patients with a principal diagnosis of infection were discharged by internists, who cared for 67% of patients with SARS CoV-2. Conclusions: At present, more than half of patients admitted with a principal diagnosis of infection are discharged from internal medicine departments. Given the growing complexity of infections, the authors advocate for an approach in which training allows for specialization, but within a generalist context, for the better management of these patients.

Analysis of infectious diseases care in Spanish hospitals from 2016 to 2020, including the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

AIMS: This work aimed to review patients discharged from Spanish hospitals with a principal diagnosis of infection during a 5-year period, including the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This work analyzed the Basic Minimum Data Set (CMBD) of patients discharged during the 2016⬜2020 period from hospitals in the Spanish National Health Service in order to identify cases with a principal diagnosis of an infectious disease according to the ICD-10-S code. All patients older than 14 years of age admitted to a conventional ward or intensive care unit, excluding labor and delivery, were included in the analysis and were evaluated based on the discharging department. RESULTS: Patients discharged with infectious diseases as the principal diagnosis have increased from 10% to 19% in recent years. A large part of the growth is due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Internal medicine departments cared for more than 50% of these patients, followed by pulmonology (9%) and surgery (5%). In 2020, 57% of patients with a principal diagnosis of infection were discharged by internists, who cared for 67% of patients with SARS CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS: At present, more than half of patients admitted with a principal diagnosis of infection are discharged from internal medicine departments. Given the growing complexity of infections, the authors advocate for an approach in which training allows for specialization, but within a generalist context, for the better management of these patients.

[Adverse drug events in patients hospitalized in internal medicine]. / Acontecimientos adversos causados por medicamentos en pacientes ingresados en medicina interna.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse drug events (ADE) are a public health problem, the dimension of which is difficult to quantify because it is under-reported. We have aimed to identify and describe the ADEs recorded in the minimum basic data set (MBDS) of the Internal Medicine Services during the years 2005-7. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study. Those episodes coded as such, according to the ICD-9-CM, in the discharge reports of all the patients hospitalized during 2005-07 in the entire Spanish territory, were selected. The sociodemographic variables, diagnostic categories and types of drugs, among others, were described and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 1,567,659 discharges coded in the Minimum Basic Data Set" (MBDS), 96,607 ADEs were recorded in 86,880 episodes (5.55%). Of these 82.86% were not preventable and 17.14% were preventable. A total of 4.5% of the episodes recorded an adverse drug reaction (ADR). The ADE's were more frequent in women and the appearance of an ADR during admission was accompanied by an increase in the hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: The MBDS is a useful tool for the identification, quantification and analysis of the ADRs, however, it is limited by the low recording of the discharge reports.

Estimating the short-term prognosis to adjust the transfer of patients with terminal cancer to medium-stay palliative care units. / Estimación de pronóstico a corto plazo para adecuar el traslado de pacientes oncológicos terminales a unidades de cuidados paliativos de media estancia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Clinical management for terminal patients should consider various aspects, particularly the patient's functional assessment, which correlates well with the short-term prognosis. The prognosis could improve if the presence of symptoms strongly associated with a poorer progression were included. The study's main objective was to assess whether the prognosis according to the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) improved with the presence/absence of pain-dyspnoea-delirium symptoms. The secondary objective was to determine caregiver satisfaction with the transfer to medium-stay palliative care units (MSPCUs), which are prepared for medium stays of approximately one month. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a prospective, observational, multicentre (regional) study that analysed survival in MSPCUs according to the PPS dichotomized to>20% and≤20%. We estimated the mean survival functions using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared them according to the Cox proportional hazards ratios (HR). Caregiver satisfaction was studied using an anonymous self-administered Likert questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients. The PPS≤20% and PPS>20% subgroups had a median survival of 6 (3-13) days and 21 (11-42) days, respectively, with an unadjusted mortality HR 3.1-fold greater in the PPS≤20% subgroup. The HR did not change when adjusted for the symptoms. Eighty-three percent of the caregivers found the transfer beneficial, and 40% observed better patient care. CONCLUSIONS: For patients transferred from general hospitals to MSPCUs, PPS scores≤20% were associated with survival shorter than one week, with a 3-fold higher mortality HR than patients with PPS scores>20%, without the analysis adjusted for the presence of pain-dyspnoea-delirium providing greater prognostic accuracy. The caregivers found benefits mainly in the convenience of the facilities and distance.

Metastatic spinal cord compression: Incidence, epidemiology and prognostic factors. / Compresión medular metastásica: incidencia, epidemiología y factores pronóstico.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is a severe complication in patients with cancer, and its incidence rate is difficult to accurately estimate. The aim of this study is to report the incidence and epidemiological and prognostic characteristics of MSCC in patients with cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed a cohort of 1736 patients diagnosed with cancer of any origin who were hospitalised in a palliative care unit. We collected epidemiological data, signs and symptoms, mean time to diagnosis, treatment regimen, response to treatment and mortality for the patients diagnosed with MSCC. RESULTS: In the 1736 patients, we identified 28 (1.6%) cases of MSCC. The average age was 67.2 (SD, 12.7) years, and lung cancer was the most common primary tumour (42.8%). The thoracic spine was the most affected location (12 cases, 42.8%), and pain was the predominant symptom (13 cases, 46.4%). The median survival after the MSCC diagnosis was 84.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: We observed an incidence rate of 1.6% (N=28) for MSCC in a cohort of 1736 patients with cancer. MSCC is a marker of poor prognosis, with a mean survival of less than 3 months from diagnosis and a hospital mortality of 32.4%.

[Two-year analysis of Internal Medicine activity in the National Health Care System hospitals]. / Análisis de dos años de actividad de Medicina Interna en los hospitales del sistema nacional de salud.

INTRODUCTION: We present a summary of the results of the hospital activities of the Internal Medicine (IM) Departments of the National Health Care System during the years 2005-2006. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients hospitalized in the IM departments of Spain during 2005 and 2006 were analyzed according to the data obtained from the minimum basic data set (MBDS), in which the administrative data were collected (age, gender, personal data) and clinical data (one principal diagnosis and up to 1 secondary diagnosis and 19 clinical procedures) for all the patients hospitalized in the public and private hospitals of Spain. RESULTS: During this period, there were 7,130.85 discharges in our country, 1,099.65 of these being from IM. A total of 53.6% of the patients were male, with mean age of 70.6 years, mean stay of 10 days (standard deviation [SD] 11.7) and 9.9% deaths. A total of 9.7% of the patients were admitted through the Emergency Department. Mean weight was 1.74 (SD 1.41) according to the American classification system and 1.1 (SD 0.73) according to the National Health System data. Respiratory failure diagnostic related group (DRG-541, 88 and 101) accounted for 14% of the discharges and heart failure (DRG 17, 544 and 87) accounted for 1.4% of all the episodes. CONCLUSIONS: In Spain, the internal medicine doctors attended one out of every 6 hospitalized patients. Admissions for more than half of the patients admitted due to cardiorespiratory disorder were unscheduled and one out of every 10 died during their stay. These data illustrate the importance of this specialty in the context of health care of our country. (c) 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

[Retrospective study of early readmissions at an internal medicine service]. / Estudio retrospectivo de los reingresos precoces de un servicio de medicina interna.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of hospital re-admissions to an Internal Medicine Department at a Community General Hospital as well as variables associated with them. METHODS: Analysis of hospital discharges during 1997. Data were provided by the Coding and Filing Service, and included sociodemographic data and aspects related to medical care to each patient, as well as discharge DRF according to the HCFA version. A logistic regression model was developed to identify variables independently associated with early re-admission risk (less than 30 days after discharge). RESULTS: The rate of early re-admission was 7.4%. The variables associated with a higher risk of admission included age, a hospital stay longer than the mean at first admission, and AIDS-associated conditions and heart diseases as main discharge diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our data, we cannot consider the readmission rates as a reliable index in itself to be assessed negatively, as some re-admissions come unexpectedly and/or are unavoidable.