Biomedical subjects

R Ortiz

Publications and source records attributed to R Ortiz.

94 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[The risk factors in primary bacteremias: a case-control study].

Nosocomial bacteremias are a important cause of mobility and mortality for hospitalized patients which, in addition, generate additional and elevated costs to the institutions. Its frequency has increased in the last year in relation to a greater number of patients, many of them immunosuppressed, which are submitted to invasive procedures. In this study, we analyzed the primary nosocomial bacteremias which occurred in our institution, carrying out a comparative case and control study in order to find the main risk factors which condition their occurrence. In a period of 42 months, 83 episodes of nosocomial primary bacteremias were detected. These represented an incidence of 8 per 1000 of patients which left the hospital and with a clear rising incidence in the last six months. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) a greater rate was found per sector (21.3 x 1000). The predominating agents were S. epidermidis, enterobacteremia, S. aureus and enteroccocci. Of the 15 possible risk factors analyzed by multiple regression, those significant were over two weeks of hospital stay and the use of parenteral feeding. These results make it imperative to reinforce control measures in the preparation of parental feeding solutions as in patients with prolonged hospital stay, especially in the ICU.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns in sun exposure and sunscreen use among Puertorrican adolescents.

A survey of 245 adolescents visiting different San Juan area beaches was conducted to determine the frequency with which they used sunscreens lotions. Seventy-two percent of the teenager in the survey stated that they spent most weekends in the sun; however, only 68% always used sunscreen, while 31% never did. Prevalence factors found to be associated with the sunscreen use included male sex (odd ratio = 1.01 P < 0.01), having a friend who routinely used the lotion (odds ratio = 0.06, P < 0.05), and having parents who strongly recommend the sunscreen use, (odds ratio = o.g, P > 0.05). This survey substantiates poor compliance with sunscreen lotion use by teenagers despite increasing evidence of the dangers of sun exposure.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The anti-arrhythmia effect of carbamazepine in chagasic patients with advanced myocardial damage].

Oral administration of 600 mg/day of carbamazepine to 14 arrhythmic chagasic patients with advanced myocardial damage and no signs of congestive heart failure did not alter the frequency of ventricular extrasystoles, but reduced the total number of supraventricular ectopic beats in 7/14 patients and the episodes of complex ventricular arrhythmias in up to 43% of patients. This assessment was made from 24 hour continuous Holter recording during the course of this double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized crossover study. Serum levels of carbamazepine were also determined and found within therapeutic limits. Six patients complained of minor side effects. One patient presented with iatrogenic complete AV block, another case had proarrhythmic effect and one patient had to be withdrawn from the study because of gastric irritation. No instance of contractile depression was observed. Accordingly, carbamazepine is a therapeutic alternative for treatment of symptomatic complex ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias in chronic chagasic patients without evidence of conduction system involvement or with intolerance to other antiarrhythmic drugs.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Salmonella gastroenteritis outbreak among workers from a tertiary care hospital in Mexico City.

OBJECTIVE: To describe an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis among employees of the National Institute of Nutrition (INNSZ) of Mexico City during July, 1994. METHODS: Employees who developed diarrhea or fever associated with gastrointestinal symptoms starting on July 14th were included for study as well as 50 healthy controls. A questionnaire was applied to all, and they also provided a stool sample, along with other 80 asymptomatic people (included the kitchen workers) in whom only stool culture was done. RESULTS: Ninety-seven employees that ate regularly at the Hospital's cafeteria were affected by the outbreak, and 67 of them (69%) could be evaluated. Most of them were nurses (34%), and handymen (27%). Most common symptoms were abdominal pain (97%), diarrhea (95%), nausea (91%), and fever (89%). Cultures from suspicious food items were all negative, but stool cultures from 10/70 cases were positive for Salmonella enteritidis vs. 0/133 in the controls. The ten S. enteritidis isolates resulted identical either by serotyping and by rapid amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Cultures from all kitchen employees were negative for S. enteritidis. Breakfast meal on July 14th was associated with the development of gastroenteritis (61/67 cases vs 26/50 controls, p < 0.001), and particularly with an egg-covered meat plate (61/62 vs 13/26 controls, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak was probably caused by eggs contaminated with Salmonella, since no one of the kitchen personnel was found to be an asymptomatic carrier, and the implicated recipe allows for inappropriate cooking. Recommendations to improve cooking procedures must be added to the usual regulations to diminish the frequency of foodborne disease outbreaks in hospitals.

Adolescent↗