Importancia del compromiso del personal sanitario para la satisfacción de los pacientes en Atención Primaria

Conocer en qué medida el compromiso organizativo de los profesionales sanitarios de Atención Primaria es importante para la satisfacción de los pacientes. Estudio observacional, de corte transversal, cuantitativo, retrospectivo, y no controlado. Cuarenta centros de Atención Primaria pertenecientes al área de salud de Gran Canaria. Atención primaria. Seiscientos diecisiete profesionales sanitarios (46% médicos y 54% enfermeros) y 1.537 usuarios de los centros de Atención Primaria (35,39% hombres y 64,60% mujeres). Muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Para evaluar el compromiso organizativo se usó un cuestionario autoadministrado a profesionales sanitarios de centros de Atención Primaria. La satisfacción de los pacientes se obtuvo mediante encuesta telefónica y las variables de control a partir de fuentes secundarias. Los datos se analizaron mediante regresión lineal múltiple. Para profundizar en los resultados se usaron también entrevistas semiestructuradas. El entorno socioeconómico de los centros de salud no influye en la satisfacción de los pacientes. El compromiso organizativo de los trabajadores influye positivamente en la satisfacción de los usuarios de los centros de salud. También se encontró que los profesionales más comprometidos tienen menos disponibilidad en sus agendas para citas a corto plazo. Las entrevistas sugieren que se debe a que dedican más tiempo a sus pacientes, lo cual hace que estén más satisfechos. El compromiso organizativo afectivo de los profesionales sanitarios es una actitud que permite mejorar la satisfacción de los pacientes, por ello, los gestores sanitarios deberían emplear prácticas dirigidas a fortalecer dicha actitud.Palabras clave: Satisfacción del paciente, Compromiso organizativo, Calidad asistencial, Atención primaria, Gestión de personal     

Clinical differentiation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Latin America and the Caribbean

The aim of the present study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including medical and surgical treatments, in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.IBD is recognized as a global health problem because its incidence and prevalence have increased significantly over the last few years.This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 4714 patients with IBD diagnosed from 9 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.Crohn disease (CD) was more frequent in Puerto Rico (71.9%), the Dominican Republic (61.0%), and Peru (53.1%). Ulcerative colitis was more frequent in Colombia (78.6%), Venezuela (78.2%), Mexico (75.5%), Cuba (69.9%), Ecuador (64.1%), and Uruguay (60.9%). The following clinical characteristics were more frequent in the Caribbean: penetrating behavior in CD, steroid dependence, steroid resistance, intolerance to thiopurines, extraintestinal manifestations, surgeries, hospitalizations due to IBD, and family history of IBD. The factors associated with the use of biological therapy were pancolitis in ulcerative colitis, penetrating behavior in CD, steroid resistance and dependence, presence of extraintestinal manifestations, and the need for surgery.This study from Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrated the different epidemiological and clinical characteristics of IBD.     

Bioinspired Topographic Surface Modification of Biomaterials

Physical surface modification is an approach that has been investigated over the last decade to reduce bacterial adhesion and improve cell attachment to biomaterials. Many techniques have been reported to modify surfaces, including the use of natural sources as inspiration to fabricate topographies on artificial surfaces. Biomimetics is a tool to take advantage of nature to solve human problems. Physical surface modification using animal and vegetal topographies as inspiration to reduce bacterial adhesion and improve cell attachment has been investigated in the last years, and the results have been very promising. However, just a few animal and plant surfaces have been used to modify the surface of biomaterials with these objectives, and only a small number of bacterial species and cell types have been tested. The purpose of this review is to present the most current results on topographic surface modification using animal and plant surfaces as inspiration to modify the surface of biomedical materials with the objective of reducing bacterial adhesion and improving cell behavior.     

Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypopnea Syndrome, Electrocardiogram, and Pulmonary Arterial Pressure

Background: We evaluated the impact of surgically-induced weight loss on Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS), electrocardiographic changes, pulmonary arterial pressure and daytime sleepiness in morbidly obese patients. Methods: 16 women and 13 men (n=29) underwent bariatric surgery in a 3-year period. The following tests were performed before and 1 year after surgery: nocturnal polysomnography, daytime Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), and echocardiogram. Results: Mean age was 37.9±11 years (range 20-56). Preoperative body mass index was 56.5±12.3 kg/m² and it was 39.2±8.5 kg/m² at 13.7±6.6 months follow-up. Performed surgical procedures included: vertical banded gastroplasty in 6, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 12, and Distal Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 11. Weight loss induced by surgery eliminated OSAHS in 46% of obese patients with an important improvement in oxygen saturation. Neck, thorax, waist and hip circumferences decreased significantly after surgical intervention but only neck circumference correlated significantly with the apnea/hypopnea index (Spearman rho=0.63, P <0.0001). Electrocardiographic abnormalities were present in 9 patients (31%) before surgery (sinus arrhythmia, ventricular arrhythmias, and sinus arrest). The number of electrocardiographic abnormalities decreased after surgery but new abnormalities appeared in some patients. Systolic pulmonary arterial pressure significantly decreased in the group of patients in whom OSAHS disappeared after surgery. Daytime sleepiness persisted after surgery in most patients. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery effectively reduces respiratory disturbances during sleep and improves pulmonary hypertension. Electro cardiographic abnormalities change after surgery. Daytime sleepiness appeared not to be related to respiratory disturbances during sleep.