Health care delivery system. Effects on surgical education: The Mexican panorama

Health care delivery in Mexico is divided in three groups: a social sector that covers approximately 53% of the population and is financed by the labor force, the state and the employer; a public, or open, sector that covers 33% of the population and is financed by federal and state funds; and a private sector that covers about 5% of the population and has two categories, the not-for-profit hospitals and the profit-oriented institutions. Most medical practitioners can work in any of the three groups or in several. Nine percent of Mexico's population, because of extreme ignorance, poverty, or isolation, have no or limited access to medical care. Mexico has 58 medical schools, which graduate about 7800 new physicians annually, awarding them the title Medico cirujano (Physician Surgeon). There are more than 160,000 physicians in Mexico, 20,000 of whom are unemployed. Each year, approximately 12,000 physicians compete for the 4306 places in the official residency training programs for all specialties. Of those taking the examination, 2000 try to get one of the 625 slots available for training in general surgery. Most of the surgical training programs in Mexico have a 3-year duration. The Mexican Academy of Surgery, the Mexican Society of General Surgery, and the Mexican Board of Surgery, as well as private individuals and organizations, are working to improve the quality of medical education and trying to establish a 5-year training program in surgery. The rapid movement toward modernization that is sweeping the country must include the improvement of surgical education as well.

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Resumen La atención de la salud en México está dividida en tres grupos: el Sector Social que cubre approximadamente el 53% de la población y que está financiado por la fuerza laboral, el Estado y el empleador; un Sector Público o Abierto que cubre el 33% de la población y que es financiado con fondos federales y estatales; y un Sector Privado que cubre el 5% de la población y que posee dos categorías: la de los hospitales sin ánimo de lucro y la de las instituciones con ánimo de lucro. La mayoría de los médicos pueden trabajar en cualquiera de los 3 grupos, o en combinación. El 9% de la población mexicana, por extrema ignorancia, pobreza y aislamiento no posee acceso alguno, o sólo lo tiene mínimo, a la atención médica.México posee 58 facultades de medicina, las cuales gradúan alrededor de 7.800 nuevos médicos anualmente, a quienes se les expide el título de médico cirujano.Hay más de 160.000 médicos en México, 20.000 de los cuales se encuentran desempleados. Cada año aproximadamente 12.000 médicos compiten por las 4.306 plazas en los programas oficiales de adiestramiento en las diferentes especialidades. De aquellos que presentan examen, 2.000 tratan de obtener uno de los 625 lugares disponibles para adiestramiento en círugía general.La mayoría de los programas de adiestramiento quirúrgico en la nación son de tres años de duración. La Academia Mexicana de Cirugía, la Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía General y el Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía, así como individuos y organizaciones privadas, trabajan en pro del mejoramiento de la calidad de la educación médica y tratan de establecer un programa de adiestramiento en cirugía de cinco años de duración. Los rápidos cambios de modernización que ocurren en el país deben incluir también el mejoramiento de la educación quirúrgica.

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Résumé L'administration des soins au Mexique est repartie entre trois secteurs: 1) Le secteur social qui couvre environ 53% de la population et qui est financé par la caisse des ouvriers, celle de l'état et celle du patronat; 2) un secteur public ou ouvert, qui couvre environ 33% de la population et qui est financé par des fonds fédéraux et gouvernementaux et enfin 3) un secteur privé, qui ne couvre que 5% environ de la population et qui comprend deux catégories, les hôpitaux à but non-lucratif et les institutions à but lucratif. La plupart des médecins peuvent exercer dans un ou plusieurs de ces trois groupes. Neuf pourcent de la population, en raison d'une extrême pauvreté, de son ignorance ou de son éloignement, a peu ou pas d'accés à des soins structurés.Il y a 58 écoles de Médecine au Mexique, produisant environ 7800 nouveaux médecins par an. Ils reçoivent le titre de Medico Cirujano littéralement, Médecin chirurgical. Il existe plus de 160000 médecins au Mexique, dont 20000 sont sans travail. Chaque année, environ 12000 médecins sont en compétition pour obtenir un des 4306 postes officiels de résidents, toutes spialités confondues. Parmi ceux qui se présentent, 2000 sont candidats pour un poste en chirurgie. La plupart des programmes d'enseignement durent trois ans. L'Académie de Chirurgie Mexicaine, La Société Mexicaine de chirurgie Générale et le comité d'accréditation chirurgicale, tout en accord avec les institutions privées et leur dirigeants oeuvrent pour un programme de cinq ans. La vague de progrès, ressentie dans tous les domaines, qui traverse actuellement le pays doit aussi intéresser l'amélioration de l'enseignement en chirurgie.

     

Comparison of open and arthroscopic subacromial decompression

We retrospectively reviewed 68 patients (70 shoulders) who underwent either open or arthroscopic acromioplasty performed by a single surgeon (JPI) for chronic impingement syndrome in the presence of an intact rotator cuff. Group 1 consisted of 24 shoulders that had open acromioplasty and group 2 consisted of 46 shoulders that had arthroscopic acromioplasty. The minimum follow-up was 12 months for both groups. There was no statistical difference in mean postoperative shoulder scores between the operative groups. However, there were more excellent results in the open group as compared with the arthroscopic group (54.2% vs 41.9%, respectively). In addition, there was a higher percentage of poor results in group 2 as compared with group 1 (27.9% vs 16.6%, respectively). Arthroscopic acromioplasty was associated with shorter hospital stays and faster achievement of maximal pain relief as compared with open acromioplasty. Examination of postoperative radiographs often revealed subacromial calcifications. These calcifications were more frequent after arthroscopic acromioplasty and were associated with a worse result.     

Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears: Factors Affecting Surgical Outcome

Eighty-five percent to 95% of patients who undergo primary surgical repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears have a significant decrease in shoulder pain and improvement in shoulder function. The results of surgery are dependent on the surgical technique, the extent of pathologic changes in the rotator cuff, and the postoperative rehabilitation protocol. Preoperative factors associated with a less favorable result are the size of the tear, the quality of the tissues, the presence of a chronic rupture of the long head of the biceps tendon, and the degree of preoperative shoulder weakness. Surgical factors associated with a less favorable result include inadequate acromioplasty, residual symptomatic acromioclavicular arthritis, inadequate rotator cuff tissue mobilization, deltoid detachment or denervation, and failure of rotator cuff healing. Clinical evaluation and preoperative imaging of the shoulder will improve patient selection and counseling. Meticulous surgical technique and postoperative rehabilitation will optimize the final result.     

Intrafamilial relations of cardiovascular disease risk factors in African-Americans: longitudinal results from DC SCAN

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined intrafamilial patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in African-American families or identified potential influences on these patterns. This study examines the effects of age and sex of child on correlations between siblings during childhood as well as between mothers and their offspring in African-American families at two points in time. METHODS: CVD risk factors were assessed in a sample of 267 pairs of African-American siblings and their mothers. One hundred nine of these families were selected for a second assessment of CVD risk factors approximately 28 months later. RESULTS: Older siblings had significantly greater correlations than younger siblings with mothers' low-density lipoproteins (r = 0.61 versus r = 0.43 for older and younger siblings, respectively), apolipoprotein A-I (r = 0. 46 versus r = 0.16), and lipoprotein (a) (r = 0.71 versus r = 0.34). Correlations between female siblings were significantly higher than between male siblings for total cholesterol (r = 0.74 versus r = 0. 18 for female versus male siblings), triglycerides (r = 0.56 versus r = 0.05), and apolipoprotein B (r = 0.72 versus r = 0.31); they were also higher between female siblings than between mixed-sex siblings for measures of adiposity (r = 0.46 versus r = 0.19) and total cholesterol (r = 0.74 versus r = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: Significant intrafamilial correlations for African-American children were influenced by both age and sex of siblings, reflecting potential genetic and environmental influences. Assessing family patterns of CVD risk factors in high-risk populations may assist in the early identification of children who can benefit most from intervention.     

Breast Carcinoma in Childhood and Adolescence: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Secretory breast carcinoma is a rare tumor originally described in children and adolescent women with a characteristic morphology and a controversial choice of treatment. We report an additional case of a 4-year-old girl with a breast tumor diagnosed as a secretory carcinoma without involvement of the axillary lymph nodes. The therapy consisted of simple mastectomy and low axillary dissection. She presented with a local recurrence near the surgical scar 8 months later, and a wide elliptical excision of the scar and underlying tissue was performed with subsequent radiotherapy of the surgical bed. This tumor has a relatively benign behavior and rarely metastasizes. A literature review revealed only 22 cases of breast carcinoma in childhood and adolescence. ▪     

Smoking in pregnancy: A survey from Northern Italy

Summary The prevalence of smoking in pregnancy was analyzed in a survey of women delivering between January and March 1989 in a large maternity clinic in Milan, Northern Italy. Out of the 528 women interviewed, 183 (35%) were current smokers before pregnancy and 99 stopped smoking during pregnancy. The probability of stopping smoking decreased with increasing age and was lower in less educated women, but these findings were not statistically significant. Considering persistent smokers only, the mean number of cigarettes per day fell from 13 before to 8 during pregnancy; this reduction was generally consistent in various subgroups of age and education. The reductions, however, are probably overestimated, since they are based on the women's reports only. Thus, there still appears to be ample scope for intervention on smoking in pregnancy, particularly in older and less educated women.

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Zusammenfassung Die Rauchprävalenz während der Schwangerschaft wurde in einer Querschnittstudie bei Frauen untersucht, welche zwischen Januar und März 1989 in einer grossen Frauenklinik in Mailand ein Kind zur Welt brachten. Von 528 befragten Frauen hatten 183 (35%) vor der Schwangerschaft geraucht, und 99 Frauen war es gelungen, während der Schwangerschaft mit Rauchen aufzuhören. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit für letzteres nahm mit zunehmendem Alter ab und war kleiner für Frauen mit geringer Ausbildung (statistisch nicht signifikant). Bei den Raucherinnen wurde eine Reduktion der mittleren Anzahl Zigaretten von 13 Stück vor der Schwangerschaft auf 8 während der Schwangerschaft festgestellt. Diese Reduktion fand sich in allen Alters- und Ausbildungsgruppen. Wahrscheinlich wurde die Reduktion aber überbewertet, weil sich ihre Berechnung nur auf die Aussagen der Frauen abstützte. Für Gesundheitsaktionen, die ein Rauchstopp während der Schwangerschaft zum Ziele haben, besteht immer noch ein grosser Bedarf, besonders bei älteren und weniger ausgebildeten Frauen.

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Résumé La prévalence du tabagisme durant la grossese a été étudiée lors d'une enquête des parturientes entre janvier et mars 1989 dans une grande maternité de Milan. Parmi les 528 femmes interrogées, 183 (35%) étaient tabagiques avant la grossesse et 99 avaient arrêté de fumer durant la grossesse. La probalité de cesser l'habitude diminue lorsque l'âge augmente, et est basse chez les femmes dont le niveau d'éducation est bas, sans significantion statistique. En considérant uniquement les parturientes tabagiques, le nombre quotidien de cigarettes fumées passe de 13 avant la grossesse à 8 durant la grossesse; cette diminution se retrouve dans tous les groupes d'âge et tous les niveaux d'éducation. Ces diminutions sont probablement surestimées, puisqu'elles sont basées sur les seules déclarations des parturientes. Cette enquête montre qu'il existe encore une large place por la prévention.

     

Prognostic value of galactose elimination capacity,aminopyrine breath test,and ICG clearance in patients with cirrhosis

Seventy-eight patients with cirrhosis were prospectively followed for up to 20 months, on the average. At entry into the study, galactose elimination capacity, aminopyrine breath test, and ICG clearance were measured. At the end of the study, 27 patients had died. Univariate analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method showed that both quantitative liver function tests (galactose elimination capacity:P<0.025; aminopyrine breath test:P<0.001; ICG clearance:P<0.005) and common clinical and biochemical data (encephalopathy:P<0.001; ascites:P<0.001; serum bilirubin:P<0.005; serum albumin:P<0.001; prothrombin index:P<0.05) were significant predictors of survival. To investigate whether quantitative liver function tests could contribute to a better definition of the prognosis, once Pugh score had already been taken into account, a multiple regression analysis according to the Cox model was performed. Pugh score and galactose elimination capacity resulted in the only independent prognostic covariates. From them a prognostic index was calculated, and the model was validated in an additional sample of 70 patients investigated according to the same protocol. The contribution GEC gave to the assessment of overall prognosis over that obtained using the Pugh score was slight, as estimated by the statistical parameters of the Cox's model, but was significant as assessed by a ROC curve analysis (P=0.05). These data show that all quantitative liver function tests were predictors of survival in cirrhosis, and that the galactose elimination capacity added some new prognostic information to those already available using the Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification.This study was supported in part by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education (National Project Liver Cirrhosis). Part of this study was presented at the 22nd Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation, Graz, Austria, April 20–23, 1988.