Spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units in the state of Santa Catarina

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the methodology used for assessing the spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units.

METHODS

A modeling and simulation method was adopted for the practical application of cardiac care service in the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, using the p-median model. As the state is divided into 21 health care regions, a methodology which suggests an arrangement of eight intermediate cardiac care units was analyzed, comparing the results obtained using data from 1996 and 2012.

RESULTS

Results obtained using data from 2012 indicated significant changes in the state, particularly in relation to the increased population density in the coastal regions. The current study provided a satisfactory response, indicated by the homogeneity of the results regarding the location of the intermediate cardiac care units and their respective regional administrations, thereby decreasing the average distance traveled by users to health care units, located in higher population density areas. The validity of the model was corroborated through the analysis of the allocation of the median vertices proposed in 1996 and 2012.

CONCLUSIONS

The current spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units is more homogeneous and reflects the demographic changes that have occurred in the state over the last 17 years. The comparison between the two simulations and the current configuration showed the validity of the proposed model as an aid in decision making for system expansion.     

Risk factors for absenteeism due to sick leave in the petroleum industry

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors for absenteeism among workers with sick leave in an oil company.

METHODS

A case-control study (120 cases and 656 controls) nested in a retrospective cohort study following up all employees of an oil company in the North-Northeast of Brazil from 2007 to 2009. The response variable used to represent absenteeism with sick leave was the average incidence of sick leave, defined as the ratio between total sick days and potential working days in the period. Logistic regression techniques were used to investigate the association between average incidence of sick leave > 5.0% over the period and the variables sex, position, age, time at work, shift work, smoking, arterial hypertension, body mass index, physical activity, coronary risk, sleep, glycemia, non-managed diabetes, cardiovascular, digestive, musculoskeletal, neurological and neoplastic diseases, straining body positioning during work, satisfaction at work, relationship with management, and concentrated attention at work.

RESULTS

Average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% in the cohort period was 15.5%. The logistic model revealed that workers with average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% were 2.6 times more likely to be female; 2.0 time more likely to be smokers; 1.8 time more likely to be former smokers; 2.2 times more likely to report abnormal sleep and 10.5 times more likely to report dissatisfaction with their than workers with average incidence of sick leave ≤ 5.0% in the period.

CONCLUSIONS

In this population, female gender, being a smoker or a former smoker, reporting dissatisfaction with the job and reporting abnormal sleep are good predictors of occupational absenteeism with sick leave.     

Screening for depressive symptoms in older adults in the Family Health Strategy,Porto Alegre,Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the prevalence of depression in older adults and associated factors.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study using a stratified random sample of 621 individuals aged ≥ 60 from 27 family health teams in Porto Alegre, RS, Southern Brazil, between 2010 and 2012. Community health agents measured depression using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Scores of ≥ 6 were considered as depression and between 11 and 15 as severe depression. Poisson regression was used to search for independent associations of sociodemographic and self-perceived health with both depression and its severity.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression was 30.6% and was significantly higher in women (35.9% women versus 20.9% men, p < 0.001). The variables independently associated with depression were: female gender (PR = 1.4, 95%CI 1.1;1.8); low education, especially illiteracy (PR = 1.8, 95%CI 1.2;2 6); regular self-rated health (OR = 2.2, 95%CI 1.6;3.0); and poor/very poor self-rated health (PR = 4.0, 95%CI 2.9;5.5). Except for education, the strength of association of these factors increases significantly in severe depression.

CONCLUSIONS

A high prevalence of depression was observed in the evaluations conducted by community health agents, professionals who are not highly specialized. The findings identified using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale in this way are similar to those in the literature, with depression more associated with low education, female gender and worse self-rated health. From a primary health care strategic point of view, the findings become still more relevant, indicating that community health agents could play an important role in identifying depression in older adults.     

Model for the evaluation of drug-dispensing services in primary health care

OBJECTIVE

To develop a model for evaluating the efficacy of drug-dispensing service in primary health care.

METHODS

An efficacy criterion was adopted to determine the level of achievement of the service objectives. The evaluation model was developed on the basis of a literature search and discussions with experts. The applicability test of the model was conducted in 15 primary health care units in the city of Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, in 2010, and data were recorded in structured and pretested questionnaires.

RESULTS

The model developed was evaluated using five dimensions of analysis for analysis. The model was suitable for evaluating service efficacy and helped to identify the critical points of each service dimension.

CONCLUSIONS

Adaptations to the data collection technique may be required to adjust for the reality and needs of each situation. The evaluation of the drug-dispensing service should promote adequate access to medications supplied through the public health system.     

Assessment and risk classification protocol for patients in emergency units

Objective

to develop, validate the contents and verify the reliability of a risk classification protocol for an Emergency Unit.

Method

the content validation was developed in a University Hospital in a country town located in the state of Sao Paulo and was carried out in two stages: the first with the individual assessment of specialists and the second with the meeting between the researchers and the specialists. The use of the protocol followed a specific guide. Concerning reliability, the concordance or equivalent method among observers was used.

Results

the protocol developed showed to have content validity and, after the suggested changes were made, there were excellent results concerning reliability.

Conclusion

the assistance flow chart was shown to be easy to use, and facilitate the search for the complaint in each assistance priority.     

The weight of MMRV-related febrile convulsions among other clinical factors contributing to febrile convulsions in children

Background

It was previously demonstrated that MMRV vaccine causes a higher rate of febrile convulsions (FC) compared to the MMR vaccine. Additional risk factors for FC include age, familial tendency, day care attendance, viral diseases, complications at birth and developmental delay.

Objective

We evaluated the relative and attributable risk of FC for vaccinees’ age, ethnicity, low birth weight, preterm birth and MMRV vaccination in 10–24 months old children.

Methods

Data on medical history and vaccination were extracted from data warehouses of Clalit Health Services and Israel's Ministry of Health and linked on an individual record level for 90,294 MMR- and 8344 MMRV-vaccinees. A retrospective study design was used to reveal the risk factors associated with FC in study participants.

Results

During the second week after immunization, an elevated relative risk of FC was demonstrated in MMRV-recipients (adjusted RR = 2.16 (95%CI: 1.01; 4.64)). However, the cumulative incidence of FC during the entire 40-day observation period did not differ between the MMR and MMRV vaccinees. The MMRV-specific attributable risk of FC was not statistically significant at any point of observation period and was exceedingly low compared to other risk factors, equaling 5.3 FC cases per 10,000 vaccinees (95%CI: −1.4; 12.2).

Discussion

Our findings demonstrate that MMRV-associated FC in 10–24 months old contributes very marginally to the overall rate of FC in this population.

Conclusion

Given the low number of MMRV-specific FC cases, their transient nature and the benefit of vaccination, the overall benefit-risk of the vaccine can be considered favourable. Nonetheless, the option of separate immunization with MMR + V should be offered to parents, in order to maintain sufficient vaccine uptake in the population.     

Strategies to address participant misrepresentation for eligibility in Web‐based research

Emerging methodological research suggests that the World Wide Web (“Web”) is an appropriate venue for survey data collection, and a promising area for delivering behavioral intervention. However, the use of the Web for research raises concerns regarding sample validity, particularly when the Web is used for recruitment and enrollment. The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges experienced in two different Web‐based studies in which participant misrepresentation threatened sample validity: a survey study and an online intervention study. The lessons learned from these experiences generated three types of strategies researchers can use to reduce the likelihood of participant misrepresentation for eligibility in Web‐based research. Examples of procedural/design strategies, technical/software strategies and data analytic strategies are provided along with the methodological strengths and limitations of specific strategies. The discussion includes a series of considerations to guide researchers in the selection of strategies that may be most appropriate given the aims, resources and target population of their studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

依托社区医院开展居民院前急救知识普及

目的探讨居民院前急救知识普及的最佳模式。方法由社区医院对本辖区居民每月开展1次院前急救知识普及,普及形式为面授＋练习＋考核。采用广州市红十字会理论和技能评估工具在培训前、培训后1月对学员的培训效果及满意度进行评估。结果共开展培训13期,培训学员972人。学员培训后1个月的考核成绩明显高于培训前,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。其中共有929人通过考核获得初级救护员证书,通过率为95.6%,华师社区初级救护员拥有率达到1.6%。学员对课程的满意度平均为94.6%。结论依托社区医院开展居民院前急救知识普及是一种比较合理、有效、节约的培训模式,可以大大提高社区居民应对公共突发事件的应急能力。     

2009~2018年癌症康复研究的CiteSpace科学知识图谱可视化分析

目的 了解2009~2018年癌症康复相关研究的研究现状、研究热点及研究前沿。方法 检索2009~2018年Web of Science核心数据库中癌症康复相关文献,利用CiteSpace软件生成可视化科学知识图谱并进行分析。结果 2009~2018年,Web of Science核心数据库中共检索到癌症康复相关论文13956篇,年度发表论文数量总体呈增长趋势;《SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER》是发表论文最多的期刊,美国是发表文章数量最多、最具权威性的国家,UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA（阿尔伯塔大学）是最活跃的机构,Courneya KS是发表文献数量最多的作者;癌症研究领域热点词包括生活质量、体育活动、康复、运动、随机对照试验、前列腺癌、乳腺癌、淋巴水肿和肺癌。癌症、绝经后妇女、心血管疾病、主要结局指标、规律运动、氧化应激、社会支持、住院时间等可能是癌症康复未来潜在的研究方向。结论 癌症康复研究正在经历快速发展的阶段。近10年来,癌症康复研究形成了以国家和研究机构为单位的研究群体,其中欧美国家对癌症康复的研究处于世界领先水平,美国在癌症康复领域的研究具有相当重要的地位。癌症康复领域研究热点和学术前沿包括研究疾病、研究对象和研究方法3个方面,研究疾病主要集中于前列腺癌、乳腺及肺癌及并发症,研究群体以女性居多,研究方法多采用随机对照试验。