Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

INTRODUCTION: Print media play a key role in the promotion of values and behaviors that can impact on public health, like the breast cancer screening or secondary prevention strategies. In that regard, the National Cancer Institute (INC) of Argentina recommends that women aged 50 to 70 years old have a mammogram once every two years. OBJECTIVES: To document the agreement between the breast cancer prevention information published by Argentina’s main newspapers, on their digital version, and the INC recommendations. METHODS: A cross-sectional document review was carried out. Two researchers looked for breast cancer articles that were published in 2015 on the websites of the newspapers with the highest digital traffic. Among those promoting secondary prevention strategies against breast cancer, it was determined whether their information matched the INC recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 135 news articles were identified: 95 failed to meet the inclusion criteria, and 40 were included in the analysis; 95% of the latter gave messages different from what the INC recommends. The most frequent recommendation (33/40; 82.5%) was to have an annual mammography after the age of 40, followed by breast self-examination (20/40; 50%). CONCLUSIONS: Print media provide breast cancer screening information which differs from INC recommendations

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INTRODUCTION: Vertical transmission of syphilis can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding. In Argentina, the National System of Health Surveillance has noted an increase in reports of congenital infections, being a public health problem. OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence of syphilis in postpartum women without serology in last month of gestation; to identify factors influencing syphilis prevalence; and to recognize the causes involved in inadequate syphilis antenatal control. METHODS: A total of 278 postpartum women were studied by VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test), TP-PA (Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay) and a survey of socio-economic factors, risk behaviors and maternal factors in Institute of Maternity and Gynecology Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, between October 2014 and March 2015. RESULTS: Prevalence was 2.9% (95%CI: 1.5-5.6%); 3 cases were current syphilis and 5 cases were past syphilis. Risk factors for syphilis were: being young adult, being unemployed, having a low number of children and having a stillbirth. Factors that favor an adequate antenatal control were: being adult, having a high education level and being married. Having no toxic habits acted as a protective factor, and the most frequent cause of inadequate prenatal care was lack of request by doctor. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a higher prevalence than the national one (1.321%), and identified some risk factors. It would be essential to strengthen existing services of prenatal care for the prevention of syphilis transmission

La población escolar se caracteriza por presentar un perfil de salud con una baja tasa de mortalidad y una baja frecuencia de internaciones en comparación con otros grupos etarios, lo cual contribuye a que sea percibida como una población sana. Sin embargo, esta población no es inmune a la alta carga de morbilidad por enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT) que se observa globalmente. Existen diversas iniciativas para la aplicación de políticas y programas dirigidos a la población escolar con el objetivo de reducir el impacto de los principales factores de riesgo de ECNT. Estas intervenciones tienen como principales escenarios a la escuela y a los centros de salud locales, donde se desarrollan acciones de promoción de la salud y se propicia el acceso al control anual de salud. El Programa Nacional de Salud Escolar (PROSANE) tiene como objetivo propiciar y fortalecer la implementación de políticas de cuidado de la población en edad escolar de Argentina. El artículo describe esta estrategia, su modalidad de implementación y sus resultados. La implementación del PROSANE ha permitido visibilizar a esta población, elaborar un análisis sanitario y promover su acceso al sistema de salud.

INTRODUCTION: The Combined First-Trimester Screening is the best way to select those cases in which the unborn child has a significantly increased risk of certain aneuploidies. However, in a country where the abortion is illegal, the impact of this study on women attending public hospitals is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the previous information and the understanding of the informed consent for performing the first-trimester screening in the population attending a public hospital. METHODS: An exploratory, observational, cross-sectional, quantitative research was conducted, with women under 14 weeks pregnant controlling pregnancy in a public hospital. The survey was designed through focus groups. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 148 cases. In 99.3% of the cases, pregnant women identified the advantages of undergoing this test; 51.7% admitted that they did not know the applicable law, that prevents ending a pregnancy if the fetus has a disease known to be compatible with life after birth; and 55.4% proved they understood the difference between the probabilistic nature of the test and the diagnosis of a genetic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The first-trimester screening was well accepted, and their advantages widely recognized by pregnant women. However, although the information proved to be sufficient, it was not entirely suitable for the whole population.

INTRODUCTION: Dog bite accidents (DBA) are a growing problem in public health. Rosario is the most populated city in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and is divided in six districts. OBJECTIVES: To demographically characterize the risk of DBA in children younger than 15 years of age during 2012-2013 and to characterize injured areas of the body. METHODS: A retrospective analytical observational study was carried out based on records from the Anti-Rabies Institute of Carrasco Hospital, Rosario, a regional reference center for DBA. Cumulative incidences of DBA in the period 2012-2013 were determined for 1000 children (CI2012-2013/1000), considering age groups and the districts of Rosario. The ratios of CI2012-2013/1000 were calculated and adjusted as appropriate. RESULTS: Males were almost twice as likely to have DBA as females. As the age group decreased, the chance of DBA increased. The districts of Rosario city showed marked differences for DBA probability, with the West being the most vulnerable. A significant correlation was found between age groups and injured areas of the body. CONCLUSIONS: Subpopulation differences were found in the demographic variables studied for DBA, which should be taken into account in order to implement prevention strategies

INTRODUCTION: Child and maternal health represents a scenario where inequalities become visible, displaying significant differences in the risk of dying. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the trend of inequality in Argentine child and maternal health during 1990-2010. METHODS: An aggregate, observational, longitudinal design with provincial aggregation was chosen. Infant mortality rate, under-5 mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio were used for 1989-1991, 2000-2002 and 2009-2011 trienniums. Inequality measures based on the concepts of regression, disproportionality and rank were calculated. RESULTS: The trend of inequality was different depending on the used method. Infant and under-5 mortality declined over the period, primarily at the expense of the 2000-2010 stage. Inequality in maternal mortality showed a slightly downward trend, although the situation for certain provinces was not better than at the beginning of the phase. According to rank-based measures, there was an increased risk for the three mortality indicators for the 2000-2002 triennium. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of the gap in infant mortality occurred mainly during 2000-2010, while maternal mortality presented a relatively stable scenario. It is necessary to use different methods to measure health inequalities

La enfermedad renal crónica (ERC) presenta un continuo incremento en prevalencia e impacto sobre la carga de enfermedad mundial, junto al crecimiento de sus principales causas tributarias. Asimismo, la atención de la ERC ejerce una gran presión sobre los equilibrios económicos en salud por el alto costo y la baja eficacia relativa de los tratamientos sustitutivos que requieren los pacientes en la etapa terminal. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar esta problemática desde una perspectiva con visión sanitaria y organizacional que permita generar nuevas propuestas de gestión, como claves para mejorar los resultados de los pacientes y los sistemas de salud. Es necesario que las estrategias de abordaje apunten a mejorar los resultados en términos de ganancia de salud y consenso sobre procesos de atención más eficientes e integrados, para lo cual el rol del nefrólogo deberá adaptarse a nuevos modelos de trabajo, colaboración y desempeño

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INTRODUCTION: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 25% of deaths due to injuries are caused by road traffic collisions. The impact goes beyond physical injuries and death. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the psychometric properties of WHO-DAS 2.0 (WD2) Spanish version to assess the disabilities of people over the age of 18 who have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) from road traffic accidents in Mar del Plata, Argentina. METHODS: Forty-five people were interviewed in their homes six months after the TBI occurred. The internal consistency of six dimensions were analysed through Cronbach’s alpha, the validity of the criterion through partial and global correlation using the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) and the independence functional scale (IFS). Principal components analysis (PCA), hierarchical classification and partition were carried out. Partial and total results were compared in two different groups according to severity, using Kruskal-Wallis H test. RESULTS: Alpha’s values obtained were higher than 0.8, correlation equal to 0.85 with GOSE and 0.79 with IFS. PCA showed three different classes of severity and two groups of dimensions in the physical and social areas. IFS showed a high reverse correlation with the first one. High discriminatory power between subgroups of different severity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: WD2 allows evaluating the disability caused by TBI occurring in traffic accidents