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Biomedical subjects

F Plaza

Publications and source records attributed to F Plaza.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Tinnitus retraining therapy in Ménière disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the response of tinnitus in Meniere's disease patients (MD) using the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). This management includes a wide cognitive medical counselling and natural or prosthetic sound therapies (hearing aid or noise generator). DESIGN: Descriptive prospective study (EBM level 3). PATIENTS: Twenty-five patients diagnosed as definitive MD (AAO-HNS 95 criteria) were enrolled in our tinnitus protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tinnitus changes were reported according to patient's self-evaluation, a visual analogue scale on tinnitus intensity (EVA) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). RESULTS: Seventy-three percent of the patients improved their tinnitus after 6 months of treatment (p < 0.05). THI scores were reduced from the initial 47% to 24% (p < 0.05) and EVA from 6.6 to 5.2 (p < 0.05). After 12 months, the response was slightly worse: 68% improved according to their self-evaluation (p < 0.05), THI score reached 20% (p < 0.05) but EVA did not improve significantly (6.4). Patients that refused prosthesis adaptation (hearing aid or noise generator) did not improved and the THI score (48%) and EVA score (6.6) did not change. CONCLUSIONS: TRT has proved to be an effective method for tinnitus treatment in MD that improves patient's self-evaluation, tinnitus loudness and handicap scores. Individualized medical counselling and an exhaustive prosthesis adaptation are crucial to guarantee satisfactory results.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Optimizing nitrogen removal in the BioDenitro process.

The potential and limits of different configurations of the BioDenitro-alternating process to suit the various design cases that can arise depending on the wastewater characteristics, space necessary and effluent nitrogen requirements were analysed through simulations of the activated sludge model No. 2. The first analysis involved the combination in one cycle of the main phase in the alternating reactors with an aerated phase having the two reactors in aerobic conditions and/or a hydraulic phase using the flow only in the anoxic reactor. This option has been found to have a very high potential for cases with strict requirements concerning effluent total nitrogen, but limited when the requirements are low effluent NH4-N, relatively high effluent total nitrogen and minimum solids and hydraulic retention times. When the latter conditions have to be fulfilled the incorporation of a post-aeration reactor to the alternating reactor was found to be very effective. In addition the configuration is very flexible because multiple combinations of post-aeration reactor volumes and in the duration of the different phases in the alternating reactors can be selected to achieve effluent nitrogen requirements. This flexibility is limited to the use of moderate values in the post-aeration reactor volumes and in the duration of the aerated phase. An experimental trial of the latter configuration was carried out and demonstrated its operational simplicity by achieving the desired nitrogen requirements in the effluent simply by changing the duration of the aerated phase for a given post-aeration reactor volume. From the experimental results an enhanced simultaneous nitrification-denitrification at the start of aeration in the alternating reactors was found and the ASM2 model was shown to have a satisfactory predictive capacity.

Bioreactors↗
PubMed2001

New simulators for the optimum management and operation of wastewater treatment plant.

This paper presents the basic description and the first full-scale implementation of a new kind of simulator specially designed to facilitate and improve the management and operation of modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This new kind of simulator for plant operation is specifically adapted to every WWTP and the software is developed considering the common needs of the operators in plant exploitation. The internal structure of the plant operation simulator is based on a complete connection between the real data and the mathematical model of the plant. The software is then able to perform the processing, storage and management of the plant data and to predict the evolution of the process reading the required inputs from its stored files. The results obtained with the first application recommend the implementation of this new kind of simulators for plant operation in other treatment plants. However, it is important to note that the application of this technology implies a systematic and rigorous methodology in the acquisition and processing of the most significant plant data.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1999

[Home self-monitoring of arterial pressure: identification of the white coat reaction].

OBJECTIVES: To validate the reliability of a standard protocol for self-measurement at home of blood pressure (SMBP) in terms of its sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of the white-coat phenomenon (WCP), by comparing it with out-clinic monitoring of blood pressure (OMBP) and examining the effect on the two methods' concordance of blood pressure (BP) levels, the intensity of the WCP, age and the body mass index. DESIGN: Crossover descriptive study. SETTING: Two health centres in Asturias. PARTICIPANTS: 58 patients with hypertension, whose BP was not monitored in the clinic, were taught to take 30 SMBP readings in 10 days with a previously calibrated digital sphygmanometer. In the 15 days immediately following, a 24-hour OMBP session took place. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and the analysis of individual differences between the variables were assessed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: SMBP sensitivity was 84.21%. Specificity was 82.05%. For the estimated prevalence of white-coat hypertension in our area (22.7%), positive predictive value was 58%, and negative 95%. The graphic analysis of individual differences did not show that the consistency between the two methods was affected in a relevant way by any variable analysed. CONCLUSIONS: The SMBP protocol presented is a valid instrument, especially for confirming sustained hypertension. It enables the WCP to be suspected, though, if possible, this should be confirmed by means of OMBP.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Control of rotating waves in cardiac muscle: analysis of the effect of an electric field.

The effect of an electric field on rotating waves in cardiac muscle is considered from a theoretical point of view. A model of excitation propagation taking into account the cellular structure of the heart is presented and studied. The application of a direct current electric field along the cardiac tissue is known to induce changes in membrane potential which decay exponentially with distance. Investigation of the model shows that the electric field induces a gradient of potential inside a cell which does not decay with distance, and results in modification of excitation propagation which extends a considerable distance from the electrodes. In two dimensions, it induces a drift of rotating waves. The effect of the electric field on propagation velocity and on rotating waves cannot be obtained in any arbitrary models of cardiac muscle. For an electric field of about 1 V cm-1 and junctional resistances of about 20 M omega, the change in velocity of propagation can be up to several percent, resulting in a drift velocity of rotating waves of the order of 1 cm s-1. To test these predictions, experiments with cardiac preparations are proposed.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Chylous ascites secondary to a carcinoid tumor].

A 68-year-old male with abdominal swelling and wasting of one month's evolution had chylous ascites. The clinical study of the patient showed a retroperitoneal tumor and a distal jejunum and mesenterium affliction. There were metastatic nodules in peritoneum, epiploic appendix and malignant pleural effusion. The histological study showed a carcinoid tumor. Chylous ascites is an exceptional complication, and a bad prognosis factor of carcinoid tumor.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Intestinal obstruction caused by a pacifier].

The case of an infant who developed intestinal obstruction following ingestion of a pacifier is reported. Progression of this foreign body in the intestinal lumen was extremely slow because of the deformability of the material and laparotomy was required. The authors point out that this is a difficult diagnosis and that regulations on manufacturing standards should be enforced in order to avoid such accidents.

Foreign Bodies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cervical teratoma].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dentistry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The evaluation of the hypertensive patient via self-measured blood pressure at home].

OBJECTIVE: Evidence currently exist that treatment, and therefore prognosis, of the hypertensive patient can be improved by complementing the clinic blood pressure (BP) measurements with measurements taken out of the health care setting. The goal of the study was to validate a standard procedure of home BP self-measurement in contrast with a non invasive ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). METHOD: This was a transversal and descriptive study set at the primary care level. 58 hypertensive patients with poor office control were instructed to self-measure their BP, with a previously verified digital sphygmomanometer, at home, 30 times for 10 days, and in the close 15 days an ABPM was taken for 24 hours. Reliability was determined comparing the degree of agreement between the different methods via the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the analysis of the individual differences. RESULTS: The self-measured BP and the ABPM do not differ significantly in systolic BP and only by 1.88 mmHg for the diastolic BP. The results taken in the office are significantly superior to those obtained by other methods -23 mmHg for the systolic BP and from 9 to 11 mmHg for the diastolic BP-. The ICC obtained comparing the results of the self-measured BP and ABPM are of 0.73 for systolic and 0.76 for the diastolic, whereas in the comparisons between office/self-measured, and office/ABPM the ICCs fluctuate from 0.23 to 0.50. The graphic analysis of individual differences allows the evaluation of the degree of reliability and the independence to the "white coat phenomenon". CONCLUSIONS: The BP self-measurement protocol that we present is a valid instrument, capable of confirming hypertension as well a suspicion of "white coat phenomenon" particularly when the availability of ABPM is scarce.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Consumption of medications in people over age of 65 years: potential problems and associated factors].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of patients over 65 years of age with potential problems derived from the consumption of medications, and identify associated variables. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Otero y Paulino Prieto Health Centers (Oviedo). PATIENTS: A randomly selected group of 298 patients over 65 years. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A questionnaire using both interview and clinical case notes provided data about sociodemographic details, perceived state of health, and functional status of patients, and qualitative and quantitative aspects of pharmacological treatment. 222 valid questionnaires were obtained. Once having identified patients with potential treatment problems, the associated variables were studied using bivariant and multivariant analysis. The mean consumption of medications was 3.1. 32.9% of patients had treatment problems (95% CI, 26.7-39.1), identified as drug interactions (54.8%), inappropriate use (36.9%) or both (8.3%). The bivariant analysis showed an association between the presence of problems and number of medications consumed (p < 0.001), prescribers (p < 0.001), diagnostic (p < 0.001), number of visit/year (p < 0.004), patient's own perception of health (p = 0.006), age (p = 0.018), socioeconomic status (p = 0.024) and cultural level (p = 0.039); the associations was not significative for functional status (p = 0.150), sex (p = 0.246), and number of UTB (Use Therapeutic Low) drug used (p = 0.751). Logistic regression showed an association between the presence of problems and patient's perceived state of health (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.03-2.36) and the number of medications consumed (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.41-2). CONCLUSIONS: A third of the population studied showed potential problems derived from the consumption of medications, through drug interactions and/or inappropriate use. Variables associated with this problems are the patient's perceived ill-health, and the highest consumption of medications.

Aged↗