INTRODUCTION. To report the five-year experience in ambulatory parenteral antimicrobial treatments of a Hospital at Home (HH). METHODS. Prospective, descriptive study in which demographic data, infection types, antibiotics, dosages, treatment duration, administration methods, and complications were recorded. RESULTS. A total of 325 ambulatory parenteral antibiotic treatments were instituted. The mean age of patients was 56 years (range: 4-96). Patients included 225 men and 100 women. The mean duration of treatment was 16 days (range: 1-176 days). The total number of stays was 4,313 days. The sources of the treated infections included: respiratory tract, 40.3%; osteoarticular, 13.2%; digestive tract, 7%; cytomegalovirus, 6.4%; soft tissue, 5.5%; bacteremias, 5,2%; central nervous system, 4.9%; urinary tract, 4.6%; febrile syndromes, 3.7%; postsurgical, 3%; and endocarditis, 2.5%. Ceftriaxone was the antibiotic most widely used. Seventy-nine percent of treatments were throught the intravenous route. In the last two years infusion pumps were used. Treatment was completed in 93.3% of cases, three patients died and 19 patients required readmission. The most common complication was phlebitis, in 12.6% of cases. CONCLUSIONS. Currently, there is the possibility of safely treating a large number of infections at patient's home with parenteral antibiotics.

English Abstract↗

PubMed1999

[Evacuative paracentesis at home].

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PubMed1994

[Attitude to tobacco and prevalence of smokers among primary care physicians in Guipúzcoa].

OBJECTIVE: To discover the evolvement of Primary Care doctors' tobacco consumption in Guipuzcoa and their attitudes to tobacco dependency. DESIGN: A descriptive study of a crossover type. October 1992. SETTING: Primary Health care. PARTICIPANTS: 381 general physicians and paediatricians from Guipuzcoa province. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A self-filled questionnaire was distributed at Health Centres for subsequent return by mail. The reply rate was 60.89%, 42.3% were smokers; 33.6%, ex-smokers. 43% of smokers smoked in the Centre; 2% in front of patients. We found significant differences (p < 0.05) with a study carried out in 1988, where doctors who smoked were 52.4%, ex-smokers 19% and doctors who smoked in front of patients, 18.2%. 45.7% of women smoked, 39.2% of men. 78% of the doctors under study stated that they questioned patients about tobacco consumption. 95.2% did so when patients had specific pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a significant decline in tobacco smoking by doctors in Guipuzcoa. There are more women than men smokers. There is a higher proportion of ex-smokers among doctors than in the population as a whole. There has been a positive change of attitude as to smoking in front of patients. Centres should become more involved in the struggle against tobacco by offering to set up dependency counselling groups.

Adult↗