El proyecto EMECAS: protocolo del estudio multicéntrico en España de los efectos a corto plazo de la contaminación atmosférica sobre la salud.

The EMECAM Project demonstrated the short-term effect of air pollution on the death rate in 14 cities in Spain throughout the 1990-1995 period. The Spanish Multicentre Study on Health Effects of Air Pollution (EMECAS) is broadening these objectives by incorporating more recent data, information on hospital disease admissions and totaling 16 Spanish cities. This is an ecological time series study in which the response variables are the daily deaths and the emergency hospitalizations due to circulatory system diseases and respiratory diseases among the residents in each city. Pollutants analyses: suspended particles, SO2, NO2, CO and O3. Control variables: meteorological, calendar, seasonality and influenza trend and incidence. Statistical analysis: estimate of the association in each city by means of the construction of generalized additive Poisson regression models and metanalysis for obtaining combined estimators. The EMECAS Project began with the creation of three working groups (Exposure, Epidemiology and Analysis Methodology) which defined the protocol. The average levels of pollutants were below those established under the current regulations for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone. The NO2 and PM10 values were around those established under the regulations (40 mg/m3). This is the first study of the relationship between air pollution and disease rate among one group of Spanish cities. The pollution levels studied are moderate for some pollutants, although for others, especially NO2 and particles, these levels could entail a problem with regard to complying with the regulations in force.

Nutrición parenteral domiciliaria en España 2011 y 2012: informe del grupo de nutrición artificial domiciliaria y ambulatoria NADYA

OBJETIVE: To report the data of the Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) registry of the NADYA-SENPE working group for the years 2011 and 2012. METHODOLOGY: We compiled the data from the on-line registry introduced by reviewers of NADYA group responsible for monitoring of NPD introduced by since January 1, 2011 to december 31, 2012. Included fields were: age, sex, diagnosis and reason for HPN, access path, complications, beginning and end dates, complementary oral or enteral nutrition, activity level, autonomy degree, product and fungible material supply, withdrawal reason and intestinal transplant indication. RESULTS: Year 2010: 184 patients from 29 hospitals , representing a rate of 3.98 patients/million inhabitants/ year 2011, with 186 episodes were recorded NPD . During 2012, 203 patients from 29 hospitals , representing a rate of 4.39 patients/million inhabitants/year 2012 , a total of 211 episodes were recorded NPD . CONCLUSIONS: We observe an increase in registered patients with respect to previous years.Neoplasia remains as the main pathology since 2003. Although NADYA is consolidated registry and has been indispensable source of information relevant to the understanding of the progress of Home Artificial Nutrition in our country, there is ample room for improvement. Especially that refers to the registration of pediatric patients and the registration of complications.

Vigilancia ambiental de casos esporádicos de legionelosis en el municipio de Córdoba (España), 2005-2010

We examined the information of legionellosis surveillance system in the municipality of Cordoba (Spain) as a preventive resource for environmental health management and describes the public health implications of sporadic cases investigations. A multidisciplinary team analyzed information on surveillance of water sites potentially contaminated by Legionella and clinical data of the patients classified like community case; mapping patient's home address using geographic information systems (GIS). Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was identified in 31 sporadic cases. 53 suspected sources, mainly cooling towers have been investigated. In no event is managed to locate infection source even if poorly maintained systems, structural deficiencies and operational failures were apparent. The use of GIS allowed us to identify two geographic areas where cases are concentrated within one radius of less than 500 meters. The finding of two suspected urban advised to reorient the preventive strategy in public health