Sant Boi De Llobregat Research Articles

History of mental disorder in an ICU and referrals to psychiatry

ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence of patients with mental disorders (MD) admitted to the ICU. To compare the clinical characteristics according to the presence of psychiatric history. To review the relevance of the consultations made to Psychiatry. DesignRetrospective descriptive study. SettingICU of the General Hospital of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. PatientsPatients admitted between January 2016 and June 2018. InterventionsNone. Main variables of interestSeverity level (APACHE II), reason for admission, days of admission, days of mechanical ventilation, psychiatric history and reason for psychiatric consultation. ResultsA total of 1,247 patients were included; 194 (15.5%) met MD criteria, their mean age being younger (59 vs 68, P < .001) and with a lower mean score on the APACHE II scale (12 vs 14, P ≤ .003). There were 64 consultations to Psychiatry (5.1% of admissions), 59 of which were in patients with TM (92.1%). Regarding the reasons for the consultation, 22.6% were for attempted suicide, 61.3% for pharmacological adjustment, 11.3% to rule out mental disorder, and 4.8% for competence assessment. The probability of a consultation being carried out while it was indicated was 89.1%, while the probability of not carrying it out when it was not indicated was 99.4%. ConclusionsThis study supports the need to expand the specific recommendations for consultation to Psychiatry, beyond the assessment after a suicide attempt, since a large percentage (77.5%) of the pertinent consultations were for other reasons.

The role of socio-economic status and neighborhood social capital on loneliness among older adults: evidence from the Sant Boi Aging Study.

The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of age in the association between socio-economic status (SES) and loneliness as well as the role of neighborhood social capital (NSC) in the association between individual social capital and loneliness. Data include a representative population-based sample from Sant Boi de Llobregat (a suburb of Barcelona) of 1124 adults aged 50 and over. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the survey data. Interactions between SES and age, and NSC and individual social capital were explored. Among the poorest older adults, older individuals showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02, 0.30, p<0.05) compared with the youngest cohort after adjusting for covariates, while among the richest individuals there were no significant differences among age cohorts. Individuals living in an area with high NSC and high individual social capital showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.17, 0.73, p<0.05) compared with those with low individual social capital after adjusting for covariates. The effect of individual social capital was not significant among individuals living in an area with low NSC. Interventions focusing on low SES middle-aged (50-59years old) individuals and those aiming to increase NSC could be effective strategies to reduce the prevalence of loneliness in older people.

How LUCAS® device affects kidney transplant rate in a “donors after circulatory death” program

Pilar Palma1, Angel Ruiz2, Francesc Carmona1,∗, Ramon Soliba2, Elisabet Barrau3, David Paredes2 1 Sistema d’Emergencies Mediques, Catalonia, Spain 2 Donation Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain 3 ABS Montclar, ICS, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain Purpose: To analyze how LUCAS® device has affected kidney transplant rate in a “donor after circulatory death” program (DACDP) and to describe donors’ characteristics after 10 years of the program start. Methods: A prospective analytic study was performed from January 2002 to December 2011. From all the potential donors in a DACDP, all those who finally accomplished the program criteria were entered in NECMO and were not rejected by other causes different than those related to perfusion. Studied variables were: donors’ sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and presence of cardio-circulatory risk factors (CCRF), total out-of-hospital CPR time (OHCPR), kidney transplantation and use of LUCAS® device. Qualitative data are presented as percents and compared with Chi square test. Quantitative data are presented as mean and standard deviation and compared with Student’s T test. A logistical regression model was performed to adjust the LUCAS® effect over transplantation by possible confounding factors. Results: From the 160 potential donors, 97 accomplished the study criteria. 91.8% (89) weremales. Themean age was 47.8 years (SD=12.3), mean BMI was 27.1 kg/m2 (SD=4), and mean OHCPR was 60.3min (SD=17.8). 48.5% (47) had CCRF and LUCAS was used in 52.6% of patients (51). 144 out of 194 kidneyswere transplanted. LUCAS® was associated with an increase of the transplant rate in a 13% (CI 95%=0.7–25) (p=0.039). Lower mean age and BMI were also associated with an increase of the transplant rate (p=0.004 and0.001). Noother significant statistical associationwas observed but a trend in lower OHCPRmean (p=0.145). After adjusting LUCAS effect by donors age and BMI, OHCPR and their first order interactions in a logistic regression model, the use of LUCAS® multiplies by 1.9 the transplantation odds (CI 95%=0.94–3.8). Conclusions: The use of LUCAS® increases the number of transplanted kidneys when used in a DACDP.

Convivencia y participación de jóvenes en Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona)

This paper presents the design, implementation and analysis of the results of a survey carried out amongst young people from Sant Boi de Llobregat. The main aim of this study was to diagnose the degree of coexistence and participation of young people aged 14 to16, so as to offer educational proposals for improvement in this area for the development of a more active and engaged citizenship with reality. The data collection tool is a Questionnaire for Coexistence and Participation. The original theoretical framework is based on the idea that in order to develop an active and committed citizenship, coexistence and participation of young people is necessary. The current social and cultural changes give us the opportunity to create new challenges for dialogue between people, but it is also true that diversity makes social relations systems more complex. The results highlight friendship between young people is influenced by their origins, prevailing a climate of coexistence rather than a truly intercultural coexistence. Finally, we see that for youth participation to develop both in the district and at school, prior experience of youth participation is particularly important, the lack of it limiting well-needed community opening at school.

Determination of wind speed and associated loads over the sports facility collapsed during the severe windstorm of 24 January 2009 in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona)

The severe windstorm of 24 January 2009, caused by an explosive cyclogenesis, affected coastal and precoastal areas of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, where damages were numerous and significant, both in urban areas and in forests. One of the most important effects was the collapse of a sports facility in Sant Boi de Llobregat (10 km southwest of Barcelona), killing four children. The objective of this study is to estimate the wind speed over the sports facility and calculate the suction of the wind on the roof of the building, and the consequent collapse of the walls. To get a first approximation, a simulation of the episode around the time of maximum wind gust was inspected using the mesoscale model MM5. In the second part, the damage around the collapsed facility was analyzed, with which we note the fact that a truck was dragged and knocked over by the wind. This analysis allows for the conclusion that, in conjunction with the maximum wind gust, there was a sudden and very local shift in the wind, which caused the gust to hit the building head on. Based on this observation, the wind speed on surface and at 7 m (roof of the building) was estimated, and the suction of the wind was calculated.

Impact of depressive symptoms on subjective well-being: the importance of patient-reported outcomes in schizophrenia

ObjectiveThe subjective experience of psychotic patients toward treatment is a key factor in medication adherence, quality of life, and clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the subjective well-being in patients with schizophrenia and to examine its relationship with the presence and severity of depressive symptoms.MethodsA multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted with clinically stable outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Subjective Well-Being under Neuroleptic Scale – short version (SWN-K) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) were used to gather information on well-being and the presence and severity of depressive symptoms, respectively. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to assess the associations between the SWN-K total score, its five subscales, and the CDSS total score. Discriminative validity was evaluated against that criterion by analysing the area under the curve (AUC).ResultsNinety-seven patients were included in the study. Mean age was 35 years (standard deviation = 10) and 72% were male. Both the total SWN-K scale and its five subscales correlated inversely and significantly with the CDSS total score (P < 0.0001). The highest correlation was observed for the total SWN-K (Spearman’s rank order correlation [rho] = −0.59), being the other correlations: mental functioning (−0.47), social integration (−0.46), emotional regulation (−0.51), physical functioning (−0.48), and self-control (−0.41). A total of 33 patients (34%) were classified as depressed. Total SWN-K showed the highest AUC when discriminating between depressive severity levels (0.84), followed by emotional regulation (0.80), social integration (0.78), physical functioning and self-control (0.77), and mental functioning (0.73). Total SWN-K and its five subscales showed a significant linear trend against CDSS severity levels (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe presence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms was relatively high, and correlated inversely with patients’ subjective well-being. Routine assessment of patient-reported measures in patients with schizophrenia might reduce potential discrepancy between patient and physician assessment, increase therapeutic alliance, and improve outcome.

Raloxifene as an Adjunctive Treatment for Postmenopausal Women With Schizophrenia

The potential therapeutic utility of estrogens in schizophrenia is increasingly being recognized. Raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, appears to act similarly to conjugated estrogens on dopamine and serotonin brain systems and may be a better option since it lacks the possible negative effects of estrogen on breast and uterine tissue. In this study, we assess the utility of raloxifene as an adjunctive treatment for negative symptoms and other psychotic symptoms in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia. This was a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Patients were recruited from both the inpatient and outpatient departments of Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain, and Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain. Thirty-three postmenopausal women with schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria) who exhibited prominent negative symptoms were randomized to either adjunctive raloxifene (16 women; mean age = 60.14 years, SD = 6.41 years) or adjunctive placebo (17 women; mean age = 62.66 years, SD = 4.54 years) for 12 weeks. The period of recruitment lasted from January 2005 through June 2009. Psychopathological symptoms were assessed at baseline and weeks 4, 8, and 12 by means of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The addition of raloxifene (60 mg/d) to regular antipsychotic treatment significantly reduced negative (P = .044), positive (P = .031), and general psychopathological (P = .045) symptoms during the 12-week trial as compared with women receiving placebo. Raloxifene as an adjuvant treatment in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia who exhibit prominent negative symptoms appears to be useful in improving negative, positive, and general psychopathological symptoms. If more extensive and longer-term studies confirm and expand upon these positive results, the use of raloxifene could be recommended in postmenopausal patients with schizophrenia. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01041092.

Family impact in intellectual disability, severe mental health disorders and mental health disorders in ID. A comparison

Family impact (or family burden) is a concept born in the field of mental health that has successfully been exported to the ambit of intellectual disability (ID). However, differences in family impact associated with severe mental health disorders (schizophrenia), to ID or to mental health problems in ID should be expected. Seventy-two adults with intellectual disability clients of the Carmen Pardo-Valcarce Foundation's sheltered workshops and vocational employment programmes in Madrid (Spain), 203 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia from four Spanish Community Mental Health Services (Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Navarra) and 90 adults with mental health problems in ID (MH-ID) from the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Health Care Site in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona (Spain) were asked to participate in the present study along with their main caregivers. Family impact experienced by caregivers was assessed with the ECFOS-II/SOFBI-II scale (Entrevista de Carga Familiar Objetiva y Subjetiva/Objective and Subjective Family Burden Interview). In global terms, results showed that the higher family impact was found between caregivers to people with MH-ID. The interaction of both conditions (ID and mental health problems) results in a higher degree of burden on families than when both conditions are presented separately. There was also an impact in caregivers to people with schizophrenia, this impact being higher than the one detected in caregivers to people with intellectual disability. Needs of caregivers to people with disability should be addressed specifically in order to effectively support families.

P.3.a.007 Subjective well-being in schizophrenia is inversely correlated with the presence and severity of depressive symptoms

Family impact (or family burden) is a concept born in the field of mental health that has successfully been exported to the ambit of intellectual disability (ID). However, differences in family impact associated with severe mental health disorders (schizophrenia), to ID or to mental health problems in ID should be expected. Seventy-two adults with intellectual disability clients of the Carmen Pardo-Valcarce Foundation's sheltered workshops and vocational employment programmes in Madrid (Spain), 203 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia from four Spanish Community Mental Health Services (Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Navarra) and 90 adults with mental health problems in ID (MH-ID) from the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu Health Care Site in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona (Spain) were asked to participate in the present study along with their main caregivers. Family impact experienced by caregivers was assessed with the ECFOS-II/SOFBI-II scale (Entrevista de Carga Familiar Objetiva y Subjetiva/Objective and Subjective Family Burden Interview). In global terms, results showed that the higher family impact was found between caregivers to people with MH-ID. The interaction of both conditions (ID and mental health problems) results in a higher degree of burden on families than when both conditions are presented separately. There was also an impact in caregivers to people with schizophrenia, this impact being higher than the one detected in caregivers to people with intellectual disability. Needs of caregivers to people with disability should be addressed specifically in order to effectively support families.

Perceived Need for Mental Health Care and Service Use Among Adults in Western Europe: Results of the ESEMeD Project

Perceived Need for Mental Health Care and Service Use Among Adults in Western Europe: Results of the ESEMeD Project

Violencia doméstica: preguntar para detectar

Aims To assess whether key questions can detect domestic violence (DV), and find out the prevalence in primary care (PC) and women's care (WC). Design Intervention Study with random assignment. Location PC and WC clinics (Sant Boi de Llobregat Barcelona). Participants Systematic random selection of women in PC (not know if battered) and women who came for the first time to the WC service. Age-matched controls were selected. A total of 400 women were interviewed. Interventions Anamnesis was performed and a questionnaire filled in. In the control group (CG) there was one question concerning DV, in the intervention group (IG) there were 6 key questions: relationship of their parents, partner's parents, if the partner had suffered abuse, relationship with her partner, if sexual relations were consensual or got angry if they were not. When DV was detected, asked about type, features and duration. Results A total of 101(25.3%) cases of violence were detected, 58(29.4%) in IG and 43(21.2%) in CG (odds ratio (OR)=1.55, confidence interval (CI): 0.96–2.51, P=0.06). WC rates were 32.7% and 17.5% (OR: 2.3, CI: 1.2–4.5, P:0.007) and PC 25.3% and 25.8% (OR: 0.97, CI: 0.47–2.02, P=0.5), respectively. Different characteristics were observed depending on whether they were from PC or WC, but were similar between IG and CG, except mental disability, more common in IG. 23.5% suffered from a psychiatric disorder, 15% in non-battered and 44% in the battered, in 68% of these the disorder appeared after the abuse. Conclusions Abuse is a Public Health problem. When women visit for the first time it is necessary to use indirect questions to make communication easier, if the woman and the professional know each other, a single question is enough to detect it.

Depression, Avolition, and Attention Disorders in Patients with Schizophrenia: Associations with Verbal Memory Efficiency

Depression, Avolition, and Attention Disorders in Patients with Schizophrenia: Associations with Verbal Memory Efficiency

Solving an urban waste collection problem using ants heuristics

This paper describes the methodology that we have applied for the solution of an urban waste collection problem in the municipality of Sant Boi de Llobregat, within the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain). The basic nature of the considered problem is that of a capacitated arc routing problem, although it has several specific characteristics, mainly derived from traffic regulations. We present the model that we have built for the problem, which results after an appropriate transformation of the problem into a node routing one. We also present the ant colonies heuristics that we have used to obtain the solutions to the problem. These combine constructive methods, based on nearest neighbor and on nearest insertion, with a local search that explores various neighborhoods. The application of the proposed methods gives results that improve considerably the ones that were previously used in the municipality.

Continuidad asistencial: rol de la enfermera de enlace

To evaluate the link nurse programme after 2 years of operation. Descriptive study. Primary vare in the towns of Sant Boi de Llobregat and Sant Vicenç dels Horts (Barcelona) and the County Hospital of Sant Boi, Spain. Patients discharged from the hospital (October 2000-October 2002) and who needed ongoing care in the primary care centre or at home. Joint visits of the link nurse and the hospital unit's supervisor to work out the care plan before discharge. The PC team was informed of the transfer of the patient and his/her care plan. Subsequent home visits were by the link nurse, the primary care team or both together. 854 patients (57.6% women) were studied. Women's mean age was 69.82 (SD, 4.7) and men's was 61.7 (SD, 9.6) (P<.0001). The link nurse made 2241 hospital visits, 81 home visits, and 434 phone calls. There were 636 co-ordinations. The most common nursing diagnosis made was physical mobility disorder (61% of patients). A mechanism was created to improve continuity from hospital discharge to contact with the PC team. The link nurse coordinates and manages patients before they are handed over to PC.

Non‐melanoma skin cancer in Catalonia. A community‐based prevalence study

Accurate epidemiologic studies of non-melanoma skin cancer in South Europe are nearly absent. Incidence studies based on treated cases are difficult and may overlook asymptomatic tumors. Studying cohorts of populations in order to establish prevalence data are necessary to give realistic impressions of the problem. A population-based cohort of 1000 women was examined for skin cancer. The sample was obtained from women attending a massive campaign of mammography addressing all women aged 50-65 years in the area of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain. Examination included full body areas, except those covered by underwear or hair, and feet. Nine cases of basal cell carcinoma were histologically confirmed, resulting in a prevalence of 900 cases in 10(5) (95% CI 601; 1198). Five of them were located on the trunk, in non-exposed sites. The prevalence of basal cell carcinoma found in our population is one of the highest reported in Europe. A significant proportion of tumors are on the trunk, suggesting the existence of a high proportion of undetected cases. Similar studies in 5-10-year intervals could aid detection of changing trends in the prevalence of skin cancer in our population.

The Implementation and Evaluation of Community Policing in Spain: Results and Future Prospects

AbstractThis article offers an overview of the implementation and evaluation of community policing programs in Spain today through the analysis of two particularly illustrative practical experiences. The controversial results of the Policía 2000 project – Spain's most consummate nationwide community policing program – pleads for a local imple- mentation of the community policing model. Indeed, as shown by another pioneering reform in Sant Boi de Llobregat (a big town near Barcelona) – which today offers many lessons in matters of evaluation and management of community policing – it is mainly at this level that experiences have been most conclusive.

Building a protective structure around the roman baths at Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

The roman baths at Sant Boi de Llobregat were built sometime around the year 200 BC and came to light in 1953. They are some of the best baths of this type to be found preserved in Catalonia. Some of the walls are almost five meters high, which is rare. There were originally seven rooms, and interesting remains of six of them can still be seen today. The baths were virtually abandoned in 1975, but restoration began in 1988, including the construction of a building to protect them and to enable the public to visit them. The design of the presentation trusts entirely to the emotion felt on seeing these ruins at first hand, and other elements, such as audio-visual effects or virtual reality, have been rejected.

Prevalencia de marcadores serológicos para el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana y el virus de la hepatitis b en un hospital psiquiátrico

To estimate the prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and antibodies to delta virus (anti-DV).Cross-sectional (prevalence) study. A non-proportional (stratified by length of stay) random sample of 20% of admitted patients was selected.The Hospital Psiquiátrico Nuestra Señora de Montserrat (Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain) admits about 670 patients in its short-term, rehabilitation (mid-term) and long-term wards.139 patients were selected: 91% were males, mean age was 55 years, and 10% belonged to an HIV risk group; mean length of hospitalization since last discharge was 13 years.Blood samples were drawn in October, 1988. Anti-HBc, HBsAg and anti-DV were determined by competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Anti-HIV-1 were determined by sandwich EIA; negativity of results with high absorbency but below the cut-off point was confirmed by Western blot.None of the sampled patients had circulating anti-HIV-1 antibodies. Four cases showing high absorbency (below the "cut-off" point) were ruled out by Western-blot. Overall, the prevalence of anti-HBc was 52.8% (54.4% in long-term wards, 35.0% in mid-term wards, and 13.8% in short-term wards). The prevalence of HBsAg was 2.3%, of anti-DV 1.5%, and of HDAg 0%.Prevalence of anti-HIV is null in the studied institution. Current efforts to prevent HIV infection must continue; a hepatitis B vaccination program is highly warranted among patients and professionals of the studied hospital.