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The aim of this study was to describe the concentration of lead in umbilical cord blood (UCB) of neonates born from primiparous women who live in northern Lima. A cross sectional study was carried out at Cayetano Heredia National Hospital, from July 2011 to January 2012. 100 neonates born from primiparous women who lived in northern Lima in the previous 5 years or more were included. Umbilical cord lead levels were measured by the atomic adsorption method, and the demographic information and risk factors of the neonates were illed in a patient record designed to this purpose. 30% of the neonates had concentration of lead in UCB that was considered as increased risk (= 3,0 µg/dL), 16% of the cases had had toxic concentration of lead in UCB (= 5 µg/dL). We conclude that there are a high percentage of neonates contaminated with lead in the northern Lima. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at studying the clinical and anatomopathological characteristics, treatment and survival of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data from 150 patients from a Peruvian hospital between the years 2010 to 2020. Characteristics and survival (Kaplan-Meier method) were described. The mean age was 48.3 years, 130 participants (86.7%) were women and the most frequent histologic type was papillary 94.6%. Of the participants, 74.2% had TNM stage I, 70.7% had total thyroidectomy and 68.7% received radioactive iodine. Overall survival at 5 years was 89.3%, being lower in those with TNM stage IV and higher in those who used radioactive iodine. In conclusion, in a hospital in Cusco, differentiated thyroid cancer was more frequent in women and survival was lower compared to reports from other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of the Rural and Marginal Urban Health Service (SERUMS) on the physicians’ perception of work in the primary health care (PHC) setting and its associated factors. Materials and methods: A secondary data analysis of a sample of physicians who performed the SERUMS in 2016 was carried out. To evaluate the variable of interest, the scale “Perception of work in the PHC setting” was used, higher scores indicated a negative perception of work in the PHC setting. A baseline survey (before the SERUMS) and a follow-up survey (8-12 months after starting the SERUMS) were applied and differences in both scores were evaluated. Results: Of the 780 respondents, 215 (27.6%) completed the baseline and follow-up survey. The average score increased considerably (from 3.4 to 6.7; p < 0.001), which shows a negative perception of work in the PHC setting after participating in the SERUMS. Of the three parts of the survey, the one regarding perceptions by the physicians working in the PHC and the one about perceptions of medical work in the PHC setting increased the perception scores. No sociodemographic variables were found to be associated with the change in scores. Conclusions: Physicians’ perception about work in the PHC setting deteriorated after participating in the SERUMS. Therefore, strategies to encourage physicians’ interest in working at this level of healthcare should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To determine the characteristics of mistreatment among medical students at a public university in the province Ica, Peru. Materials and methods. This cross-sectional study was performed in 2012, and used a probability sample of medical students (freshman to sixth year) at the Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga. A 23-item survey with a Likert scale was used to measure the students' perceptions of psychological, physical, academic and sexual mistreatment. Univariate and bivariate statistical analysis were performed. Results. A total of 281 students were surveyed. The perception of psychological mistreatment was 96.8%; academic, 86.8%; physical, 62.6% and sexual, 20.6%. Physical abuse increased during the clinical-surgical study cicle (p = 0.001). Medical doctors and residents were the main aggressors. Male students reported of receiving assignments as a punishment, not receiving credits for their work, physical mistreatment, verbal threats, insults, or being teased because of their etnic background. Female students were more likely to have experienced sexual abuse. Report of sexual abuse frequently ocurred at the university (45.3%, p=0.002) and hospital (45.0%, p=0.046). Women frequently reported not knowing to whom or where to denounce the abuse (54.6%, p=0.042) and not reporting it because it stopped (56.9%, p=0.048). Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of abuse among students in which their characteristics as sex, level of study and aggressor allow to identify the types of abuse that they receive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To design and validate a scale to assess Latin American medical students'perception on first level of health care (FLHC). Materials and methods. An observational, analytic and multicentre study was carried out in two phases: i) A self-administered questionnaire regarding perceptions on FLHClabor was designed. ii) This questionnaire was applied to to medical students from 18 universities of eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed through a principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation. Sample adequacy was evaluated. Factor extraction was based on Kaiser's criteria, Cattell's Scree test and the explained variance (>5%). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha. Results. 423 students were included in the analysis; 53.4% were from Peruvian universities. After the EFA, the questionnaire conserved 11 items, which were distributed in three domains, that explaining together 55.47% of the total variance: i) Perceptions concerning the FLHC physician; ii) Perceptions concerning the FiLC labor and iii) Perceptions about the economic consequences of working in FLHC. Conclusion. The scale is composed by three domains and can be used to assess the perceptions of the medical work on first level of health care of Spanish-speaking Latin American medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describir la mortalidad atribuida a diabetes mellitus (DM) registrada en el Ministerio de Salud (MINSA) peruano. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal, basado en un análisis secundario de la base de datos de registros de defunción atribuida a DM del MINSA-Perú, para el periodo del 2005-2014. Se consideró mortalidad atribuida a DM a aquellos registros que tuvieron como causa básica de muerte a la DM. La data fue presentada de forma agregada usando estadísticos descriptivos y representación geoespacial, tomando en cuenta las tasas según las regiones naturales y departamentos del Perú. Se utilizó la prueba estadística de correlación de Spearman, para evaluar la asociación entre la diferencia de las tasas de mortalidad y el índice de desarrollo humano. El estudio realizó un análisis de datos secundarios que fueron obtenidos de una web de acceso público. Dichos datos no permitieron identificar a los sujetos. Resultados: En los 10 años evaluados, se observaron 25 074 registros que tuvieron como causa básica del fallecimiento la DM. La mortalidad atribuida a DM por cada 100 mil habitantes se incrementó entre el 2005 y 2014, de 148,6 a 241,9. La mortalidad atribuida a DM representó el 2,7% de los fallecimientos registrados para el periodo evaluado: 3,5% en la costa, 1,4% en la sierra, y 2,5% en la selva. Al evaluar el incremento en la mortalidad atribuida a DM (por 100 000 habitantes) entre el periodo 2005-2006 y el periodo 2013-2014, encontramos que los departamentos con mayor incremento fueron Moquegua (12,5), Lambayeque (9,5) y Piura (8,9). Se encontró una asociación entre el índice de desarrollo humano y la diferencia de tasas de mortalidad atribuidas a DM (Rho de Spearman: 0,41; valor p=0,04). Conclusiones: La mortalidad atribuida a la DM ha aumentado, fue mayor en la costa, intermedia en la selva y menor en la sierra. Algunos departamentos tuvieron mayor incremento de mortalidad. Hubo asociación entre la mortalidad y el índice de desarrollo humano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the characteristics of mistreatment among medical students at a public university in the province Ica, Peru., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2012, and used a probability sample of medical students (freshman to sixth year) at the Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga. A 23-item survey with a Likert scale was used to measure the students' perceptions of psychological, physical, academic and sexual mistreatment. Univariate and bivariate statistical analysis were performed., Results: A total of 281 students were surveyed. The perception of psychological mistreatment was 96.8%; academic, 86.8%; physical, 62.6% and sexual, 20.6%. Physical abuse increased during the clinical-surgical study cicle (p = 0.001). Medical doctors and residents were the main aggressors. Male students reported of receiving assignments as a punishment, not receiving credits for their work, physical mistreatment, verbal threats, insults, or being teased because of their etnic background. Female students were more likely to have experienced sexual abuse. Report of sexual abuse frequently ocurred at the university (45.3%, p=0.002) and hospital (45.0%, p=0.046). Women frequently reported not knowing to whom or where to denounce the abuse (54.6%, p=0.042) and not reporting it because it stopped (56.9%, p=0.048)., Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of abuse among students in which their characteristics as sex, level of study and aggressor allow to identify the types of abuse that they receive.

In order to determine trends in accidents and illnesses reported to the Ministry of Labor of Peru, a descriptive study of secondary data from the reports of monthly newsletters from September 2010 to December 2014 was performed. At the national level, 54,596 non-fatal accidents were reported. The rates of non-fatal accidents increased in 2011-2013 (296.5 in 2011, 955.9 in 2012 and 1176.3 in 2013), decreasing in 2014 (878.9). There were 674 fatal accidents whose rates increased between 2011 and 2012 and were reduced between 2013 and 2014. 346 occupational diseases were reported; the most frequent were cases of hearing loss (77), illness by inadequate postures (57) and allergic dermatitis (44). Reports declined from 6.9 in 2011 to 2.3 in 2014. Reports of occupational diseases were declining, which could indicate significant underreporting.

In order to determine the use of information sources by recently graduated physicians of Lima, Peru in 2011, a survey was conducted among graduated physicians at seven universities. They were asked about the use of search engines in the health area during their year of medical internship [last year of medical school]. Regular use was defined as the source being used once a week or daily. For 490 respondents, regularly used information sources were SciELO, accessed by 173 (36.4%); PubMed 165 (34.4%); HINARI 117 (25.5%); UpToDate 98 (22.3%); Cochrane Library 94 (20.6%); LILACS 91 (19.8%); a hospital institutional library 70 (15.0%); LIPECS 39 (8.7%); and Peru BVS 42 (9.3%). Only a minority regularly accessed information sources related to health. It is necessary to improve capacity in the efficient use of various resources of scientific information in a continuous way and that reaches students and health professionals.

We surveyed physicians who obtained their medical degree with a thesis in 2011 from the seven medical schools in Lima to know the characteristics of the degree by thesis process, as well as participants’ motivations and perceptions of that process. We included 98 students who did a thesis (87% of total); 99% conducted observational thesis, 30% did so in groups of three. The main motivation was that it was good for their curriculum vitae (94%). At the university where the thesis is compulsory, the process began with the choice of topic and adviser. Perceived “greatest” and “least” difficulty in the process was the completion of administrative procedures (53%) and selection of their advisor (11%), respectively. Administrative timeliness and processes should be reviewed so as not to impede the completion of thesis, since the new University Act requires the completion of a thesis to graduate.

Objectives: To design and validate a scale to assess Latin American medical students' perception on first level of health care (FLHC)., Materials and Methods: An observational, analytic and multicentre study was carried out in two phases: i) A self-administered questionnaire regarding perceptions on FLHClabor was designed. ii) This questionnaire was applied to to medical students from 18 universities of eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed through a principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation. Sample adequacy was evaluated. Factor extraction was based on Kaiser's criteria, Cattell's Scree test and the explained variance (>5%). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha., Results: 423 students were included in the analysis; 53.4% were from Peruvian universities. After the EFA, the questionnaire conserved 11 items, which were distributed in three domains, that explaining together 55.47% of the total variance: i) Perceptions concerning the FLHC physician; ii) Perceptions concerning the FiLC labor and iii) Perceptions about the economic consequences of working in FLHC., Conclusion: The scale is composed by three domains and can be used to assess the perceptions of the medical work on first level of health care of Spanish-speaking Latin American medical students.

The aim of this study was to meet the health insurance coverage received by recent graduates of universities in Lima during the Service Rural and Urban-Marginal in Health (SERUMS) during 2012-2013. 290 physicians were included. Data of the physicians' insurance to the social health Insurance (EsSalud) were reviewed monthly. 6.6% of physicians had been activated his insurance at the end of the third month of the beginning of his service. Differences between physicians who worked for the Ministry of Health (p<0.01), by gender (p=0.03) and if the locale was considered extremely poor (p=0.02) were found. We conclude that there is an deficient insurance coverage for the physicians who realize primary health care during the SERUMS exercise.