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Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of electronic cigarettes in medical students in four Colombian cities. Methos: Descriptive study of prevalence in 594 medical students in the cities of Medellin, Santa Marta, Villavicencio and Pasto, selected with a non-probabilistic sampling. The prevalence of lifetime, daily or almost daily use of electronic cigarettes was determined. Results: The mean age was 21.9 ± 4.1 years; 68.5 % were women; the prevalence of lifetime use of electronic cigarettes was 18.5 % (n = 100) and the prevalence of daily or almost daily use was 7.7 % (n = 46). Prevalence was significantly higher in men (adjusted OR = 3.1, 95 % CI = 1.6-5.8) and in those reporting household incomes less than minimum wage (adjusted OR = 4.3, 95 % CI = 1.5-11.9). Conclusion: A high prevalence of electronic cigarette use was found, consistent with what has been described in other studies worldwide. This finding highlights the need to implement actions to promote awareness of the risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes. Furthermore, as future health professionals and those responsible for prevention and public health, physicians in training have a crucial model role to play in promoting healthy practices and supporting policies that regulate the sale and consumption of these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the prevalence of Treponema pallidum infection in individuals treated in a specialized medical center in Medellín, Colombia in 2019. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 776 subjects of the general population (apparently healthy-asymptomatic and without risk factors for syphilis), 126 men who have sex with men (msm) and 190 vulnerable young people (low socioeconomic strata, unemployed and low educational level) which were identified within and beyond spaces of concentration of msm and nongovernmental organizations. A survey and a detection test for IgG, IgM and IgA for T. pallidum specific antibodies were used as the primary information source. Results: Prevalence of T. pallidum infection was 0.53 % in vulnerable young participants, 2.19% in the general population and 16.67 % in msm. The odds ratio of infection in subjects aged between 51 and 60 years was 13.8 (95% ci = 3.5-51.5) compared to that found in young people aged between 21 and 30 years; 12.0 (95% ci = 1.8-79.2) comparing those with low educational level to university students; 3.3 (95% ci = 1.1-9.9) for people without health insurance compared to those belonging to the contributory health insurance regime; and 8.1 (ci 95 % = 2.8-23.0) in those who have sex with key groups versus those who do not report these practices. Conclusion: A low prevalence of T. pallidum infection was found in young participants, followed by subjects belonging to the general population and was higher in msm. Groups with the highest risk were identified (among the three subgroups studied), including subjects excluded from prevention programs, with a confluence of sexual risk factors and socioeconomic deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The CS-DS (Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale) was designed and validated in 1985 and to date its applications in research studies are unknown. Objective: To analyze the uses of the CS-DS scale through a systematic review and compare scores of indirect self-destructive in different population groups in the period 1985-2019. Methods: Systematic review in five multidisciplinary databases with three search strategies following Cochrane recommendations, the phases of the PRISMA guide and the MOOSE guide criteria. The selection of the studies and the extraction of the variables was carried out by two researchers guaranteeing reproducibility. The methodological quality was evaluated and meta-analysis of indirect measures was performed by type of population studied, random effects meta-analysis for difference of means according to sex and meta-regression by scale dimensions. Results: were included 23 studies with 6,382 individuals. The lowest self-destructiveness was found in a healthy population and psoriasis, the highest in drug addiction, followed by suicide attempts, delinquency, anxiety or depression and schizophrenia. In healthy population, no differences were found according to sex and in people with suicidal intent there was greater self-destructiveness in men in the dimensions of personal and social negligence, lack of planning and impotence and passivity in the face of problems. Conclusion: The CS-DS scale has been applied basically in the United States and Poland, in different populations of healthy and sick people. CS-DS demonstrates discriminating ability to profile self-destructiveness in different populations, mainly with mental disorders, while its dimensions have a differential profile by sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Systematize scientific publications that describe the relationship of the human development index and morbidity and mortality indicators caused by communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Methodology: A systematic review of 6 multidisciplinary databases research studies that report correlation, regression or determination coefficients in the human development index of the United Nations program for development and morbidity or mortality for healthcare events. Results: 21 studies that evaluated the relation between human development and more than 35 events of interest in public health were identified. Neoplastic diseases (except breast and ovarian cancer) and communicable diseases presented inverted correlations with an index ranging from -0.85 to -0.40. Suicide, physical inactivity, drug use, breast cancer and ovarian cancer presented direct correlations ranging from 0.27 to 0.89. This study identified that the index constitutes an excellent predictor regarding the occurrence of tuberculosis, suicide and malaria. Conclusion: The study evidenced that human development paralleled the best health conditions represented by a decrease in morbidity and mortality resulting from cancer and communicable diseases; this shed a light so that countries with a low development index do not delay socially important Investments because of a lack of resources. They should invest simultaneously in economic dimensions and social services, particularly promoting health care and basic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Blood transfusion is a therapeutic procedure in which a blood component is administered from one individual to another. This procedure is not exempt from generating adverse reactions (ATR) that are unwanted and unexpected responses that occur during or after the transfusion. Objective: to estimate the prevalence of adverse transfusional reactions and their association with clinical characteristics in a blood bank in Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A descriptive study of 9576 patients who required blood transfusions from the years 2014 to 2018 was done. A secondary source of information was used from which demographic and clinical variables, the results of pre-transfusion tests, and transfusion reactions were taken. The information was analyzed with absolute and relative frequencies and their 95% confidence interval. The bivariate analysis was done with Pearson’s Chi-square statistic. Results: Adverse transfusional reactions (ATR) were developed in 1.1% (95% CI 0.88–1.31) of patients, presenting a predominance of allergic reactions, circulatory overload, and non-hemolytic febrile reactions. The prevalence of ATR was higher among those aged 19 to 26 years old (2.4% (95% CI 1.1–4.6), in patients with diseases of the genitourinary system 1.6% (95% CI 0.7–3.2) and treated by internal medicine 1.7% (95% CI 1.3–2.3). Conclusion: The prevalence of ATR found in this study shows discrepancies with that described in other countries and highlights the need to strengthen hemovigilance systems in each context. In addition, it reflects the importance of monitoring patient safety processes at the level of the quality of the blood components to be transfused, the evaluation of risk factors in the recipient, and the technical errors that may occur during the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]