Juan Carlos Calderón

Information and communication technology use in asthmatic patients: A cross-sectional study in Latin America

Rapid diffusion, low cost and broad availability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) make them an attractive platform for managing care, communication and interventions in asthma. There is little information in Latin America about usage frequency of ICTs in asthmatic patients. The analysis undertaken consisted of an observational, cross-sectional study that aimed to identify the frequency and type of ICTs most often used by asthmatics. The Spanish version of the Michigan questionnaire was employed in five Latin American countries. Age and educational level was categorised. Logistic regression was performed among these groups concerning the frequency of ICT usage and the level of interest shown in seeking and receiving information about asthma. In total, 673 asthma patients were surveyed. The mean age was 43.44 years. Over two-thirds of the participants were female (68.4%). The most used ICT was the short message service (SMS) (69.9%). SMS and E-mail are useful tools for communicating (i.e. receiving and seeking information) with all asthma patients, irrespective of their age. WhatsApp (61.5%) and Facebook (32.0%) were rated as being the most interesting channels of communication for receiving information. Regression analysis showed that younger asthmatics and asthmatics with higher educational levels were most likely to use almost all forms of ICTs. ICTs are generally an attractive platform for managing care, communication and interventions to improve asthma care. SMS and E-mail were found to be the preferred ICT forms among users. However, social media forms such as WhatsApp and Facebook may also be appropriate for certain types of patient. ICT and social media use among asthmatics from Latin America http://ow.ly/TxVj30cKylJ

Etiology of chronic urticaria: the Ecuadorian experience

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to identify chronic urticaria (CU) etiologies and treatment modalities in Ecuador. We propose that the sample distribution fits the expected one, and that there is an association between the etiology and its treatment.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study involving 112 patients diagnosed with CU using a Checklist for a complete chronic urticaria medical history. Demographic and clinical variables were collected. The etiology of CU was classified using the EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guideline. Descriptive analyses were performed for demographical and clinical variables. Chi square tests were applied to analyze the fit of distribution and the independence of variables. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsAmong all the patients, 76.8% were diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), of which 22.3% had a known etiology or possible exacerbating condition. Food allergy was identified as the most common accompanying condition in patients with CSU (10.7%) (p < 0.01).. On the other hand, 23.2% inducible urticarias (CIndU) were indentified; dermographism was the most common (10.7%) (p < 0.01).Regarding treatment regimens, sg-H1-antihistamines alone represented the highest proportion (44.6%). The combination of any H1-antihistamine plus other drug was a close second (42.0%) (p < 0.01). Almost 48% of CSUs of unknown etiology were treated with any antihistamine plus another drug. In patients with known etiology, sg-antihistamines alone (44.0%) was the most common management. In addition, 53.8% of CIndUs were treated with sg-antihistamines alone. Though, these associations were not statistically significant.ConclusionCSU is the most frequent subtype of CU. Modern non-sedating antihistamines in licensed doses are the drug of choice. Nevertheless, a great proportion of patients require the addition of another type of medication.

Patient-physician relationship in the management of asthma: Multicentric approach in Latin America

Abstract Objective: To investigate and compare how Latin American physicians rate themselves on the use of communication strategies in the management of asthma patients, and to explore their personal experience and opinions on asthma treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of physicians attending international medical conferences in Latin America was conducted. Participants rated themselves on frequency of use of 24 communication strategies using a 5-point Likert scale. For statistical analysis, self-rating responses were divided into two classes: very likely to (always or often on a Likert scale) and not very likely to (sometimes, seldom or never on a Likert scale). Participants also answered 4 multiple choice questions about management of asthma patients. Overall responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate self-ratings by country, gender, practice area (GP or specialist) and age. Results: A total of 304 physicians from Ecuador, Argentina and Peru responded. Overall, the majority of respondents rated themselves very likely to use 21 of the 24 communication strategies. Some significant differences were observed in self-ratings among physicians from different countries, between males and females, between GPs and specialists and between younger and older physicians. Responses to the multiple choice questions showed that 79.6% of the respondents believed that most or almost all patients can achieve asthma control. Conclusions: A high percentage of the Latin American physicians surveyed rated themselves very likely to use good communication strategies when managing asthma patients and felt that asthma control can be achieved in most or almost all patients.

Urticarial vasculitis induced by OTC diet pills: a case report

BackgroundUrticarial Vasculitis (UV) is in most of the cases idiopathic; however it has been associated with several conditions and drugs. Over the counter (OTC) diet pills are widely available, even on-line, but they are rarely regulated by pharmaceutical control.Case presentationWe present the case of a 35-year-old female patient suffering of pruriginous and painful wheals more than 1 cm in diameter, with a burning sensation. The eruption lasted more than 24 hours and was accompanied by angioedema, headache and myalgia. No remarkable medical history was found, except for previous intake of OTC diet pills. UV diagnosis was confirmed by the skin biopsy of a lesion.ConclusionOTC diet pills are widely available worldwide, and due to its widespread use, allergologists and dermatologist should be able to recognize symptoms and lesions of cutaneous vasculitis, which may be under reported.

Son seguros los productos naturales analgésicos en los pacientes con alergia a los antiinflamatorios no esteroideos

BACKGROUND Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-induced hypersensitivity reactions can be clinically apparent with asthma, rhinosinusitis, anaphylaxis or rash. Although natural anti-inflammatory products can have similar components, they are not subjected to rigorous quality control standards. CASE REPORT The case is presented of a 22-year-old female with NSAID allergy who attended with facial and laryngeal angioedema associated with pruritus in eyelids and pharynx. She developed these symptoms fifteen minutes after taking an over-the-counter (OTC) natural anti-inflammatory product. She received treatment with epinephrine, antihistamines and corticosteroids. CONCLUSION Different natural anti-inflammatory products are freely available both OTC and online. Some contain dangerous substances that can cause important, and even lethal. side effects. Allergologists, dermatologists and general practitioners should be able to recognize that the consumption of these products, which is widely spread, can cause angioedema.

What Kind of Information and Communication Technologies Do Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Prefer? An Ecuadorian Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the frequency of use of information and communication technologies and patterns of preference among Ecuadorian patients with diabetes. Methods We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey on type 2 diabetes mellitus. A chi-square test for association and adjusted regression analyses were performed. Results 248 patients were enrolled, with a mean sample age of 57.7 years. SMS was the most used ICT (66.0%). The Internet was used by 45.2% of patients to obtain information about diabetes. SMS and email were rated as the most useful ICTs for receiving information (64.5% and 28.1%, resp.) and asking physicians about diabetes (63.8% and 26.1%, resp.). Patients were also interested in receiving disease information (82.4%) and asking physicians about diabetes (84.7%) through WhatsApp. Adjusted logistic regressions revealed that individuals aged 55 years or younger, those with superior degree level, and those with long diabetes history preferred email for receiving information and asking physicians about diabetes compared to those above 55 years, those with low education level, and those with short diabetes history, respectively. Conclusion Understanding preferences of ICTs among patients with diabetes could facilitate application development targeted towards specific requirements from patients.

What kind of information and communication technologies do patients with COPD prefer to use? A cross-sectional study in Latin America

The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of uses and preferences of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among Latin American chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey study on Latin American COPD patients. The adapted version of the Michigan questionnaire was employed in eligible outpatients in different cities of Latin America. We categorized age and educational levels into three groups. The time passed since COPD diagnosis was categorized as ≤5 years and >5 years. χ 2 and crude and adjusted logistic regressions were performed. A total of 256 patients were enrolled with a mean age of 68.7 years old. The most recurrently used ICTs were short message service (SMS; 47.1%) and WhatsApp (30.7%) for receiving COPD information. Moreover, SMS (85.8%) and Facebook (36.1%) were rated as useful for asking physicians information about COPD. Regression analysis showed that the best predictor for patients using ICTs, for any purpose, was higher education (undergraduate or graduate school). Understanding the preferences of ICTs among COPD patients could help improve patient’s outcomes through developing applications in response to specific requirements of each patient.

Urticaria as initial finding of a patient with carcinoid tumor.

BackgroundTypical carcinoid syndrome is characterized by flushing, abdominal pain and diarrhea and occurs in <10 % of carcinoid tumor patients. Very rarely, initial signs include skin manifestations. Our purpose is to highlight cutaneous manifestations in the diagnosis and assessment of a patient with atypical manifestation of type I gastric carcinoid tumor.Case presentationA 50-year-old woman presented with anemia, chronic urticaria and angioedema. Urticaria was triggered principally by seafood and appeared in the first hour after. Urticaria Activity Score 7 was 24, and quality of life (CU-Q2oL) was 3.61. P. Laboratory findings showed anemia, diminished iron, ferritin, and vitamin B12, with increased gastrin and anti-parietal cell antibody levels. 15 gastric carcinoids 5 mm in diameter were observed in the greater curvature of the stomach during gastric endoscopy and confirmed by biopsy, suggesting that this patient had type I gastric carcinoids. Four additional tumors were found in the small intestine upon examination via video capsule. Endoscopic argon plasma therapy was performed. The patient experienced definitive improvement in quality of life and urticaria activity score.ConclusionThis patient, whose principal symptoms were anemia, urticaria and angioedema, was found to have atypical carcinoid syndrome, with tumors located in the stomach. Allergists, immunologists, internists and primary care physicians should consider the possibility of neuroendocrine malignancies, specifically type I carcinoid tumors, when evaluating patients with urticaria, and consider screening patients with chronic urticaria for elevated anti-parietal cell antibody levels.