Farmaindustria valora muy positivamente el anuncio realizado ayer en Santiago de Compostela por el vicepresidente primero del Gobierno, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, de que los Presupuestos Generales del Estado para 2012 puedan incluir 8.000 millones de euros adicionales a las comunidades autónomas para destinar a Sanidad.
Hace meses que desde Farmaindustria se hace hincapié en la necesidad de poner sobre la mesa el debate sobre las tensiones financieras que sufre actualmente el Sistema Nacional de Salud, agravadas por la actual crisis económica pero debidas a una histórica insuficiente dotación de recursos destinados a Sanidad en relación con nuestro PIB (el esfuerzo español en salud está dos puntos por debajo de la media europea).
Estos problemas presupuestarios están induciendo a las comunidades autónomas a recortar determinadas prestaciones sanitarias, afectando a la equidad y calidad del servicio que reciben los pacientes, así como a incrementar la deuda con los proveedores, lo cual pone en peligro su subsistencia y por tanto los actuales niveles de inversión y empleo, estratégicos para el desarrollo económico del país.
En esta situación, mejoras en la eficiencia y reformas del sistema no son suficientes para hacer frente a las necesidades financieras actuales del Sistema Nacional de Salud, por lo que la industria farmacéutica defiende que se considere la sanidad una prioridad en la inversión pública y se dote a nuestro sistema público de los recursos financieros suficientes.
04 July 2011
EL PRÓXIMO 28 DE JULIO SE CELEBRA EL DÍA MUNDIAL DE LA HEPATITIS
Este año, según lo acordado por los 193 Estados Miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), el Día Mundial de las Hepatitis se celebrará el próximo 28 de julio de 2011. El principal motivo se fundamenta en rendir homenaje al ganador del premio Nobel, el Prof. Blumberg, descubridor del virus de la hepatitis B y cuya fecha de cumpleaños es la elegida para celebrar este señalado día.
Desde la Asociación Española de Enfermos de Hepatitis C (AsoEEHC), creemos que esta fecha es una excelente oportunidad para trabajar y luchar conjuntamente en la mejora tanto en la prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento, como en la sensibilización social de la hepatitis viral.
Se llevarán a cabo diferentes actividades con este objetivo.
Desde la Asociación Española de Enfermos de Hepatitis C (AsoEEHC), creemos que esta fecha es una excelente oportunidad para trabajar y luchar conjuntamente en la mejora tanto en la prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento, como en la sensibilización social de la hepatitis viral.
Se llevarán a cabo diferentes actividades con este objetivo.
Apoyo a la colegiación, atención hospitalaria y protección social en el último número de la “Revista OMC”
El último número de la “Revista OMC” dedica un amplio reportaje a todo lo que fue y representó la “Cumbre Mundial Médico – Enfermera” en la que los máximos representantes de organizaciones profesionales de médicos y de enfermería de los principales países, así como los máximos representantes políticos y profesionales, dieron su apoyo a estas profesiones que “deben mantener su rol como órganos reguladores, profesionales e independientes, con carácter universal, sin excepciones”, tal como afirma en el editorial el presidente del Consejo General de Colegios de Médicos, Juan José Rodríguez Sendín.
El presidente del Partido Popular, Mariano Rajoy, reconoció en esta Cumbre que los Colegios y la colegiación obligatoria “son un elemento clave para impulsar el profesionalismo, la toma de decisiones con autonomía y responsabilidad” y coincidió en señalar que “los principios de buenas prácticas y códigos deontológicos, que los profesionales consensuan en el seno de los colegios profesionales, inspiran y guían la conducta de los profesionales en el ejercicio de la profesión”.
También la ministra de Sanidad, Política Social e Igualdad, Leire Pajín, se mostro partidaria de “trabajar para acrecentar su fortaleza institucional” y recordó que el objetivo de su ministerio es “desarrollar políticas basadas en el consenso”.
En una entrevista con el expresidente de la Generalitat de Cataluña, Jordi Pujol, se repasan algunos de los aspectos más importantes que afectan a nuestra Sanidad y reconoce que “hay una necesidad indiscutible de un Pacto por la Sanidad y que las distintas fuerzas políticas se pongan de acuerdo” y en cuanto al papel de los Colegios de Médicos y la colegiación se muestra partidario y reconoce que él mismo, como médico, estuvo colegiado.
El debate de este número se dedica a la atención hospitalaria, analizando si esta se adapta a la realidad social actual, una realidad caracterizada por el predominio del paciente anciano, pluripatológico y polimedicado, y por la existencia de grandes centros sanitarios y una organización centrada en el enfermo agudo y la superespecialización.
A nivel internacional se hace referencia al “IV Encuentro del Foro Iberoamericano de Entidades Médicas, FIEM” celebrado en Córdoba en el cual todas las organizaciones médicas asistentes aprobaron por unanimidad un “Manifiesto por la colegiación universal de los médicos”. Y ya en el área social, se destacan algunas de las actividades llevadas a cabo por la Fundación Patronato de Huérfanos de Médicos y Protección Social Príncipe de Asturias. Entre ellas, destaca la importancia de la corresponsabilidad entre Colegios de Médicos y Administraciones sanitarias, puesta en evidencia en el transcurso del “IV Congreso PAIME (Programa de Atención Integral al Médico Enfermo)” celebrado en Málaga; un proyecto pionero en España y Europa, promovido por los Colegios de Médicos en colaboración con las Administraciones sanitarias.
El presidente del Partido Popular, Mariano Rajoy, reconoció en esta Cumbre que los Colegios y la colegiación obligatoria “son un elemento clave para impulsar el profesionalismo, la toma de decisiones con autonomía y responsabilidad” y coincidió en señalar que “los principios de buenas prácticas y códigos deontológicos, que los profesionales consensuan en el seno de los colegios profesionales, inspiran y guían la conducta de los profesionales en el ejercicio de la profesión”.
También la ministra de Sanidad, Política Social e Igualdad, Leire Pajín, se mostro partidaria de “trabajar para acrecentar su fortaleza institucional” y recordó que el objetivo de su ministerio es “desarrollar políticas basadas en el consenso”.
En una entrevista con el expresidente de la Generalitat de Cataluña, Jordi Pujol, se repasan algunos de los aspectos más importantes que afectan a nuestra Sanidad y reconoce que “hay una necesidad indiscutible de un Pacto por la Sanidad y que las distintas fuerzas políticas se pongan de acuerdo” y en cuanto al papel de los Colegios de Médicos y la colegiación se muestra partidario y reconoce que él mismo, como médico, estuvo colegiado.
El debate de este número se dedica a la atención hospitalaria, analizando si esta se adapta a la realidad social actual, una realidad caracterizada por el predominio del paciente anciano, pluripatológico y polimedicado, y por la existencia de grandes centros sanitarios y una organización centrada en el enfermo agudo y la superespecialización.
A nivel internacional se hace referencia al “IV Encuentro del Foro Iberoamericano de Entidades Médicas, FIEM” celebrado en Córdoba en el cual todas las organizaciones médicas asistentes aprobaron por unanimidad un “Manifiesto por la colegiación universal de los médicos”. Y ya en el área social, se destacan algunas de las actividades llevadas a cabo por la Fundación Patronato de Huérfanos de Médicos y Protección Social Príncipe de Asturias. Entre ellas, destaca la importancia de la corresponsabilidad entre Colegios de Médicos y Administraciones sanitarias, puesta en evidencia en el transcurso del “IV Congreso PAIME (Programa de Atención Integral al Médico Enfermo)” celebrado en Málaga; un proyecto pionero en España y Europa, promovido por los Colegios de Médicos en colaboración con las Administraciones sanitarias.
Potential of simple injection on patients with head injury
New research has suggested that tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent people dying from head injuries. The CRASH-2 Intracranial Bleeding Study highlighting the potential of the cheap, off-patent drug to help people suffering from brain trauma is published online by the BMJ today.
According to the collaborators – led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine - the results provide strong grounds to test the effect of this treatment in a larger and definitive study. The forthcoming CRASH-3 trial (http://crash3.lshtm.ac.uk/) will determine reliably the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in patients with head injury.
Every year millions of people world-wide are treated for head injury. Unfortunately, currently there is no proven effective treatment for this life threatening condition, which affects mainly young working people. One of the frequent complications occurring after head injury is bleeding into the head. Usually this bleeding progresses in the first hours after the injury and produces more brain damage. Because tranexamic acid reduces clot breakdown the investigators hypothesised that this drug could reduce bleeding into the brain and therefore improve patients' outcomes.
The CRASH-2 Intracranial Bleeding Study was the first to evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid on head injury patients. The results showed that patients who receive tranexamic acid were less likely to have bleeding progression, they survive more and with less disability.
Dr Pablo Perel, who is based in the Clinical Trials Unit at LSHTM, says: "Although the results are not definitive they provide hope about the potential effectiveness of this simple drug for head injury patients. If such an inexpensive and widely practicable treatment were found to improve patient outcomes after head injury this would have major implications for clinical care."
**Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
According to the collaborators – led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine - the results provide strong grounds to test the effect of this treatment in a larger and definitive study. The forthcoming CRASH-3 trial (http://crash3.lshtm.ac.uk/) will determine reliably the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in patients with head injury.
Every year millions of people world-wide are treated for head injury. Unfortunately, currently there is no proven effective treatment for this life threatening condition, which affects mainly young working people. One of the frequent complications occurring after head injury is bleeding into the head. Usually this bleeding progresses in the first hours after the injury and produces more brain damage. Because tranexamic acid reduces clot breakdown the investigators hypothesised that this drug could reduce bleeding into the brain and therefore improve patients' outcomes.
The CRASH-2 Intracranial Bleeding Study was the first to evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid on head injury patients. The results showed that patients who receive tranexamic acid were less likely to have bleeding progression, they survive more and with less disability.
Dr Pablo Perel, who is based in the Clinical Trials Unit at LSHTM, says: "Although the results are not definitive they provide hope about the potential effectiveness of this simple drug for head injury patients. If such an inexpensive and widely practicable treatment were found to improve patient outcomes after head injury this would have major implications for clinical care."
**Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Mass. General team identifies new class of antiangiogenesis drugs
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have discovered the first of an entirely new class of antiangiogenesis drugs – agents that interfere with the development of blood vessels. In a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/Early Edition, the investigators describe how a compound derived from a South American tree was able, through a novel mechanism, to interfere with blood vessel formation in animal models of normal development, wound healing and tumor growth. "Most of the FDA-approved antiangiogenesis drugs inhibit the pathway controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF, which directly stimulates blood vessel development," says Igor Garkavtsev, MD, PhD, of the Steele Laboratory for Tumor Biology at MGH, lead author of the study. "Although these drugs have become standard treatments for several types of cancer, they only provide modest benefit in terms of extending patient survival, so more effective drugs targeting tumor vasculature are needed."
While tumors need to generate and maintain their own blood supply to keep growing, tumor vasculature tends to be highly disorganized, which interferes with the effectiveness of traditional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. Drugs that target the VEGF pathway can "normalize" tumor vasculature and improve the effectiveness of other therapies, but in addition to their limited effect on patient survival, such agents also can generate resistance or have toxic effects.
In their search for drugs that block blood vessel growth in different ways, Garkavtsev and his colleagues focused on pathways involved with the adhesion of endothelial cells that line blood vessels to the outer vessel wall. Appropriate cellular adhesion is essential to blood vessel function, and cells lining the tangled vessels characteristic of tumors often exhibit altered adhesion. Using a novel two-step strategy, the team first screened 50,000 compounds to find those affecting cellular adhesion and then analyzed identified compounds for toxicity and for their effects on actin, a protein essential to cellular structure.
One of two compounds identified by this process was dehydro-alpha-lapachone (DAL), derived from Tabebuia avellanedae, a tree native to Argentina and Brazil. Since DAL has structural similarities to another agent with antitumor activities and did not appear to be toxic, it was chosen for further investigation. The researchers first showed that DAL administration interfered with blood vessel formation in zebrafish, both during embryonic development and wound healing. They then found that it reduced the vascular density of tumors implanted in mice and, with daily treatment, significantly reduced tumor growth with no signs of toxicity.
Experiments with endothelial cells from human umbilical veins revealed that DAL administration altered the size and shape of the cells by changing the organization of the actin cytoskeleton; blocked formation of new vascular networks and reorganized existing networks; and interfered with the movement of cells required for wound healing. Further investigation found that DAL produces these effects by decreasing the activity of Rac1, a protein known to be important to cellular adhesion and cytoskeletal organization.
"This work is the first to discover the antivascular effects of DAL and its target Rac1, and our data strongly suggest that DAL promotes Rac1 degradation," says Rakesh Jain, PhD, director of the Steele Lab and senior author of the study. "DAL has the potential to improve treatment of many types of cancer and of other diseases characterized by abnormal blood vessels." Jain is the Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) and Garkavtsev is an assistant professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School
**Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
While tumors need to generate and maintain their own blood supply to keep growing, tumor vasculature tends to be highly disorganized, which interferes with the effectiveness of traditional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. Drugs that target the VEGF pathway can "normalize" tumor vasculature and improve the effectiveness of other therapies, but in addition to their limited effect on patient survival, such agents also can generate resistance or have toxic effects.
In their search for drugs that block blood vessel growth in different ways, Garkavtsev and his colleagues focused on pathways involved with the adhesion of endothelial cells that line blood vessels to the outer vessel wall. Appropriate cellular adhesion is essential to blood vessel function, and cells lining the tangled vessels characteristic of tumors often exhibit altered adhesion. Using a novel two-step strategy, the team first screened 50,000 compounds to find those affecting cellular adhesion and then analyzed identified compounds for toxicity and for their effects on actin, a protein essential to cellular structure.
One of two compounds identified by this process was dehydro-alpha-lapachone (DAL), derived from Tabebuia avellanedae, a tree native to Argentina and Brazil. Since DAL has structural similarities to another agent with antitumor activities and did not appear to be toxic, it was chosen for further investigation. The researchers first showed that DAL administration interfered with blood vessel formation in zebrafish, both during embryonic development and wound healing. They then found that it reduced the vascular density of tumors implanted in mice and, with daily treatment, significantly reduced tumor growth with no signs of toxicity.
Experiments with endothelial cells from human umbilical veins revealed that DAL administration altered the size and shape of the cells by changing the organization of the actin cytoskeleton; blocked formation of new vascular networks and reorganized existing networks; and interfered with the movement of cells required for wound healing. Further investigation found that DAL produces these effects by decreasing the activity of Rac1, a protein known to be important to cellular adhesion and cytoskeletal organization.
"This work is the first to discover the antivascular effects of DAL and its target Rac1, and our data strongly suggest that DAL promotes Rac1 degradation," says Rakesh Jain, PhD, director of the Steele Lab and senior author of the study. "DAL has the potential to improve treatment of many types of cancer and of other diseases characterized by abnormal blood vessels." Jain is the Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) and Garkavtsev is an assistant professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School
**Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
MADRID Y ANDALUCÍA, LAS COMUNIDADES CON MAS DEFICIENCIAS ASISTENCIALES PEDIÁTRICAS, SEGÚN LA AEPAP
Las Comunidades Autónomas más deficientes en la calidad asistencial pediátrica son Andalucía y Madrid, y además con "tres puntos negros", seguidas de Cataluña y Murcia con dos, según la AEPAP, que expresa su apoyo al recién creado "Observatorio Pediátrico de Atención Primaria" en la Comunidad madrileña.
Para la Asociación Española de Pediatría de Atención Primaria, AEPAP, "puntos negros" son las características más desfavorables, como son las plazas de pediatría de AP cubiertas por profesionales sin la especialidad, la escasez de enfermería pediátrica, los horarios que dificultan la conciliación de la vida familiar y laboral, los sueldos bajos y las dificultades en el acceso a Internet en las consultas.
Según esta asociación científica, "corresponde a la administración sanitaria mejorar estas diferencias o se crearán divergencias insalvables en los recursos adjudicados a la asistencia sanitaria de los niños y adolescentes, dependiendo del lugar donde residan". En este sentido, la Dra. Begoña Domínguez, presidenta de AEPAP, considera necesaria "extender a todas las CC.AA. la iniciativa del Observatorio Pediátrico de Atención Primaria, lo que ha sido trasladado a todas las vocalías autonómicas que conforman la Asociación". Cabe recordar que la finalidad de este Observatorio es vigilar y alertar sobre la problemática asistencial y laboral de los pediatras de los Centros de Salud de Madrid, a fin de optimizar la calidad de la asistencia a los niños y adolescentes de esta Comunidad
Para la Asociación Española de Pediatría de Atención Primaria, AEPAP, "puntos negros" son las características más desfavorables, como son las plazas de pediatría de AP cubiertas por profesionales sin la especialidad, la escasez de enfermería pediátrica, los horarios que dificultan la conciliación de la vida familiar y laboral, los sueldos bajos y las dificultades en el acceso a Internet en las consultas.
Según esta asociación científica, "corresponde a la administración sanitaria mejorar estas diferencias o se crearán divergencias insalvables en los recursos adjudicados a la asistencia sanitaria de los niños y adolescentes, dependiendo del lugar donde residan". En este sentido, la Dra. Begoña Domínguez, presidenta de AEPAP, considera necesaria "extender a todas las CC.AA. la iniciativa del Observatorio Pediátrico de Atención Primaria, lo que ha sido trasladado a todas las vocalías autonómicas que conforman la Asociación". Cabe recordar que la finalidad de este Observatorio es vigilar y alertar sobre la problemática asistencial y laboral de los pediatras de los Centros de Salud de Madrid, a fin de optimizar la calidad de la asistencia a los niños y adolescentes de esta Comunidad
Taller women more likely to have twins
Taller women are more likely to have dizygotic (non-identical) twin pregnancies after double embryo transfer (DET), researchers from The Netherlands have found. Dr. Marieke Lambers, from VUMC, Gynaecology Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday) that the findings could help doctors decide whether to transfer one or two embryos in order to minimise multiple pregnancies without compromising pregnancy rates. “This is a further step towards the development of tailor-made personalised IVF treatment,” she said. The researchers say that this is the first time the effect of maternal height on multiple implantation has been shown. “In natural dizygotic twinning it is not possible to distinguish between multiple ovulation and implantation,” said Dr. Lambers “whereas by studying pregnancies in mothers who have undergone DET we know exactly how many embryos were transferred and can therefore draw firm conclusions about the factors that influence the development of twin pregnancies.” The researchers studied data from the 19840 women in The Netherlands who underwent IVF treatment between 1983 and 1995 (the OMEGA study group). They selected all first fresh (unfrozen) IVF and ICSI cycles using DET that resulted in the delivery of a single or twin baby, both living and stillborn. Excluded from the analysis were cases where there were insufficient data from medical files, patients who used donated oocytes or who had undertaken fertility treatment besides IVF and ICSI, those who had had an abortion, an ectopic pregnancy, or a miscarriage. The remaining group was analysed using a dependent variable – whether or not the pregnancy was single or multiple – and a number of independent variables: BMI, weight, height, maternal age, number of oocytes retrieved, use of alcohol, level of education and parity. Of the 6589 patients who completed their first IVF cycle, 2357 women had DET, resulting in 371 singleton and 125 twin pregnancies. “When we came to analyse the twin group, we found that a maternal height of over 1.74cm and more than 11 oocytes retrieved were independently associated with twin pregnancies,” said Dr. Lambers. “The positive relationship between a higher number of oocytes retrieved and a twin pregnancy probably reflects the fact that these women would have had a larger choice of good quality embryos. But the association between increased height and multiple pregnancy is more difficult to explain. Previous studies have shown that women who are prone to conceive twins after IVF have a higher level of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), which promotes the growth of blood vessels at the site of implantation. Perhaps there is also an association between tall stature and increased VEGF-A levels,” she said. “Doctors working in IVF are faced with a constant balancing act between giving the best chance of achieving a pregnancy without incurring all the problems associated with multiple births,” said Dr. Lambers. “We hope that our work could be used in future as a basis for predictive models that assist in the choice between single and double embryo transfer. This is an important topic, since multiple pregnancies involve a higher risk of problems for the mother, such as pre-eclampsia, and also for the baby due to pre-term or immature delivery.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)