No abstract

Background: Adolescence represents a vulnerable time for individuals with asthma and allergic conditions. They suffer an unexpected degree of morbidity. This systematic review aimed to understand the challenges faced by adolescents and young adults with these conditions. Methods: A systematic literature search was undertaken across eight databases. References were checked by two reviewers for inclusion. Study data were extracted, and their quality was assessed in duplicate. A narrative meta-synthesis was undertaken. Results: A total of 108 papers describing 106 studies were retrieved, most focused on asthma. Five themes were identified across studies: (a) Health-related quality of life-impairment was associated with poor disease control, psychosocial issues, adolescent-onset allergic disease and female sex; (b) Psychological factors-asthma and food allergy were associated with anxiety and depression, atopic dermatitis was associated with suicidal ideation, and that parental emotional support may be protective; (c) Adherence-suboptimal adherence was associated with older age, barriers to medication usage, poor symptom perception and failure to take responsibility, and positive factors were routines, simpler treatment regimes, better knowledge and perceptions about medications; (d) Self-management-facilitated by education, knowledge and a positive attitude; and (e) Supportive relationships-families could modify barriers to adherence and foster positive views about self-management, adolescents suggested that their peers should be more involved in supporting them, and adolescents also wished to have support from nonjudgemental healthcare professionals. Conclusions: We have some understanding of the challenges faced by adolescents with asthma, less so for other allergic conditions. This knowledge will be used to support guidelines for managing adolescents.

Characteristics of Spanish ITP patients are comparable to those from other countries. Although a high response rate to first-line treatments is observed, at 1 year, the disease persists in around one quarter of patients. Overall therapeutic management in Spain conforms to current recommendations, except for an excessive duration of corticosteroids therapy.

The aim of this study was to determine, in a population with metastatic breast cancer treated with bevacizumab therapy, the incidence of wound dehiscence after placement of an implantable venous access device (VAD) and to study the risk of catheter thrombosis. This study enrolled all VADs placed by 14 anesthetists between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2009: 273 VADs in patients treated with bevacizumab therapy and 4196 VADs in patients not treated with bevacizumab therapy. In the bevacizumab therapy group, 13 cases of wound dehiscence occurred in 12 patients requiring removal of the VAD (4.76%). All cases of dehiscence occurred when bevacizumab therapy was initiated less than 7 days after VAD placement. Bevacizumab therapy was initiated less than 7 days after VAD placement in 150 cases (13 of 150: 8.6%). The risk of dehiscence was the same from 0 to 7 days. In parallel, the VAD wound dehiscence rate in patients not receiving bevacizumab therapy was eight of 4197 cases (0.19%) (Fisher's test significant, P<0.001). No risk factors of dehiscence were identified: anesthetists, learning curves, and irradiated patients. VAD thrombosis occurred in four patients (1.5%). In parallel, VAD thrombosis occurred in 51 of 4197 patients (1.2%) not receiving bevacizumab therapy (Fisher's test not significant; P=0.43). Bevacizumab therapy was permanently discontinued in five patients related to wound dehiscence and in one patient due to extensive skin necrosis. These data suggest the need to observe an interval of at least 7 days between VAD placement and initiation of bevacizumab therapy to avoid the risk of a wound dehiscence requiring chest wall port explant. The risk of VAD thrombosis does not require any particular primary prevention.

The Paralympic Games are one of the world’s most important multisport events, maybe second only to the Olympic Games. However, research conducted to date shows that the media do not devote as much space to them as would accordingly be expected. This article proposes, through a case study, a new way of approaching this hypothetical discrimination by comparing the attention that the London Paralympic Games received from the Spanish print press with the attention that other sports received (football, basketball, tennis, cycling, motor sports and other minority sports) while those Games were being held. The main finding of our study is that over the period analysed, the Spanish press devoted less space to the Paralympic Games than to any other sport.