Antonio Cárdenas Cruz’s research while affiliated with Hospital Poniente, Almeria and other places

We have read with interest the recently published case on splenic rupture after colonoscopy. Although this complication is being observed more frequently, in the case presented here, the particularity lies in the myocardial ischemia caused as a consequence of stasis at coronary level, determining a situation of extreme gravity, a diagnostic challenge and a therapeutic emergency.

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a major public health problem in developed countries. According to the Spanish Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Council, in Spain there are around thirty thousand deaths a year and about twenty thousand resuscitation attempts, and yet until very recently medical students did not receive formal training in Advanced Life Support (ALS). With the introduction in 2018 of a new subject, we faced the problem of not having established what type of Life Support was appropriate for our students. As a result, the aim of this study is to analyze in a comparative way the degree of acquisition of competences in ALS and Immediate Life Support (ILS) and their temporal evolution by the students of fifth and sixth year (Medicine Degree) of the University of Granada (UGR). To achieve that aim, we obtained the data in an initial evaluation to the medical students who enrolled in the optional subject of Advanced Life Support in the Faculty of Medicine (UGR), during the months of October and November (2019). This evaluation was carried out by external evaluators and was based on the ERC 2015 guidelines. Months later, a reassessment that was carried out during the months of February and March 2020 to the same sample of students gave us the data for the comparison. Data showed that the degree of acquisition of competencies related to the ILS exceeds the level of acquisition of the competences included within the ALS, and that the effect of the Oblivion Curve for the competences included in the ILS is lower than those included in the ALS. We could conclude that the competences that are integrated within the ILS present a higher level of acquisition and a lesser effect on the forgetting curve, so they should become part of the curricular content of the UGR Medical Degree.

Since the introduction of the modern techniques for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, professionals have discussed the need to standardize its application and teaching both among health care professionals and the general public. The main aim of this study was to examine the training level, compression rate average, depression average and number of cycles in seven minutes in participants trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). As secondary objectives were to analyse the gender interaction with other variables, and to analyse the level of training on the correct execution of CPR. Research was conducted in a sample of fifty-two Spanish participants with training in CPR. There were no significant differences according to training level in terms of depressed sternum, compression rate average, depression average or compression depth average (P > 0.05). However, the number of cycles in seven minutes was higher in participants with training than in participants without training (P = 0.002). In conclusion, there were a low percentage of participants that offer optimal quality in the practice of CPR. It would be interesting to carry out simulation situations with

Objectives: To assess the level of skill attained by participants in a large-scale training program in basic life support (BLS) and the relation between achievement and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: A large-scale BLS training program was implemented in Almeria, in southeastern Andalusia, Spain, between 2003 and 2009. The following sociodemographic information was recorded for all participants: age, gender, educational level, history of heart disease in relatives, and previous BLS training. The level of achievement (knowledge and skill) was assessed at the end of training. Results: A total of 3864 participants were trained in 199 courses; 63.4% were women, the mean (SD) age was 26.13 (11.47) years, 58.5% had only received elementary school education, 15.1% had received previous BLS training, and 18.9% had a relative with heart disease. Achievement was assessed as satisfactory for 95.3% of the participants. Age over 50 years or under 18 years and a low educational level were correlated with poorer achievement (P<.001). Previous BLS training was a predictor of better results (P=.011). Having a relative with heart disease did not influence achievement (P=.118). Conclusions: Traditional instructor-led BLS training courses give satisfactory results. Sociodemographic characteristics influence achievement in BLS courses. Learners over the age of 50 years or under the age of 18 years achieve poorer results.