Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction: Improving medical education in the context of environmental issues is one of the most important tasks of the university. Students must integrate solid knowledge, qualities, and skills related to the environment with a preventive approach. Objective: To characterize the historical foundations of environmental education for medical students from a workplace perspective. Methods: Thirty-one articles published from January 2015 to December 2023 and July 2024 in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were reviewed, selected according to inclusion criteria. Articles were searched using the terms environment, education, and work. The databases SciELO, Elsevier, Pubmed, and the Google Scholar search engine were used. Development: The environmental training of medical students has transitioned from a biological focus to an epidemiological approach through the integration of the Integrative Principal Discipline and the "Public Health and Environmental Training" curriculum designs. Workplace education has constituted the ideal space in the training process. Despite advances in curricula, the development of the mode of action regarding the environment has been insufficient from a methodological perspective. Conclusions: In the training process for medical students, deficiencies are identified, expressed in fragmented approaches to environmental training. Workplace education is reaffirmed as an ideal cross-cutting axis for developing the approach to learning based on the solution to environmental health problems.

Introduction: Pseudoaneurysms are infrequent vascular anomalies that occur by partial transection of the arterial wall. Objective: To present the clinical case of a patient with pseudoaneurysm of the superficial temporal artery. Clinical Case: A 23-year-old male patient with a medical history suffered a physical assault with a sharp object, which caused epicranial wounds in the right frontotemporal region. He was seen in the emergency department. Sixteen days after the initial trauma, he presented with increased volume, pulsating, and painful swelling consistent with a right superficial pseudoaneurysm. Definitive surgical treatment was performed, and the patient had a favorable outcome. Conclusions: Pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery are rare vascular lesions that present as pulsating epicranial masses. Their diagnosis is clinical and confirmed with imaging studies, including Doppler ultrasound. Definitive treatment is surgical.

Introduction: Heat waves and forest fires, exacerbated by climate change, have intensified in recent decades, threatening public health and human, animal, and environmental well-being. Objective: To discuss the threats of heat waves and forest fires to the health of the South American population, presenting evidence of their effects and providing recommendations so that health professionals can receive academic training on these topics. Opinion: Heat waves significantly increase mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Forest fires, on the other hand, cause widespread destruction and release harmful pollutants into the air, posing a severe threat to respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health. Prolonged exposure to these extreme events can lead to the development of chronic diseases and exacerbate pre-existing conditions. The current health infrastructure in many areas of South America needs to be equipped to handle the magnitude of these events, underscoring the urgent need for updated training curricula for health professionals. Conclusions: Implementing effective mitigation and adaptation strategies to protect the population and strengthen health systems is of utmost relevance. Equally crucial is health professionals’ pivotal role in mitigating these events’ health impacts, underscoring the need to update their training.

Introduction: In recent years, the number of children with neurodevelopmental problems has increased significantly. The cause to date is not clearly established; however, the symptoms may be associated with prenatal stress, socio-environmental factors and the lack of parental presence. Objective: Describe how parental presence influences the neurodevelopment of the child. Methods: The information was obtained through theoretical methods and synthesis of documentary and bibliographic reviews on the subject. The search was conducted during the month of November 2019 to February 2024, using the scientific databases Scielo, PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect. After analysis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 scientific articles were considered for analysis. Development: The neurodevelopment of the child is a fundamental process that begins from the fetal stage until the first 3 years, this activity is influenced by genetic patterns and environmental factors, which is why adverse situations can cause damage and the presence of an adequate parental bond generates a solid sensory stimulation, care and protection for the child. Therefore, the presence of a parental bond develops a solid sensory stimulation, care and protection for the child. Conclusions: Parental presence through attachment, contact and care is essential to avoid the associated damages such as behavioral problems or neurodevelopmental alterations.

Introduction: The first permanent molar is considered an important tooth in the oral cavity. Its early loss could have important consequences, such as decreased chewing efficiency and migration of adjacent teeth Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with the early loss of the first permanent molar in Peruvian schoolchildren. Methods: A descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of 208 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years from an educational institution in Peru. The associated factors evaluated were age, sex, caries of the first molars present and oral hygiene index, and the absent first molar was determined according to its position in the arch. Correlation was determined using chi-square and Mann Whitney U test. Results: The prevalence of early loss of permanent first molars was 22.1%; the factors associated with early loss of the first molar were the age of 11 to 12 years, the presence of caries in the first molars present and the oral hygiene index (p< 0.05). The highest frequency of absent first molar type was 3.6 with 43.5%. Conclusions: The prevalence of early loss of the first permanent molar affects less than a quarter of the schoolchildren evaluated. The main factors associated with this condition include age, the presence of caries in the remaining first molars and the oral hygiene index.

Introduction: The inhalation of tobacco smoke, regardless of whether individuals smoke or are exposed to it, has a considerable effect on sleep quality. Objective: To establish the association between active and passive smoking with sleep quality among university students. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was applied to assess sleep quality. Smoking habits were evaluated through active smoking and passive smoking at home or work, in a sample of 2495 students. A generalized linear model of the Poisson family with robust variance was used to determine the crude prevalence ratio (cPR) and adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR). Each measure of association has been presented with its 95 % confidence interval (95% CI). Results: The prevalence of active smokers was 12.26%, and of passive smokers, 16.67%. The multivariable analysis found that active smokers were 2.23 times more likely to have poor sleep quality (PR: 2.23; 95% CI 1.89–2.61). Passive smokers were 1.74 times more likely to have poor sleep quality (PR: 1.74; 95% CI 1.48–2.03). Conclusions: Tobacco smoke, whether inhaled directly by smokers or indirectly by passive smokers, is associated with the sleep quality of university students.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a high incidence heart disease with impact on hospital morbidity and mortality, common cause of admissions and care in emergency units. Objective: To describe the annual behavior of AMI. Methods: Analytical observational study in 1253 patients admitted for AMI in the period 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2021, at the Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago de Cuba. The following variables were used: age, sex, hospital stay, discharge status, use of homeopathic formulations, and location of the ischemic lesion. For the statistical analysis, the normality of the data distribution was evaluated, Fischer and Welch t-tests, chi-square, Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curves were used. Results: 67.99% of patients were male. The overall case fatality was 10.21%. Significant differences in age (62.63 ± 0.73 vs. 71.43 ± 2.04; p= 0.0000) and hospital stay (7.92 ± 0.33 vs. 3.19 ± 0.66; p= 0.0000) were observed between live vs. deceased discharged patients. Of the deaths, 57.03% occurred within 48 hours, 32.81% within 24 hours and 19.53% within 12 hours of hospital admission. Using homeopathic formulations was associated with a clinically significant protective effect. Conclusions: Incidence increased in 2020, with a tendency to recover at the end of the period evaluated; inverse trend in relation to mortality; a clinically significant protective effect was identified in the use of homeopathic formulations.

Introduction: The early identification of diabetes mellitus through predictive models has taken a leading role; they constitute an effective way in the management of patients at high risk of this disease. Objective: Analyze the evolution of predictive models in the identification of risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Opinion: There are several predictive models for identifying patients at risk of developing diabetes mellitus, which are vital for screening. As medical science has evolved, these models have been refined and become key to improving health. Conclusions: The application and development of predictive models to the daily clinical life of both patients and doctors is key to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of consultations. This enables us to predict the complications of a person suffering from diabetes, improve their health status and also reduce the economic cost of the disease.

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, in both developed and low-income countries. Approximately 10% experience in-hospital cardiac complications, so these patients present specificities and typicalities that are different from other population groups. Objective: To characterize patients diagnosed with complicated acute myocardial infarction from a clinical and echocardiographic perspective. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in patients diagnosed with complicated acute myocardial infarction. Clinical and echocardiographic variables were evaluated: age at AMI diagnosis, sex, history of diabetes mellitus and previous myocardial infarction, infarct topography, and cardiac complications. Absolute and relative frequencies, mean, standard deviation, and the chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The most frequent complication was paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (28.5%); This was followed by left and right heart failure (50%); a predominance in patients over 65 years of age (56%), LVEF ≤ 40% (p = 0.004), and left atrial volume (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Factors such as age ≥ 65 years and the presence of diabetes mellitus were the majority in the sample; lower body topography had high percentages; paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was the most frequent cardiac complication, along with left heart failure; these complications also appeared earlier. Left ventricular systolic function ≤ 40% was associated with cardiac complications occurring within ≤ 72 hours.

Introduction: The situation of working adult university students presents challenges such as time management, family responsibilities and motivation. Storytelling can improve the research competencies of Pharmacy and Biochemistry students at a private university in Lima. Objective: Determine how the use of narrative strategies influences the development of research skills in students enrolled in the Pharmacy and Biochemistry academic program. Methods: An applied, quasi-experimental study was conducted with Pharmacy and Biochemistry students from a private university in Lima. They were divided into an experimental group (n= 30) and a control group (n= 30). Initial and final evaluations were performed with a 20-item scale to measure research competencies. Differences between pretest and posttest were analyzed using SPSS software to determine the effectiveness of the narrative strategies. Results: In the post-test, the experimental group showed significant improvements in research skills compared to the control group: information search (45.0% vs. 16.7%), use of resources (46.7% vs. 20.0%), research skills (41.7% vs. 23.3%), communication (46.7% vs. 18.3%) and teamwork (50.0% vs. 33.0%). These results highlight the effectiveness of storytelling. Conclusions: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in all evaluated areas, with an emphasis on information searching, resource utilization, research capacity, communication, and teamwork. The findings support the effectiveness of storytelling as a strategy to strengthen students' research competencies.