ABSTRACT Traffic accidents are an emerging problem in cities with high mobility and little urban planning. Evidence is lacking in Argentina regarding the relationship between the environment and accident occurrence; we therefore conducted a geospatial analysis and estimated the risk of accidents and their possible association with the characteristics of the physical environment in the city of Resistencia, Argentina occurring in 2012. Kernel density estimates were used for the spatial distribution of accidents and in parallel an observational, analytical study was carried out to analyze the factors associated with accident occurrence. The results show three critical areas (in the northwest, center and south of the city) with greater accident frequency. Environmental factors that were associated with the occurrence of accidents were the presence of street lighting (23% greater), the presence of a tree close to the road (47% greater), the presence of a traffic light (28% greater), and if the road was a major avenue (122% greater) and had curves (129% greater). This study shows the city of Resistencia to be in a situation of urban vulnerability due not only to its socioeconomic status but also to the unequal development compared to neighboring cities, a reality that fosters an unfavorable environment.

RESUMEN Los accidentes de tránsito constituyen un problema emergente en ciudades con alta movilidad y baja planificación urbana. No existe suficiente evidencia en Argentina acerca de la relación entre el entorno y la ocurrencia de accidentes. Por ello, realizamos un análisis espacial de ocurrencia y estimamos el riesgo de ocurrencia de accidentes en el año 2012 y su posible asociación con las características del entorno físico en la ciudad de Resistencia, provincia del Chaco, Argentina. Para el análisis espacial de los accidentes se utilizó la estimación de densidad kernel. Luego, a través de un estudio observacional y analítico se procedió a analizar los factores asociados a la ocurrencia de los accidentes. Los resultados muestran que existen tres zonas críticas (noroeste, centro y sur) con mayor frecuencia de accidentes. Los factores del entorno que estuvieron asociados con la ocurrencia de accidentes fueron la presencia de iluminación vial (23% menor), árbol próximo a la calzada (47% mayor), la presencia de semáforo (28% mayor), avenidas (122% mayor) y disposición curva de la calzada (129% mayor). Este estudio ubica a la ciudad de Resistencia en una situación de vulnerabilidad urbana, no solo por el contexto socioeconómico donde se encuentra sino por el desigual desarrollo territorial que presenta respecto a las ciudades vecinas, que propicia un entorno desfavorable.

ABSTRACT Traffic accidents are an emerging problem in cities with high mobility and little urban planning. Evidence is lacking in Argentina regarding the relationship between the environment and accident occurrence; we therefore conducted a geospatial analysis and estimated the risk of accidents and their possible association with the characteristics of the physical environment in the city of Resistencia, Argentina occurring in 2012. Kernel density estimates were used for the spatial distribution of accidents and in parallel an observational, analytical study was carried out to analyze the factors associated with accident occurrence. The results show three critical areas (in the northwest, center and south of the city) with greater accident frequency. Environmental factors that were associated with the occurrence of accidents were the presence of street lighting (23% greater), the presence of a tree close to the road (47% greater), the presence of a traffic light (28% greater), and if the road was a major avenue (122% greater) and had curves (129% greater). This study shows the city of Resistencia to be in a situation of urban vulnerability due not only to its socioeconomic status but also to the unequal development compared to neighboring cities, a reality that fosters an unfavorable environment.

RESUMEN Los accidentes de tránsito constituyen un problema emergente en ciudades con alta movilidad y baja planificación urbana. No existe suficiente evidencia en Argentina acerca de la relación entre el entorno y la ocurrencia de accidentes. Por ello, realizamos un análisis espacial de ocurrencia y estimamos el riesgo de ocurrencia de accidentes en el año 2012 y su posible asociación con las características del entorno físico en la ciudad de Resistencia, provincia del Chaco, Argentina. Para el análisis espacial de los accidentes se utilizó la estimación de densidad kernel. Luego, a través de un estudio observacional y analítico se procedió a analizar los factores asociados a la ocurrencia de los accidentes. Los resultados muestran que existen tres zonas críticas (noroeste, centro y sur) con mayor frecuencia de accidentes. Los factores del entorno que estuvieron asociados con la ocurrencia de accidentes fueron la presencia de iluminación vial (23% menor), árbol próximo a la calzada (47% mayor), la presencia de semáforo (28% mayor), avenidas (122% mayor) y disposición curva de la calzada (129% mayor). Este estudio ubica a la ciudad de Resistencia en una situación de vulnerabilidad urbana, no solo por el contexto socioeconómico donde se encuentra sino por el desigual desarrollo territorial que presenta respecto a las ciudades vecinas, que propicia un entorno desfavorable.

Lutzomyia longipalpis was recorded for the first time in Argentina in 2004, in the province of Formosa. In the following years, the vector spread to the south and west in the country and was recorded in the province of Chaco in 2010. From November 2010-May 2012, captures of Phlebotominae were made in the city of Resistencia and its surroundings, to monitor the spread and possible colonisation of Lu. longipalpis in the province of Chaco. In this monitoring, Lu. longipalpis was absent in urban sampling sites and its presence was restricted to Barrio de los Pescadores. This suggests that the incipient colonisation observed in 2010 was not followed by continuous installation of vector populations and expansion of their spatial distribution as in other urban centres of Argentina.

The aim of this work was to identify the natural breeding sites of sandflies in the province of Chaco, Argentina, for the first time. Preliminary studies were conducted in two different phytogeographic regions: dry Chaco (Parque Provincial Pampa del Indio), in January 2010, and humid Chaco (Resistencia, Margarita Belén and Colonia Benítez), from May-September 2010. A total of 127 samples were collected (Pampa del Indio: 15, Resistencia: 37, Margarita Belén: 36, Colonia Benítez: 39). A female of Migonemyia migonei was found in Pampa del Indio at the base of a bromeliad in the summer (January) and a pupal exuvium of a phlebotomine fly was found in Resistencia, in a place where dogs rested, in the winter (July). These findings highlighted these two sites as potential breeding sites. Because the existence of potential natural breeding sites for sandflies has been demonstrated in both forest and periurban areas, expanding the search efforts and characterising these sites will enable the development of specific study designs to gain insight into the spatial distribution of the risks posed by these vectors. The resulting information will serve as a basis for proposing and evaluating vector control measures.

Background: Some social, medical or functional aspects are associated with a greater use of health care resources, although this does not necessarily imply an inappropriate usage of the same. The aim of this research is that of ascertaining the influence of health condition on hospital stays and inappropriate stays among the population over 64 years of age. Methods: A cohort representative of the population over age 64 in the Judicial District of Toledo (n=3214) whose health condition had been previously evaluated was studied over an eighteen-month period identifying the income and length of stays at the public hospitals, the appropriateness of which was evaluated by the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. Associations analyzed were those of the cohort socio-demographic characteristics, health condition-related variables and morbidity with frequency and hospitalization rates and with inappropriate stays and admissions. Results: During the 18 months of study 410 individuals were hospitalized, who generated 546 admissions (frequency rate=17.0 admissions/100 rooms) and 7015 stay days (hospitalization rate = 218.3 stays/100 rooms). 18.9% of the admissions and 49.9% of the stays were evaluated as inappropriate. Hospitalization was associated with a worse health condition, institutionalization, male sex, certain pathologies and previous health services usage. Patients characteristics were not associated with the percentage of inappropriate stays. 97.5% of inappropriate stays were attributed to hospital scheduling problems and physicians’ practices. Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors, morbidity, health condition and previous health service usage are shown as good hospitalization predictors for senior citizens, but these factors are not related to inappropriate hospitalization usage.

Fundamento: Algunas características sociales, médicas o funcionales se asocian a mayor consumo de recursos sanitarios, sin que esto signifique un uso inapropiado de éstos. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la influencia del estado de salud y otros factores sobre las estancias hospitalarias y las estancias inapropiadas en la población mayor de 64 años. Método: Una cohorte representativa de la población mayor de 64 años del Partido Judicial de Toledo (n=3.214) en la que se había valorado el estado de salud, fue seguida durante 18 meses, identificando sus ingresos y estancias hospitalarias, cuya adecuación fue evaluada con el Appropiateness Evaluation Protocol. Se analizaron las asociaciones entre las características socio-demográficas, de estado de salud y morbilidad de la cohorte con las tasas de frecuentación y hospitalización y con la proporción de estancias e ingresos inadecuados. Resultados: Durante los 18 meses de seguimiento fueron hospitalizados 410 individuos (12,8%), que generaron 546 ingresos (tasa de frecuentación=17,0 ingresos/100 habitantes) y 7.015 días de estancia (tasa de hospitalización = 218,3 estancias/100 habitantes). El 18,9% de los ingresos y el 49,9% de las estancias fueron evaluadas como inadecuados. La hospitalización se asoció al peor estado de salud, institucionalización, género masculino, determinadas patologías y a la utilización previa de servicios sanitarios. No se hallaron asociaciones entre características de los pacientes y proporción de estancias inadecuadas. El 97,5% de las estancias innecesarias fue atribuido a problemas de programación hospitalaria y estilo de practica de los médicos. Conclusiones: Los factores socio-demográficos, de morbilidad, estado de salud y utilización previa de servicios se muestran como buenos predictores de hospitalización en las personas mayores, pero no se relacionan con el uso inadecuado de la hospitalización.

Background: Some social, medical or functional aspects are associated with a greater use of health care resources, although this does not necessarily imply an inappropriate usage of the same. The aim of this research is that of ascertaining the influence of health condition on hospital stays and inappropriate stays among the population over 64 years of age. Methods: A cohort representative of the population over age 64 in the Judicial District of Toledo (n=3214) whose health condition had been previously evaluated was studied over an eighteen-month period identifying the income and length of stays at the public hospitals, the appropriateness of which was evaluated by the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. Associations analyzed were those of the cohort socio-demographic characteristics, health condition-related variables and morbidity with frequency and hospitalization rates and with inappropriate stays and admissions. Results: During the 18 months of study 410 individuals were hospitalized, who generated 546 admissions (frequency rate=17.0 admissions/100 rooms) and 7015 stay days (hospitalization rate = 218.3 stays/100 rooms). 18.9% of the admissions and 49.9% of the stays were evaluated as inappropriate. Hospitalization was associated with a worse health condition, institutionalization, male sex, certain pathologies and previous health services usage. Patients characteristics were not associated with the percentage of inappropriate stays. 97.5% of inappropriate stays were attributed to hospital scheduling problems and physicians’ practices. Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors, morbidity, health condition and previous health service usage are shown as good hospitalization predictors for senior citizens, but these factors are not related to inappropriate hospitalization usage.

Fundamento: Algunas características sociales, médicas o funcionales se asocian a mayor consumo de recursos sanitarios, sin que esto signifique un uso inapropiado de éstos. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la influencia del estado de salud y otros factores sobre las estancias hospitalarias y las estancias inapropiadas en la población mayor de 64 años. Método: Una cohorte representativa de la población mayor de 64 años del Partido Judicial de Toledo (n=3.214) en la que se había valorado el estado de salud, fue seguida durante 18 meses, identificando sus ingresos y estancias hospitalarias, cuya adecuación fue evaluada con el Appropiateness Evaluation Protocol. Se analizaron las asociaciones entre las características socio-demográficas, de estado de salud y morbilidad de la cohorte con las tasas de frecuentación y hospitalización y con la proporción de estancias e ingresos inadecuados. Resultados: Durante los 18 meses de seguimiento fueron hospitalizados 410 individuos (12,8%), que generaron 546 ingresos (tasa de frecuentación=17,0 ingresos/100 habitantes) y 7.015 días de estancia (tasa de hospitalización = 218,3 estancias/100 habitantes). El 18,9% de los ingresos y el 49,9% de las estancias fueron evaluadas como inadecuados. La hospitalización se asoció al peor estado de salud, institucionalización, género masculino, determinadas patologías y a la utilización previa de servicios sanitarios. No se hallaron asociaciones entre características de los pacientes y proporción de estancias inadecuadas. El 97,5% de las estancias innecesarias fue atribuido a problemas de programación hospitalaria y estilo de practica de los médicos. Conclusiones: Los factores socio-demográficos, de morbilidad, estado de salud y utilización previa de servicios se muestran como buenos predictores de hospitalización en las personas mayores, pero no se relacionan con el uso inadecuado de la hospitalización.