Abstract

PAMPILLO CASTINEIRAS, Tania  and  CACERES ROQUE, Odalys. Inclusion of the investigative component to learn about acute diarrheic disease during the training of medical doctors. Rev Ciencias Médicas [online]. 2010, vol.14, n.2, pp.20-26. ISSN 1561-3194.

The morbidity due to Acute Diarrheic Disease (ADD) still constitutes a health problem, though the figures of mortality have been reduced. An applied, descriptive, explanatory, longitudinal-prospective research was conducted with the purpose of characterizing the main socio-environmental risk factors of the ADD in the health area, linking the medical students with the family of the child admitted at "Pepe Portilla" Children Provincial Hospital (2007-2008). The target group was comprised of 731 children with a sample of 252 taken at random. The methods used were the survey, the documentary analysis and the observation through home visits. The results were processed using the descriptive statistics with the following results: 66 children with poor nutritional status in close relation to the worst hygienic conditions and 186 children without affectation. Deficiencies were detected in both groups when taking the health actions to be implemented in Primary Health Care regarding the prevention of ADD, health promotion work and a follow up of the nutritional status of the infants; that was why medical students organized educational talks about epidemiological-hygienic orientations to prevent the ADD. The investigative component about this topic was included in the teaching-learning process to train medical students.

Keywords : Acute Diarrheic Disease; health actions; characterization; sanitary hygienic risk factors; investigative component.