We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Patients are the centre and the core of our system. We are professionals committed to quality care and our organizational structure breaks down the traditional boundaries between departments and professional groups, with an exclusive model of knowledge areas.
Would you like to know what your stay at Vall d'Hebron will be like? Here you will find all the information.
The commitment of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital to innovation allows us to be at the forefront of medicine, providing first class care adapted to the changing needs of each patient.
A stroke is considered a medical emergency that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. If you suspect a stroke, you must act as quickly as possible, as brain cells that die are not recovered and their function will stay damaged.
Ask the person to raise both arms at the same time to check if anything unusual occurs. If the person is unable to lift one arm or the other due to weakness, this may be a sign of a stroke. If they feel weakness in the legs, ask them to sit down and lift both feet at the same time.
Ask them to smile to detect whether one corner of the mouth droops to one side (a crooked smile). Facial paralysis is related to stroke and may be accompanied by a tingling or numb sensation. Sometimes, vision loss may also occur.
Ask simple, specific questions such as what an object you are pointing at is, or what is happening around them. The aim is to observe whether they mix up syllables or mispronounce the name of the object (in the first case), and whether they respond in a fragmented way or speak incoherently (in the second). This helps check for difficulties in speech and understanding.
Every minute, 1.9 million neurons and 14 trillion neural connections are lost: one hour can mean the equivalent of 3.6 years of brain ageing and a loss of 120 million neurons.
If you suspect that a person may be suffering a stroke, call emergency services immediately (112 in Spain). While waiting for medical help to arrive:
Keep the patient calm and still. Ideally, lay them down to improve cerebral perfusion. If they are unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position. Keep the head flat (unless they are vomiting or having difficulty breathing). Do not administer any medication that has not been prescribed by a healthcare professional. Call emergency services to confirm the most appropriate hospital and allow pre-notification to the receiving centre. Avoid intermediate care levels (such as primary care centres or general practitioners), as they may delay the start of acute treatment.
Pain is a phenomenon that involves several different realms: biology, psychology, and social relations. It’s triggered when the body’s alarm system tells the brain that it’s in danger of being injured, whether this danger is real or not.
We feel pain when the brain “reaches the conclusion” that it is in danger and that it needs to do something, which sometimes involves activating the “pain programme”. In this context, it is crucial to discover why the brain reaches the conclusion that there is a threat.
Feeling pain does not always mean that there is any damage or injury. We can feel it without there being an injury. For example, when we see our child fall and hurt themselves. But there can also be an injury without pain; have you ever had a wound or scratch appear and not even remembered or felt it when you hurt yourself?
The intensity of pain is not related to how bad the injury to the tissues is. Does the same punch hurt the same every time and the same for everyone? Do the stitches from a C-section hurt the same for everyone?
Pain is generated in the brain, not in the tissues. We have “danger sensors” throughout our bodies that send signals to the brain, which will use that information and other factors to decide whether to activate the pain or fatigue programme.
It is always the brain that decides whether to generate pain or not. 100% of the time, if it believes itself to be in danger, it will decide to do so based on several variables: context, previous experience, beliefs, emotions, etc.
Patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome might feel more pain than other people or might feel pain in response to stimuli that do not normally trigger pain, such as a caress.
These processes occur because the brain activates the pain or fatigue programme to protect the individual from the danger it believes there to be, even though this danger does not really exist, as the brain interprets reality incorrectly.
Pain is always real, it is not consciously brought on, nor is it made-up, nor is it a figment of people’s imaginations. It is not a psychological problem. Someone who suffers from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue is not to blame for their condition, but they are responsible for being involved in their treatment using active strategies.
The first step towards getting better is understanding what is happening in your brain and what is causing your pain. Do not let pain dictate your life and limit what you can do.
Anemia is a disorder in which the blood does not carry enough oxygen to the body, usually due to a lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin. It can cause fatigue and dizziness and, if left untreated, may lead to serious complications.
Anaemia patients' bodies do not get enough oxygen-rich blood. As a result, symptoms such as feeling tired or weak, as well as dizziness or headache appear. If left untreated, severe or prolonged anaemia can cause damage to the heart, brain and other organs of the body.
Your doctor may ask you if you have any of the signs or symptoms of anaemia, or if you have had a disease or health problem that may cause it.
In order to give the precise indications to the doctor and for them to be able to make a quick diagnosis of the case, it is necessary to give:
Treatment of anaemia depends on the type, cause and severity of the disease. Treatment may consist of:
The goal of treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. This increase is achieved by increasing the number of red blood cells or the concentration of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that is rich in iron and carries oxygen to the body's cells.
Another goal is to treat the underlying disease or the cause of the anaemia.
Changes in diet and nutritional supplements:
Blood transfusion may be necessary at times, although this should be assessed by the physician.
It is possible to prevent repeated episodes of certain types of anaemia, especially those due to a lack of iron or vitamins. Making dietary changes or taking supplements recommended by your doctor can prevent these types of anaemia from returning.
Treating the cause can prevent anaemia (or keep it from recurring). For example, if a medicine is causing the patient to become anaemic, the doctor may prescribe another type of medication.
To prevent anaemia from getting worse, patients need to explain all their signs and symptoms in detail to their doctor. It is also recommended to ask what tests should be done and to adhere to the treatment plan.
Some types of hereditary anaemias, such as sickle cell anaemia, cannot be prevented. In the case of hereditary anaemia, patients need to consult their doctor about treatment and ongoing care.
This pathology has no cure, however, owing to the muscle and bone involvement that patients are afflicted with, it is important for them to adopt an appropriate diet and exercise to avoid becoming overweight or obese. This will reduce overloading of the joints and help in part to minimise feelings of fatigue while maximising functionality.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect attention, self-control, and organization. With appropriate educational strategies and family and school support, learning and academic performance can be improved.
Children and teenagers with ADHD can have serious difficulties in their academic performance. Multi-modal treatment offers the best results. This means coordinating pharmacological, psychological and psychopedagogical treatments.
Parents and teachers are key to helping to minimise the symptoms and effects of these treatment methods on academic performance. Below, we offer some advice both for parents and schools with the aim of improving learning.
Use self-instruction strategies, which are messages that we give to ourselves internally and that allow us to modulate our behaviour. Some examples:
Kidney diseases affect how the kidneys function, as they are responsible for filtering blood and removing waste. Maintaining a balanced diet, proper hydration, and healthy habits is key to preserving kidney function and preventing complications.
The kidneys benefit from a healthy diet, from a relatively high intake of water and from avoiding tobacco. Regular bowel and bladder movements are also essential. Constipation and delaying urination are both damaging to kidney function.
Plain water without anything dissolved in it is necessary for good kidney function, apart from liquids such as milk and broth and drinks such as tea and coffee. The amount of urine a healthy person produces varies depending on how much water they drink, the air temperature, whether they are at rest or doing exercise, etc. A healthy adult would normally required 1 to 2 litres per day. Kidney function does not necessarily improve if excessive water is consumed.
Exercise and a diet rich in fibre encourage healthy bowel and bladder movements and improve kidney function. In terms of related conditions, often diabetes, good metabolic control of the diabetes is essential to preserve good kidney function. Controlling arterial pressure, which often has an unknown cause, is also vital to maintain good kidney function.
Gastroenteritis is an infection that causes diarrhoea, an increase in loose stools. It is normally accompanied by vomiting, fever and stomach ache.
Every time the child passes diarrhoea or vomits they lose fluids, and they need to replace them orally (by drinking). To achieve this, electrolyte solutions can be used.
If the child is vomiting, they will need to drink the solution bit by bit (one teaspoon every 5 minutes). If they are not vomiting, increase the amount gradually.
When they are not vomiting, offer them small amounts of food. Never force them to eat and make sure they drink plenty of fluids between meals.
The child should not be fasting. Offer them food without forcing them to eat. Infants with gastroenteritis normally lose some of their appetite. If they are breastfeeding, the number of feeds should be increased. Milk bottles should continue to be given in the normal doses, they should not be diluted.
A dry diet is not necessary, soft foods can be eaten if preferred. The foods that tend to be tolerated better are cereals (rice and wheat), potatoes, bread, lean meat, vegetables, fish, yoghurt and fruit. Avoid foods that are difficult to digest, with lots of fat and sugar.
To recover lost fluids, do not use homemade solutions or commercial drinks. Solutions prepared specifically for rehydration are recommended.
Do not administer medications for vomiting or diarrhoea without consulting a paediatrician.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in older adults and causes a progressive decline in cognitive abilities and behavior. Support, routines, and caregiver care are essential to improve quality of life.
Nowadays, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in older people. The families of people with this illness often have to adapt to the new situation. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, here are some tips:
This illness manifests itself in cognitive deterioration and behavioural disorders, resulting in a high degree of dependency. In the majority of cases, the family looks after the person and within the family, in 76% of cases, a woman is the main carer. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, bear in mind these tips:
Migraines are a type of chronic headache characterised by repeated, very intense episodes that may stop the affected person from carrying out their daily activities. It is a very debilitating illness.
The World Health Organization considers a day with this illness to be as debilitating as tetraparesis, and it is considered the seventh most debilitating illness, in terms of years lost, suffering and lack of productivity.
You need to learn how a brain with a migraine functions: how a migraine manifests itself, what makes you more likely to suffer attacks or why it gives you a headache. This information is essential for managing the predisposition to suffer a migraine.
To manage the illness it is useful to put together a diary featuring the days and the scales to quantify the level of disability and the impact of the migraine on the patient’s life. Using the valuable data in these records, medical personnel are able to advise the best treatment for the person affected.
A migraine diary allows:
On the website www.midolordecabeza.org you will find, alongside online diaries for you to fill in, other patients, families and doctors interested in learning about migraines and other types of headache. As well as different resources to better control and manage migraines, with tips and blogs, there is also a forum to share your experiences.
Meningococcal disease (meningitis) is a serious infectious illness caused by a bacterium called “meningococcus”, which is transmitted through pharyngeal and nasal secretions.
The risk of contracting meningitis increases if you come into close contact with someone who has it (if you sleep in the same room, live in the same house, kiss on the cheek, etc.), but there is no need to disinfect objects or areas because meningococcus bacteria do not live long outside of the human body.
The measures to prevent this illness are:
With meningitis, the appropriate measure is to administer antibiotics to the family and other people who live with the affected person.
If the illness was caused by meningococcal group B, the only preventive measure, and the most common in Spain, is chemoprophylaxis, which aims to eliminate the microorganism from the pharynx. This stops it from spreading, in the space of a few days, between the people who have taken the medication.
If the illness was caused by meningococcal group C, as well as administering chemoprophylaxis, people close to the affected person will be vaccinated if they have not already been so.
If there is evidence that someone has had intimate contact with the patient in the ten days prior to the occurrence of the disease, and they have not been administered chemoprophylaxis, healthcare staff must be informed.
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