Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González

Prof. Dr. Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González

University of Las Palmas d Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

17Years (2010-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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2 November 2024 in Obesities
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Journal Article
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Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
JRJosefa María Ramal-López
Josefa María Ramal-López
MHMilagros De la Rosa Hormiga
Milagros De la Rosa Hormiga
(1) Background: The administration of subcutaneous (SC) injectables is among the most frequent procedures a nurse performs in daily practice. The needle for the injection must pass through the skin barrier to reach the SC space, where the drug will be deposited. This procedure can cause pain to the patient and local lesions. Local fat measurement can be performed by measuring the skin fold. Previous studies have found higher levels of pain in people with obesity receiving SC insulin, and this study thus aimed to measure pain levels during and after an SC injection of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and identify how age, gender, and obesity may modulate the level of pain during and after the procedure. (2) Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, and the variables included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), BMI quartile, abdominal skin folds (ASFs), ASF quartile, and pain level during and after injection. A caliper was used to measure ASFs, height and weight were used to calculate BMI, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to measure pain. (3) Results: The sample amounted to 202 participants, which was not considered representative of the study population. The average age was 64.3 years, and females predominated (62.40%). Of these participants, 42.5% were obese, and 29.1% were overweight. The average pain levels were low during (1.4) and after injection (1.9), highlighting the absence of pain during injection in 29.7% and after injection in 34.2%. (4) Conclusions: Obesity was associated with increased pain, but when adjusted for age, the pain was no longer significant. Females and young participants showed a significant relationship with pain during injection. Age, gender, and obesity had a statistically significant relationship with pain level. Participants with obesity (according to BMI and ASF) showed the highest levels of pain during and after injection. After injection, there was an increase in pain in most cases, possibly due to the discomfort caused by the drug itself, an aspect considered in the drug’s technical data sheet as a frequent adverse effect (>1/10 to <1/100). However, the drug volume does not seem to be related to pain in this study.

2 December 2022 in Nursing Reports
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Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
JRJosefa María Ramal-López
Josefa María Ramal-López
JHJuan José González Henríquez
Juan José González Henríquez
MHMilagros De la Rosa Hormiga
Milagros De la Rosa Hormiga
Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) is commonly used as an antithrombotic in patients with reduced mobility. Its administration is performed by invasive technique (injections) that can cause pain: (1) Background: Pain and bruising are the most common side effects in patients treated with LMWH, but the skin phototype (PT) has never been included; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study, developed in the Hospital Unit of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery over one year. To classify all participants in the sample considering their skin PT and the different pain levels “during” and “after” the administration of enoxaparin. The STROBE checklist was used to evaluate the study. Data analyses were carried out: descriptive statistical analysis and analysis of Variance ANOVA of a non-parametric factor; (3) Results: The sample was 202 participants. The most frequent skin PTs were PT II 43.6% and PT III 33.2%. Mean pain after injection (1.96) was greater than pain during injection (1.4). Better natural protection against sunlight (high PT) would indicate greater post-injection pain; (4) Conclusions: Participants with a medium-high phototype (≥III) perceive a greater pain sensation than participants with a low phototype (≤II) after the administration of enoxaparin.

1 November 2024 in Nursing Reports
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ARAndrea Ramos-Ramos
Andrea Ramos-Ramos
Claudio-Alberto Rodríguez-SuárezClaudio-Alberto Rodríguez-Suárez
Claudio-Alberto Rodríguez-Suárez
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
José Verdú-SorianoJosé Verdú-Soriano
José Verdú-Soriano
MBMiriam Berenguer-Pérez
Miriam Berenguer-Pérez
HTHéctor González-de la Torre
Héctor González-de la Torre
Background/Objectives: It is well known that there are differences in the academic and employment preferences of nursing students once they have completed their undergraduate studies in nursing. These preferences are largely influenced by students’ affinity for certain thematic areas over others. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the employment and academic preferences of third- and fourth-year Nursing Degree students at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was conducted among nursing students across three campuses of the ULPGC (Canary Islands, Spain). An online questionnaire was used to collect various sociodemographic and academic variables, as well as preferences across ten thematic areas. Descriptive and bivariate inferential analyses were performed, along with a correlation analysis among the areas. Results: The areas of highest preference were “Emergency Nursing”, “General Nursing”, and “Family and Community Nursing”. The areas of lowest preference were “Other Areas (teaching, management, research)”, “Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing”, and “Geriatric Nursing”. Three clusters of closely correlated areas were identified: cluster 1 (Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, Emergency and Emergency Nursing and Operating Theatre and Anaesthesia Nursing), cluster 2 (Obstetric-Gynaecological Nursing–Midwifery, Paediatric Nursing and Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing) and cluster 3 (remaining areas). A significant proportion of students expressed intentions to pursue postgraduate studies. Conclusions: Strategies should be implemented to enhance students’ preferences in the areas of “Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing” and “Geriatric Nursing”, which are areas where there is a high demand for nurses. It is also necessary to increase their interest in research, management, and teaching. This study was not registered.

1 January 2014 in Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
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Journal Article
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Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Oxygen saturation is considered as the 5(th) vital sign. Presently, there exist fixed and wireless pulse oximeters, being the latter most widely used in the last years. Some of them have no possibility of calibration. This situation leads the health staff to adopt therapeutic attitudes which can be wrong. Therefore, it is extremely important to know if these wireless oximeters show a right concordance as regards measurements, since it is of great interest in daily clinical practice. To evaluate concordance among measurements obtained by three different pulse oximeters currently used by health professionals. This is an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study related to the concordance of the results obtained in measurements collected by three different pulse oximeters (one monitor and two wireless oximeters) which are available and in use in this hospital unit. The sample size calculation was performed for a concordance above 0.81 and an estimation error which did not exceed 0.20. The intraclass correlation index (ICI) was used to establish the concordance whereas the Landis-Koch criteria were used to interpret the results. Systematic errors were analyzed using the Bland-Altman plot. The overall concordance among the three pulse oximeters analyzed resulted in 0.88, a value considered as "good" according to the Landis-Koch criteria. The results obtained show that in daily clinical practice both wireless pulse oximeters analyzed can be used with a certain reliability, taking into account the limitations of this research.

9 August 2017 in Journal of Clinical Nursing
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Journal Article
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Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
MRMilagros de la Rosa‐Hormiga
Milagros de la Rosa‐Hormiga
JRJosefa M. Ramal‐López
Josefa M. Ramal‐López
JHJuan José González Henríquez
Juan José González Henríquez
MMMaría Sandra Marrero‐Morales
María Sandra Marrero‐Morales

Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-GonzálezCandelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
Candelaria de la Merced Díaz-González
NMNoa Mateos-López
Noa Mateos-López
MHMilagros De la Rosa Hormiga
Milagros De la Rosa Hormiga
GCGloria Carballo-Hernández
Gloria Carballo-Hernández
During a pandemic, and given the need to quickly screen febrile and non-febrile humans, it is necessary to know the concordance between different thermometers (TMs) and understand how environmental factors influence the measurements made by these instruments. Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the potential influence of environmental factors on the measurements made by four different TMs and the concordance between these instruments in a hospital setting. Method: The study employed a cross-sectional observational methodology. The participants were patients who had been hospitalised in the traumatology unit. The variables were body temperature, room temperature, room relative humidity, light, and noise. The instruments used were a Non Contract Infrared TM, Axillary Electronic TM, Gallium TM, and Tympanic TM. A lux meter, a sound level meter, and a thermohygrometer measured the ambient variables. Results: The study sample included 288 participants. Weak significant relationships were found between noise and body temperature measured with Tympanic Infrared TM, r = −0.146 (p < 0.01) and likewise between environmental temperature and this same TM, r = 0.133 (p < 0.05). The concordance between the measurements made by the four different TMs showed an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.479. Conclusions: The concordance between the four TMs was considered “fair”.