• Azucena Maribel Rodriguez González, José Manuel Ramírez Aranda, Homero de Los Santos Reséndiz, María Yolanda Lara Duarte, Santiago Oscar Pazaran Zanella, Jafet Felipe Méndez López, Issa Gil Alfaro, Félix Gilberto Islas Ruz, Gloria Navarrete Floriano, Edith Guillen Salomón, Obdulia Texon Fernández, Silvia Cruz Duarte, Juan Carlos Romo Salazar, Claudia Elsa Pérez Ruiz, Sara de Jesús López Salas, Lizbeth Benítez Amaya, and Javier Nahum Zapata Gallardo.
• Red Mexicana de Investigadores en Medicina Familiar A. C. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Mexico, ; Secretaria de Salud de Nuevo León Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, México.
• Colomb Medica. 2016 Sep 30; 47 (3): 155-159.

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of medically unexplained physical symptoms and the characteristics and use of health services in a group of patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms and a group of patients with other illnesses.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, retrospective and multicenter study. We included 1,043 patients over 18 years of age from 30 primary care units of a government health institution, in 11 states of Mexico, attended by 39 family physicians. The prevalence of medically unexplained physical symptoms was determined and both groups with or without symptoms were compared with regard to drug use, laboratory and other studies, leaves of absence, and referrals in the last six months. The group with medically unexplained physical symptoms was diagnosed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and the diagnostic criteria of Reid et al. Emergency or terminal illnesses were excluded. The chi square test was used with a statistical significance of p < 0.05.ResultsMedically unexplained physical symptoms was diagnosed in 73 patients (7.0%). The majority were women (91.8%); their predominant symptom was from the gastrointestinal system in 56 (76.7%). This group had a greater use of clinical studies and referrals to other services (mean 1.1 vs. 0.5; p <0.0001 and 0.6 vs. 0.8; p < 0.01, respectively).ConclusionsThe prevalence of medically unexplained physical symptoms was low, but with a greater impact on some health services. This could represent an overload in medical costs.

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