Economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus disease in Latin America: A systematic review.

This Systematic Review assesses the economic impact of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in relation to healthcare resource utilization and associated costs. We searched online databases from January 2012 to November 2022 to identify eligible publications. We identified 12 publications that reported direct costs, indirect costs, and resources associated with RSV and its complications. The primary direct medical resources reported were medical services, diagnostics tests and procedures, and length of stay (LOS). Direct total costs per patient ranged widely from $563 to $19,076. Direct costs are, on average, 98% higher than indirect costs. Brazil reported a higher total cost per patient than Colombia, El Salvador, México, Panamá, and Puerto Rico, while for indirect costs per patient, El Salvador and Panamá had higher costs than Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. The mean LOS in the general ward due to RSV was 6.9 days (range 4 to 20 days) and the mean Intensive Care Unit LOS was 9.1 days (range 4 to 16 days). In many countries of the LAC region, RSV represents a considerable economic burden on health systems, but significant evidence gaps were identified in the region. More rigorous health economic studies are essential to better understand this burden and to promote effective healthcare through an informed decision-making process. Vaccination against RSV plays a critical role in mitigating this burden and should be a priority in public health strategies.

COVID-19 in Latin America: A Snapshot in Time and the Road Ahead.

Since its initial detection in Brazil in February 2020, SARS-CoV-2 and the associated COVID-19 pandemic have continued to devastate Latin America. Specific comorbidities, as well as sociodemographic and lifestyle factors that may be more prevalent in underserved areas, have been identified as risk factors for COVID-19 infection or associated adverse outcomes. Dynamics of infections and deaths in Latin America have varied by country and temporally, as has SARS-CoV-2 variant prevalence; however, more recently, the Delta and subsequent Omicron variants have become ubiquitous. Successful pandemic responses have involved robust infection mitigation measures, testing, and smart deployment of healthcare resourcing. While in some Latin American countries up to 90% of the population is fully vaccinated (i.e., 2 doses) against COVID-19, other countries have failed to reach the World Health Organization's 70% target. Continued focus on comprehensive surveillance, strategies to maximize vaccine availability and uptake, and mitigation of collateral damage on other aspects of public health and social services are critical for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. This review summarizes the COVID-19 experience in Latin America, including epidemiology and vaccination. Key learnings and future considerations for the ongoing pandemic response are also discussed.

Actividad in vitro comparativa de la tigeciclina contra microorganismos causantes de infección en pacientes hospitalizados en Colombia: estudio de evaluación y vigilancia de tigeciclina, TEST / Comparative In Vitro activity of tygecycline against infection causing microrganisms among hospitalized patients in Colombia: evaluation and surveillance study of Tygecycline - TEST

Introducción: la tigeciclina, el primer representante el grupo de las glicilciclinas, nueva clase de antibióticos, ha sido recientemente introducida en Colombia y no se disponen aún de datos en el país de su actividad in vitro. Objetivo: evaluar la actividad in vitro de la tigeciclina contra aislamientos clínicos de pacientes hospitalizados en tres hospitales colombianos de tercer nivel. Materiales y métodos: los aislamientos de bacterias aerobias y anaerobias facultativas de pacientes hospitalizados de tres centros de alta complejidad fueron remitidos a un laboratorio de referencia para la determinación de la concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM) por el método de microdilución en caldo para la tigeciclina y otros antibióticos. Para los puntos de corte se utilizaron los criterios de interpretación de la CLSI 2006 y para la tigeciclina sugeridos por la FDA. Resultados: la susceptibilidad a la tigeciclina de las cepas evaluadas y sus respectivas CIM50-90 fueron las siguientes: Staphylococcus aureus (n=78), 100 por ciento, 0,12 y 0,12 mg/L; Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=24)100 por ciento, 0,015 y 0,5 mg/L; Streptococcus agalactiae (n=10), 100 por ciento, 0,03 y 0,06 mg/L; Enterococcus spp. (n=43) 100 por ciento, 0,06 y 0,12 mg/L; Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=56), 96,4 por ciento, 0,5 y 1 mg/L; Klebsiella oxytoca (n=15), 93,3 por ciento, 0,25 y 2 mg/L; Escherichia coli (n=89) 100 por ciento, 0,12 y 0,5 mg/L; Enterobacter cloacae (n=48), 100 por ciento, 0,5 y 2 mg/L; Serratia marscescens (n=42) 96,2 por ciento, 0,5 y 2 mg/L. ParaHaemophilus influenza (n=15) y Acinetobacter baumannii (n=36), que no tienen puntos de corte definidos, las CIM50-90 fueron 0,06 y 0,12 y 0,5 y 2 mg/L, respectivamente. El 100 por ciento de los aislamientos productores de beta-lactamasas de espectro extendido de Escherichia coli (n=18) y el 94,4 por ciento de los de Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=18) fueron susceptibles a tigeciclina. Las CIM50-90 para Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=63) fueron 8 y 16 mg/L...