Immune responses during COVID-19 breakthrough cases in vaccinated children and adolescents.

Background: Vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection has been somewhat limited due to the widespread dissemination of the Omicron variant, its subvariants, and the immune response dynamics of the naturally infected with the virus. Methods: Twelve subjects between 3-17 years old (yo), vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac®, were followed and diagnosed as breakthrough cases starting 14 days after receiving the second dose. Total IgGs against different SARS-CoV-2 proteins and the neutralizing capacity of these antibodies after infection were measured in plasma. The activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with peptides derived from the proteins from the wild-type (WT) virus and Omicron subvariants by flow cytometry, as well as different cytokines secretion by a Multiplex assay. Results: 2 to 8 weeks post-infection, compared to 4 weeks after 2nd dose of vaccine, there was a 146.5-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron and a 38.7-fold increase against WT SARS-CoV-2. Subjects showed an increase in total IgG levels against the S1, N, M, and NSP8 proteins of the WT virus. Activated CD4+ T cells showed a significant increase in response to the BA.2 subvariant (p<0.001). Finally, the secretion of IL-2 and IFN-γ cytokines showed a discreet decrease trend after infection in some subjects. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric population vaccinated with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine produced an increase in neutralizing antibodies against Omicron and increased specific IgG antibodies for different SARS-CoV-2 proteins. CD4+ T cell activation was also increased, suggesting a conserved cellular response against the Omicron subvariants, whereas Th1-type cytokine secretion tended to decrease. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov #NCT04992260.

Different Safety Pattern of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CoronaVac®) According to Age Group in a Pediatric Population from 3 to 17 Years Old, in an Open-Label Study in Chile.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of vaccinating children against SARS-CoV-2 was rapidly established. This study describes the safety of CoronaVac® in children and adolescents between 3- and 17-years-old in a multicenter study in Chile with two vaccine doses in a 4-week interval. For all participants, immediate adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and AEs of special interest (AESIs) were registered throughout the study. In the safety subgroup, AEs were recorded 28 days after each dose. COVID-19 surveillance was performed throughout the study. A total of 1139 individuals received the first and 1102 the second dose of CoronaVac®; 835 were in the safety subgroup. The first dose showed the highest number of AEs: up to 22.2% of participants reported any local and 17.1% systemic AE. AEs were more frequent in adolescents after the first dose, were transient, and mainly mild. Pain at the inoculation site was the most frequent AE for all ages. Fever was the most frequent systemic AE for 3-5 years old and headache in 6-17 years old. No SAEs or AESIs related to vaccination occurred. Most of the COVID-19 cases were mild and managed as outpatients. CoronaVac® was safe and well tolerated in children and adolescents, with different safety patterns according to age.

Prophylactic fluconazole protocol in very low birth weight infants: invasive candidiasis prevention in a Latin American neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of prophylactic fluconazole for very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with a 7.8% incidence of invasive candidiasis (IC). STUDY DESIGN: Interventional pre-post cohort study comparing 2 years with and without fluconazole prophylaxis protocol (2016-2018 = 228 infants and 2019-2021 = 125 infants). Fluconazole was administered to all extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) and infants with BW 1001-1500 g with risk factors or positive carrier cultures. Liver function tests were performed weekly. RESULTS: The incidence of IC decreased from 7.8% to 2.4% (OR:0.3, p = 0.05) with the use of prophylactic fluconazole for VLBWI and in ELBWI decreased from 16,7% to 3,7% (OR:0.1, p = 0.04). No significant differences were seen in mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Fluconazole is a safe, effective, and feasible strategy to prevent IC in a Latin American country.

Experiencia de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 en un centro hospitalario de alta complejidad en Chile / Epidemiological profile of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary care public hospital

BACKGROUND The knowledge about the epidemiological profile of patients admitted to the hospital for severe COVID infection, allows an adequate health care planning and resource allocation. AIM: To describe the epidemiology of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a public hospital between March 2020 and July 2021. Material and Methods: Demographic variables, comorbidities, ventilatory support requirements, and hospital resources were recorded from clinical records and hospital databases of diagnosis related groups. The primary outcomes were overall mortality and need of ventilatory support. RESULTS: In the study period, 4,474 patients (56% males) were hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Overall mortality was 25.8% and in-hospital mortality was 18%. Invasive and non-invasive ventilatory support was required in 1349 (30.2%) and 2060 (46%) patients, respectively. The most common comorbidities in admitted patients were diabetes mellitus (29.2%), chronic kidney disease (11.1%), and chronic liver disease (10.4%). The readmission rate was 3.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality associated with COVID-19 in this hospital was similar to the rates reported abroad. Local risk predictors for this infection should be identified.

[Epidemiological profile of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary care public hospital]. / Experiencia de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 en un centro hospitalario de alta complejidad en Chile.

BACKGROUND: The knowledge about the epidemiological profile of patients admitted to the hospital for severe COVID infection, allows an adequate health care planning and resource allocation. AIM: To describe the epidemiology of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a public hospital between March 2020 and July 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Demographic variables, comorbidities, ventilatory support requirements, and hospital resources were recorded from clinical records and hospital databases of diagnosis related groups. The primary outcomes were overall mortality and need of ventilatory support. RESULTS: In the study period, 4,474 patients (56% males) were hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Overall mortality was 25.8% and in-hospital mortality was 18%. Invasive and non-invasive ventilatory support was required in 1349 (30.2%) and 2060 (46%) patients, respectively. The most common comorbidities in admitted patients were diabetes mellitus (29.2%), chronic kidney disease (11.1%), and chronic liver disease (10.4%). The readmission rate was 3.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality associated with COVID-19 in this hospital was similar to the rates reported abroad. Local risk predictors for this infection should be identified.

Inactivated Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Specific Immunity in Children.

Multiple vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been evaluated in clinical trials. However, trials addressing the immune response in the pediatric population are scarce. The inactivated vaccine CoronaVac has been shown to be safe and immunogenic in a phase 1/2 clinical trial in a pediatric cohort in China. Here, we report interim safety and immunogenicity results of a phase 3 clinical trial for CoronaVac in healthy children and adolescents in Chile. Participants 3 to 17 years old received two doses of CoronaVac in a 4-week interval until 31 December 2021. Local and systemic adverse reactions were registered for volunteers who received one or two doses of CoronaVac. Whole-blood samples were collected from a subgroup of 148 participants for humoral and cellular immunity analyses. The main adverse reaction reported after the first and second doses was pain at the injection site. Four weeks after the second dose, an increase in neutralizing antibody titer was observed in subjects relative to their baseline visit. Similar results were found for activation of specific CD4+ T cells. Neutralizing antibodies were identified against the Delta and Omicron variants. However, these titers were lower than those for the D614G strain. Importantly, comparable CD4+ T cell responses were detected against these variants of concern. Therefore, CoronaVac is safe and immunogenic in subjects 3 to 17 years old, inducing neutralizing antibody secretion and activating CD4+ T cells against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under no. NCT04992260.) IMPORTANCE This work evaluated the immune response induced by two doses of CoronaVac separated by 4 weeks in healthy children and adolescents in Chile. To date, few studies have described the effects of CoronaVac in the pediatric population. Therefore, it is essential to generate knowledge regarding the protection of vaccines in this population. Along these lines, we reported the anti-S humoral response and cellular immune response to several SARS-CoV-2 proteins that have been published and recently studied. Here, we show that a vaccination schedule consisting of two doses separated by 4 weeks induces the secretion of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, CoronaVac induces the activation of CD4+ T cells upon stimulation with peptides from the proteome of SARS-CoV-2. These results indicate that, even though the neutralizing antibody response induced by vaccination decreases against the Delta and Omicron variants, the cellular response against these variants is comparable to the response against the ancestral strain D614G, even being significantly higher against Omicron.

Automated MSCT Analysis for Planning Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Using Artificial Intelligence.

Background: The number of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) analyses performed for planning structural heart interventions is rapidly increasing. Further automation is required to save time, increase standardization, and reduce the learning curve. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a fully automated artificial intelligence (AI)-based MSCT analysis for planning structural heart interventions, focusing on left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) as the selected use case. Methods: Different deep learning models were trained, validated, and tested using a cohort of 583 patients for which manually annotated data were available. These models were used independently or in combination to detect the anatomical ostium, the landing zone, the mitral valve annulus, and the fossa ovalis and to segment the left atrium (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA). The accuracy of the models was evaluated through comparison with the manually annotated data. Results: The automated analysis was performed on 25 randomly selected patients of the test cohort. The results were compared to the manually identified landmarks. The predicted segmentation of the LA(A) was similar to the manual segmentation (dice score of 0.94 ± 0.02). The difference between the automatically predicted and manually measured perimeter-based diameter was -0.8 ± 1.3 mm (anatomical ostium), -1.0 ± 1.5 mm (Amulet landing zone), and -0.1 ± 1.3 mm (Watchman FLX landing zone), which is similar to the operator variability on these measurements. Finally, the detected mitral valve annulus and fossa ovalis were close to the manual detection of these landmarks, as shown by the Hausdorff distance (3.9 ± 1.2 mm and 4.8 ± 1.8 mm, respectively). The average runtime of the complete workflow, including data pre- and postprocessing, was 57.5 ± 34.5 seconds. Conclusions: A fast and accurate AI-based workflow is proposed to automatically analyze MSCT images for planning LAAO. The approach, which can be easily extended toward other structural heart interventions, may help to handle the rapidly increasing volumes of patients.

Artificial Intelligence and Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart Disease: A glance at the (near) future.

With innovations in therapeutic technologies and changes in population demographics, transcatheter interventions for structural heart disease have become the preferred treatment and will keep growing. Yet, a thorough clinical selection and efficient pathway from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up are mandatory. In this review we reflect on how artificial intelligence may help to improve patient selection, pre-procedural planning, procedure execution and follow-up so to establish efficient and high quality health care in an increasing number of patients.

Late start of early intervention in children with Down syndrome. / Inicio tardío de programas de atención temprana en niños y niñas con síndrome de Down.

INTRODUCTION: Early intervention (EI) is key in the lives of children with Down syndrome (CHwDS). Starting it befo re 60 days of life (DOL) has better results in future development. OBJECTIVE: To assess the factors that delay the beginning of EI in CHwDS. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Parents of CHwDS who attended EI pro grams during their first year of life participated. Social, family, and health factors that could influence the time of initiation of EI were evaluated and compared according to the start of EI (before vs after 60DOL). For the analysis of categorical variables, Fisher's exact test was used and for the association between the numerical ones, the Student T-test for independent samples. RESULTS: 125 questionnaires were analyzed. 51.2% started EI after 6ODOL, and of them, 25% started after 6 months of age. Late initiation of EI was associated with hospitalization before 3 months of age (OR = 2.5), long hospital stays (OR = 2.4), lower educational level of the father (OR = 4.7) and of the mother (OR = 3.4), birth in the public health system (OR = 11.8), and access to free EI centers (OR = 2.4). The high socioe conomic level was the only protective factor (OR = 0.4) for early initiation. CONCLUSIONS: More than 50% of CHwDS begin EI programs late. This was associated with early hospitalization, prolonged hospital stays, and socioeconomic status. It is urgent to allocate resources and generate public policies that allow guaranteed access to EI programs.

Three-dimensional image volumes from two-dimensional digitally reconstructed radiographs: A deep learning approach in lower limb CT scans.

PURPOSE: Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of the human anatomy have been available for surgery planning or diagnostic purposes for a few years now. The different image modalities usually rely on several consecutive two-dimensional (2D) acquisitions in order to reconstruct the 3D volume. Hence, such acquisitions are expensive, time-demanding and often expose the patient to an undesirable amount of radiation. For such reasons, along the most recent years, several studies have been proposed that extrapolate 3D anatomical features from merely 2D exams such as x rays for implant templating in total knee or hip arthroplasties. METHOD: The presented study shows an adaptation of a deep learning-based convolutional neural network to reconstruct 3D volumes from a mere 2D digitally reconstructed radiograph from one of the most extensive lower limb computed tomography datasets available. This novel approach is based on an encoder-decoder architecture with skip connections and a multidimensional Gaussian filter as data augmentation technique. RESULTS: The results achieved promising values when compared against the ground truth volumes, quantitatively yielding an average of 0.77 ± 0.05 structured similarity index. CONCLUSIONS: A novel deep learning-based approach to reconstruct 3D medical image volumes from a single x-ray image was shown in the present study. The network architecture was validated against the original scans presenting SSIM values of 0.77 ± 0.05 and 0.78 ± 0.06, respectively for the knee and the hip crop.

Towards patient-specific prediction of conduction abnormalities induced by transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a combined mechanistic modelling and machine learning approach.

Aims: Post-procedure conduction abnormalities (CA) remain a common complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), highlighting the need for personalized prediction models. We used machine learning (ML), integrating statistical and mechanistic modelling to provide a patient-specific estimation of the probability of developing CA after TAVI. Methods and results: The cohort consisted of 151 patients with normal conduction and no pacemaker at baseline who underwent TAVI in nine European centres. Devices included CoreValve, Evolut R, Evolut PRO, and Lotus. Preoperative multi-slice computed tomography was performed. Virtual valve implantation with patient-specific computer modelling and simulation (CM&S) allowed calculation of valve-induced contact pressure on the anatomy. The primary composite outcome was new onset left or right bundle branch block or permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) before discharge. A supervised ML approach was applied with eight models predicting CA based on anatomical, procedural and mechanistic data. CA occurred in 59% of patients (n = 89), more often after mechanical than first or second generation self-expanding valves (68% vs. 60% vs. 41%). CM&S revealed significantly higher contact pressure and contact pressure index in patients with CA. The best model achieved 83% accuracy (area under the curve 0.84) and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and F1-score of 100%, 62%, 76%, 100%, and 82%. Conclusion: ML, integrating statistical and mechanistic modelling, achieved an accurate prediction of CA after TAVI. This study demonstrates the potential of a synergetic approach for personalizing procedure planning, allowing selection of the optimal device and implantation strategy, avoiding new CA and/or PPI.

Evaluación de la capacidad funcional en escolares con fisiología de corazón univentricular / Assessment of functional capacity among students with univentricular heart

Se realizó un estudio transversal en escolares con corazón univentricular en estadio pos-bypass total de ventrículo derecho con el objetivo de determinar la capacidad funcional basal mediante el test de marcha en 6 minutos e identificar posibles factores determinantes. Participaron 30 pacientes con una mediana de edad de 12 años. Dieciocho pacientes fueron de sexo masculino. La mediana de distancia recorrida fue de 551,3 metros, un 84 % de la distancia teórica para población pediátrica sana. Las variables talla, presión arterial sistólica pretest y saturación arterial de oxígeno de reposo se asociaron significativamente con la distancia recorrida en el modelo de regresión lineal múltiple. No hubo asociación significativa en los metros caminados respecto de las variables sexo, estado nutricional, dignóstico cardiológico inicial, número de cirugías previas y edad al momento del bypass total de ventrículo derecho

A cross-sectional study was done in students with univentricular heart after undergoing total cavopulmonary connection (Fontan procedure) to establish their baseline functional capacity based on the six-minute walk test and identify potential determining factors. Thirty patients were included; their median age was 12 years old. Eighteen patients were males. The median distance walked was 551.3 meters, 84 % of the theoretical distance for a healthy pediatric population. Height, pre-test systolic blood pressure, and resting arterial oxygen saturation showed a significant association with the distance walked in the multiple linear regression model. No significant association was observed in the meters walked in terms of the following outcome measures: sex, nutritional status, baseline cardiological diagnosis, number of prior surgeries, and age at the time of Fontan procedure

Assessment of functional capacity among students with univentricular heart. / Evaluación de la capacidad funcional en escolares con fisiología de corazón univentricular.

A cross-sectional study was done in students with univentricular heart after undergoing total cavopulmonary connection (Fontan procedure) to establish their baseline functional capacity based on the six-minute walk test and identify potential determining factors. Thirty patients were included; their median age was 12 years old. Eighteen patients were males. The median distance walked was 551.3 meters, 84 % of the theoretical distance for a healthy pediatric population. Height, pre-test systolic blood pressure, and resting arterial oxygen saturation showed a significant association with the distance walked in the multiple linear regression model. No significant association was observed in the meters walked in terms of the following outcome measures: sex, nutritional status, baseline cardiological diagnosis, number of prior surgeries, and age at the time of Fontan procedure.

Se realizó un estudio transversal en escolares con corazón univentricular en estadio pos-bypass total de ventrículo derecho con el objetivo de determinar la capacidad funcional basal mediante el test de marcha en 6 minutos e identificar posibles factores determinantes. Participaron 30 pacientes con una mediana de edad de 12 años. Dieciocho pacientes fueron de sexo masculino. La mediana de distancia recorrida fue de 551,3 metros, un 84 % de la distancia teórica para población pediátrica sana. Las variables talla, presión arterial sistólica pretest y saturación arterial de oxígeno de reposo se asociaron significativamente con la distancia recorrida en el modelo de regresión lineal múltiple. No hubo asociación significativa en los metros caminados respecto de las variables sexo, estado nutricional, dignóstico cardiológico inicial, número de cirugías previas y edad al momento del bypass total de ventrículo derecho.

Association between depressive symptoms in mothers and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. / Asociación entre síntomas depresivos de las madres y control metabólico en adolescentes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1.

INTRODUCTION: Poor metabolic control in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is associated with short- and long-term complications. Adolescents with T1DM present poorer metabolic control than pa tients of other age groups. Few studies have shown an association between mothers with depressive symptoms and the metabolic control of their adolescent children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associa tion between maternal depressive symptoms and metabolic control of their adolescents with T1DM. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional observational study carried out with adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years, with T1DM diagnosis of at least 1 year ago and their mothers. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and the SALUFAM questionnaire were applied, and sociodemographic data were co llected. Glycosylated hemoglobin from capillary blood was used as a marker of metabolic control. RESULTS: 86 couples (mother-adolescent children) were studied. The average age of the adolescents was 14.04 years and the average evolution time of T1DM was 5.95 years. 27.325.6% of mothers had depressive symptoms, which was associated with worse metabolic control of their children (HbA1c of 7.66% and 8.91%, p-value <0.001). 17.9% of adolescents had depressive symptoms, which was not associated with maternal depressive symptoms or worse metabolic control. Maternal depressive symptoms were also associated with lower maternal and paternal educational levels, high number of children in the family, presence of other siblings with chronic illnesses, and high health vulnera bility (SALUFAM). CONCLUSIONS: The mother's depressive symptoms can be associated with worst metabolic control in T1MD adolescents. It is fundamental a multidisciplinary family approach to get better metabolic controls in T1DM adolescents.

Automatic Detection of the Aortic Annular Plane and Coronary Ostia from Multidetector Computed Tomography.

Anatomic landmark detection is crucial during preoperative planning of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to select the proper device size and assess the risk of complications. The detection is currently a time-consuming manual process influenced by the image quality and subject to operator variability. In this work, we propose a novel automatic method to detect the relevant aortic landmarks from MDCT images using deep learning techniques. We trained three convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with 344 multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) acquisitions to detect five anatomical landmarks relevant for TAVI planning: the three basal attachment points of the aortic valve leaflets and the left and right coronary ostia. The detection strategy used these three CNN models to analyse a single MDCT image and yield three segmentation volumes as output. These segmentation volumes were averaged into one final segmentation volume, and the final predicted landmarks were obtained during a postprocessing step. Finally, we constructed the aortic annular plane, defined by the three predicted hinge points, and measured the distances from this plane to the predicted coronary ostia (i.e., coronary height). The methodology was validated on 100 patients. The automatic landmark detection was able to detect all the landmarks and showed high accuracy as the median distance between the ground truth and predictions is lower than the interobserver variations (1.5 mm [1.1-2.1], 2.0 mm [1.3-2.8] with a paired difference -0.5 ± 1.3 mm and p value <0.001). Furthermore, a high correlation is observed between predicted and manually measured coronary heights (for both R 2 = 0.8). The image analysis time per patient was below one second. The proposed method is accurate, fast, and reproducible. Embedding this tool based on deep learning in the preoperative planning routine may have an impact in the TAVI environments by reducing the time and cost and improving accuracy.

Asociación entre síntomas depresivos de las madres y control metabólico en adolescentes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 / Association between depressive symptoms in mothers and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Resumen: Introducción: Un mal control metabólico en pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 (DM1) se asocia a complica ciones a corto y largo plazo. Los adolescentes con Diabetes tipo 1 presentan peor control metabólico comparado con pacientes de otros grupos etarios. Escasos estudios han demostrado una asociación entre síntomas depresivos de las madres con el control metabólico de sus hijos adolescente. Objetivo: Evaluar la asociación entre síntomas depresivos maternos y control metabólico de adolescentes con DM1. Sujetos y Método: Estudio observacional transversal realizado en adolescentes, edades 10 a 18 años, con diagnóstico de DM1 de más de un año de evolución y sus madres. Se aplicó test de Beck II, cuestionario de depresión infantil, cuestionario SALUFAM y cuestionario de datos sociodemográficos. Se realizó hemoglobina glicosilada capilar, como marcador de control metabólico. Resultados: Se estudiaron 86 parejas (madre-hijo adolescente), adolescentes de edad media 14.04 años y 5.95 años de evolución de DM1. El 25.6% (n 22) de las madres presentó síntomas depresivos, asociándose a peor control metabólico en sus hijos (HbA1c: 7.66% y 8.91%, p < 0.001). El 17.9% de adolescentes presentó síntomas depresivos, no asociándose a síntomas depresivos maternos ni a peor control metabólico. Los síntomas depresivos maternos se asociaron a menor nivel educacional materno y pater no, mayor número de hijos en la familia, presencia de otros hermanos con enfermedades crónicas y a mayor vulnerabilidad en salud (SALUFAM). Conclusiones: La presencia de síntomas depresivos maternos se asocia a peor control metabólico en el adolescente con DM1, siendo fundamental un enfoque multidisciplinario familiar para obtener mejores resultados metabólicos en los adolescentes.

Abstract: Introduction: Poor metabolic control in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is associated with short- and long-term complications. Adolescents with T1DM present poorer metabolic control than patients of other age groups. Few studies have shown an association between mothers with depressive symptoms and the metabolic control of their adolescent children. Objective: To evaluate the associa tion between maternal depressive symptoms and metabolic control of their adolescents with T1DM. Subjects and Method: Cross-sectional observational study carried out with adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years, with T1DM diagnosis of at least 1 year ago and their mothers. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and the SALUFAM questionnaire were applied, and sociodemographic data were co llected. Glycosylated hemoglobin from capillary blood was used as a marker of metabolic control. Results: 86 couples (mother-adolescent children) were studied. The average age of the adolescents was 14.04 years and the average evolution time of T1DM was 5.95 years. 27.325.6% of mothers had depressive symptoms, which was associated with worse metabolic control of their children (HbA1c of 7.66% and 8.91%, p-value <0.001). 17.9% of adolescents had depressive symptoms, which was not associated with maternal depressive symptoms or worse metabolic control. Maternal depressive symptoms were also associated with lower maternal and paternal educational levels, high number of children in the family, presence of other siblings with chronic illnesses, and high health vulnera bility (SALUFAM). Conclusions: The mother's depressive symptoms can be associated with worst metabolic control in T1MD adolescents. It is fundamental a multidisciplinary family approach to get better metabolic controls in T1DM adolescents.

Correlation between female sex, IL28B genotype, and the clinical severity of bronchiolitis in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that impact on the differential expression of interleukin 28B (IL28B) are implicated in the progression of viral-induced diseases. In this prospective longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated the association between IL28B SNPs rs12979860 and rs8099917 and the clinical outcome of bronchiolitis in pediatric patients. METHODS: A total of 682 infants suffering from bronchiolitis, categorized based on the final clinical outcome as mild or severe, were genotyped for IL28B SNPs rs12979860 and rs8099917. RESULTS: When infants were categorized exclusively based on the final clinical outcome, no association was established between IL28B SNPs and the severity of bronchiolitis. However, when stratified by sex, the homozygotes for the minor alleles of rs12979860 (T) and rs8099917 (G) were associated with a mild disease in girls but not in boys. CONCLUSION: SNPs rs12979860 and rs8099917 correlate with the severity of bronchiolitis and display a sex bias, where GG rs8099917 and TT rs12979860 genotypes are associated with a mild disease in girls but not in boys. These findings suggest that innate immunity and female sex links with the outcome of the diseases induced by respiratory viruses, such as RSV.

Enabling Automated Device Size Selection for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

The number of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Improving efficiency will become essential for experienced operators performing large TAVI volumes, while new operators will require training and may benefit from accurate support. In this work, we present a fast deep learning method that can predict aortic annulus perimeter and area automatically from aortic annular plane images. We propose a method combining two deep convolutional neural networks followed by a postprocessing step. The models were trained with 355 patients using modern deep learning techniques, and the method was evaluated on another 118 patients. The method was validated against an interoperator variability study of the same 118 patients. The differences between the manually obtained aortic annulus measurements and the automatic predictions were similar to the differences between two independent observers (paired diff. of 3.3 ± 16.8 mm2 vs. 1.3 ± 21.1 mm2 for the area and a paired diff. of 0.6 ± 1.7 mm vs. 0.2 ± 2.5 mm for the perimeter). The area and perimeter were used to retrieve the suggested prosthesis sizes for the Edwards Sapien 3 and the Medtronic Evolut device retrospectively. The automatically obtained device size selections accorded well with the device sizes selected by operator 1. The total analysis time from aortic annular plane to prosthesis size was below one second. This study showed that automated TAVI device size selection using the proposed method is fast, accurate, and reproducible. Comparison with the interobserver variability has shown the reliability of the strategy, and embedding this tool based on deep learning in the preoperative planning routine has the potential to increase the efficiency while ensuring accuracy.

Evaluación del consumo de antimicrobianos en una Unidad de Neonatologia: un trabajo en equipo para promover el uso racional de antimicrobianos / Evaluation of antimicrobial consumption in a Neonatology Unit: a team work to promote the rational use of antibiotics

Resumen Antecedentes: Los antimicrobianos (ATM) son uno de los medicamentos más utilizados en recién nacidos (RN) hospitalizados. El uso indiscriminado de ATM trae consecuencias negativas como son el predominio de bacterias resistentes a los ATM usualmente utilizados y asociaciones individuales a morbilidad relevante como son la displasia broncopulmonar, enterocolitis necrosante, sepsis tardía y/o muerte. Objetivo: Registrar y evaluar las tendencias del uso de ATM a lo largo del tiempo en RN hospitalizados en el Servicio de Neonatología (SRN) del Complejo Asistencial Dr. Sótero del Río, con el fin de objetivar los cambios en la práctica habitual de la indicación de ATM. Un objetivo secundario fue evaluar el impacto de estas conductas sobre la resistencia antimicrobiana. Métodos: Estudio de cohorte, prospectivo, observacional, unicéntrico, en todos los pacientes hospitalizados entre enero de 2011 y diciembre de 2014. Se registró el peso al nacer, días de hospitalización, indicación y días de uso de ATM para cada paciente. El uso de ATM fue cuantificado por medio de distintas tasas: días de indicación de un o más ATM para el consumo global (TUA), sumatoria total de días de uso (STUA) como para los ATM más frecuentemente utilizados. Cada tasa calculada por 100 días hospitalizados. Además, se registró la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de las bacterias más frecuentemente aisladas en nuestro servicio: Staphylococcus coagulasa negativa (SCN) y bacilos gramnegativos (BGNs). Resultados: El 34,7% de los pacientes hospitalizados recibió algún tipo de antimicrobiano, correspondiendo 32,3% a antibacterianos. El ATM más utilizado fue ampicilina (20,2% del total) y luego cefadroxilo (11,6%). El TUA no cambió entre 2011 y 2014. La STUA disminuyó en 10,7% entre 2011 y 2014 (p < 0,05). En el análisis por rangos de peso, en el grupo < 750 g disminuyó la tendencia de uso de vancomicina (descenso de uso en 9,9%) y un aumento de 18,8% para metronidazol. Por otra parte, hubo un aumento en el uso del régimen de piperacilina/tazobactam en el grupo > 1.500 g. Al evaluar la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana, hubo una disminución de la susceptibilidad a cloxacilina en SCN entre 2011 y 2014 desde 27 a 10,3%, respectivamente. Para BGN hubo una disminución desde 76,9 a 40,5% en la susceptibilidad a cefalosporinas de tercera generación, principalmente debido a Klebsiella pneumoniae que pasó a ser el BGN predominante, con un aumento de 6,7 a 50% en los años 2011 y 2014, respectivamente. Para Klebsiella pneumoniae la susceptibilidad a cefalosporinas de tercera generación descendió desde 77 a 22%. Por último, amikacina mostró una actividad sobre 85% en todos los BGNs entre 2011 y 2014. Conclusiones: Es recomendable planificar y mantener un registro continuo del consumo de ATM tanto como terapia y profilaxis, idealmente llevar el TUA, el STUA y siendo categorizado por tipo de ATM y rango de peso de los RN. En forma concomitante, es de considerable importancia analizar y evaluar la susceptibilidad de microorganismos. Es esencial que un equipo interdisciplinario prepare este registro, y que continuamente proporcione retroalimentación a los profesionales que mantienen el funcionamiento de las unidades de cuidados neonatales.

Background: Antibiotics (ATB) are drugs widely used in hospitalized newborns. The indiscriminate use of ATBs promote the rise of resistant bacteria to the most commonly indicated antimicrobials. In addition, ATB prescription presents associations to morbidity, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, late sepsis and even death. All of the above leads to an increase in health care costs. Aim: To record and to evaluate trends of antibiotic use over time in hospitalized NB in the Neonatology Unit at Dr. Sótero del Río Hospital, in order to objectify the changes in the usual practice of the ATM indication. A secondary objective was to assess its impact on antimicrobial resistance. Methods: Cohort, observational, prospective unicenter study which included all hospitalized patients between January 2011 and December 2014. Birth weight, hospitalization days, ATB indication and days of ATB use were recorded for each patient. The use of ATB was quantified by means of different rates; days of indication of one or more ATBs for global consumption (RUA), total sum of days of use (TSUA) and for the most frequently used ATBs. Each calculated rate for 100 days hospitalized. In addition, the antimicrobial susceptibility of the most frequently isolated bacteria in our service: coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (SCN) and Gram-negative bacilli (BGN) were recorded continuously. Results: The 34.7% of the hospitalized patients received some type of antimicrobial agent. ATBs were 32.3% of medicines used. The most widely used was ampicillin (with 20.2% of the total) and cefadroxyl (with 11.6%). The RUA did not change during the study time, but STUA decreased by 10.7% between 2011 and 2014 with p < 0.05. When subgroup analyzes were divided by weight ranges, in the < 750 g group, the use of vancomycin decreased in use by 9.9% and an increase of 18.8% for metronidazole was observed. On the other hand, there was an increase in the use of the piperacillin-tazobactam regimen in the range > 1,500 g. When evaluating antimicrobial susceptibility, there was a decrease in susceptibility for oxacillin in SCN between 2011 and 2014 from 27% to 10.3% respectively. In addition, for Gram negative there was a decrease from 76.9% to 40.5% in susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins, mainly due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, which became the predominantly isolated BGN with an increase of 6.7% to 50% between 2011 and 2014, respectively. For K. pneumoniae the loss of susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins decreased from 77% to 22%. Finally, amikacin showed an activity over 85% in all BGNs between 2011 and 2014. Conclusions: It is advisable to plan and to maintain a continuous record of ATB consumption, as well as therapy and prophylaxis, being categorized by ATB type and range of newborn weight. It is of considerable importance to analyze and to evaluate the susceptibility of microorganisms. It is essential that an interdisciplinary team prepare this recording, and to continuously provide feedback to professionals who maintain the functioning of neonatal care units.

[Evaluation of antimicrobial consumption in a Neonatology Unit: a team work to promote the rational use of antibiotics]. / Evaluación del consumo de antimicrobianos en una Unidad de Neonatologia: un trabajo en equipo para promover el uso racional de antimicrobianos.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics (ATB) are drugs widely used in hospitalized newborns. The indiscriminate use of ATBs promote the rise of resistant bacteria to the most commonly indicated antimicrobials. In addition, ATB prescription presents associations to morbidity, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, late sepsis and even death. All of the above leads to an increase in health care costs. AIM: To record and to evaluate trends of antibiotic use over time in hospitalized NB in the Neonatology Unit at Dr. Sótero del Río Hospital, in order to objectify the changes in the usual practice of the ATM indication. A secondary objective was to assess its impact on antimicrobial resistance. METHODS: Cohort, observational, prospective unicenter study which included all hospitalized patients between January 2011 and December 2014. Birth weight, hospitalization days, ATB indication and days of ATB use were recorded for each patient. The use of ATB was quantified by means of different rates; days of indication of one or more ATBs for global consumption (RUA), total sum of days of use (TSUA) and for the most frequently used ATBs. Each calculated rate for 100 days hospitalized. In addition, the antimicrobial susceptibility of the most frequently isolated bacteria in our service: coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (SCN) and Gram-negative bacilli (BGN) were recorded continuously. RESULTS: The 34.7% of the hospitalized patients received some type of antimicrobial agent. ATBs were 32.3% of medicines used. The most widely used was ampicillin (with 20.2% of the total) and cefadroxyl (with 11.6%). The RUA did not change during the study time, but STUA decreased by 10.7% between 2011 and 2014 with p < 0.05. When subgroup analyzes were divided by weight ranges, in the < 750 g group, the use of vancomycin decreased in use by 9.9% and an increase of 18.8% for metronidazole was observed. On the other hand, there was an increase in the use of the piperacillin-tazobactam regimen in the range > 1,500 g. When evaluating antimicrobial susceptibility, there was a decrease in susceptibility for oxacillin in SCN between 2011 and 2014 from 27% to 10.3% respectively. In addition, for Gram negative there was a decrease from 76.9% to 40.5% in susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins, mainly due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, which became the predominantly isolated BGN with an increase of 6.7% to 50% between 2011 and 2014, respectively. For K. pneumoniae the loss of susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins decreased from 77% to 22%. Finally, amikacin showed an activity over 85% in all BGNs between 2011 and 2014. CONCLUSIONS: It is advisable to plan and to maintain a continuous record of ATB consumption, as well as therapy and prophylaxis, being categorized by ATB type and range of newborn weight. It is of considerable importance to analyze and to evaluate the susceptibility of microorganisms. It is essential that an interdisciplinary team prepare this recording, and to continuously provide feedback to professionals who maintain the functioning of neonatal care units.