Treatment patterns and persistence on disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis and its associated factors.

BACKGROUND: Effective interventions for Multiple Sclerosis require timely treatment optimization which usually involves switching disease modifying therapies. The patterns of prescription and the reasons for changing treatment in people with MS, especially in low prevalence populations, are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To describe the persistence, reasons of DMT switches and prescription patterns in a cohort of Colombian people with MS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study including patients with confirmed MS with at least one visit at our centre. We estimated the overall incidence rate of medication changes and assessed the persistence on medication with Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for individual medications and according to efficacy and mode of administration. The factors associated with changing medications were assessed using adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models. The reasons for switching medication changes were described, and the prescription patterns were assessed using network analysis, with measures of centrality. RESULTS: Seven hundred one patients with MS were included. Mean age was 44.3 years, and 67.9% were female. Mean disease duration was 11.3 years and 84.5% had relapsing MS at onset, with median EDSS of 1.0. Treatment was started in 659 (94%) of the patients after a mean of 3 years after MS symptom onset. Among them, 39.5% maintained their initial DMT, 29.9% experienced a single DMT change, while 18.7% went through two, and 11.9% had three or more DMT changes until the final follow-up. The total number of treatment modifications reached 720, resulting in an incidence rate of 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.17) per patient per year The median time to change after the first DMT was 3.75 years, and was not different according to the mode of administration or efficacy classification. The main reasons for changing DMT were MS activity (relapses, 56.7%; MRI activity, 18.6%), followed by non-serious adverse events (15.3%) and disability (11.1%). Younger age at MS onset, care under our centre and insurer status were the main determinants of treatment change. Network analysis showed that interferons and fingolimod were the most influential DMTs. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of patients switch medications, mostly due to disease activity, and in association with age and insurer status.

Long-term trajectories of clinical staging in first-episode psychosis and their associated cognitive outcome: A 21-year follow-up study.

Cognitive deficits are already present before psychosis onset but are a key feature of first-episode psychosis (FEP). The objective of this study was to investigate the cognitive outcomes of a cohort of FEP patients who were diagnosed using the clinical staging approach and were followed for up to 21 years. We analyzed data from 173 participants with first-admission psychosis who were followed-up for a mean of 20.9 years. The clinical staging assessment was adapted from the clinical staging framework developed by McGorry et al.1 Cognitive assessment was performed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MMCB) at the end of follow-up. FEP patients who were longitudinally diagnosed in the lowest clinical stages (stages 2A and 2B) showed better performance in attention, processing speed, and MCCB overall composite score than those in the highest clinical stages (stages 4A and 4B). There was a significant linear trend association between worsening of all MCCB cognitive functions and MCCB overall composite score and progression in clinical staging. Furthermore, the interval between two and five years of follow-up appears to be associated with deficits in processing speed as a cognitive marker. Our results support the validation of the clinical staging model over a long-term course of FEP based on neuropsychological performance. A decline in some cognitive functions, such as processing speed, may facilitate the transition of patients to an advanced stage during the critical period of first-episode psychosis.

[SARS-CoV-2 infection and ischemic stroke]. / Infección por SARS-CoV-2 y ataque cerebrovascular isquémico.

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is causing a huge impact on health, economy, and social dynamics. The world is facing an emerging viral disease for which no specific treatment is available, and many aspects of the clinical behavior of the disease are still unknown, which makes the diagnosis and management a big challenge. Various neurological manifestations have been described and associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Stroke occurs in up to 6% of all patients with COVID-19, a figure that becomes significant given the large number of patients diagnosed to date. The clinical characteristics, presentation, evolution, and prognosis of these patients seem to have peculiarities that have not been seen in previous forms of stroke. Every time younger patients are observed, without a medical history, without infectious symptoms, with serious neurological results that pose a challenging and difficult approach. This review synthesizes the information available on the clinical characteristics and the proposals for its management.

Infección por SARS-CoV-2 y ataque cerebrovascular isquémico / SARS-CoV-2 infection and ischemic stroke

El nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 está causando un gran impacto en la salud, la economía y las dinámicas sociales. El mundo se enfrenta a una enfermedad viral emergente para la cual no hay un tratamiento específico disponible y muchos aspectos del comportamiento clínico de la enfermedad aún se desconocen, lo que hace que el diagnóstico y el manejo sean un gran desafío. Diversas manifestaciones neurológicas han sido descritas y asociadas a la infección por SARS-CoV-2. El ataque cerebrovascular isquémico se presenta hasta en el 6% de todos los pacientes con COVID-19, una cifra que se hace significativa ante el gran número de pacientes diagnosticados hasta la fecha. Las características clínicas, las formas de presentación, la evolución y el pronóstico de estos pacientes parecen tener particularidades que no se han visto en las formas previas de ataque cerebrovascular isquémico. Cada vez se observan más pacientes jóvenes, sin antecedentes médicos, sin síntomas infecciosos, con resultados neurológicos graves que plantean un escenario retador y de difícil abordaje. En esta revisión se sintetiza la información que se tiene acerca de las características clínicas y las propuestas en su manejo

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is causing a huge impact on health, economy, and social dynamics. The world is facing an emerging viral disease for which no specific treatment is available, and many aspects of the clinical behavior of the disease are still unknown, which makes the diagnosis and management a big challenge. Various neurological manifestations have been described and associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Stroke occurs in up to 6% of all patients with COVID-19, a figure that becomes significant given the large number of patients diagnosed to date. The clinical characteristics, presentation, evolution, and prognosis of these patients seem to have peculiarities that have not been seen in previous forms of stroke. Every time younger patients are observed, without a medical history, without infectious symptoms, with serious neurological results that pose a challenging and difficult approach. This review synthesizes the information available on the clinical characteristics and the proposals for its management

Estimation of the total effective dose from low-dose CT scans and radiopharmaceutical administrations delivered to patients undergoing SPECT/CT explorations.

UNLABELLED: Hybrid imaging, such as SPECT/CT, is used in routine clinical practice, allowing coregistered images of the functional and structural information provided by the two imaging modalities. However, this multimodality imaging may mean that patients are exposed to a higher radiation dose than those receiving SPECT alone. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the radiation exposure of patients who had undergone SPECT/CT examinations and to relate this to the Background Equivalent Radiation Time (BERT). METHODS: 145 SPECT/CT studies were used to estimate the total effective dose to patients due to both radiopharmaceutical administrations and low-dose CT scans. The CT contribution was estimated by the Dose-Length Product method. Specific conversion coefficients were calculated for SPECT explorations. RESULTS: The radiation dose from low-dose CTs ranged between 0.6 mSv for head and neck CT and 2.6 mSv for whole body CT scan, representing a maximum of 1 year of background radiation exposure. These values represent a decrease of 80-85% with respect to the radiation dose from diagnostic CT. The radiation exposure from radiopharmaceutical administration varied from 2.1 mSv for stress myocardial perfusion SPECT to 26 mSv for gallium SPECT in patients with lymphoma. The BERT ranged from 1 to 11 years. CONCLUSIONS: The contribution of low-dose CT scans to the total radiation dose to patients undergoing SPECT/CT examinations is relatively low compared with the effective dose from radiopharmaceutical administration. When a CT scan is only acquired for anatomical localization and attenuation correction, low-dose CT scan is justified on the basis of its lower dose.

Barreras geográficas de acceso a los servicios de salud oral en el departamento de Nariño, Colombia / Geographic Access Barriers to Oral Health Services in the Department of Narino, Colombia / Barreiras geográficas de acesso aos serviços de saúde bucal, no departamento de Narino, Colômbia

Resumen Estudio de corte trasversal cuyo objetivo fue identificar presencia de barreras geográficas de acceso a salud y elaborar un inventario de prestadores de salud oral del departamento de Nariño, con información de 64 municipios. Metodología: se desarrolló un sistema de medida de distancia y tiempo, identificando el tiempo de viaje que toma el desplazamiento de un municipio hasta la capital en diferentes medios de transporte. Como determinante de barrera de acceso: tiempo de viaje mayor a cuatro horas y distancia mayor a 25 km. Resultados: se identificaron 305 prestadores públicos, 1062 privados; en salud oral 670 prestadores. Nariño cuenta con primer nivel de atención en todos los municipios, segundo en cuatro y tercero en Pasto. De los 64 municipios tres no tienen barrera de acceso. Conclusiones: el tiempo de viaje y el medio de transporte son determinantes de barrera de acceso a salud, especialmente en las áreas del Pacífico de Nariño.

Abstract A cross-sectional study aimed to identify the existence of geographic barriers to health care and to conduct an inventory of health care institutions in Narino with information from the sixty- four municipalities in the state. Methods: A measurement system was developed to identify the travel time from a municipality to Pasto in different means of transportation. A travel time of more than 4 hours or a distance longer than 25 km were considered access barriers. Results: Narino has 305 providers in public sector, 1062 in private sector; 670 oral health providers was identify. Narino has primary health care providers in the entire state, second level in four and third level only in Pasto. From the 64 municipalities analyzed, 3 did not have access barriers in terms of travel time or distance. Conclusions: The travel time and the means of transportation generate access barriers to health care services in Narino, accentuated in pacific area.

Resumo Estudo transversal teve como objetivo identificar a presença de barreiras geográficas ao acesso à saúde e desenvolver um inventário dos provedores de saúde departamento de Nariño oral, com informações de 64 municípios. Metodologia: Um sistema de medição foi desenvolvido distância e tempo, identificando o tempo de viagem leva o deslocamento de um município à capital em diferentes meios de transporte. Como determinante da barreira de acesso: mais tempo de viagem para quatro horas e superior a 25 km de distância. Resultados: 305 prestadores públicos, privados de 1062 foram identificados; 670 provedores de saúde bucal. Nariño tem primeiro nível de atenção em todos os municípios, quatro segundo e terceiro em Pasto. Dos 64 municípios de três não têm barreira de acesso. Conclusões: o tempo de viagem e os meios de transporte são o acesso barreira decisiva para a saúde, especialmente nas áreas de Nariño Pacífico.