[Epidemiological study on the impact of influenza vaccination on the clinical course of patients with COVID-19 and co-infection by both viruses in Gran Canaria, Spain]. / Estudio epidemiológico sobre el impacto de la vacunación antigripal en la evolución clínica de pacientes con COVID-19 y la coinfección por ambos virus en Gran Canaria, España.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, as well as the differences in the course of disease (risk of mortality, hospital and intensive care admissions) in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in relation to flu vaccination status in the 2021-2022 season. METHODS: Population-based observational retrospective study in a cohort of 19,850 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 on the island of Gran Canaria. RESULTS: A total of 1,789 patients (9%) diagnosed with COVID-19 had received flu vaccinations. 13,676 people (68.9%) had a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations. In the period between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, 8 cases of flu and COVID-19 coinfection were recorded. Hypertension (18.5%), asthma (12.8%) and diabetes (7.2%) were the most frequent comorbidities. There were 147 deaths (0.7%). Older patients ([OR] 1.11 95% CI 1.09-1.13) and people with cancer ([OR] 4.21 95% CI 2.58-6.89) had a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 (p<0.05). Female sex was noted as a protective factor ([OR] 0.61 95% CI 0.40-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Old age, male sex and cancer were independent prognostic factors for mortality. Three doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and influenza vaccines were highly effective in preventing COVID-19-related deaths and hospital admissions. These findings suggest that flu vaccination can help control the pandemic.

Incidence of pneumococcal infections among children under 15 years in southern Catalonia throughout the heptavalent conjugate vaccine era, 2002-2009.

PURPOSE: Updating epidemiological studies to document current incidences of pneumococcal diseases are greatly needed in the current era of new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). The aim of this study is to analyze the incidence and distribution of different serotypes causing pneumococcal infections among the pediatric population in southern Catalonia, Spain, throughout the 2002-2009 PCV7 eras. METHODS: A population-based surveillance study was conducted among children aged ≤ 14 years in the region of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) during the period 2002-2009. All cases of pneumococcal infections (invasive and non-invasive cases) were included in the study. Incidence rates (per 100,000 population-year) and prevalence of infections caused by serotypes included in different PCV formulations were calculated for the 2002-2005 and 2006-2009 periods. RESULTS: Globally, across the total 2002-2009 period, the incidence of pneumococcal infections was 48.2 per 100,000 children-year (22.4 and 25.8 for invasive and non-invasive infections, respectively). Between 2002-2005 and 2006-2009, the incidence rates largely decreased among children aged <2 years (from 171 to 111 per 100,000 children-year; p = 0.059), but they did not substantially vary among children aged 2-14 years. The percentages of cases caused by serotypes included in PCV7 (60.0 vs. 16.7 %; p < 0.001), PCV10 (75.0 vs. 47.4 %; p = 0.028), and PCV13 (85.0 vs. 70.5 %; p = 0.190) decreased in both periods. CONCLUSION: In this study, which was conducted in a setting with intermediate PCV7 uptakes, a considerable protective direct effect of vaccination occurred among young infants, but an indirect protective effect did not emerge in the rest of the pediatric population. Despite new PCVs with higher serotype coverage, an important proportion of pneumococcal infections is still not covered by these vaccines.

[Evaluation of the effectiveness of integrated psychological therapy in long-term evolution of patients with schizophrenia]. / Evaluación de la efectividad de la terapia psicológica integrada en la evolución a largo plazo de pacientes con esquizofrenia.

INTRODUCTION: Psychosocial therapy programs have been effective in relapse prevention, symptoms control, and functional improvement in patients with schizophrenia. Accordingly, and in addition to medication, they are currently an indicated therapy component. Therapy efficacy of the package used in this study was positive in short-term follow-ups and is now appropriate to analyze them four years later. METHOD: Clinical and social functioning effects of a psychosocial intervention package, consisting of psychoeducation and integrated psychological therapy (IPT) with patients, and psychoeducation, behavioral therapy and problem solving training with families, were studied in 20 out-patients with schizophrenia (using pre-treatment, post-treatment and four-year follow-up measures). RESULTS: Within groups results indicate a sustained improvement in the treatment group as compared to a 15 out-patients comparison group that received standard treatment. All participants were on stable regimens of antipsychotic medications. After the follow-up period, however, between groups differences tend to diminish. CONCLUSIONS: The overall findings indicated that this package has produced encouraging effects still apparent in the 4 year follow-up. However, the intervention procedure merits further investigation, and suggestions are made to keep a low-level, long-lasting psychosocial intervention, adapted to each patient's needs.

[Alcohol-related problems in Cantabria]. / Problemas relacionados con el alcohol en Cantabria.

It is a cross sectorial epidemiological community survey into a random sample of 1,816 adult people. The objetivo of our work is to test the existence of some social-demographic variables that can be accumulated to the existence of alcohol related problems. We found that the men, the young people, with low socioeconomic level, and semiurban style of life have the highest risk of alcohol related problems. 48% of the sample men have recognized any alcohol related problems during the previous year to our study. The highest problem prevalence is associated to increased alcohol consumption. After all, there are many people with low alcohol consumption who have alcohol related problems.

Skin cross-reactivity between Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and storage mites in atopic children.

In our environment, some children with allergic respiratory pathology do not have as favorable an evolution as expected after three years of immunotherapy with D. pteronyssinus extracts. We believe this is due to the existence of other mites whose antigenic determinants are not present in D. pteronyssinus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate skin cross-reactivity between Dermatophagoides and storage mites in children with bronchial asthma. Fifty patients were chosen, with a mean age of 7.78 +/- 2.98 years and a range of 3-14 years. There were 38 boys (76%) and 12 girls (24%) with rhinitis and bronchial asthma. All patients had skin tests and prick tests with the following extracts performed on them: house dust (HD), Dermatophagoides farinae (DFA), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DPT), Acarus siro (AS), Glycyphagus domesticus (GD), Lepidoglyphus destructor (LD), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (TP), with negative and positive controls. The areas of the papulae were evaluated in crosses, according to the size of the histamine and using computerized papulometry, using the Kurta series one graphic tablet with one resolution of 200 points per inch. The data were processed with the "Image-pro" analysis image program. The following conclusions were obtained from our study: 1) No case of skin sensitization to storage mites was found in any of our 50 patients, without house dust and/or Dermatophagoides mites also being present. 2) The greatest skin response with regard to histamine was found for DFA (52%), DPT (44%), HD (22%), GD (10%), AS (4%) and GF (2%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Individual psychotherapy. Experience pretending to be practiced in the general hospital]. / Psicoterapia individual. Experiencia que se pretende prácticar en el hospital general.

This article points out that it is possible to carry out institutional psychotherapy, if one knows a theory and a technique which will foster the psychotherapeutic process through an approach following the psychoanalytic model, but with a limited number of sessions. A therapeutic alliance with limited goals is established; it permits to work with the demands of the patient, promoting and maintaining a positive transference which will eliminate the sense of rejection in the process of termination. The author insists on team work, necessary to review the material obtained in each session and on formulation of a psychodynamic diagnosis.