El puntaje de Framingham ayudaría en la estratificación del riesgo de pacientes con ergometría positiva y SPECT normal / The Framingham score could help in risk stratification of patients with positive ergometry and normal SPECT

Antecedentes. El valor pronóstico de una ergometría positiva en el contexto de imágenes tomográficas de perfusión miocárdica de estrés y reposo (SPECT) normales no está bien establecido. Objetivos. Documentar la incidencia de infarto, muerte y revascularización coronaria en pacientes con una ergometría positiva de riesgo intermedio e imágenes de perfusión SPECT normales, y explorar el potencial valor del puntaje de riesgo de Framingham en la estratificación pronóstica de estos pacientes. Métodos. Cohorte retrospectiva integrada por pacientes que habían presentado síntomas o hallazgos electrocardiográficos compatibles con enfermedad arterial coronaria durante la prueba de esfuerzo, con criterios de riesgo intermedio en la puntuación de Duke y perfusión miocárdica SPECT normal. Fueron identificados a partir de la base de datos del laboratorio de cardiología nuclear del Instituto de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular de la ciudad de Posadas, Argentina. Resultados. Fueron elegibles 217 pacientes. El seguimiento fue de 3 1,5 años. La sobrevida libre de eventos (muerte,infarto de miocardio no fatal, angioplastia coronaria o cirugía de bypass de arteria coronaria) a uno, tres y cinco años fue significativamente menor (Log-rank test, p= 0,001) en el grupo con puntaje de Framingham alto o muy alto (77, 71y 59 %, respectivamente) que en el grupo de puntaje bajo o intermedio (89, 87 y 83 %). Tomando como referencia a los pacientes con riesgo bajo en el puntaje de Framingham, luego de ajustar por edad, sexo y puntaje de Duke, los pacientes categorizados en los estratos alto y muy alto riesgo del puntaje de Framingham presentaron una incidencia del evento combinado cercana al triple (hazard ratio [HR] 2,81; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95 % 0,91 a 8,72; p= 0,07 y HR 3,61;IC 95 % 1,23 a 10,56; p= 0,019 respectivamente). Conclusiones. La estimación de riesgo con el puntaje de Framingham sería de ayuda en la estratificación pronóstica de los pacientes con ergometría positiva y SPECT normal. (AU)

Background. The prognostic value of positive exercise testing with normal SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging is not well established. Objectives. To document the incidence of infarction, death, and coronary revascularization in patients with a positive intermediate-risk exercise test and normal SPECT perfusion images and to explore the potential value of the Framingham Risk Score in the prognostic stratification of these patients. Methods. A retrospective cohort comprised patients who presented symptoms or electrocardiographic findings compatible with coronary artery disease during the stress test, with intermediate risk criteria in the Duke score and normal SPECT myocardial perfusion. They were identified from the database of the nuclear cardiology laboratory of the Instituto de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular of Posadas, Argentina. Results. 217 patients were eligible. Follow-up was 3 1.5 years. Event-free survival (death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary angioplasty, or coronary artery bypass surgery) at one, three, and five years was significantly lower (Log-ranktest, p: 0.001) in the group with a score of Framingham high or very high (77, 71 and 59 %, respectively) than in the lowor intermediate score group (89, 87 and 83 %). Taking as reference the low-risk patients in the Framingham score, after adjusting for age, sex, and Duke score, the patients categorized in the high-risk and very high-risk strata showed about three times higher incidence of the combined event (hazard ratio [HR] 2.81; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 8.72;p=0.07 and HR 3.61; 95 % CI 1.23 to 10.56; p=0.019 respectively). Conclusions. Risk estimation with the Framingham score would be helpful in the prognostic stratification of patients with positive exercise testing and normal SPECT. (AU)

Consejos para escribir un artículo científico. Parte 1: la práctica de la escritura / Tips for Writing a Scientific Paper: The Practice of Writing

La escritura de artículos académicos es una competencia necesaria para la difusión del conocimiento científico y para el desarrollo profesional de quienes trabajan en diversas disciplinas. Sin embargo, a pesar de su importancia, esta habilidad compleja no suele ser enseñada en forma sistemática, lo que puede operar como una barrera para que los investigadores comuniquen los resultados de sus trabajos. En esta primera entrega, sintetizamos los principales consejos que han brindado expertos en la temática, añadiendo algunos de nuestra experiencia personal que consideramos útiles para facilitar el proceso de la escritura académica y el desarrollo de esta competencia en un contexto colaborativo. En una segunda entrega profundizaremos respecto de la problemática de la escritura de las diferentes secciones de un artículo científico y se ofrecerán consejos para optimizarla y volverla lo más eficaz posible. (AU)

Academic writing is essential for scientific knowledge dissemination and the professional development of those working in various disciplines. Yet, however important this complex skill is, it is not usually taught systematically, a fact that can act as a barrier for researchers to communicate the results of their work. In this first part, we synthesize the main tips provided by experts in the field, adding some of our personal experiences that they consider relevant to facilitate the process of academic writing and develop this skill in a collaborative context. In a second article, we will go deeper into the problem of writing the different sections of a scientific article and offer advice on ways to optimize it and make it as effective as possible. (AU)

Exposición a pantallas de niñas, niños y adolescentes: recomendaciones, límites y controversias en el marco del distanciamiento social obligatorio: un estudio cualitativo / Child and Teenage Screen Exposure: Recommendations, Limits,and Controversies in the Context of Enforced Social Distancing: a Qualitative Study

Introducción: la utilización de pantallas durante la niñez y la preocupación por su potencial daño aumentaron en los últimos años. La recomendación de no superar dos horas diarias de uso resultó controvertida durante la pandemia por COVID-19. El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue explorar las opiniones y actitudes de los profesionales con respecto al uso de pantallas y comprender cómo se modificaron durante dicha pandemia. Materiales y métodos: estudio exploratorio con enfoque cualitativo y estrategia de teoría fundamentada, realizado entre 2020 y 2021.Participaron 23 profesionales (pediatras y generalistas) en cuatro grupos focales. Se realizaron lecturas del material desgrabado para interpretación del contenido. El análisis incluyó la generación de códigos que fueron agrupados en cinco ejes temáticos. Resultados: los ejes resultantes fueron: 1) temática de las pantallas en la consulta ambulatoria de niños sanos, 2) percepción sobre daños, 3) percepción sobre beneficios, 4) pantallas en épocas de ASPO (Aislamiento Social Preventivo y Obligatorio) y 5) pensamientos y acciones contradictorios sobre el uso de pantallas. Discusión: a la hora de recomendar sobre exposición a pantallas, en nuestros entrevistados predominó la intuición personal por sobre la evidencia científica disponible. Reconocieron que el contexto de ASPO visibilizó algunos beneficios asociados a la conectividad que brindan estos dispositivos. Conclusión: nuestros resultados muestran que la percepción sobre las pantallas se está volviendo cada vez más neutral en términos del balance entre sus riesgos y beneficios, conduciendo a que los profesionales sean más flexibles en sus recomendaciones al respecto. (AU)

Introduction: screen use during childhood and potential harm concerns have increased in recent years. Advice not to allow more than two hours of screen use per day was contested during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary purpose of this research was to probe the opinions and attitudes of professionals regarding the use of screens and to understand how these changed during the pandemic. Materials and methods: this exploratory study, with a qualitative approach and theory-based strategy, was made between 2020 and 2021, and involved the participation of 23 professionals (pediatricians and general practitioners) in four focus groups. The recorded material was analyzed for content interpretation. The analysis included generating codes that were grouped into five thematic areas. Results: the resulting axes were: 1) the issue of screens in the outpatient practice of healthy children; 2) perception of harm; 3) perception of benefits; 4) screens in times of Preventive and Compulsory Social Isolation (ASPO, for its acronym in Spanish); and 5) contradictory thoughts and actions on the use of screens. Discussion: when making recommendations regarding screen exposure, the interviewees' intuition predominated over available scientific evidence. They recognized that the ASPO context highlighted some of the benefits associated with the connectivity provided by these devices. Conclusion: our results show that awareness of screen displays is becoming increasingly neutral concerning the trade-off between their risks and benefits, prompting practitioners to become more flexible in their recommendations. (AU)

Adaptación transcultural al español rioplatense de la escala "Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire" y evaluación del nivel de satisfacción global de la Tele-Rehabilitación en un Servicio de Kinesiología y Terapia Ocupacional / A Cross-cultural Adaptation of the "Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire" Scale to Rioplatense Spanish and an Evaluation of the Global Satisfaction Level of Tele-Rehabilitation in a Kinesiology and Occupational Therapy Service

Introducción: el servicio de Kinesiología del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires adoptó la virtualidad para la atención de pacientes durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Se decidió realizar una adaptación transcultural del cuestionario de 17 ítems validado al español de España Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire (TSUQ) para conocer la satisfacción de los pacientes. Métodos: dos investigadores nativos realizaron una adaptación del cuestionario TSUQ al español rioplatense. Participaron pacientes atendidos entre mayo de 2021 y marzo de 2022 que habían realizado al menos cuatro sesiones de Tele-Rehabilitación (TR). Fue evaluada la correlación de la puntuación del instrumento resultante con la de un ítem agregado a modo de criterio externo concurrente. La validación del constructo fue llevada a cabo mediante sendos análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios. Resultados: obtuvimos 293 cuestionarios (media de edad 57 años, 64% sexo femenino). Luego de los resultados del AFE (Análisis factorial Exploratorio) (n = 101), consensuamos eliminar 5 ítems. El cuestionario resultante (12 ítems) fue luego validado en una nueva muestra (n = 192) a través de un AFC (Análisis factorial Confirmatorio). La fiabilidad compuesta, la varianza media extractada y la validez convergente fueron adecuadas, mientras que la validez discriminante fue escasa. Documentamos una moderada correlación (Spearman de 0,35, p < 0,0001) entre el puntaje total del cuestionario y el de la pregunta agregada como criterio externo concurrente de validación y una excelente correlación entre versiones. Conclusión: la versión abreviada del cuestionario TSUQ en español tiene propiedades psicométricas adecuadas, lo que lo vuelve un instrumento valioso para evaluar la satisfacción de los pacientes que realizan Tele-Rehabilitación. (AU)

Introduction: the Kinesiology service of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires adopted virtuality for patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was decided to make a cross-cultural adaptation of the 17-item Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire (TSUQ) validated for Peninsular Spanish to assess patient satisfaction. Methods: two native researchers adapted the TSUQ questionnaire to Riplatense Spanish. The participants were patients seen between May 2021 and March 2022 who had undergone at least four sessions of TR. We evaluated the correlation between the resulting instrument score and that of an item added as a concurrent external criterion. Construct validation was done with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: we obtained 293 questionnaires (mean age 57 years, 64% female). After the AFE results (n=101), we agreed on eliminating five items. The final questionnaire (12 items) was tested in a new sample (n=192) with a CEA. Composite reliability, mean-variance extracted, and convergent validity were adequate, whereas the discriminant accuracy was low. We documented a moderate correlation (Spearman of 0.35, p < 0.0001) between the total questionnaire score and the aggregate question score as a concurrent external validation criterion and an excellent correlation between versions. Conclusion: the abbreviated version of the TSUQ questionnaire in Spanish has suitable psychometric properties, which makes it a valuable instrument for evaluating patient satisfaction in persons undergoing Tele-Rehabilitation. (AU)

Design and development of an early warning score for covid-19 hospitalized patients.

Pandemics pose a major challenge for public health preparedness, requiring a coordinated international response and the development of solid containment plans. Early and accurate identification of high-risk patients in the course of the current COVID-19 pandemic is vital for planning and making proper use of available resources. The purpose of this study was to identify the key variables that account for worse outcomes to create a predictive model that could be used effectively for triage. Through literature review, 44 variables that could be linked to an unfavorable course of COVID-19 disease were obtained, including clinical, laboratory, and X-ray variables. These were used for a 2-round modified Delphi processing with 14 experts to select a final list of variables with the greatest predictive power for the construction of a scoring system, leading to the creation of a new scoring system: the COVID-19 Severity Index. The analysis of the area under the curve for the COVID-19 Severity Index was 0.94 to predict the need for ICU admission in the following 24 hours against 0.80 for NEWS-2. Additionally, the digital medical record of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires was electronically set for an automatic calculation and constant update of the COVID-19 Severity Index. Specifically designed for the current COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 Severity Index could be used as a reliable tool for strategic planning, organization, and administration of resources by easily identifying hospitalized patients with a greater need of intensive care.

La pandemia por COVID-19 planteó un desafío para el sistema salud, debido a la gran demanda de pacientes hospitalizados. La identificación temprana de pacientes hospitalizados con riesgo de evolución desfavorable es vital para asistir en forma oportuna y planificar la demanda de recursos. El propósito de este estudio fue identificar las variables predictivas de mala evolución en pacientes hospitalizados por COVID-19 y crear un modelo predictivo que pueda usarse como herramienta de triage. A través de una revisión narrativa, se obtuvieron 44 variables vinculadas a una evolución desfavorable de la enfermedad COVID-19, incluyendo variables clínicas, de laboratorio y radiográficas. Luego se utilizó un procesamiento por método Delphi modificado de 2 rondas para seleccionar una lista final de variables incluidas en el score llamado COVID-19 Severity Index. Luego se calculó el Área Bajo la Curva (AUC) del score para predecir el pase a terapia intensiva en las próximas 24 horas. El score presentó un AUC de 0,94 frente a 0,80 para NEWS-2. Finalmente se agregó el COVID-19 Severity Index a la historia clínica electrónica de un hospital universitario de alta complejidad. Se programó para que el mismo se actualice de manera automática, facilitando la planificación estratégica, organización y administración de recursos a través de la identificación temprana de pacientes hospitalizados con mayor riesgo de transferencia a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos.

Design and development of an early warning score for COVID-19 hospitalized patients / Diseño y desarrollo de un sistema de alerta temprana para pacientes hospitalizados por COVID-19

Abstract Pandemics pose a major challenge for public health preparedness, requiring a coordinated international response and the development of solid containment plans. Early and accurate identifica tion of high-risk patients in the course of the current COVID-19 pandemic is vital for planning and making proper use of available resources. The purpose of this study was to identify the key variables that account for worse outcomes to create a predictive model that could be used effectively for triage. Through literature review, 44 variables that could be linked to an unfavorable course of COVID-19 disease were obtained, including clinical, laboratory, and X-ray variables. These were used for a 2-round modified Delphi processing with 14 experts to select a final list of variables with the greatest predictive power for the construction of a scoring system, leading to the creation of a new scoring system: the COVID-19 Severity Index. The analysis of the area under the curve for the COVID-19 Severity Index was 0.94 to predict the need for ICU admission in the following 24 hours against 0.80 for NEWS-2. Additionally, the digital medical record of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires was electronically set for an automatic calculation and constant update of the COVID-19 Severity Index. Specifically designed for the current COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 Severity Index could be used as a reliable tool for strategic planning, organization, and administration of resources by easily identifying hospitalized patients with a greater need of intensive care.

Resumen La pandemia por COVID-19 planteó un desafío para el sistema salud, debido a la gran demanda de pacientes hospitalizados. La identificación temprana de pacientes hospitalizados con riesgo de evo lución desfavorable es vital para asistir en forma oportuna y planificar la demanda de recursos. El propósito de este estudio fue identificar las variables predictivas de mala evolución en pacientes hospitalizados por COVID-19 y crear un modelo predictivo que pueda usarse como herramienta de triage. A través de una revisión narrativa, se obtuvieron 44 variables vinculadas a una evolución desfavorable de la enfermedad COVID-19, incluyendo variables clínicas, de laboratorio y radiográficas. Luego se utilizó un procesamiento por método Delphi modificado de 2 rondas para seleccionar una lista final de variables incluidas en el score llamado COVID-19 Severity Index. Luego se calculó el Área Bajo la Curva (AUC) del score para predecir el pase a terapia intensiva en las próximas 24 horas. El score presentó un AUC de 0,94 frente a 0,80 para NEWS-2. Finalmente se agregó el COVID-19 Severity Index a la historia clínica electrónica de un hospital universitario de alta complejidad. Se programó para que el mismo se actualice de manera automática, facilitando la planificación estratégica, organización y administración de recursos a través de la identificación temprana de pacientes hospitalizados con mayor riesgo de transferencia a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos.

Optimizing dialysis dose in the context of frailty: an exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a multicausal syndrome characterized by a decrease in strength, resistance and physiological function, which makes the individual vulnerable and dependent, and increases his/her mortality. This syndrome is more prevalent among older individuals, and chronic kidney disease patients, particularly those on dialysis. Dialysis dose is currently standardized for hemodialysis (HD) patients regardless of their age and functional status. However, it has been postulated that the dialysis dose required in older patients, especially frail ones, should be lower, since it could increase their degree of frailty. Then, the purpose of this study was to evaluate if there would be a correlation between the dose of Kt/V and the degree of frailty in a population of adult patients on HD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 82 patients on HD in Barranquilla (Colombia) and Lobos (Argentina) was conducted. Socio-demographic and laboratory data, as well as dialysis doses (Kt/V) were recorded and scales of fragility, physical activity, gait and grip strength were applied. Then these data were correlated by a Spearman's correlation and a logistic regression. RESULTS: CFS, social isolation, physical activity, gait speed, and prehensile strength tests were outside the reference ranges in the studied group. No significant correlation was found between dialysis dose and all the above mentioned functional tests. However, a significant and inverse correlation between physical activity and CFS was documented (score - 1.41 (CI - 2.1 to - 0.7). CONCLUSION: No significant correlation was documented between Kt/V value and different parameters of the frailty status, but this status correlated significantly and inversely with physical activity in this group. Frailty status in hemodialysis patients was significantly higher in older individuals, although young individuals were not exempt from it.

Validación de un cuestionario en español sobre la usabilidad de la telemedicina / Validation of a Spanish questionnaire on telemedicine usability

Resumen La telemedicina es la prestación de servicios de la salud mediante la utilización de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Su implementación se realiza a través de sistemas cuya usabilidad es variable. En 2016, Parmant y col., desarrollaron y validaron un cuestionario en inglés que mide su usabilidad y permite evaluar los factores que influyen en la misma. En 2019, tradujimos, adaptamos transculturalmente y publicamos este cuestionario en español. Con el objetivo de transformar el mismo en una herramienta confiable y accesible, cuya utilidad es indiscutible en el contexto actual, llevamos a cabo un trabajo de investigación que permitió su validación y simplificación.

Abstract Telemedicine is the provision of services by health professionals through the use of information and communication technologies. Its implementation is usually carried out through systems of variable usability. In 2016, Parmanto et al, developed and validated a questionnaire in English that measures its usability and allows to evaluate all factors that influence it. In 2019, we translated, adapted cross-culturally, and published this questionnaire in Spanish. With the aim of transforming it into a reliable and accessible tool, the utility of which is indisputable in the current context, we carried out a research work that allowed its validation and simplification.

[Validation of a Spanish questionnaire on telemedicine usability]. / Validación de un cuestionario en español sobre la usabilidad de la telemedicina.

Telemedicine is the provision of services by health professionals through the use of information and communication technologies. Its implementation is usually carried out through systems of va riable usability. In 2016, Parmanto et al, developed and validated a questionnaire in English that measures its usability and allows to evaluate all factors that influence it. In 2019, we translated, adapted cross-culturally, and published this questionnaire in Spanish. With the aim of transforming it into a reliable and accessible tool, the utility of which is indisputable in the current context, we carried out a research work that allowed its validation and simplification.

La telemedicina es la prestación de servicios de la salud mediante la utilización de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Su implementación se realiza a través de sistemas cuya usabilidad es variable. En 2016, Parmant y col., desarrollaron y validaron un cuestionario en inglés que mide su usabilidad y permite evaluar los factores que influyen en la misma. En 2019, tradujimos, adaptamos transculturalmente y publicamos este cuestionario en español. Con el objetivo de transformar el mismo en una herramienta confiable y accesible, cuya utilidad es indiscutible en el contexto actual, llevamos a cabo un trabajo de investigación que permitió su validación y simplificación.

Deep sedation using propofol target-controlled infusion for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Propofol sedation is effective for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, but its narrow therapeutic window highlights the importance of identifying an optimal administration technique regarding effectiveness and safety. This study aimed to determine the incidence of significant adverse events in adult patients scheduled for gastrointestinal endoscopy under anaesthetist-performed sedation using propofol target-controlled infusion and determine the existence of associations between these events and potentially related variables. METHODS: This single-centre, retrospective cohort study took place in a tertiary referral university hospital. Medical records of 823 patients (age > 18 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification scores I-III) who had undergone elective gastrointestinal endoscopy under propofol target-controlled infusion sedation during September 2018 were reviewed. Outcomes included hypoxia, hypotension, and bradycardia events, requirement of vasoactive drugs, unplanned tracheal intubation or supraglottic device insertion, and need for advanced cardiac life support. RESULTS: The most frequently encountered adverse event was oxygen desaturation < 95% with an incidence of 22.35%. Vasoactive drug administration, hypotension, and oxygen desaturation < 90% followed, with incidences of 19.2, 12.64, and 9.92%, respectively. Only 0.5% of patients required advanced airway management. Multivariate analysis revealed an association between hypotension events, colonoscopic procedures, and propofol doses (odds ratio: 3.08, 95% confidence interval: 1.43 to 6.61; P = 0.004 and odds ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.00 to 1.29; P = 0.046). A strong dose-effect relationship was found between hypoxia and obesity; patients with body mass index ≥40 were nine times (odds ratio: 10.22, 95% confidence interval: 2.83 to 36.99) more likely to experience oxygen desaturation < 90% events. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol sedation using target-controlled infusion appears to be a safe and effective anaesthetic technique for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures with acceptable rates of adverse events and could be more widely adopted in clinical practice.

Exploratory Analysis of HIV Status Knowledge and Associated Factors Using Data from Electronic Medical Records.

Despite recommendations for the routine HIV testing of all sexually active individuals, a significant percentage of HIV-positive adults are unaware of their HIV status. Therefore, a number of strategies have been implemented to expand HIV testing, which in turn makes it necessary to develop tools for identifying patients with unknown HIV status. This study presents the results of an external validation of an electronic phenotyping algorithm for identifying HIV status and its application on a retrospective cohort in order to explore temporal trends of HIV knowledge status and associated factors.

[Spanish translation and transcultural adaptation of a questionnaire on telemedicine usability]. / Traducción al español y adaptación transcultural de un cuestionario sobre la usabilidad de la telemedicina.

Telemedicine is the provision of services by health professionals, through the use of information and communication technologies. Its implementation helps to shorten distances, facilitate access to the health system, improve the effectiveness of care and reduce costs. In 2016, Bambang Parmanto et al, developed and validated a questionnaire in English that measures its usability and allows to evaluate all the factors that influence it. Since similar tools do not exist in the Spanish language to date, a research work was carried out for transcultural translation and adaptation that included seven steps. The questionnaire obtained after this process provides a valuable tool to objectify information that is vital to contribute to the cycle of continuous improvement of the care process of these characteristics, in which patients, health professionals and funders are involved.

La telemedicina es la prestación de servicios por profesionales de la salud, mediante la utilización de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Su implementación contribuye a acortar distancias, facilitar el acceso al sistema de salud, mejorar la efectividad de los cuidados y reducir costos. En 2016, Bambang Parmanto y col., desarrollaron y validaron un cuestionario en inglés que mide su usabilidad y permite evaluar todos los factores que influyen en la misma. Dado que no existen hasta la fecha herramientas similares en el idioma español, se llevó a cabo un trabajo de investigación para la traducción y adaptación transcultural que incluyó siete pasos. El cuestionario obtenido luego de este proceso brinda una herramienta valiosa que permite objetivar información que resulta vital para contribuir al ciclo de mejora continua del proceso asistencial de estas características, en el que están involucrados los pacientes, los profesionales de la salud y los financiadores.

Traducción al español y adaptación transcultural de un cuestionario sobre la usabilidad de la telemedicina / Spanish translation and transcultural adaptation of a questionnaire on telemedicine usability

La telemedicina es la prestación de servicios por profesionales de la salud, mediante la utilización de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Su implementación contribuye a acortar distancias, facilitar el acceso al sistema de salud, mejorar la efectividad de los cuidados y reducir costos. En 2016, Bambang Parmanto y col., desarrollaron y validaron un cuestionario en inglés que mide su usabilidad y permite evaluar todos los factores que influyen en la misma. Dado que no existen hasta la fecha herramientas similares en el idioma español, se llevó a cabo un trabajo de investigación para la traducción y adaptación transcultural que incluyó siete pasos. El cuestionario obtenido luego de este proceso brinda una herramienta valiosa que permite objetivar información que resulta vital para contribuir al ciclo de mejora continua del proceso asistencial de estas características, en el que están involucrados los pacientes, los profesionales de la salud y los financiadores.

Telemedicine is the provision of services by health professionals, through the use of information and communication technologies. Its implementation helps to shorten distances, facilitate access to the health system, improve the effectiveness of care and reduce costs. In 2016, Bambang Parmanto et al, developed and validated a questionnaire in English that measures its usability and allows to evaluate all the factors that influence it. Since similar tools do not exist in the Spanish language to date, a research work was carried out for transcultural translation and adaptation that included seven steps. The questionnaire obtained after this process provides a valuable tool to objectify information that is vital to contribute to the cycle of continuous improvement of the care process of these characteristics, in which patients, health professionals and funders are involved.

Experience of a Performance-Based Risk-Sharing Arrangement for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis With Certolizumab Pegol.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the process and results of the implementation of a performance-based risk-sharing arrangement for the use of certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), based on rational pharmacotherapy. METHODS: In 2014, the area of Management of Drugs and Supplies of the health maintenance organization of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires signed a performance-based risk-sharing arrangement with Montpellier Laboratory for the use of certolizumab pegol in patients with RA. The laboratory would reimburse the hospital the cost of the first 10 doses of the drug if an optimal clinical response was not achieved (difference greater than or equal to 1.2 in the Disease Activity Score 28 with erythrocyte sedimentation [Δ DAS28 ESR] measured at the beginning and at the end), or if the patient presented with an adverse drug reaction, during the first 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Forty patients with RA were included between September 2014 and January 2018. Thirty-six patients completed 12 weeks of treatment, of which 25 (69.4 %) had an optimal clinical response (Δ DAS28 ESR ≥ 1.2). The laboratory reimbursed the hospital 116 doses of certolizumab pegol, corresponding to 12 patients (12 of 40, 30%). Eleven of them did not reach the optimal clinical response, and 1 presented with an adverse drug reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The performance-based risk-sharing arrangement proved to be a useful tool to optimize the resources of the healthcare payer and contributed to the collection of scientific evidence in real-life patients.

Usefulness of intra-operative neuromuscular blockade monitoring and reversal agents for postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Complete avoidance of residual neuromuscular blockade (RNMB) during the postoperative period has not yet been achieved in current anesthesia practice. Evidently, compliance with NMB monitoring is persistently low, and the risk of RNMB during the perioperative period remains underestimated. To our knowledge, no publications have reported the incidence of RNMB in a university hospital where access to quantitative NMB monitoring and sugammadex is unlimited and where NMB management is not protocolised. The primary aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of RNMB in patients managed with or without sugammadex or neostigmine as antagonists and quantitative NMB monitoring in the operating room. The secondary aim was to explore the associations between RNMB and potentially related variables. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at a tertiary referral university hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Records created between June 2015 and December 2015 were reviewed. In total, 240 consecutive patients who had undergone elective surgical procedures requiring NMB were included. All patients were monitored via acceleromyography at the adductor pollicis muscle within 5 min of arrival in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). Scheduled recovery in the intensive care unit was the only exclusion criterion. RESULTS: RNMB was present in 1.6% patients who received intra-operative quantitative NMB monitoring and 32% patients whose NMB was not monitored (P <  0.01). Multivariable analysis revealed that the use of intra-operative quantitative NMB monitoring and sugammadex were associated with a lower incidence of RNMB, with calculated odds ratios of 0.04 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.005 to 0.401) and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.046 to 0.727), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that intra-operative quantitative NMB monitoring and use of sugammadex are associated with a decreased incidence of RNMB in the PACU, reinforcing the contention that the optimal strategy for RNMB avoidance is the use of quantitative NMB monitoring and eventual use of reversal agents, if needed, prior to emergence from anaesthesia.

Development and validation of various phenotyping algorithms for Diabetes Mellitus using data from electronic health records.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent progression towards precision medicine has encouraged the use of electronic health records (EHRs) as a source for large amounts of data, which is required for studying the effect of treatments or risk factors in more specific subpopulations. Phenotyping algorithms allow to automatically classify patients according to their particular electronic phenotype thus facilitating the setup of retrospective cohorts. Our objective is to compare the performance of different classification strategies (only using standardized problems, rule-based algorithms, statistical learning algorithms (six learners) and stacked generalization (five versions)), for the categorization of patients according to their diabetic status (diabetics, not diabetics and inconclusive; Diabetes of any type) using information extracted from EHRs. METHODS: Patient information was extracted from the EHR at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. For the derivation and validation datasets, two probabilistic samples of patients from different years (2005: n = 1663; 2015: n = 800) were extracted. The only inclusion criterion was age (≥40 & <80 years). Four researchers manually reviewed all records and classified patients according to their diabetic status (diabetic: diabetes registered as a health problem or fulfilling the ADA criteria; non-diabetic: not fulfilling the ADA criteria and having at least one fasting glycemia below 126 mg/dL; inconclusive: no data regarding their diabetic status or only one abnormal value). The best performing algorithms within each strategy were tested on the validation set. RESULTS: The standardized codes algorithm achieved a Kappa coefficient value of 0.59 (95% CI 0.49, 0.59) in the validation set. The Boolean logic algorithm reached 0.82 (95% CI 0.76, 0.88). A slightly higher value was achieved by the Feedforward Neural Network (0.9, 95% CI 0.85, 0.94). The best performing learner was the stacked generalization meta-learner that reached a Kappa coefficient value of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: The stacked generalization strategy and the feedforward neural network showed the best classification metrics in the validation set. The implementation of these algorithms enables the exploitation of the data of thousands of patients accurately.

[Smoking rates among students of Medicine at a university institute in Buenos Aires: Cross section-study]. / Tabaquismo entre estudiantes de Medicina de un Instituto Universitario de Buenos Aires: estudio de corte transversal.

INTRODUCTION: Argentina has a smoking rate among adults of 22.1%; previous research has shown medical students smoke at the same rate than the general population. Physicians' smoking status affects their ability to provide anti-smoking advice. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. In 2011 a survey was administered to medical students at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires School of Medicine asking about demographic and tobacco use characteristics, and knowledge and attitudes toward smoking. RESULTS: 217 students were interviewed (response rate: 97.7%). Of these, 58.1% were in the school's initial years, and 41.9% in the latest ones; 63 (29%) were current smokers. Current smokers were less likely to agree with a smoking ban in enclosed spaces such as restaurants, bars and schools (88.9% vs 97.4%, P=0.034); 68.7% of respondents referred having received training on smoking cessation (98.9% among advanced students). However, 41.5% did not acknowledge the utility of nicotinic replacement therapy for smoking cessation, and only 11.1% knew about anti-smoking brief interventions. 60.4% wanted to receive more information about smoking. CONCLUSION: Medical students at the Hospital Italiano smoke at the same rate than the general population. Although most have received some information on cessation strategies, it is insufficient.