Severity of bronchiolitis in infants is associated with their parents' tobacco habit.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tobacco smoke exposure among severely pediatric ICU patients. A prospective epidemiological observational study was conducted among children with bronchiolitis younger than 2 years of age admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Children's University Hospital La Paz during the October 2017 to March 2018 outbreak. On admission, parents were asked whether they smoked. In children who required invasive mechanical ventilation, endotracheal aspirate was collected at the time of intubation. A total of 102 patients with bronchiolitis were studied. Among these, 14 (47%) of 30 infants whose parents smoked required invasive mechanical ventilation vs. 14 (19%) of 72 whose parents were nonsmokers (p = 0.007). Among patients on invasive mechanical ventilation, 10 (71%) of 14 infants with secondhand smoke exposure presented pulmonary bacterial superinfection vs. 3 (21%) of 14 in the unexposed (p = 0.012).Conclusion: Secondhand smoke exposure is an additional high risk for pulmonary bacterial superinfection and invasive mechanical ventilation in infants with severe acute bronchiolitis What is known: •Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is known to be an important risk factor for childhood lower respiratory tract infections. •Tobacco smoke makes structural changes in the respiratory tract and reduces the immune response. What in new: •Secondhand smoke exposure showed to be associated with the increased need and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, and pediatric intensive care length of stay. •Tobacco smoke exposure is an additional risk factor for the presence of bacteria in the endotracheal aspirate.

Candidemia Diagnosis With T2 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in a PICU: A New Approach.

OBJECTIVES: Early diagnosis of invasive Candida infections is a challenge for pediatricians, intensivists, and microbiologists. To fill this gap, a new nanodiagnostic method has been developed using manual application of T2 nuclear magnetic resonance to detect Candida species. The aim of this study was to evaluate, prospectively, the usefulness as a tool diagnosis of the T2Candida panel in pediatric patients admitted at the PICU compared with blood culture. DESIGN: This is a prospective, observational, and unicentric study to compare T2Candida results with simultaneous blood cultures for candidemia diagnose. SETTING: This study was carried out in a 1,300-bed tertiary care hospital with a 16-bed medical-surgical PICU. PATIENTS: Sixty-three patients from 0 to 17 years old were enrolled in this study, including those undergoing solid organ transplantation (kidney, liver, pulmonary, multivisceral, intestinal, and heart) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Seven patients were positive by the T2Candida test. Only two of them had the simultaneous positive blood culture. T2Candida yielded more positive results than blood cultures. CONCLUSIONS: T2Candida might be useful for the diagnosis of candidemia in PICUs. The prevalence of candidemia might be underestimated in this pediatric population. The use of this diagnostic tool in these units may help clinicians to start adequate and timely antifungal treatments.

Relación entre estrés estudiantil y reprobación / Relationship between student stress and reprobation

Resumen Objetivo: Correlacionar el nivel de estrés académico versus tasa de reprobación de los estudiantes de 4º año de la carrera de Odontología de la Universidad San Sebastián, sede Santiago. Materiales y métodos: Se aplicó el inventario de estrés académico Sisco a los estudiantes que cursaban en forma regular el 4º año, 2015. Este instrumento permite identificar el nivel de estrés, los estímulos reconocidos como estresores, reacciones físicas, reacciones sicológicas, reacciones comportamentales, y estrategias de afrontamiento. El cuestionario fue aplicado poco antes de finalizar el segundo semestre 2015. Una vez cerradas las asignaturas, se confrontaron las respuestas de los estudiantes que aprobaron versus los que reprobaron el año académico. Resultados: Todos los estudiantes presentaron estrés, el 90 % de ellos lo presentó siempre, o casi siempre. Los estudiantes que reprobaron el año académico 2015 mostraron mayores niveles de estrés que los estudiantes que sí aprobaron el año académico. Por su parte, las mujeres se mostraron más estresadas que los hombres. En ninguno de los casos expuestos se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa. Conclusiones: El nivel de estrés académico no es determinante en la aprobación de asignaturas.

Abstract Objective: Stress is caused by overwhelming situations that cause psychosomatic reactions or psychological disorders. In the field of education, the academic demands are stressors, and the effect that these stimuli cause on the students is known as academic stress or student stress. Objective: To correlate the level of academic stress versus failure rate of students of 4th year, University of San Sebastian, School of Dentistry, Santiago. During the academic period 2015. Material and Method: SISCO Academic Stress was applied to students who were in 4th year, 2015. This instrument identifies the stress level, stimuli recognized as stressors, physical reactions, psychological reactions, behavioral reactions, and coping strategies. The questionnaire was completed shortly before the second half of 2015. When the academic period was over, the responses of students who passed versus those who failed the academic year were correlated. Results: All students had some degree of stress: 90% of them presented it always or almost always. Students who failed the academic year 2015 showed higher levels of stress than students who successfully passed their academic year. Women were more stressed than men. None of the cases showed statistically significant differences. Conclusions: The level of academic stress is not decisive in the passing of subjects.