American registry of ambulatory and acute decompensated heart failure (AMERICCAASS registry): Rationale and design.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) is a highly prevalent and progressive condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Acute decompensated HF precipitates millions of hospitalizations each year. Despite therapeutic advances, the overall prognosis of HF is poor. The varying clinical courses and outcomes of patients with this disease may be due to region-specific gaps and since most HF studies are conducted in developed countries, the participation of Latin American and Caribbean countries is low. Considering this, the American Registry of Ambulatory and Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (AMERICCAASS) aims to characterize the population with ambulatory and acute decompensated HF in the American continent and to determine rehospitalization and survival outcomes during the 12 months of follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: AMERICCAASS Registry is an observational, prospective, and hospital-based registry recruiting patients with ambulatory or acute decompensated HF. The registry plans to include between two and four institutions per country from at least 20 countries in the Americas, and at least 60 patients recruited from each participant institution regardless of their ambulatory or acutely decompensated condition. Ambulatory patients with confirmed HF diagnosis or inpatients presenting with acute decompensated HF will be included. Follow-up will be performed at 12 months in ambulatory patients or 1, 6, and 12 months after hospital discharge in acutely decompensated HF patients. This ongoing study began on 1 April 2022, with recruitment scheduled to end on 30 November 2023, and follow-up on 31 January 2025. Ethics approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of Fundación Valle del Lili. Data collected in the AMERICCAASS registry is being stored on the electronic platform REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture), which allows different forms for patient groups to enable unbiased analyses. For quantitative variables comparison, we will use the Student's t-test or non-parametric tests accordingly. Categorical variables will be presented as proportions, and groups will be compared with Fisher's exact test. The significance level will be <0.05 for comparisons. Readmissions and post-discharge mortality will be calculated as proportions at 1, 6, and 12 months, with a survival analysis by conditional probability and the Kaplan-Meier method. CONCLUSIONS: AMERICCAASS Registry is intended to be the most important registry of the continent for obtaining important information about demographics, aetiology, co-morbidities, and treatment received, either ambulatory or hospitalized. This registry may contribute to the optimization of national and regional evidence and public policies for the diagnosis and treatment of HF disease.

American Registry of Ambulatory or acutely decompensated heart failure (AMERICCAASS Registry): First 1000 patients.

BACKGROUND: About 80% of cardiovascular diseases (including heart failure [HF]) occur in low-income and developing countries. However, most clinical trials are conducted in developed countries. HYPOTHESIS: The American Registry of Ambulatory or Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure (AMERICCAASS) aims to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of HF, comorbidities, clinical presentation, and pharmacological management of patients with ambulatory or acutely decompensated HF in America. METHODOLOGY: Descriptive, observational, prospective, and multicenter registry, which includes patients >18 years with HF in an outpatient or hospital setting. Collected information is stored in the REDCap electronic platform. Quantitative variables are defined according to the normality of the variable using the Shapiro-Wilk test. RESULTS: This analysis includes data from the first 1000 patients recruited. 63.5% were men, the median age of 66 years (interquartile range 56.7-75.4), and 77.6% of the patients were older than 55 years old. The percentage of use of the four pharmacological pillars at the time of recruitment was 70.7% for beta-blockers (BB), 77.4% for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB II)/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), 56.8% for mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and 30.7% for sodium-glucose cotransporter type-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). The main cause of decompensation in hospitalized patients was HF progression (64.4%), and the predominant hemodynamic profile was wet-warm (68.3%). CONCLUSIONS: AMERICCAASS is the first continental registry to include hospitalized or outpatient patients with HF. Regarding optimal medical therapy, approximately a quarter of the patients still need to receive BB and ACEI/ARB/ARNI, less than half do not receive MRA, and more than two-thirds do not receive SGLT2i.

Impact of a Nurse-Led Multidisciplinary Heart Failure Clinic in a Low-Resource Setting: Experience in a Latin American Public Healthcare System.

Background: Nurse-led multidisciplinary heart failure clinics (MDHFCs) play an important role in patient care in developed countries, due to their proven benefits relating to mortality, hospitalization, and quality of life. However, evidence is limited regarding the role of MDHFCs in a limited-resource setting. Methods: Patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (n = 89) were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal cohort, from January 2018 to January 2019. The following endpoints were collected at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up: (i) quality of life, measured using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire; (ii) medication adherence using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, 8-item; (iii) titration of HF medications; (iv) self-care behavior using the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale; and (v) mortality and hospitalizations up to 12 months after. Results: The questionnaire score was reduced from 66.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 46-86) at baseline to 26 (IQR, 13-45) at 6 months (P < 0.001). New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class improved at 6 months (NYHA I: 41.9%; NYHA II: 39.5%; NYHA III: 17.2%), compared to baseline (NYHA I: 20%; NYHA II: 49%; NYHA III: 31%; P < 0.001). Medication adherence using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale improved the score from 6 (IQR, 4-7) at baseline to 7 (IQR, 6.25-8; P = 0.001) at 6 months. Uptitration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (25% vs 18% at target dose) and beta-blockers (25% vs 11% at target dose) was documented. After 6 months of follow-up, the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale was applied, showing a score of 18.5 (IQR, 15-22). The mortality reported at 12 months of follow-up was 9.7%, and the incidence of hospitalization was 44%. Conclusion: An MDHFC is a feasible strategy to manage an HF clinic in a low-resource setting.

Contexte: Les cliniques multidisciplinaires d'insuffisance cardiaque dirigées par du personnel infirmier jouent un rôle important dans les soins aux patients dans les pays développés en raison de leurs bienfaits démontrés en matière de mortalité, d'hospitalisation, et de qualité de vie. Les preuves quant au rôle de ce type de cliniques dans un contexte de pénurie de ressources sont toutefois limitées. Méthodologie: Des patients atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque (IC) présentant une fraction d'éjection réduite (n = 89) ont été inscrits à une étude de cohortes prospective et longitudinale allant de janvier 2018 à janvier 2019. Les critères d'évaluation suivants ont été mesurés à l'inscription et après six mois de suivi : i) qualité de vie, mesurée par le questionnaire Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire; ii) adhésion au traitement médicamenteux, mesuré selon l'échelle en huit points Morisky Medication Adherence Scale; iii) modification de la dose de médicaments contre l'IC; iv) comportements d'autosoins, mesurés selon l'échelle European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale; et v) taux de mortalité et d'hospitalisation jusqu'à 12 mois. Résultats: Le score au questionnaire a diminué pour passer de 66,5 (écart interquartile [EI] : 46 à 86) au départ à 26 (EI : 13 à 45) à six mois (p < 0,001). La catégorie fonctionnelle de la New York Heart Association (NYHA) s'est améliorée à six mois (NYHA I : 41,9 %; NYHA II : 39,5 %; NYHA III : 17,2 %), comparativement au départ (NYHA I : 20 %; NYHA II : 49 %; NYHA III : 31 %; p < 0,001). Le score de l'adhésion au traitement médicamenteux mesuré par l'échelle en huit points Morisky Medication Adherence Scale s'est amélioré, passant de 6 (EI : 4 à 7) au départ à 7 (EI : 6,25 à 8; p = 0,001) à six mois. On a noté une augmentation de la dose d'inhibiteurs de l'enzyme de conversion de l'angiotensine ou de bloqueurs des récepteurs de l'angiotensine (25 % vs 18 % à la dose cible) et de bêtabloquants (25 % vs 11 % à la dose cible). Après six mois de suivi, l'échelle European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale a été appliquée, ce qui a donné un score de 18,5 (EI : 15 à 22). Le taux de mortalité rapporté à 12 mois de suivi était de 9,7 %, et le taux d'hospitalisation était de 44 %. Conclusion: Une clinique multidisciplinaire d'insuffisance cardiaque dirigée par du personnel infirmier est une stratégie réaliste pour gérer une clinique d'IC dans un contexte de pénurie de ressources.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs in adult intensive care units in Latin America: Implementation, assessments, and impact on outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in adult medical-surgical intensive care units (MS-ICUs) in Latin America. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental prospective with continuous time series. SETTING: The study included 77 MS-ICUs in 9 Latin American countries. PATIENTS: Adult patients admitted to an MS-ICU for at least 24 hours were included in the study. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted over 12 months. To evaluate the ASPs, representatives from all MS-ICUs performed a self-assessment survey (0-100 scale) at the beginning and end of the study. The impact of each ASP was evaluated monthly using the following measures: antimicrobial consumption, appropriateness of antimicrobial treatments, crude mortality, and multidrug-resistant microorganisms in healthcare-associated infections (MDRO-HAIs). Using final stewardship program quality self-assessment scores, MS-ICUs were stratified and compared among 3 groups: ≤25th percentile, >25th to <75th percentile, and ≥75th percentile. RESULTS: In total, 77 MS-ICU from 9 Latin American countries completed the study. Twenty MS-ICUs reached at least the 75th percentile at the end of the study in comparison with the same number who remain within the 25th percentile (score, 76.1 ± 7.5 vs 28.0 ± 7.3; P < .0001). Several indicators performed better in the MS-ICUs in the 75th versus 25th percentiles: antimicrobial consumption (143.4 vs 159.4 DDD per 100 patient days; P < .0001), adherence to clinical guidelines (92.5% vs 59.3%; P < .0001), validation of prescription by pharmacist (72.0% vs 58.0%; P < .0001), crude mortality (15.9% vs 17.7%; P < .0001), and MDRO-HAIs (9.45 vs 10.96 cases per 1,000 patient days; P = .004). CONCLUSION: MS-ICUs with more comprehensive ASPs showed significant improvement in antimicrobial utilization.

Recomendaciones de terapia Antihipertensiva: la importancia de las combinaciones Avalado por la Sociedad Centroamericana y del Caribe de Cardiología / Antihypertensive therapy recommendations: the importance of combinations Endorsed by the Central American and Caribbean Society of Cardiology

RESUMEN El presente trabajo es el resultado de una iniciativa para analizar, resumir y mostrar la evidencia científica más reciente sobre el tema de la hipertensión y la implementación de las mejores terapéuticas disponibles. Este documento fue creado con la colaboración conjunta de médicos especialistas para dar una perspectiva local a la gestión basada en la mejor evi- dencia científica y en el contexto de la región de Centroamérica y el Caribe. Este artículo cuenta con el respaldo científico y académico de la Sociedad Centroamericana y del Caribe de Cardiología y es el primero de su tipo en abordar el problema y tema de la hipertensión. Se desarrolló a partir de una revisión detallada de la evidencia científica utilizando los principales buscadores médicos, seleccionando los estudios pivotales y poblacionales con mayor nivel de evidencia disponible. La in- tención es brindar información sencilla, con recomendaciones fáciles de implementar en el manejo diario de los pacientes con hipertensión arterial. Este documento contó con el apoyo logístico del Laboratorio Servier, tanto con los autores como en su edición; sin embargo, la información clínica presentada no estuvo condicionada por el laboratorio. Este material es responsabilidad de los autores.

ABSTRACT Antihypertensive therapy recommendations: the importance of combinations Endorsed by the Central American and Caribbean Society of Cardiology The present work is the result of an initiative to analyze, summarize, and show the latest scientific evidence on the subject of hypertension and the implementation of the best available therapeutics. This document was created with the joint collaboration of medical specialists to give a local perspective to the management based on the best scientific evidence and in the context of the Central American and Caribbean region. This paper has the scientific and academic support of the Central American and Caribbean Society of Cardiology and is the first of its kind to address the problem and topic of hypertension. It was developed from a detailed review of the scientific evidence using the main medical search engines, selecting the pivotal and population-based studies with the highest level of evidence available. The intention is to provide simple information, with easy-to-implement recommendations to implement in the daily management of patients with arterial hypertension. This document had the logistic support of Servier Laboratory, both with the authors as well as its editing; however, the clinical information presented was not conditioned by the laboratory. This material is the responsibility of the authors.

Processes for design, construction and utilisation of arrays of light-emitting diodes and light-emitting diode-coupled optical fibres for multi-site brain light delivery.

Optogenetics enables light to be used to control the activity of genetically targeted cells in the living brain. Optical fibers can be used to deliver light to deep targets, and LEDs can be spatially arranged to enable patterned light delivery. In combination, arrays of LED-coupled optical fibers can enable patterned light delivery to deep targets in the brain. Here we describe the process flow for making LED arrays and LED-coupled optical fiber arrays, explaining key optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical design principles to enable the manufacturing, assembly, and testing of such multi-site targetable optical devices. We also explore accessory strategies such as surgical automation approaches as well as innovations to enable low-noise concurrent electrophysiology.

Factores biológicos y sociales que influyen en la salud de la mujer durante el climaterio y la menopausia / Biological and social factors that influence women's health during climacteric and menopause

RESUMEN La menopausia es una tapa en la vida de la mujer sujeta a muchos cambios. Se sabe que es el cese completo de la menstruación, pero a menudo se menosprecian los síntomas producidos por esta, incluso por el personal de salud. A través de diferentes épocas, ha sido motivo de menciones históricas, literarias, culturales, etc. Alrededor del climaterio y la menopausia existen muchos factores que la condicionan. El objetivo de esta revisión es compilar información sobre los aspectos biológicos y sociales que influyen en la salud de la mujer en esta etapa de su vida.

ABSTRACT Menopause is a period in a woman's life subject to many changes. It is known that it is the complete cessation of menstruation, but the symptoms produced by it are often underestimated, even by health personnel. Through time, it has been mentioned in history, literature, culture, etc. There are many factors which condition the climacteric and menopause. The objective of this review is to compile information on the biological and social aspects that influence women´s health at this stage of their lives.

Influencia del proyecto bioenergético Ne Jigo Zen Do en adultos mayores / Influence of Ne Jigo Zen Do bioenergetic project in elderly

Se realizó un estudio de intervención, cuasi-experimental, de 50 ancianos pertenecientes al área de salud No. 5 de Tulipán, en Cienfuegos, que formaron parte del proyecto bioenergético comunitario Ne Jigo Zen Do, desde septiembre del 2012 hasta junio del 2014, a fin de determinar la influencia de la medicina bioenergética en los cambios de estilos de vida, para lo cual se evaluaron algunas variables antes y después de la intervención, tales como el consumo de medicamentos, la práctica de ejercicios, el nivel de depresión, por citar algunas. Entre los resultados fundamentales se destacaron el sexo femenino, el grupo etario de 65 a 69 años y las afecciones del sistema osteomioarticular. Después de aplicado el proyecto en los pacientes, se obtuvo una ejercitación sistemática y se incrementó el conocimiento y el uso de la medicina natural; asimismo, 72,0 % no presentaba depresión, 70,0 % mostró atención normal y 84,0 % nivel de memoria normal. Finalmente, 90 % de la serie manifestó una máxima satisfacción con los cambios, de modo que se pudo concluir que el proyecto bioenergético repercutió positivamente en los estilos de vida del adulto mayor.

An interventional, quasi-experimental study of 50 old men, belonging to the health area No. 5 from Tulipán, in Cienfuegos that took part in the Ne Jigo Zen Do bioenergetic community project, was carried out from September, 2012 to June, 2014, in order to determine the influence of bioenergetic medicine in lifestyles changes, for which some variables were evaluated before and after the intervention, such as medications consumption, making exercises, depression level, just to mention some. Among the main results there were the female sex, the 65 to 69 age group and the osteomioarticular system disorders. After having applied the project in the patients, a systematic exercising was obtained and there was an increase in knowledge and use of the natural medicine; also, 72.0% didn't present depression, 70.0% showed normal attention and 84.0% normal memory level. Finally, 90% of the series manifested a maximum satisfaction with the changes, so we could conclude that the bioenergetic project had a positive impact in elderly lifestyles.

A wirelessly powered and controlled device for optical neural control of freely-behaving animals.

Optogenetics, the ability to use light to activate and silence specific neuron types within neural networks in vivo and in vitro, is revolutionizing neuroscientists' capacity to understand how defined neural circuit elements contribute to normal and pathological brain functions. Typically, awake behaving experiments are conducted by inserting an optical fiber into the brain, tethered to a remote laser, or by utilizing an implanted light-emitting diode (LED), tethered to a remote power source. A fully wireless system would enable chronic or longitudinal experiments where long duration tethering is impractical, and would also support high-throughput experimentation. However, the high power requirements of light sources (LEDs, lasers), especially in the context of the extended illumination periods often desired in experiments, precludes battery-powered approaches from being widely applicable. We have developed a headborne device weighing 2 g capable of wirelessly receiving power using a resonant RF power link and storing the energy in an adaptive supercapacitor circuit, which can algorithmically control one or more headborne LEDs via a microcontroller. The device can deliver approximately 2 W of power to the LEDs in steady state, and 4.3 W in bursts. We also present an optional radio transceiver module (1 g) which, when added to the base headborne device, enables real-time updating of light delivery protocols; dozens of devices can be controlled simultaneously from one computer. We demonstrate use of the technology to wirelessly drive cortical control of movement in mice. These devices may serve as prototypes for clinical ultra-precise neural prosthetics that use light as the modality of biological control.