[Perception of the educational environment in residents of medical specialties in Chilean universities]. / Percepción del ambiente educacional de postgrado en residentes de especialidades médicas de universidades chilenas.

BACKGROUND: The Learning Environment (LE) influences the performance of students, learning, social life, mental health, and the future of work. AIM: To assess the learning environment (LE) among medical residents of 64 specialties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two validated instruments "Postgraduate Hospital Education Environment Measure" (PHEEM) and "Ambulatory Care Learning Educational Environment" (ACLEEM), and open questions were answered online by 1259 residents from 15 universities. A descriptive and analytical statistical analysis and semantic deductive-inductive analyses of open questions were performed. RESULTS: LE was positive rather than negative (PHEEM of 100.5 points (79-116) and ACLEEM of 138.5 points (120-157)). An age over 32 years, male sex, studying in a private university, being in first year of residence and being in a non-surgical specialty were associated with a better PHEEM score (p < 0.05). For ACLEEM, the first year of specialty, a non-surgical specialty and studying in a private university were associated with better scores (p < 0.05). Two programs had excellent LE (Pathological Anatomy and Ophthalmology) and no specialty had a very poor performance or many problems. Aspects of teaching, clinical activities, and teachers were strengths reported by students. Aspects to improve were teaching, protected times and clinical activities. CONCLUSIONS: LE among medical specialties had more positive than negative features, but with areas that should be improved.

[Impact of the ERA and GES health programs on mortality from community-acquired pneumonia in persons aged ≥65 years in ChileImpacto do programa de saúde ERA e do GES na mortalidade por pneumonia adquirida na comunidade em indivíduos com idade acima de 65 anos no Chile]. / Impacto de los programas de salud ERA y GES en la mortalidad por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en personas de 65 años o más en Chile.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the impact of the Adult Respiratory Diseases (ERA) Program and the General System of Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) on mortality from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in persons aged ≥65 years in Chile. METHODS: In this ecological study, annual and quarterly mortality rates from CAP were calculated in persons aged 65 to 79 years and ≥80 years from 1990 to 2014. Information was gathered from the databases of Chile's Department of Health Statistics and Information and its National Statistics Institute. The ERA Program (implemented in 2001) and the inclusion of CAP in the GES (starting in 2005) were evaluated as interventions. Data were analyzed using the interrupted time-series method, following the Prais-Winsten model, with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: The analysis showed that after the ERA Program began, significant reductions in CAP mortality were observed in the two age groups studied, whereas after CAP was added to the GES program, no statistically significant changes were found in those rates. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the ERA Program helped to reduce CAP mortality in persons aged ≥65 years in Chile, whereas inclusion of CAP in the GES program did not.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito do Programa Enfermidades Respiratorias del Adulto (doenças respiratórias do adulto, ERA) e do Régimen General de Garantías Explícitas en Salud (regime geral de garantias explícitas em Saúde, GES) na mortalidade por pneumonia adquirida na comunidade (PAC) em indivíduos acima de 65 anos no Chile. MÉTODOS: Estudo ecológico em que foram calculadas as taxas anuais e trimestrais de mortalidade por PAC em indivíduos de 65 a 79 anos e acima de 80 anos no período entre 1990 e 2014. Os dados foram obtidos dos bancos de dados do Departamento de Estatística e Informação em Saúde e do Instituto Nacional de Estatística do Chile. As intervenções avaliadas foram o Programa ERA (implantado em 2001) e a inclusão da PAC no GES (a partir de 2005). Os dados foram analisados com o método de séries temporais interrompidas segundo o modelo de Prais-Winsten. O nível de significância foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: A análise demonstrou que, após a implantação do Programa ERA, houve uma redução significativa na taxa de mortalidade por PAC nas duas faixas etárias consideradas. Por outro lado, a inclusão da PAC no GES não teve efeito estatisticamente significativo na taxa de mortalidade. CONCLUSÕES: A implantação do Programa ERA contribuiu para reduzir a taxa de mortalidade por PAC em indivíduos acima de 65 anos no Chile, porém o mesmo não ocorreu com a inclusão da PAC no GES.

Efficacy of vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis.

SARS-CoV-2 has had a great impact on world health, patients on hemodialysis have a higher rate of infection and death due to COVID-19. Vaccination is important to control infection and improve the prognosis of infected patients. To describe the efficacy of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in Chilean patients on hemodialysis during the year 2021. Retrospective observational study. A total of 9,712 clinical records were reviewed. Data were presented as summary measures. Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for the analysis. Risk and survival analysis were calculated, considering a statistical significance of less than 0.05. The average age of the patients attended was 61.5 ± 14.6 years. Average time on dialysis 67.6 months and 35.0% diabetic. 93.2% of patients were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, 70.7% of them received booster doses. The risk of infection was higher for those who received one or no dose, compared to those who received booster doses against SARS-CoV-2: OR = 252.46 [165.13; 401.57]. Of the infected patients, 15.7% died from COVID-19. The risk of death was higher in unvaccinated or single-dose patients compared to those vaccinated with two doses: OR = 2.64 [2.23; 3.12]. Patients with two doses and a booster had a longer survival compared to those who received one or no dose of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (p < .05). The vaccination in Chile, which started in February 2021, has demonstrated that booster doses against SARS-CoV-2 significantly reduced the risk of infection, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 in patients on hemodialysis.

Urinary Extracellular Vesicles as a Source of NGAL for Diabetic Kidney Disease Evaluation in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Tubular damage has a role in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). We evaluated the early tubulointerstitial damage biomarkers in type-1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) pediatric participants and studied the correlation with classical DKD parameters. Methods: Thirty-four T1DM and fifteen healthy participants were enrolled. Clinical and biochemical parameters [Glomerular filtration Rate (GFR), microalbuminuria (MAU), albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)] were evaluated. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α), and Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells-5 (NFAT5) levels were studied in the supernatant (S) and the exosome-like extracellular vesicles (E) fraction from urine samples. Results: In the T1DM, 12% had MAU >20 mg/L, 6% ACR >30 mg/g, and 88% had eGFR >140 ml/min/1.72 m2. NGAL in the S (NGAL-S) or E (NGAL-E) fraction was not detectable in the control. The NGAL-E was more frequent (p = 0.040) and higher (p = 0.002) than NGAL-S in T1DM. The T1DM participants with positive NGAL had higher age (p = 0.03), T1DM evolution (p = 0.03), and serum creatinine (p = 0.003) than negative NGAL. The NGAL-E correlated positively with tanner stage (p = 0.0036), the median levels of HbA1c before enrollment (p = 0.045) and was independent of ACR, MAU, and HbA1c at the enrollment. NFAT5 and HIF-1α levels were not detectable in T1DM or control. Conclusion: Urinary exosome-like extracellular vesicles could be a new source of early detection of tubular injury biomarkers of DKD in T1DM patients.

Percepción del ambiente educacional de postgrado en residentes de especialidades médicas de universidades chilenas / Perception of the educational environment in residents of medical specialties in Chilean universities

BACKGROUND: The Learning Environment (LE) influences the performance of students, learning, social life, mental health, and the future of work. Aim: To assess the learning environment (LE) among medical residents of 64 specialties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two validated instruments "Postgraduate Hospital Education Environment Measure" (PHEEM) and "Ambulatory Care Learning Educational Environment" (ACLEEM), and open questions were answered online by 1259 residents from 15 universities. A descriptive and analytical statistical analysis and semantic deductive-inductive analyses of open questions were performed. Results: LE was positive rather than negative (PHEEM of 100.5 points (79-116) and ACLEEM of 138.5 points (120-157)). An age over 32 years, male sex, studying in a private university, being in first year of residence and being in a non-surgical specialty were associated with a better PHEEM score (p < 0.05). For ACLEEM, the first year of specialty, a non-surgical specialty and studying in a private university were associated with better scores (p < 0.05). Two programs had excellent LE (Pathological Anatomy and Ophthalmology) and no specialty had a very poor performance or many problems. Aspects of teaching, clinical activities, and teachers were strengths reported by students. Aspects to improve were teaching, protected times and clinical activities. CONCLUSIONS: LE among medical specialties had more positive than negative features, but with areas that should be improved.

Impacto de los programas de salud ERA y GES en la mortalidad por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en personas de 65 años o más en Chile

[RESUMEN]. Objetivo. Evaluar el impacto del Programa de Enfermedades Respiratorias del Adulto (ERA) y el Régimen General de Garantías Explícitas en Salud (GES) en la mortalidad por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad (NAC) en personas de 65 años o más en Chile. Métodos. En este estudio ecológico se calcularon las tasas anuales y trimestrales de mortalidad por NAC en personas de 65 a 79 años y de 80 años o más entre 1990 y 2014. Las fuentes de información fueron las bases de datos del Departamento de Estadística e Información de Salud y del Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Chile. Como intervenciones se evaluó el Programa ERA (puesto en marcha en el 2001) y la inclusión de la NAC en el GES (a partir del 2005). Los datos se analizaron mediante el método de series de tiempo interrumpidas, según el modelo de Prais-Winsten. Se consideró un nivel de significación del 5%. Resultados. El análisis mostró que después del inicio del programa ERA se observaron disminuciones significativas de la tasa de mortalidad por NAC en los dos grupos de edad estudiados, mientras que a partir de la incorporación de la NAC al programa GES no se encontraron cambios estadísticamente significativos en esas tasas. Conclusiones. La implementación del programa ERA contribuyó a reducir las tasas de mortalidad por NAC en personas de 65 años o más en Chile, no así la incorporación de la NAC al GES.

[ABSTRACT]. Objective. Evaluate the impact of the Adult Respiratory Diseases (ERA) Program and the General System of Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) on mortality from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in persons aged ≥65 years in Chile. Methods. In this ecological study, annual and quarterly mortality rates from CAP were calculated in persons aged 65 to 79 years and ≥80 years from 1990 to 2014. Information was gathered from the databases of Chile’s Department of Health Statistics and Information and its National Statistics Institute. The ERA Program (implemented in 2001) and the inclusion of CAP in the GES (starting in 2005) were evaluated as interventions. Data were analyzed using the interrupted time-series method, following the Prais-Winsten model, with a 5% significance level. Results. The analysis showed that after the ERA Program began, significant reductions in CAP mortality were observed in the two age groups studied, whereas after CAP was added to the GES program, no statistically significant changes were found in those rates. Conclusions. Implementation of the ERA Program helped to reduce CAP mortality in persons aged ≥65 years in Chile, whereas inclusion of CAP in the GES program did not.

[RESUMO]. Objetivo. Avaliar o efeito do Programa Enfermidades Respiratorias del Adulto (doenças respiratórias do adulto, ERA) e do Régimen General de Garantías Explícitas en Salud (regime geral de garantias explícitas em Saúde, GES) na mortalidade por pneumonia adquirida na comunidade (PAC) em indivíduos acima de 65 anos no Chile. Métodos. Estudo ecológico em que foram calculadas as taxas anuais e trimestrais de mortalidade por PAC em indivíduos de 65 a 79 anos e acima de 80 anos no período entre 1990 e 2014. Os dados foram obtidos dos bancos de dados do Departamento de Estatística e Informação em Saúde e do Instituto Nacional de Estatística do Chile. As intervenções avaliadas foram o Programa ERA (implantado em 2001) e a inclusão da PAC no GES (a partir de 2005). Os dados foram analisados com o método de séries temporais interrompidas segundo o modelo de Prais-Winsten. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Resultados. A análise demonstrou que, após a implantação do Programa ERA, houve uma redução significativa na taxa de mortalidade por PAC nas duas faixas etárias consideradas. Por outro lado, a inclusão da PAC no GES não teve efeito estatisticamente significativo na taxa de mortalidade. Conclusões. A implantação do Programa ERA contribuiu para reduzir a taxa de mortalidade por PAC em indivíduos acima de 65 anos no Chile, porém o mesmo não ocorreu com a inclusão da PAC no GES.

En el Infarto agudo al miocardio los niveles plasmáticos de microvesículas extracelulares se elevan más precozmente que el aumento de la Troponina-I / Plasma levels of extracellular macrovesicles are elevated earlier than troponin-I in patients with myocardial infarction

Introducción: La Troponina I (TnI) plasmática es el biomarcador "Gold" estándar utilizado en diagnóstico de Infarto Agudo al Miocardio (IAM), indicando necrosis cardíaca. Las microvesículas extracelulares (MVEC), participan en comunicación celular, por lo que estudiar su distribución entregaría información respecto del evento isquémico, antesala del infarto. Objetivo: Estudiar las MVECs plasmáticas en pacientes con Síndrome Coronario Agudo (SCA) y compararlas con los niveles de TnI. Métodos: Plasma de 22 pacientes controles se recolectó 0-2hrs post-ingreso a urgencia. Plasma de 45 pacientes SCA se recolectó 0-2, 6-8 y 10-14hrs post ingreso, junto con la toma de muestra para estudio de TnI. Las MVECs plasmáticas fueron enriquecidas mediante kit comercial. La determinación de la concentración y tamaño MVECs se realizó por NTA (Nanoparticles Tracking Assay) usando el equipo Nanosight. Resultados: La concentración promedio de MVECs 0-2 hrs post ingreso fue 7,2 veces superior en plasma de pacientes con SCA vs controles y la moda del tamaño disminuyó en pacientes con SCA. La TnI no mostró diferencias significativas en 0-2 hrs post ingreso en el grupo estudiado. La concentración de las MVEC disminuyó significativamente después de 10-14 hrs post ingreso, mientras que la concentración promedio TnI se mantuvo invariable demostrando el aumento de MVECs previo al incremento de TnI. Conclusión. El aumento de MVECs previo al incremento de la TnI en pacientes infartados, sugiere que las MVECs aumentan en la fase previa del IAM, como respuesta al daño tisular. Actualmente, estudiamos el contenido molecular de las MVECs, para establecer un método diagnóstico del Síndrome Coronario Agudo basado en MVECs.

Background: Troponin I (TnI) is the gold standard used to establish the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (AMI), indicating the presence of myocardial necrosis. Extracellular micro vesicles are involved in cellular communication. Their distribution may provide information relating to the development of AMI in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) Aim: to study plasma levels of ECMV compared to those of TnI in patients with ACS. Methods: The plasma levels of TnI and ECMV from 22 control patients coming to the emergency units was compared to plasma from 45 patients with ACS. Levels of both parameters were determined 0-2, 6-8 and 10-14 hours post admission. ECMVs were enriched by means of a commercial kit. Concentration and size of ECMV was determined by NTA (Nanoparticles tracking assay) using the Nanosight equipment. Results: Plasma concentration of ECMV was 7.2 times higher than that of TnI 0-2 hrs post admission. The mode of ECMV size was lower in patients with ACS. Concentration of ECMV had decreased significantly 10-14 hrs post admission, whereas the TnI levees remained stable. Conclusion: The increase in ECMV earlier than TnI in AMI suggests that ECMV are elevated in the pre-AMI phase, as a response to early tissue damage. A study of cellular content of ECMV, being carried out, may lead to develop a method for the early diagnosis of AMI in patients with ACS.