Early estimates of nirsevimab immunoprophylaxis effectiveness against hospital admission for respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infections in infants, Spain, October 2023 to January 2024.

The monoclonal antibody nirsevimab was at least 70% effective in preventing hospitalisations in infants with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Spain (Oct 2023-Jan 2024), where a universal immunisation programme began late September (coverage range: 79-99%). High protection was confirmed by two methodological designs (screening and test-negative) in a multicentre active surveillance in nine hospitals in three regions. No protection against RSV-negative LRTI-hospitalisations was shown. These interim results could guide public-health decision-making.

Abnormal liver chemistry constitutes an independent prognostic factor of less favorable clinical course in patients with COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: abnormal liver biochemistry (ALB) is correlated with increased clinical involvement or severity in COVID-19, but its prognostic implications have not been studied extensively. The aim of this study was to determine whether ALB is a risk factor for unfavorable clinical outcome and involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a retrospective, single-center study in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Patients with pharmacological hepatotoxicity or liver diseases were excluded. ALB was defined as any elevation of total bilirubin, AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, and/or GGT above the upper limit of normal. First, an assessment was made of the correlation between ALB and need for hospitalization. This was followed by an assessment of the correlation of ALB in hospitalized patients with demographic variables, comorbidities, and treatment for COVID-19, and with clinical involvement and outcome. The statistical analysis was performed using an age-adjusted multiple logistic regression with a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: of 1,277 confirmed cases, 346 required hospitalization and 302 were included. The prevalence of ALB was higher in hospitalized patients compared to non-hospitalized patients (60.9 % vs. 10.3 %, p ˂ 0.001). Among hospitalized patients, there was no correlation between ALB and demographic variables, comorbidities, or treatment for COVID-19, except for low molecular weight heparin. There was a significant correlation between ALB and moderate/severe COVID-19 involvement and between unfavorable clinical outcomes and elevated total bilirubin. The period of greatest clinical worsening and deterioration of liver biochemistry parameters occurred during the first seven days. There was a significant correlation of ALB with longer hospital stay and admission to the intensive care unit, but this did not imply increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: ALB correlates with greater clinical involvement and worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Microbiology and risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia.

The outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends on the interaction between the infectious agent and the host response. Nowadays the etiology of CAP can be established in ~60% of the cases, and Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the main etiological agent in outpatients, those hospitalized, or those requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Recently, the development of nucleic acid amplification techniques has emphasized the role of viruses as important etiological agents in CAP. However, some demographic factors and comorbidities will determine a higher risk of pneumonia. Thus elderly patients or those with toxic habits (smoking, alcohol abuse), and the presence of various comorbidities (respiratory, metabolic, or renal) favor the development of pneumonia by altering the inflammatory response to infection.Some medications like inhaled corticosteroids could play a role in CAP development in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Fortunately some of these risk factors are preventable and modifiable, for example, through smoking cessation and pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations, which are the biggest successes.

Ceftazidime-avibactam

The increase in nosocomial infections by beta-lactamaseproducing Gram-negative bacilli constitutes a therapeuticchallenge. The combination of ceftazidime-avibactam offers avery interesting therapeutic option for nosocomial pneumoniacaused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producingKlebsiella pneumoniae, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonasaeruginosa, and other enterobacteria. Compared to carbapenems,ceftazidime-avibactam has demonstrated non-inferiority in thetreatment of nosocomial pneumonia including better clinical andmicrobiological cure rates and mortality compared to colistin. Thelimitation of ceftazidime-avibactam in the treatment of infectionscaused by metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceaecan be overcome with the addition of aztreonam (AU)

The potential role of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in preventing respiratory complications in bacteraemic pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumococcal 13-valent vaccine (PCV-13) has a potential role in preventing bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia and its complications, but little is known about its ability to specifically prevent respiratory complications. Our aim were to analyse the pneumococcal serotypes associated with the development of respiratory complications and the potential role of PCV-13 in preventing respiratory complications in bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed demographic characteristics, comorbidities, antibiotic resistances and the outcomes of a cohort of 65 vaccine-naïve bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonias, stratified by the pneumococcal serotypes included in PCV13 vs. those not included. Complications were clustered as follows: respiratory complications (hypoxemic respiratory failure; mechanical ventilation), systemic complications (septic shock; multiorgan failure), suppurative complications (empyema; pleural effusion; lung abscess). RESULTS: From a population of 65 CAP-SP, 47.7% of the isolates belonged to PCV-13 serotypes group. No differences in comorbidities or clinical manifestations were found between groups. With regard to biochemical parameters, we found more profound hypoxemia levels in PCV-13 serotypes group comparing to non-vaccine group [PaO2/FiO2 209 (63) vs. 268 (57); p=0.007]. Global complications were identified in 69.2% (45 patients), and the most frequent were respiratory complications, found in 47.7%. Respiratory complications were detected more frequently in PCV-13 groups compared to non-vaccine groups (61.3% vs. 35.3%; p=0.036). Overall 30-day mortality was 30.8%. Mortality was similar between both groups (25.8% vs. 35.3%; p=0.408). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine includes the serotypes which cause more respiratory complications in our series; these serotypes were not associated with higher mortality in our series. PCV-13 may have a potential role in preventing respiratory complications due to bacteraemic pneumonoccal pneumonia.

[Pneumococcal pneumonia in hospitalized patients. Therapeutic implications of resistances to penicillin and erythromycin]. / Neumonía neumocócica en pacientes hospitalizados. Implicaciones terapéuticas de las resistencias a la penicilina y la eritromicina.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main etiological agent of community-acquired pneumonia. The aim of this work was to ascertain the resistance profiles of pneumococcus to penicillin and erythromycin and to analyse whether such profiles lead to different disease developments. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis was carried out in 75 cases of pneumococcal pneumonia corresponding to hospitalized patients. Comorbidity factors were evaluated including their influence on the appearance of resistance. RESULTS: 67 patients (89.3%) presented comorbidity factors. 49.3% isolates displayed some type of resistance: 38.6% to penicillin, 36% to erythromycin and 13.3% to cefotaxime. No relationship was observed between the severity of the pneumonia and antibiotic resistance. Complications and mortality were not influenced by the susceptibility of pneumococcus to antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The increase in the resistance to antibiotics, especially erythromycin, makes betalactams the best choice for the treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia.

Recommendations for vaccination against pneumococcus in kidney patients in Spain.

UNLABELLED: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a serious problem in some risk groups: patients with stage 4 and 5 chronic kidney disease, stage 3 CKD undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, nephrotic syndrome or diabetes. These individuals are more susceptible to infections and more prone to suffering more severe and worsening symptoms. Vaccination is one of the strategies for preventing IPD, although vaccination coverage in this group at present is lower than desired. Currently, there are two vaccinations for adults. The polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), used for decades in patients over the age of 2, includes most serotypes (23), but it does not generate immune memory, causing the immune tolerance phenomenon and it does not act on nasopharyngeal colonisation. The conjugate vaccine (VNC13) can be used from infancy until adulthood (advice in patients over 18 years old received approval from the European Medicines Agency in July 2013) and generates a more powerful immune response than PPSV23 against the majority of the 13 serotypes that it includes. The 16 scientific societies most directly associated with the groups at risk of IPD have discussed and drafted a series of vaccination recommendations based on scientific evidence related to pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying conditions and pathologies, which are the subject of the document “ CONSENSUS: Pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying pathology”. This text sets out the vaccination recommendations for the chronic kidney disease population.

Mediastinal fibrosis and superior vena cava syndrome.

Superior vena cava syndrome is a clear sign for clinicians of infiltrative mediastinal involvement, usually caused by neoplasms in this location, and it is an indicator of poor prognosis. However, other diseases of benign origin can also cause these alterations. We present the case of a 34-year-old patient who debuted with symptoms of superior vena cava syndrome due to idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, which presented a torpid evolution and few therapeutic alternatives.

Consenso sobre la vacunación anti-neumocócica en el adulto por riesgo de edad y patología de base. Actualización 2017 / Consensus document on pneumococcal vaccination in adults at risk by age and underlying clinical conditions. 2017 Update

La enfermedad neumocócica invasiva (ENI) y la neumonía neumocócica (NN) suponen un grave problema de salud entre los adultos de mayor edad y aquellos con determinadas condiciones y patologías de base, entre los que destacan los inmunodeprimidos y algunos inmunocompetentes, que les hacen más susceptibles a la infección y favorecen cuadros de mayor gravedad y peor evolución. Entre las estrategias para prevenir la ENI y la NN se encuentra la vacunación, aunque las coberturas vacunales son más bajas de lo deseable. Actualmente, existen 2 vacunas disponibles para el adulto. La vacuna polisacárida (VNP23), que se emplea en mayores de 2 años de edad desde hace décadas, es la que mayor número de serotipos (23) incluye, pero no genera memoria inmunitaria, los niveles de anticuerpos disminuyen con el tiempo, provoca un fenómeno de tolerancia inmunitaria y no actúa sobre la colonización nasofaríngea. La vacuna conjugada (VNC13) puede emplearse a cualquier edad de la vida a partir de las 6 semanas de vida y genera una respuesta inmunitaria más potente que la VNP23 frente a la mayoría de los 13 serotipos en ella incluidos. En el año 2013 las 16 Sociedades Científicas más directamente relacionadas con los grupos de riesgo para padecer ENI publicamos un documento de Consenso con una serie de recomendaciones basadas en las evidencias científicas respecto a la vacunación antineumocócica en el adulto con condiciones especiales y patología de base. Se estableció un compromiso de discusión y actualización ante la aparición de nuevas evidencias. Fruto de este trabajo de revisión, presentamos una actualización del anterior documento junto a otras nuevas Sociedades Científicas donde destaca la recomendación por edad (AU)

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) represent an important health problem among aging adults and those with certain underlying pathologies and some diseases, especially immunosuppressed and some immunocompetent subjects, who are more susceptible to infections and present greater severity and worse evolution. Among the strategies to prevent IPD and PP, vaccination has its place, although vaccination coverage in this group is lower than desirable. Nowadays, there are 2 vaccines available for adults. Polysacharide vaccine (PPV23), used in patients aged 2 and older since decades ago, includes a greater number of serotypes (23), but it does not generate immune memory, antibody levels decrease with time, causes an immune tolerance phenomenon, and have no effect on nasopharyngeal colonization. PCV13 can be used from children 6 weeks of age to elderly and generates an immune response more powerful than PPV23 against most of the 13 serotypes included in it. In the year 2013 the 16 most directly related to groups of risk of presenting IPD publised a series of vaccine recommendations based on scientific evidence regarding antipneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying pathologies and special conditions. A commitment was made about updating it if new scientific evidence became available. We present an exhaustive revised document focusing mainly in recommendation by age in which some more Scientific Societies have been involved (AU)

El papel de las farmacias comunitarias en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis / The role of community pharmacies in the treatment of tuberculosis

No disponible

[New challenges in community-acquired pneumonia]. / Nuevos retos en la neumonía comunitaria.

Community-acquired pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Severity assessment is a fundamental tool in the management of pneumonia that allows patients to be stratified according to risk of death and the most appropriate treatment intensity to be provided. The most widely used scales are the PSI/Fine and CURB-65 scales, which have been widely validated and are easy to calculate in clinical practice. Biomarkers can additionally be used to increase accuracy in predicting complications and mortality. Etiologic diagnosis of pneumonia continues to pose a challenge to clinicians. With the experience acquired in the 2009 AH1/N1 influenza pandemic, virological diagnosis of pneumonia by rapid polymerase chain reaction techniques has recently begun to be used. Experience has also been gained in antiviral treatment and complications, especially bacterial superinfection as the main unfavorable event in viral pneumonias. Just as the use of antibiotics to treat infections radically changed their prognosis and treatment, reports in the literature have progressively began to appear of the immunomodulatory effect of drugs that were not initially designed for the treatment of pneumonia, leading to hope for the potential modification of outcome in these patients.

Recomendaciones de vacunación frente a neumococo en enfermos renales en España / Recommendations for vaccination against pneumococcus in kidney patients in Spain

La enfermedad neumocócica invasiva (ENI) supone un grave problema en algunos grupos de riesgo: los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica estadios 4 y 5 y aquellos con estadio 3 y tratamiento inmunosupresor, síndrome nefrótico o diabetes. Estos individuos son más susceptibles de adquirir la infección y más propensos a padecer cuadros de mayor gravedad y peor evolución. Entre las estrategias para prevenir la ENI se encuentra la vacunación, aunque las coberturas vacunales en este grupo son más bajas de lo deseable hoy en día. Actualmente, disponemos de dos vacunas para el adulto. La vacuna polisacárida (VNP23), que se emplea en mayores de 2 años de edad desde hace décadas, es la que mayor número de serotipos (23) incluye, pero no genera memoria inmunitaria, provoca un fenómeno de tolerancia inmunitaria y no actúa sobre la colonización nasofaríngea. La vacuna conjugada (VNC13) puede emplearse desde lactantes hasta la edad adulta (la indicación en mayores de 18 años ha recibido la aprobación de la Agencia Europea de Medicamentos en julio de 2013) y genera una respuesta inmunitaria más potente que la VNP23 frente a la mayoría de los 13 serotipos en ella incluidos. Las 16 sociedades científicas más directamente relacionadas con los grupos de riesgo para padecer ENI han trabajado en la discusión y elaboración de una serie de recomendaciones vacunales basadas en las evidencias científicas respecto a la vacunación antineumocócica en el adulto con condiciones y patología de base que se recogen en el documento «Consenso: Vacunación antineumocócica en el adulto con patología de base». En el presente texto se recogen las recomendaciones de vacunación para la población de enfermos renales crónicos (AU)

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a serious problem in some risk groups: patients with stage 4 and 5 chronic kidney disease, stage 3 CKD undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, nephrotic syndrome or diabetes. These individuals are more susceptible to infections and more prone to suffering more severe and worsening symptoms. Vaccination is one of the strategies for preventing IPD, although vaccination coverage in this group at present is lower than desired. Currently, there are two vaccinations for adults. The polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), used for decades in patients over the age of 2, includes most serotypes (23), but it does not generate immune memory, causing the immune tolerance phenomenon and it does not act on nasopharyngeal colonisation. The conjugate vaccine (VNC13) can be used from infancy until adulthood (advice in patients over 18 years old received approval from the European Medicines Agency in July 2013) and generates a more powerful immune response than PPSV23 against the majority of the 13 serotypes that it includes. The 16 scientific societies most directly associated with the groups at risk of IPD have discussed and drafted a series of vaccination recommendations based on scientific evidence related to pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying conditions and pathologies, which are the subject of the document "Consensus: Pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying pathology". This text sets out the vaccination recommendations for the chronic kidney disease population (AU)

Fibrosis mediastínica y síndrome de vena cava superior / Mediastinal Fibrosis and Superior Vena Cava Syndrome

El síndrome de vena cava superior es para el clínico una señal inequívoca de afectación mediastínica por procesos infiltrativos, generalmente neoplasias, en esta localización, y es indicador de un mal pronóstico. Sin embargo, otras enfermedades de origen benigno pueden causar estas alteraciones. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 34 años que empezó con un cuadro de síndrome de vena cava superior debido a fibrosis mediastínica de origen idiopático y que presentó una evolución tórpida con escasas alternativas terapéuticas (AU)

Superior vena cava syndrome is a clear sign for clinicians of infiltrative mediastinal involvement, usually caused by neoplasms in this location, and it is an indicator of poor prognosis. However, other diseases of benign origin can also cause these alterations. We present the case of a 34-year-old patient who debuted with symptoms of superior vena cava syndrome due to idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, which presented a torpid evolution and few therapeutic alternatives (AU)

Nuevos retos en la neumonía comunitaria / New challenges in community-acquired pneumonia

La neumonía comunitaria es una importante causa de morbimortalidad en la especie humana. La valoraciónde la gravedad de la neumonía es una herramienta fundamental para la asistencia de estos pacientes alpermitir estratificarlos según el riesgo de muerte y poder proporcionar la intensidad de tratamiento másadecuada. Las escalas más utilizadas son el escala de PSI/Fine y CURB-65, fácilmente calculables en la prácticaclínica y ampliamente validadas. Por otra parte, la adición de biomarcadores a dichas escalas ha demostradoaumentar su precisión la predicción de complicaciones y mortalidad.El diagnóstico etiológico de la neumonía sigue constituyendo un reto para el clínico. Recientemente, y conla experiencia adquirida en la pandemia de gripe A H1/N1 en 2009, se han implementado el diagnósticovirológico de la neumonía por técnicas rápidas de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa así como la adquisiciónde experiencia con el tratamiento antiviral y las complicaciones, sobre todo la sobreinfección bacterianacomo principal evento desfavorable en las neumonías virales.Del mismo modo que el uso de la antibioterapia para el tratamiento de las infecciones cambió radicalmenteel pronóstico y el tratamiento de éstas, progresivamente aparecen referencias en la bibliografía del efectoinmunomodulador de fármacos que no han estado inicialmente diseñados para el tratamiento de la neumonía,abriendo un horizonte esperanzador por el potencial papel modificador de la evolución en estospacientes(AU)

Community-acquired pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Severity assessment is afundamental tool in the management of pneumonia that allows patients to be stratified according to risk ofdeath and the most appropriate treatment intensity to be provided. The most widely used scales are thePSI/Fine and CURB-65 scales, which have been widely validated and are easy to calculate in clinical practice.Biomarkers can additionally be used to increase accuracy in predicting complications and mortality.Etiologic diagnosis of pneumonia continues to pose a challenge to clinicians. With the experience acquiredin the 2009 AH1/N1 influenza pandemic, virological diagnosis of pneumonia by rapid polymerase chainreaction techniques has recently begun to be used. Experience has also been gained in antiviral treatmentand complications, especially bacterial superinfection as the main unfavorable event in viral pneumonias.Just as the use of antibiotics to treat infections radically changed their prognosis and treatment, reports inthe literature have progressively began to appear of the immunomodulatory effect of drugs that were notinitially designed for the treatment of pneumonia, leading to hope for the potential modification ofoutcome in these patients(AU)

Inmunodeficiencia primaria asociada a timoma / Primary immunodeficiency asociated with thymona

No disponible