The role of registries in improving health and bridging healthcare, research, education, innovation and development: a research department perspective.

Health registries are organized systems that collect data on individuals with a particular disease, condition or exposure. The aim of this narrative review was to provide an integrated perspective from the Research Department at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina, on how health registries can be used as a bridge between healthcare, research, education, innovation and development while addressing ethical challenges. The review includes a description of the experience of a registry implemented at our institution, which has provided healthcare for 170 years, and is committed to support, education and research. We focus on the potential of health registries to provide better value healthcare by reducing healthcare costs and improving health outcomes and quality of care, and to improve medical knowledge. However, we also acknowledge and discuss the challenges that accompany these achievements, such as that of ethical issues. Through effective collaboration and integration with other healthcare stakeholders, health registries can be a powerful tool to promote better health.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis. A prospective cohort study from Argentina and Uruguay.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: there is insufficient data regarding bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis to support recommendations for empiric antibiotic treatments, particularly in Latin America. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial infection's clinical impact and microbiological characteristics, intending to serve as a platform to revise current practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: multicenter prospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis and bacterial infections from Argentina and Uruguay. Patient and infection-related information were collected, focusing on microbiology, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and outcomes. RESULTS: 472 patients were included. Spontaneous bacterial infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs) were registered in 187 (39.6%) and 116 (24.6%) patients, respectively, representing the most common infections. Of the 256 culture-positive infections, 103 (40.2%) were caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (reaching 50% for UTI), and 181 (70.7%) received adequate initial antibiotic treatment. The coverage of cefepime and ceftriaxone was over 70% for the empirical treatment of community-acquired spontaneous infections, but ceftazidime´s coverage was only 40%. For all UTI cases and for healthcare-associated or nosocomial spontaneous bacterial infections, the lower-spectrum antibiotics that covered at least 70% of the isolations were imipenem and meropenem. During hospitalization, a second bacterial infection was diagnosed in 9.8% of patients, 23.9% required at least one organ support, and 19.5% died. CONCLUSIONS: short-term mortality of bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis is very high, and a high percentage were caused by multidrug-resistant organisms, particularly in UTIs. The information provided might serve to adapt recommendations, particularly related to empirical antibiotic treatment in Argentina and Uruguay. The study was registered in Clinical Trials (NCT03919032).

Successful treatment with telaprevir of post-transplant fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis C in an HIV co-infected patient.

Hepatitis C recurrence is the main cause of graft loss in liver transplant patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HII). These patients have higher risk of fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis, which is the most severe type of hepatitis C recurrence. Until direct antiviral agents were released, only a minority of patients could be satisfactorily treated. We describe the successful treatment with pegylated-interferon, ribavirin and telaprevir of an hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV co-infected patient who developed fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis after liver transplantation. A 40-year- old male (HCV genotype 1a; IL-28 CC) underwent liver transplantation for decompensated cirrhosis. On post-transplant day 60, he rapidly developed progressive jaundice, worsening of liver function tests and ascites. A transjugular liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis. Treatment with peglated-interferon, ribavirin and telaprevir was indicated for 48 weeks, achieving sustained virological response at 12 weeks of follow-up. The rapid negativization of the viral load observed during the first 4 weeks of treatment was associated with regression of ascites andjaundice. Red blood cell transfusions, erythropoietin and filgrastim were required for the management of anemia and neutropenia. Triple therapy with telaprevir might be indicated for the treatment of severe HCV recurrence in selected HCV/HIV co-infected patients, especially in countries with limited access to pegylated-interferon-free regimens.

Hepatitis C in Argentina: epidemiology and treatment.

Hepatitis C is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer in Argentina, where from 1.5% to 2.5% of adults are infected. Most of the infections were acquired 30-50 years ago. It is estimated that more than half of infected individuals are not aware of their infection. Even though the prevalence in blood donors has decreased to 0.45% at present, many high-prevalence populations still exist, where the reported prevalence ranges from 2.2% to 7.1%. Therapy is recommended for patients with fibrosis, in order to prevent disease progression, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Great advances were achieved in the treatment of genotype 1 infection since the development and release of boceprevir and telaprevir. When either of these protease inhibitors is associated with peginterferon plus ribavirin, the sustained virological response (SVR) rate improves from 40%-50% to 67%-75%. For genotype 2 and 3 infection, treatment with peginterferon plus ribavirin is still the standard of care, with SVR rates of 70%-90%. There are significant new antivirals in development, and some of them are close to being released. These drugs will most likely be the future standard of care for all genotypes, and will be incorporated in better-tolerated and highly effective all-oral regimes. The impact that these new therapies might have in health-related economics is unpredictable, especially in developing countries. Each country must carefully evaluate the local situation in order to implement proper screening and treatment programs. Difficult-to-treat patients, such as those with decompensated cirrhosis, patients in hemodialysis, and those with other significant comorbidities, might not be able to receive these new therapeutic approaches and their management will remain challenging.