Navigating the waves in Colombia: a cohort study of inpatient care during four COVID-19 waves.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the intricate dynamics between different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding variations in clinical outcomes is essential for informed public health decision-making. Comprehensive insights into these fluctuations can guide resource allocation, healthcare policies, and the development of effective interventions. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 at peak transmission points by including all patients attended during the first four pandemic waves in a referral center in Colombia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a prospective observational study of 2733 patients, clinical and demographic data were extracted from the Fundacion Valle de Lili's COVID-19 Registry, focusing on ICU admission, Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV), length of hospital stay, and mortality. RESULTS: Our analysis unveiled substantial shifts in patient care patterns. Notably, the proportion of patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy and experiencing secondary infections exhibited a pronounced decrease across waves (p < 0.001). Remarkably, there was a significant reduction in ICU admissions (62.83% vs. 51.23% vs. 58.23% vs. 46.70 %, p < 0.001), Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV) usage (39.25% vs. 32.22% vs. 31.22% vs. 21.55 %, p < 0.001), and Length of Hospital Stay (LOS) (9 vs. 8 vs. 8 vs. 8 days, p < 0.001) over the successive waves. Surprisingly, hospital mortality remained stable at approximately 18‒20 % (p > 0.05). Notably, vaccination coverage with one or more doses surged from 0 % during the initial waves to 66.71 % in the fourth wave. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the critical importance of adapting healthcare strategies to the evolving dynamics of the pandemic. The reduction in ICU admissions, IMV utilization, and LOS, coupled with the rise in vaccination rates, underscores the adaptability of healthcare systems. Hospital mortality's persistence may warrant further exploration of treatment strategies. These insights can inform public health responses, helping policymakers allocate resources effectively and tailor interventions to specific phases of the pandemic.

Co-Infection between Dengue Virus and SARS-CoV-2 in Cali, Colombia.

The co-occurrence of COVID-19 with endemic diseases is a public health concern that may affect patient prognosis and outcomes. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with dengue virus (DENV) and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections and compare their outcomes against those of COVID-19 patients without dengue. A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who attended a single center in Cali, Colombia, from March 2020 to March 2021. All patients who were tested by both real-time polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 and IgM/NS1 for DENV were included. Dengue was diagnosed as having either an IgM- or an NS1- positive test. A total of 90 patients were included (72 with COVID-19 only and 18 with co-infection). Patients with co-infection had more dyspnea (61.1% versus 22.2%; P = 0.003) as well as higher oxygen desaturation (53.3% versus 13.4%; P = 0.002) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (5.59 versus 3.84; P = 0.038) than patients with COVID-19 alone. The proportion of patients classified with moderate to severe COVID-19 was higher in the co-infection group (88.3% versus 47.8%; P = 0.002). Also, co-infection was associated with an increased need for mechanical ventilation (P = 0.06), intensive care unit (ICU) initial management (P = 0.02), and ICU admission during hospitalization (P = 0.04) compared with COVID-19 only. The ICU mortality rate was 66.6% in patients with co-infection versus 29.4% in patients infected with only SARS-CoV-2 (P < 0.05). The possibility of DENV and SARS-CoV2 co-infection occurred in the convergence of both epidemic waves. Co-infection was associated with worse clinical outcomes and higher mortality in ICU-admitted patients than in patients with the COVID-19 only.

Hospital-based COVID-19 registry: Design and implementation. Colombian experience.

Registries are essential to providing valuable clinical and epidemiological decisions. Designing a registry is challenging because it is time-consuming and resource-intensive, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we described our experience with the rationale, design, and implementation of a hospital-based COVID-19 registry in Cali, Colombia. We designed and implemented a hospital-based registry over a dynamic web-based structure to record all sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory tests, imaging, treatment, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2. We included 4458 confirmed COVID-19 cases of 18 years and older from March 2020 to March 2021. The median age was 48 years. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The ICU admission rate was 19%, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 20%. The implemented strategies provided rapid and reliable information collection for the registry of emerging studies from the different clinical areas. Regular data quality and feedback are essential to ensure the reliability of the information. The integration of automatic data extraction reduces time consumption in information gathering and resources.

Acceptability and usability of a mobile application for management and surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Colombia: An implementation study.

BACKGROUND: Vector-borne diseases are a public health problem in Colombia, where dengue virus infection is hyperendemic. The introduction of other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and Zika in the last three years, has aggravated the situation. Mobile health (mHealth) offers new strategies for strengthening health care and surveillance systems promoting the collection, delivery, and access of health information to professionals, researchers, and patients. Assessing mobile application performance has been a challenge in low- and middle-income countries due to the difficulty of implementing these technologies in different clinical settings. In this study, we evaluate the usability and acceptability of a mobile application, FeverDX, as a support tool in the management of patients with febrile syndrome and suspected arboviruses infection by general practitioners from Colombia. METHODS: A pilot implementation study was conducted to evaluate the usability and acceptability of FeverDX using the modified version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). The evaluation form included 25 questions regarding quantity and quality of information, engagement, functionality, aesthetics, impact, and acceptability by healthcare workers. Each item uses a 5-point scale (1-Inadequate, 2-Poor, 3-Acceptable, 4-Good, 5-Excellent). A global score was obtained for the evaluation form test by determining the median scores of each subsection. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data obtained was performed. RESULTS: Between December 2016 and January 2017, a total of 20 general practitioners from the Emergency room and hospitalization areas evaluated FeverDX. Less than half (9/20) of the evaluators had a comprehensive knowledge of the Colombian Ministry of Health's guidelines for the diagnosis and management of arboviruses, and evaluators partially (4/9) or completely (5/9) agreed that the content of the application follows the management guidelines. On uMARS scale, FeverDX excelled regarding impact (median 5; IQR = 5-5), functionality (median 5; IQR = 4.8-5), and information and scientific basis (median 4; IQR = 4-4). FeverDX scored well regarding user feedback (median 4; IQR = 4-4.5), design and aesthetics (median 4; IQR = 4-4.3), and subjective assessment of quality (median 4.5; IQR = 4.3-4.8). CONCLUSIONS: FeverDX, a mobile application, is a novel mHealth strategy to strengthen care processes and facilitate the detection and reporting of notifiable surveillance diseases. It could improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the management and prevention of prevalent diseases as arboviruses in healthcare settings. Although this pilot study used a small sample size, FeverDx performed adequately in a simulated emergency consultation. Further implementation studies are needed to increase the reliability of mHealth technologies in different scenarios.

Clinical characterization of patients with severe leptospirosis in a tertiary hospital in Cali, Colombia, 2010-2016 / Caracterización clínica de la leptospirosis grave en un hospital de alta complejidad de Cali, Colombia, 2010-2016

Introduction: Leptospirosis is an endemic bacterial infection in Colombia. Its clinical course can be variable and occasionally fatal. There are few studies in the country about severe cases of leptospirosis. Objectives: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of leptospirosis, and their management in a high complexity hospital. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive retrospective study of patients with a serologic diagnosis of leptospirosis between 2010 and 2016. Results: We analyzed 87 patients, 74% of them were men, and 84% were older than 18 years; 35% had a comorbidity, the most common being arterial hypertension (16%) and diabetes mellitus (9%). The most frequent symptoms were fever, nausea, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, and abdominal pain. The majority of patients required hospitalization in general wards (61%), with a median stay of six days; 34% required management in the intensive care unit, with a median stay of five days. Mortality was 1.1% (n=1). All patients received treatment with either ceftriaxone or doxycycline. Conclusions: There is a risk of leptospira infections having a late diagnosis given their unspecific clinical presentation, which generates a high number of differential diagnoses. The early management in the intensive care unit could decrease the incidence of complications and the mortality of patients with leptospirosis.

Introducción. La leptospirosis es una infección bacteriana endémica en Colombia. Su curso clínico puede ser variable y, en ocasiones, fatal. Hay pocos estudios en el país sobre los casos graves de esta enfermedad. Objetivo. Describir las características demográficas y clínicas de los pacientes con diagnóstico de leptospirosis grave hospitalizados en salas generales o atendidos en la unidad de cuidados intensivos de un hospital de cuarto nivel. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional descriptivo de los pacientes adultos y niños con diagnóstico serológico de leptospirosis entre el 2010 y el 2016. Resultados. Se analizaron las historias clínicas de 87 pacientes, 74 % de los cuales correspondía a hombres y, el 84 %, a mayores de 18 años. El 35 % tenía alguna comorbilidad y la hipertensión arterial sistémica (16 %) y la diabetes mellitus (9 %) fueron las más comunes. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: fiebre, náuseas, astenia, mialgias, artralgias y dolor abdominal. El 34 % requirió atención en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, con una mediana de estancia de 5 días. El 61 % requirió hospitalización en sala general, con una mediana de estancia de 6 días. Todos los casos recibieron tratamiento antibiótico con ceftriaxona o doxiciclina. La tasa de letalidad fue del 1,1 % (n=1). Conclusiones. La infección por Leptospira spp. tiene el riesgo de diagnosticarse de manera tardía por su presentación clínica inespecífica, lo que implica considerar un gran número de diagnósticos diferenciales. La atención temprana de los pacientes con cuadros graves de esta enfermedad en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, puede evitar una mayor incidencia de complicaciones y disminuir la mortalidad.

Caracterización clínica de la leptospirosis grave en un hospital de alta complejidad de Cali, Colombia, 2010-2016 / Clinical characterization of patients with severe leptospirosis in a tertiary hospital in Cali, Colombia, 2010-2016

Resumen Introducción. La leptospirosis es una infección bacteriana endémica en Colombia. Su curso clínico puede ser variable y, en ocasiones, fatal. Hay pocos estudios en el país sobre los casos graves de esta enfermedad. Objetivo. Describir las características demográficas y clínicas de los pacientes con diagnóstico de leptospirosis grave hospitalizados en salas generales o atendidos en la unidad de cuidados intensivos de un hospital de cuarto nivel. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional descriptivo de los pacientes adultos y niños con diagnóstico serológico de leptospirosis entre el 2010 y el 2016. Resultados. Se analizaron las historias clínicas de 87 pacientes, 74 % de los cuales correspondía a hombres y, el 84 %, a mayores de 18 años. El 35 % tenía alguna comorbilidad y la hipertensión arterial sistémica (16 %) y la diabetes mellitus (9 %) fueron las más comunes. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: fiebre, náuseas, astenia, mialgias, artralgias y dolor abdominal. El 34 % requirió atención en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, con una mediana de estancia de 5 días. El 61 % requirió hospitalización en sala general, con una mediana de estancia de 6 días. Todos los casos recibieron tratamiento antibiótico con ceftriaxona o doxiciclina. La tasa de letalidad fue del 1,1 % (n=1). Conclusiones. La infección por Leptospira spp. tiene el riesgo de diagnosticarse de manera tardía por su presentación clínica inespecífica, lo que implica considerar un gran número de diagnósticos diferenciales. La atención temprana de los pacientes con cuadros graves de esta enfermedad en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, puede evitar una mayor incidencia de complicaciones y disminuir la mortalidad.

Abstract Introduction: Leptospirosis is an endemic bacterial infection in Colombia. Its clinical course can be variable and occasionally fatal. There are few studies in the country about severe cases of leptospirosis. Objectives: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of leptospirosis, and their management in a high complexity hospital. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive retrospective study of patients with a serologic diagnosis of leptospirosis between 2010 and 2016. Results: We analyzed 87 patients, 74% of them were men, and 84% were older than 18 years; 35% had a comorbidity, the most common being arterial hypertension (16%) and diabetes mellitus (9%). The most frequent symptoms were fever, nausea, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, and abdominal pain. The majority of patients required hospitalization in general wards (61%), with a median stay of six days; 34% required management in the intensive care unit, with a median stay of five days. Mortality was 1.1% (n=1). All patients received treatment with either ceftriaxone or doxycycline. Conclusions: There is a risk of leptospira infections having a late diagnosis given their unspecific clinical presentation, which generates a high number of differential diagnoses. The early management in the intensive care unit could decrease the incidence of complications and the mortality of patients with leptospirosis.

Self-Help Devices for Quadriplegic Population: A Systematic Literature Review.

This systematic literature review collects and discusses the main needs, expectations, and barriers of people with quadriplegia and caregivers in relation to the self-help devices that are currently used for daily tasks. The major advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of the existing assistive technology are exposed and discussed in order to evaluate whether an existing technology could be combined with others to expand its scope, enhance its performance, or solve its limitations improving the adherence of quadriplegic population to these technologies and enhancing their quality of life.

Chikungunya in solid organ transplant recipients, a case series and literature review.

Chikungunya virus is a recent emerging arbovirus in Latin America, and the clinical manifestations can vary from fever and rash to severe chronic inflammatory arthritis. Few reports have been published regarding this infection in immunocompromised patients, including solid organ transplant recipients. We report a case series of solid organ transplant recipients with confirmed Chikungunya infection by positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), identified between January 2014 and December 2016. In addition, we conducted a literature review searching PubMed, EMBASE, and LILACS databases on Chikungunya infection in solid organ transplant recipients. Ten solid organ transplant recipients were included, consisting of 5 kidney, 4 liver, and 1 liver/kidney transplant recipient. Mean age of the transplant recipients was 47 years, and the most frequent symptoms of Chikungunya infection were arthralgia and fever. None of the patients required treatment in the intensive care unit, no deaths or graft rejection occurred. None of our patients had recurrent arthritis during 3-month follow-up period after the infection. Twenty-one cases of Chikungunya virus were identified in the literature review. Most cases had a benign clinical course with no severe complications, death, or chronic inflammatory arthritis. In conclusion, Chikungunya infection in solid organ transplant recipients has a benign course and has no chronic recurrent arthritis. It is possible that the immunosuppression regimen could decrease the risk of severe or chronic inflammatory manifestations in solid organ transplant recipients infected with Chikungunya.

[Co-infection by Chikungunya virus (CHIK-V) and dengue virus (DEN-V) during a recent outbreak in Cali, Colombia: Report of a fatal case]. / Co-infección por virus del dengue (DEN-V) y virus Chikungunya (CHIK-V) durante un brote epidémico en Cali, Colombia: Comunicación de un caso fatal.

The recent outbreaks of Chikungunya (CHIK-V) virus in endemic areas of dengue (DEN-V) could increase the risk of co-infection. CHIK infection has been considered not severe and with very unusual mortality, however DEN is associated with severe manifestations and increased mortality. Little is known about coinfection. It is possible that co-infection could generate severe cases. We present a case report of co-infection DEN-V -3 and CHIK-V in an elderly patient who developed acute renal failure, dengue shock syndrome (DSS), progresses to multiple organ failure and died. With the recent emergence of CHIK-V in Colombia, the possibility of co-infection with DEN-V should be suspected, especially in severe cases.

Prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients with acute febrile illness in a tertiary care hospital in Cali, Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients living in endemic areas; it is presumed that there is a lower prevalence but higher severity, complications and mortality.  OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients who were admitted to a referral care center for infectious diseases in an endemic region.  MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational and descriptive study between 2011 and 2014, using a cohort of elderly patients with serological diagnosis of dengue.  RESULTS: A total of 235 febrile elderly patients were assessed, of which 43 patients (18.3%) were found to have dengue. The median age was 71 years; 48.7% were female, and 89% of patients had at least one comorbid condition. According to the serological tests, 51.4% of cases were positive for NS1 Ag, 27% for IgM and 54.1% for IgG, while 64.8% were secondary infections. Dengue was diagnosed in 13 patients (35%), dengue with warning signs in 16 cases (43%), and severe dengue in 8 cases (22%). Nearly 56.7% of patients were admitted to hospital and 21.6%, to the intensive care unit. None died.  CONCLUSION: We found dengue infection to be more frequent than expected in this sample of elderly patients, due to acute febrile syndrome. Elderly patients also required higher rate of hospitalization and had more complications, however there were no deaths due to good management.

Co-infección por virus del dengue (DEN-V) y virus Chikungunya (CHIK-V) durante un brote epidémico en Cali, Colombia: comunicación de un caso fatal / Co-infection by Chikungunya virus (CHIK-V) and dengue virus (DEN-V) during a recent outbreak in Cali, Colombia: report of a fatal case

The recent outbreaks of Chikungunya (CHIK-V) virus in endemic areas of dengue (DEN-V) could increase the risk of co-infection. CHIK infection has been considered not severe and with very unusual mortality, however DEN is associated with severe manifestations and increased mortality. Little is known about coinfection. It is possible that co-infection could generate severe cases. We present a case report of co-infection DEN-V -3 and CHIK-V in an elderly patient who developed acute renal failure, dengue shock syndrome (DSS), progresses to multiple organ failure and died. With the recent emergence of CHIK-V in Colombia, the possibility of co-infection with DEN-V should be suspected, especially in severe cases.

La aparición reciente del virus Chikungunya (CHIK-V) en áreas endémicas de dengue (DEN-V) podría aumentar el riesgo de co-infección. Generalmente, se considera que la infección por CHIK-V es de menor gravedad y mortalidad que DEN-V. Poco se conoce sobre la co-infección de DEN-V y CHIK-V, sin embargo, se ha planteado que la co-infección podría ser de mayor gravedad. Se presenta un caso clínico de co-infección por DENV-3 y CHIK-V en un adulto mayor quien desarrolló falla renal aguda, síndrome de choque del dengue, progresión a disfunción orgánica múltiple y muerte. Con la reciente emergencia de CHIK-V en Colombia, es necesario estar atentos ante la posibilidad de co-infección con DEN-V, en especial en casos graves.

Prevalencia y curso clínico de la infección por dengue en adultos mayores con cuadro febril agudo en un hospital de alta complejidad en Cali, Colombia / Prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients with acute febrile illness in a tertiary care hospital in Cali, Colombia

Introducción. Hay pocas series de casos publicadas sobre la prevalencia y el curso clínico del dengue en adultos mayores con síndrome febril, habitantes en zonas endémicas para la infección. Se cree que tales casos presentan una baja prevalencia pero revisten mayor gravedad, y más complicaciones y mortalidad. Objetivos. Describir la prevalencia y el curso clínico del dengue en adultos mayores atendidos por síndrome febril agudo en un hospital de alta complejidad de una zona endémica de la enfermedad. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio observacional descriptivo en una cohorte de pacientes adultos mayores con diagnóstico serológico confirmado de dengue entre el 2011 y el 2014. Resultados. Se evaluaron las historias clínicas de 235 pacientes adultos mayores con cuadro febril agudo y se confirmó la infección en solo 43 (18,3 %) de ellos. La mediana de edad de los pacientes con diagnóstico confirmado fue de 71 años y 48,7 % correspondía a mujeres; 89 % de los pacientes presentaba al menos otra enfermedad concomitante; 51,4 % fue positivo para Ag NS1, 27 % para IgM y 54,1 % para IgG, en tanto que 64,8 % correspondió a infecciones secundarias. Los casos clasificados como dengue fueron 13 (35 %), como dengue con signos de alarma, 16 (43 %), y como dengue grave, 8 (22 %). Se hospitalizó a 56,7 % de los pacientes, de los cuales 21,6 % fue internado en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. No hubo casos fatales. Conclusión. La infección por dengue fue frecuente en adultos mayores como causa de síndrome febril agudo. Una importante proporción requirió hospitalización y presentó complicaciones, sin embargo, el manejo adecuado evitó los casos fatales.

Introduction: Little is known about the prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients living in endemic areas; it is presumed that there is a lower prevalence but higher severity, complications and mortality. Objective: To describe the prevalence and clinical course of dengue infection in elderly patients who were admitted to a referral care center for infectious diseases in an endemic region. Materials and methods: We conducted an observational and descriptive study between 2011 and 2014, using a cohort of elderly patients with serological diagnosis of dengue. Results: A total of 235 febrile elderly patients were assessed, of which 43 patients (18.3%) were found to have dengue. The median age was 71 years; 48.7% were female, and 89% of patients had at least one comorbid condition. According to the serological tests, 51.4% of cases were positive for NS1 Ag, 27% for IgM and 54.1% for IgG, while 64.8% were secondary infections. Dengue was diagnosed in 13 patients (35%), dengue with warning signs in 16 cases (43%), and severe dengue in 8 cases (22%). Nearly 56.7% of patients were admitted to hospital and 21.6%, to the intensive care unit. None died. Conclusion: We found dengue infection to be more frequent than expected in this sample of elderly patients, due to acute febrile syndrome. Elderly patients also required higher rate of hospitalization and had more complications, however there were no deaths due to good management.