Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Patients on Long-Term Treatment with Macrolides in Spain: A National Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to know the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in patients treated with long-term macrolides and to describe the factors associated with worse outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Primary Care setting. Patients with macrolides dispensed continuously from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2020, were considered. Main outcome: diagnosis of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Secondary outcomes: symptoms, severity, characteristics of patients, comorbidities, concomitant treatments. A total of 3057 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age: 73 (64-81) years; 55% were men; 62% smokers/ex-smokers; 56% obese/overweight. Overall, 95% of patients had chronic respiratory diseases and four comorbidities as a median. Prevalence of COVID-19: 4.8%. This was in accordance with official data during the first wave of the pandemic. The most common symptoms were respiratory: shortness of breath, cough, and pneumonia. Additionally, 53% percent of patients had mild/moderate symptoms, 28% required hospital admission, and 19% died with COVID-19. The percentage of patients hospitalized and deaths were 2.6 and 5.8 times higher, respectively, in the COVID-19 group (p < 0.001). There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of long-term courses of macrolides in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection or the progression to worse outcomes in old patients with underlying chronic respiratory diseases and a high burden of comorbidity.

Selenium and All-cause Mortality in End-Stage Renal Disease. Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to determine whether low plasma selenium levels (<63 µg/L according to population-based reference interval) were associated with poorer survival among adult patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis treatment and to study whether plasma selenium behaved as a biomarker of mortality risk independent of other monitored biochemical markers. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational cohort study that included 85 patients with ESRD on 3 modalities of dialysis, with a plasma selenium test performed 5-6 years before the study. RESULTS: Patients with low selenium showed an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 2.952, 95% CI 1.402-6.217) compared with patients with normal or high selenium (>118 µg/L), according to a Cox multivariate model that included age and history of cardiovascular disease as covariates. Patients with low selenium had an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 2.894, 95% CI 1.457-5.751) according to a model that included age, anemia, and low albumin as covariates. Low albumin patients had an increased risk of having low plasma selenium (odds ratio = 5.778, 95% CI 2.212-15.098). CONCLUSIONS: Low plasma selenium group's survival was significantly lower than that of the group with normoselenemia or hyperselenemia. Plasma selenium behaved as a biomarker of mortality risk independent of other biochemical markers usually monitored in patients with ESRD.

Medición del contenido de selenio en especímenes biológicos: aplicación en el laboratorio clínico / Measurement of selenium content in biological specimens: medicine laboratory application

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El selenio y la desnutrición e inflamación. Estudio preliminar en enfermedad renal crónica avanzada / Selenium, malnutrition and inflammation. A preliminary study in end-stage chronic kidney disease

Introducción: El desgaste proteico-energético y la inflamación crónica en el enfermo renal se relacionan con un aumento de la mortalidad, así como con la aparición de anemia refractaria y alteraciones en el metabolismo óseo-mineral. Entre las causas está el aumento del estrés oxidativo, en el que el selenio desempeña un papel a través de la actividad de varias selenoproteínas. Se investiga la relación entre el selenio plasmático y sérico y la desnutrición e inflamación en pacientes adultos en tratamiento sustitutivo renal. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional transversal que incluyó 85 plasmas o sueros de pacientes en diálisis y 118 de sujetos control. Se midieron selenio y marcadores bioquímicos de nutrición, inflamación y otras comorbilidades. Las comparaciones se realizaron mediante U de Mann-Whitney, ANOVA y chi-cuadrado. Las correlaciones se estimaron mediante Rho de Spearman. Resultados: La mediana de selenio fue 58,2μg/L en el grupo de pacientes y 89,3μg/L en el grupo control (p<0,001). El selenio se correlacionó con la albúmina (Rho=0,440), el colesterol (Rho=0,278) y la creatinina (Rho=0,367) en los pacientes. La clasificación en función de la hiposelenemia llevó a 2 grupos con diferencia significativa en el tiempo en diálisis (p=0,018), la albúmina (p=0,003), la creatinina (p=0,004), el colesterol (p=0,038) y el fosfato (p=0,025). Conclusiones: El selenio se correlaciona con los marcadores nutricionales en el grupo de pacientes. La clasificación de los pacientes según hiposelenemia lleva a 2 poblaciones diferenciadas en el estado nutricional y en el tiempo en diálisis. El selenio podría ser un marcador útil en el diagnóstico de desgaste proteico-energético

Introduction: Protein-energy wasting and chronic inflammation in renal patients are related to an increase in mortality, as well as the occurrence of unresponsive anaemia and mineral and bone disease. The increase in oxidative stress, in which selenium plays a role, is among the causes of malnutrition and inflammation. The relationship between plasma or serum selenium and malnutrition and inflammation in adult patients undergoing renal replacement therapy is investigated. Material and methods: Cross-sectional observational study that included 85 plasma specimens from patients on dialysis, and 118 from control subjects. Selenium and biochemical markers of nutrition, inflammation, and co-morbidities were measured. The comparisons were using Mann-Whitney, ANOVA and chi-squared tests. Correlations were estimated using Spearman's Rho. Results: The median selenium was 58.2μg/L in the patient group, and 89.3μg/L in the control group (p<.001). Selenium correlated with albumin (Rho=0.440), cholesterol (Rho=0.278) and creatinine (Rho=0.367) in the patient group. Patients classification based on selenium level led to significant differences between the 2 groups in time on dialysis (p<.018), albumin (p<.003), creatinine (p<.004), cholesterol (p<.038) and phosphate (p<.025). Conclusions: Selenium positively correlates with nutritional markers in the group of patient group. According to selenium level, there are 2 populations differentiated by nutritional status and time on dialysis. Plasma selenium is a potentially useful marker for protein-energy wasting diagnosis

Duelo prolongado y factores asociados / Prolonged grief and related factors

Objetivo: Describir factores asociados a la presencia de Duelo Prolongado (DP) medido con el cuestionario Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13) en pacientes que han perdido a un ser querido entre 6 y 18 meses. Método: Estudio transversal. Dolientes mayores de edad procedentes de atención primaria, hospitales de cuidados paliativos y un equipo de soporte a la atención domiciliaria paliativa en Madrid. Se recogieron variables del fallecido y del doliente: sociodemográficas, socioeconómicas, antecedentes psiquiátricos, utilización de recursos sanitarios, Trastorno por Ansiedad Generalizada (TAG), apoyo social, percibido y duelo prolongado con PG-13 y el Inventario Texas Revisado de Duelo (ITRD). Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central y distribución de frecuencias, se calculo asociación entre variables con c2 y t-student, se ajustó modelo multivariante. Resultados: La prevalencia de DP fue de 7,023%. La presencia de DP se asoció significativamente con ser mujer, no tener trabajo, ingresos familiares bajos, fallecido más joven, enfermedad no susceptible de recibir cuidados paliativos, historia de ansiedad y/o depresión antes y después de la pérdida, haber consultado a un psiquiatra, haber tomado psicofármacos, una mayor frecuentación de los servicios de urgencias, medicina y enfermería de atención primaria, con TAG, EDM, apoyo social percibido bajo y DP según los criterios del ITRD. En el análisis multivariante se asoció con haber visitado al psiquiatra, EDM y con ingresos mensuales inferiores a 2.000 euros. Conclusiones: Podemos modificar pocos de estos factores, pero conocerlos e identificar con prontitud a estos pacientes nos permitirá derivarlos a tratamientos apropiados como terapia específica de duelo

Objective: To describe associated factors with the presence of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) diagnosed by the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13) questionnaire between 6 and 18 months after the loss of a loved one. Method: Cross-sectional study. Adults chosen from a sample coming from primary-care services, hospices, and a home care team, all of them in Madrid. Variables from the deceased and the bereaved were collected: demographic, socioeconomic, psychiatric records, medical visits, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), social perceived support and PGD diagnosed by PG-13 and Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PGD. Results: Prevalence of PGD was 7.023%. PGD was associated with female gender, joblessness, low family incomes, a younger deceased, an illness not suitable for palliative care, anxiety or depression records before and after the loss, psychiatrist support, the use of psychotropic medication, increasing visits to emergency and primary care services, GAD, MDD, low social perceived support and the diagnosis of PGD using the TRIG. Multivariate linear regression showed that PGD was associated with psychiatrist support, MDD and an income under 2000 euros. Conclusions: Just a few of these risk factors can be modified by us (psychiatrist support, treatment of anxiety or depression) but by knowing them we will be able to have an early diagnosis and refer them to the appropriate resources like specific grief therapy as soon as possible

Respiratory polygraphy with actigraphy in the diagnosis of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility and reliability of a respiratory polygraphy (RP) device with actigraphy (Apnoescreen II; Erich Jaeger GMBH & CoKg; Wuerzburg, Germany) in the diagnosis of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS). DESIGN: A prospective randomized study with blinded analysis. PATIENTS: Sixty-two patients with suspected SAHS. MEASUREMENTS: the following two RP studies were performed: one in the sleep laboratory (sleep laboratory RP [LRP]), simultaneously with polysomnography; and the other at home (home RP [HRP]). To study the interobserver reliability of RP, two manual analyses were carried out by two different researchers. RESULTS: In LRP, when the respiratory disturbance index was calculated using the total sleep time estimated by actigraphy (RDI) as a denominator, the sensitivity ranged between 94.6% and 100%, and the specificity between 88% and 96.7% for the different cutoff points of the apnea-hypopnea indexes studied. When the respiratory disturbance index was calculated according to the total recording time (RDITRT), the sensitivity was slightly lower (91.6 to 96.9%) and the specificity was similar (92 to 96.7%). In HRP, the sensitivity of the RDI ranged between 83.8% and 95.8%, and the specificity between 92% and 100%, whereas, when the RDITRT was used, the sensitivity was between 83.8% and 87.5%, and the specificity was between 94.7% and 100%. With regard to interobserver reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient for the RDI of the two analyses of the RP was 0.99 for both LPR and HPR. CONCLUSION: HPR is an effective and reliable technique for the diagnosis of SAHS, although it is less sensitive than LRP. Wrist actigraphy improves the results of HRP only slightly.