The Use of Antibiotics at the End of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To identify and analyze antibiotics' prescription patterns and associated factors among terminally ill patients at a hospital in southern Peru. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on adult patients who died in Hospital III Daniel Alcides Carrion in Tacna, Peru, 2023. Data were collected from electronic medical records, focusing on antibiotic use during the last hospitalization. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression to adjust for potential confounders. Results: The study included 239 patients with an average age of 76. Antibiotics were administered to 93.72% of patients, with 42.46% lacking an identified infectious focus. Ceftriaxone, Meropenem, and Vancomycin were the most used antibiotics. A lower use of antibiotics within 72 hours prior to death was associated with hospitalizations longer than 18 days and having 2 or more comorbidities. Conclusion: The high prevalence of antibiotic use at the end of life, often without an infectious focus, suggests a need for better guidelines and education on palliative care to avoid inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Improved communication between healthcare providers, patients, and families is essential for optimizing end-of-life care.

Risk factors associated with dengue complications and death: A cohort study in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Dengue has emerged as an unprecedented epidemic in Peru, and it is anticipated that this issue will escalate further owing to climate change. This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with death from dengue in patients treated at Hospital II in Pucallpa, Peru. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective cohort study collected information from the medical records of patients with a diagnosis of dengue treated at Hospital II Pucallpa-Peru between January 2019 and March 2023. The primary outcome was death, and the secondary outcome was death, development of severe dengue, or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Cox regression models were used to determine risk factors. FINDINGS: The clinical records of 152 patients were evaluated, with a median age of 27.5 years (interquartile range, 11-45). Among all patients, 29 (19.1%) developed severe dengue, 31 (20.4%) were admitted to the ICU, and 13 (8.6%) died during follow-up. In the survival analysis, bilirubin >1.2 mg/dL was associated with a higher risk of death aHR: 11.38 (95% CI: 1.2 106.8). Additionally, factors associated with poor prognosis included having 1 to 3 comorbidities aRR: 1.92 (1.2 to 3.2), AST ≥251 U/L aRR: 6.79 (2.2 to 21.4), history of previous dengue aRR: 1.84 (1.0 to 3.3), and fibrinogen ≥400 mg/dL aRR: 2.23 (1.2 to 4.1). SIGNIFICANCE: Elevated bilirubin was associated with death from dengue, whereas an increase in comorbidities and a history of previous dengue were related to a poor prognosis of the disease. Early identification of severe dengue would be more feasible with improved access to laboratory testing, particularly in tropical areas with a high dengue incidence.

Fungal infections in patients after recovering from COVID-19: a systematic review.

Background and aims: The presence of fungal infections has been described in patients after recovering from COVID-19. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of studies that reported fungal infections (Mucor spp., Pneumocystis jirovecii, or Aspergillus spp.) in adults after recovering from COVID-19. Methods: We performed a systematic review through PubMed, Web of Science, OVID-Medline, Embase, and Scopus. The study selection process was performed independently and by at least two authors. We performed a risk of bias assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort and case-control studies, and the Joanna Briggs Institute's Checklists for Case Series and Case Reports. Results: The systematic search found 33 studies meeting all inclusion criteria. There was a total population of 774 participants, ranging from 21 to 87 years. From them, 746 developed a fungal infection. In 19 studies, Mucor spp. was reported as the main mycosis. In 10 studies, P. jirovecii was reported as the main mycosis. In seven studies, Aspergillus spp. was reported as the main mycosis. Regarding the quality assessment, 12 studies were classified as low risk of bias and the remaining studies as high risk of bias. Conclusion: Patients' clinical presentation and prognosis after recovering from COVID-19 with fungal infection differ from those reported patients with acute COVID-19 infection and those without COVID-19 infection.

Quality of life and its associated factors in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis from a Peruvian city: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of life and explore its associated factors in a group of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis in Peru. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of patients with CKD treated at two medical centers in Tacna, Peru; between July and September 2023. We conducted a survey via telephone interviews with eligible patients using the Short Form 36 (SF 36) to assess their quality of life. RESULTS: Of 257 patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis, we successfully interviewed 207 (59.9% males, median age: 62 years, median time on hemodialysis: 3.5 years). In the context of the SF-36 assessment, the dimensions with the lowest scores were physical role (mean: 13.9), emotional role (32.2), and physical function (32.4). Regarding the SF-36 summary scores, the average scores were 42.2 in the mental health domain and 32.0 in the physical health domain. In the adjusted model, the physical health domain score was higher in males (ß = 2.7) and those with economic self-sufficiency (ß = 3.0) and lower in older adults (ß = -2.5). The score in the mental health domain was higher in those with a higher level of education (ß = 4.1), in those with economic self-sufficiency (ß = 3.8), and in those receiving care at one of the centers included (ß: 4.2). CONCLUSION: Quality of life was affected, particularly in the realms of physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, both the physical and mental health domains tend to show lower scores among women, older individuals, those lacking economic self-sufficiency, individuals with lower educational levels, and those with comorbidities.

Fetal death and its association with indicators of social inequality: 20-year analysis in Tacna, Peru.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rates of fetal mortality in a Peruvian hospital between 2001 and 2020 and to investigate the association of indicators of social inequality (such as access to prenatal care and education) with fetal mortality. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including all pregnant women who attended a Peruvian hospital between 2001 and 2020. We collected data from the hospital's perinatal computer system. We used Poisson regression models with robust variance to assess the associations of interest, estimating adjusted relative risks (aRR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: We analyzed data from 67,908 pregnant women (median age: 26, range: 21 to 31 years). Of these, 58.3% had one or more comorbidities; the most frequent comorbidities were anemia (33.3%) and urinary tract infection (26.3%). The fetal mortality ratio during the study period was 0.96%, with the highest rate in 2003 (13.7 per 1,000 births) and the lowest in 2016 (6.1 per 1,000 births), without showing a marked trend. Having less than six (aRR: 4.87; 95% CI: 3.99-5.93) or no (aRR: 7.79; 6.31-9.61) prenatal care was associated with higher fetal mortality compared to having six or more check-ups. On the other hand, higher levels of education, such as secondary education (aRR: 0.73; 0.59-0.91), technical college (aRR: 0.63; 0.46-0.85), or university education (aRR: 0.38; 0.25-0.57) were associated with a lower risk of fetal death compared to having primary education or no education. In addition, a more recent year of delivery was associated with lower fetal mortality. CONCLUSION: Our study presents findings of fetal mortality rates that are comparable to those observed in Peru in 2015, but higher than the estimated rates for other Latin American countries. A more recent year of delivery was associated with lower fetal mortality, probably due to reduced illiteracy and increased access to health care between 2000 and 2015. The findings suggest a significant association between indicators of social inequality (such as access to prenatal care and education) with fetal mortality. These results emphasize the critical need to address the social and structural determinants of health, as well as to mitigate health inequities, to effectively reduce fetal mortality.

Imposter syndrome and its associated factors in medical students in six Peruvian faculties.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with impostor syndrome in medical students from six regions of Peru. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conduced on students from first to the sixth year in six Peruvian regions. Sociodemographic, academic, and psychological characteristics were included through the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale. Generalised linear models were performed using crude and adjusted estimated prevalence ratios. RESULTS: Of 2,231 medical students, 54.3% were female and 30.6% had the impostor phenomenon. An association was found between the PI and those who suffered from depression (aPR=1.51; 95%CI, 1.27-1.79), anxiety (aPR=2.25; 95%CI, 1.75-2.90), stress (aPR=1.37; 95%CI, 1.19-1.57), and being female (aPR=1.12; 95%CI, 1.01-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: Three out of 10 medical students suffer from PI; having some level of depression, anxiety, stress, being a woman, and/or attending the fourth academic year were predisposing factors for their development.

Síndrome del impostor y sus factores asociados en estudiantes de Medicina de seis facultades peruanas

Objetivo: Determinar los factores asociados con el síndrome del impostor (IP) en estudiantes de Medicina de 6 facultades peruanas. Material y métodos: Estudio multicéntrico transversal analítico realizado en estudiantes del primer al sexto año en 6 regiones peruanas. Se incluyeron características sociodemográficas, académicas y psicológicas mediante la escala de depresión, ansiedad y estrés, la escala de autoestima de Rosenberg y la escala del Fenómeno del Impostor de Clance. Los modelos lineales generalizados se construyeron mediante razones de prevalencia estimada brutas y ajustadas. Resultados: De 2.231 estudiantes de Medicina, el 54,3% eran mujeres y el 30,6% padecía IP. Se encontró asociación entre el IP y la depresión (RPa = 1,51; IC95%, 1,27-1,79), la ansiedad (RPa = 2,25; IC95%, 1,75-2,90), el estrés (RPa = 1,37; IC95%, 1,19-1,57) y el sexo mujer (RPa = 1,12; IC95%, 1,01-1,26). Conclusiones: De cada 10 estudiantes de Medicina, 3 sufren IP; tener depresión, ansiedad o estrés, ser mujer y/o cursar el cuarto anno fueron los factores predisponentes.

Objective: To determine the factors associated with impostor syndrome in medical students from six regions of Peru. Material and methods: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conduced on students from first to the sixth year in six Peruvian regions. Sociodemographic, academic, and psychological characteristics were included through the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale. Generalized linear models were performed using crude and adjusted estimated prevalence ratios. Results: Of 2,231 medical students, 54.3% were female and 30.6% had the impostor phenomenon. An association was found between the PI and those who suffered from depression (aPR=1.51; 95%CI, 1.27-1.79), anxiety (aPR = 2.25; 95%CI, 1.75-2.90), stress (aPR=1.37; 95%CI, 1.19-1.57), and being female (aPR = 1.12; 95%CI, 1.01-1.26). Conclusions: Three out of 10 medical students suffer from PI; having some level of depression, anxiety, stress, being a woman, and/or attending the fourth academic year were predisposing factors for their development.

Neutralizing Antibodies as Predictors of Vaccine Breakthrough Infection in Healthcare Workers Vaccinated with or without a Heterologous Booster Dose: A Cohort Study during the Third COVID-19 Wave in Peru.

We evaluated neutralizing antibody (NAbs) levels as a protective factor against vaccine breakthrough infection (VBI) in healthcare workers (HCWs) during the third COVID-19 wave in Peru. This retrospective cohort study employed the information from a private laboratory in Lima (Peru) of HCW who received only two BBIBP-CorV vaccines or (additionally) a heterologous booster with BNT162b2. We evaluated the association between the VBI and the levels of NAbs at 21, 90, 180, and 210 days after the BBIBP-CorV second dose. NAbs were calculated with the cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection kit (surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT)) and the Elecsys® anti-SARS-CoV-2 S Test. Of the 435 HCW evaluated, 31.72% had an infection previous to vaccination, 68.28% received a booster dose, and 23.21% had a VBI during the third wave. The variables associated with a lower risk of VBI were male sex (aRR: 0.43) and those who had (180 days after BBIBP-CorV inoculation) NAbs levels ≥ 60% (aRR: 0.58) and ≥90% (aRR: 0.59) on cPass™, and ≥500 with Elecsys® (aRR: 0.58). HCW whose NAbs persisted at higher levels six months after the BBIBP-CorV showed a lower risk of suffering from a VBI during the third COVID-19 wave.

Clinical Characteristics Associated with Detected Respiratory Microorganism Employing Multiplex Nested PCR in Patients with Presumptive COVID-19 but Negative Molecular Results in Lima, Peru.

The COVID-19 pandemic circumstances have varied the pathogens related to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and most specialists have ignored them due to SARS-CoV-2's similar symptomatology. We identify respiratory pathogens with multiplex PCR in samples with presumptive SARS-CoV-2 but negative RT-qPCR results. We performed a retrospective transversal study employing clinical data and nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients with suspected clinical SARS-CoV-2 infection and a negative PCR result in a private laboratory in Lima, Peru. The samples were analyzed using the FilmArray™ respiratory panel. Of 342 samples, we detected at least one pathogen in 50% of the samples. The main ones were rhinovirus (54.38%), influenza A(H3N2) (22.80%), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (14.04%). The clinical characteristics were sore throat (70.18%), cough (58.48%), nasal congestion (56.43%), and fever (40.06%). Only 41.46% and 48.78% of patients with influenza met the definition of influenza-like illness (ILI) by the World Health Organization (WHO) (characterized by cough and fever) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (characterized by fever and cough and sore throat), respectively. A higher prevalence of influenza was associated with ILI by WHO (aPR: 2.331) and ILI by CDC (aPR: 1.892), which was not observed with other respiratory viruses. The clinical characteristic associated with the increased prevalence of rhinovirus was nasal congestion (aPR: 1.84). For patients with ARI and negative PCR results, the leading respiratory pathogens detected were rhinovirus, influenza, and RSV. Less than half of patients with influenza presented ILI, although its presence was specific to the disease.

Predictors of Death in Patients with Neonatal Sepsis in a Peruvian Hospital.

Reducing neonatal mortality is a global challenge. This study's objective was to determine the predictors of mortality in patients with neonatal sepsis. The study was a retrospective cohort study in a Peruvian hospital from January 2014 to April 2022. Neonates diagnosed with sepsis were included. To find predictors of mortality, we used Cox proportional regression models. We evaluated 288 neonates with sepsis; the median birth weight and hospitalization time were 3270 g and seven days, respectively. During follow-up, 18.4% did not survive, and the most common complications were jaundice (35.42%), respiratory distress syndrome (29.51%), and septic shock (12.5%). The most isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae. The risk factors associated with higher mortality were prematurity (aHR = 13.92; 95% CI: 1.71−113.51), platelets <150,000 (aHR = 3.64; 1.22−10.88), creatinine greater than 1.10 (aHR = 3.03; 1.09−8.45), septic shock (aHR = 4.41; 2.23−8.74), and admission to IMV (aHR = 5.61; 1.86−16.88), On the other hand, breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of death (aHR = 0.25; 0.13−0.48). In conclusion, we report a high incidence of death and identify clinical (prematurity, septic shock, admission to IMV) and laboratory characteristics (elevated creatinine and thrombocytopenia) associated with higher mortality in patients with neonatal sepsis. Breastfeeding was a factor associated with survival in these patients.

Sleep Disorders and Their Associated Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Data from Peruvian Medical Students.

Background and objectives: Sleep disorders are a common public health problem among college students. The objective of this study was to evaluate sleep quality and its associated factors in medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study-we conducted a secondary analysis of the survey "Nomophobia in medical students in Peru" database between 2020 and 2021. Sleep disturbances were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). To evaluate associated factors, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: We analyzed data from 3139 participants from 18 cities in Peru (61.1% were women, median age: 22 years). 43.4% had a quality of sleep that could require medical attention; the PSQI dimension with the highest score was daytime dysfunction. The poor sleep quality was associated with symptoms of anxiety (aPR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.27-1.72), depression (aPR: 2.03; 1.72-2.39), or nomophobia (aPR: 1.28; 1.09-1.51). Conclusions: Sleep disorders were a common problem among Peruvian medical students and were associated with anxiety, depression, or nomophobia symptoms.

Fear of Death in Medical Students from a Peruvian University during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Due to close contact with death, medical students may question their own and their patients' dying process, especially with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the increase in deaths. This situation provokes fear and negative attitudes towards dealing with patients and their environment. This study aimed to assess the level of fear of death and associated factors in medical students at a Peruvian university. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted during March 2021 in human medicine students from the first to the seventh year. A validated survey including the Collet-Lester fear-of-death scale was applied. Factors associated with the fear-of-death score were evaluated by calculating linear regression coefficients (ß). A total of 284 students were included. The median age was 22 years, and 58.1% were female. The mean Collet-Lester scale score was 2.79, and it was higher in the dimensions related to the death of others. Adjusted analysis showed that the score on this scale was lower in students aged 24-40 years compared to 17-21 years (ß: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.04) and those who had no religious beliefs (ß: -0.29; 95% CI: -0.53 to -0.04). In conclusion, fear of death was lower than reported in other investigations despite the COVID-19 situation, being much lower among older students and those without religious beliefs.

Humoral Immune Response Induced by the BBIBP-CorV Vaccine (Sinopharm) in Healthcare Workers: A Cohort Study.

Insufficient data have been reported about the effect of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) on the humoral response through time in healthcare workers (HCW). This retrospective cohort studied the information of 252 HCW from a private laboratory, comparing the antibody-mediated response provoked by BBIBP-CorV between HCW previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 (PI) and not previously infected (NPI), employing the Elecsys® anti-SARS-CoV-2 S and the cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection kit at intervals of 21, 90, and 180 days after vaccination. The presence of neutralizing antibodies in HCW 21 days after full vaccination was 100% in PI and 91.60% in NPI. We observed a progressive decrease in antibody levels over time in both groups. Comparing HCW PI with NPI, PI had a 10.9, 14.3, and 8.6-fold higher antibody titer with the Elecsys® anti-SARS-CoV-2 S at 21 (p < 0.001), 90 (p< 0.001) and 180 days (p < 0.001) respectively, compared to NPI. Using the percent of signal inhibition (PSI) of the antibody neutralization cPass™, HCW PI showed a level of 1.3, 2.0, and 3.1 times more antibodies, at 21 (p < 0.001), 90 (p < 0.001), and 180 days (p < 0.001) respectively, compared to NPI. We determined a progressive decrease in humoral immunity over time, particularly higher in those NPI.

Nomophobia and Its Associated Factors in Peruvian Medical Students.

Nomophobia is the discomfort caused by not being in contact with a cell phone. Few studies have addressed nomophobia in university students. The study aimed to evaluate nomophobia and its associated factors in Peruvian medical students. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study on Peruvian medical students between June 2020 and March 2021, using an online survey disseminated through social networks. We analyzed 3139 responses (females: 61.1%, median age: 22 years): 25.7% presented moderate nomophobia and 7.4% severe nomophobia. In the adjusted model, the nomophobia score was lower in students ≥24 years (ß: −4.1, 95% CI: −7.2 to −1.0) and was higher in those who had a mobile internet data plan (ß: 2.9, 0.8 to 5.0), used the cell phone >4 h (ß: 4.5, 2.3 to 6.7), used a smartphone mainly for education (ß: 2.5, 0.2 to 4.8), social networks (ß: 8.2, 5.8 to 10.6) and entertainment (ß: 3.3, 0.5 to 6.1), and those who presented possible anxious (ß: 6.6, 4.3 to 8.9) or depressive (ß: 19.5, 5.2 to 9.6) symptomatology. In conclusion, nomophobia in university students is a frequent and emerging problem, present mainly at younger ages and associated with symptoms of anxiety or depression. Implementing evaluation and early intervention strategies would favor the mental health of university students.

Evaluation of the Humoral Immune Response of a Heterologous Vaccination between BBIBP-CorV and BNT162b2 with a Temporal Separation of 7 Months, in Peruvian Healthcare Workers with and without a History of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Information on the effects of a heterologous booster in adult patients first vaccinated with the BBIBP-CorV vaccine is limited. This prospective cohort study evaluated the humoral response of 152 healthcare workers (HCWs) from a private laboratory in Lima (Peru) before and after receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine, with a seven-month interval since the BBIBP-CorV doses. We employed the Elecsys® anti-SARS-CoV-2 S and the cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody (NAbs) assays to evaluate anti-S-RBD IgG and NAbs, respectively. Of the 152 HCWs, 79 (51.98%) were previously infected (PI) with SARS-CoV-2 and 73 (48.02%) were not previously infected (NPI). The proportion of HCWs with positive NAbs, seven months after the BBIBP-CorV immunization, was 49.31% in NPI and 92.40% in PI. After the booster, this ratio increased to 100% in both groups. The anti-S-RBD IgG and NAbs in the HCWs' NPI increased by 32.7 and 3.95 times more, respectively. In HCWs' PI, this increment was 5 and 1.42 times more, respectively. There was no statistical association between the history of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and the titer of anti-S-RBD IgG and NAbs after the booster. The humoral immunity presented a robust increase after receiving the BNT162b2 booster and was more pronounced in NPI.

Diagnostic performance of RT-PCR-based sample pooling strategy for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND: The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has created a shortage of supplies of reagents for its detection throughout the world, especially in Latin America. The pooling of samples consists of combining individual patient samples in a block and analyzing the group as a particular sample. This strategy has been shown to reduce the burden of laboratory material and logistical resources by up to 80%. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the pool of samples analyzed by RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of diagnostic tests was carried out. We individually evaluated 420 samples, and 42 clusters were formed, each one with ten samples. These clusters could contain 0, 1 or 2 positive samples to simulate a positivity of 0, 10 and 20%, respectively. RT-PCR analyzed the groups for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The area under the ROC curve (AUC), the Youden index, the global and subgroup sensitivity and specificity were calculated according to their Ct values that were classified as high (H: ≤ 25), moderate (M: 26-30) and low (L: 31-35) concentration of viral RNA. RESULTS: From a total of 42 pools, 41 (97.6%) obtained the same result as the samples they contained (positive or negative). The AUC for pooling, Youden index, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.98 (95% CI, 0.95-1); 0.97 (95% CI, 0.90-1.03); 96.67% (95% CI; 88.58-100%) and 100% (95% CI; 95.83-100%) respectively. In the stratified analysis of the pools containing samples with Ct ≤ 25, the sensitivity was 100% (95% CI; 90-100%), while with the pools containing samples with Ct ≥ 31, the sensitivity was 80% (95% CI, 34.94-100%). Finally, a higher median was observed in the Ct of the clusters, with respect to the individual samples (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The strategy of pooling nasopharyngeal swab samples for analysis by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR showed high diagnostic performance.

Mucositis sin rash inducida por Mycoplasma pneumoniae, primer reporte de caso en Perú / Rashless mucositis induced by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. First case reported in Peru

Introducción: Mycoplasma pneumoniae es una bacteria de distribución mundial que comúnmente ocasiona infecciones respiratorias en forma de traqueobronquitis y neumonía atípica, recientemente se ha descrito como etiología de una enfermedad denominada Mycoplasma-induced rash and mucositis. Caso clínico: Varón de 11 años, procedente del departamento de Tacna en Perú que se presentó con cuatro días de enfermedad caracterizado por fiebre, tos, disnea, conjuntivitis bilateral purulenta y lesiones erosivas muy dolorosas en mucosa yugal, lengua y labios, recibió tratamiento antibiótico, antiviral y antifúngico, evolucionando favorablemente. Se confirmó infección por Mycoplasma pneumoniae mediante serología IgM por ELISA. De nuestro conocimiento, este es el primer caso de Mucositis sin rash inducido por Mycoplasma pneumoniae reportado en Perú, el reconocimiento temprano de este síndrome permitirá un tratamiento más específico, evitando la restricción de fármacos apropiados(AU)

Introduction: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacterium of worldwide distribution which commonly causes respiratory infections such as tracheobronchitis and atypical pneumonia. It has recently been described as etiology of a disease called Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis. Objective: Present the first known report of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated mucositis in Peru, diagnosed by compatible clinical picture and confirmed by serology. Clinical case: A male 11-year-old patient from the Tacna Region in Peru presented with a clinical state of four days' evolution characterized by fever, coughing, dyspnea, bilateral purulent conjunctivitis and very painful erosive lesions on the jugal mucosa, tongue and lips. The patient received antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal treatment, to which he responded favorably. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was confirmed by IgM ELISA serology. Conclusions: Early recognition of this syndrome will lead to a more specific treatment, avoiding the restriction of appropriate drugs(AU)

Factors associated with mortality due to COVID-19 in patients from a public hospital in Tacna, Peru. / Factores asociados a la muerte por COVID-19 en pacientes admitidos en un hospital público en Tacna, Perú.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics of COVID-19 patients and to determine the factors associated with mortality during hospital stay. Materials and Methods: Retrospective cohort study of adult COVID-19 inpatients. The clinical, laboratory and treatment data were obtained from the medical records of patients from the Hospital Nivel III Daniel Alcides Carrión in Tacna. For the survival analysis we used the Cox proportional hazards model, and we calculated crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: We evaluated 351 patients; 74.1% of them were men. The most common comorbidities were obesity (31.6%), hypertension (27.1%) and diabetes mellitus (24.5%). The median time of hospitalization was 8 days (IQR: 4-15). From the total of patients, 32.9% died during follow-up. The multivariate analysis showed an increased risk of dying associated with the following: age ≥65 years, HR = 3.55 (95% CI: 1.70-7.40); increase in lactate dehydrogenase >720 U/L, HR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.34-3.22); and oxygen saturation less than 90%, mainly when it was less than 80%, HR = 4.07 (95% CI: 2.10-7.88). In addition, the use of colchicine during treatment showed a protective effect, HR = 0.46 (95% CI: 0.23-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for mortality due to COVID-19 included being older than 65 years, having oxygen saturation less than 90%, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase >720 U/L; colchicine treatment could improve the prognosis of patients.

OBJETIVO: Describir las características demográficas, clínicas, laboratoriales y de tratamiento de pacientes hospitalizados por la COVID-19 y determinar los factores asociados a la mortalidad hospitalaria. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de pacientes adultos hospitalizados por la COVID-19. Se extrajeron datos demográficos, clínicos, laboratoriales y de tratamiento de las historias clínicas de pacientes que ingresaron al Hospital III Daniel Alcides Carrión de Tacna. Para el análisis de supervivencia se empleó el modelo de riesgos proporcionales de Cox y se calcularon los cocientes de riesgo instantáneos (HR) crudos y ajustados con sus respectivos intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC 95%). RESULTADOS: Se evaluó a 351 pacientes, el 74,1% eran hombres; las comorbilidades más comunes fueron obesidad (31,6%), hipertensión (27,1%) y diabetes mellitus (24,5%). La mediana de tiempo de hospitalización fue 8 días (RIC: 4-15). El 32,9% falleció durante el seguimiento. El análisis multivariado mostró un aumento del riesgo de morir asociado a la edad ≥65 años, HR = 3,55 (IC 95%: 1,70-7,40); al incremento de lactato deshidrogenasa >720 U/L, HR = 2,08 (IC 95%: 1,34-3,22); y a la saturación de oxígeno por debajo del 90%, principalmente cuando fue menor al 80%, HR = 4,07 (IC 95%: 2,10-7,88). Además, el uso de colchicina en el tratamiento tuvo un efecto protector, HR = 0,46 (IC 95%: 0,23-0,91). CONCLUSIONES: Los factores asociados a muerte por la COVID-19 incluyeron ser mayor de 65 años, tener saturación de oxígeno menor de 90% y elevación del lactato deshidrogenasa >720 U/L; el tratamiento con colchicina podría mejorar el pronóstico de los pacientes.