Usefulness of Procalcitonin Levels for Predicting the Microbiological Orientation in Patients with Sepsis.

The main objective of the study was to verify whether levels of procalcitonin (PCT) could guide us toward determining the type of bacteria causing the sepsis and to identify the discriminatory cut-off point in the first urgent laboratory test. This study is a single center retrospective analysis that includes 371 patients with a mean age of 71.7 ± 15.6 years who were diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock. The yield of blood cultures in demonstrating the causative microbiological agent was 24.3% (90), and it was 57, 1% (212) when evaluating all types of cultures. Statistically significant positive differences were observed in the mean value of the PCT between the group that obtained positive cultures and the group that did not (p < 0.0001). The AUC-ROC of PCT values as a guide to the causal bacteria type was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.57-0.78, p < 0.0021). The PCT value that showed the best diagnostic characteristics for identifying Gram-negative rods (GNR) as the causative agent in blood cultures was 2.1 ng/mL. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 78, 9% (66.3-88.1%). The AUC-ROC of the PCT values for sepsis diagnosis, with any positive culture that could be assessed, was 0.67 (95%CI: 0.63-0.73, p < 0.0001). The PCT value that showed the best diagnostic characteristic for predicting sepsis was 3.6 ng/mL.

Usefulness of Preoperative Determination of Serum MR-ProAdrenomedullin Levels to Predict the Need for Postoperative Organ Support in Abdominal Oncological Surgery.

The need for postoperative organic support is associated with patient outcomes. Biomarkers may be useful for detecting patients at risk. MR-ProADM is a novel biomarker with an interesting profile that can be used in this context. The main objective of this study was to verify whether there was an association between the preoperative serum levels of MR-ProADM and the need for organic support after elective abdominal cancer surgery, and to determine the preoperative MR-ProADM value that predicts the need for postoperative organic support. This was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted by four tertiary hospitals in Spain between 2017 and 2018. Plasma samples were collected for the quantification of MR-ProADM from adults who underwent major abdominal surgery during 2017-2018. The primary outcome was the need for organic support in the first seven postoperative days and its association with the preoperative levels of MR-ProADM, and the secondary outcome was the preoperative levels of MR-ProADM in the study population. This study included 370 patients with a mean age of 67.4 ± 12.9 years. Seventeen percent (63 patients) required some postoperative organic support measures in the first week. The mean preoperative value of MR-ProADM in patients who required organic support was 1.16 ± 1.15 nmol/L. The AUC-ROC of the preoperative MR-ProADM values associated with the need for organic support was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.59-0.75). The preoperative MR-ProADM value, which showed the best compromise in sensitivity and specificity for predicting the need for organic support, was 0.70 nmol/L. The negative predictive value was 91%. A multivariate analysis confirmed that a preoperative level of MR-ProADM ≥ 0.70 nmol/L is an independent factor associated with risk of postoperative organic support (OR 2, 6). Elevated preoperative MR-ProADM levels are associated with the need for postoperative organic support. Therefore, MR-ProADM may be a useful biomarker for perioperative risk assessment.

Antibacterial Films of Silver Nanoparticles Embedded into Carboxymethylcellulose/Chitosan Multilayers on Nanoporous Silicon: A Layer-by-Layer Assembly Approach Comparing Dip and Spin Coating.

The design and engineering of antibacterial materials are key for preventing bacterial adherence and proliferation in biomedical and household instruments. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and chitosan (CHI) are broad-spectrum antibacterial materials with different properties whose combined application is currently under optimization. This study proposes the formation of antibacterial films with AgNPs embedded in carboxymethylcellulose/chitosan multilayers by the layer-by-layer (LbL) method. The films were deposited onto nanoporous silicon (nPSi), an ideal platform for bioengineering applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioresorbability. We focused on two alternative multilayer deposition processes: cyclic dip coating (CDC) and cyclic spin coating (CSC). The physicochemical properties of the films were the subject of microscopic, microstructural, and surface-interface analyses. The antibacterial activity of each film was investigated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) bacteria strains as model microorganisms. According to the findings, the CDC technique produced multilayer films with higher antibacterial activity for both bacteria compared to the CSC method. Bacteria adhesion inhibition was observed from only three cycles. The developed AgNPs-multilayer composite film offers advantageous antibacterial properties for biomedical applications.

Biomarkers as Prognostic Predictors and Therapeutic Guide in Critically Ill Patients: Clinical Evidence.

A biomarker is a molecule that can be measured in a biological sample in an objective, systematic, and precise way, whose levels indicate whether a process is normal or pathological. Knowing the most important biomarkers and their characteristics is the key to precision medicine in intensive and perioperative care. Biomarkers can be used to diagnose, in assessment of disease severity, to stratify risk, to predict and guide clinical decisions, and to guide treatments and response to them. In this review, we will analyze what characteristics a biomarker should have and how to ensure its usefulness, and we will review the biomarkers that in our opinion can make their knowledge more useful to the reader in their clinical practice, with a future perspective. These biomarkers, in our opinion, are lactate, C-Reactive Protein, Troponins T and I, Brain Natriuretic Peptides, Procalcitonin, MR-ProAdrenomedullin and BioAdrenomedullin, Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and lymphopenia, Proenkephalin, NefroCheck, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), Interleukin 6, Urokinase-type soluble plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), Presepsin, Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP), and Dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP3). Finally, we propose an approach to the perioperative evaluation of high-risk patients and critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) based on biomarkers.

Phonon Structure, Infra-Red and Raman Spectra of Li2MnO3 by First-Principles Calculations.

The layer-structured monoclinic Li2MnO3 is a key material, mainly due to its role in Li-ion batteries and as a precursor for adsorbent used in lithium recovery from aqueous solutions. In the present work, we used first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) to study the crystal structure, optical phonon frequencies, infra-red (IR), and Raman active modes and compared the results with experimental data. First, Li2MnO3 powder was synthesized by the hydrothermal method and successively characterized by XRD, TEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. Secondly, by using Local Density Approximation (LDA), we carried out a DFT study of the crystal structure and electronic properties of Li2MnO3. Finally, we calculated the vibrational properties using Density Functional Perturbation Theory (DFPT). Our results show that simulated IR and Raman spectra agree well with the observed phonon structure. Additionally, the IR and Raman theoretical spectra show similar features compared to the experimental ones. This research is useful in investigations involving the physicochemical characterization of Li2MnO3 material.

Fibrinolysis versus thoracoscopy: Comparison of results in empyema management in the child.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the outcome of treatment with drainage and urokinase (UK) versus thoracoscopy (TS) in pleural empyema secondary to complicated pneumonia. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions between 2008 and 2019 treated with UK or TS. Epidemiological and evolutionary data compared days of fever, antibiotic, pre- and postprocedure stay, time to radiological resolution, and complications. The results were expressed as medians and the comparisons were made by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Of 143 patients with NC, 46 were empyemas (26 men), 25 were treated with TS, and 10 were treated with UK. The remaining 11 received combined treatment, being excluded from the study. There were no significant differences between TS versus UK in age (median 4 vs. 3 years), days of fever before the procedure (4 vs. 2) and after (2 vs. 2), days of antibiotic treatment before the procedure (4 vs. 4), overall hospital stay (15 vs. 13 days), and months until radiological normalization (2 vs. 2). The complications related to the therapy were scarce in both groups and had no impact on evolution. Patients with TS had a longer preprocedural stay (4 vs. 1; P < 0.001) and required fewer days of subsequent antibiotic after procedure (8 vs. 11; P = 0.03), and a shorter overall antibiotic treatment time (11 vs. 16; P = 0.03). They also had a shorter post-TS stay (9 vs. 12 days), although this difference did not become significant (P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, the results obtained with both procedures are quite similar, although patients undergoing TS had a better evolution (fewer days of antibiotic and a tendency to less hospitalization), despite having been performed a priori in more evolved patients.

The role of the electrocardiographic phenotype in risk stratification for sudden cardiac death in childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is routinely performed in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). An ECG risk score has been suggested as a useful tool for risk stratification, but this has not been independently validated. This aim of this study was to describe the ECG phenotype of childhood HCM in a large, international, multi-centre cohort and investigate its role in risk prediction for arrhythmic events. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from 356 childhood HCM patients with a mean age of 10.1 years (±4.5) were collected from a retrospective, multi-centre international cohort. Three hundred and forty-seven (97.5%) patients had ECG abnormalities at baseline, most commonly repolarization abnormalities (n = 277, 77.8%); left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 240, 67.7%); abnormal QRS axis (n = 126, 35.4%); or QT prolongation (n = 131, 36.8%). Over a median follow-up of 3.9 years (interquartile range 2.0-7.7), 25 (7%) had an arrhythmic event, with an overall annual event rate of 1.38 (95% CI 0.93-2.04). No ECG variables were associated with 5-year arrhythmic event on univariable or multivariable analysis. The ECG risk score threshold of >5 had modest discriminatory ability [C-index 0.60 (95% CI 0.484-0.715)], with corresponding negative and positive predictive values of 96.7% and 6.7. CONCLUSION: In a large, international, multi-centre cohort of childhood HCM, ECG abnormalities were common and varied. No ECG characteristic, either in isolation or combined in the previously described ECG risk score, was associated with 5-year sudden cardiac death risk. This suggests that the role of baseline ECG phenotype in improving risk stratification in childhood HCM is limited.

Hydrothermal control of the lithium-rich Li2MnO3 phase in lithium manganese oxide nanocomposites and their application as precursors for lithium adsorbents.

Lithium manganese oxides (LMOs) are key materials due to their role in Li-ion batteries and lithium recovery from aqueous lithium resources. In the present work, we investigated the effect of the crystallization temperature on the formation by hydrothermal synthesis of LMO nanocomposites with high Li/Mn ratios. It is demonstrated that LMOs with a high Li/Mn ratio can be formed by systematically favoring the lithium-rich layered monoclinic phase (Li2MnO3) in a mixture of monoclinic and spinel crystalline phases. LMO nanocomposites have been characterized in terms of morphology, size, crystallinity, chemical composition and surface properties. Moreover, lithium adsorption experiments were conducted using acid-treated LMOs (HMOs) to evaluate the functionality of the nanocomposites as lithium adsorbent materials in a LiCl buffer solution. This study spotlights the structural, compositional, and functional properties of different LMO nanocomposites obtained by the hydrothermal method using the same Li and Mn precursor compounds at slightly different crystallization temperatures. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of the successful application of the lithium-rich Li2MnO3 phase in lithium manganese oxide nanocomposites as lithium adsorbent materials. Therefore, specific LMO nanocomposites with controlled amounts of the layered phase can be engineered to optimize lithium recovery from aqueous lithium resources.

Increased number of pulmonary megakaryocytes in COVID-19 patients with diffuse alveolar damage: an autopsy study with clinical correlation and review of the literature.

Pulmonary megakaryocytes participate in the pathogenesis of lung damage, particularly in acute lung injury. Although megakaryocytes are not mentioned as a characteristic histologic finding associated to pulmonary injury, a few studies reveal that their number is increased in diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). In this autopsy study, we have observed a relevant number of pulmonary megakaryocytes in COVID-19 patients dying with acute lung injury (7.61 ± 5.59 megakaryocytes per 25 high-power fields vs. 1.14 ± 0.86 for the control group, p < 0.05). We analyzed samples of 18 patients, most of whom died after prolonged disease and use of mechanical ventilation. Most patients showed advanced DAD and abnormal coagulation parameters with high levels of fibrinogen, D-dimers, and variable thrombocytopenia. For comparison, pulmonary samples from a group of 14 non-COVID-19 patients dying with DAD were reviewed. They showed similar pulmonary histopathologic findings and an increase in the number of megakaryocytes (4 ± 4.17 vs. 1.14 ± 0.86 for the control group, p < 0.05). Megakaryocyte count in the COVID-19 group was greater but did not reach statistical significance (7.61 ± 5.59 vs. 4 ± 4.17, p = 0.063). Regardless of the cause, pulmonary megakaryocytes are increased in patients with DAD. Their high number seen in COVID-19 patients suggests a relation with the thrombotic events so often seen these patients. Since the lung is considered an active site of megakaryopoiesis, a prothrombotic status leading to platelet activation, aggregation and consumption may trigger a compensatory pulmonary response.

Potenciales biomarcadores predictores de mortalidad en pacientes COVID-19 en el Servicio de Urgencias / Potential biomarkers predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients in the Emergency Department

OBJETIVO: Identificar qué biomarcadores realizados en la primera analítica de urgencias ayudan a estratificar según riesgo de mortalidad a pacientes COVID 19. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional descriptivo y transversal realizado con datos recogidos de los pacientes con sospecha de COVID-19 en el Servicio de Urgencias del 24 de febrero al 16 de marzo del 2020. Se realizó el estudio univariante y multivariante para encontrar los marcadores independientes de mortalidad y calcular el riesgo mediante la construcción de una escala de gravedad. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 163 pacientes de los que fallecieron 33 y 29 de ellos resultaron positivos para la prueba PCR COVID-19. Obtuvimos como posibles factores para conformar el score de riesgo de mortalidad edad>75 años ((OR ajustada=12,347, IC95%: 4,138-36,845 p = 0.001), leucocitos totales> 11.000 cel/mm3 (OR ajustada=2,649, IC95%: 0,879-7,981 p = 0,083), glucosa> 126 mg/dL (OR ajustada=3,716, IC95%: 1,247-11,074 p = 0,018) y creatinina>1,1 mg/dL (OR ajustada= 2,566, IC95%: 0,889-7,403, p = 0,081). Este score se denominó COVEB (COVID, Edad, perfil Básico analítico) con un AUC 0,874 (IC95%: 0,816-0,933, p < 0.001; punto de corte= 1 (sensibilidad= 89,66% (IC95%: 72,6%-97,8%), especificidad= 75,59% (IC95%: 67,2%-82,8%). Un score < 1 posee un valor predictivo negativo = 100% (IC95%: 93,51%-100%) y un valor predictivo positivo = 18,59% (IC95%: 12,82%-25,59%). CONCLUSIONES: Las escalas clínicas de gravedad, los biomarcadores de función renal, los parámetros del recuento leucocitario, el ratio neutrófilos totales/linfocitos y procalcitonina son factores de riesgo tempranos de mortalidad. Destacan las variables edad, glucosa, creatinina y leucocitos totales como mejores predictores de mortalidad. Un score COVEB< 1 indica con un 100% de probabilidad, que el paciente con sospecha de COVID-19 no va a fallecer en los próximos 30 días

OBJECTIVE: Identify which biomarkers performed in the first emergency analysis help to stratify COVID-19 patients according to mortality risk. METHOD: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study performed with data collected from patients with suspected COVID-19 in the Emergency Department from February 24 to March 16, 2020. The univariate and multivariate study was performed to find independent mortality markers and calculate risk by building a severity score. RESULTS: A total of 163 patients were included, of whom 33 died and 29 of them were positive for the COVID-19 PCR test. We obtained as possible factors to conform the Mortality Risk Score age> 75 years ((adjusted OR = 12,347, 95% CI: 4,138-36,845 p = 0.001), total leukocytes> 11,000 cells / mm3 (adjusted OR = 2,649, 95% CI: 0.879-7.981 p = 0.083), glucose> 126 mg / dL (adjusted OR = 3.716, 95% CI: 1.247-11.074 p = 0.018) and creatinine> 1.1 mg / dL (adjusted OR = 2.566, 95% CI: 0.889- 7.403, p = 0.081) This score was called COVEB (COVID, Age, Basic analytical profile) with an AUC 0.874 (95% CI: 0.816-0.933, p <0.001; Cut-off point = 1 (sensitivity = 89.66 % (95% CI: 72.6% -97.8%), specificity = 75.59% (95% CI: 67.2% -82.8%). A score <1 has a negative predictive value = 100% (95% CI: 93.51% -100%) and a positive predictive value = 18.59% (95% CI: 12.82% -25.59%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical severity scales, kidney function biomarkers, white blood cell count parameters, the total neutrophils / total lymphocytes ratio and procalcitonin are early risk factors for mortality. The variables age, glucose, creatinine and total leukocytes stand out as the best predictors of mortality. A COVEB score <1 indicates with a 100% probability that the patient with suspected COVID-19 will not die in the next 30 days

LARa: Creating a Dataset for Human Activity Recognition in Logistics Using Semantic Attributes.

Optimizations in logistics require recognition and analysis of human activities. The potential of sensor-based human activity recognition (HAR) in logistics is not yet well explored. Despite a significant increase in HAR datasets in the past twenty years, no available dataset depicts activities in logistics. This contribution presents the first freely accessible logistics-dataset. In the 'Innovationlab Hybrid Services in Logistics' at TU Dortmund University, two picking and one packing scenarios were recreated. Fourteen subjects were recorded individually when performing warehousing activities using Optical marker-based Motion Capture (OMoCap), inertial measurement units (IMUs), and an RGB camera. A total of 758 min of recordings were labeled by 12 annotators in 474 person-h. All the given data have been labeled and categorized into 8 activity classes and 19 binary coarse-semantic descriptions, also called attributes. The dataset is deployed for solving HAR using deep networks.

Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured porous silicon-silver composite layers by cyclic deposition: dip-coating vs spin-coating.

Composites of nanostructured porous silicon and silver (nPSi-Ag) have attracted great attention due to the wide spectrum of applications in fields such as microelectronics, photonics, photocatalysis and bioengineering, Among the different methods for the fabrication of nanostructured composite materials, dip and spin-coating are simple, versatile, and cost-effective bottom-up technologies to provide functional coatings. In that sense, we aimed at fabricating nPSi-Ag composite layers. Using nPSi layers with pore diameter of 30 nm, two types of thin-film techniques were systematically compared: cyclic dip-coating (CDC) and cyclic spin-coating (CSC). CDC technique formed a mix of granular and flake-like structures of metallic Ag, and CSC method favored the synthesis of flake-like structures with Ag and Ag2O phases. Flakes obtained by CDC and CSC presented a width of 110 nm and 70 nm, respectively. Particles also showed a nanostructure surface with features around 25 nm. According to the results of EDX and RBS, integration of Ag into nPSi was better achieved using the CDC technique. SERS peaks related to chitosan adsorbed on Ag nanostructures were enhanced, especially in the nPSi-Ag composite layers fabricated by CSC compared to CDC, which was confirmed by FTDT simulations. These results show that CDC and CSC produce different nPSi-Ag composite layers for potential applications in bioengineering and photonics.

Análisis de los tumores sólidos ováricos pediátricos en nuestra población / Analysis of solid ovarian tumours in a Spanish paediatric population

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: Los tumores ováricos son raros en la infancia y representan entre el 1 y el 5% de todos los tumores sólidos. Nuestro objetivo es conocer las características epidemiológicas, los subtipos histológicos y el manejo terapéutico de los tumores sólidos ováricos de la población pediátrica de la provincia de Córdoba. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo, observacional, en el que se han revisado las historias clínicas de pacientes ≤ 14 años diagnosticadas de tumores sólidos ováricos en un hospital de tercer nivel entre los años 1994 y 2017, excluyéndose los tumores secundarios. Se revisó la edad, la presentación clínica, la lateralidad, la metodología diagnóstica, el tratamiento, la anatomía patológica y la evolución. RESULTADOS: Se revisaron 37 tumores ováricos en 31 pacientes, siendo 6 bilaterales. La edad media fue de 10,3 años (0-14). El 58% debutaron como masa palpable. No existe predominio de lateralidad. Los marcadores tumorales fueron negativos. Se practicó cirugía conservadora en el 29,7% y anexectomía en el 70,3%. Solo un teratoma inmaduro estadio I con gliomatosis peritoneal precisó tratamiento quimioterápico adyuvante postoperatorio. El estudio histológico demuestra un predominio de tumores de células germinales (65%) frente a los de estirpe epitelial (22%). Destacan 3 tumores estromales que corresponden a fibromas (síndrome de Gorlin) y un gonadoblastoma bilateral asociado a síndrome de Frasier. El tipo de tumor más frecuente fue el teratoma quístico maduro (35,1%). Evolución favorable en todos los casos. CONCLUSIONES: Dada la alta tasa de benignidad de los tumores ováricos en la infancia, la cirugía conservadora debe ser de primera elección, sobre todo en los bilaterales. Si existen antecedentes hereditarios, es imprescindible realizar estudios genéticos moleculares para descartar síndromes asociados

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Ovarian tumours are rare in childhood, and account for 1-5% of all tumours. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological features, histological subtypes, and therapeutic management of ovarian solid ovarian tumours of the paediatric population of the province of Cordoba, in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive, observational and institutional study was conducted in which a review was made of the clinical histories of patients younger than 14years-old diagnosed with ovarian tumours, excluding secondary tumours in a University Hospital between 1994 and 2017. A review was carried out on the age, clinical presentation, laterality, diagnostic methodology, treatment, histopathology, and evolution of these tumours. RESULTS: A total of 37 ovarian tumours were reviewed in 31 patients, 6 of them being bilateral. The mean age was 10.3 (0-14) years, with 58% presenting as a palpable mass. There was no predominance of laterality. The tumour markers were negative. Conservative surgery was performed in 29.7% and adnexectomy in 70.3%. Only one case required post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy treatment (stage I immature teratoma with peritoneal gliomatosis). The histological study shows a predominance of germ cell tumours (65%) against those of epithelial lineage (22%). There were 3 stromal tumours that corresponded to fibroma (Gorlin syndrome), and bilateral gonadoblastoma associated with Frasier syndrome. The most frequent type of tumour was mature cystic teratoma (35.1%). There were no complications in the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Given that most childhood ovarian tumours are benign, conservative surgery is considered as the first choice, being even more important in bilateral tumours. If there is a family history, it is essential to carry out molecular genetic studies, to rule out associated syndromes

[Analysis of solid ovarian tumours in a Spanish paediatric population]. / Análisis de los tumores sólidos ováricos pediátricos en nuestra población.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Ovarian tumours are rare in childhood, and account for 1-5% of all tumours. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological features, histological subtypes, and therapeutic management of ovarian solid ovarian tumours of the paediatric population of the province of Cordoba, in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive, observational and institutional study was conducted in which a review was made of the clinical histories of patients younger than 14years-old diagnosed with ovarian tumours, excluding secondary tumours in a University Hospital between 1994 and 2017. A review was carried out on the age, clinical presentation, laterality, diagnostic methodology, treatment, histopathology, and evolution of these tumours. RESULTS: A total of 37 ovarian tumours were reviewed in 31 patients, 6 of them being bilateral. The mean age was 10.3 (0-14) years, with 58% presenting as a palpable mass. There was no predominance of laterality. The tumour markers were negative. Conservative surgery was performed in 29.7% and adnexectomy in 70.3%. Only one case required post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy treatment (stageI immature teratoma with peritoneal gliomatosis). The histological study shows a predominance of germ cell tumours (65%) against those of epithelial lineage (22%). There were 3 stromal tumours that corresponded to fibroma (Gorlin syndrome), and bilateral gonadoblastoma associated with Frasier syndrome. The most frequent type of tumour was mature cystic teratoma (35.1%). There were no complications in the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Given that most childhood ovarian tumours are benign, conservative surgery is considered as the first choice, being even more important in bilateral tumours. If there is a family history, it is essential to carry out molecular genetic studies, to rule out associated syndromes.

Actualización en el manejo de intoxicación sistémica por anestésicos locales / Local anesthetics systemic toxicity: update in management

Systemic toxicity by local anesthetics an adverse reaction that occurs when local anesthetics (AL) reach significant systemic levels, primarily affects the central and cardiovascular nervous system, and while it is an infrequent event, it can be potentially fatal. The main determinant of the toxicity is the plasma concentration of LA, especially the free fraction. The most serious symptoms are seizures and cardiac arrest, which can occur with the administration of any LA. Bupivacaine is the most cardiotoxic of the commonly used LAs, followed in decreasing order by levobupivacaine, ropivacaine and lidocaine.

La intoxicación sistémica por anestésicos locales (ISAL), una reacción adversa que ocurre cuando los anestésicos locales (AL) alcanzan niveles sistémicos significativos, afecta principalmente al sistema nervioso central y cardiovascular, y si bien, es un evento infrecuente, puede ser potencialmente fatal. El principal determinante de la ISAL es la concentración plasmática de AL, en especial la fracción libre. Los síntomas más graves son las convulsiones y paro cardíaco, los cuales pueden ocurrir con la administración de cualquier AL. La bupivacaína es el más cardiotóxico de los AL comúnmente utilizados, seguido en orden decreciente por levobupivacaína, ropivacaína y lidocaína.

Documento de consenso para la implantación y desarrollo del Código Sepsis en la Comunidad de Madrid / Consensus document for sepsis code implementation and development in the Community of Madrid

Se presenta aquí el documento de consenso para la implantación y desarrollo del Código Sepsis en la Comunidad de Madrid, cuya redacción se completó en abril de 2017. Este documento ha sido adoptado por la Consejería de Sanidad madrileña como base de trabajo para la puesta en marcha del Código Sepsis, tanto en el ámbito hospitalario (hospitales de agudos y de media y larga estancia) como en Atención Primaria y los Servicios de Emergencia Extrahospitalaria. Se publica ahora sin modificaciones con respecto a la versión original, añadiendo únicamente las referencias bibliográficas más significativas. El documento se estructura en cuatro partes: introducción, detección y valoración iniciales, tratamiento inicial y organización asistencial. En las partes segunda a cuarta se proponen 25 recomendaciones, consensuadas por los autores después de varias reuniones presenciales y una extensa discusión "online". Se incluyen nueve tablas que pretenden servir de guía práctica para la activación y aplicación del código sepsis. Tanto el contenido de las recomendaciones como su redacción formal se han realizado teniendo en cuenta su aplicabilidad en todos los ámbitos a los que se dirigen, que cuentan con recursos y características estructurales y funcionales muy dispares, por lo que deliberadamente se ha huido de un mayor grado de concreción: el objetivo no es que el código sepsis se organice y se aplique de forma idéntica en todos ellos, sino que los recursos sanitarios trabajen de forma coordinada alineados en la misma dirección

The consensus paper for the implementation and development of the sepsis code, finished in April 2017 is presented here. It was adopted by the Regional Office of Health as a working document for the implementation of the sepsis code in the Community of Madrid, both in the hospital setting (acute, middle and long-stay hospitals) and in Primary Care and Out-of-Hospital Emergency Services. It is now published without changes with respect to the original version, having only added the most significant bibliographical references. The document is divided into four parts: introduction, initial detection and assessment, early therapy and organizational recommendations. In the second to fourth sections, 25 statements or proposals have been included, agreed upon by the authors after several face-to-face meetings and an extensive «online» discussion. The annex includes nine tables that are intended as a practical guide to the activation of the sepsis code. Both the content of the recommendations and their formal writing have been made taking into account their applicability in all areas to which they are directed, which may have very different structural and functional characteristics and features, so that we have deliberately avoided a greater degree of concretion: the objective is not that the sepsis code is organized and applied identically in all of them, but that the health resources work in a coordinated manner aligned in the same direction

Registro español de implante percutáneo de la válvula pulmonar Melody en menores de 18 años / Pediatrics Spanish Registry of percutaneous melody pulmonary valve implantation in patients younger than 18 years

Introducción y objetivos. Pasada 1 década desde el primer implante percutáneo de la válvula pulmonar (IPVP) Melody en España, se exponen sus resultados en cuanto a la función valvular y las complicaciones a corto y medio plazo. Métodos. Análisis descriptivo retrospectivo y multicéntrico nacional de los IPVP Melody en pacientes menores de 18 años desde el primer implante (de marzo de 2007 hasta el 1 de enero de 2016). Resultados. Se reclutaron 9 hospitales que contaban un total de 81 IPVP en 77 pacientes, cuyas medianas [intervalo intercuartílico] de edad y peso eran 13,3 [9,9-15,4] años y 46 [27-63] kg respectivamente. La enfermedad cardiaca más frecuente fue la tetralogía de Fallot (n = 27) y el sustrato anatómico más común, el conducto valvulado de yugular bovina (n = 31). Las incidencias de complicaciones intraprocedimiento y agudas fueron del 6 y el 8% (no hubo muertes periprocedimiento). La mediana del tiempo de seguimiento fue 2,4 [1,1-4,9] años. Se diagnosticó endocarditis infecciosa (EI) a 4 pacientes (5,6%), de los que 3 precisaron el explante de la válvula. En el periodo de seguimiento, la mortalidad fue del 1,3%, relacionada con EI. A los 5 años de seguimiento, el 80 ± 6,9% y el 83 ± 6,1% de los pacientes estuvieron libres de reintervención y recambio valvular pulmonar respectivamente. Conclusiones. El IPVP en pacientes pediátricos es una opción válida con buenos resultados hemodinámicos a corto y medio plazo. La incidencia de EI durante el seguimiento fue relativamente baja, si bien es la principal complicación que tener en cuenta (AU)

Introduction and objectives. A decade has passed since the first Spanish percutaneous pulmonary Melody valve implant (PPVI) in March 2007. Our objective was to analyze its results in terms of valvular function and possible mid-term follow-up complications. Methods. Spanish retrospective descriptive multicenter analysis of Melody PPVI in patients < 18 years from the first implant in March 2007 until January 1, 2016. Results. Nine centers were recruited with a total of 81 PPVI in 77 pediatric patients, whose median age and weight were 13.3 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.9-15.4) and 46 kg (IQR, 27-63). The predominant cardiac malformation was tetralogy of Fallot (n = 27). Most of the valves were implanted on conduits, especially bovine xenografts (n = 31). The incidence of intraprocedure and acute complications was 6% and 8%, respectively (there were no periprocedural deaths). The median follow-up time was 2.4 years (IQR, 1.1-4.9). Infective endocarditis (IE) was diagnosed in 4 patients (5.6%), of which 3 required surgical valve explant. During follow-up, the EI-related mortality rate was 1.3%. At 5 years of follow-up, 80% ± 6.9% and 83% ± 6.1% of the patients were free from reintervention and pulmonary valve replacement. Conclusions. Melody PPVI was safe and effective in pediatric patients with good short- and mid-term follow-up hemodynamic results. The incidence of IE during follow-up was relatively low but was still the main complication (AU)

Pediatrics Spanish Registry of Percutaneous Melody Pulmonary Valve Implantation in Patients Younger Than 18 Years.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: A decade has passed since the first Spanish percutaneous pulmonary Melody valve implant (PPVI) in March 2007. Our objective was to analyze its results in terms of valvular function and possible mid-term follow-up complications. METHODS: Spanish retrospective descriptive multicenter analysis of Melody PPVI in patients < 18 years from the first implant in March 2007 until January 1, 2016. RESULTS: Nine centers were recruited with a total of 81 PPVI in 77 pediatric patients, whose median age and weight were 13.3 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.9-15.4) and 46kg (IQR, 27-63). The predominant cardiac malformation was tetralogy of Fallot (n = 27). Most of the valves were implanted on conduits, especially bovine xenografts (n = 31). The incidence of intraprocedure and acute complications was 6% and 8%, respectively (there were no periprocedural deaths). The median follow-up time was 2.4 years (IQR, 1.1-4.9). Infective endocarditis (IE) was diagnosed in 4 patients (5.6%), of which 3 required surgical valve explant. During follow-up, the EI-related mortality rate was 1.3%. At 5 years of follow-up, 80% ± 6.9% and 83% ± 6.1% of the patients were free from reintervention and pulmonary valve replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Melody PPVI was safe and effective in pediatric patients with good short- and mid-term follow-up hemodynamic results. The incidence of IE during follow-up was relatively low but was still the main complication.