Effect of a model based on education and teleassistance for the management of obstetric emergencies in 10 rural populations from Colombia.

Introduction: Pregnant women and health providers in rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries face multiple problems concerning high-quality obstetric care. This study was performed to identify changes in maternal and perinatal indicators after implementing a model based on education and telecare between a high-complexity hospital in 10 low-complexity hospitals in a southwestern region of Colombia. Methods: A quasiexperimental study with a historic control group and without a pretest was conducted between 2017 and 2019 to make comparisons before and after obstetric emergency care through the use of teleassistance from 10 primary care centers to the referral center (Fundación Valle del Lili, FVL). Results: A total of 470 patients were treated before teleassistance implementation and 154 patients were treated after teleassistance implementation. After program implementation, the maternal clinical indicators showed a 65% reduction in the number of obstetric patients who were referred with obstetric emergencies. The severity of maternal disease that was measured at the time of admission to level IV through the Modified Early Obstetric Warning System score was observed to decrease. Conclusion: The implementation of a model based on education and teleassistance between low-complexity hospitals and tertiary care centers generated changes in indicators that reflect greater access to rural areas, lower morbidity at the time of admission, and a decrease in the total number of emergency events.

Experience with Obese Patients Followed via Telemedicine in a Latin American Tertiary Care Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major public health concern worldwide. Latin America has experienced rapid growth in obesity incidence during the last few decades. Driven by confinement measures, a telemedicine program was implemented in March 2020 to give continuity to obese patients' care through a weight loss program led by the endocrinology department in a tertiary care medical center in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the clinical experience of using digital health for monitoring and attention of obese patients and description of weight change outcomes of these patients followed via telemedicine during March 2020-December 2020. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including 202 patients. A Skillings-Mack test was performed to conduct a subgroup analysis of the medians of the weight over the follow-up period, and a mixed multiple linear regression model was performed to estimate the expected average change in weight over time Results: We observed good adherence to the program, represented by a weight loss of -4.1 kg at three months of follow-up, which was maintained even during the sixth month of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Digital Health strategies such as telemedicine can be a helpful tool for both patients and health care providers to support the continuity of care and showing satisfactory results in the management of obese patients.

Experience of a telehealth and education program with maternal and perinatal outcomes in a low-resource region in Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal morbidity and mortality rates associated with perinatal care remain a significant public health concern. Rural populations from low and middle-income countries have multiple barriers to access that contribute to a lack of adherence to prenatal care, and high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. An intervention model based on telehealth and education was implemented between a tertiary high complex care hospital and a second-level hospital from a limited source region. OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify an association in maternal and perinatal care quality indicators after implementing a model based on telehealth and education for patients with obstetric emergencies between two hospitals in a southwestern region of Colombia. METHODS: We conducted an ecological study between 2017 and 2019 to compare before and after obstetric emergency care through telemedicine from a secondary care center (Hospital Francisco de Paula Santander-HFPS) to the referral center (Fundación Valle del Lili-FVL). The intervention included verification visits to determine the installed capacity of care, a concerted improvement plan, and on-site educational training modules in obstetric and perinatal care. RESULTS: There were 102 and 148 patients treated before and after telemedicine implementation respectively. Clinical indicators after model implementation showed a reduction in perinatal mortality of 29%. In addition, a reduction in the need for transfusion of blood products due to postpartum hemorrhage was observed as well as the rate of eclampsia. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a model based on telehealth and education between secondary and tertiary care centers allowed the strengthening of the security of care in obstetric emergencies and had a positive effect on perinatal mortality.

Mean platelet volume as a predictor of platelet count recovery in dengue patients.

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is a marker of severity in dengue, and its resolution predicts clinical improvement. The objective was to evaluate mean platelet volume (MPV) trajectories as a predictor of platelet count (PC) recovery in dengue patients. METHODS: An observational, longitudinal and analytical study was conducted at Fundación Valle del Lili (Cali, Colombia). Patients diagnosed with dengue during 2016-2020 were included. The association between PC and the covariates was evaluated using simple linear, quadratic and non-parametric spline smoothing regression models. A longitudinal linear mixed model was adjusted and then validated for PC measurements. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients were included. The median age was 27 y, 38.5% were women and half had dengue with warning signs. A statistically significant PC decrease was observed when MPV was 13.87 fL and 4.46 d from the onset of symptoms, while PC displayed a significant constant increase with neutrophils count. Then, PC recovery was achieved with an MPV of 13.58 fL, 4.5 d from the onset of symptoms and a minimum neutrophils count of 150 µL. CONCLUSION: MPV may be a predictor of PC recovery in dengue patients. PC recovery is expected when a patient has an MPV of 13.58 fL, an onset time of 4.5 d and a neutrophils count of 150 µL.

Teleconsultation for outpatient care of patients during the Covid-19 pandemic at a University Hospital in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID 19 pandemic, direct-to-consumer telehealth (DTC) services allowed patients real-time virtual access to healthcare providers, especially those with an established relationship. In Colombia, this care modality was implemented between 2019 and 2020, under national considerations, it was implemented for outpatient care in a highly complex university hospital in Cali, Colombia. METHODS: A descriptive study with prospective information collection was used to describe the implementation of the outpatient teleconsultation care model for patients. We constructed the clinical and process indicators with which we evaluated the model. FINDINGS: A total of 56,560 patients from our institution were treated by virtual outpatient consultation during the first nine months of the health emergency declared by COVID 19 in Colombia. The strategy made it possible to achieve coverage more significant than 100% in Cali and the departments of Colombia. Attention by teleconsultation was 19% of the total ambulatory care. The effectiveness in carrying out scheduled teleconsultations had an overall result of 91.5%. The accessibility results demonstrated the need to strengthen connectivity and accessibility to payments and strengthen technology adoption in the institution, health personnel, and patients. INTERPRETATION: Implementing an outpatient teleconsultation model allowed the continuity of the management with comprehensive coverage nationwide from a highly complex hospital in southwestern Colombia. The indicators' analysis should help strengthen the policies of access to telemedicine, especially with the consequences of the pandemic in low- and middle-income countries. Latin American evidence is necessary to establish the safety profile of telemedicine and the costs associated with the provision.

Related factors for ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway failure / Factores relacionados con insuficiencia de las vías respiratorias con el uso de ProSeal™ laryngeal mask

Abstract Introduction: The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is a device for airway management that is easy to insert, safe, and efficient. However, there are associated complications that can lead to important patient morbidity and mortality, as ventilator failure, can occur with reported incidence between 0.2% and 4.7%. Male gender, advanced age, obesity, short thyromental distance, and poor dentition are known related factors to LMA failure. Objective: Determine the incidence of ProSeal™ LMA ventilatory failure and identify clinical related conditions. Materials and methods: Observational analytic study a group of adult patients with ProSealTM laryngeal mask for airway management. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 12.1 software. Bivariate analysis was done using Fisher's exact test or Chi2 as it corresponded with statistical significance defined as P value <0.05. Skewed logistic regression for multivariate analysis was performed for estimating adjusted odd ratios (ORs). Results: Incidence of ProSealTM LMA ventilatory failure was 5.2%. In the group of patients that presented failure, 69 were older than 75 years (OR=1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.09, P < 0.001), 6 (23.1%) thyromental distance less than 6 x0200A;cm (OR = 2.48, 95% CI 0.93-6.62, P = 0.069), 5 (19.2%), inadequate anesthetic depth and/or laryngospasm (OR=5.78, 95% CI 2.23-14.96, P< 0.001) and 9 (34.6%) vintraoperative use of neuromuscular blockers (NMB) (OR=2.35, 95% CI 1.06-5.21, P=0.035). Conclusion: In patients with LMA management, the age, intraoperative use of NMB and inadequate anesthetic depth and/ or laryngospasm are clinical related conditions for ProSealTMLMA ventilatory failure.

Resumen Introducción: La mascarilla laríngea de vía aérea (LMA) es un dispositivo para el manejo de la vía aérea fácil de insertar, seguro y eficiente. Sin embargo, hay complicaciones asociadas que pueden llevar a morbilidad y mortalidad del paciente, como la falla del respirador, con una incidencia reportada de entre el 0.2% y el 4.7%. El sexo masculino, la edad avanzada, la obesidad, la corta distancia tiromentoniana y la mala dentición son factores conocidos relacionados con el fracaso de la LMA. Objetivo: Determinar la incidencia de la insuficiencia respiratoria con ProSeal™ LMA e identificar las condiciones clínicas relacionadas. Materiales y métodos: Estudio analítico observacional de un grupo de pacientes adultos con uso de ProSeal™ Laryngeal Mask para el manejo de las vías respiratorias. El análisis estadístico se realizó utilizando el software STATA 12.1©. El análisis bivariado se realizó utilizando la prueba exacta de Fisher o Chi2, ya que correspondía a la significación estadística definida como valor de p < 0.05. Se realizó una regresión logística sesgada para el análisis multivariado, con el fin de estimar las proporciones impares ajustadas (OR). Resultados: La incidencia de fallo ventilatorio de ProSeal™ LMA fue del 5.2%. En el grupo de pacientes que presentaron fracaso, 69 eran mayores de 75 años (OR = 1.06; IC del 95%: 1.03 a 1.09; p < 0.001), 6 pacientes (23.1%) tenían distancia tiromentoniana inferior a 6 cm (OR = 2.48; IC del 95%: 0.93 a 6.62, p = 0.069), 5 (19.2%) presentaron profundidad inadecuada del anestésico y/o laringoespasmo (OR = 5.78; IC del 95%: 2.23 a 14.96; p < 0.001) y en 9 (34.6%) hubo uso intraoperatorio de NMB (OR = 2.35; IC del 95%: 1.06 a 5.21; p = 0.035). Conclusión: En pacientes con manejo de la LMA, la edad, el uso intraoperatorio de la NMB y la profundidad anestésica inadecuada y/o laringoespasmo son condiciones clínicas relacionadas con la insuficiencia respiratoria de la LMA ProSeal™.

Impact evaluation of camera enforcement for traffic violations in Cali, Colombia, 2008-2014.

INTRODUCTION: Cameras for detecting traffic violations have been used as a measure to improve road safety in different countries around the world. In Cali, Colombia, fixed cameras were installed in March 2012 on a number of roads and intersections. All camera devices are capable of detecting simultaneously the following traffic violations: driving over the speed limit, running a red light or stop sign, violation of the traffic ban schedule, and blocking the pedestrian crosswalk. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of camera enforcement of traffic violations in Cali, Colombia. METHODS: A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences study with before and after measurements and a comparison group was conducted. We observed 38 intervention areas and 50 comparison areas (250 m radius), during 42 months before and 34 months after the installation of cameras. Effects were estimated with mixed negative binomial regression models. RESULTS: In intervention areas, after 12 months, there was a reduction of 19.2% of all crashes and a 24.7% reduction of injury and fatal crashes. In comparison areas, this reduction was 15.0% for all crashes and 20.1% for injury and fatal crashes. After adjusted comparisons, intervention sites outperformed comparison sites with an additional yearly reduction of 5.3% (p = 0.045) for all crashes. CONCLUSIONS: The use of cameras for detecting traffic violations seems to have a positive effect on the reduction of crashes in intervention areas. A beneficial spillover effect was found as well in comparison areas; but more evaluations are needed.