Vaccination impact: mortality and time shift to COVID-19 maximum severity in hospitalized patients. An Argentine multicenter registry.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 vaccine became an effective instrument to prevent severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, 5% of vaccinated patients will have moderate or severe disease. OBJECTIVE: to compare mortality and days between the symptom onset to the peak disease severity, in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalized patients. METHODS: Retrospective observational study in 36 hospitals in Argentina. COVID-19 adults admitted to general wards between January 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022 were included. Days between symptoms onset to peak of severity were compared between vaccinated vs. unvaccinated patients with Cox regression, adjusted by Propensity Score Matching (PSM). Results in patients with one and two doses were also compared. RESULTS: A total of 3663 patients were included (3001 [81.9%] unvaccinated and 662 [18%] vaccinated). Time from symptom onset to peak severity was 7 days (IQR 4-12) vs. 7 days (IQR 4-11) in unvaccinated and vaccinated. In crude Cox regression analysis and matched population, no significant differences were observed. Regarding mortality, a Risk Ratio (RR) of 1.51 (IC95% 1.29-1.77) was observed in vaccinated patients, but in the PSM cohort, the RR was 0.73 (IC95% 0.60-0.88). RR in patients with one COVID-19 vaccine dose in PSM adjusted population was 0.7 (IC95% 0.45-1.03), and with two doses 0.6 (IC95% 0.46-0.79). DISCUSSION: The time elapsed between the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to the highest severity was similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. However, hospitalized vaccinated patients had a lower risk of mortality than unvaccinated patients.

Introducción: A pesar de la eficacia de la vacuna contra el COVID-19 el 5% de los pacientes vacunados presentaran una enfermedad moderada o grave. El objetivo del presente estudio fue comparar los días entre el inicio de los síntomas y la gravedad máxima de la enfermedad, en pacientes con COVID-19 vacunados vs. no vacunados. Métodos: Estudio observacional retrospectivo en 36 hospitales de Argentina. Se incluyeron adultos con COVID-19 hospitalizados entre el 1/01/2021 y 31/5/2022. Se recolectaron datos demográficos, comorbilidades y progresión clínica de la enfermedad. Se compararon los días entre el inicio de los síntomas y el pico de gravedad entre vacunados y no vacunados mediante regresión de Cox, ajustada por emparejamiento por Propensity Score Matching (PSM). En un análisis de subgrupos, se compararon los resultados en pacientes con una y dos dosis de vacuna. Resultados: Se incluyeron 3663 pacientes (3001 [81.9%] no vacunados y 662 [18%] vacunados). El tiempo transcurrido desde el inicio de los síntomas hasta el pico de gravedad fue de 7 días (IQR 4 - 12) en no vacunados, y de 7 días (IQR 4-11) en vacunados. Tanto en el análisis de regresión de Cox crudo como en el ajustado, no se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos (HR ajustado 1.08 [IC 95% 0.82-1.4; p = 0.56]). En cuanto a la mortalidad, el Riesgo Relativo (RR) fue 1.51 (IC95% 1.29-1.77) en los pacientes vacunados, pero en la cohorte ajustada por Propensity Score, el RR fue de 0.73 (IC95% 0.60-0.88). El RR en el grupo con una dosis de vacuna COVID-19 en el análisis PSM fue 0.7 (IC95% 0.45-1.03), y con dos dosis 0.6 (IC95% 0.46-0.79). Discusión: El tiempo entre el inicio de los síntomas de COVID-19 y el pico de severidad fue igual en vacunados y no vacunados. Sin embargo, los pacientes vacunados hospitalizados presentaron menor mortalidad tras el ajuste por confundidores.

Estudio multicéntrico sobre multimorbilidad en internados en áreas clínicas / Multicenter Study on Multimorbidity in Patients in Clinical Areas

Introducción: El estudio de la comorbilidad requiere de un enfoque multilateral con vistas a mejorar la calidad de la atención de los enfermos por el sistema de atención. Objetivos: Explorar la magnitud de la comorbilidad de enfermedades crónicas en adultos internados en los hospitales. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo-observacional-longitudinal-analítico. Se incluyeron pacientes internados en las Salas de Clínica Médica o pacientes clínicos en Salas de Internación Indiscriminada. Se realizó un estudio multicéntrico en 42 centros en un período de 2 años, con un muestreo consecutivo. Para el estudio se tuvo en cuenta la estadística descriptiva, inferencial y de regresión. Resultados: El total de pacientes en el estudio fue de 5925, masculinos con el 50,3 por ciento de edad 60,66 ± 0,25 años. Principal procedencia desde la guardia el 73 por ciento. La estadía hospitalaria de 12,61 ± 0,24 días, mayormente en pacientes quirúrgicos (15,45 ± 0,67 vs 11,76 ± 0,23; p < 0,00001). El 23 por ciento recibió tratamiento quirúrgico. El principal nivel educativo: secundario completo 21,6 por ciento. Dificultades económicas: 20 por ciento, mortalidad 9,26 por ciento; prevalencia de dislipemia, diabetes e hipertensión: 22,53 por ciento; 28,82 por ciento y 51,86 por ciento con 473 nuevos diagnósticos, IMC: 27,88 ± 0,65, Charlson global 2,09 ± 0,02 y en óbitos 3,84 ± 0,11. La media de patologías por paciente fue de 2,14 ± 0,01 y aumentó con la edad (p valor regresión lineal < 0,00001). Conclusiones: La hipertensión, la diabetes y la dislipemia representaron las entidades más prevalentes en Salas de Internación Clínica, Las enfermedades cardiovasculares, respiratorias, infectológicas, oncológicas, neurológicas, metabólicas y nefrológicas fueron predictores independientes de mortalidad(AU)

Introduction: The study of comorbidity requires a multilateral approach with a view to improving the quality of care for these patients by the care system. Objectives: To explore the magnitude of the comorbidity of chronic diseases in adults admitted to hospitals. Methods: Prospective-observational-longitudinal-analytical study. Patients hospitalized in a medical clinic room or clinical patients in indiscriminate hospitalization rooms are included, Multicenter study in 42 centers, with 2 years of recruitment. Consecutive sampling. Descriptive, inferential and regression statistics. Results: 5925 recruited, male gender 50,3percent, age 60,66 ± 0,25 years, main origin from the guard 73percent, stay 12,61 ± 0,24 days, longer in surgical (15,45 ± 0,67 vs 11,76 ± 0,23, p < 0,00001), 23percent received surgical treatment. Main educational level: complete secondary school 21,6%. Economic difficulties: 20percent, mortality 9,26percent, prevalence of dyslipidemia, diabetes and hypertension: 22,53percent, 28,82percent and 51,86percent with 473 new diagnoses in said pathologies, BMI: 27,88 ± 0,65, Global Charlson 2,09 ± 0,02 and in deaths 3,84 ± 0,11. The average number of pathologies per patient was 2,14 ± 0,01 and increased with age (p value for linear regression < 0,00001). Conclusions: Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia represented the most prevalent entities in the clinical hospitalization room, cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious, oncological, neurological, metabolic and nephrological diseases were independent predictors of mortality(AU)

Development and validation of COEWS (COVID-19 Early Warning Score) for hospitalized COVID-19 with laboratory features: A multicontinental retrospective study.

Background: The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with significant immune-evasiveness, the relaxation of measures for reducing the number of infections, the waning of immune protection (particularly in high-risk population groups), and the low uptake of new vaccine boosters, forecast new waves of hospitalizations and admission to intensive care units. There is an urgent need for easily implementable and clinically effective Early Warning Scores (EWSs) that can predict the risk of complications within the next 24-48 hr. Although EWSs have been used in the evaluation of COVID-19 patients, there are several clinical limitations to their use. Moreover, no models have been tested on geographically distinct populations or population groups with varying levels of immune protection. Methods: We developed and validated COVID-19 Early Warning Score (COEWS), an EWS that is automatically calculated solely from laboratory parameters that are widely available and affordable. We benchmarked COEWS against the widely used NEWS2. We also evaluated the predictive performance of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Results: The variables of the COEWS predictive model were selected based on their predictive coefficients and on the wide availability of these laboratory variables. The final model included complete blood count, blood glucose, and oxygen saturation features. To make COEWS more actionable in real clinical situations, we transformed the predictive coefficients of the COEWS model into individual scores for each selected feature. The global score serves as an easy-to-calculate measure indicating the risk of a patient developing the combined outcome of mechanical ventilation or death within the next 48 hr.The discrimination in the external validation cohort was 0.743 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.703-0.784) for the COEWS score performed with coefficients and 0.700 (95% CI: 0.654-0.745) for the COEWS performed with scores. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Additionally, we observed that the AUROC of the NEWS2 was 0.677 (95% CI: 0.601-0.752) in vaccinated patients and 0.648 (95% CI: 0.608-0.689) in unvaccinated patients. Conclusions: The COEWS score predicts death or MV within the next 48 hr based on routine and widely available laboratory measurements. The extensive external validation, its high performance, its ease of use, and its positive benchmark in comparison with the widely used NEWS2 position COEWS as a new reference tool for assisting clinical decisions and improving patient care in the upcoming pandemic waves. Funding: University of Vienna.

COVID-19 vaccines reduce mortality in hospitalized patients with oxygen requirements: Differences between vaccine subtypes. A multicontinental cohort study.

The aim of this study was to analyze whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine reduces mortality in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 disease requiring oxygen therapy. A retrospective cohort study, with data from 148 hospitals in both Spain (111 hospitals) and Argentina (37 hospitals), was conducted. We evaluated hospitalized patients for COVID-19 older than 18 years with oxygen requirements. Vaccine protection against death was assessed through a multivariable logistic regression and propensity score matching. We also performed a subgroup analysis according to vaccine type. The adjusted model was used to determine the population attributable risk. Between January 2020 and May 2022, we evaluated 21,479 COVID-19 hospitalized patients with oxygen requirements. Of these, 338 (1.5%) patients received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 379 (1.8%) were fully vaccinated. In vaccinated patients, mortality was 20.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.9-24), compared to 19.5% (95% CI: 19-20) in unvaccinated patients, resulting in a crude odds ratio (OR) of 1.07 (95% CI: 0.89-1.29; p = 0.41). However, after considering the multiple comorbidities in the vaccinated group, the adjusted OR was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.56-0.95; p = 0.02) with a population attributable risk reduction of 4.3% (95% CI: 1-5). The higher risk reduction for mortality was with messenger RNA (mRNA) BNT162b2 (Pfizer) (OR 0.37; 95% CI: 0.23-0.59; p < 0.01), ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca) (OR 0.42; 95% CI: 0.20-0.86; p = 0.02), and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) (OR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.41-1.12; p = 0.13), and lower with Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik) (OR 0.93; 95% CI: 0.6-1.45; p = 0.76). COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce the probability of death in patients suffering from a moderate or severe disease (oxygen therapy).

Burden of disease due to amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, and opioid use disorders in South America, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: South America's substance use profile, poverty, income inequality, and cocaine-supplier role make it a unique place for substance use research. This study investigated the burden of disease attributable to amphetamine use disorder, cannabis use disorder (CAD), cocaine use disorder, and opioid use disorder (OUD) in South America from 1990 to 2019, on the basis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. METHODS: GBD 2019 estimated the incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLL), years of life lived with disability (YLD), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to substance use disorders in each of the 12 South American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela). Data were modelled using standardised tools (ie, the Cause of Death Ensemble model, spatio-temporal Gaussian process regression, and disease modelling meta-regression) to generate estimates of each quantity of interest by sex, location, and year. The analysis included comparisons by sex and country, and against regional and global estimates. FINDINGS: In 2019, the highest amphetamine use disorder burden per 100 000 population in South America was in Peru (66 DALYs). CAD DALY rates per 100 000 in South America were stable between 1990 and 2019, except in Chile and Colombia, which had the highest rates in 2019 (19 DALYs for Chile and 18 DALYs for Colombia). OUD DALYs per 100 000 increased during the period in Brazil and Peru, which in 2019 had the highest rates in South America (82 DALYs for Brazil and 70 DALYs for Peru). In 2019, Brazil had the highest cocaine use disorder DALYs per 100 000 (45 DALYs), nearly double its rate in 1990. DALY rates were higher in males than females for each substance use disorder, except in Paraguay. The overall burden of substance use disorders was higher in males than in females, mainly because of cocaine use disorder and CAD, whereas for amphetamine use disorder, the difference between sexes was minimal, and for OUD there was no difference. For males and females, the highest rate of substance use disorders DALYs per 100 000 was for OUD except in Argentina (in males, 58 DALYs for cocaine use disorder vs 52 DALYs for OUD) and in Paraguay (in females, 77 for amphetamine use disorder vs 50 for OUD). CAD DALY rates were generally the lowest among the substance use disorders for males and females. Amphetamine use disorder YLD rates were reasonably stable throughout the period and were highest in Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay (>40 YLD per 100 000). For CAD, YLD rates were stable in all countries except Chile and Colombia. Cocaine use disorder YLD rates per 100 000 for the top four countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Brazil) increased from 1990 to 2010 (eg, from 19 to 33 in Brazil), but decreased between 2010 and 2019 (eg, from 36 to 31 in Chile). For OUD, YLD rates showed a slight increase in most countries apart from Brazil, which increased from 52 in 1990 to 80 in 2019 and was top among the countries. Amphetamine use disorder YLL rates per 100 000 were highest in Suriname and Peru during the period, although in Suriname it increased from 2·7 in 2010 to 3·2 in 2019, whereas in Peru it decreased from 2·1 to 1·7. The highest YLL rate for cocaine use disorder was in Brazil, which increased from 3·7 in 1990 to 18·1 in 2019. Between 2000 and 2019, Chile and Uruguay showed the highest OUD YLL rates (11·6 for Chile and 10·9 for Uruguay). A high incidence of CAD was found in Chile, Colombia, Guyana, and Suriname. There were high incidences of amphetamine use disorder in Paraguay, cocaine use disorder in Argentina, and OUD in Ecuador. A decrease in annual prevalence for substance use disorders during the period was observed in Venezuela (amphetamine use disorder, CAD, and OUD), Brazil (CAD and amphetamine use disorder), Colombia (amphetamine use disorder and cocaine use disorder), Peru (amphetamine use disorder and cocaine use disorder), Chile and Suriname (amphetamine use disorder), Uruguay (CAD), and Bolivia (OUD). Overall, the cocaine use disorder burden stabilised then decreased. OUD was less prevalent than other substance use disorders but its burden was the highest. INTERPRETATION: The decrease in the burden of cocaine use disorder probably reflects the success of national standardised treatment programmes. Programmes for amphetamine use disorder, CAD, and OUD management should be improved. We did not find an increase in CAD burden in Uruguay, the country with the highest degree of cannabis decriminalisation in the region. Countries in South America should improve monitoring of substance use disorders, including regular surveys to provide more accurate data on which to base policy decisions. FUNDING: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

[Position of the international forum of internal medicine on habits, lifestyle changes and a healthy environment for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases]. / Posicionamiento del foro Internacional de Medicina Interna sobre Hábitos, modificaciones del Estilo de Vida y Ambiente Saludable para la Prevención de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), mainly ischemic heart disease and stroke, is the main cause of death worldwide and each year more people die from CVD than from any other cause. These data call for a paradigm shift, where health promotion and cardiovascular prevention will acquire a central role in health policies. From this perspective, dedicating time during the consultation to promoting the acquisition of heart-healthy habits would be indicated in all individuals, regardless of cardiovascular risk classification, the role of the internist being fundamental. This position document from the International Forum of Internal Medicine (FIMI) presents the main indications regarding changes in lifestyle and acquisition of healthy habits to prevent CVD. The different sections will address topics including: nutrition, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, stress, environmental problems related to CVD and specific conditions in women. A section is included about starting CVD promotion and prevention measures at an early age, childhood and adolescence, also mentioning epigenetic aspects related to CVD. Social determinants in CVD are also taken into account, since some of these aspects, such as low socioeconomic level, modify cardiovascular risk and should be taken into account.

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV), principalmente la cardiopatía isquémica y el accidente cerebrovascular (ACV), constituyen la principal causa de muerte a nivel mundial y cada año mueren más personas por ECV que por cualquier otra causa. Estos datos requieren la necesidad de un cambio de paradigma, en donde la promoción de la salud y la prevención cardiovascular adquieran un papel central en las políticas sanitarias. Desde esta perspectiva, dedicar tiempo durante la consulta en promocionar la adquisición de hábitos cardiosaludables estaría indicado en todos los individuos, independientemente de la clasificación de riesgo cardiovascular, siendo fundamental el rol del médico internista en su función de médico de cabecera. En este documento de posicionamiento del Foro Internacional de Medicina Interna (FIMI) se presentan algunas pautas para recomendar e indicar modificaciones en el estilo de vida y adquisición de hábitos saludables para prevenir la ECV, que tienen el objetivo de ser una herramienta practica para el médico internista. Las diferentes secciones abordaran temas que incluyen: nutrición, actividad física, sedentarismo, obesidad, hábito tabáquico, consumo de alcohol, sueño, estrés, problemas ambientales relacionados a la ECV y condiciones específicas en la mujer. Se incluyó un apartado acerca de comenzar las medidas de promoción y prevención de ECV en edades tempranas, infancia y adolescencia, mencionando además aspectos epigenéticos relacionados a la ECV. Se tienen en cuenta además los determinantes sociales en ECV, ya que algunos de estos aspectos, como el bajo nivel socioeconómico, modifican el riesgo cardiovascular y debieran ser tenidos en cuenta.

Position of the international forum of internal medicine on habits, lifestyle changes and a healthy environment for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), mainly ischemic heart disease and stroke, is the main cause of death worldwide and each year more people die from CVD than from any other cause. These data call for a paradigm shift, where health promotion and cardiovascular prevention will acquire a central role in health policies. From this perspective, dedicating time during the consultation to promoting the acquisition of heart-healthy habits would be indicated in all individuals, regardless of cardiovascular risk classification, the role of the internist being fundamental. This position document from the International Forum of Internal Medicine (FIMI) presents the main indications regarding changes in lifestyle and acquisition of healthy habits to prevent CVD. The different sections will address topics including: nutrition, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, stress, environmental problems related to CVD and specific conditions in women. A section is included about starting CVD promotion and prevention measures at an early age, childhood and adolescence, also mentioning epigenetic aspects related to CVD. Social determinants in CVD are also taken into account, since some of these aspects, such as low socioeconomic level, modify cardiovascular risk and should be taken into account.

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV), principalmente la cardiopatía isquémica y el accidente cerebrovascular (ACV), constituyen la principal causa de muerte a nivel mundial y cada año mueren más personas por ECV que por cualquier otra causa. Estos datos requieren la necesidad de un cambio de paradigma, en donde la promoción de la salud y la prevención cardiovascular adquieran un papel central en las políticas sanitarias. Desde esta perspectiva, dedicar tiempo durante la consulta en promocionar la adquisición de hábitos cardiosaludables estaría indicado en todos los individuos, independientemente de la clasificación de riesgo cardiovascular, siendo fundamental el rol del médico internista en su función de médico de cabecera. En este documento de posicionamiento del Foro Internacional de Medicina Interna (FIMI) se presentan algunas pautas para recomendar e indicar modificaciones en el estilo de vida y adquisición de hábitos saludables para prevenir la ECV, que tienen el objetivo de ser una herramienta practica para el médico internista. Las diferentes secciones abordaran temas que incluyen: nutrición, actividad física, sedentarismo, obesidad, hábito tabáquico, consumo de alcohol, sueño, estrés, problemas ambientales relacionados a la ECV y condiciones específicas en la mujer. Se incluyó un apartado acerca de comenzar las medidas de promoción y prevención de ECV en edades tempranas, infancia y adolescencia, mencionando además aspectos epigenéticos relacionados a la ECV. Se tienen en cuenta además los determinantes sociales en ECV, ya que algunos de estos aspectos, como el bajo nivel socioeconómico, modifican el riesgo cardiovascular y debieran ser tenidos en cuenta.

Alcohol and drug consumption in pregnant women admitted to a hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Initial Impact Assessment on the Newborn / Consumo de alcohol y drogas en embarazadas internadas en un hospital de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Evaluación del impacto inicial en el recién nacido.

Introduction: The objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of prenatal exposure to drugs and the neonatal impact. Material and methods: Prospective, observational, cross-sectional and analytical study of pregnant women and newborns admitted between March and September 2021. To estimate the prevalence of consumption, the survey and detection of drugs in maternal urine were used as a detection method. Results: Alcohol consumption had a prevalence of 46.32%, followed by tobacco with 12.12%, marijuana with 5.62% and cocaine with 4.76%. The weight of newborns with mothers with urine positive for some substance was significantly lower than the weight of newborns with mothers with negative urine (mean ± SE of 2800±184gr vs 3332±41gr and median ± MAD of 2950±380gr vs 3385± 335g p 0.002). Gestational age was also significantly lower in neonates with mothers with positive urine (38.00 vs 39.00 p 0.002). Although the prevalence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), malformations, and prematurity was higher in those cases with positive urine, the difference did not become statistically significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of substance and alcohol use during pregnancy was high with a statistically significant impact on exposed newborns for both weight and gestational age.

Introducción: El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue estimar la prevalencia de exposición prenatal a drogas y el impacto neonatal. Materiales y métodos: Estudio prospectivo, observacional, transversal y analítico de embarazadas y recién nacidos ingresados entre marzo y septiembre del 2021. Para estimar la prevalencia de consumo se utilizaron como métodos de detección la encuesta y la detección de drogas en orina materna. Resultados: El consumo de alcohol tuvo una prevalencia del 46.32%, seguido por el tabaco con el 12.12%, la marihuana con el 5.62% y la cocaína con el 4.76%. El peso de los neonatos con madres con orina positiva para alguna sustancia fue significativamente menor que el peso de los neonatos con madres con orina negativa (media ± ES de 2800±184gr vs 3332±41gr y mediana ± DAM de 2950±380gr vs 3385±335gr p 0.002). La edad gestacional también fue significativamente menor en neonatos con madres con orina positiva (38.00 vs 39.00 p 0.002). Si bien la prevalencia de retardo en el crecimiento intrauterino (RCIU), de malformaciones y de prematurez fue superior en aquellos casos con orinas positivas, la diferencia no llegó a ser estadísticamente significativa. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de consumo de sustancias y alcohol durante el embarazo fue elevada con una repercusión estadísticamente significativa en los recién nacidos expuestos tanto para el peso como para la edad gestacional.

Recomendaciones en el abordaje del hematoma intracerebral espontáneo durante la internación / Recommendations for the management of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage during hospitalization

Resumen El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) constituye la principal causa de discapacidad de origen neuro- lógico en los adultos mayores a 40 años y la cuarta causa de muerte en Argentina. En los últimos diez años las publicaciones indexadas relacionadas al tratamiento del ACV isquémico fueron más numerosas que las de ACV hemorrágico. El objetivo de este material es proporcionar recomendaciones locales y actualiza- das del abordaje de pacientes con hematoma intraparenquimatoso espontáneo durante la internación. Para la redacción de este manuscrito se convocó a especialistas en esta enfermedad que conformaron grupos de trabajo. Se plantearon 10 tópicos centrales expresados como epidemiologia, atención inicial, imágenes, tratamiento de la presión arterial, reversión de antitrombóticos, indicación de cirugía, profilaxis anticonvulsivante, pronóstico, prevención de complicaciones y reinicio de antitrombóticos. De cada tópico se plantearon mediante preguntas PICO los interrogantes más frecuentes de la práctica diaria. Luego de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se generaron recomendaciones evaluadas mediante sistema GRADE y consensuadas entre autores y pacientes.

Abstract Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability in people over 40 years of age and the fourth leading cause of death in Argentina. In the last ten years, the indexed publications related to the treatment of ischemic stroke were more numerous than those of hemorrhagic stroke. The objective of this material is to provide local and updated recommendations for the management of patients with spontaneous intracere- bral hemorrhage during hospitalization. For the writing of this manuscript, diferent specialists were convened to form working groups. Ten central topics expressed as epidemiology, initial care, imaging, blood pressure treatment, reversal of antithrombotics, indication for surgery, seizure prophylaxis, prognosis, prevention of complications and resumption of antithrombotics were raised. For each topic, the most frequent questions of daily practice were raised through PICO questions. After a systematic review of the literature, recommendations were generated, evaluated using the GRADE system and agreed between authors and patients.

[Recommendations For The Management Of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage During Hospitalization]. / Recomendaciones en el Abordaje del Hematoma Intracerebral Espontáneo Durante la Internación.

Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability in people over 40 years of age and the fourth leading cause of death in Argentina. In the last ten years, the indexed publications related to the treatment of ischemic stroke were more numerous than those of hemorrhagic stroke. The objective of this material is to provide local and updated recommendations for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage during hospitalization. For the writing of this manuscript, diferent specialists were convened to form working groups. Ten central topics expressed as epidemiology, initial care, imaging, blood pressure treatment, reversal of antithrombotics, indication for surgery, seizure prophylaxis, prognosis, prevention of complications and resumption of antithrombotics were raised. For each topic, the most frequent questions of daily practice were raised through PICO questions. After a systematic review of the literature, recommendations were generated, evaluated using the GRADE system and agreed between authors and patients.

El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) constituye la principal causa de discapacidad de origen neurológico en los adultos mayores a 40 años y la cuarta causa de muerte en Argentina. En los últimos diez años las publicaciones indexadas relacionadas al tratamiento del ACV isquémico fueron más numerosas que las de ACV hemorrágico. El objetivo de este material es proporcionar recomendaciones locales y actualizadas del abordaje de pacientes con hematoma intraparenquimatoso espontáneo durante la internación. Para la redacción de este manuscrito se convocó a especialistas en esta enfermedad que conformaron grupos de trabajo. Se plantearon 10 tópicos centrales expresados como epidemiologia, atención inicial, imágenes, tratamiento de la presión arterial, reversión de antitrombóticos, indicación de cirugía, profilaxis anticonvulsivante, pronóstico, prevención de complicaciones y reinicio de antitrombóticos. De cada tópico se plantearon mediante preguntas PICO los interrogantes más frecuentes de la práctica diaria. Luego de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se generaron recomendaciones evaluadas mediante sistema GRADE y consensuadas entre autores y pacientes.

[Persistent hiccup as initial clinical manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection]. / Hipo (singulto) persistente como manifestación clínica inicial de infección por SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 infection usually manifests as an acute respiratory syndrome, characterized by fever, cough, sore throat and dyspnea. Nonetheless, since the beginning of the pandemic in December 2019, less frequent initial symptoms were reported, as the sudden appearance of hiccups (singultus). We describe a clinical case of a 62-year-old male with a medical history of arterial hypertension, diabetes and chronic cardiac insufficiency, who complained of persistent hiccups as initial manifestation of COVID-19, followed by respiratory symptoms. After the SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis was made, the patient was hospitalized, receiving the corresponding treatment. The singultus partially improved with dopaminergic antagonists and it disappeared on the sixth day of hospitalization. Glycemic correction with regular insulin was required. He presented a favorable outcome, being discharged after 14 days of hospitalization.

La infección por SARS-CoV-2 se presenta generalmente como un síndrome respiratorio agudo, caracterizado por fiebre, tos, odinofagia y disnea. Sin embargo, desde el comienzo de la pandemia, a fines del año 2019, fueron reportados otros síntomas menos frecuentes, como manifestación inicial de la enfermedad, entre ellos la aparición de hipo (singulto). Se describe el caso de un varón de 62 años de edad con antecedentes de hipertensión arterial, diabetes e insuficiencia cardiaca, que sufrió hipo persistente como primer síntoma de COVD-19, seguido de síntomas respiratorios. Luego de efectuado el diagnóstico de infección por SARS-CoV-2, el paciente fue hospitalizado y recibió el tratamiento correspondiente. El singulto mejoró parcialmente con el uso de fármacos anti-dopaminérgicos (metoclopramida) y desapareció al sexto día de internación. Se requirió la corrección de la glucemia con insulina corriente. Evolucionó favorablemente y fue externado luego de 14 días de hospitalización.

Development and evaluation of a machine learning-based in-hospital COVID-19 disease outcome predictor (CODOP): A multicontinental retrospective study.

New SARS-CoV-2 variants, breakthrough infections, waning immunity, and sub-optimal vaccination rates account for surges of hospitalizations and deaths. There is an urgent need for clinically valuable and generalizable triage tools assisting the allocation of hospital resources, particularly in resource-limited countries. We developed and validate CODOP, a machine learning-based tool for predicting the clinical outcome of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. CODOP was trained, tested and validated with six cohorts encompassing 29223 COVID-19 patients from more than 150 hospitals in Spain, the USA and Latin America during 2020-22. CODOP uses 12 clinical parameters commonly measured at hospital admission for reaching high discriminative ability up to 9 days before clinical resolution (AUROC: 0·90-0·96), it is well calibrated, and it enables an effective dynamic risk stratification during hospitalization. Furthermore, CODOP maintains its predictive ability independently of the virus variant and the vaccination status. To reckon with the fluctuating pressure levels in hospitals during the pandemic, we offer two online CODOP calculators, suited for undertriage or overtriage scenarios, validated with a cohort of patients from 42 hospitals in three Latin American countries (78-100% sensitivity and 89-97% specificity). The performance of CODOP in heterogeneous and geographically disperse patient cohorts and the easiness of use strongly suggest its clinical utility, particularly in resource-limited countries.

While COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, new variants, waxing immunity, unequal rollout and relaxation of mitigation strategies mean that the pandemic will keep on sending shockwaves across healthcare systems. In this context, it is crucial to equip clinicians with tools to triage COVID-19 patients and forecast who will experience the worst forms of the disease. Prediction models based on artificial intelligence could help in this effort, but the task is not straightforward. Indeed, the pandemic is defined by ever-changing factors which artificial intelligence needs to cope with. To be useful in the clinic, a prediction model should make accurate prediction regardless of hospital location, viral variants or vaccination and immunity statuses. It should also be able to adapt its output to the level of resources available in a hospital at any given time. Finally, these tools need to seamlessly integrate into clinical workflows to not burden clinicians. In response, Klén et al. built CODOP, a freely available prediction algorithm that calculates the death risk of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (https://gomezvarelalab.em.mpg.de/codop/). This model was designed based on biochemical data from routine blood analyses of COVID-19 patients. Crucially, the dataset included 30,000 individuals from 150 hospitals in Spain, the United States, Honduras, Bolivia and Argentina, sampled between March 2020 and February 2022 and carrying most of the main COVID-19 variants (from the original Wuhan version to Omicron). CODOP can predict the death or survival of hospitalized patients with high accuracy up to nine days before the clinical outcome occurs. These forecasting abilities are preserved independently of vaccination status or viral variant. The next step is to tailor the model to the current pandemic situation, which features increasing numbers of infected people as well as accumulating immune protection in the overall population. Further development will refine CODOP so that the algorithm can detect who will need hospitalisation in the next 24 hours, and who will need admission in intensive care in the next two days. Equipping primary care settings and hospitals with these tools will help to restore previous standards of health care during the upcoming waves of infections, particularly in countries with limited resources.

Hipo (singulto) persistente como manifestación clínica inicial de infección por SARS-COV-2 / Persistent hiccup as initial clinical manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Resumen La infección por SARS-CoV-2 se presenta generalmente como un síndrome respiratorio agudo, caracterizado por fiebre, tos, odinofagia y disnea. Sin embargo, desde el comienzo de la pandemia, a fines del año 2019, fueron reportados otros síntomas menos frecuentes, como manifestación inicial de la en fermedad, entre ellos la aparición de hipo (singulto). Se describe el caso de un varón de 62 años de edad con antecedentes de hipertensión arterial, diabetes e insuficiencia cardiaca, que sufrió hipo persistente como primer síntoma de COVD-19, seguido de síntomas respiratorios. Luego de efectuado el diagnóstico de infección por SARS-CoV-2, el paciente fue hospitalizado y recibió el tratamiento correspondiente. El singulto mejoró parcial mente con el uso de fármacos anti-dopaminérgicos (metoclopramida) y desapareció al sexto día de internación. Se requirió la corrección de la glucemia con insulina corriente. Evolucionó favorablemente y fue externado luego de 14 días de hospitalización.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infection usually manifests as an acute respiratory syndrome, characterized by fever, cough, sore throat and dyspnea. Nonetheless, since the beginning of the pandemic in December 2019, less frequent initial symptoms were reported, as the sudden appearance of hiccups (singultus). We describe a clinical case of a 62-year-old male with a medical history of arterial hypertension, diabetes and chronic cardiac insufficiency, who complained of persistent hiccups as initial manifestation of COVID-19, followed by respiratory symptoms. After the SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis was made, the patient was hospitalized, receiving the corresponding treat ment. The singultus partially improved with dopaminergic antagonists and it disappeared on the sixth day of hospitalization. Glycemic correction with regular insulin was required. He presented a favorable outcome, being discharged after 14 days of hospitalization.

[Seroprevalence of anti S1 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in workers vaccinated with Sputnik V at a public hospital in Buenos Aires]. / Seroprevalencia de anticuerpos anti S1 SARS-CoV-2 en trabajadores vacunados con Sputnik V en un hospital público de la ciudad de Buenos Aires.

The humoral immune response associated with both SARSCoV-2 infection and vaccination with Sputnik V in health workers, was analyzed.. A study was carried out in 660 health workers vaccinated with 2 doses of Sputnik V at the Vélez Sarsfield hospital, in the city of Buenos Aires, from December 2020 to April 2021. The objectives were to quantify anti-S1 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in vaccinated individuals and to determine clinical and pathological factors associated with that response. Samples were taken at least 21 days after the second vaccine dose. The mean age was 45 years (ES 0.44), 71.1% were women and 20.7% (n = 137) reported previous COVID-19 infection. IgG anti-spike (S) 1 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 99.7% (n = 658) of the participants. The mean titer was 4197 ± 263.87 AU / ml (95 CI: 3679.1, 4715.3). The antibody response was higher in the group with prior COVID-19 disease vs. the group with no previous infection (10 693 ± 846.22 AU / ml vs. 2495.8 ± 187.98 AU / ml, p < 0.0001 in t-test). In a subgroup of 21 participants with high titers of anti-S1 IgG antibodies and with no apparent previous COVID-19, 11 individuals were positive for antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid. It is concluded that most of the vaccinated health workers developed antibodies and that those who had the disease prior to vaccination had higher antibody titers than those who did not have the disease.

Se analizó la respuesta inmune humoral asociada, tanto a la infección por SARS-CoV-2 como a la vacunación, en trabajadores de salud, estudiándose la vacuna Sputnik V, primera en ser aplicada en Argentina a este grupo poblacional. Se realizó un estudio en 660 trabajadores de salud vacunados con 2 dosis de Sputnik V en el hospital Vélez Sarsfield, de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, desde diciembre 2020 a abril del 2021. Los objetivos fueron cuantificar anticuerpos IgG anti S1 SARS-CoV-2 en individuos vacunados y determinar factores clínico patológicos asociados a esa respuesta. Las muestras fueron tomadas al menos 21 días después de la segunda dosis. El 71.1% eran mujeres y la media de edad 45 años (ES 0.44). El 20.7% (n=137) refirió haber cursado COVID-19. El 99.7% (n 658) presentó anticuerpos IgG anti S1 SARS-CoV-2. La media de esos títulos fue 4197 ± 263.87 AU/ml (IC 95: 3679.1, 4715.3), superior en el grupo con COVID-19 previa vs. el grupo que no refirió haberla tenido (10 693 ± 846.22 AU/ml vs. 2495.8 ± 187.98 AU/ml, p < 0.0001 en test t). Se estudió un subgrupo de 21 participantes sin aparente COVID-19 anterior y que presentó títulos altos de anticuerpos IgG anti S1. Se les realizó dosaje de anticuerpo anti N, que resultó positivo en 11 de ellos. Se concluye que la mayoría de los trabajadores de la salud vacunados desarrollaron anticuerpos y que quienes cursaron la enfermedad previa a la vacunación tuvieron mayores títulos de anticuerpos que los que no cursaron la enfermedad.

[Descriptive analysis of 4776 patients admitted to medical clinic services for COVID-19. Results of the Argentine Multi-Center Registry - REMA-COVID-19]. / Análisis descriptivo de 4776 pacientes internados en servicios de clínica médica por COVID-19. Resultados del Registro Multicéntrico Argentino - REMA-COVID-19.

A multicenter registry that included adults hospitalized for COVID-19 was carried out in various provinces of Argentina, from March to October 2020. The objectives were to describe the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, treatments, complications and risk factors, need for admission to critical care units and mortality. The registry included information on 4776 patients in 37 health centers in Argentina. Of them, 70.2% came from the city of Buenos Aires and from Buenos Aires Province; 52.3% were men. The mean age was 56 years (SD 20.3). Of them, 13.1% stated that they were health personnel. The median time of symptoms at the time of hospitalization was 3 days (CI 1-6). The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension in 32.4% and diabetes mellitus in 15.8%. The most frequent symptoms were: cough 58%, odynophagia 23.3%, myalgia 20.5% and fever / low-grade fever 19.9%. The hospital stay had a median of 8 days (CI 4-15). A 14.8% of the patients required critical care, while 3.2% who also required it, were not transferred to a closed unit due to adequacy of the therapeutic effort. The most frequent complications in critical care were: cardiovascular events (54.1%), septic shock (33.3%), renal failure (9.7%) and pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation (12.5%). Overall mortality was 12.3%. Old age, dementia and COPD behaved as independent predictors of mortality (p < 0.001, 0.007 and 0.002 respectively) in the multivariate analysis.

Se realizó un registro multicéntrico que incluyó personas adultas internadas por COVID-19 en varias provincias de la Argentina, desde marzo a octubre de 2020. Los objetivos fueron describir las características epidemiológicas, manifestaciones clínicas, tratamientos, complicaciones y factores de riesgo, necesidad de admisión a unidades de cuidados críticos y mortalidad. El registro incluyó información de 4776 pacientes, en 37 centros de salud de Argentina. El 70.2% provenían de la ciudad de Buenos Aires y la provincia de Buenos Aires. El 52.3% eran hombres. La media de edad fue de 56 años (DE 20.3). Un 13.1% de pacientes manifestó ser personal de salud. La mediana de tiempo de síntomas al momento de la internación fue de 3 días (IC 1-6). Las comorbilidades más frecuentes fueron hipertensión arterial en 32.4% y diabetes mellitus en 15.8%. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: tos 58%, odinofagia 23.3%, mialgias 20.5% y fiebre/febrícula 19.9%. La estadía hospitalaria tuvo una mediana de internación de 8 días (IC 4-15). El 14.8% de los pacientes requirió cuidados críticos, en tanto que el 3.2%, que también lo requería, no pasó a unidad cerrada por adecuación del esfuerzo terapéutico. Las complicaciones más frecuentes en cuidados críticos fueron: eventos cardiovasculares (54.1%), shock séptico (33.3%), insuficiencia renal (9.7%) y neumonía asociada a la ventilación mecánica (12.5%). La mortalidad global fue del 12.3%. La edad avanzada, demencia y EPOC se comportaron como predictores independientes de mortalidad (p < 0.001, 0.007 y 0.002 respectivamente) en el análisis multivariado.

Análisis descriptivo de 4776 pacientes internados en servicios de clínica médica POR COVID-19. Resultados del Registro Multicéntrico Argentino - REMA-COVID-19 / Descriptive analysis of 4776 patients admitted to medical clinic services for COVID-19. Results of the Argentine Multi-Center Registry - REMA-COVID-19

Resumen Se realizó un registro multicéntrico que incluyó personas adultas internadas por COVID-19 en varias provincias de la Argentina, desde marzo a octubre de 2020. Los objetivos fueron describir las características epidemiológicas, manifestaciones clínicas, tratamientos, complicaciones y factores de riesgo, necesidad de admisión a unidades de cuidados críticos y mortalidad. El registro incluyó información de 4776 pacientes, en 37 centros de salud de Argentina. El 70.2% provenían de la ciudad de Buenos Aires y la provincia de Buenos Aires. El 52.3% eran hombres. La media de edad fue de 56 años (DE 20.3). Un 13.1% de pacientes manifestó ser personal de salud. La mediana de tiempo de síntomas al momento de la internación fue de 3 días (IC 1-6). Las comorbilidades más frecuentes fueron hipertensión arterial en 32.4% y diabetes mellitus en 15.8%. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: tos 58%, odinofagia 23.3%, mialgias 20.5% y fiebre/febrícula 19.9%. La estadía hospitalaria tuvo una mediana de internación de 8 días (IC 4-15). El 14.8% de los pacientes requirió cuidados críticos, en tanto que el 3.2%, que también lo requería, no pasó a unidad cerrada por adecuación del esfuerzo terapéutico. Las complicaciones más frecuentes en cuidados críticos fueron: eventos cardiovasculares (54.1%), shock séptico (33.3%), insuficiencia renal (9.7%) y neumonía asociada a la ventilación mecánica (12.5%). La mortalidad global fue del 12.3%. La edad avanzada, demencia y EPOC se comportaron como predictores independientes de mortalidad (p < 0.001, 0.007 y 0.002 respectivamente) en el análisis multivariado.

Abstract A multicenter registry that in cluded adults hospitalized for COVID-19 was carried out in various provinces of Argentina, from March to October 2020. The objectives were to describe the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, treatments, complications and risk factors, need for admission to critical care units and mortality. The registry included information on 4776 patients in 37 health centers in Argentina. Of them, 70.2% came from the city of Buenos Aires and from Buenos Aires Province; 52.3% were men. The mean age was 56 years (SD 20.3). Of them, 13.1% stated that they were health personnel. The median time of symptoms at the time of hospitalization was 3 days (CI 1-6). The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension in 32.4% and diabetes mellitus in 15.8%. The most frequent symptoms were: cough 58%, odynophagia 23.3%, myalgia 20.5% and fever / low-grade fever 19.9%. The hospital stay had a median of 8 days (CI 4-15). A 14.8% of the patients required critical care, while 3.2% who also required it, were not transferred to a closed unit due to adequacy of the thera peutic effort. The most frequent complications in critical care were: cardiovascular events (54.1%), septic shock (33.3%), renal failure (9.7%) and pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation (12.5%). Overall mortality was 12.3%. Old age, dementia and COPD behaved as independent predictors of mortality (p < 0.001, 0.007 and 0.002 respectively) in the multivariate analysis.

Seroprevalencia de anticuerpos anti S1 SARS-COV-2 en trabajadores vacunados con Sputnik V en un hospital público de la ciudad de Buenos Aires / Seroprevalence of anti S1 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in workers vaccinated with Sputnik V at a public hospital in Buenos Aires

Resumen Se analizó la respuesta inmune humoral asociada, tanto a la infección por SARS-CoV-2 como a la vacunación, en trabajadores de salud, estudiándose la vacuna Sputnik V, primera en ser aplicada en Argentina a este grupo poblacional. Se realizó un estudio en 660 trabajadores de salud vacunados con 2 dosis de Sputnik V en el hospital Vélez Sarsfield, de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, desde diciembre 2020 a abril del 2021. Los objetivos fueron cuantificar anticuerpos IgG anti S1 SARS-CoV-2 en individuos vacunados y determinar factores clínico patológicos asociados a esa respuesta. Las muestras fueron tomadas al menos 21 días después de la segunda dosis. El 71.1% eran mujeres y la media de edad 45 años (ES 0.44). El 20.7% (n=137) refirió haber cursado COVID-19. El 99.7% (n 658) presentó anticuerpos IgG anti S1 SARS-CoV-2. La media de esos títulos fue 4197 ± 263.87 AU/ml (IC 95: 3679.1, 4715.3), superior en el grupo con COVID-19 previa vs. el grupo que no refirió haberla tenido (10 693 ± 846.22 AU/ml vs. 2495.8 ± 187.98 AU/ml, p < 0.0001 en test t). Se estudió un subgrupo de 21 participantes sin aparente COVID-19 anterior y que presentó títulos altos de anticuerpos IgG anti S1. Se les realizó dosaje de anticuerpo anti N, que resultó positivo en 11 de ellos. Se concluye que la mayoría de los trabajadores de la salud vacunados desarrollaron anticuerpos y que quienes cursaron la enfermedad previa a la vacunación tuvieron mayores títulos de anticuerpos que los que no cursaron la enfermedad.

Abstract The humoral immune response associated with both SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination with Sputnik V in health workers, was analyzed. A study was carried out in 660 health workers vaccinated with 2 doses of Sputnik V at the Vélez Sarsfield hospital, in the city of Buenos Aires, from December 2020 to April 2021. The objectives were to quantify anti-S1 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in vac cinated individuals and to determine clinical and pathological factors associated with that response. Samples were taken at least 21 days after the second vaccine dose. The mean age was 45 years (ES 0.44), 71.1% were women and20.7% (n = 137) reported previous COVID-19 infection. IgG anti-spike (S) 1 SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 99.7% (n = 658) of the participants. The mean titer was 4197 ± 263.87 AU / ml (95 CI: 3679.1, 4715.3). The antibody response was higher in the group with priorCOVID-19 disease vs. the group with no previ ous infection (10 693 ± 846.22 AU / ml vs. 2495.8 ± 187.98 AU / ml, p < 0.0001 in t-test). In a subgroup of 21 participants with high titers of anti-S1 IgG antibodies and with no apparent previous COVID-19, 11 individuals were positive for antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid. It is concluded that most of the vaccinated health workers developed antibodies and that those who had the disease prior to vaccination had higher antibody titers than those who did not have the disease.