Adolescencia, adherencia y transición: Experiencia de un centro de trasplante renal pediátrico / Adolescence, adherence, and transition: Experience from a pediatric renal transplant center

Con el advenimiento de nuevas técnicas quirúrgicas y medicaciones inmunosupresoras la sobrevida de los niños trasplantados mejoró, llegando a la adultez. La continuidad de su tratamiento requiere un proceso planificado que permita su tránsito a un sistema de salud orientado al adulto. El objeto de este trabajo es mostrar la transición a centros de adultos en una cohorte de pacientes trasplantados renales en el Hospital Garrahan, describir sus características clínicas y demográficas, su evolución, y oportunidades de mejora implementadas. Debido a cambios médicos y su abordaje desde la interdisciplina, se dividió a la población en tres periodos: era 1 (1988-1999), era 2 (2000-2009), y era 3 (2010- 2023). En la era 1, 179 adolescentes continuaron su atención médica en un centro de adultos, 212 en la era 2 y 201 en la era 3. En la era 1 el seguimiento estaba coordinado por el nefrólogo de cabecera y eran consultados los servicios de Urología, Servicio Social y Salud Mental. En la era 2, se fortaleció el trabajo en interdisciplina y aún más a partir del 2011. Surgieron centros de trasplante de adultos que recibían adolescentes y médicos dedicados a ellos en forma preferencial. En la actualidad la transición comienza a los 12 años y progresa hasta los 18. El modelo implementado es la transición directa, entre el nefrólogo pediatra y el de adultos, con varias consultas secuenciales en ambos centros. Si bien la sobrevida del paciente e injerto mejoraron, el rechazo, asociado a no adherencia, es una asignatura por mejorar (AU)

With the advent of new surgical techniques and immunosuppressive medications, the survival of transplanted children has improved, allowing them to reach adulthood. The continuity of their treatment requires a planned process that facilitates their transition to an adult-oriented healthcare system. The aim of this study was to examine the transition to adult centers in a cohort of renal transplant patients at Garrahan Hospital, describing their clinical and demographic characteristics, their evolution, and the improvement opportunities implemented. Based on medical changes and the interdisciplinary approach, the population was divided into three periods: era 1 (1988- 1999), era 2 (2000-2009), and era 3 (2010-2023). In era 1, 179 adolescents continued their medical care in an adult center, 212 in era 2, and 201 in era 3. In era 1, follow-up was coordinated by the attending nephrologist with consultations from Urology, Social Services, and Mental Health Services. In era 2, interdisciplinary work was strengthened, and even more so since 2011. Adult transplant centers were created to receive adolescents with physicians dedicated to their care on a preferential basis. Currently, the transition begins at 12 years of age and progresses up to 18. The implemented model involves direct transition between the pediatric nephrologist and the adult nephrologist, with several sequential consultations in both centers. Although patient and graft survival have improved, rejection associated with non-adherence remains an area for improvement

Experiencia de la transición en un Servicio de Adolescencia / Transition experience in an Adolescence Unit

Se define transición como el proceso de preparación, adaptación e integración paulatina por el cual un paciente joven con una patología crónica desarrolla las habilidades y dispone de los recursos Se aborda la experiencia y estadística de la Unidad de Adolescencia y Transición durante el 2022. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo, observacional, retrospectivo y de corte transversal. Se incluyeron en el estudio los adolescentes de entre 17 y 21 años atendidos en el servicio de adolescencia del Hospital J.P Garrahan durante el periodo de 1 enero 2022 al 31 de diciembre de 2022. Resultados: se incluyeron 179 pacientes (111 eran mujeres, 68 varones, incluido un trans varón). La mediana de edad de derivación al servicio de adolescencia fue de 17,26 años. Provenían del Gran Buenos Aires el 74% de los pacientes. Se logró la transición del 62.2% (112 pacientes). El principal centro de derivación fue el Hospital de Clínicas con el 21.3% (24 pacientes) Conclusión: Aunque los resultados mostrados son favorables, es necesaria una correcta valoración y evaluación inicial del paciente, con una planificación pertinente del proceso y con la incorporación de un equipo de transición o unidad transicional (AU)

Transition is defined as the process of preparation, adaptation, and gradual integration by which a young pa - tient with a chronic condition develops the skills and resources needed for adult care. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study. Adolescents between 17 and 21 years of age seen at the Adolescence Unit of the J.P Garrahan Hospital from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, were included in the study. Results: A total of 179 patients were included (111 female, 68 male, including one trans male). The median age of referral to the Adolescence Unit was 17.26 years. Seventy-four percent of the patients came from the Greater Buenos Aires area. Transition was achieved in 62.2% (112 patients). The main referral center was the Hospital de Clínicas, with 21.3% (24 patients). Conclusion: Although the results are favorable, a correct initial evaluation and assessment of the patient is necessary, along with relevant planning of the process and the incorporation of a transition team or transitional unit (AU)

Transición del paciente adolescente con mielomeningocele en su paso al hospital de adultos / Transition of the adolescent patient with myelomeningocele to adult hospital care

El acceso a una salud integral de calidad a lo largo de la vida es un derecho de todos los adolescentes y jóvenes; pero sobre todo resulta relevante en aquellos pacientes con enfermedades complejas crónicas como el mielomeningocele pues de no realizarse tiene repercusión notoria sobre su estado de salud con mayor riesgo de morbimortalidad. En este artículo se comenta la experiencia sobre transición de pacientes con mielomeningocele que se realizó en forma organizada entre los servicios de Consultorio de Mielomeningocele y Hospital de día Polivalente del Hospital Garrahan y el Servicio de Adolescencia del Hospital Ramos Mejía. Se trata de un nuevo modelo asistencial de trabajo interdisciplinario y colaborativo teniendo como eje una fluida comunicación interinstitucional. Este acuerdo formal entre ambos hospitales contó con el recurso humano especializado y la estructura física adecuada para el abordaje integral de esta compleja enfermedad crónica. Este programa propició un entorno al paciente que aseguró el seguimiento por equipos interdisciplinarios. Esta es la mejor opción para brindar un cuidado integral, equitativo, coordinado y accesible mejorando la calidad de vida de los pacientes con mielomeningocele a largo plazo (AU)

Access to quality comprehensive health throughout life is a right of all adolescents and young people; but above all it is relevant in those patients with complex chronic diseases such as myelomeningocele because if it is not performed it has a notable impact on their health status with a greater risk of morbidity and mortality. This article discusses the transition experience of patients with myelomeningocele that was carried out in an organized manner between the Myelomeningocele Clinic and Multipurpose Day Hospital services of the Garrahan Hospital and the Adolescence Service of the Ramos Mejía Hospital. It is a new care model of interdisciplinary and collaborative work with fluid inter-institutional communication as its axis. This formal agreement between both hospitals had specialized human resources and the appropriate physical structure for the comprehensive approach to this complex chronic disease. This program provided an environment for the patient that ensured follow-up by interdisciplinary teams. This is the best option to provide comprehensive, equitable, coordinated and accessible care, improving the quality of life of patients with myelomeningocele in the long term (AU)

La importancia de la educacion sexual mediante talleres en salud sexual y reproductiva dictados a madres y padres en un hospital de alta complejidad / The importance of sexual education through sexual and reproductive health workshops for parents at a tertiary-care hospital

Introducción: Según el Plan Nacional de Prevención del Embarazo no Intencional en la Adolescencia en Argentina, 109 mil adolescentes y 3 mil niñas menores de 15 años, tienen un hijo cada año. Los factores son múltiples, pero el más importante y frecuente es la falta de educación sexual integral. Objetivos: 1- Evaluar el conocimiento sobre salud sexual y reproductiva antes y después de un taller dirigido a madres y padres internados con sus hijos. 2- Detectar si hubo diferencia entre los padres y madres según la edad. Material y métodos: estudio observacional, descriptivo, analítico, longitudinal, prospectivo y antes- después. Se incluyeron madres y padres con sus hijos internados que realizaron el taller por primera vez. Los padres y madres participantes fueron categorizados en función de la edad en menores de 19 años y 11 meses (Gr1= adolescentes) e igual o mayor a 20 años (Gr2= jóvenes/adultos). Se analizaron las variables: edad, sexo, lugar de residencia, si recibió información sobre salud sexual y reproductiva y cuál fue la fuente de la misma. Se aplicó una encuesta autoadministrada con 12 preguntas sobre métodos anticonceptivos, infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) y derechos sexuales y reproductivos y se analizaron los datos antes y después de la intervención. Resultados: Se encuestaron a 116 padres que cumplían los criterios y accedieron a participar. (Gr1 = 24 y Gr2 = 92) Mediana de edad: 22 años (15-47). Un 53% refirió haber recibido anteriormente información, 30% de la escuela observándose un desconocimiento previo de la temática antes del taller independiente de la edad. La intervención realizada en el taller aumentó significativamente los conocimientos en ambos grupos. Conclusión: La estrategia educativa debe centrarse en participación e integración. La metodología de taller es la más adecuada, ya que facilita el debate y posibilita la adquisición de competencias y habilidades, además de aportar conceptos teóricos (AU)

Introduction: According to the National Unintentional Pregnancy Prevention Plan in Adolescence in Argentina, yearly 109 thousand adolescents and 3 thousand girls under 15 years of age give birth. Multiple factors are involved; however, the most common and important is the lack of integrated sexual education. Objectives: 1- To evaluate the knowledge on sex and reproductive health before and after a a workshop addressed to mothers and fathers of hospitalized children. 2- To detect if there was a difference between mothers and fathers regarding age. Material and methods: A prospective, longitudinal, analytical, descriptive, observational beforeand-after study was conducted. Mothers and fathers of hospitalized children who participated in the workshop for the first time were included. The participating mothers and fathers were categorized according to age into younger than 19 years and 11 months (Gr1= adolescents) and 20 years or older (Gr2= young/adults). The following variables were analyzed: age, sex, place of origin, whether or not the person received sex and reproductive health education, and the source of sex and reproductive health information. A selfadministered survey was used with 12 questions on contraceptive methods, sexually transmissible diseases (STDs), and sex and reproductive rights and data were analyzed before and after the intervention. Results: 116 parents who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate were surveyed. (Gr1 = 24 and Gr2 = 92) Median age: 22 años (15-47). Overall, 53% reported having received prior information. 30% of whom had received information at school. A previous lack of knowledge on the topic was observed before attending the workshop regardless of age. The intervention of the workshop significantly increased the knowledge in both groups. Conclusion: The educational strategy should be focused on participation and integration. The methodology of a workshop is the most adequate as it facilitates debate and acquisition of competencies and skills and additionally provides theoretical concepts (AU)

Autoagresiones en adolescentes atendidos en un hospital de alta complejidad: Serie de casos clínicos / Self-injurious behavior in adolescents seen at a tertiary-level hospital: A case series

Dentro de los daños intencionales en adolescentes, las autoagresiones se han convertido en los últimos años en un tema de interés clínico, social y público, en constante investigación. Una conducta autolesiva es toda conducta autodeliberada destinada a producir daño físico directo en el cuerpo, sin la intención de provocar la muerte. Objetivos: Describir los casos de pacientes con autoagresiones que fueron atendidos por el equipo de adolescencia (clínica pediátrica y salud mental) en el Hospital Garrahan desde el año 2015 al 2017. Diseño observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo. Se incluyeron todos los adolescentes que fueron evaluados en conjunto por el servicio de adolescencia y salud mental. Resultados: Se atendieron 17 casos, rango de edad 12 a 16 años, 14 mujeres. Los motivos de consulta fueron variados, el principal mecanismo de autoagresión elegido fue cortes superficiales en antebrazo y piernas. La mayoría presentó como factor de riesgo principal conflictos familiares, coincidiendo con la bibliografía revisada. Un abordaje integral por personal capacitado en un servicio amigable es necesario para no perder la oportunidad de pesquisar estas situaciones. Así, mediante un trabajo interdisciplinario disminuir los riesgos que conllevan estas conductas (AU)

Within intentional harm in adolescents, over the last years selfinjury has become an issue of clinical, social, and public interest in ongoing research. Self-injurious behavior is all deliberate behavior aimed at producing direct physical harm to the body, without the intention to cause death. Objectives: To describe cases of patients with self-injurious behavior seen by the adolescents team (pediatrics and mental health) at Garrahan Hospital between 2015 and 2017. A retrospective, observational, descriptive study was conducted. All adolescents seen together by the Departments of Adolescence and Mental Health were included in the study. Results: 17 patients were evaluated, with ages ranging from 12 to 16 years; 14 were girls. Main complaints were varied. The main mechanism of self-injury were superficial cuts on the forearms and legs. The main risk factor in the majority of patients were family conflicts, as reported in the literature. A comprehensive approach by trained personnel from a friendly team is necessary so as not to lose the opportunity to screen this type of situations. An interdisciplinary approach may reduce the risks associated with these behaviors (AU)

Combinación de distintos dispositivos de Terapia V. A. C. (R) para el cierre de defectos abdominales complejos / Combination of different V. A. C. (R) therapy devices for the closure of complex abdominal defects

La terapia de presión negativa Vacuum-Assisted Closure o V.A.C.(R) (KCI Clinic Spain SL) ha resultado ser de gran utilidad en la curación de heridas complejas de la pared abdominal, desde la fase aguda con abdomen abierto o grandes desbridamientos, hasta las fases de granulación y cobertura final del defecto, gracias a los distintos tipos de apósitos que pueden aplicarse sucesivamente, incluso ante una posible exposición intestinal con drenaje purulento hasta la granulación del defecto, y que empleados conjuntamente con matrices dérmicas y/o injertos cutáneos. Aceleran el cierre definitivo del defecto de forma poco lesiva y confortable para el paciente. Presentamos 3 casos de heridas complejas de pared abdominal en los que logramos la cicatrización de los defectos combinando técnicas quirúrgicas más tradicionales con los distintos apósitos de terapia V.A.C.(R) (ABTheraTM, V.A.C. GranuFoamTM, V.A.C. GranuFoam Silver(R) y V.A.C.(R) WhiteFoam dressing) (AU)

The negative-pressure therapy Vacuum-Assisted Closure, or V.A.C.(R) (KCI Clinic Spain SL) has proved to be useful in healing complex abdominal wall wounds, from the acute phase, with open abdomen or large debridement, to the stages of granulation and final defect coverage, thanks to the different types of dressings that can be applied on, even against a possible intestinal exposure with purulent drainage, until default's granulation, and also used together with dermal matrices and / or skin grafts accelerate the closure of the defect in a little harmful and comfortable way to the patient. We present 3 cases of complex abdominal wall wounds in which has been achieved the defects healing combining traditional surgical techniques with different VAC (R) therapy dressings (ABTheraTM, VAC Granu-FoamTM, VAC GranuFoam Silver(R) and VAC(R) dressing WhiteFoam) (AU)

Assessment of high-level gentamicin and glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium clonal structure in a Portuguese hospital over a 3-year period.

This study focussed on the clonal structure and temporal distribution of E. faecalis and E. faecium with high-level resistance to gentamicin (HLGR) and glycopeptides (GR) collected from clinical samples during 2004 to 2006 at a Portuguese Hospital. The findings were an E. faecalis-dominant and epidemic clone (PFGE-AO), the maintenance of a major epidemic E. faecium clone (PFGE-c) and a high prevalence of putative virulence genes--asa1 (aggregation substances), gelE (gelatinase), cylA (cytolysin), esp (enterococcal surface protein), and hyl (hyaluronidase)--most of them significantly associated with the major clones of both species. The E. faecalis GR isolates ST6 and the E. faecium GR isolates ST17, ST18 and ST280 belong to the clonal complexes E. faecalis-CC2 and E. faecium-CC17, which are well adapted to the nosocomial setting and are disseminated worldwide. This study highlights the need for continuous and active surveillance in this Portuguese hospital in order to follow the evolution of these epidemic and persistent clones.

Natural history of drug-resistant clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizing healthy children in Portugal.

A total of 3,539 Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pn) were recovered from 4,969 nasopharyngeal samples of children attending 13 day-care centers (DCCs) located in Lisbon, Portugal, during a surveillance study from January, 2001, through March, 2003, integrated in the European intervention project (EURIS, European Resistance Intervention Study). All Pn isolates were tested for anti-biotyping and drug-resistant pneumococci (DRPn) were further tested by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Overall carriage of Pn was very high (71.2%) and 39.9% of the isolates were resistant to antimicrobials (22.5% with decreased susceptibility to penicillin and 17.4% susceptible to penicillin and resistant to other antimicrobials). Serotypes 6B, 14, 23 F, 19F, and 19 A were prevalent among the 1,287 DRPn and 5.8% of the isolates were non-typeable. Eighty PFGE patterns were identified among 1,285 DRPn, and 93.1% of the DRPn belonged to 26 major clonal types that comprised: Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network (PMEN) clones (76.3%), Portuguese (PT)-DCC clones, previously detected in 1996-1999 (14.3%), and EURIS PT-DCC new clones, identified for the first time in the EURIS study, during 2001-2003 (9.4%). Comparing with previous Portuguese surveillance studies carried out since 1996, we observed that carriage increased from 47% to 71%, but no major changes were detected on the prevalence of pneumococcal serotypes. Moreover, although PMEN clones were predominant in all DCCs, in the present study the majority of them were gradually decreasing in time whereas several PT-DCC and new clones seemed to be increasing.

Trends in drug resistance, serotypes, and molecular types of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizing preschool-age children attending day care centers in Lisbon, Portugal: a summary of 4 years of annual surveillance.

Of the nasopharyngeal cultures recovered from 942 day care center (DCC) attendees in Lisbon, Portugal, 591 (62%) yielded Streptococcus pneumoniae during a surveillance performed in February and March of 1999. Forty percent of the isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. In particular, 2% were penicillin resistant and 20% had intermediate penicillin resistance. Multidrug resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracycline was the most frequent antibiotype (17% of all isolates). Serotyping and molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were performed for 202 out of 237 drug-resistant pneumococci (DRPn). The most frequent serotypes were 6B (26%), 14 (22%), 19F (16%), 23F (10%), and nontypeable (12%). The majority (67%) of the DRPn strains were representatives of nine international clones included in the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network; eight of them had been detected in previous studies. Fourteen novel clones were identified, corresponding to 26% of the DRPn strains. The remaining 7% of the strains were local clones detected in our previous studies. Comparison with studies conducted since 1996 in Portuguese DCCs identified several trends: (i) the rate of DRPn frequency has fluctuated between 40 and 50%; (ii) the serotypes most frequently recovered have remained the same; (iii) nontypeable strains appear to be increasing in frequency; and (iv) a clone of serotype 33F emerged in 1999. Together, our observations highlight that the nasopharynxes of children in DCCs are a melting pot of successful DRPn clones that are important to study and monitor if we aim to gain a better understanding on the epidemiology of this pathogen.

Clonal types and multidrug resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) recovered in Italy during the 1990s.

A large number (272) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates recovered from Italian hospitals during the early and late 1990s were characterized for multidrug resistance pattern and clonal type using a combination of genotyping methods, including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), spaA typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), determination of SCC mec type, and hybridization pattern with Tn 554. The majority of MRSA belonged to four genetic lineages: the pandemic Iberian and Brazilian clones, and two unique clonal types-the "Italian" and "Rome" clones of MRSA. The Italian clone carried the SCC mec type I in the genetic background of ST228, which is a double-locus variant of the sequence type of the multidrug-resistant New York/Japanese clone (ST5). The properties of the Rome clone showed several striking similarities to those of the Archaic clone of MRSA that was dominant among MRSA isolates in the mid-1960s to 1970s, but has not been detected since then in recent global surveillance studies.

Molecular typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis: comparison of results obtained in a multilaboratory effort using identical protocols and MRSA strains.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has become the gold standard of molecular methods in epidemiological investigations. In spite of its high resolving power, use of the method has been hampered by inadequate laboratory-to-laboratory reproducibility. In the project described here we have addressed this problem by organizing a multilaboratory effort in which the same bacterial strains (subtype variants of the Iberian and Brazilian methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus--MRSA--clones) were analyzed by twenty investigators in thirteen different laboratories according to an indentical protocol, which is reproduced here in detail. PFGE patterns obtained were analyzed at a central laboratory in order to identify specific technical problems that produced substandard macrorestriction patterns. The results including the specific technical problems and their most likely causes are described in this communication. Also listed are seven major epidemic clones of MRSA which have been characterized by molecular fingerprinting techniques and the prototypes of which have been deposited at the American Type Culture Collection, from where they will be available for interested investigators for the purpose of typing MRSA isolates. It is hoped that this communication will contribute to the improvement of the reproducibility and technical/aesthetic quality of PFGE analysis.

Patterns of multidrug resistance among methicillin-resistant hospital isolates of coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci collected in the international multicenter study RESIST in 1997 and 1998.

The primary purpose of the multicenter international study "RESIST" was to obtain an update on the degree of multidrug resistance among methicillin-resistant staphylococci collected from a geographically diverse sample. A total of 3,307 staphylococcal isolates were recovered from single patients and primarily from clinical specimens that were collected at 20 collaborating regional health centers located in several countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America during a 3- to 4-month period each in 1997 and 1998. All strains were deposited at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at ITQB/UNL in Oeiras, Portugal, for quality control and for testing by microbiological and molecular typing techniques; the Laboratory of Microbiology at The Rockefeller University serving as organizational center. The majority of strains, 3,100, were methicillin-resistant, of which 1,749 were coagulase positive (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), and 1,351 were coagulase negative (methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci, MRCNS). The overall frequency of drug resistance traits among the 1,749 MRSA strains was high (over 70% and up to and over 90% of the strains) to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline, and was somewhat less frequent to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (45%), chloramphenicol (30%), and rifampin (38%). None of the 3,307 staphylococcal isolates showed reduced susceptibility to vancomycin except for a single methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative isolate. The great majority of staphylococci were also susceptible to the new antimicrobial Synercid. In contrast, resistance to teicoplanin was significant among methicillin-resistant strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci, particularly among Staphylococcus haemolyticus. MRSA isolates showed marked geographic variation in their patterns of multiresistance, most likely reflecting the properties of unique multiresistant MRSA clones dominant in the hospitals that provided the MRSA isolates from the various geographic areas. The multiresistance patterns of MRSA strains and strains of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci originating at the same country source also showed striking differences, suggesting that resistance to antimicrobial agents emerged under different antibiotic pressures in these bacterial species.