Publicaciones científicas de los pediatras españoles de Atención Primaria en los últimos seis años (2015-2020) / Scientific publications of primary care paediatricians in Spain the last six years (2015-2020)

Introducción: la actividad asistencial debería ir siempre ligada a una investigación de calidad, ya que mediante el método científico se analizan y estudian los problemas para buscar sus causas o soluciones, formando parte de un proceso de mejora continua de la asistencia clínica. El objetivo del presente estudio es conocer la frecuencia de participación de los pediatras de Atención Primaria (PAP) como autores de publicaciones de las principales revistas pediátricas nacionales e internacionales. Material y métodos: estudio descriptivo transversal. Se realizó una revisión de las autorías de los artículos publicados en todas las revistas pediátricas nacionales y regionales y en las tres revistas internacionales pediátricas de mayor relevancia, en el periodo de tiempo comprendido desde el 1 de enero de 2015 al 30 de junio de 2020. Resultados: se revisaron 6398 artículos, 2030 artículos de revistas nacionales y 4368 artículos de revistas internacionales. En los artículos de revistas nacionales, había un PAP entre los autores en 410 (20,2%), participaban exclusivamente PAP en 117 (5,8%) y el primer firmante era un PAP en 258 (12,7%). En los artículos de revistas internacionales, 31 (0,71%) contienen entre sus firmantes algún autor español y solo 5 cuentan con la participación de al menos un PAP. Conclusiones: la actividad investigadora y de publicaciones de ámbito nacional de los PAP es baja. A nivel internacional, hay pocas publicaciones de los pediatras españoles en las principales revistas pediátricas, siendo muy minoritaria la presencia de publicaciones de PAP en estas revistas (AU)

Introduction: health care delivery should always be associated with quality research, as the scientific method is used to assess and investigate problems to identify their causes or solutions as part of an ongoing health care quality improvement process. The objective of our study was to determine the frequency with which primary care paediatricians (PCPs) in Spain contribute as authors of publications in the main national and international paediatric journals.Material and methods: descriptive cross-sectional study. We reviewed the authorship of the articles published in every Spanish national and regional paediatric journal and in the 3 most relevant international paediatric journals in the period ranging from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020.Results: the review included a total of 6398 articles, 2030 from national journals and 4368 articles from international journals. In the group of articles published in Spanish journals, we found authors that were PCPs in 410 (20.2%), with exclusive participation of PCPs in 117 (5.8%) and a PCP listed as the first author in 258 (12.7%). In articles published in international journals, 31 (0.71%) had a Spanish author in the list, and only 5 listed at least one Spanish PCP.Conclusions: involvement in research and contribution to national scientific journals is low among PCPs. At the international level, there are few publications by Spanish paediatricians in the main paediatric journals, with an extremely low number of contributions by PCPs in these journals. (AU)

Child Care Center Hand Hygiene Programs' Cost-Effectiveness in Preventing Respiratory Infections.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that a hand hygiene program, including hand sanitizer and educational measures, for day care center (DCC) staff, children, and parents was more effective than a soap-and-water program, with initial observation, in preventing respiratory infections (RIs) in children attending DCCs. We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of these programs in preventing RIs. METHODS: A cluster, randomized, controlled and open study of 911 children aged 0 to 3 years, attending 24 DCCs in Almeria. Two intervention groups of DCC-families performed educational measures and hand hygiene, one with soap-and-water (SWG) and another with hand sanitizer (HSG). The control group (CG) followed usual hand-washing procedures. RI episodes, including symptoms, treatments, medical contacts, complementary analyses, and DCC absenteeism days, were reported by parents. A Bayesian cost-effectiveness model was developed. RESULTS: There were 5201 RI episodes registered. The adjusted mean societal costs of RIs per child per study period were CG: €522.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 437.10 to 622.46); HSG: €374.53 (95% CI: 314.90 to 443.07); SWG: €494.51 (95% CI: 419.21 to 585.27). The indirect costs constituted between 35.7% to 43.6% of the total costs. Children belonging to the HSG had an average of 1.39 fewer RI episodes than the CG and 0.93 less than the SWG. It represents a saving of societal cost mean per child per study period of €147.72 and €119.15, respectively. The HSG intervention was dominant versus SWG and CG. CONCLUSIONS: Hand hygiene programs that include hand sanitizer and educational measures for DCC staff, children, and parents are more effective and cost less than a program with soap and water and initial observation in children attending DCCs.

Effectiveness of a hand hygiene program to reduce acute gastroenteritis at child care centers: A cluster randomized trial.

We aimed to assess the effectiveness of an educational and hand hygiene program in daycare centers (DCCs) and homes on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) incidence in children attending DCCs. METHODS: A randomized, controlled, and open study of 911 children aged 0-3 years attending 24 DCCs in Almería (Spain) with an 8-month follow-up was employed. Two intervention groups of DCCs families performed educational and hand hygiene measures, 1 with soap and water (soap and water group; n = 274), another with hand sanitizer (hand sanitizer group [HSG]; n = 339), and the control group (CG; n = 298) followed usual handwashing procedures. We compared AGE episode rates with Poisson regression model. RESULTS: seven hundred fourteen AGE episodes were registered, significant differences between HSG and CG children were found during December and January. A multivariate model was applied and the adjusted incidence rate ratios by rotavirus vaccination found significant differences when children were previously vaccinated, the children in the soap and water group had a higher risk of AGE episodes (incidence rate ratio: 1.28, 95% confidence interval:1.0-1.64), compared with those in the HSG. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that hand hygiene programs that included hand sanitizer were most effective in the winter months. Further, the largest reduction of AGE episodes occurred in the children that followed hand hygiene programs including hand sanitizer and educational measures for DCC staff, parents, and children, and were vaccinated for rotavirus.

Effectiveness of a Hand Hygiene Program at Child Care Centers: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Respiratory infections (RIs) are an important cause of morbidity and excessive antibiotic prescriptions in children attending day care centers (DCCs). We aimed to assess the effectiveness of an educational and hand hygiene program in DCCs and homes in reducing RI incidence and antibiotic prescriptions in children. METHODS: A cluster, randomized, controlled, and open study of 911 children aged 0 to 3 years attending 24 DCCs in Almería (Spain) with an 8-month follow-up. Two intervention groups of DCC families performed educational and hand hygiene measures, 1 with soap and water (SWG; n = 274), another with hand sanitizer (HSG; n = 339), and the control group (CG; n = 298) followed usual hand-washing procedures. RI episode rates were compared through multilevel Poisson regression models. The percentage of days missed were compared with Poisson exact tests. RESULTS: There were 5211 RI episodes registered. Children in the HSG had less risk of RI episodes (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-0.88) and antibiotic prescriptions (IRR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.57-0.84) compared with the those in the CG. Children in the SWG had a higher risk of RI episodes (IRR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.06-1.39) and antibiotic prescriptions (IRR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.08-1.56) than those in the HSG. Pupils missed 5186 DCC days because of RIs, and the percentage of days absent was significantly lower in the HSG compared with the CG (P < .001) and the SWG (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Hand hygiene programs that include hand sanitizer and educational measures for DCC staff, children, and parents, reduce absent days, RIs, and antibiotic prescriptions for these infections in children at DCCs.

Hand Hygiene Program Decreases School Absenteeism Due to Upper Respiratory Infections.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the effectiveness of a handwashing program using hand sanitizer to prevent school absenteeism due to upper respiratory infections (URIs). METHODS: This was a randomized, controlled, and open study on a sample of 1341 children 4-12 years old, attending 5 state schools in Almería (Spain), with an 8-month follow-up. The experimental group (EG) washed their hands with soap and water, together with using hand sanitizer, and the control group followed their usual handwashing procedures. Absenteeism rates due to URIs were compared between the 2 groups through a multivariate Poisson regression analysis. The percent of days missed in both groups were compared with a z test. RESULTS: Overall, 1271 cases of school absenteeism due to URIs were registered. Schoolchildren from the EG had a 38% lower risk of absenteeism due to URIs, incidence rate ratio: 0.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.70, and a decrease in absenteeism of 0.45 episodes/child/academic year, p < .001. Pupils missed 2734 school days due to URIs and the percentage of days absent was significantly lower in the EG, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: Use of hand sanitizer plus handwashing with soap accompanied by educational support is an effective measure to reduce absenteeism due to URIs.

Diferencias clínicas y epidemiológicas entre las infecciones por Bordetella pertussis y por virus respiratorio sincitial en lactantes: estudio de casos controles emparejados / Clinical and epidemiological differences between Bordetella pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus infections in infants: A matched case control study

INTRODUCCIÓN: En los últimos años se ha descrito un incremento de casos de tos ferina, fundamentalmente en lactantes de corta edad. La presentación clínica de esta enfermedad es muy similar a la producida por el virus respiratorio sincitial (VRS), lo que dificulta el diagnóstico adecuado. Objetivo Comparar las características clínico-epidemiológicas de la infección por Bordetella pertussis y VRS en lactantes ingresados en el hospital. Material y métodos Estudio analítico de casos y controles emparejados durante los años 2008 a 2011. Se incluyeron como casos los niños ingresados con tos ferina confirmada mediante reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) en aspirado nasofaríngeo, y como controles pacientes con infección respiratoria aguda por VRS detectados por inmunocromatografía en aspirado nasal y emparejados en función de la edad, el sexo y el periodo de ingreso (1:2). Se compararon variables demográficas, clínicas, analíticas y parámetros de gravedad. Resultados Se incluyeron 78 pacientes (26 casos de tos ferina y 52 controles VRS positivos). Las características sociodemográficas fueron similares en ambos grupos. Los casos tuvieron más días de síntomas previos al ingreso, mayor estancia hospitalaria y mayor frecuencia de ambiente epidémico familiar. Los casos de tos ferina presentaron con mayor frecuencia apneas, cianosis y leucocitosis, con mayor porcentaje de linfocitos, mientras que en las infecciones por VRS la fiebre, los vómitos y el tiraje fueron más frecuentes. No hubo diferencias en el resto de síntomas. CONCLUSIONES: La presentación clínica de la tos ferina en lactantes es similar a la infección por VRS, aunque existen algunas características que pueden ayudar a diferenciar ambos cuadros clínicos

INTRODUCTION: An increase in cases of pertussis, mainly in young infants, has been reported in the last few years. The clinical presentation of this disease is very similar to that produced by respiratory syncytialvirus (RSV), which makes the diagnosis difficult. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and epidemiological characteristics between Bordetella pertussis and RSV infections in infants admitted to hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An analytical matched case-control study was conducted during the period 2008-2011. Cases were defined as infants admitted with pertussis confirmed by PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirate. Each case was matched by age, sex and date of admission to two controls defined as patients with RSV infection detected by immunochromatography in nasal aspirate. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data were compared. RESULTS: Seventy eight patients (26 cases of pertussis and 52 controls RSV+) were included. Sociodemographic characteristics were similar in both groups. Cases had more days of symptoms prior to admission, longer hospital stays, and increased frequency of epidemic family environment. Apnoea and cyanosis were more frequent. Cases of pertussis were more likely to have apnoea, cyanosis, and lymphocytosis while RSV infections had more frequent fever, vomiting and respiratory distress. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentations of pertussis and RSV infection are similar, but there are some characteristics that can help to distinguish between them

The impact of common infections on school absenteeism during an academic year.

BACKGROUND: School absenteeism because of infections is one of the most important problems facing both public and private primary schools. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of infections on school absenteeism and their reduction with a handwashing program using hand sanitizer. METHODS: The study was an 8-month-long, randomized, controlled open study (N = 1,609 children, aged 4-12 years old) at 5 state schools in Almeria (Spain). The experimental group (EG) washed their hands with soap and water, complemented with the use of hand sanitizer, and the control group (CG) followed the usual handwashing procedure. The total number of episodes and days missed as well as those because of upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections were compared in both groups with a Z-test. RESULTS: The students were absent 12,386 days in 7,945 episodes. The incidence of total absent episodes and percent of missed days, including those because of upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections, were significantly lower in the EG than the CG (P < .001), and this was maintained through the flu pandemic period. CONCLUSION: School absenteeism because of infections in schools is reduced when a hand hygiene program utilizing sanitizing gels is properly carried out, especially during the flu season.

[Clinical and epidemiological differences between Bordetella pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus infections in infants: a matched case control study]. / Diferencias clínicas y epidemiológicas entre las infecciones por Bordetella pertussis y por virus respiratorio sincitial en lactantes: estudio de casos controles emparejados.

INTRODUCTION: An increase in cases of pertussis, mainly in young infants, has been reported in the last few years. The clinical presentation of this disease is very similar to that produced by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which makes the diagnosis difficult. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and epidemiological characteristics between Bordetella pertussis and RSV infections in infants admitted to hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An analytical matched case-control study was conducted during the period 2008-2011. Cases were defined as infants admitted with pertussis confirmed by PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirate. Each case was matched by age, sex and date of admission to two controls defined as patients with RSV infection detected by immunochromatography in nasal aspirate. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data were compared. RESULTS: Seventy eight patients (26 cases of pertussis and 52 controls RSV+) were included. Sociodemographic characteristics were similar in both groups. Cases had more days of symptoms prior to admission, longer hospital stays, and increased frequency of epidemic family environment. Apnoea and cyanosis were more frequent. Cases of pertussis were more likely to have apnoea, cyanosis, and lymphocytosis while RSV infections had more frequent fever, vomiting and respiratory distress. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentations of pertussis and RSV infection are similar, but there are some characteristics that can help to distinguish between them.

Effectiveness of a multifactorial handwashing program to reduce school absenteeism due to acute gastroenteritis.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is one of the most common diseases among children and an important cause of school absenteeism. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a handwashing program using hand sanitizers for the prevention of school absenteeism due to AGE. METHODS: A randomized, controlled and open study of a sample of 1341 children between 4 and 12 years of age, attending 5 state schools in Almería (Spain), with an 8-month follow up (academic year). The experimental group (EG) washed their hands with soap and water, complementing this with the use of a hand sanitizer, and the control group (CG) followed the usual handwashing procedure. Absenteeism rates due GI were compared between the 2 groups through the multivariate Poisson regression analysis. Percent days absent in both groups were compared with a Z-test. RESULTS: 446 cases of school absenteeism due to AGE were registered. The school children from the EG had a 36% lower risk of absenteeism due to AGE (IRR: 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.78) and a decrease in absenteeism of 0.13 episodes/child/academic year (0.27 of EG vs 0.40 CG/episodes/child/academic year, P < 0.001). Pupils missed 725 school days due to AGE and absent days was significantly lower in the EG (EG: 0.31%, 95% confidence interval: 0.28-0.35 vs. CG: 0.44%, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.48, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of hand sanitizer as a complement to handwashing with soap is an efficient measure to reduce absent days and the number of school absenteeism cases due to AGE.