Association between intimate partner violence and pregnancy intention: evidence from the Peruvian demographic and health survey.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in Peru represents a significant public health challenge. IPV can influence women's reproductive and social behaviors, undermining fertility control, and exacerbating unintended pregnancies. Our objective was to assess the association between IPV and pregnancy intention among Peruvian women of reproductive age. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of Peru's 2020 Demographic and Family Health Survey data. The independent variable in this study was IPV against women, which includes psychological IPV, sexual IPV, and physical IPV. If a respondent experienced any of these three forms of IPV, the IPV variable was labeled as "yes"; if none were present, it was labeled as "no". The dependent variable was pregnancy intention (no vs. yes). We utilized a generalized linear model (GLM) from the Poisson family with a log link function to assess the relationship between IPV occurrences (total and each IPV type) and pregnancy intention. We report crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: We analyzed data from 8466 women aged 15 to 49. The prevalence of any IPV was 49.6% (psychological IPV: 45.8%; physical IPV: 22.2%; and sexual IPV: 4.3%). Exposure to physical IPV (aPR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03-1.07), psychological IPV (aPR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.06), and sexual IPV (aPR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.13), as well as a history of any IPV (aPR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07), were associated with a higher probability of not intending to become pregnant. This association persisted after adjusting for confounders like age, marital status, educational attainment, education level of the child's father, place of residence, wealth, ethnicity, and parity. CONCLUSION: One in two Peruvian women reported experiencing IPV. An association was observed between IPV exposure and a higher probability of not holding an intention to become pregnant.

Association between witnessing domestic violence against the mother in childhood and intimate partner violence in adulthood: A population-based analysis of Peru.

Objective: To assess the association between witnessing domestic violence against the mother in childhood and intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. Study design: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2019 Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES). The independent variable was the condition of witnessing physical violence by the father against the mother during childhood. The dependent variable was IPV, defined by the presence of some subtype of violence (physical, psychological, and sexual) against the respondent in the last year by her husband or partner. To assess this association, generalized linear models of the Poisson Family with a logarithmic link function were performed to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Data from 17,911 Peruvian women between 15 and 59 years of age were analyzed. Most women were between 30 and 49 years old (71.4%), were cohabiting (65.0%), and had secondary education (43.2%). The prevalence of IPV in the last year was 16.0%, and the history of witnessing domestic violence against the mother during childhood was 42.0%. In the regression models, those with the studied exposure showed a higher prevalence of experiencing an episode of IPV in the last year (any IPV [aPR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.50-1.91]; physical IPV [aPR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.43-2.02], psychological IPV [aPR: 1.64; 95% CI:1.42-1.88], and sexual IPV [aPR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.22-2.32]). Conclusions: Women with a history of domestic violence towards their mothers were likelier to have had IPV in the last year than women who did not report violence towards their mothers during childhood. Approximately two in ten Peruvian women reported having had IPV in the past year, and nearly half reported witnessing domestic violence against their mother as a child.

Maternal overweight and obesity before pregnancy as predictors of childhood asthma in children under five years: a retrospective cohort in Peru / Sobrepeso y obesidad materna antes del embarazo como predictores de asma infantil en menores de cinco años: una cohorte retrospectiva en Perú

Abstract Objectives: to estimate the role of maternal overweight and obesity before pregnancy as predictors of childhood asthma in a population of Peruvian children under five years. Methods: we carried out a retrospective cohort study of children aged five years or less and their mothers from the Regional Hospital of Ayacucho and the María Auxiliadora Hospital in Lima, Peru. We included children who were born between 2013 and 2014 and follow them up until 2018 and 2019, respectively. The diagnosis of overweight and obesity of the mother before pregnancy and asthma in the child were registered in their clinical histories. Crude (cRR) and adjusted relative risks (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI95%) were obtained using a generalized lineal model of the Poisson family with link log and robust variances. Results: we evaluated 431 medical records and found that 20.9% of the children had asthma, 26.7% of the mothers were overweight, and 20.2% were obese before pregnancy. In the adjusted regression model, overweight (aRR=2.94; CI95%= 1.54-5.60) and maternal obesity (aRR=5.10; CI95%= 2.73-9.51) were predictors of an increased risk of childhood asthma. Conclusions: maternal overweight and maternal obesity increased the risk of her children developing asthma threeand five-fold, respectively.

Resumen Objetivos: estimar el papel del sobrepeso y la obesidad materna antes del embarazo como predictores de asma infantil en una población de niños peruanos menores de cinco años. Métodos: realizamos un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de niños de cinco años o menos y sus madres del Hospital Regional de Ayacucho y del Hospital María Auxiliadora de Lima, Perú. Se incluyeron niños nacidos entre 2013 y 2014 y se les dio seguimiento hasta 2018 y 2019, respectivamente. El diagnóstico de sobrepeso y obesidad de la madre antes del embarazo y asma en el niño fueron registrados en sus historias clínicas. Los riesgos relativos crudos (cRR) y ajustados (RRa) y los intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%) se obtuvieron mediante un modelo lineal generalizado de la familia de Poisson con log de enlace y varianzas robustas. Resultados: se evaluaron 431 historias clínicas y se encontró que el 20,9% de los niños tenían asma, el 26,7% de las madres tenían sobrepeso y el 20,2% eran obesas antes del embarazo. En el modelo de regresión ajustada, el sobrepeso (aRR=2,94; IC95%= 1,54-5,60) y obesidad materna (RRa=5,10; IC95%= 2,73-9,51) fueron predictores de un mayor riesgo de asma infantil. Conclusiones: el sobrepeso materno y la obesidad materna aumentaron tres y cinco veces el riesgo de que sus hijos desarrollaran asma, respectivamente.

Sociodemographic factors associated with immediate puerperal control: A cross-sectional study based on the Peruvian demographic and health survey, 2019.

Introduction: Peru is the fifth country in Latin America with the highest maternal mortality. In Peru, immediate puerperal control (IPC) was established in 2013 as a measure to improve postnatal control, with a view in reducing maternal mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and sociodemographic factors associated with compliance with IPC in Peru, 2019. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES, for its acronym in Spanish) of Peru, 2019. The dependent variable was compliance with IPC (control in the first 2 h) in women aged 15-49 years who had delivered within the last five years preceding the survey. To evaluate the associated factors, Poisson family generalized linear models were used to calculate crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios, with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Data from 11,854 women were analyzed. The frequency of IPC was 59.6% (95%CI: 58.3-60.9). We found a lower proportion of IPC in urban areas (58.8%) and in the highlands (57%) and jungle (57.2%) of Peru. Residing in rural areas (aPR:1.13; 95%CI:1.08-1.19), having undergone appropriate antenatal care (ANC) (aPR:1.05; 95%CI:1.01-1.10) and having delivered a low-birth-weight newborn (aPR:1.20; 95%CI:1.12-1.29) were associated with a higher frequency of IPC, while living in the highlands (aPR:0.86; 95%CI:0.80-0.92) or jungle (aPR:0.86; 95%CI:0.80-0.92) was associated with a lower frequency of IPC. Conclusions: Approximately four out of ten women did not have IPC. There was a lower proportion of IPC in urban areas and in the highland and jungle regions.

Determinants of non-institutional childbirth: Evidence from the Peruvian demographic and health survey.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the determinants of non-institutional delivery among women of childbearing age in Peru. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Peru 2019 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES). This multi-stage survey sampling is representative at the urban-rural, regional, and national levels. The outcome variable was place of delivery, collected by self-reporting. Binary logistic regression models were used to assess the factors associated with non-institutionalized delivery. Thus, we estimated crude and adjusted odd ratios (aOR). For the multivariable model, the manual forward selection method and the Wald test were used to obtain a final parsimonious model. Results: The final sample included 14,061 women of reproductive age between the ages of 15 and 49. The prevalence of non-institutional delivery was 7.8 %. Multivariate regression analysis found that having a secondary education (aOR:0.48; 95 % confidence interval [CI]:0.39-0.58) or higher (aOR:0.57; 95 %CI:0.42-0.78); belonging to the second (aOR:0.26; 95 %CI:0.20-0.33), third (aOR:0.28; 95 %CI:0.21-0.38), fourth (aOR:0.21; 95 %CI:0.13-0.33), or fifth wealth quintile (aOR:0.15; 95 %CI:0.09-0.27); and suffering intimate partner violence (aOR:0.76; 95 %CI:0.64-0.91) were associated with lower odds of non-institutional delivery, while not having some type of health insurance (aOR:3.12; 95 %CI:2.47-3.95), living in a rural area (aOR:1.93; 95 %CI:1.54-2.42), and having had three or more deliveries (aOR:1.36; 95 %CI:1.07-1.72), were associated with higher odds of non-institutional delivery. Conclusions: We found that not having health insurance, residing in a rural area, and having had three or more deliveries were factors associated with non-institutional delivery in women of childbearing age. We propose that should focus public health strategies towards providing education to women about maternal health, and likewise, facilitating access to specialized health centers for rural populations.

Association between receiving information on obstetric complications and institutional delivery: An analysis of the demographic and health survey of Peru, 2019.

Objective: To evaluate the association between receiving information on obstetric complications and institutional delivery in Peruvian women in 2019. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2019 Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) database. The dependent variable was the type of delivery (institutional or non-institutional). The exposure variable was self-reporting of having received information on obstetric complications during prenatal care. The association of interest was evaluated using binary logistic regression models, obtaining crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95 % confidence intervals (95%CI). Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: We included a total of 14,835 women in the analysis. Of the total, 14,088 (94.1 %) reported having received information on pregnancy complications. Also, 13,883 (92.5 %) had an institutional delivery in their last pregnancy. The adjusted model showed that women who reported knowing the complications that can occur in pregnancy had a higher probability of presenting an institutional delivery (aOR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.04-2.08). Conclusions: Receiving information about pregnancy complications was found to be associated with a higher probability of institutional delivery. Ensuring the provision of information to the pregnant woman about pregnancy complications can be a useful strategy to increase institutional delivery.

Allergic rhinitis associated with the degree of pulmonary involvement due to COVID-19 in patients from a peruvian general hospital. / Rinitis alérgica asociada al grado de compromiso pulmonar por COVID-19 en pacientes de un hospital general peruano.

OBJECTIVES.: To evaluate the association between allergic rhinitis and the degree of pulmonary involvement in patients with COVID-19 and to determine the frequencies of the main variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS.: An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out by reviewing the medical records of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the Cayetano Heredia National Hospital between 2020 and 2021. We obtained information regarding the history of allergic rhinitis; pulmonary involvement was assessed by non-contrast tomography results using the chest computed tomography (CT) score. Data regarding sociodemographic and clinical variables was also obtained. Both crude (PR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. We also used a generalized linear Poisson family model with log link function and robust variances. RESULTS.: We evaluated 434 patients, who were mostly male, older than 60 years and had no relevant medical history. Of these, 56.2% had a history of allergic rhinitis and 43.1% had moderate to severe pulmonary involvement. The adjusted regression model showed that the history of allergic rhinitis reduced the severity of COVID-19 according to the pulmonary involvement assessed by the CT score (aPR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.56-0.88; p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS.: The history of allergic rhinitis resulted in a 30.0% decrease in COVID-19 severity according to the CT score in hospitalized patients.

OBJETIVOS.: Evaluar la asociación entre rinitis alérgica y el grado de compromiso pulmonar en pacientes con COVID-19 y evaluar las frecuencias de las variables principales. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS.: Se realizó un estudio de tipo observacional, transversal y analítico mediante la revisión de historias clínicas de pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia entre el año 2020 y 2021 con diagnóstico de COVID-19. Se determinó el antecedente de rinitis alérgica, y el compromiso pulmonar se evaluó mediante una tomografía sin contraste usando el puntaje tomográfico (PT), además de, variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Se estimaron razones de prevalencias tanto crudas (RP) como ajustadas (RPa) con sus respectivos intervalos de confianza (IC) al 95% y se empleó un modelo lineal generalizado de la familia Poisson con función de enlace logarítmica y varianzas robustas. RESULTADOS.: Se evaluaron 434 pacientes predominantemente varones, mayores de 60 años y sin antecedentes médicos relevantes. El 56,2% tenía el antecedente de rinitis alérgica y el 43,1% tuvo un compromiso pulmonar moderado a severo. En el modelo de regresión ajustado, se encontró que el antecedente de rinitis alérgica disminuyó la gravedad de COVID-19 evaluada a través del compromiso pulmonar según el PT (RPa: 0,70; IC 95%: 0,56-0,88; p=0,002). CONCLUSIONES.: El antecedente de rinitis alérgica representó una disminución en la gravedad de COVID-19 según el PT score del 30,0% en pacientes hospitalizados.

Risk factors for in-hospital complications in patients with acute ischemic stroke: Retrospective cohort in a national reference hospital in Peru.

Objective: To describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with acute cerebral infarction treated at a national reference hospital in Peru and determine the risk factors for in-hospital complications. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 192 patients with acute ischemic stroke in a national reference hospital in Peru from January to September 2021. Clinical, demographic and paraclinical information was recorded from medical records. We estimated risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals using regression models with Poisson family and robust variance for the bivariate and multivariate model, adjusting for age, sex and risk factors for stroke. Results: At least one in-hospital complication occurred in 32.3% of the patients. The most frequent complications were infectious in 22.4%, followed by 17.7% of neurological complications, with other complications, such as thromboembolism, immobility and miscellaneous, being much less frequent. Regression analysis showed that stroke severity (RR = 1.76; 95%CI:1.09-2.86) and albumin greater than 3.5 mg/dL (RR = 0.53; 95%CI: 0.36-0.79) were independent risk factors for the presence of in-hospital complications. Conclusions: A high rate of in-hospital complications were observed, among which infectious and neurological complications were the most frequent. Stroke severity was a risk factor and albumin greater than 3.5 mg/dL was a protective factor for the incidence of in-hospital complications. These results can serve as a starting point for establishing stroke care systems that consider differentiated flows for the prevention of in-hospital complications.

Humoral response after a BNT162b2 heterologous third dose of COVID-19 vaccine following two doses of BBIBP-CorV among healthcare personnel in Peru.

Background: The inactivated virus vaccine, BBIBP-CorV, was principally distributed across low- and middle-income countries as primary vaccination strategy to prevent poor COVID-19 outcomes. Limited information is available regarding its effect on heterologous boosting. We aim to evaluate the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a third booster dose of BNT162b2 following a double BBIBP-CorV regime. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among healthcare providers from several healthcare facilities of the Seguro Social de Salud del Perú - ESSALUD. We included participants two-dose BBIBP-CorV vaccinated who presented a three-dose vaccination card at least 21 days passed since the vaccinees received their third dose and were willing to provide written informed consent. Antibodies were determined using LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG (DiaSorin Inc., Stillwater, USA). Factors potentially associated with immunogenicity, and adverse events, were considered. We used a multivariable fractional polynomial modeling approach to estimate the association between anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies' geometric mean (GM) ratios and related predictors. Results: We included 595 subjects receiving a third dose with a median (IQR) age of 46 [37], [54], from which 40% reported previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overall geometric mean (IQR) of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was 8,410 (5,115 - 13,000) BAU/mL. Prior SARS-CoV-2 history and full/part-time in-person working modality were significantly associated with greater GM. Conversely, time from boosting to IgG measure was associated with lower GM levels. We found 81% of reactogenicity in the study population; younger age and being a nurse were associated with a lower incidence of adverse events. Conclusions: Among healthcare providers, a booster dose of BNT162b2 following a full BBIBP-CorV regime provided high humoral immune protection. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 previous exposure and working in person displayed as determinants that increase anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies.

Association between inadequate prenatal care and low birth weight of newborns in Peru: Evidence from a peruvian demographic and health survey.

Objective: To assess the association between inadequate prenatal care (IPNC) and Low birth weight (LBW) in newborns of singleton gestation mothers in Peru. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of data from the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey. We included a total of 10,186 women of reproductive age (15 - 49 years) who had given birth to a singleton child in the last 5 years. The dependent variable was LBW (< 2500 g). The independent variables were IPNC (inadequate: when at least one of the IPNC components was absent [number of PNC visits ≥ 6, first PNC visit during the first trimester, compliance with PNC visit contents, and PNC visits provided by trained health personnel]) and each of its components. We evaluated the association using logistic regression models to estimate crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: We found that approximately six out of 100 live births had LBW and that seven out of 10 women had received IPNC. We observed that receiving IPNC (aOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.77) and having less than six prenatal control visits (aOR: 3.20; 95% CI: 2.48 - 4.13) were associated with higher odds of LBW regardless of the mother's age, educational level, occupation, wealth, region, rural origin, ethnicity, sex of the newborns, and place of delivery. While, regarding to the other PNC components, first prenatal control in the first trimester (aOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.76 - 1.28) and compliance with prenatal control contents (aOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.86 - 1.34), they were associated with lower and higher odds of LBW, respectively, regardless of the same adjustment variables, but it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: IPNC and having less than six PNC visits were associated with higher odds of LBW. Therefore, it is very important to implement strategies that ensure access to quality prenatal care is necessary to reduce the consequences of LBW.

Satisfacción del usuario en consulta externa de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, 2022

Introducción : La satisfacción del paciente es un indicador fundamental de la calidad en los servicios de salud. Sin embargo, encontramos escasos estudios previos en Medicina Física y Rehabilitación (MFyR), especialidad que atiende a pacientes con discapacidad quienes tienen derecho a recibir servicios de salud de la más alta calidad. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la satisfacción del usuario en consulta externa de MFyR del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM) de julio a septiembre del 2022. Métodos : Se realizó un estudio observacional transversal de tipo descriptivo. Se evaluó la satisfacción del usuario de consulta externa con la encuesta SERVQUAL. Asimismo, se incluyeron variables sociodemográficas, relacionadas a la atención brindada, y el tipo de terapia de rehabilitación que recibió. Se realizó el análisis de datos utilizando el paquete estadístico Stata/SE ®. Se realizó el análisis bivariado entre las covariables de interés y la satisfacción. Resultados : Se incluyó a 93 participantes, con una mediana de edad de 43 años, el 49.5 % tuvo un tiempo menor a 6 meses desde la primera atención en consulta externa y el 59.1 % recibía solo terapia física. La satisfacción global fue de 72.4 %. La satisfacción por dimensión fue de 79,6 % para seguridad, 78,5 % para aspectos tangibles, 76,9 % para empatía, 68,8 % para fiabilidad y 58,1 % para capacidad de respuesta. Conclusiones : Hallamos que aproximadamente siete de cada diez participantes presentaron satisfacción global en consulta externa de MFyR del HNERM. Las dimensiones con mayor satisfacción fueron seguridad, aspectos tangibles, y empatía.

Introduction : Patient satisfaction is an important indicator for quality in healthcare services. However, we found scant previous studies on this respect carried out in the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) service, a specialty that takes care of disabled patients entitled to receive best quality medical services. The objective of this study was to evaluate users' satisfaction in the outpatient clinic of the PRM service at Edgardo Rebagliati-Martins National Hospital (ERMNH), from July to September, 2022. Methods : A descriptive cross-sectional observational study was carried out. Outpatient's satisfaction was assessed using the SERVQUAL survey. Also, sociodemographic variables related to healthcare services and the type of rehabilitation therapy these patients received were assessed. Data analysis was performed using the Stata/SE® statistical software. Bivariate analysis for interest covariates and satisfaction was also performed. Results : Ninety-tree participants were included, their mean age was 43 years, nearly half (49.5%) had a less than 6-month time since they were seen for the first time in the outpatient clinic, and 59.1% only received physical therapy. Overall satisfaction was 72.4%. Satisfaction according to different dimensions was as follows> 79.6% for safety, 78.5% for tangible issues, 76.9% for empathy, 68.8% for reliability, and 58.1% for response capacity. Conclusions : We found that approximately seven out of ten patients had overall satisfaction in the PRM outpatient clinic at ERMNH. The dimensions with great satisfaction were safety, tangible issues, and empathy.

Results and Feasibility of the Virtual Inspection of Clinical Trials During Pandemic of COVID-19 in Peru.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the results of inspection of clinical trials (CTs) and the feasibility of conducting inspections virtually in Peruvian Social Security hospitals during the pandemic of COVID-19. METHODS: This study described 25 CTs that were inspected during August 2021-November 2021. The data for the variables were obtained from the CT inspection database of the Social Security Sub-directorate of Regulation and Management of Health Research which includes minutes and inspection reports. We describe the characteristics of the CT included and findings during the inspections using relative and absolute frequencies. Likewise, we evaluated the feasibility of virtual inspection through a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: According to the findings of the inspection, 60% of CTs were on biological products, and 60% were focused on infectiology. Additionally, 64% of CTs were implemented in Lima, 52% were conducted in level IV health facilities, and 72% were funded by the pharmaceutical sector. The lack of submission of requested documents (16/25) and inadequate access to the internet (9/15) and source documents (4/15) were the primary observations during the inspection. Regarding the feasibility of virtual supervisions, most interviewees rated their understanding of instruction form as "normal" and its content as "adequate." Similarly, in the virtual self-assessment matrix, a large proportion of interviewees rated comprehension as "normal" (7/15) and its content as "adequate" (13/15). The quality of the virtual supervision process was 8.6 ± 1.1 on a scale of 1-10. CONCLUSION: Discrepancies in records and failure to submit requested documents were the main observations. Most interviewees considered the material to be adequate and gave an overall good rating to the virtual inspection process.

Rinitis alérgica asociada al grado de compromiso pulmonar por COVID-19 en pacientes de un hospital general peruano / Allergic rhinitis associated with the degree of pulmonary involvement due to COVID-19 in patients from a peruvian general hospital

Objetivos. Evaluar la asociación entre rinitis alérgica y el grado de compromiso pulmonar en pacientes con COVID-19 y evaluar las frecuencias de las variables principales. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de tipo observacional, transversal y analítico mediante la revisión de historias clínicas de pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia entre el año 2020 y 2021 con diagnóstico de COVID-19. Se determinó el antecedente de rinitis alérgica, y el compromiso pulmonar se evaluó mediante una tomografía sin contraste usando el puntaje tomográfico (PT), además de, variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Se estimaron razones de prevalencias tanto crudas (RP) como ajustadas (RPa) con sus respectivos intervalos de confianza (IC) al 95% y se empleó un modelo lineal generalizado de la familia Poisson con función de enlace logarítmica y varianzas robustas. Resultados. Se evaluaron 434 pacientes predominantemente varones, mayores de 60 años y sin antecedentes médicos relevantes. El 56,2% tenía el antecedente de rinitis alérgica y el 43,1% tuvo un compromiso pulmonar moderado a severo. En el modelo de regresión ajustado, se encontró que el antecedente de rinitis alérgica disminuyó la gravedad de COVID-19 evaluada a través del compromiso pulmonar según el PT (RPa: 0,70; IC 95%: 0,56-0,88; p=0,002). Conclusiones. El antecedente de rinitis alérgica representó una disminución en la gravedad de COVID-19 según el PT score del 30,0% en pacientes hospitalizados.

Objectives. To evaluate the association between allergic rhinitis and the degree of pulmonary involvement in patients with COVID-19 and to determine the frequencies of the main variables. Materials and methods. An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out by reviewing the medical records of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the Cayetano Heredia National Hospital between 2020 and 2021. We obtained information regarding the history of allergic rhinitis; pulmonary involvement was assessed by non-contrast tomography results using the chest computed tomography (CT) score. Data regarding sociodemographic and clinical variables was also obtained. Both crude (PR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. We also used a generalized linear Poisson family model with log link function and robust variances. Results. We evaluated 434 patients, who were mostly male, older than 60 years and had no relevant medical history. Of these, 56.2% had a history of allergic rhinitis and 43.1% had moderate to severe pulmonary involvement. The adjusted regression model showed that the history of allergic rhinitis reduced the severity of COVID-19 according to the pulmonary involvement assessed by the CT score (aPR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.56-0.88; p=0.002). Conclusions. The history of allergic rhinitis resulted in a 30.0% decrease in COVID-19 severity according to the CT score in hospitalized patients.

Post-vaccination seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 in peruvian health workers vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm).

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of post-vaccination seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 and identify its predictors in Peruvian Social Health Insurance (EsSalud) personnel in 2021. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative simple stratified sample of EsSalud workers. We evaluated IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies response (seropositivity) by passive (previous infection) and active immunization (vaccination), and epidemiological and occupational variables obtained by direct interview and a data collection form. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used with correction of sample weights adjusted for non-response rate, and crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and geometric mean ratio (GMR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated. RESULTS: We enrolled 1077 subjects. Seropositivity was 67.4% (95%CI: 63.4-71.1). Predictors of seropositivity were age (negative relation; p < 0.001), previous infection (aOR = 11.7; 95%CI: 7.81-17.5), working in COVID-19 area (aOR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.02-2.11) and time since the second dose. In relation to antibody levels measured by geometric means, there was an association between male sex (aGMR = 0.77; 95%CI: 0.74-0.80), age (negative relation; p < 0.001), previous infection (aGMR = 13.1; 95%CI:4.99-34.40), non-face-to-face/licensed work modality (aGMR = 0.78; 95%CI: 0.73-0.84), being a nursing technician (aGMR = 1.30; 95%CI: 1.20-1.41), working in administrative areas (aGMR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.10-1.25), diagnostic support (aGMR = 1.07; 95%CI: 1.01-1.15), critical care (aGMR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.79-0.93), and in a COVID-19 area (aGMR = 1.30; 95%CI: 1.24-1.36) and time since receiving the second dose (negative relation; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Seropositivity and antibody levels decrease as the time since receiving the second dose increases. Older age and no history of previous infection were associated with lower seropositivity and antibody values. These findings may be useful for sentinel antibody surveillance and the design of booster dose strategies.

Biomedical informatics: characterization of the offer of massive open online courses. / Informática biomédica: caracterización de la oferta de cursos abiertos masivos en línea.

Introduction: Informatics applied to health sciences has brought cutting-edge solutions to healthcare problems. However, the number of health professionals trained in "Health Informatics" is low. Virtual education, such as massive online open courses, provide the opportunity for training in this field. Objective: To estimate the global offer of massive online open biomedical informatics courses and characterize their content. Methods: A search for massive online open courses was conducted throughout December 2021 on 25 platforms offering these courses. The search strategy included the terms "health informatics" and "biomedical informatics". The application areas of biomedical informatics, platform, institution, duration, time required per week, language, and subtitles available for each course were evaluated. Data were analyzed descriptively, reporting absolute and relative frequencies. Results; Our search strategy identified 1333 massive online open courses. Of these, only 79 were related to health informatics. Most of these courses (n = 44; 55.7%) were offered through Coursera. More than half (n = 55; 69.6%) were conducted by U.S. institutions in english (n = 76; 96.2%). Most courses focused on areas of translational bioinformatics (n = 27; 34.2%), followed by public health informatics (n = 23; 29.1%), and clinical research informatics (n = 13, 16.5%). Conclusions: We found a significant supply of massive online open courses on health informatics. These courses favor the training of more professionals worldwide, mostly addressing competencies to apply informatics in clinical practice, public health, and health research.

Introducción: La informática biomédica ha traído consigo soluciones innovadoras a problemas sanitarios. Sin embargo, el número de profesionales sanitarios capacitados en informática biomédica es bajo. La educación virtual, como los cursos masivos abiertos en línea, brindan la oportunidad de formación en este campo. Objetivo: Estimar la oferta global de cursos masivos abiertos en línea sobre informática biomédica y conocer las características de su contenido. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda de cursos masivos abiertos en línea durante diciembre de 2021 en 25 plataformas que ofertan estos cursos. La estrategia de búsqueda incluyó los descriptores "" y "". Se evaluaron las áreas de aplicación de informática biomédica, la plataforma, la institución, la duración, el tiempo requerido por semana, el idioma y los subtítulos disponibles para cada curso. Se analizaron los datos descriptivamente, reportándose frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: Nuestra estrategia de búsqueda identificó 1333 cursos masivos abiertos en línea. De ellos, solo 79 estaban relacionados con informática de la salud. La mayoría de estos cursos (n = 44; 55,7%) se ofrecieron a través de Coursera. Más de la mitad (n = 55; 69,6%) fueron realizados por instituciones de Estados Unidos y en el idioma inglés (n = 76; 96,2%). La mayor parte de los cursos se centraron en áreas de bioinformática traslacional (n = 27; 34,2%), seguido de informática de la salud pública (n = 23; 29,1%), e informática de la investigación clínica (n = 13; 16,5%). Conclusiones: Se encontró una importante oferta de cursos masivos abiertos en línea sobre informática biomédica. Estos cursos favorecen la formación de más profesionales en todas las regiones del mundo, abordando en su mayoría competencias para aplicar la informática en la práctica clínica, la salud pública y la investigación en salud.

Informática biomédica: caracterización de la oferta de cursos abiertos masivos en línea / Biomedical informatics: characterization of the offer of massive open online courses

Introducción La informática biomédica ha traído consigo soluciones innovadoras a problemas sanitarios. Sin embargo, el número de profesionales sanitarios capacitados en informática biomédica es bajo. La educación virtual, como los cursos masivos abiertos en línea, brindan la oportunidad de formación en este campo. Objetivo Estimar la oferta global de cursos masivos abiertos en línea sobre informática biomédica y conocer las características de su contenido. Métodos Se realizó una búsqueda de cursos masivos abiertos en línea durante diciembre de 2021 en 25 plataformas que ofertan estos cursos. La estrategia de búsqueda incluyó los descriptores "" y "". Se evaluaron las áreas de aplicación de informática biomédica, la plataforma, la institución, la duración, el tiempo requerido por semana, el idioma y los subtítulos disponibles para cada curso. Se analizaron los datos descriptivamente, reportándose frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados Nuestra estrategia de búsqueda identificó 1333 cursos masivos abiertos en línea. De ellos, solo 79 estaban relacionados con informática de la salud. La mayoría de estos cursos (n = 44; 55,7%) se ofrecieron a través de Coursera. Más de la mitad (n = 55; 69,6%) fueron realizados por instituciones de Estados Unidos y en el idioma inglés (n = 76; 96,2%). La mayor parte de los cursos se centraron en áreas de bioinformática traslacional (n = 27; 34,2%), seguido de informática de la salud pública (n = 23; 29,1%), e informática de la investigación clínica (n = 13; 16,5%). Conclusiones Se encontró una importante oferta de cursos masivos abiertos en línea sobre informática biomédica. Estos cursos favorecen la formación de más profesionales en todas las regiones del mundo, abordando en su mayoría competencias para aplicar la informática en la práctica clínica, la salud pública y la investigación en salud.

Introduction Informatics applied to health sciences has brought cutting-edge solutions to healthcare problems. However, the number of health professionals trained in "Health Informatics" is low. Virtual education, such as massive online open courses, provide the opportunity for training in this field. Objective To estimate the global offer of massive online open biomedical informatics courses and characterize their content. Methods A search for massive online open courses was conducted throughout December 2021 on 25 platforms offering these courses. The search strategy included the terms "health informatics" and "biomedical informatics". The application areas of biomedical informatics, platform, institution, duration, time required per week, language, and subtitles available for each course were evaluated. Data were analyzed descriptively, reporting absolute and relative frequencies. Results Our search strategy identified 1333 massive online open courses. Of these, only 79 were related to health informatics. Most of these courses (n = 44; 55.7%) were offered through Coursera. More than half (n = 55; 69.6%) were conducted by U.S. institutions in english (n = 76; 96.2%). Most courses focused on areas of translational bioinformatics (n = 27; 34.2%), followed by public health informatics (n = 23; 29.1%), and clinical research informatics (n = 13, 16.5%). Conclusions We found a significant supply of massive online open courses on health informatics. These courses favor the training of more professionals worldwide, mostly addressing competencies to apply informatics in clinical practice, public health, and health research.

Autoimmune encephalitis after BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) COVID-19 vaccination: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is an important public health strategy; however, many neurological adverse effects are associated with COVID-19 vaccination, being encephalitis a rare manifestation. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 33-year-old woman who received the first dose of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine against COVID-19 on April 4 and the second dose on April 28, 2021. Three days after receiving the second dose, she experienced a subacute episode of headache, fever, insomnia, and transient episodes of environment disconnection. We obtained negative results for infectious, systemic, and oncological causes. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed lesions in the bilateral caudate nucleus and nonspecific demyelinating lesions at the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments. The results of the neuronal autoantibodies panel were negative. She had an adequate response to immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone; however, she experienced an early clinical relapse and received a new cycle of immunosuppressive treatment followed by a satisfactory clinical evolution. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of severe encephalitis associated with BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) vaccination in Latin America. The patient had atypical imaging patterns, with early clinical relapse and a favorable response to corticosteroid therapy.

Case Report: Focal leptomeningeal disease, atypical cancer of unknown primary site.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastasis is an infrequent form of cancer expression, and it has a poor prognosis due to its torpid evolution and its challenging diagnosis. Case report: We report the case of a 68-year-old woman with rapidly progressing cognitive decline and focal epilepsy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive gyriform hypersignal in the right precentral sulcus region, without mass effect, tenuous contrast uptake, and hydrocephalus with transependymal edema. The body tomographic study was negative for solid cancer and the 18F-FDG PET-CT revealed a severe hypermetabolism in the right lung upper lobe. These findings were suggestive of lung cancer with leptomeningeal metastasis. We performed a brain biopsy, finding atypical cells in the leptomeningeal region with positive immunohistochemical staining for CK7 and negative for CK20 corresponding to lung adenocarcinoma. The patient was evaluated in the oncology service and scheduled for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Conclusions: Focal leptomeningeal disease is an entity that should be considered as a differential diagnosis in all cases of focal leptomeningitis. Timely diagnosis and adequate cancer management can increase patient survival.