Kit de herramientas para la implementación de Smart Hospitals en América Latina

Como parte de su compromiso para incrementar la resiliencia de los hospitales de la región de las Américas a las emergencias de salud y a los desastres, incluidos los eventos hidrometeorológicos extremos, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud ha desarrollado las herramientas EcoCheck y EcoBase, basadas en la iniciativa Smart Hospitals, que se implementó de forma exitosa en el Caribe. Estas herramientas promueven la eficiencia y la sostenibilidad de los hospitales, reduciendo su contribución al cambio climático y mejorando su resiliencia ante eventos extremos. EcoCheck ha sido diseñada para optimizar el uso de recursos esenciales como el agua y la energía en la operación de los hospitales, fomentando la utilización eficiente de estos, y minimizando el desperdicio y reduciendo el impacto ambiental. Además, esta herramienta facilita la evaluación y el monitoreo del uso de diversos recursos y de la gestión del ambiente, con el fin de proporcionar recomendaciones prácticas para mejorar la eficiencia operativa, reducir los costos operativos y contribuir a la conservación del medio ambiente. Por su parte, EcoBase se enfoca en estimar la huella de carbono, proporcionando un análisis detallado de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero provenientes de la operación de los hospitales. Además, esta herramienta ofrece estrategias sostenibles para reducir las emisiones, con lo cual fomenta la adopción de prácticas más ecológicas por parte de los hospitales. Su implementación posibilita que los hospitales cuantifiquen y disminuyan su impacto ambiental, y permite identificar oportunidades para reducir costos potenciales durante su funcionamiento. En suma, ambas herramientas impulsan la sostenibilidad y la eficiencia, y mejoran la reducción de riesgos de los hospitales a las emergencias de salud y a los desastres, como parte del fortalecimiento de su resiliencia.

Kit de herramientas para la implementación de Smart Hospitals en América Latina

Como parte de su compromiso para incrementar la resiliencia de los hospitales de la región de las Américas a las emergencias de salud y a los desastres, incluidos los eventos hidrometeorológicos extremos, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud ha desarrollado las herramientas EcoCheck y EcoBase, basadas en la iniciativa Smart Hospitals, que se implementó de forma exitosa en el Caribe. Estas herramientas promueven la eficiencia y la sostenibilidad de los hospitales, reduciendo su contribución al cambio climático y mejorando su resiliencia ante eventos extremos. EcoCheck ha sido diseñada para optimizar el uso de recursos esenciales como el agua y la energía en la operación de los hospitales, fomentando la utilización eficiente de estos, y minimizando el desperdicio y reduciendo el impacto ambiental. Además, esta herramienta facilita la evaluación y el monitoreo del uso de diversos recursos y de la gestión del ambiente, con el fin de proporcionar recomendaciones prácticas para mejorar la eficiencia operativa, reducir los costos operativos y contribuir a la conservación del medio ambiente. Por su parte, EcoBase se enfoca en estimar la huella de carbono, proporcionando un análisis detallado de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero provenientes de la operación de los hospitales. Además, esta herramienta ofrece estrategias sostenibles para reducir las emisiones, con lo cual fomenta la adopción de prácticas más ecológicas por parte de los hospitales. Su implementación posibilita que los hospitales cuantifiquen y disminuyan su impacto ambiental, y permite identificar oportunidades para reducir costos potenciales durante su funcionamiento. En suma, ambas herramientas impulsan la sostenibilidad y la eficiencia, y mejoran la reducción de riesgos de los hospitales a las emergencias de salud y a los desastres, como parte del fortalecimiento de su resiliencia.

[Hospitals in Portugal from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries]. / Os hospitais em Portugal no século XIX e na primeira metade do século XX.

Since the modern era, healthcare in Portugal has been provided primarily by hospitals, many of which were founded by the Sisters of Mercy and known as Misericordias. However, the creation of new hospitals in the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century did not necessarily yield improved patient care, since these institutions tended to be small, poorly equipped, and lacking in human and material resources. This study presents a reflection on developments in Portuguese hospitals from 1834 through to the first decades of the twentieth century, drawing on data on several institutions to identify changes and continuities in the healthcare offered.

Desde a época moderna, em Portugal, a assistência à doença foi prestada, sobretudo, pelos hospitais, muitos deles criados pelas Misericórdias. No entanto, a criação de novos hospitais no século XIX e nas primeiras décadas do século XX não trouxe, necessariamente, uma melhoria no tratamento dos doentes, visto que, salvo raras exceções, eram espaços pequenos, mal equipados e carentes de recursos humanos e materiais. O objetivo deste texto é apresentar uma reflexão sobre a resposta hospitalar em Portugal entre 1834 e as primeiras décadas do século XX. Pretendemos apontar as mudanças e continuidades que, nesse período, ocorreram no campo da assistência à doença, fazendo referência à criação de diversas instituições.

Machine learning-based risk prediction for major adverse cardiovascular events in a Brazilian hospital: Development, external validation, and interpretability.

BACKGROUND: Studies of cardiovascular disease risk prediction by machine learning algorithms often do not assess their ability to generalize to other populations and few of them include an analysis of the interpretability of individual predictions. This manuscript addresses the development and validation, both internal and external, of predictive models for the assessment of risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Global and local interpretability analyses of predictions were conducted towards improving MACE's model reliability and tailoring preventive interventions. METHODS: The models were trained and validated on a retrospective cohort with the use of data from Ribeirão Preto Medical School (RPMS), University of São Paulo, Brazil. Data from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), USA, were used for external validation. A balanced sample of 6,000 MACE cases and 6,000 non-MACE cases from RPMS was created for training and internal validation and an additional one of 8,000 MACE cases and 8,000 non-MACE cases from BIDMC was employed for external validation. Eight machine learning algorithms, namely Penalized Logistic Regression, Random Forest, XGBoost, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbors, Naive Bayes, and Multi-Layer Perceptron were trained to predict a 5-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and their predictive performance was evaluated regarding accuracy, ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic), and AUC (area under the ROC curve). LIME and Shapley values were applied towards insights about model interpretability. FINDINGS: Random Forest showed the best predictive performance in both internal validation (AUC = 0.871 (0.859-0.882); Accuracy = 0.794 (0.782-0.808)) and external one (AUC = 0.786 (0.778-0.792); Accuracy = 0.710 (0.704-0.717)). Compared to LIME, Shapley values suggest more consistent explanations on exploratory analysis and importance of features. CONCLUSIONS: Among the machine learning algorithms evaluated, Random Forest showed the best generalization ability, both internally and externally. Shapley values for local interpretability were more informative than LIME ones, which is in line with our exploratory analysis and global interpretation of the final model. Machine learning algorithms with good generalization and accompanied by interpretability analyses are recommended for assessments of individual risks of cardiovascular diseases and development of personalized preventive actions.

[Factors associated with the intention to donate blood in patients of a hospital in Peru]. / Factores asociados a la intención de donación de sangre en pacientes de un hospital de Perú.

OBJECTIVE: Research on factors that modify the intention to donate blood voluntarily in the general population in Peru is scarce, and most of it are focused on health science personnel. The aim of the present study was to estimate the factors associated with the intention to donate blood in patients attending an outpatient clinic in a hospital in northern Peru. METHODS: A prospective unpaired study of cases (n=185) and controls (n=185) was designed. A case was defined as a patient who responded "if I would voluntarily donate blood in the future" to the initial filter question. The response variable was intention to donate blood and the exposure variables were sex, age, marital status, educational level, employment status, monthly income, religion, donation practices, and knowledge about donation. In addition, the motivations for blood donation were explored. To identify the associated factors, crude odds ratios (ORc) were calculated by means of generalized linear models, using the Poisson family, log link function and robust models; then the variables that showed a significant statistical association were adjusted by multivariate analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic variables, and the adjusted odds ratios (ORa) were obtained. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis, male sex (ORa=1.37), having a high monthly income (ORa=1.26), professing the catholic religion (ORa=5.27), having a higher score in the knowledge questionnaire (ORa=1.04), having previously donated (ORa=1.64) and having a family member who had previously donated (ORa=1.72) increased the probability of intention to donate blood. On the other hand, older age (ORa=0.97) decreased said probability. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors associated with the intention to donate blood are identified, most of which were similar to previous studies. It is highlighted that a high level of knowledge, as well as previous donation experiences, increase the intention to donate blood.

OBJECTIVE: Las investigaciones sobre factores que modifiquen la intención de donar sangre voluntariamente en población general en Perú son escasas, y la mayoría se centran en el personal de Ciencias de la Salud. El objetivo del presente estudio fue estimar los factores asociados a la intención de donación de sangre en pacientes que acudían a consulta externa de un hospital del norte peruano. METHODS: Se diseñó un estudio de casos (n=185) y controles (n= 185) prospectivo no pareado. Se definió como caso al paciente que respondía "si donaría voluntariamente sangre en el futuro" a la pregunta filtro inicial. La variable respuesta fue la intención de donación de sangre y las de exposición fueron sexo, edad, estado civil, grado de instrucción, situación laboral, ingresos mensuales, religión, prácticas sobre la donación y conocimientos sobre la donación. Adicionalmente se exploraron las motivaciones para la donación de sangre. Para identificar los factores asociados se calcularon odds ratio crudos (ORc) mediante modelos lineales generalizados, haciendo uso de la familia Poisson, función de enlace log y modelos robustos; luego, las variables que mostraron asociación estadística significativa se ajustaron mediante análisis multivariado, ajustándolas por las variables sociodemográficas, y se obtuvieron los odds ratio ajustados (ORa). RESULTS: En el análisis multivariado aumentaron la probabilidad de intención de donación de sangre ser de sexo masculino (ORa=1,37), tener ingresos mensuales altos (ORa=1,26), profesar la religión católica (ORa=5,27), tener una mayor puntuación en el cuestionario de conocimientos (ORa=1,04), haber donado previamente (ORa=1,64) y que un familiar hubiera donado previamente (ORa=1,72). Por otro lado, la edad más avanzada (ORa=0,97) disminuyó dicha probabilidad. CONCLUSIONS: Se identifican diversos factores asociados a la intención de donación de sangre. Se resalta que el nivel de conocimientos elevado, así como experiencias previas en donación, aumentan la intención de donar sangre.

Towards an update on the antimicrobial use in Adult Care Units in Brazil: insights from multi-hospital prevalence study.

Introduction. Efforts to understand the burden of antibiotic use in low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil are essential for developing strategies that are effective and appropriate in the context of endemic multidrug-resistant organisms.Aim. This study aims to determine antimicrobial-prescribing practices among patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) for adults in Brazil.Methodology. A 1-day point prevalence multicentre survey was conducted in 58 adult ICUs across the five regions of Brazil. The institutions were categorized according to their type and size. Detailed antimicrobial prescription data were prospectively provided to all patients hospitalized on the day of data collection.Results. A total of 620 patients were included in the study, of whom 63.9% were receiving at least one antimicrobial. Of these, 34.6% were treated for an infection, but only 39.9% of the cases were based on microbiological criteria. Empirical treatment was applied to 72.3% of the patients. Significant differences in antibiotic usage were observed across the different hospitals included in the study. Overall, treatment was most commonly directed towards pneumonia (51.8%) and bloodstream infections (29.6%). Glycopeptides (19.4%) and carbapenems (18.5%) were the most prescribed in teaching hospitals, while in non-teaching hospitals, carbapenems (17.8%) and broad-spectrum cephalosporins (16.8%) were most frequently used.Conclusion. Our study reveals alarming data on antibiotic use in adult ICUs in Brazil, with high frequencies of severe healthcare-associated infections acquired in these units, where patients are frequently subjected to empirical treatment.

Patient safety culture in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in a hospital.

OBJECTIVES: to assess patient safety culture during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the dimensions that need to be improved in hospital settings and which sector, open or closed, direct or indirect care, exhibits a higher level of safety culture. METHODS: a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The validated version for Brazil of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture instrument was applied to assess patient safety culture. Those dimensions with 75% positive responses were considered strengthened. RESULTS: all dimensions presented results lower than 75% of positive responses. Closed sectors showed a stronger safety culture compared to open ones. Indirect care sectors had a low general perception of patient safety when compared to direct care sectors. CONCLUSIONS: with the pandemic, points of weakness became even more evident, requiring attention and incisive interventions from the institution's leaders.

Qualitative analysis of nurses' performance and experiences in hospital management in the face of COVID-19. / Análise qualitativa sobre a atuação e as experiências dos enfermeiros na gestão hospitalar frente à COVID-19.

This study aimed to analyze the role of nurses in hospital management in the face of COVID-19. The study had a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach. The setting was a hospital that was completely transformed to care for patients with COVID-19. At the time of data collection, ten nurses managed the services, and all participated in the semi-structured interview. After thematic analysis, the data were presented in three categories, representing the elements of Donabedian's triad: structure, process, and result. Category 1 highlighted the hospital structure reconfiguration based on material and people management; category 2 addressed the work process restructuring to achieve goals with safety and quality; and category 3 focused on nurses' experiences in describing the results achieved and expected. The analysis highlighted the importance of teamwork, involvement, and adaptation of managers in the face of the challenges of a new and life-threatening disease, scarce resources, and the complexity of human relationships in the crisis. In transformational leadership, these nurses encouraged behavior change, professional growth, and resilience.

Objetivou-se analisar a atuação dos enfermeiros na gestão hospitalar frente à COVID-19. O estudo teve uma abordagem qualitativa, do tipo descritivo e exploratório. O cenário foi um hospital que se transformou totalmente para atendimento de pacientes com COVID-19. No momento da coleta de dados, dez enfermeiros estavam à frente da gestão dos serviços, e todos participaram da entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados, após análise temática, foram apresentados em três categorias representativas dos elementos da tríade de Donabedian, ou seja, estrutura, processo e resultado. A categoria 1 realçou a reconfiguração da estrutura hospitalar a partir da gestão de materiais e das pessoas; a categoria 2 abordou a reestruturação do processo de trabalho para alcance das metas com segurança e qualidade; e a categoria 3 focou nas experiências dos enfermeiros na descrição dos resultados alcançados e esperados. A análise evidenciou a importância do trabalho em equipe, do envolvimento e da adaptação do gestor diante dos desafios da doença nova e ameaçadora da vida, dos recursos escassos e da complexidade das relações humanas na crise. Na liderança transformacional esses enfermeiros incentivaram a mudança de comportamento, o crescimento profissional, e resiliência.

Atención de parto respetado en Venezuela: fundamentos legales / Respected Childbirth Care in Venezuela: Legal Foundations

El parto humanizado es un modelo de atención que considera el respeto a las opiniones y necesidades de las mujeres y sus familias, e incluye la atención durante el embarazo, parto, puerperio y, por supuesto, la atención del recién nacido. En Venezuela, existe legislación suficiente que respalda la atención del parto humanizado o respetado, sin embargo, la misma no es conocida por gran parte del personal de salud involucrado en la atención obstétrica. Es necesario que tal legislación se conozca ampliamente y se aplique. La presente revisión se realizó con la intención de revisar los fundamentos legales que respaldan la atención del parto respetado(AU)

Humanized childbirth is a model of care that considers respect for the opinions and needs of women and their families, and includes care during pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium and, of course, newborn care. In Venezuela, there is sufficient legislation that supports humanized or respected childbirth care, however, it is not known by a large part of the health personnel involved in obstetric care. Such legislation needs to be widely known and implemented. This review was conducted with the intention of reviewing the legal foundations that support respected childbirth care(AU)

Analysis of Hospital Safety and Risk of Falls in the Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil.

This study analyzed hospital safety and the risk of falls in elderly people in a university hospital in Brazil. The Morse Falls Scale was used to stratify the risk of falls in 45 hospitalized elderly individuals, and two checklists were used to analyze the hospital environment. The analysis was based on the Chi-square test and multiple regression. The moderate risk of falls was predominant (51.1%). The variable age group (p-value = 0.024) showed statistical evidence of association with the risk of falls. However, the multiple regression analysis showed no difference between the age groups and the risk situation for falls. The hospital wards showed an adequate arrangement of furniture, but some aspects had inadequacies, such as objects in the corridors, non-functional bells in some beds, inadequacy of the toilet bowls in terms of the recommended height, and an absence of non-slip flooring and the support bar in some bathrooms. In conclusion, the moderate risk of falls among the elderly and the adequacy of the hospital environment to technical standards were evident with the exception of failures in the emergency communication system and sanitary installation.

Appropriate Delivery Project: Impact of Simulation Training on the Increase in Vaginal Births in Hospitals in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the participation of professionals in simulation-based training and an increase in the rate of vaginal deliveries. METHODS: This retrospective observational study analyzed professionals' participation in high-fidelity simulation training during the pilot phase of the Appropriate Delivery Project, spanning from May 21, 2015 to May 21, 2016, along with the rates of vaginal deliveries across various hospitals. Data for participation by nurses and physicians were examined using a gamma distribution model to discern the predictors influencing the changes in the percentage of vaginal births. RESULTS: Data from 27 hospitals involved in the project were analyzed. A total of 339 healthcare professionals, including 147 nurses and 192 doctors, underwent the simulation-based training. During the pilot test, the percentage of vaginal births increased from 27.8% to 36.1%, which further increased to 39.8% in the post-intervention period, particularly when the participation rate of nurses exceeded the median. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that simulation-based training is a valuable strategy for achieving positive changes in obstetric practice, specifically an increase in the rate of vaginal births. These findings underscore the potential advantages of incorporating simulation training into improvement initiatives, as evidenced by the correlation between higher training adoption rates and substantial and sustained enhancements in vaginal birth rates.

Trends in hospital capacity and utilization in Puerto Rico by health regions, 2010-2020.

Like many under resourced, island communities, most of the municipalities in Puerto Rico are medically underserved. However, there is limited information about changes in hospital capacity and any regional disparities in availability of hospital services in Puerto Rico, especially given the multiple public health emergencies the island has faced in recent years (e.g. hurricanes, earthquakes, and COVID-19). This study described the trends in hospital capacity and utilization for the Island of Puerto Rico and by health regions from 2010 to 2020. We analyzed the 2021-22 Area Health Resource File (AHRF) and aggregated the data by seven health regions, which are groupings of municipalities defined by the Puerto Rico Department of Health. Ten-year estimates for hospital utilization were adjusted for population size by health region. During the more recent five-year period, there were decreases in hospitals, hospital beds, and surgeries, which represent a shift from the earlier five-year period. Over the 10 years of the study period, there was an overall decrease in population-adjusted measures of hospital utilization on the island of Puerto Rico-despite multiple disasters that would, theoretically, increase need for health care services. We also found variation in hospital capacity and utilization by health regions indicating the rate of change was not uniform across Puerto Rico. The capacity of Puerto Rico's hospital system has shrunk over the past decade which may pose a challenge when responding to recurrent major public health emergencies, especially within specific health regions.

Forecasting hospital discharges for respiratory conditions in Costa Rica using climate and pollution data.

Respiratory diseases represent one of the most significant economic burdens on healthcare systems worldwide. The variation in the increasing number of cases depends greatly on climatic seasonal effects, socioeconomic factors, and pollution. Therefore, understanding these variations and obtaining precise forecasts allows health authorities to make correct decisions regarding the allocation of limited economic and human resources. We aimed to model and forecast weekly hospitalizations due to respiratory conditions in seven regional hospitals in Costa Rica using four statistical learning techniques (Random Forest, XGboost, Facebook's Prophet forecasting model, and an ensemble method combining the above methods), along with 22 climate change indices and aerosol optical depth as an indicator of pollution. Models were trained using data from 2000 to 2018 and were evaluated using data from 2019 as testing data. During the training period, we set up 2-year sliding windows and a 1-year assessment period, along with the grid search method to optimize hyperparameters for each model. The best model for each region was selected using testing data, based on predictive precision and to prevent overfitting. Prediction intervals were then computed using conformal inference. The relative importance of all climatic variables was computed for the best model, and similar patterns in some of the seven regions were observed based on the selected model. Finally, reliable predictions were obtained for each of the seven regional hospitals.

Occurrence of blaNDM-1, blaNDM-5, blaNDM-7, and blaKPC-2 genes in clinical isolates of enterobacterales with high genetic variability, from colonization and infection in patients with or without COVID-19, from a hospital in Brazil.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the presence of beta-lactams resistance genes and the clonal relationship of clinical isolates of Enterobacterales obtained from patients with and without COVID-19, in a hospital in northeastern Brazil. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study analyzed 45 carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR), PCR, and amplicon sequencing to detect resistance genes (blaKPC, blaGES, blaNDM, blaVIM, and blaIMP). The main species were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, and Proteus mirabilis. Detected genes included blaNDM (46.66%), blaKPC (35.55%), and both (17.79%). ERIC-PCR showed multiclonal dissemination and high genetic variability. The main resistance gene was blaNDM, including blaNDM-5 and blaNDM-7. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Enterobacterales carrying blaKPC and blaNDM in this study, particularly K. pneumoniae, in infections and colonizations of patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, highlights genetic variability and resistance to carbapenems observed in multiple species of this order.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in hospital wastewater in Peru, 2022. / Detección de variantes del SARS-CoV-2 en aguas residuales de hospitales en Perú, 2022.

OBJECTIVE.: To identify the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater from hospitals in Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS.: Water samples were collected from the effluents of nine hospitals in Peru during March and September 2022. SARS-CoV-2 was identified by using Illumina sequencing. Variant, lineage and clade assignments were carried out using the Illumina and Nextclado tools. We verified whether the SARS-CoV-2 variants obtained from wastewater were similar to those reported by the National Institute of Health of Peru from patients during the same period and region. RESULTS.: Eighteen of the 20 hospital wastewater samples (90%) provided sequences of sufficient quality to be classified as the Omicron variant according to the WHO classification. Among them, six (30%) were assigned by Nextclade to clades 21K lineage BA.1.1 (n=1), 21L lineage BA.2 (n=2), and 22B lineages BA.5.1 (n=2) and BA .5.5 (n=1). CONCLUSIONS.: SARS-CoV-2 variants were found in hospital wastewater samples and were similar to those reported by the surveillance system in patients during the same weeks and geographic areas. Wastewater monitoring could provide information on the environmental and temporal variation of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.Motivation for the study. To contribute to the surveillance of environmental samples from hospital effluents in order to achieve early warning of possible infectious disease outbreaks. Main findings. The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was detected in wastewater from hospitals in Puno, Cuzco and Cajamarca; these results are similar to the reports by the Peruvian National Institute of Health based on nasopharyngeal swab samples. Implications. The presence of the Omicron variant in hospital wastewater during the third wave of the pandemic should raise awareness of the treatment system before wastewater is discharged into the public sewer system.

Carbapenems and colistin resistance genes isolated in Musca domestica from a garbage dump near a hospital in Lima. / Genes resistentes a carbapenémicos y colistina aislados en Musca domestica proveniente de un basural cercano a un hospital de Lima.

Motivation for the study. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria isolated from common flies is a potential public health hazard because it facilitates the presence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Main findings. Thirty-eight bacterial strains identified in 14 species were isolated from within the fly bodies, of which 31 strains showed resistance to carbapenems and 26 strains showed resistance to colistin. Seven bacterial strains showed carbapenem resistance genes and one Escherichia coli strain had resistance to KPC, OXA-48 and mcr-1. Implications. This is the first report of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria carried by common flies in Peru. The objective was to determine the presence of carbapenem resistance genes and plasmid resistance to colistin (mcr-1) in bacteria isolated from Musca domestica in a garbage dump near a hospital in Lima, Peru. Bacteria with phenotypic resistance to carbapenemics were isolated on CHROMagar mSuperCARBATM medium and colistin resistance profiling was performed using the colistin disk elution method. Detection of blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaOXA-48, blaVIM and mcr-1 genes was performed by conventional PCR. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined using the automated MicroScan system. We found that 31/38 strains had phenotypic resistance to carbapenemics and 26/38 strains had phenotypic resistance to colistin with a minimum inhibitory concentration ≥ 4 µg/ml. Finally, we identified seven bacterial strains with carbapenem resistance genes (OXA-48 and KPC) and one bacterial strain with plasmid resistance to colistin (mcr-1). One Escherichia coli strain had three resistance genes: KPC, OXA-48 and mcr-1.

El objetivo fue determinar la presencia de genes de resistencia a carbapenémicos y resistencia plasmídica a colistina (mcr-1) en bacterias aisladas de Musca domestica en un basural cercano a un hospital de Lima, Perú. Las bacterias con resistencia fenotípica a los carbapénemicos se aislaron en medio CHROMagar mSuperCARBATM y el perfil de resistencia a colistina se realizó mediante el método de elución de discos de colistina. La detección de genes blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaOXA-48, blaVIM y mcr-1 se realizó mediante PCR convencional. El perfil de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana se determinó mediante el sistema automatizado MicroScan. Las bacterias con resistencia fenotípica a carbapenémicos fueron 31/38 cepas y a colistina fueron 26/38 cepas con una concentración inhibitoria mínima ≥ 4 µg/ml. Finalmente, se identificaron siete cepas bacterianas con genes de resistencia a carbapenémicos (OXA-48 Y KPC) y una cepa bacteriana con resistencia plasmídica a colistina (mcr-1). Una cepa de Escherichia coli presentó tres genes de resistencia: KPC, OXA-48 y mcr-1. Motivación para realizar el estudio. La presencia de genes de resistencia a antibióticos en bacterias aisladas de moscas comunes es un peligro potencial para la salud pública debido a que facilita la presencia y dispersión de genes de resistencia a antibióticos en el medio ambiente. Principales hallazgos. Se aislaron 38 cepas bacterianas identificadas en 14 especies dentro del cuerpo de las moscas, de las cuales 31 cepas mostraron resistencia a los carbapenémicos y 26 cepas mostraron resistencia a colistina. Siete cepas bacterianas presentaron genes de resistencia a carbapenémicos y una cepa de Escherichia coli con resistencia a KPC, OXA-48 y mcr-1. Implicancias. Se realiza el primer reporte en el Perú de genes de resistencia a antibióticos en bacterias movilizadas por moscas comunes.

Resilient Hospitals: An inter-regional guidance on strengthening resilience to health emergencies and disasters in health facilities

The guidance presented in this publication emphasizes how key actions can be integrated into a hospital’s routine operational systems, functions, and services in a way that will strengthen how the facility prepares for, responds to, and recovers from the impact of a range of hazards, including epidemics and pandemics, while building back better. This information has been developed for use by hospital managers; heads of hospital departments; members of hospital emergency management committees, including support services and administration; and finance and health authorities responsible for planning and coordinating health emergency and disaster risk management in health facilities.

Hospital sewage in Brazil: a reservoir of multidrug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

The One Health concept recognizes that human health is clearly linked to the health of animals and the environment. Infections caused by bacteria resistant to carbapenem antibiotics have become a major challenge in hospitals due to limited therapeutic options and consequent increase in mortality. In this study, we investigated the presence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in 84 effluent samples (42 from hospital and 42 from non-hospital) from Campo Grande, midwest Brazil. First, sewage samples were inoculated in a selective culture medium. Bacteria with reduced susceptibility to meropenem and ertapenem were then identified and their antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Vitek-2 system. The blaKPC genes were detected using PCR and further confirmed by sequencing. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were identified in both hospital (n=32) and non-hospital effluent (n=16), with the most common being Klebsiella pneumoniae and of the Enterobacter cloacae complex species. This is the first study to indicate the presence of the blaKPC-2 gene in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, classified as a critical priority by the WHO, in hospital sewage in this region. The dissemination of carbapenem antibiotic-resistant genes may be associated with clinical pathogens. Under favorable conditions and microbial loads, resistant bacteria and antimicrobial-resistance genes found in hospital sewage can disseminate into the environment, causing health problems. Therefore, sewage treatment regulations should be implemented to minimize the transfer of antimicrobial resistance from hospitals.

The wet nurses of the Hospital Real of Santiago de Compostela between 1803 and 1808 / Las nodrizas del Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela entre 1803 y 1808 / As amas de leite do Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela entre 1803 e 1808

Objective. To analyze the duties of wet nurses at the Hospital Real in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The secondary objectives were to compare the mortality rate and distribution by parish of the foundlings under the care of the Royal House between 1803 and 1808; and to determine the origin of the Galician foundlings who participated in the Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the Smallpox Vaccine in 1803. Methods. Historiographic study that analyzed sorted and not sorted in series indirect positional and quantitative historical sources.Results. The duties of wet nurses during the studied period were to provide basic care and cultural instruction. The mortality rate of foundlings fluctuated during that period and their distribution by parish (functional unit of healthcare services at that time) was similar in those years, with a predominance in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra. A total of 5 Galician foundlings from the House analyzed were part of the smallpox vaccine expedition, their names were Juan Antonio, Jacinto, Gerónimo María, Francisco Florencio and Juan Francisco. Conclusion. During the observed period the wet nurses of the Hospital Real of Santiago de Compostela were in charge of pediatric care. Wet nurses were vital in the role of keeping the foundlings alive and can be considered as one of the forerunners of the pediatric nurse profession at that time.

Objetivo. analizar las funciones que realizaban las amas de leche en el Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela (España). Los objetivos secundarios han sido: comparar la mortalidad y distribución por parroquias de los niños expósitos a cargo de la Real Casa entre 1803 y 1808, determinar la procedencia de los niños expósitos gallegos que participaron en la Real Expedición Filantrópica de la Vacuna de la viruela en 1803. Métodos. Estudio historiográfico que analizó fuentes históricas posicionales indirectas y cuantitativas seriadas y no seriadas. Resultados. las funciones de las nodrizas durante el período de estudio eran proporcionar los cuidados básicos e instrucción cultural; la mortalidad de los expósitos sufrió oscilaciones a lo largo del período analizado. La distribución por parroquias (unidad funcional de las áreas de salud en la época) fue similar en estos años, con predominancia de las provincias de A Coruña y Pontevedra. Un total de 5 niños expósitos gallegos de la Casa analizada han participado en la expedición filantrópica de la viruela, sus nombres fueron: Juan Antonio, Jacinto, Gerónimo María, Francisco Florencio y Juan Francisco. Conclusión. Durante el período de observación, las amas de leche del Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela realizaban cuidados pediátricos. Las nodrizas cumplieron un rol fundamental para el mantenimiento con vida de los niños expósitos y pueden ser consideradas como una de las figuras precursoras de la profesión enfermera pediátrica en la época.

Objetivo. Analisar as funções desempenhadas pelas nutrizes no Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela (Espanha). Os objetivos secundários foram: comparar a mortalidade e distribuição por freguesia dos enjeitados responsáveis pela Casa Real entre 1803 e 1808, determinar a origem dos enjeitados galegos que participaram na Real Expedição Filantrópica da Vacina contra a Varíola em 1803. Métodos. Estudo historiográfico que analisou fontes históricas posicionais indiretas e quantitativas seriadas e não seriadas. Resultados. As funções das amas de leite durante o período do estudo eram fornecer cuidados básicos e instrução cultural; A mortalidade dos enjeitados oscilou ao longo do período analisado. A distribuição por freguesias (unidade funcional das áreas de saúde da época) foi semelhante nestes anos, com predominância das províncias da Corunha e Pontevedra. Na expedição filantrópica contra a varíola participaram um total de 5 crianças galegas da Casa analisada, os seus nomes eram: Juan Antônio, Jacinto, Gerônimo María, Francisco Florencio e Juan Francisco. Conclusão. Durante o período de observação, as nutrizes do Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostela prestaram cuidados pediátricos. As amas de leite desempenharam um papel fundamental na manutenção da vida dos enjeitados e podem ser consideradas uma das figuras precursoras da profissão de enfermagem pediátrica da época.