[Clinical and epidemiological differences and similarities of viral pneumonias in two pandemics]. / Diferencias y similitudes clínicas y epidemiológicas de la neumonía viral en dos pandemias.

BACKGROUND: In a decade, we faced two pandemic viruses, influenza A H1N1pdm09 and SARS CoV-2, whose most serious manifestation is pneumonia. AIM: To compare the clinical, epidemiological and management aspects of pneumonias caused by each pandemic virus in adults requiring hospitalization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Comparative, observational study carried out at a regional Chilean hospital, including 75 patients with influenza A H1N1pdm09 prospectively studied in 2009 and 142 patients with SARS-CoV-2 studied in 2020. RESULTS: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were older (56 and 39.7 years respectively, p < 0.01) and had significantly more comorbidities. Cough, fever and myalgias were more frequent in influenza. Dyspnea was more frequent in COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 had more extensive lung involvement and a longer hospitalization (13.6 and 8.6 days respectively, p = 0.01). There was no difference on ICU admission requirements and mortality attributable to pneumonia. Patients with influenza had greater APACHE scores and a higher frequency of a PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤ 200. During COVID-19pandemic chest sean replaced x-ray examination. Also high-flow nasal cannulas and awake prone position ventilation were added as treatments. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 patients were older, had fewer classic flu symptoms but more dyspnea and longer hospitalization periods than patients with influenza.

Stability of regularly prescribed oral liquids formulated with SyrSpend® SF.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the stability of 12 oral liquid formulations frequently compounded in hospital and community settings formulated in a specific vehicle: SyrSpend® SF. The stability of melatonin, glycopyrrolate, ciclosporin, chloral hydrate, flecainide acetate, tiagabine HCl, labetalol HCl, ciprofloxacin HCl, spironolactone/hydrochlorothiazide, hydrocortisone, itraconazole and celecoxib in SyrSpend SF PH4 (liquid) was investigated at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days and stored at both controlled room temperature and refrigerated. Itraconazole samples were also investigated at 15 and 45 days. No change in odor, color or appearance was observed in the formulations during the test period. Based on the results, a beyond-use date of 30 days can be assigned to tiagabine HCl 1.0 mg/ml in SyrSpend SF when stored at controlled room temperature, and 90 days under refrigeration, improving stability data previously published using other vehicles. A beyond-use date of 60 days can be assigned to chloral hydrate 100.0 mg/ml. In this case, stability is not enhanced by refrigeration. With the rest of the formulations, less than 10% API loss occurred over 90 days at either controlled room temperature or under refrigeration. Including for example itraconazole 20.0 mg/ml, thus providing extended stability compared to simple syrup and other oral liquid vehicles. The findings of this study show that SyrSpend SF is an appropriate suspending vehicle to be used for personalized formulations of the APIs studied here.

Effectiveness of a training program in compliance with recommendations for venous lines care.

BACKGROUND: The impact of training programs on the care and maintenance of venous lines (VL) has been assessed mainly in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Data on the impact of such programs in a whole general hospital are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess compliance with VL care after an extensive training program aimed at nurses caring for adult ICU and non-ICU patients. METHODS: We performed 2 point prevalence studies in a general hospital. A specialized nurse visited all hospitalized adult patients, performed a bedside inspection, and reviewed the nursing records for patients with a VL before and after a 1-year training program. The program included an interactive on-line teaching component and distribution of pocket leaflets and posters with recommendations on VL care. RESULTS: Data recorded for the first and second prevalence studies were as follows: number of patients visited, 753 vs. 682; total number of patients with ≥ 1 VL implanted on the visit day, 653 (86.7%) vs 585 (85.8%); catheters considered unnecessary on the study day, 183 (22.9%) vs 48 (7.1%) (p < 0.001); number of catheters with local clinical evidence of infection on the study day, 18 (2.2%) vs 12 (1.8%) (p = 0.52); registration of insertion day (42.3% vs 50.1%; p = 0.003); and registration of day of dressing change (41.2% vs 49.1%; p = 0.003). Maintenance parameters improved more in non-ICU than in ICU patients. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary teaching program to improve VL care and compliance with recommendations is effective. Point prevalence studies are easy to carry out and effective at demonstrating increases in compliance, mainly in non-ICU patients.

A neglected symptom? Parietal gait lateropulsion as primary manifestation of acute is-chemic stroke. / ¿Un síntoma negado? Lateropulsión parietal de la marcha como manifestación inicial de ictus isquémico agudo.

INTRODUCTION: Gait disorders are commonly overlooked as a presenting manifestation of stroke and underrepresented in case series. We describe four cases of sudden-onset gait lateropulsion as primary manifestation of parietal lobe stroke. CASE REPORT: Four patients presented after sudden-onset gait lateropulsion. On neurological examination, all patients had at least one cortical sensory deficit and wide-based gait with lateropulsion towards the side of the cortical deficit. Neuroimaging revealed a subacute parietal lobe stroke contralateral to the side of gait lateropulsion. In two patients we found bilateral lateropulsion with predominance towards the side of cortical deficit and increase of unsteadiness with eye closure (an apparent Romberg sign), with neuroimaging revealing bilateral parietal strokes (subacute contralateral and chronic ipsilateral to gait lateropulsion). CONCLUSION: We report gait lateropulsion as a novel primary manifestation of acute stroke of the parietal lobe (parietal gait lateropulsion). Given its role as the destination of proprioceptive pathways, parietal strokes can result in gait lateropulsion, with bilateral lesions even mimicking sensory ataxia with bilateral lateropulsion and unsteadiness upon eye closure.

TITLE: ¿Un síntoma negado? Lateropulsión parietal de la marcha como manifestación inicial de ictus isquémico agudo.Introducción. Los trastornos de la marcha no suelen considerarse dentro de las manifestaciones de presentación del ictus y están subrepresentados en las series de casos. Presentamos cuatro casos de lateropulsión de la marcha de inicio súbito como manifestación primaria de ictus del lóbulo parietal. Caso clínico. Cuatro pacientes se presentaron tras el inicio súbito de lateropulsión de la marcha. En el examen neurológico, todos tenían al menos un déficit sensitivo cortical, marcha de base amplia con lateropulsión ipsilateral al déficit cortical. En la neuroimagen se corroboró un ictus subagudo parietal contralateral al lado de lateropulsión de la marcha. Dos pacientes tenían lateropulsión bilateral con predominio ipsilateral al déficit cortical e incremento de inestabilidad con los ojos cerrados (simulando signo de Romberg), en quienes la neuroimagen demostró un ictus parietal bilateral (subagudo contralateral, crónico ipsilateral al lado de lateropulsión de la marcha). Conclusión. Describimos la lateropulsión de la marcha como una nueva manifestación inicial de ictus agudo del lóbulo parietal (lateropulsión parietal de la marcha), contralateral al lado de desviación de la marcha. Dado el papel del parietal como destino de las vías de propiocepción, los ictus pueden originar alteraciones de la marcha, con lesiones bilaterales que semejan ataxia sensitiva con inestabilidad al eliminar la aferencia visual.

Demographic, clinical and microbiological characteristics of the first 30 human monkeypox confirmed cases attended in a tertiary hospital in Madrid (Spain), during the May-June 2022 international outbreak.

The present outbreak of Human Monkeypox (HMPX) that has begun in May 2022 and has spread across all continents in less than two months has qualitative and quantitative characteristics that make it different from the pattern of human disease previously caused by this virus. It has spread with enormous ease, affects almost exclusively adults, behaves as a sexually transmitted disease and focuses on very specific groups and transmission conditions. The high incidence in the city of Madrid in males that have sex with males (MSM) has allowed us to observe and report the experience with the first 30 cases diagnosed in our institution. Patients presented with febrile symptoms, genital and paragenital skin lesions reminiscent of smallpox, but less extensive and severe. The disease may also cause proctitis, pharyngitis and perioral lesions. The PCR test for diagnostic confirmation has been shown to be very sensitive and effective, not only in skin lesions but also in blood and other fluids such as pharyngeal, rectal exudates and blood. A very high proportion of patients with HMPX also have other sexually transmitted diseases that must be actively detected in this context. The spontaneous evolution of our patients has been good and hospitalization has been practically unnecessary. Transmission to non-sexual cohabitants and health personnel has been nonexistent and the lesions have disappeared in less than 30 days without leaving sequelae and no need for specific antiviral treatment.

DFT calculation of four new potential agents muscarinic of bispyridinium type: structure, synthesis, biological activity, hydration, and relations with the potents W84 and DUO-3O.

Four new potential agents muscarinic (allosteric modulators) were synthesized and studied by using the B3LYP density functional method. The optimum conformation and geometry structure of these compounds were determined and analyzed. Solvent effects were considered including a variable number (1-15) of explicit water molecules surrounding the compound in order to simulate the first hydration shell, as well as using the Tomasi's polarized continuum model (PCM). A similar simultaneous analysis of the potents W84 and DUO-3O allosteric modulator of muscarinic receptors was also carried out. The effect of the hydration on the total atomic charges and several intermolecular distances of interest were also discussed. The biological activity against acetylcholine of our four synthesized bispyridinium salts was determined. Relationships/tendencies structure-activity were established. Several general conclusions were underlined.

Nasal carriage of S. aureus increases the risk of surgical site infection after major heart surgery.

Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of surgical site infection (SSI) after major heart surgery (MHS), with the patient's endogenous flora as the principal source. However, the influence of nasal carriage of S. aureus on the development of SSI after MHS has not been established and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines do not make a recommendation for or against decolonisation. We performed a one-year observational study in which patients undergoing MHS were screened for nasal carriage of S. aureus before surgery. Cases of SSI were recorded and the risk factors of patients with and without SSI were analysed. During the study period, 357 patients were included in the protocol. Ninety-six patients (27%) were found to be nasal carriers of S. aureus and nine (9.4%) of these had meticillin-resistant (MRSA) strains. The overall incidence of SSI was 6.4%, with 4.2% for mediastinitis and 2.2% for superficial SSI. Nasal carriers of S. aureus had a significantly higher incidence of SSI than non-carriers (12.5% vs 5%, P=0.01). Among MRSA carriers, the incidence of SSI reached 33% (P<0.001). S. aureus was responsible for 64% of SSIs. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent factors for SSI were S. aureus nasal carriage [relative risk (RR): 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-7.3; P=0.009], reoperation (RR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.8-19.2; P=0.04) and diabetes mellitus (RR: 5.9; 95% CI: 1.8-19.2; P=0.003). Nasal carriage of S. aureus significantly increases the rate of nosocomial SSI after MHS and decolonisation strategies should be implemented in this population.

Responding to gender and sexual minority stress with functional analytic psychotherapy.

Despite an overwhelming literature detailing the impact of societal bias on the well-being and relationships of gender and sexual minority clients, as well as greater rates of help-seeking from mental health professionals, recent advances in minority stress research have not been fully incorporated into clinical practice. Minority stress factors such as internalized stigma, rejection sensitivity, and concealment interfere with vulnerable and intimate relationships, and likely contribute to the transdiagnostic challenges that GSM clients report, such as loneliness and social isolation (Mereish & Poteat, 2015). Further, behavioral patterns emphasizing inauthentic self-presentation are common interpersonal styles of stigma management (Pachankis & Hatzenbuehler, 2013). Functional analytic psychotherapy is interpersonal therapy grounded in a behavior analytic approach to the therapeutic relationship, which was developed to promote generalizable change in intimate and vulnerable behaviors with meaningful others (Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991). Functional analytic psychotherapy emphasizes the role of contingent responding by the therapist to clinically relevant behaviors, to increase vulnerable, interpersonal risks that can be responded to in a warm and compassionate way. FAP is ideal for adaptation to target the interpersonal aspects of minority stress on gender and sexual minority clients that often include histories of punishment in response to vulnerable authenticity, possibly even by past therapists (e.g., Flentje, Heck, & Cochran, 2014; Garnets, Hancock, Cochran, Goodchilds, & Peplau, 1991). (PsycINFO Database Record

Diferencias y similitudes clínicas y epidemiológicas de la neumonía viral en dos pandemias / Clinical and epidemiological differences and similarities of viral pneumonias in two pandemics

BACKGROUND: In a decade, we faced two pandemic viruses, influenza A H1N1pdm09 and SARS CoV-2, whose most serious manifestation is pneumonia. AIM: To compare the clinical, epidemiological and management aspects of pneumonias caused by each pandemic virus in adults requiring hospitalization. Material and Methods: Comparative, observational study carried out at a regional Chilean hospital, including 75 patients with influenza A H1N1pdm09 prospectively studied in 2009 and 142 patients with SARS-CoV-2 studied in 2020. RESULTS: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were older (56 and 39.7 years respectively, p < 0.01) and had significantly more comorbidities. Cough, fever and myalgias were more frequent in influenza. Dyspnea was more frequent in COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 had more extensive lung involvement and a longer hospitalization (13.6 and 8.6 days respectively, p = 0.01). There was no difference on ICU admission requirements and mortality attributable to pneumonia. Patients with influenza had greater APACHE scores and a higher frequency of a PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤ 200. During COVID-19pandemic chest sean replaced x-ray examination. Also high-flow nasal cannulas and awake prone position ventilation were added as treatments. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients were older, had fewer classic flu symptoms but more dyspnea and longer hospitalization periods than patients with influenza.

Efficiency of Duddingtonia flagrans against Trichostrongyle infections of sheep on mountain pastures.

The control of sheep nematode parasites in extensive mountain/transhumant management systems using the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed in this study. Two groups of Churra Tensina ewes were allowed to graze for 8 weeks in autumn on two separate paddocks of infected pasture near their winter sheds in the valley. At lambing, ewes and their twin lambs were turned out into the same paddocks for the following 12 weeks. One group of ewes received a daily dose of 5 x 10(5) chlamydospores of Duddingtonia flagrans/kg live weight per day both in autumn and in spring, while the other group was used as a non-treated control. Daily dosing of grazing ewes with the fungus D. flagrans had a clear effect on reducing autumn pasture contamination. This had a subsequent effect on the over-wintering larvae population that was confirmed by a 20% lower worm burden of tracer lambs kept in early spring on the paddock previously grazed by fungus treated ewes. In spring, pasture contamination was also significantly reduced in the paddock grazed by fungi-treated ewes and their lambs showed a 61% lower worm burden and a better performance than the control lambs. Results herein show that fungal spores fed to sheep at critical times with regard to the epidemiology of parasite infection, can have a significant effect on the infective larvae present on pasture, which could further improve lambs performance. This novel approach to parasite control would be of interest amongst both organic and conventional sheep farmers operating in mountain regions.

Effect of nutritional status and fat reserves on the periparturient immune response to Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep.

A study was made of the effect of body fat stored by ewes in early pregnancy on the subsequent immune response to gastrointestinal parasites around parturition. Pregnant ewes were given access to a lucerne pelleted diet either ad libitum (H) or at approximately 0.70 of their maintenance requirements (L) from the 42nd day of pregnancy in order to achieve a clearly differentiated level of body reserves by the 90th day of pregnancy. Then, all animals were put on the same plane of nutrition till 3 weeks after parturition. All ewes in both groups received 7,000 infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus per week for 7 weeks prior to lambing. The dietary treatments led to large differences between both groups of ewes in back-fat thickness that had a high correlation with mean plasma concentrations of leptin. In spite of the fact that animals were on the same plane of nutrition at infection time, host resistance, as measured by faecal egg counts, was significantly affected by the nutritional treatment established during early pregnancy. This effect produced noticeable differences in worm size and in worm burden at lambing. The response was accompanied by a marked increase in circulating eosinophils in better-fed ewes than in those maintained on a restricted diet in early pregnancy. Serum pepsinogen concentration, however, was inversely affected by the nutritional treatment till lambing, showing a maximum difference as early as 2 weeks after infection. The results support the view that higher levels of nutrition during early pregnancy enhance the expression of immunity against gastrointestinal parasites around parturition. Furthermore, the differences in the immune response appeared associated with serum leptin levels suggesting that leptin may be a key link between nutritional status and the protective immune reactivity against GI nematode infection.

[Determination of factors conditioning adherence and accomplishment of renal protection diet in patients with chronic renal failure: pilot study for the elaboration of a dietary guideline]. / Determinación de los factores condicionantes en la adhesión y cumplimiento de la dieta de protección renal en pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica: estudio previo para la elaboración de una guía dietética.

There are seldom studies on dietary behavior of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The aim of this study has been to know, by means of a previously validated questionnaire, which are the psycho-sociocultural factors that affect, and to what extent, assumption and adherence the dietary therapy while determining the degree of disease perception and several factors related with it. The study population is comprised by 81 patients from the nephrology clinic of the "12 de Octubre" Hospital of Madrid, with CRF in a pre-dialysis status. Seventy-seven point seventy-four percent answered "well" or "very well" to questions relating to disease knowledge and perception. Emotional and auto-management factors have little relevance according to 69.87% of patients. Fifty-nine point twenty-six percent feel a high level of familial support, and 35.77% alters dietary behavior when environmental conditions change. Most of the interviewees (87.65%) do not have difficulties finding the prescribed foods, and 70.37% considers their cost is not excessive. For almost half of the patients (48.76%), renal protection diet represents a variation in their dietary habits, a similar percentage expresses difficulty with elaboration. Food palatability is not a problem in 67.90% of the cases. Fifty-one point twenty-four percent does not perceive difficulty with cooking procedures. Seventy point ninety-nine percent feels support in one way or the other, by health care staff, although just 56.79% reports that the diet has not been explained to them. Only 18.51% questions the diet effectiveness as regards to their disease course. As for the gender variable, there were significant differences (p < 0.05), with a higher influence on men, in sections relating to disease knowledge, and influence of apathy and family support, the women those having the highest scores for food management, diet transgression at family meetings, and less information received about the prescribed diet. As for family support, there are significant differences only by age groups, patients aged more than 65 years being those feeling more this psychological support. The group of patients with a creatinine clearance less than 25 mL/min is the one expressing less categorically their appreciation on diet effectiveness. There are factors in which significant difficulty percentages are observed and that may induce diet transgression, in some cases without the patient being completely aware of, such as environmental changes, change in traditional habits, the degree of diet explanation, the organoleptic characteristics, and the lack of knowledge of appropriate cooking procedures. All these indicators confirm the need for enhancing nutritional education of these patients and their family environment, also showing the need for a nutritional intervention that completely supports patients in the process of adaptation and maintenance of their new dietary habit.

Fetal scalp temperature during labor and its relation to acid-base balance and condition of the newborn.

Fetal scalp temperature and fetal-maternal temperature gradient were studied during well-established labor in a group of 97 patients using a technique that ensured at the same time the adhesion and the thermal insulation of the probe. In 78 infants with a one-minute Apgar score of 7 or above, a positive gradient of 0.2C was maintained throughout labor between the warmer fetal scalp temperature (37.3C) and the maternal rectal temperature. Periodic drops of temperature related to the uterine contractions occurred in only 43% of the cases. In a group of ten infants with a one-minute Apgar score of 6 or below, the fetal-maternal gradient was significantly different from this schema. There was an inversion of the gradient, the fetal scalp temperature becoming cooler (36.9C) than the maternal rectal temperature. The gradient was -0.2C at the beginning of the study and -0.5C 20 minutes before delivery. Periodic drops of temperature with uterine contractions were constant. In dead fetuses, fetal scalp temperature was much below that of the mother and this difference increased steadily until delivery. A good relationship was found between fetal-maternal gradient and the pH of the umbilical artery blood sampled at birth. When the mean gradient was 0.2C +/- 1 SD, pH averaged 7.27; in the group below 1 SD, mean pH was 7.19 (P less than .01).

A needleless closed system device (CLAVE) protects from intravascular catheter tip and hub colonization: a prospective randomized study.

Hub colonization and subsequent intraluminal progression due to frequent opening and manipulation of intravenous systems is the cause of many catheter-related infections (CRI). A prospective, comparative, randomized study was performed to assess a new closed-needleless hub device (CLAVE) compared with conventional open systems (COS). End-points were hub and skin colonization, catheter tip colonization, catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) and number of accidental needlesticks. All cultures were processed following standard semiquantitative microbiological techniques. The study involved patients who underwent heart surgery over an 11-month period in a post-surgical ICU. During the study period, 352 patients underwent major heart surgery and 1774 catheters were inserted. Overall, 865 catheters in 178 patients were allocated to the CLAVE system and 909 catheters in 174 patients to COS. The groups were similar regarding underlying conditions and risk factors for infection. Comparison of endpoint results in CLAVE and COS groups was as follows: incidence density per 1000 catheter-days of tip colonization: 59.2 versus 83.6 (P=0.003); of hub colonization: 7.56 versus 24.66 (P=0.0017); of skin colonization: 41.5 versus 58.9 (P=0.038); and of CRBSI 3.78 versus 5.89 (P=0.4). There was one accidental needlestick and one catheter-related prosthetic endocarditis in the COS group. Multivariate analysis showed that CLAVE use was an independent protective factor for tip colonization. CLAVE offered significant protection from catheter-tip and hub colonization.

Evaluation of the peripheral dose to uterus in breast carcinoma radiotherapy.

The absorbed dose outside of the direct fields of radiotherapy treatment (or peripheral dose, PD) is responsible for radiation exposure of the fetus in pregnant women. Because the radiological protection of the unborn child is of particular concern in the early period of the pregnancy, the aim of this study is to estimate the PD in order to assess the absorbed dose in the uterus in a pregnant patient irradiated for breast carcinoma therapy. The treatment was simulated on an Alderson-Rando anthropomorphic phantom, and the radiation dose to the fetus was measured using an ionisation chamber and thermoluminescence dosemeters. Two similar treatments plans with and without wedges were delivered, using a 6 MV photon beam with two isocentric opposite tangential fields with a total dose of 50 Gy, in accordance with common established procedures. Average field parameters for more than 300 patients were studied. Measurements showed the fetal dose to be slightly lower than 50 mGy, a level at which the risk to the fetus is uncertain, although several authors consider this value as the dose threshold for deterministic effects. The planning system (PS) underestimated PD values and no significant influence was found with the use of wedge filters.