Two cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever were reported in Spain during 2016. We obtained the virus from a patient sample and characterized its full genomic sequence. Phylogenetic analysis ...indicated that the virus corresponds to the African genotype III, which includes viruses previously found in West and South Africa.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aim
To analyse the relationships between muscular fitness (MF), fat mass (FM), fat‐free mass (FFM) and its combined ratio with cardiometabolic risk (CMR) and whether the relationship between MF and ...CMR is mediated by body composition in schoolchildren.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study was conducted on schoolchildren from Cuenca, Spain, between September and November 2017. FM and FFM were estimated using bioimpedance analysis. The CMR index was calculated from triglycerides‐HDL‐c ratio, arterial pressure and fasting insulin. The MF index was assessed using handgrip and standing long jump tests. Analysis of covariance models assessed CMR index differences across the MF index and the FM/FFM ratio categories. Mediation analysis examined whether the MF index and the CMR index association were mediated by FM, FFM or FM/FFM ratio.
Results
The analyses involved 485 schoolchildren aged 9–11 years (55.4% girls). Children with a higher MF index had a lower CMR index (p < 0.05). This association did not persist after controlling for FM/FFM. FM, FFM and FM/FFM ratio mediated the relationship between the MF index and the CMR index.
Conclusion
Better levels of MF are associated with better cardiometabolic profile, but a healthy body composition is determinant to improve future health.
To evaluate Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) as a sepsis prognostic biomarker.
203 septic patients admitted to the ICU. Analysis of RDW dynamics, hospital mortality discrimination ability and ...the added value when incorporated to the SOFA, LODS, SAPS-II and APACHE-II scores using the AUC-ROC.
Non-survivors presented higher RDW values during the first week after ICU admission (p = 0.048). Only SOFA and RDW were independently associated with mortality when adjusted by Charlson, immunosuppression, nosocomial infection, NEWS2, SAPS-II, septic shock and haemoglobin (p < 0.05). After adjustment, AUC-ROC was 0.827, 0.822, 0.824, 0.834 and 0.812 for each model including admission, 24, 48 and 72-h and 7-days RDW, respectively. When added to the scores, 24-h RDW and admission RDW improved their discrimination ability (SOFA AUC-ROC = 0.772 vs 0.812 SOFA + admission RDW, p = 0.041; LODS AUC-ROC = 0.687 vs 0.710, p = 0.002; SAPS-II AUC-ROC = 0.734 vs 0.785, p = 0.021; APACHE-II AUC-ROC = 0.672 vs 0.755, p = 0.003). Admission RDW with SOFA presented the better discrimination ability for mortality.
RDW is an independent prognostic marker of death in septic patients admitted in the ICU that improves SOFA, LODS, APACHE-II and SAPS-II discrimination ability. This parameter could be incorporated to the prognostic scores as a marker of systemic dysfunction and dysregulated inflammatory response.
•During the first week after ICU admission, non-survivors septic patients presented higher RDW.•Along with SOFA, RDW was the only independently factor associated with mortality after adjustment.•When added to the prognostic scores, 24-hoursh RDW and mostly admission RDW improved their discrimination ability.•RDW is an available parameter that reflects the dysregulated inflammatory response and systemic dysfunction.
Background
COVID‐19‐associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is a major complication of critically ill COVID‐19 patients, with a high mortality rate and potentially preventable. Thus, identifying ...patients at high risk of CAPA would be of great interest. We intended to develop a clinical prediction score capable of stratifying patients according to the risk for CAPA at ICU admission.
Methods
Single centre retrospective case–control study. A case was defined as a patient diagnosed with CAPA according to 2020 ECMM/ISHAM consensus criteria. 2 controls were selected for each case among critically ill COVID‐19 patients.
Results
28 CAPA patients and 56‐matched controls were included. Factors associated with CAPA included old age (68 years vs. 62, p = .033), active smoking (17.9% vs. 1.8%, p = .014), chronic respiratory diseases (48.1% vs. 26.3%, p = .043), chronic renal failure (25.0% vs. 3.6%, p = .005), chronic corticosteroid treatment (28.6% vs. 1.8%, p < .001), tocilizumab therapy (92.9% vs. 66.1%, p = .008) and high APACHE II at ICU admission (median 13 vs. 10 points, p = .026). A score was created including these variables, which showed an area under the receiver operator curve of 0.854 (95% CI 0.77‐0.92). A punctuation below 6 had a negative predictive value of 99.6%. A punctuation of 10 or higher had a positive predictive value of 27.9%.
Conclusion
We present a clinical prediction score that allowed to stratify critically ill COVID‐19 patients according to the risk for developing CAPA. This CAPA score would allow to target preventive measures. Further evaluation of the score, as well as the utility of these targeted preventive measures, is needed.
Purpose
Uncertainty in the context of advanced cancer diagnosis often incurs significant psychological distress. The aims were to evaluate the incidence of psychological distress upon diagnosis of ...advanced cancer and to analyze whether the relationship between illness uncertainty and psychological distress can be mediated by coping strategies.
Methods
A multicenter, prospective, cross‐sectional study was conducted in 15 medical oncology departments across Spain. Individuals with unresectable advanced cancer completed questionnaires on uncertainty (Michel Uncertainty of Illness Scale, coping strategies (Mental Adjustment to Cancer, M‐MAC), and psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory, BSI‐18) after the diagnostic and treatment appointment and before beginning systemic cancer treatment.
Results
841 patients eligible for systemic treatment with palliative intent were included between February 2020 and April 2022. A total of 71.7% had clinically significant levels of psychological distress. Univariate analyses identified that the groups with less psychological distress were male (ηp2 = 0.016), married (ηp2 = 0.006), and had a better performance status (ηp2 = 0.007). The most widely used coping strategies were positive attitude and cognitive avoidance. A positive relationship was found between uncertainty, coping strategies, and psychological distress (p < 0.05). Participants who responded with anxious preoccupation suffered more helplessness and psychological distress, while those who responded with cognitive avoidance displayed greater positive attitude and lesser psychological distress.
Conclusion
Patients with newly diagnosed unresectable advanced cancer frequently experience psychological distress in the face of uncertainty, potentially influenced by coping strategies like cognitive avoidance.
To describe the impact of different doses of corticosteroids on the evolution of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, based on the potential benefit of the non-genomic mechanism of these drugs at higher ...doses.
Observational study using data collected from the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry. We evaluated the epidemiological, radiological and analytical scenario between patients treated with megadoses therapy of corticosteroids vs low-dose of corticosteroids and the development of complications. The primary endpoint was all-cause in-hospital mortality according to use of corticosteroids megadoses.
Of a total of 14,921 patients, corticosteroids were used in 5,262 (35.3%). Of them, 2,216 (46%) specifically received megadoses. Age was a factor that differed between those who received megadoses therapy versus those who did not in a significant manner (69 years IQR 59-79 vs 73 years IQR 61-83; p < .001). Radiological and analytical findings showed a higher use of megadoses therapy among patients with an interstitial infiltrate and elevated inflammatory markers associated with COVID-19. In the univariate study it appears that steroid use is associated with increased mortality (OR 2.07 95% CI 1.91-2.24 p < .001) and megadose use with increased survival (OR 0.84 95% CI 0.75-0.96, p 0.011), but when adjusting for possible confounding factors, it is observed that the use of megadoses is also associated with higher mortality (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32-1.80; p < .001). There is no difference between megadoses and low-dose (p .298). Although, there are differences in the use of megadoses versus low-dose in terms of complications, mainly infectious, with fewer pneumonias and sepsis in the megadoses group (OR 0.82 95% CI 0.71-0.95; p < .001 and OR 0.80 95% CI 0.65-0.97; p < .001) respectively.
There is no difference in mortality with megadoses versus low-dose, but there is a lower incidence of infectious complications with glucocorticoid megadoses.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We assessed the success rate of vancomycin catheter lock therapy (VLT) in combination with systemic antimicrobials in patients with staphylococcal catheter‐related bloodstream infection (C‐RBSI). ...Over a 6‐year period, we retrospectively collected clinical and microbiological data from patients with long‐term central venous catheters and staphylococcal C‐RBSI who were treated with systemic antimicrobials and VLT. We then assessed the success rate of VLT based on two criteria: 1) catheter retention time> 3 months and 2) catheter in place until end of use. We found 217 staphylococcal C‐RBSI episodes, 115 (53.0%) of which were managed with conservative therapy. Of these, 76 (66.1%) were treated with VLT (85.5% coagulase‐negative staphylococci and 14.5% Staphylococcus aureus). The success rate of VLT was 42.1% with criterion 1 and 71.1% with criterion 2. We did not find statistically significant differences between success and failure in the majority of the clinical data recorded. We only found differences for crude mortality in criterion 1 and for parenteral nutrition in criterion 2. The success of catheter retention using VLT was moderate, reaching slightly more than 70% when the catheter was kept in place until the end of use.
Evidence to support the use of steroids in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia is lacking. We aim to determine the impact of steroid use for COVID-19 pneumonia on hospital mortality. We ...performed a single-center retrospective cohort study in a university hospital in Madrid, Spain, during March of 2020. To determine the role of steroids in in-hospital mortality, patients admitted with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia and treated with steroids were compared to patients not treated with steroids, and we adjusted with a propensity score for patients on steroid treatment. Survival times were compared using the log rank test. Different steroid regimens were compared and adjusted with a second propensity score. During the study period, 463 out of 848 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia fulfilled inclusion criteria. Among them, 396 (46.7%) patients were treated with steroids and 67 patients were not. Global mortality was 15.1%. The median time to steroid treatment from symptom onset was 10 days (interquartile range IQR, 8 to 13 days). In-hospital mortality was lower in patients treated with steroids than in controls (13.9% 55/396 versus 23.9% 16/67; hazard ratio HR, 0.51 95% confidence interval, 0.27 to 0.96;
= 0.044). Steroid treatment reduced mortality by 41.8% relative to the mortality with no steroid treatment (relative risk reduction, 0.42 95% confidence interval, 0.048 to 0.65). Initial treatment with 1 mg/kg of body weight/day of methylprednisolone versus steroid pulses was not associated with in-hospital mortality (13.5% 42/310 versus 15.1% 13/86; odds ratio OR, 0.880 95% confidence interval, 0.449 to 1.726;
= 0.710). Our results show that the survival of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia is higher in patients treated with glucocorticoids than in those not treated. Rates of in-hospital mortality were not different between initial regimens of 1 mg/kg/day of methylprednisolone and glucocorticoid pulses.
Background
The diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) can be problematic in solid organ transplantation (SOT). The prognosis greatly varies according to the type of transplant, and the impact of ...prophylaxis is not well defined.
Patients and Methods
The Diaspersot cohort analyses the impact of IA in SOT in Spain during the last 10 years. Proven and probable/putative IA was included.
Results
We analysed 126 cases of IA. The incidences of IA were as follows: 6.5%, 2.9%, 1.8% and 0.6% for lung, heart, liver and kidney transplantation, respectively. EORTC/MSG criteria confirmed only 49.7% of episodes. Tree‐in‐bud sign or ground‐glass infiltrates were present in 56.3% of patients, while serum galactomannan (optical density index >0.5) was positive in 50.6%. A total of 41.3% received combined antifungal therapy. Overall mortality at 3 months was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in lung transplant recipients (14.8%) than in all other transplants globally: 48.6%; kidney 52.0%, liver 58.3%, heart 31.2%, and combined 42.9%. Fifty‐four percent of episodes occurred despite the receipt of antifungal prophylaxis, and in 10%, IA occurred during prophylaxis (breakthrough infection), with both nebulised amphotericin (in lung transplant recipients) and candins (in the rest).
Conclusions
Invasive aspergillosis diagnostic criteria, applied to SOT patients, may differ from those established for haematological patients. IA in lung transplants has a higher incidence, but is associated with a better prognosis than other transplants. Combination therapy is frequently used for IA in SOT. Prophylactic measures require optimisation of its use within this population.
Highlights • EEG differences are present in HIV+ compared to HIV- groups, even with well-controlled infection. • Cognitive ability of persons living with HIV is associated with electrophysiological ...differences. • Electrophysiological variables show promise as biomarkers for brain dysfunction in HIV.