El presente artículo analiza el lugar que ocupan los psicofármacos en el gobierno farmacéutico de los llamados problemas de salud mental. En este trabajo describimos las estrategias normalizadoras de ...gestión biopolítica llevadas a cabo con los antidepresivos en instituciones sanitarias y las diversas posiciones adoptadas por usuarias y usuarios frente a estas. Los datos se recogieron en una etnografía realizada en la Administración de Servicios de Salud del Estado (ASSE) en Montevideo (Uruguay) entre 2018 y 2019. Desde una perspectiva crítica que recoge el valor heurístico de los conceptos de gobierno y biopolítica de Foucault, argumentamos que los antidepresivos como dispositivos tecnocientíficos contienen una matriz de significados específicos para la comprensión del sufrimiento psíquico en clave biomédica. Esta racionalidad biomédica asimismo rivaliza con los múltiples usos tanto de usuarias y usuarios como de consumidores1 , y con los sentidos que ellos les confieren, dando cuenta de la apertura incesante de los procesos subjetivos frente los saberes-poderes que se proponen su organización.
In cases of mass-casualty incidents (MCIs), triage represents a fundamental tool for the management of and assistance to the wounded, which helps discriminate not only the priority of attention, but ...also the priority of referral to the most suitable center.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of different prehospital triage systems based on physiological parameters (Shock Index SI, Glasgow-Age-Pressure Score GAP, Revised Trauma Score RTS, and National Early Warning Score 2 NEWS2) to predict early mortality (within 48 hours) from the index event for use in MCIs.
This was a longitudinal prospective observational multi-center study on patients who were attended by Advanced Life Support (ALS) units and transferred to the emergency department (ED) of their reference hospital. Collected were: demographic, physiological, and clinical variables; main diagnosis; and data on early mortality. The main outcome variable was mortality from any cause within 48 hours.
From April 1, 2018 through February 28, 2019, a total of 1,288 patients were included in this study. Of these, 262 (20.3%) participants required assistance for trauma and injuries by external agents. Early mortality within the first 48 hours due to any cause affected 69 patients (5.4%). The system with the best predictive capacity was the NEWS2 with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.891 (95% CI, 0.84-0.94); a sensitivity of 79.7% (95% CI, 68.8-87.5); and a specificity of 84.5% (95% CI, 82.4-86.4) for a cut-off point of nine points, with a positive likelihood ratio of 5.14 (95% CI, 4.31-6.14) and a negative predictive value of 98.7% (95% CI, 97.8-99.2).
Prehospital scores of the NEWS2 are easy to obtain and represent a reliable test, which make it an ideal system to help in the initial assessment of high-risk patients, and to determine their level of triage effectively and efficiently. The Prehospital Emergency Medical System (PhEMS) should evaluate the inclusion of the NEWS2 as a triage system, which is especially useful for the second triage (evacuation priority).
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•Aflibercept showed a faster blood clearance compared to bevacizumab.•Tumors were earlier targeted by bevacizumab compared to aflibercept.•Bevacizumab tumor uptake was significantly ...higher than aflibercept uptake.•Our data supports the limited effectiveness of aflibercept compared to bevacizumab.•PET imaging allows to study the in vivo biodistribution of novel immunotherapies.
Glioblastomas present intensive angiogenesis, thus anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) antibodies (mAbs) have been proposed as promising therapies. However, the results of clinical trials reported moderate toxicity and limited effectiveness. This study evaluates the in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of these mAbs in a growing model of glioblastoma in rats using Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
&Methods:
mAbs were radiolabeled with zirconium-89. Four days after the model induction, animals were injected with 2.33 ± 1.3 MBq of 89Zr-DFO-bevacizumab (n = 8) or 2.35 ± 0.26 MBq of 89Zr-DFO-aflibercept (n = 6). PETs were performed at 0H, 48H, 168H, 240H, and 336H post-injection. Tumor induction was confirmed using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET and immunohistochemistry. Radiotracer uptake was estimated in all pre-defined Volumes-of-Interest.
Anti-VEGF mAbs showed 100 % Radiochemical-Purity. 89Zr-DFO-bevacizumab showed a significantly higher bioavailability in whole-blood. A significant increase in the tumor uptake was detectable at 168H PET with 89Zr-DFO-bevacizumab meanwhile with 89Zr-DFO-aflibercept it was only detectable at 336H. 89Zr-DFO-bevacizumab tumor uptake was significantly higher than that of 89Zr-DFO-aflibercept in all the scans. Tumor induction was confirmed in all animal models.
MAbs detect VEGF-expression in glioblastoma models. Tumors were earlier targeted by Bevacizumab. The lower blood availability of aflibercept resulted in a lower tumor uptake than bevacizumab in all the scans.
Heart failure (HF) involves alterations in metabolism, but little is known about cardiomyopathy-(CM)-specific or diabetes-independent alterations in gene expression of proteins involved in fatty-acid ...(FA) uptake and oxidation or in calcium-(Ca(2+))-handling in the human heart.
RT-qPCR was used to quantify mRNA expression and immunoblotting to confirm protein expression in left-ventricular myocardium from patients with HF (n = 36) without diabetes mellitus of ischaemic (ICM, n = 16) or dilated (DCM, n = 20) cardiomyopathy aetiology, and non-diseased donors (CTL, n = 6).
Significant increases in mRNA of genes regulating FA uptake (CD36) and intracellular transport (Heart-FA-Binding Protein (HFABP)) were observed in HF patients vs CTL. Significance was maintained in DCM and confirmed at protein level, but not in ICM. mRNA was higher in DCM than ICM for peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor-alpha (PPARA), PPAR-gamma coactivator-1-alpha (PGC1A) and CD36, and confirmed at the protein level for PPARA and CD36. Transcript and protein expression of Ca(2+)-handling genes (Two-Pore-Channel 1 (TPCN1), Two-Pore-Channel 2 (TPCN2), and Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate Receptor type-1 (IP3R1)) increased in HF patients relative to CTL. Increases remained significant for TPCN2 in all groups but for TPCN1 only in DCM. There were correlations between FA metabolism and Ca(2+)-handling genes expression. In ICM there were six correlations, all distinct from those found in CTL. In DCM there were also six (all also different from those found in CTL): three were common to and three distinct from ICM.
DCM-specific increases were found in expression of several genes that regulate FA metabolism, which might help in the design of aetiology-specific metabolic therapies in HF. Ca(2+)-handling genes TPCN1 and TPCN2 also showed increased expression in HF, while HF- and CM-specific positive correlations were found among several FA and Ca(2+)-handling genes.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris, Cuvier 1797) is a promising species for aquaculture diversification, but the massive mortality during the first life stage is the main bottleneck for its ...commercial production. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of different live preys (Artemia and crustacean zoeae) and/or Artemia enrichment protocols in the paralarval growth by using a meta‐analysis approach. A total of 26 independent assays were used, including data from the bibliography and from experiments carried out by our group. Three comparisons were established: (i) crustacean zoeae vs. Artemia, (ii) different crustacean zoeae species and (iii) Artemia enriched with marine lecithin (rich in polar lipids‐PL and docosahexaenoic acid‐DHA) vs. previously used Artemia enrichments. The meta‐analysis approach allowed a quantitative review of independent studies with reliable conclusions, avoiding the subjectivity inherent to classical reviews. The outputs provided statistical confirmation of the better suitability of crustacean zoeae with respect to Artemia. However, not all crustacean species showed the same results, given that the high variability on Grapsus zoeae hampered finding significant differences with respect to the control treatment (Artemia). Nutrient composition and biometry of the different types of prey are discussed as possible causes of the differences arising from the meta‐analysis. Finally, the present results suggest that marine lecithin has a beneficial effect on paralarval growth with respect to previously used enrichments, which could be related to the increase in DHA and PL in Artemia, given the essential role of these lipid components in octopus paralarval physiology.
Background
The impact of statins on COVID-19 outcomes is important given the high prevalence of their use among individuals at risk for severe COVID-19. Our aim is to assess whether patients ...receiving chronic statin treatment who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have reduced in-hospital mortality if statin therapy is maintained during hospitalization.
Methods
This work is a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective multicenter study that analyzed 2921 patients who required hospital admission at 150 Spanish centers included in the nationwide SEMI-COVID-19 Network. We compared the clinical characteristics and COVID-19 disease outcomes between patients receiving chronic statin therapy who maintained this therapy during hospitalization versus those who did not. Propensity score matching was used to match each statin user whose therapy was maintained during hospitalization to a statin user whose therapy was withdrawn during hospitalization.
Results
After propensity score matching, continuation of statin therapy was associated with lower all-cause mortality (OR 0.67, 0.54–0.83,
p
< 0.001); lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR 0.76,0.6–0.97,
p
= 0.025), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (OR 0.78, 0.69- 0.89,
p
< 0.001), and sepsis (4.82% vs 9.85%,
p
= 0.008); and less need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (5.35% vs 8.57,
p
< 0.001) compared to patients whose statin therapy was withdrawn during hospitalization.
Conclusions
Patients previously treated with statins who are hospitalized for COVID-19 and maintain statin therapy during hospitalization have a lower mortality rate than those in whom therapy is withdrawn. In addition, statin therapy was associated with a decreased probability that patients with COVID-19 will develop AKI, ARDS, or sepsis and decreases the need for IMV.
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is the most severe long-term complication of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We aimed to evaluate the impact of a symptom screening programme to ...detect CTEPH in PE survivors.
This was a multicentre cohort study of patients diagnosed with acute symptomatic PE between January 2017 and December 2018 in 16 centres in Spain. Patients were contacted by phone 2 years after the index PE diagnosis. Those with dyspnoea corresponding to a New York Heart Association (NYHA)/WHO scale≥II, visited the outpatient clinic for echocardiography and further diagnostic tests including right heart catheterisation (RHC). The primary outcome was the new diagnosis of CTEPH confirmed by RHC.
Out of 1077 patients with acute PE, 646 were included in the symptom screening. At 2 years, 21.8% (n=141) reported dyspnoea NYHA/WHO scale≥II. Before symptom screening protocol, five patients were diagnosed with CTEPH following routine care. In patients with NYHA/WHO scale≥II, after symptom screening protocol, the echocardiographic probability of pulmonary hypertension (PH) was low, intermediate and high in 76.6% (n=95), 21.8% (n=27) and 1.6% (n=2), respectively. After performing additional diagnostic test in the latter 2 groups, 12 additional CTEPH cases were confirmed.
The implementation of this simple strategy based on symptom evaluation by phone diagnosed more than doubled the number of CTEPH cases. Dedicated follow-up algorithms for PE survivors help diagnosing CTEPH earlier.
NCT03953560.
•With good source control, <5 days of antibiotic therapy in surgery is recommended.•Compliance with this duration is low among the surgical community.•An ASP reduced the duration of treatment.•The ...ASP was implemented as part of a nosocomial infection surveillance programme.•Multidisciplinary teams including surgeons improve antibiotic stewardship.
Guidelines recommend 5–7 days of antibiotic treatment in patients with surgical infection and adequate source control. This nationwide stewardship intervention aimed to reduce the duration of treatments in surgical patients to <7 days.
Prospective cohort study evaluating surgical patients receiving antibiotics ≥7 days in 32 hospitals. Indication for treatment, quality of source control, type of recommendations issued, and adherence to the recommendations were analysed. Temporal trends in the percentages of patients with treatment >7 days were evaluated using a linear regression model and Pearson's correlation coefficients.
A total of 32 499 patients were included. Of these, 13.7% had treatments ≥7 days. In all, 3912 stewardship interventions were performed, primarily in general surgery (90.7%) and urology (8.1%). The main types of infection were intra-abdominal (73.4%), skin/soft tissues (9.8%) and urinary (9.2%). The septic focus was considered controlled in 59.9% of cases. Out of 5458 antibiotic prescriptions, the most frequently analysed drugs were piperacillin/tazobactam (21.7%), metronidazole (11.2%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (10.3%), meropenem (10.7%), ceftriaxone (9.3%) and ciprofloxacin (6.7%). The main recommendations issued were: treatment discontinuation (35.0%), maintenance (40.0%) or de-escalation (15.5%), and the overall adherence rate was 91.5%. With adequate source control, the most frequent recommendation was to terminate treatment (51.2%). Throughout the study period, a significant decrease in the percentage of prolonged treatments was observed (Pc=-0.69;P < 0.001).
This stewardship programme reduced the duration of treatments in surgical departments. Preference was given to general surgery services, intra-abdominal infection, and beta-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems. Adherence to the issued recommendations was high.
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Endoscopes represent the medical devices most commonly linked to health care-associated outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks. Most of the recent outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks have resulted from ...contaminated automated endoscope reprocessors (AER) or the use of damaged or malfunctioning bronchoscopes or contaminated equipment.
We investigated a pseudo-outbreak of Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia recovered from bronchial washing (BW) specimens obtained during bronchoscopy in a bronchoscopy unit.
Samples were obtained from environmental surfaces in the endoscopy suite, bronchoscopes, and bronchoscopic dispensable material, and specimens of cleaning solutions, cleaning brushes, the AER, and the ultrasound system were sent for bacterial culture. Medical records were reviewed to identify possible infections after a bronchoscopy.
P. putida and S. maltophilia were isolated from BW samples of 39 patients. The bronchoscopy models Olympus BF-1T160 and BF-160 were contaminated. Both bronchoscopes and other contaminated material (cleaning brushes, diluted cleaning solutions, and the sink) were isolated, but new cases continued to appear. The AER was recently installed, and new connections were used for the water lines and new tubes were connected to the AER. Initially, specimens were obtained from the external circuits and the internal walls of the AER. Finally, cultures were made from the filters on the water lines, and growth of P. putida and S. maltophilia was found. The investigation revealed that the BW specimens were contaminated because sterile saline was injected by means of the biopsy port of the bronchoscope and was recovered through the same channel by means of the proximal suction port. No patients developed clinical signs or symptoms of infection, but the positive cultures did lead to treatment of 21 patients.
We described a pseudo-outbreak related to a contaminated bronchoscope because of inadequate installation of the AER for used new water lines and because the new tubes were connected to the AER. The antibacterial filters of the AER used tap water, and this may have contained low levels of microorganisms. No serious clinical complications derived from this pseudo-outbreak.
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