Publications by authors named "Alvis-Guzman N"
Introduction: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) remains a pediatric health challenge despite national vaccination efforts in Colombia. We described the socio-demographic, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics of children (<18 years of age) with IPD at a pediatric reference center in Bolívar, Colombia.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of all pediatric patients (under 18 years of age) diagnosed with IPD between 2016 and 2023.
During the pandemic, Latin American countries suffered the collapse of their health systems. This was caused by the high demand for care of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, which was added to the care of patients with other diseases. The significant increase in demand for health services caused medical and laboratory supplies to decline rapidly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study assesses the feasibility of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) elimination using an analysis of trends of epidemiology data (1990-2019) from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify significantly changing points in the trends of Age-standardized Prevalence Rates (ASPR) and Age-standardized Mortality Rates (ASMR) and to estimate the annual percentage changes (APC) and the average annual percentage changes (AAPC) for the period. The Sociodemographic Index (SDI) was used to analyze trends between countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by non-scaring hair loss and preservation of hair follicles. The information available on disease course, and clinical features of AA is scarce worldwide, and almost nonexistent in Colombia.
Objective: To determine the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients diagnosed with AA who presented to a dermatology consultation in five Colombian cities.
Background: The burden of disease of diabetes in Colombia have increased in the last decades. Secondary prevention is crucial for diabetes control. Many patients already treated remain with poor glycemic control and without timely and appropriate treatment intensification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We carried out a study to estimate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of homologous vaccination schedules against COVID-19, using data from mandatory information systems from Bogota, Colombia.
Methods: A test-negative case-control study in adults from Bogota (Colombia), between March 1st of 2021 and February 25th of 2022. We assess VE among symptomatic COVID-19 cases during the Mul, Delta, and Omicron predominance periods in Bogota, with controls matched by sex, age (±5 years), and date of testing (±7 days), using a case:control ratio of 1:1.
Background: We aim to estimate the magnitude of the reduction in pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis mortality after the mass introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)7 and PCV13 in children in the United States.
Methods: We assessed the trends in mortality rates from pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis, in the United States between 1994 and 2017. We fitted an interrupted time-series negative binomial regression model (adjusted by trend, seasonality, PCV7/PCV13 coverage, and H.
Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the burden of acute COVID-19 in Córdoba, one of the most affected departments (states) in Colombia, through the estimation of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs).
Methods: DALYs were estimated based on the number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection cases reported by official Colombian sources. A transition probability matrix among severity states was calculated using data obtained from a retrospective cohort that included 1736 COVID-19 confirmed subjects living in Córdoba.
Article Synopsis
- HIV/AIDS remains a significant public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, with current efforts falling short of global targets for eradication set by UNAIDS and the SDGs.
- The study utilized extensive data from various HIV prevalence surveys to estimate localized HIV infection rates across 43 African countries, focusing on specific age and sex groups from 2000 to 2018.
- Findings revealed wide disparities in HIV prevalence within countries and districts, indicating that age and sex stratification provides more nuanced insights into the epidemic, which can help tailor prevention and treatment efforts more effectively.
Article Synopsis
- In February 2021, Colombia launched a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign using primarily the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and CoronaVac vaccines, targeting individuals over 40 years old in a high-transmission area.
- The study tracked 796,072 insured individuals and assessed the vaccines' effectiveness in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, hospitalizations, critical care admissions, and deaths from March to August 2021.
- Findings indicated that while CoronaVac showed limited effectiveness for those over 80, it significantly reduced severe outcomes for individuals aged 40-79, and BNT162b2 was effective across all age groups above 40, though its effectiveness decreased for those 80 and older.
Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the direct medical costs due to hospitalizations by COVID-19 in Colombia and to identify their cost drivers in Colombia.
Methods: This is a retrospective cost-of-illness study of COVID-19 in Colombia. We estimated direct medical costs using data from patients insured to a Benefit Plan Administrator Company, between March 15, 2020 and May 29, 2020.
Objectives: Our study compares two national COVID-19 vaccination plan strategies-high-risk prioritization and no prioritization-and estimates their cost-effectiveness compared with no vaccination, to generate possible recommendations for future vaccination plans.
Methods: We developed a Markov discrete-time, compartmental, deterministic model stratified by Colombian departments, healthcare workers, comorbidities, and age groups and calibrated to seroprevalence, cases, and deaths. The model simulates three scenarios: no vaccination, no prioritization of vaccination, and prioritization of high-risk population.
Article Synopsis
- The GBD 2019 study systematically estimated the global cancer burden, providing data on incidence, mortality, and disability to help address cancer worldwide.
- In 2019, an estimated 23.6 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer deaths occurred globally, marking significant increases in rates since 2010, with cancer becoming a leading cause of both death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
- The impact of cancer varied across sociodemographic index (SDI) quintiles, with higher SDI areas seeing more new cases, while middle SDI areas experienced more deaths and DALYs, highlighting disparities in cancer burden.
Background: Our aim was to study the association between case rates and reductions in urban mobility in state capitals of Colombia.
Methods: We designed an ecological time-series study to correlate the Colombian incidence rate with reductions in mobility trends of retail stores.
Results: The meta-analysis of β coefficients describing the association between case rates and reductions in mobility trends of retail stores resulted in a mean estimate of 0.
Objective: Colombia designed and adopted a vaccination plan against COVID-19 that will immunize 35 million people. The aim study was to know the willingness to accept the vaccination against COVID-19.
Methods: A telephone survey of 11,721 people aged 80 and over, affiliated with a health insurer, was carried.
Background: Health systems need to optimize the use of resources, especially in high-cost diseases as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of using centers of excellence (CoE) as a strategy for improving RA treatment in Colombia.
Methods: A cost description analysis was carried out using the standard costing technique.
This study describe the infection fatality rate (IFR) by COVID-19 by age groups in one department of Colombia. It used results from a serological survey to stablish a closer estimation of the true proportion of infected people. It found an overall IFR of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Gestational anaemia (GA) is common in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of late GA and negative perinatal outcomes in participants recruited in a reference maternity unit of the Caribbean region of Colombia.
Design: Prospective analytical birth cohort study.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess health care resource use and costs related to Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) at a rheumatology center in Bogotá, Colombia, using medical records from patients diagnosed within a specific timeframe.
- Data collected from 83 patients revealed that direct medical costs totaled approximately $410,985, with medications accounting for 96.8% of these expenses.
- The analysis showed that patients on biological therapies faced costs nearly 8 times higher annually compared to those on conventional treatments, highlighting significant financial implications for PsA management.
Background: We aim in our analysis to estimate the reduction of diarrhea-related mortality rates after introduction of a rotavirus vaccine in subregions of 4 Latin American countries.
Methods: We selected diarrhea-related deaths from individual-level data from death certificates in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. Counts were aggregated by region, year and month, and age group for each country.