Publications by authors named "Aurora Fernandez Polo"

Objective: Inhaled therapy is essential in cystic fibrosis; however, inhalers have a significant environmental impact due to the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted. The environmental impact of a product is estimated by its carbon footprint (CF). Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) have a higher CF than dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and soft mist inhalers (SMIs) due to the incorporation of GHGs.

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Objective: To design a homogeneous methodology for the registration and analysis of pharmaceutical interventions performed in spanish intensive adults care units (ICUs).

Method: Observational, prospective, and multicentre study. In the first stage, a national registry of pharmaceutical interventions will be agreed upon and subsequently, all the pharmaceutical interventions performed on adult patients admitted to Spanish ICUs during 8 weeks will be recorded.

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Objective: To prioritise the initiatives to be developed for the development of the Strategic Map of Outpatient Care (MAPEX) project to improve the quality of care and pharmaceutical care for patients seen in hospital pharmacy outpatient clinics in the period 2024-2027 in Spain.

Method: The study was carried out in 4 phases between January and December 2023. For phase 1, a literature review of the evolution of the project was carried out by the coordinating committee with the aim of establishing a basis on which to define a new proposal for initiatives.

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Therapeutic monitoring of antibiotics and antifungals based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters is a strategy increasingly used for the optimization of therapy to improve efficacy, reduce the occurrence of toxicities, and prevent the selection of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in vulnerable patients including neonates and the critical or immunocompromised paediatric host. In neonates and children, infections account for a high percentage of hospital admissions, and anti-infectives are the most used drugs. However, paediatric PK/PD studies and the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of some newly marketed antibiotics and antifungals-usually used off-label in paediatrics-to determine the optimal drug dosage regimens are limited.

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Therapeutic monitoring of antibiotics and antifungals based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters is a strategy increasingly used for the optimization of therapy to improve efficacy, reduce the occurrence of toxicities, and prevent the selection of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in vulnerable patients including neonates and the critical or immunocompromised paediatric host. In neonates and children, infections account for a high percentage of hospital admissions, and anti-infectives are the most used drugs. However, paediatric PK/PD studies and the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of some newly marketed antibiotics and antifungals-usually used off-label in paediatrics-to determine the optimal drug dosage regimens are limited.

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Therapeutic monitoring of antibiotics and antifungals based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters, is a strategy increasingly used for the optimization of therapy to improve efficacy, reduce the occurrence of toxicities, and prevent the selection of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in vulnerable patients including neonates and the critical or immunocompromised host. In neonates and children, infections account for a high percentage of hospital admissions and anti-infectives are the most used drugs. However, pediatric pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies and the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of some newly marketed antibiotics and antifungals -usually used off-label in pediatrics- to determine the optimal drug dosage regimens are limited.

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Actions to reduce and optimize antimicrobial use are crucial in the management of infectious diseases to counteract the emergence of short- and long-term resistance. This is particularly important for pediatric patients due to the increasing incidence of serious infections caused by resistant bacteria in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a pediatric antimicrobial stewardship program (PROA-NEN) implemented in a Spanish tertiary hospital by assessing the use of systemic antimicrobials, clinical indicators, antimicrobial resistance, and costs.

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Background: Data on antifungal prescribing in neonatal patients are limited to either single-center or single-country studies or to 1-day recording. Therefore, we assessed antifungal longitudinal usage in neonatal units (NUs) within Europe.

Methods: CALYPSO, a prospective weekly point prevalence study on antifungal drug usage in NUs in 18 hospitals (8 European countries), was conducted in 2020 during a 12-week period.

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Objective: To design a homogeneous methodology for the registration and analysis of pharmaceutical interventions performed in Spanish critical adults' care units.

Method: Observational, prospective and multicenter study. In the first stage, a national registry of pharmaceutical interventions will be agreed upon and subsequently all the pharmaceutical interventions performed on adult patients admitted to Spanish CCUs during eight weeks will be recorded.

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Objective: To prioritize the initiatives to be developed for the development of the Strategic Map of Outpatient Care (MAPEX) project to improve the quality of care and Pharmaceutical Care for patients seen in Hospital Pharmacy outpatient clinics in the period 2024-2027 in Spain.

Method: The study was carried out in 4 phases between January and December 2023. For phase 1, a literature review of the evolution of the project was carried out by the coordinating committee with the aim of establishing a basis on which to define a new proposal for initiatives.

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Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a useful treatment strategy against and other multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, it is hindered by the lack of stability data for the administration of antibiotics under OPAT conditions. Our objective was to investigate the stability of nine antipseudomonal and broad-spectrum beta lactam antibiotics (aztreonam, cefepime, cefiderocol, ceftazidime, ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, meropenem, meropenem/vaborbactam, and piperacillin/tazobactam) to allow the spread of OPAT programs.

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Background: Inhaled antibiotics have achieved or stabilised the clinical condition of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic infection. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of aztreonam lysine inhaled solution (AZLI) in patients with CF and chronic infection.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients with CF and chronic infection who received AZLI between July 2012 and September 2018 inclusive in three Spanish hospitals in a routine clinical practice setting.

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Isavuconazole (ISA) is approved for treating invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in adults, but its use in children remains off-label. We report on the use of ISA in real-world pediatric practice with 15 patients receiving ISA for treatment of invasive fungal infections. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was performed in all patients, with 52/111 (46.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the benefits of nebulizing voriconazole for treating fungal lung diseases, highlighting its potential for better lung penetration and fewer side effects compared to traditional methods.
  • Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of ten patients, focusing on the preparation and delivery of a compounded voriconazole solution for nebulization.
  • Results indicated that the nebulized solution was well tolerated, with no adverse effects or systemic absorption observed, but further research is required to evaluate its effectiveness.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the use of nebulized voriconazole for treating fungal lung diseases, noting its potential benefits like better lung penetration and fewer side effects compared to other delivery methods.
  • It involved ten patients (nine adults and one child) who received compounded voriconazole solutions, showing no adverse effects and no drug absorption into the bloodstream.
  • The findings suggest nebulized voriconazole could be a viable option, but more research is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness in treating these conditions.
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Background: Temocillin is an interesting alternative to carbapenems for susceptible Enterobacteriaceae. Although its use in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) programmes has generated interest, this has been hampered by the lack of stability data.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the physical and chemical stability of temocillin at the recommended dose for its use in OPAT programmes, contained in polypropylene infusion bags or polyisoprene elastomeric devices at different temperatures, and to describe a novel LC-MS/MS developed for the quantification of temocillin.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ampicillin plus ceftriaxone (AC) is a common treatment for infective endocarditis, but there is limited stability data on their combination in elastomeric devices, making it difficult to use in outpatient settings.
  • A study was conducted to determine the stability of AC in elastomeric pumps at different temperatures (8°C, 25°C, 30°C, and 37°C) over 48 hours using LC-MS/MS.
  • Results showed that AC was stable for 48 hours at 8°C, 24 hours at 25°C and 30°C, and was unstable at 37°C, suggesting it could be safely used in outpatient antimicrobial therapy programs.
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In Spain, many programs have been introduced in recent years to optimize antimicrobial stewardship in pediatric care (known as pediatric PROA). However, information on the current situation of these programs is scarce. The present study assesses current antimicrobial use in pediatric care in the hospitals of Catalonia affiliated with the VINCat pediatric PROA group.

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In 2012, The Spanish Societies of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH), and Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Healthcare Management (SEMPSGS) lead a consensus document including recommendations for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs (AMSP; PROA in Spanish) in acute care hospitals in Spain. While these recommendations were critical for the development of these programs in many centres, there is a need for guidance in the development of AMS activities for specific patient populations, syndromes or other specific aspects which were not included in the previous document or have developed significantly since then. The objective of this expert recommendation guidance document is to review the available information about these activities in these patient populations or circumstances, and to provide guidance recommendations about them.

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Objective: To provide a practical guide for the implementation and use of  Pharmaceutical Care through Telepharmacy by healthcare professionals and  patients in its different scopes of application. To establish a definition of  Telepharmacy and describe the technological tools necessary, advantages, and  keys to facilitating its implementation.

Method: Between December 2020 and January 2021, the Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy, along with the coordinators of the  project "Outpatient Care Strategies" ("Mapa Estratégico para la Atención al  Paciente Externo") designed a strategy to foster the development and  expansion of Telepharmacy in Spain.

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Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common reason for worsening of the anemia characteristically seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a macromolecular hydroxide ferric carbohydrate complex that allows high-dose iron to be administered parenterally for gradual, controlled release. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of FCM treatment in pediatric patients with CKD non-dependent of hemodialysis, seen at a tertiary hospital.

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Objective: To determine the prevalence and appropriateness of antimicrobial use in Spanish hospitals through a pharmacist-led systematic cross-sectional review.

Method: A nationwide multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on  10% of the patients admitted to the participating hospitals on one day in April  2021. Hospital participation was voluntary, and the population was randomly  selected.

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Introduction: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial treatment (OPAT) is an alternative to in-patient care in carefully selected patients. This study presents a self-administration OPAT program integrated within the pediatric antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in a pediatric tertiary care center.

Material And Methods: Descriptive, retrospective and unicentric study.

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Background: Antimicrobial defined daily dose (DDD), a standardized metric to assess antimicrobial consumption in adult population, has limitations hampering its use in neonatal patients. This study proposes an alternative DDD design applicable for neonates.

Methods: Neonates (<1 month-old) from 6 Spanish hospitals during a 12-months period were included.

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