Multicenter Study of the Impact of COVID-19 in Type 2 Diabetes Quality Management.

Background: Epidemics and pandemics have been shown to have widespread effects on health systems. Diabetes is a condition of particular risk during national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of COVID-19 in the patient's diabetes quality management.

Point-of-care testing improves care timeliness in the emergency department. A multicenter randomized clinical trial (study POCTUR).

Objectives: Emergency department (ED) crowding is a widespread problem that positions patients at risk. The desire to improve the ED throughput requires novel approaches. Point-of-care testing (POCT) has emerged as useful technology that could contribute to create more efficient patient flow and better timeliness in the ED.

Early detection of acute kidney injury through an alert system improves outcomes in hospitalized patients.

Background And Aims: Acute kidney injury (AKI) acquired in hospital settings has emerged as a significant public health issue. It is linked to prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, heightened risk of developing chronic kidney disease, mortality, and the need for ongoing post-hospitalization care. Our hypothesis suggests that timely recognition of AKI, identification of its underlying causes, and expert management by specialists could lead to improved prognoses for hospitalized patients.

Study of the diagnostic efficiency of anti-ZnT8 autoantibodies for type 1 diabetes in pediatric patients.

Objective: Zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies (ZNt8A) are 1 of the 4 main autoantibodies used for the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), with glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA), islet antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A), and insulin autoantibodies (IAA). The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of these autoantibodies for the diagnosis of T1D in pediatric patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients under 16 years of age with suspected T1D was made between June 2020 and January 2021.

Complete laboratory diagnosis of Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome.

The definition of Insulin autoimmune syndrome includes the presence of high levels of blood insulin and insulin autoantibodies. We encountered a 45-years-old white man with a high insulin serum value that do not fit with the C-peptide result. To discard or to confirm an analytical interference and diagnose a possible Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome we performed the following investigations: dilution linearity test, heterophilic antibody blocking, polyethylene glycol precipitation, measurements with alternative assays, and gel filtration chromatography by size exclusion.

High sensitivity troponins: A potential biomarkers of cardiovascular risk for primary prevention.

There have been several approaches to building charts for CV risk, all of which have both strengths and limitations. Identifying early organ damage provides relevant information and should be included in risk charts, although the direct relationship with risk is imprecise, variability between operators at the time to assess, and low availability in some healthcare systems, limits its use. Biomarkers, like troponin (cTns) isoforms cTnI and cTnT, a cardiac specific myocyte injury marker, have the great advantage of being relatively reproducible, more readily accessible, and applicable to different populations.

SmartLab 2.0 in cardiovascular prevention of atherogenic dyslipidemia.

Introduction: SmartLab 2.0 is an innovative concept of multidisciplinary collaboration between the clinical laboratory and the diabetes day unit that was born with the aim of identifying patients at high cardiovascular risk who require priority attention, such as patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia, in order to create a cardiovascular prevention strategy.

Objective: Implementation in the Laboratory Information System (LIS) of an automated biochemical algorithm for the identification of patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia in routine analyses and priority referral to the diabetes day unit.

Geostatistical analysis from the clinical laboratory in cardiovascular prevention for primary care.

Introduction And Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases continue to lead the ranking of mortality in Spain. The implementation of geostatistical analysis techniques in the clinical laboratory are innovative tools that allow the design of new strategies in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and geolocation of severe dyslipidemia in the health areas under study in order to implement prevention strategies in primary care.

Low Levels of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells May Be a Good Marker of Survival in the Follow-Up of Patients With Severe COVID-19.

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a disease (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) that may develop into a systemic disease with immunosuppression and death in its severe form. Myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs) are inhibitory cells that contribute to immunosuppression in patients with cancer and infection. Increased levels of MDSCs have been found in COVID-19 patients, although their role in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 has not been clarified.

Laboratory Value-Based Innovation in Heart Failure Improves Patient Health-Related Outcomes.

Background: NT-proBNP is emerging as a novel tool for improving management of patients with heart failure (HF). The concept of health-related outcomes as the primary endpoint for therapeutic intervention in chronic disease, such as HF, should be the focal point going forward.

Methods: We conducted a prospective real-world study in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients.

Emergency severity level-3 patient flow based on point-of-care testing improves patient outcomes.

Background: Overcrowding of the Emergency Department is rapidly becoming a global challenge and a major source of concern for emergency physicians. The desire to improve Emergency Department throughput requires novel approaches to patient flow.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective and cluster-randomized study, to evaluate the impact in patient outcomes of a new patient flow based on Point-of-Care Testing (POCT).

Comparison of the analytical and clinical performances of two different routine testing protocols for antinuclear antibody screening.

Background: The diagnosis of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) is based on the detection of serum antinuclear antibodies (ANA) for which indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is the golden standard. New solid-phase immunoassays have been developed to be used alone or in combination with the detection of extractable antinuclear antibodies (ENA) to improve SARD diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical performances of different ANA screening methods alone or in combination with ENA screening methods for SARD diagnosis.

Contingent prenatal screening for frequent aneuploidies with cell-free fetal DNA analysis.

Objective: To analyze the results of contingent screening for common aneuploidies at our center from June 2017 to June 2019.

Materials And Methods: Traditional screening tests were performed using a combination of biochemical markers and ultrasound measurements in the first and second trimesters to assess the risk of trisomies 21 (T21), 18 (T18) and 13 (T13). Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) testing was offered (Harmony test) to pregnant women at high risk (>1/280 for T21 and > 1/150 for T13 and T18) and a normal early morphology scan.

Development and validation of a laboratory-based risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Background: Early identification of patients with COVID-19 who may develop critical illness is of great importance.

Methods: In this study a retrospective cohort of 264 COVID-19 cases admitted at Macarena University was used for development and internal validation of a risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Backward stepwise logistic regression was used to derive the model, including clinical and laboratory variables predictive of critical illness.

Biomarkers-based personalized follow-up in chronic heart failure improves patient's outcomes and reduces care associate cost.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical and economic problem, with high prevalence and incidence rates worldwide. Cardiac Biomarker is emerging as a novel tool for improving management of patients with HF with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods: This is a before and after interventional study, that assesses the impact of a personalized follow-up procedure for HF on patient's outcomes and care associated cost, based on a clinical model of risk stratification and personalized management according to that risk.

Prevalence of severe hypercholesterolemia observed in different hospitals in Andalusia and Ceuta.

Unlabelled: Severe hypercholesterolaemia is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Early detection and treatment can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Given the high prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia in Andalusia, the development of a screening strategy for its detection in Primary Care may be an efficient measure.

Point-of-care haemostasis monitoring during liver transplantation is cost effective.

Background Optimal haemostasis management in orthotropic liver transplant (OLT) could reduce blood loss and transfusion volume, improve patient outcomes and reduce cost. Methods We performed a study including 336 OLTs to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of a new point-of-care (POC)-based haemostatic management approach in OLT patients. Results In terms of health benefit we found that the new approach showed a significant reduction in transfusion requirements (red blood cell transfusion units were reduced from 5.

Effect of moderate and regular consumption of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham on overall cardiovascular risk: A cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact that the moderate and regular consumption of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham has on overall cardiovascular risk, lipid parameters, blood pressure, and weight.

Methods: A longitudinal, analytical, and quasi-experimental clinical study with repeated measures was carried out with 100 randomly selected individuals in primary care. The sample population included men and women (64%) between the ages of 25 and 55 (42.

Noonan syndrome: Severe phenotype and PTPN11 mutations.

Introduction And Objective: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a genetic disorder characterized by a wide range of distinctive features and health problems. It caused in 50% of cases by missense mutations in PTPN11 gene. It has been postulated that it is possible to predict the disease course based into the impact of mutations on the protein.

A Probabilistic Model for Cushing's Syndrome Screening in At-Risk Populations: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Context: Cushing's syndrome (CS) is challenging to diagnose. Increased prevalence of CS in specific patient populations has been reported, but routine screening for CS remains questionable. To decrease the diagnostic delay and improve disease outcomes, simple new screening methods for CS in at-risk populations are needed.

Assessment of patient safety culture in clinical laboratories in the Spanish National Health System.

Introduction: There is increasing awareness of the importance of transforming organisational culture in order to raise safety standards. This paper describes the results obtained from an evaluation of patient safety culture in a sample of clinical laboratories in public hospitals in the Spanish National Health System.

Material And Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among health workers employed in the clinical laboratories of 27 public hospitals in 2012.