Return on Investment of 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Ecuador From 2010 to 2030.

Objectives: Ecuador introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2010. A recent time series analysis has demonstrated the impact of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) on hospitalized pneumococcal disease in children. We leveraged these estimates to calculate the return on investment (ROI) of PCV10 in Ecuador from 2010 to 2030 at the national and regional levels.

Reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescription through implementation of a clinical guideline on self-limiting respiratory tract infections.

Background: Clinical guidelines (CG) are used to reduce variability in practice when the scientific evidence is sparse or when multiple therapies are available. The development and implementation of evidence-based CG is intended to organize and provide the best available evidence to support clinical decision making in order to improve quality of care. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are the leading cause of misuse of antibiotics and a CG may reduce the unnecessary antibiotic prescription.

[Health technology assessment in Ecuador's ministry of public health as a tool for drug purchasing from 2012 to 2015].

Objective: Learn how the Ministry of Public Health (MSP, the Spanish acronym) of Ecuador uses health technology assessment (HTA) in decision-making on the purchase of drugs that are not on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

Methods: Information from databases of the Health Intelligence Directorate (DIS, the Spanish acronym) and the National Directorate of Drugs and Medical Devices (DNMDM, the Spanish acronym), was used to compare decisions made by both entities, to learn about the use and consistency of HTA reports in decisions on purchasing drugs not included in the NLEM.

Results: From 2012 to 2015, 227 reports were issued, of which 87 cover drugs; 36, devices; 29: medical procedures; 34: health programs; and 41: other medical technologies.

Cesarean section rates in Ecuador: a 13-year comparative analysis between public and private health systems.

Objective: To demonstrate the prevalence of cesearean sections (C-sections) in Ecuador and their distribution between private and public health centers.

Methods: An observational population-based study was conducted of patients discharged from public and private hospitals in Ecuador after a C-section or vaginal delivery. Data were collected by the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) between 2001 and 2013.

Rabies Epidemiology and Control in Ecuador.

Objective: Describe the epidemiology and the control effort for rabies in Ecuador.

Methods: This observational study included data from the Ecuadorian National Institute of Census and Statistics (INEC), and mortality and morbidity data reported by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Institute for Social Security. We conducted a phylogeny analyses to compare the N gene from the Challenge Virus Standard (CVS) vaccine strain used in Ecuador with published Cosmopolitan, Asian and Sylvatic strains.

A population-based study of the epidemiology of acute adult burns in Ecuador from 2005 to 2014.

Objectives: To describe the demographic, risk factor, occupational, and morbidity and mortality characteristics of burns in adults in Ecuador using national data. These data are from the only specialized public hospital in Ecuador that has a 12-bed burn unit.

Methods: The National Institute of Statistics and Census provided data from the burn unit of the Hospital Eugenio Espejo, in Quito.

A unique case of facial burn superinfected with Dermatobia Hominis larvae resulting in a bilateral enucleation of the eyes.

We present a case of a female Ecuadorian patient who presented a deep facial burn injury complicated with a severe infestation of Dermatobia Hominis larvae. The burn injury was complicated by severe myiasis attributable to the poor management of the wound received at home, using tropical plants, which caused a secondary infection and severe necrosis of the tissue involving the forehead, cheeks, chin, scalp, nose, mouth and the eyes resulting in a bilateral enucleation and long inpatient hospital care.