Nitrogen dioxide pollution increases vulnerability to COVID-19 through altered immune function.

Previous ecological studies suggest the existence of possible interplays between the exposure to air pollutants and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Confirmations at individual level, however, are lacking. To explore the relationships between previous exposure to particulate matter < 10 μm (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO), the clinical outcome following hospital admittance, and lymphocyte subsets in COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.

p63 Is a Promising Marker in the Diagnosis of Unusual Skin Cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide. Ozone depletion and climate changes might cause a further increase in the incidence rate in the future. Although the early detection of skin cancer enables it to be treated successfully, some tumours can evolve and become more aggressive, especially in the case of melanoma.

SRD5A2 gene mutations and polymorphisms in Spanish 46,XY patients with a disorder of sex differentiation.

One hundred and forty-six index patients with 46,XY DSD in whom gonads were confirmed as testes were consecutively studied for a molecular diagnosis during the period 2002-2010. AR gene was analysed in all patients as the first candidate gene, yielding a mutation in 42.5% of cases and SRD5A2 gene was analysed as the second candidate gene, resulting in the characterization of 10 different mutations (p.

An evidence-based medicine elective course to improve student performance in advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Objective: To implement and evaluate the impact of an elective evidence-based medicine (EBM) course on student performance during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

Design: A 2-hour elective course was implemented using active-learning techniques including case studies and problem-based learning, journal club simulations, and student-driven wiki pages. The small class size (15 students) encouraged independent student learning, allowing students to serve as the instructors and guest faculty members from a variety of disciplines to facilitate discussions.

Nighttime and weekend medication error rates in an inpatient pediatric population.

Background: Nighttime and weekend admission has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality and has been linked to a variety of factors. Medication errors in hospitalized patients occur frequently, but the association between error rates and time of day and day of week (weekday vs weekend) has not been extensively studied.

Objective: To compare reported medication error rates over a 1-year period between daytime versus nighttime shifts and weekday versus weekend in a children's hospital and to characterize the types of errors that occurred.

Novel (60%) and recurrent (40%) androgen receptor gene mutations in a series of 59 patients with a 46,XY disorder of sex development.

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) gene mutations are the most frequent cause of 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) and are associated with a variety of phenotypes, ranging from phenotypic women [complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS)] to milder degrees of undervirilization (partial form or PAIS) or men with only infertility (mild form or MAIS).

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize the contribution of the AR gene to the molecular cause of 46,XY DSD in a series of Spanish patients.

Setting: We studied a series of 133 index patients with 46,XY DSD in whom gonads were differentiated as testes, with phenotypes including varying degrees of undervirilization, and in whom the AR gene was the first candidate for a molecular analysis.

Initial vancomycin dosing in pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant patients.

Background: Gram-positive bacteremia is a common infection in pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant (SCT) patients requiring therapy with vancomycin. Optimal dosing of vancomycin in this patient population has not been well established.

Methods: All pediatric oncology and SCT patients receiving vancomycin between October 2006 and March 2007 were included in this study.

Analysis of 72-hour sterility of common pediatric continuous intravenous infusions.

Objectives: Patient morbidity and mortality associated with contaminated and improperly prepared sterile products has captured national attention. In response, both the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have published recommendations in an effort to minimize the risk of infection. While the CDC recommends that administration sets are not changed more frequently than every 72 hours, the USP recommends a maximum beyond use date of 48 hours.

[Five years of renal trauma in a paediatric trauma center: new tools in the diagnostic and therapeutic process].

Introduction: There is general agreement in the conservative management of most renal traumas, but questions like the role of angiography are still controversial. Our objective is to review the paediatric renal trauma characteristics, propose a therapeutic protocol and suggest new therapeutic tools.

Material And Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records (epidemiology, diagnostic methods, renal injury grade according to the AAST Organ Injury Scale, treatment and follow up) of the paediatric renal injuries at Vail d'Hebron Hospital in the last 5 years.

[Sigmoid colon vaginoplasty: experience with five cases].

Vaginal atresia compounds a rare congenital anomaly and results from anomalies in the development of Müller ducts as happens in the Mayer-Rokitansky syndrome or in other cases of intersexual states. Some different tissues have been issued for the creation of a neovagina, but none of them has been accepted as ideal. We have chosen sigmoid colon in order to create a new vagina functionally appropriate.

Gray-scale and color Doppler sonography of scrotal disorders in children: an update.

Ultrasonography (US) is well suited to the study of pathologic conditions of the scrotum in children. US provides excellent anatomic detail; when color Doppler and power Doppler imaging are added, testicular perfusion can be assessed. Gray-scale, color Doppler, and power Doppler US were used to study a spectrum of scrotal disorders in 750 boys aged 1 day to 17 years.

[Good results with Passerini's technique in severely masculinised female pseudohermaphroditism].

In female pseudohermaphroditism due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), some cases develope a very important masculinization degree with a high outlet of the vagina above the outern urethral sphincter. There are several surgical techniques to solve this problem. Our group uses Passerini's thecnique since 1990.

HIV fitness and resistance as covariates associated with the appearance of mutations under antiretroviral treatment.

The ability of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains to replicate in human target cells represents a major driving force of the progression of the disease. Despite antiretroviral treatment, HIV overcomes drug pressure by adding new (compensatory) mutations, appearing in a specific and sequential order, that modulate its replication capacity and favour viral escape. In the case of M184V (a mutation involving the catalytic site of HIV reverse transcriptase), no pathways of viral escape have been defined so far; it is thus conceivable that the mutated virus maintains a relatively low replicative capacity.

[Vesicoureteral reimplantation in infants].

Objective: To describe the results and follow-up of 34 vesico-ureteral reimplantations in infants.

Methods: From 1985 to 1994, 34 vesico-ureteral reimplantations (Cohen transtrigonal technique) were performed in 20 infants aged 1-13 months. The indications for surgery were high grade congenital vesico-ureteral reflux and breakthrough pyelonephritis that had presented in some cases despite prophylactic measures.

[Autologous buccal mucosal graft for urethral reconstruction].

Proximal hypospadias are a difficult surgical problem, whether it could take place different surgical approaches. One of those is based on the creation of a neourethra using a free buccal mucosal graft, as a patch or a tube, obtained from de lips or cheek. Since 1983 we have been using this technique in 8 patients.

[Anterior urethral valves].

The valves of the anterior urethra are a rare congenital malformation, but it can cause a significant deterioration of the uppermost urinary system due to their obstructive patterns. It's placed fundamentally in the peno-scrotal union or in the bulbous urethra. They can associate to the diverticula of the anterior urethra.

[Ten years of prenatal diagnosis of uropathies. Study and conclusions].

Since uropathy started to be diagnosed by means of ultrasonography during the prenatal period, paediatric urologists have experienced a major increase in neonatal consultations, which involve healthy children without any symptoms of urinary tract infection. Thereby the criteria for an adequate treatment of these uropathies have been modified. With our study, we intend to analyse the changes regarding the management of such cases in our Service for the last 10 years.

[Management of primary congenital megaureter with early diagnosis].

We present our follow-up protocol of congenital megaureter (PCM) diagnosed early thanks to showing prenatal ultrasound the dilatation in the urinary system. 47 PCM were studied retrospectively in 35 babies, out of 240 cases of prenatal renal dilatation, from 1984 to 1993. The final diagnosis was established with the early use of ultrasound, cystography, intravenous urography (IVU) and isotope test.

[Passerini-Glazel technique of vulvovaginoplasty: a solution for upper outlet of the vagina].

Since 1988, we have performed the Passerini-Glazel technique, in 5 patients, between 7 months and 3 years old. All showed female pseudohermaphroditism with severe signs of masculinization, and consequently, high outlet of the vagina in the urethra, secondary to Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). The technique use is to get a functional and esthetically acceptable vagina at the expense of a urethral flap and two flaps of skin, coming from the hypertrophic clitoris.

[Endoscopic treatment of urethral stenoses in children].

Twenty-nine male children with urethral stenosis, with ages between 7 months and 18 years, were treated by endoscopic surgery. The etiology of their condition was trauma in 21 cases and congenital in 8. Location of the stenosis corresponded in 18 cases to membranous urethra, 7 to bulbar urethra, 2 to penial urethra while 2 were double, membranous and bulbar.

[Urologic complications in renal transplantation in children].

Our results with 105 pediatric renal transplantations, are reviewed. The identified complications were: 4 ureterovesical stenoses, 1 pyeloureteral stenosis, 1 vesical rupture, 1 vesicoureteral reflux on native ureters and 1 acute urinary obstruction. These incidences were scattered among 5 patients of whom 3 had 2 complications each.

[Bladder psoas hitch. Report of 11 cases].

Bladder psoas hitch is an surgical technique which, in very complicated cases, like repeated failures of vesico-ureteral re-implants or undiversions, allow us to bridge the shortness of the ureter and obtain a good vesico-ureteral reimplant. The surgical maneuver is described and several of the 11 cases operated by this technique are commented. The results are presented.