Hypocalcemia: A key biomarker in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Background: At the end of 2019 a new respiratory syndrome emerged in China named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Considering the severity of the disease in adult subjects with one or more chronic pathologies, it was mandatory to find simple and effective biomarkers for negative prognosis of the disease easily available at the admission to the hospital.

Methods: To identify possible parameters showing association with the outcome in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing chronic diseases, blood biochemical profiles of 511 patients, enrolled from March to June 2020, were retrospectively evaluated.

Perspectives on the Ethics of Antibiotic Overuse and on the Implementation of (New) Antibiotics.

The continuing rise in global antimicrobial resistance is seen by many governments and international organizations as a major threat to worldwide health. This means that many publications have already described the problems concerning the overuse of currently available antibiotics and potential solutions to this crisis, including the development of new alternatives to antibiotics. However, in this manuscript, the authors approach the subject of increasing global antimicrobial resistance from two perspectives not normally covered by previous publications, namely the ethical use of antibiotics and potential issues relating to the implementation of new antibiotics.

[Los determinantes sociales de la salud en España (2010-2021): una revisión exploratoria de la literatura.].

Objective: Los determinantes sociales de la salud (DSS) son los ejes en torno a los cuales se articulan las desigualdades sociales en salud. El estudio de dichas diferencias entre grupos sociales resulta fundamental para el abordaje de las inequidades. El objetivo de esta revisión fue estudiar las aportaciones realizadas en la investigación sobre el efecto de los DSS en la salud o sus factores intermedios en la población española desde el año 2010 hasta 2021.

[Weight status in the 6- to 9-year-old school population in Spain: results of the ALADINO 2019 Study].

Introduction: childhood obesity is a public health problem whose prevalence has grown steadily in recent decades. Objective: to describe the weight status of schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years in Spain in 2019, and their associated factors. Methods: ALADINO is a cross-sectional study in schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years, representative of the Spanish population, and aligned with the Child Obesity Surveillance Initative of the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global antimicrobial and biocide resistance: an AMR Insights global perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a serious public health challenge in all countries. However, repercussions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections on future global health are still being investigated, including the pandemic's potential effect on the emergence and spread of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Critically ill COVID-19 patients may develop severe complications, which may predispose patients to infection with nosocomial bacterial and/or fungal pathogens, requiring the extensive use of antibiotics.

Diagnostic performance of CerTest and Panbio antigen rapid diagnostic tests to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objectives: Antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) have been developed as reliable tools to control the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two Ag-RDTs.

Methods: We evaluated CerTest SARS-CoV-2 Ag One Step Card Test and Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device Ag-RDTs.

CYFRA 21-1 in patients with suspected cancer: evaluation of an optimal cutoff to assess the diagnostic efficacy and prognostic value.

Objectives: Chosen cutoff for cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen (CYFRA 21-1) as a tumor biomarker considerably influences its diagnostic and prognostic usefulness. The aim of the present study is to determine an optimal cutoff value for diagnostic validity of CYFRA 21-1 by technology in patients with suspected cancer and also to determine if CYFRA 21-1 levels provide prognostic value.

Methods: A consecutive 284 patients suggestive of malignant disease from six hospitals of Madrid were enrolled in a retrospective design.

Effectiveness of a bundle of measures for reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Introduction: Catheter-associated infections are the main cause of nosocomial bacteremia. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate a possible decrease in CLABSI rates in perioperative environment after the implementation of a bundle of measures. Secondary objective was to determine which factors were associated with an increased risk of CLABSI, after the implementation of the bundle.

Developing a faster way to identify biocontamination in the air of controlled environment rooms with HEPA filters: airborne particle counting.

Our aim was to assess whether airborne particle counting is an immediate indicator of biocontamination in controlled environment rooms with HEPA filters in a hospital. A prospective study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital between 2016 and 2018. The study was divided in two periods and the measurements were performed in different controlled environment rooms with HEPA filters.

[Compliance evaluation of "do not do" recommendations of the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine and public health].

Objective: The reduction of unnecessary health interventions determines good care quality. The objective of this work was to evaluate the compliance of the "do not do" recommendations proposed by the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Hygiene.

Methods: Prospective, observational, descriptive study of patients admitted to the La Princesa University Hospital between December 2018 and January 2019.

A New Surgical Site Infection Risk Score: Infection Risk Index in Cardiac Surgery.

Various scoring systems attempt to predict the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) after cardiac surgery, but their discrimination is limited. Our aim was to analyze all SSI risk factors in both coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and valve replacement patients in order to create a new SSI risk score for such individuals. A priori prospective collected data on patients that underwent cardiac surgery ( = 2020) were analyzed following recommendations from the Reporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely collected health Data (RECORD) group.

Multicenter Validation of the Emotional State Instrument for Dialysis Patients.

Background: The Emotional State Instrument for Dialysis Patients (ES-D) is a brief semistructured questionnaire to assess emotional distress in patients undergoing dialysis. It was designed to be administered by a healthcare provider. A previous study showed preliminary indicators of its content and face validity.

Follow a recipe to prescribe phosphate during hemodialysis.

The addition of phosphorus (P) to the dialysate (LD) in the form of enema Casen® is common practice in patients with hypophosphatemia. The estimation of the amount to be used and the identification of the problems that may can occur are not well defined. As a result of our work we propose a practical approach of how to proceed to increase phosphate concentration in the hemodialysate.

Sodium set-point in haemodialysis: is it what we see clinically?

Background: Natraemia in haemodialysis (HD) patients is considered constant contrary to daily clinical observations. Its relationship with clinical parameters, dialysis parameters and body water (BW) distribution is not clear.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to know 1) the intraindividual variability of natraemia, 2) the relationship between natraemia and clinical and dialysis parameters and 3) the relationship between natraemia and BW distribution by bioimpedance.

A comparison of the effectiveness of two online haemodiafiltration modalities: mixed versus post-dilution.

Introduction: Haemodiafiltration (HDF) with high reinfusion volumes is the most effective technique for clearing uraemic toxins. There are various modalities depending on the location where the replacement volume is administered in the extracorporeal circuit: pre-dilution, mixed or mid-dilution and post-dilution, in which the infusion is carried out pre-dilution, pre- and post-dilution simultaneously and post-dilution, respectively.

Objective: Compare the clearance of small, medium-sized and protein-bound molecules and the convective volume administered in online HDF (OL-HDF) in post-dilution and mixed (pre-post-dilution) infusion.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in the early hours of acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is a cytosolic protein that is released into the bloodstream when the myocardium is injured. The aim was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of H-FABP in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) within the first 3-6 hours after the onset of chest pain.

Methods And Results: A consecutive series of 165 patients with chest pain lasting less than 6 hours were enrolled in a forward observational design in the emergency department.

Therapeutic immunization with HIV-1 Tat reduces immune activation and loss of regulatory T-cells and improves immune function in subjects on HAART.

Unlabelled: Although HAART suppresses HIV replication, it is often unable to restore immune homeostasis. Consequently, non-AIDS-defining diseases are increasingly seen in treated individuals. This is attributed to persistent virus expression in reservoirs and to cell activation.

The preventive phase I trial with the HIV-1 Tat-based vaccine.

The native HIV-1 Tat protein was chosen as vaccine candidate for phase I clinical trials based on its role in the natural infection and AIDS pathogenesis, on the association of Tat-specific immune response with the asymptomatic stage as well as on its sequence conservation among HIV clades. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled phase I study (ISS P-001) was conducted in healthy adult volunteers without identifiable risk of HIV infection. Tat was administered 5 times monthly, subcute in alum or intradermic alone at 7.

Diagnostic efficacy and prognostic value of serum procalcitonin concentration in patients with suspected sepsis.

Background: Procalcitonin is released in response to bacterial infection and it is not released in Inflammatory and viral diseases.

Objective: To show the diagnostic efficacy and prognostic value of procalcitonin for sepsis.

Methods: A consecutive series of 103 patients with suspected sepsis were admitted to the intensive care unit over a 2-year period.

[Differences in the synthesis pattern of vasoactive factors in gestational hypertension and preeclampsia].

Background And Objective: The gestational hypertension -HG- and preeclampsia -P- are hypertensive diseases whose pathogenic mechanism has not been determined yet. The aim of this work is to define some patterns of vasoactive factors release that allow to explain the origin of the differences between both entities.

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Molecular diversity of HIV in Albania.

Little information is available on circulating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) subtypes and resistance to antiretroviral drugs in Albania. To fill this gap, we studied 72 plasma samples from HIV-infected individuals from throughout the country. Subtype classification and genotypic resistance analysis were performed on the HIV pol gene region.