Characteristics of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and their association with treatment outcomes: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: There are few data on the treatment of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant (MDR) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) tuberculosis, especially with more recently available drugs and regimens. We aimed to describe the clinical and treatment characteristics and their associations with treatment outcomes in this susceptible population.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

And after surgery, what's new for the rectal cancer survivor?

Low anterior resection syndrome is a common but underestimated complication after rectal cancer surgery that significantly impacts the quality of life of the surviving patient. It is characterized by symptoms such as fecal incontinence and voiding dysfunction and affects up to 90% of patients undergoing low anterior rectal resection. The etiology of the syndrome is multifactorial with no clear determining factor.

[Patients' experiences of long-covid neuropsychological symptoms in Catalonia: A phenomenological study].

The objective was to describe the experiences of people living with neuropsychological symptomatology associated with long-covid, as well as identifying the barriers they encounter in their daily lives and the strategies they develop to deal with them. This is a descriptive qualitative study following an interpretative phenomenological perspective wich was held in Primary Care cin the Northern Metropolitan Area of Barcelona and the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (Badalona, Spain). A total of 34 adults with any persistent neuropsychological symptoms of covid-19 (>12 weeks since disease onset) participated.

Intrafraction motion in intra-cranial multi-target stereotactic radiosurgery plans: A multi-institutional investigation on robustness.

Purpose: Even with modern immobilisation devices, some amount of intrafraction patient motion is likely to occur during stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivery. The aim of this work was to investigate how robustness of plans to intrafraction motion is affected by plan geometry and complexity.

Methods: In 2018, the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group conducted a multiple-target SRS international planning challenge, the data from which was utilised in this study.

The 2024 Assisi think tank on breast cancer: Focus on the use of a tumour bed boost after breast conserving therapy.

At the Fifth Assisi Think Tank Meeting (ATTM) on breast cancer, one key topic was the role of tumor bed boost in invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ. The need for a tumor bed boost after whole breast irradiation is controversial. A literature review assessed boost indications, target volume definition, techniques, dose fractionation, and ongoing trials.

Perivascular and parenchymal brain fluid diffusivity in patients with a recent small subcortical infarct.

Purpose: Fluid exchanges between perivascular spaces (PVS) and interstitium may contribute to the pathophysiology of small vessel disease (SVD). We aimed to analyze water diffusivity measures and their relationship with PVS and other SVD imaging markers.

Methods: We enrolled 50 consecutive patients with a recent small subcortical infarct.

Evaluating Families' Opinions of Routine Influenza Vaccination in Children Under 5 Years of Age in Spain.

Background/objectives: Influenza vaccination is the main method for preventing influenza. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the opinions of families on influenza vaccination and to determine the acceptance of influenza vaccination as a routine vaccine in children under 5 years of age.

Methods: The method used was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on an ad-hoc survey.

Improving Anxiety Related to Chronic Pain Through a Sleep Circadian Intervention Program: A Pilot Study.

The limitations of pharmacological treatments for chronic pain have become increasingly evident: dependency, side effects, resistance, and diminishing efficacy. The urgent need for innovative solutions has become a compelling focus for improving patient outcomes. Innovative non-pharmacological approaches, such as sleep management, as a strategy to reduce opioid consumption and pain control are needed.

Progressive systemic inflammation precedes decompensation in compensated cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Systemic inflammation is a driver of decompensation in cirrhosis with unclear relevance in the compensated stage. We evaluated inflammation and bacterial translocation markers in compensated cirrhosis and their dynamics in relation to the first decompensation.

Methods: This study is nested within the PREDESCI trial, which investigated non-selective beta-blockers for preventing decompensation in compensated cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH: hepatic venous pressure gradient ≥10 mmHg).

Clinical profile of an unselected population with heart failure treated with vericiguat in real life: differences with the VICTORIA trial.

Introduction: Vericiguat, an oral stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase, reduces cardiovascular mortality and hospitalisations in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction, as demonstrated in the VICTORIA trial. This study assessed the real-world use of vericiguat.

Material And Methods: This cross-sectional, prospective and multicenter registry (VERISEC) included 776 patients from 43 centres in Spain between December 2022 and October 2023.

Prehospital scale to differentiate intracerebral hemorrhage from large-vessel occlusion patients: a prospective cohort study.

Evaluating scales to detect large vessel occlusion (LVO) could aid in considering early referrals to a thrombectomy-capable center in the prehospital stroke code setting. Nevertheless, they entail a significant number of false positives, corresponding to intracranial hemorrhages (ICH). Our study aims to identify easily collectible variables for the development of a scale to differentiate patients with ICH from LVO.

Prevalence and severity of anxiety, stress, and depression in long COVID among adults in Barcelona.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic's long-term mental health implications are increasingly concerning, especially among patients suffering post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection: Long COVID (LC) patients.

Aim: This study explores the presence and distribution of anxiety, depression, and stress in LC individuals with cognitive complaints in northern Barcelona (Spain).

Design & Settings: This cross-sectional study involved 155 diagnosed LC individuals from the "Aliança ProHEpiC-19 Cognitiu (APC)" project.

Fluid fluctuations assessed with artificial intelligence during the maintenance phase impact anti-vascular endothelial growth factor visual outcomes in a multicentre, routine clinical care national age-related macular degeneration database.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of fluid volume fluctuations quantified with artificial intelligence in optical coherence tomography scans during the maintenance phase and visual outcomes at 12 and 24 months in a real-world, multicentre, national cohort of treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) eyes.

Methods: Demographics, visual acuity (VA) and number of injections were collected using the Fight Retinal Blindness tool. Intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), pigment epithelial detachment (PED), total fluid (TF) and central subfield thickness (CST) were quantified using the RetinAI Discovery tool.

Utility of the combination of high fluorescence cells and tumor markers for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions.

Background: New diagnostic tools have emerged to assist the traditional diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE), such as high fluorescence cells (HFc) and tumor markers (TMs), determined by clinical laboratory automated pleural fluid workup. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the combination of HFc and TMs for diagnosing MPE.

Methods: We recruited hospitalized patients with pleural effusion at Parc Taulí University Hospital.

Ex vivo intravascular methylene blue instillation in oesophagectomy and gastrectomy specimens and its implication in tumour histopathological assessment.

Surgical resection and lymphadenectomy are the mainstay of curative treatment for oesophagogastric cancer. In this study we evaluate the results of intravascular methylene blue injection into oesophagectomy and gastrectomy specimens as a tool to increase lymph node detection. A prospective and descriptive study was run on 24 patients (11 oesophagus, 13 stomach cases).

Survey of legislative frameworks and national recommendations governing paediatric maintenance haemodialysis in Europe.

Background: The application of international recommendations for paediatric maintenance haemodialysis (HD) could be strengthened by national laws or written recommendations. Our aim was therefore to describe the national rules governing paediatric maintenance HD in European countries.

Methods: A national representative, approved by the president of each paediatric nephrology society, was contacted in all 42 European countries to complete two online questionnaires.

The Importance of Antimicrobial Strategies Associated with Clinical Cure and Increased Microbiological Eradication in Patients with Complicated Urinary Tract Infections and High Risk of Relapse.

Background And Objective: Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) are serious, potentially life-threatening infections that occur in patients with an increased disease progression risk. Antimicrobial resistance represents an important health issue worldwide, contributing to relapses, which can generate further resistances. It is necessary to clarify the role of microbiological eradication as an additional objective in the management of cUTIs.

How to combine multiple tools for the genetic diagnosis work-up of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This study investigated the importance of comprehensive genetic diagnosis in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We analyzed 175 B-ALL employing karyotyping, FISH, MLPA, targeted next-generation sequencing (t-NGS), and Optical Genome Mapping (OGM). This approach achieved an 83% classification rate, identifying 17 distinct genetic subtypes.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Comprehensive Genome Profiling for Treatment Decisions in Patients with Metastatic Tumors: Real-World Evidence Meta-Analysis and Registry Data Implementation.

Background: Although precision oncology has rapidly been developed in recent years, its real-world impact and challenges in healthcare implementation remain underexplored. Through a meta-analysis of real-world evidence (RWE), we aimed at investigating the applicability and clinical impact of comprehensive cancer genome profiling (CGP) in cancer patients with metastatic solid tumors.

Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, and Web of Science for RWE studies on CGP and matched therapies in metastatic solid tumors (publication period: 2012-2023).

The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 as a recall response susceptible to immune imprinting: A prospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 does not follow the immunoglobulin isotype pattern of primary responses, conflicting with the current interpretation of COVID-19.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 191 SARS-CoV-2 infection cases and 44 controls from the second wave of COVID-19. The study stratified patients by severity and analyzed the trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and multiple immune variables.

Detection of clinically relevant variants in the gene below 10% allelic frequency: A multicenter study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the reliability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect variants ≤10% allelic frequency (low-VAF) is debated. We tested the ability to detect 23 such variants in 41 different laboratories using their NGS method of choice. The sensitivity was 85.

Frailty assessment in adults undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: insights from a multicenter GETH-TC study to optimize outcomes and care.

Introduction: This multicenter prospective study sponsored by the (GETH-TC) explores the use of frailty assessments in allo-HCT candidates.

Methods: Frailty was measured using the HCT Frailty Scale at first consultation and HCT admission in 404 adults from 15 HCT programs in Spain. Based on the results, patients were classified into fit, pre-frail and frail categories.

3D-printed patient-specific instrumentation and the freehand technique in high-tibial osteotomy: A prospective cohort-comparative study in an outpatient setting.

Purpose: Tibial valgus osteotomy has shown to be a successful and cost-effective procedure. The advent of image processing and three-dimensional (3D) printing is an interesting tool for achieving more accurate and reproducible results. The aim of our study was to compare the accuracy of the conventional technique and the use of customized guides in the correction of tibial deformities in tibial varus patients, the surgical and clinical benefits, and the impact of treatment in the outpatient setting.