Screening for malnutrition among hospitalized patients in a Colombian University Hospital

Q4Q3Artículo de investigación449-457Pacientes del Hospital San IgnacioBackground: On admission, 30 to 50% of hospitalized patients have some degree of malnutrition, which is associated with longer length of stay, higher rates of complications, mortality and greater costs. Aim: To determine the frequency of screening for risk of malnutrition in medical records and assess the usefulness of the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST). Material and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we searched for malnutrition screening in medical records, and we applied the MST tool to hospitalized patients at the Internal Medicine Wards of San Ignacio University Hospital. Results: Of 295 patients included, none had been screened for malnutrition since hospital admission. Sixty one percent were at nutritional risk, with a higher prevalence among patients with HIV (85.7%), cancer (77.5%) and pneumonia. A positive MST result was associated with a 3.2 days increase in length of hospital stay (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The prevalence of malnutrition risk in hospitalized patients is high, but its screening is inadequate and it is underdiagnosed. The MST tool is simple, fast, low-cost, and has a good diagnostic performance

Violence due to Armed Conflict and Prevalence of Mood Disorders, Anxiety and Mental Problems in the Colombian Adult Population

Antecedentes La violencia en Colombia tiene una historia de más de 50 años. se calcula que entre 1985 y 2012 han fallecido 220.000 colombianos y cerca de 6.000.000 han sido desplazados por la violencia. Objetivo Describir y comparar las prevalencias de algunos problemas y trastornos mentales en la población adulta colombiana teniendo en cuenta las características del municipio respecto a su historia de violencia o conflicto armado. Métodos Se utilizaron los resultados de los adultos (mayores de 18 años) sobre algunos problemas y trastornos mentales de la ENSM de 2015, y se clasificaron los municipios según la presencia y la intensidad del conflicto utilizando la clasificación propuesta por la CERAC. Se realizó la medición de trastorno (con el CIDI-CAPI), problemas (con AUDIT, PCL modificado) y consumo de sustancias psicoactivas. Resultados Se entrevistó a 10.870 personas, de las que 5.429 no habían cambiado de residencia. El 21,8% de los municipios sufrían conflicto permanente; el 65,5%, interrumpido, y solamente el 12,7% había sido pacificado o no tenía conflicto. La intensidad del conflicto se reportó alta en el 31,8%. Los municipios violentos presentaban prevalencias más altas de trastornos de ansiedad, depresivos, posible trastorno de estrés postraumático y consumo de cigarrillo. El consumo de alcohol era más frecuente en municipios con menor intensidad del conflicto. Conclusiones Los municipios clasificados como con altos niveles de violencia presentaban mayor prevalencia de trastornos mentales y de la mayoría de los problemas mentales.Q4Artículo original147-153Background Violence in Colombia has a history of over 50 years. Between 1985 and 2012 an estimated of 220,000 Colombians have died and about 6,000,000 have been displaced by violence. Objective To describe and compare the prevalence of some problems and mental disorders in the adult population in Colombia, taking into account the characteristics of the municipality, as regards its history of violence or armed conflict. Methods The results for adults (over 18 years) of some problems and mental disorders were taken from the ENSM-2015. The municipalities were classified according to the presence and intensity of the conflict using the classification proposed by the CERAC. Disorders were measured using CIDI-CAPI, and problems with AUDIT, modified PCL (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist). An estimate was also made of psychoactive substances consumption. Results A total of 10,870 people were interviewed, of whom 5,429 had not changed residence. There was had permanent conflict in 21.8% of the municipalities, 65.5% had a discontinued conflict, and only 12.7% had been pacified or had no conflict. The intensity of the conflict was reported as high by 31.8% of the people. Violent municipalities have a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders, depression, possible Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and smoking. Alcohol consumption was more common in municipalities with less intense conflict. Conclusions The municipalities classified as having high levels of violence have a higher prevalence of mental disorders and the majority of the mental problems

Perfil de sensibilidad antimicrobiana de microorganismos causantes de infecciones urinarias adquiridas en la comunidad en pacientes con diabetes mellitus en Colombia

Introducción. La infección de las vías urinarias es la más frecuente en pacientes diabéticos, y es un factor determinante de la morbilidad y la mortalidad en este grupo de pacientes. El aumento de la resistencia de los microorganismos adquiridos en la comunidad a los antibióticos comúnmente utilizados para combatirla es alarmante. Objetivo. Determinar el perfil de sensibilidad a los antibióticos de los microorganismos responsables de infecciones urinarias adquiridas en la comunidad en pacientes diabéticos atendidos en algunos hospitales de Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo de un subgrupo de pacientes diabéticos en el marco de una investigación en adultos con infección de origen comunitario de las vías urinarias. Durante un año, se recolectaron aislamientos de Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. y Proteus mirabilis en nueve hospitales de Colombia y se determinó su perfil de sensibilidad mediante métodos microbiológicos y moleculares, para establecer la presencia de betalactamasas de espectro extendido del tipo AmpC y de carbapenemasas del tipo KPC. Resultados. Se recolectaron 68 aislamientos (58 de E. coli, nueve de Klebsiella spp. y uno de P. mirabilis). Cuatro (6,9 %) de los aislamientos de E. coli expresaron dichas betalactamasas, en dos (3,4 %) de ellos, pertenecientes al grupo filogenético B2 y al clon ST131, se detectaron las betalactamasas TEM-1 y CTM-X-15. En otros cuatro (6,9 %) aislamientos de E. coli se encontró el fenotipo AmpC, y en tres de ellos se produjeron las betalactamasas TEM-1 y CMY-2. Un aislamiento de K. pneumoniae expresó la carbapenemasa KPC-3. Conclusión. Se confirmó la presencia de cepas productoras de betalactamasas de espectro extendido y carbapenemasas en microorganismos responsables de infección urinaria adquirida en la comunidad en pacientes diabéticos.Q4Q3Artículo original353-36

The emergence of multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii in colombia: a time-series analysis, 2001-2007

Objective This study was aimed at analyzing the phenotypical behavior of Acinetobacter baumannii resistance to antibiotics currently available in Colombia for its treatment. Methods An ecological time-series study was conducted based on information regarding A. baumannii resistance to available antibiotics gathered through a Colombian surveillance system involving 33 reference hospitals. Descriptive analysis and modeling forecasting were also carried out. Results The sample included 5.415 A. baumannii isolates collected from 33 hospitals throughout Colombia. This microorganism was the eighth most frequently isolated pathogen in hospital settings, having 3.8 % isolation frequency in intensive care units (ICUs).The study recorded the presence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains since 2001, as well as a dramatic increase in A. baumannii strains having decreased susceptibility to the antibiotics currently available on the market (30 % to 70 %). Conclusion A. baumannii has shown a clear transition to a multidrug resistance profile in Colombia during recent years which includes resistance to important secondline antibiotics, such as carbapenems

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in close contacts of adults at high risk of infection due to occupation: results from the contact tracing strategy of the CoVIDA epidemiological surveillance study in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2020–2021

Objectives To estimate the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in close contacts of adults at high risk of infection due to occupation, participants of the CoVIDA study, in Bogotá D.C., Colombia.Setting The CoVIDA study was the largest COVID-19 intensified sentinel epidemiological surveillance study in Colombia thus far, performing over 60 000 RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study implemented a contact tracing strategy (via telephone call) to support traditional surveillance actions performed by the local health authority.Participants Close contacts of participants from the CoVIDA study.Primary and secondary outcome measures SARS-CoV-2 testing results were obtained (RT-PCR with CoVIDA or self-reported results). The secondary attack rate (SAR) was calculated using contacts and primary cases features.Results The CoVIDA study performed 1257 contact tracing procedures on primary cases. A total of 5551 close contacts were identified and 1050 secondary cases (21.1%) were found. The highest SAR was found in close contacts: (1) who were spouses (SAR=32.7%; 95% CI 29.1% to 36.4%), (2) of informally employed or unemployed primary cases (SAR=29.1%; 95% CI 25.5% to 32.8%), (3) of symptomatic primary cases (SAR of 25.9%; 95% CI 24.0% to 27.9%) and (4) living in households with more than three people (SAR=22.2%; 95% CI 20.7% to 23.8%). The spouses (OR 3.85; 95% CI 2.60 to 5.70), relatives (OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.70) and close contacts of a symptomatic primary case (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.77) had an increased risk of being secondary cases compared with non-relatives and close contacts of an asymptomatic index case, respectively.Conclusions Contact tracing strategies must focus on households with socioeconomic vulnerabilities to guarantee isolation and testing to stop the spread of the disease

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field