Medicina basada en la evidencia: Aportes a la práctica médica actual y dificultades para su implementación

Medicina basada en la evidencia (MBE) es actualmente sinónimo de práctica médica moderna e innovadora. Sin embargo, poco se sabe de su real dimensión y principios. Su relación con la investigación y la “evidencia” es entendida como la interpretación de la literatura medica, la realización de mega ensayos clínicos o meta-análisis. MBEimplicaelusojuiciosodelamejorevidenciadisponible,graciasalaevaluaciónrigurosa delacalidadmetodológica de la información científica, así como de su aplicabilidad. La MBE rescata la experiencia y pericia clínica del médico. Adicionalmente, incorpora como tercer elemento fundamental las preferencias y valores de los pacientes acerca del cuidado de su salud. La intersección de estos tres aspectos constituye la esencia de la MBE. La práctica así entendida de la MBE ubica al paciente y sus circunstancias en el centro mismo del acto médico y lo revaloriza como “ciencia y arte”. En esta revisión buscamos destacar como la práctica de la MBE guía hacia una toma de decisiones correcta y democrática. Así mismo, se revisa los diversos aportes en la práctica medica actual, las distorsiones creadas alrededor de ella y las limitaciones para su aplicación en nuestra realidad

Sobre la escasa transparencia en los documentos técnicos para el tratamiento de pacientes con COVID-19 en Perú

The Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA, in Spanish) has published ministerial resolutions (RM) with the aim of regulating the treatment of people affected by COVID-19. The last RM published on April 29 includes the use of tocilizumab, corticosteroids, and enoxaparin. These guidelines do not make clear what process was followed to make decisions, how each of these decisions was justified, nor who their authors are or their potential conflicts of interest. It is important to make an effort to promptly make these data transparent, especially in a subject in which there is not yet much evidence, such as COVID-19. In this article, we present controversies on the tocilizumab, corticosteroids, and enoxaparin established by the MINSA, as well as recommendations on the decision-making process.El Ministerio de Salud del Perú (MINSA) ha publicado resoluciones ministeriales (RM) con el objetivo de normar el tratamiento de personas afectadas por COVID-19. La última RM publicada el 29 de abril incluye el uso de tocilizumab, corticoides y enoxaparina. Estos lineamientos no dejan claro qué proceso se siguió para tomar decisiones, cómo se justificó cada una de estas decisiones, ni quiénes son sus autores ni sus potenciales conflictos de interés. Resulta importante hacer un esfuerzo por transparentar prontamente estos datos, especialmente en un tema en el cual aún no se cuenta con mucha evidencia como es el COVID-19. En el presente artículo presentamos controversias sobre el tocilizumab, corticoides y enoxaparina establecido por el MINSA, así como recomendaciones sobre el proceso de toma de decisiones

Metabolic Abnormalities Are Common among South American Hispanics Subjects with Normal Weight or Excess Body Weight: The CRONICAS Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize metabolic status by body mass index (BMI) status. METHODS: The CRONICAS longitudinal study was performed in an age-and-sex stratified random sample of participants aged 35 years or older in four Peruvian settings: Lima (Peru's capital, costal urban, highly urbanized), urban and rural Puno (both high-altitude), and Tumbes (costal semirural). Data from the baseline study, conducted in 2010, was used. Individuals were classified by BMI as normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2), and as metabolically healthy (0-1 metabolic abnormality) or metabolically unhealthy (≥2 abnormalities). Abnormalities included individual components of the metabolic syndrome, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and insulin resistance. RESULTS: A total of 3088 (age 55.6±12.6 years, 51.3% females) had all measurements. Of these, 890 (28.8%), 1361 (44.1%) and 837 (27.1%) were normal weight, overweight and obese, respectively. Overall, 19.0% of normal weight in contrast to 54.9% of overweight and 77.7% of obese individuals had ≥3 risk factors (p<0.001). Among normal weight individuals, 43.1% were metabolically unhealthy, and age ≥65 years, female, and highest socioeconomic groups were more likely to have this pattern. In contrast, only 16.4% of overweight and 3.9% of obese individuals were metabolically healthy and, compared to Lima, the rural and urban sites in Puno were more likely to have a metabolically healthier profile. CONCLUSIONS: Most Peruvians with overweight and obesity have additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, as well as a majority of those with a healthy weight. Prevention programs aimed at individuals with a normal BMI, and those who are overweight and obese, are urgently needed, such as screening for elevated fasting cholesterol and glucose

Efectos de una intervención con llamadas telefónicas educativas para mejorar la adherencia y el control metabólico en personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 mal controlada: Un ensayo clínico aleatorizado

Introduction: Information and communication technologies can help us improve metabolic control and adherence in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Objective: To evaluate the effects of an intervention with telephone calls in outpatients with poorly controlled DM2 in a hospital in Peru. Material and Methods: Randomized clinical trial. We included adults with DM2 with poor glycemic control, who were randomized to the control group (usual care) or to the intervention group (usual care plus a telephone intervention every two weeks for three months). The primary outcome was a ≥ 1% reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin at three months. Results: 94 participants were recruited (47 in each group). Mean age was 59.8 years (SD: 10.2), 69.2 % were women. At three months, only 14/47 participants in the control group and 13/47 participants in the intervention group had HbA1c measurement. Among these, the percentage of those who achieved a ≥ 1% decrease in HbA1c was 35,7% (5/14) in the control group and 53,8% (7/13) in the intervention group (RR: 0,72, 95% CI: 0,35-1,47). No differences were found in adherence to treatment between groups. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were found for the outcomes of interest. This is possibly due to the low percentage of participants who were able to complete follow-up. Innovative solutions are needed to improve the control of people with DM2.Introducción: Las tecnologías de información y comunicación pueden ayudarnos a mejorar el control metabólico y la adherencia de las personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). Objetivo: Evaluar los efectos de una intervención con llamadas telefónicas en pacientes ambulatorios con DM2 mal controlada de un hospital en Perú. Material y Métodos: Ensayo clínico aleatorizado. Incluimos adultos con DM2 con mal control glicémico (HbA1c &gt; 7%), quienes fueron aleatorizados al grupo control (cuidado usual) o al grupo intervención (cuidado usual más una intervención con llamadas telefónicas cada dos semanas por tres meses). El desenlace principal fue la reducción ≥ 1% de hemoglobina glicosilada a los tres meses. Resultados: Se reclutó 94 participantes (47 en cada grupo). La edad promedio fue 59,8 años (DE: 10,2), 69,2 % fueron mujeres. A los tres meses, solo 14/47 participantes del grupo control y 13/47 participantes del grupo intervención tuvieron medición de HbA1c. Entre estos, el porcentaje de los que lograron una disminución ≥ 1% de HbA1c fue de 35,7% (5/14) en el grupo control y 53,8% (7/13) en el grupo intervención (RR: 0,72, IC 95%: 0,35-1,47). No se encontró diferencias en la adherencia al tratamiento entre ambos grupos. Conclusiones: No se encontró diferencias estadísticamente significativas para los desenlaces de interés. Posiblemente esto se deba al bajo porcentaje de participantes a los que se logró completar el seguimiento

Oxygen saturation as a predictor of mortality in hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 in a public hospital in Lima, Peru.

INTRODUCTION: Peru is among the top ten countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases worldwide. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical features of hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 and to determine the prognostic factors associated with in-hospital mortality. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to Hospital Cayetano Heredia; a tertiary care hospital in Lima, Peru. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors independently associated with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 369 patients (median age 59 years [IQR:49-68]; 241 (65.31%) male) were included. Most patients (68.56%) reported at least one comorbidity; more frequently: obesity (42.55%), diabetes mellitus (21.95%), and hypertension (21.68%). The median duration of symptoms prior to hospital admission was 7 days (IQR: 5-10). Reported in-hospital mortality was 49.59%. By multiple Cox regression, oxygen saturation (SaO2) values of less than 90% on admission correlated with mortality, presenting 1.86 (95%CI: 1.02-3.39), 4.44 (95%CI: 2.46-8.02) and 7.74 (95%CI: 4.54-13.19) times greater risk of death for SaO2 of 89-85%, 84-80% and 90%. Additionally, age >60 years was associated with 1.88 times greater mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen saturation below 90% on admission is a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19. In settings with limited resources, efforts to reduce mortality in COVID-19 should focus on early identification of hypoxemia and timely access to hospital care

Características clínicas y factores asociados a mortalidad en pacientes adultos hospitalizados por COVID-19 en un hospital público de Lima, Perú.

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the national health system in Peru, and despite the many strategies implemented to control the epidemic, the collapse of the sanitary system was imminent. We performed a retrospective cohort from the clinical records of adult patients with COVID-19 admitted in Hospital Cayetano Heredia (Lima, Peru), between March and June 2020. A total of 369 patient charts were included for analysis; 241 (65.31%) were male and the median age was 59 years (IQR: 49-68). Most patients (68.56%) reported at least one comorbidity; more frequently: obesity (42.55%), diabetes mellitus (21.95%), and hypertension (21.68%). The median duration of symptoms prior to hospital admission was 7 days (IQR: 5-10). Reported in-hospital mortality was 49.59%. By multiple Cox regression, oxygen saturation (SaO2) level at admission was the main predictor of patient mortality, with SaO2 levels of 84-80% and 90%. Additionally, older age (>60 years old) was associated with 1.9 times greater mortality. Our study finds SaO2 at admission and older age to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. These findings suggest a delay in early detection of hypoxemia in the community, therefore, we propose the implementation of monitoring for hypoxemia among outpatients with COVID-19 as well as appropriate and timely oxygen therapy in admission

Perfil de resistencia de las bacterias aisladas de hemocultivos en un Hospital General

OBJETIVO: Describir el perfil de resistencia de las bacterias aisladas en hemocultivos realizados en los servicios de Medicina, Cirugía y Ginecología. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo sobre una base de datos registrando los aislamientos y el perfil de resistencia de los gérmenes aislados en los hemocultivos tomados por el Laboratorio Central del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia durante el año 2004. RESULTADOS: De 102 hemocultivos positivos, en población adulta, se aisló: S. epidermidis (42,72%), S. aureus (22,33%), S. saprophyticus (6,80%), Candida sp. (5,83%) y E. coli (3,88%). Se halló por lo menos un 20% de resistencia a las cefalosporinas en las cuatro bacterias más frecuentes. CONCLUSIÓN: Las bacterias más frecuentemente aisladas en los hemocultivos fueron cocos gram positivos con alta resistencia a oxacilina, alta sensibilidad a vancomicina y alta resistencia a las cefalosporinas que fueron los antibióticos más usados

World Health Organization (WHO) antibiotic regimen against other regimens for the treatment of leprosy : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Altres ajuts: Maria Lazo-Porras is funded by the Swiss Goverment Excellence Scholarship (2018.0698).To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the World Health Organization antibiotic regimen for the treatment of paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) leprosy compared to other available regimens. We performed a search from 1982 to July 2018 without language restriction. We included randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized trials, and comparative observational studies (cohorts and case-control studies) that enrolled patients of any age with PB or MB leprosy that were treated with any of the leprosy antibiotic regimens established by the WHO in 1982 and used any other antimicrobial regimen as a controller. Primary efficacy outcomes included: complete clinical cure, clinical improvement of the lesions, relapse rate, treatment failure. Data were pooled using a random effects model to estimate the treatment effects reported as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We found 25 eligible studies, 11 evaluated patients with paucibacillary leprosy, while 13 evaluated patients with MB leprosy and 1 evaluated patients of both groups. Diverse regimen treatments and outcomes were studied. Complete cure at 6 months of multidrug therapy (MDT) in comparison to rifampin-ofloxacin-minocycline (ROM) found RR of 1.06 (95% CI 0.88-1.27) in five studies. Whereas six studies compare the same outcome at different follow up periods between 6 months and 5 years, according to the analysis ROM was not better than MDT (RR of 1.01 (95% CI 0.78-1.31)) in PB leprosy. Not better treatment than the implemented by the WHO was found. Diverse outcome and treatment regimens were studied, more statements to standardized the measurements of outcomes are needed

[Healthcare challenges for people with diabetes during the national state of emergency due to COVID-19 in Lima, Peru: primary healthcare recommendations].

Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who then become infected with SARS-CoV-2, are at greater risk of developing complications from COVID-19, which may even lead to death. Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires continuous contact with healthcare facilities; therefore, this type of patients should have regular access to medicines, tests and appointments with healthcare personnel. In Peru, care and treatment continuity have been affected since the national state of emergency due to COVID-19 began; because many healthcare facilities suspended outpatient consultations. The strategies presented in this study were developed by different Peruvian health providers in the pandemic context to ensure care continuity for people with diabetes. This article provides recommendations to strengthen primary healthcare, because it is the first level of healthcare contact for patients with diabetes