Estudio multicéntrico de incidencia y determinantes de COVID-19 en médicos de Argentina / Multicenter study of COVID-19 incidence and determinants in Argentinian physicians

Resumen Introducción: La información sobre COVID en médicos es limitada. Su conocimiento permitiría implementar acciones para reducir su impacto. El objetivo general fue determinar la incidencia de infección por SARS-CoV-2 en médicos de instituciones de salud de Argentina, sus características y factores aso ciados. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio multicéntrico de cohorte prospectiva/retrospectiva con estudio de casos-controles anidado. Se incluyeron médicos activos al inicio de la pandemia no exceptuados por riesgo. Se estimó incidencia de casos confirmados. Se compararon factores asociados en casos y controles y se creó un modelo de regresión logística con las variables significativas del análisis bivariado. Resultados: Se incluyeron 343 médicos con COVID de 8 centros. La incidencia de la enfermedad fue de 12.1% y la de ausentismo global relacionado a COVID, de 34.1%. El 70% de los contactos estrechos fueron laborales. En el análisis multivariado de casos y controles, la residencia en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (OR 0.19, p = 0.01), el trabajo en áreas de alto riesgo (OR 0.22, p = 0.01) y vehículo individual (OR 0.34, p = 0.03) redujeron el riesgo de COVID. El odds de enfermar aumentó 4.6 veces (p = 0.02) por cada aislamiento por contacto estrecho. Discusión: El riesgo de enfermar aumentó considerablemente con cada aislamiento por contacto estrecho. La residencia en Ciudad Autónoma, el traslado en vehículo individual y el trabajo en áreas de alto riesgo lo redujeron. Dada la alta frecuencia de contactos estrechos en el ámbito laboral recomendamos reforzar las medidas de prevención en áreas de descanso y no COVID.

Abstract Background: Information about COVID infection in physicians is limited. This knowledge would allow the implementation of actions to reduce its impact. The objective was determining the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in physicians from health institutions in Argentina, its characteristics, and associated factors. Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective / retrospective cohort study with nested case-control study. Physicians active at the beginning of the pandemic were included, those on leave due to risk factors were excluded. The incidence of confirmed cases was estimated. We conducted bivariate analyses with various factors and used those significant in a logistic regression. Results: Three hundred and forty three physicians with COVID-infection from 8 centers were included. The incidence of disease was 12.1% and that of global absenteeism related to COVID, 34.1%. Almost 70% of close contacts were work-related. In the multivariate analysis living in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) (OR 0.19, p = 0.01), working in high-risk areas (OR 0.22, p = 0.01) and individual transportation (OR 0, 34, p = 0.03) reduced the risk of COVID. The odds of infection increased 5.6 times (p = 0.02) for each close contact isolation. Discussion: The number of close contact isolation increased considerably the risk of infection. Living in Buenos Aires City, individual transpor tation and working in high-risk areas reduced it. Given the high frequency of close contact in the workplace, we strongly recommend the reinforcement of prevention measures in rest areas and non-COVID-wards.

Infecciones postneuroquiróºrgicas: Puesta al día y recomendaciones intersociedades / Post-neurosurgical infections. Update and intersociety recommendations

Las infecciones asociadas a procedimientos neuroquiró;ºrgicos son complicaciones graves que contribuyen a la morbimortalidad de los pacientes neurocríticos, así como tambín a la prolongació;n de la estancia en la UTI y/o en el hospital. El diagnó;stico es complejo ya que no se dispone de gold standard y se apoya en la sospecha clínica, las alteraciones físico-químicas del líquido cefalorraquídeo y el aislamiento microbiano. El tratamiento debe ser precoz y guiado por la epidemiología local. La duració;n dependerá del microorganismo causal, su sensibilidad y la disponibilidad de tratamientos antibió;ticos efectivos en el sitio de la infecció;n. La implementació;n de medidas de prevenció;n con evidencia demostrada minimiza el riesgo de infecció;n. Esta puesta al día intersociedades SADI-SATI presenta datos epidemioló;gicos (internacionales y locales), mó;©todos diagnó;sticos, tratamiento, y pautas de prevenció;n, considerando las publicaciones más relevantes de los ó;ºltimos aó;±os sobre el tema.

Infections associated with neurosurgical procedures are serious complications that contribute to the morbidity and mortality of neurocritical patients, as well as to the prolongation of the stay in the ICU and the hospital. The diagnosis is complex since there is no gold standard, so it is based on clinical suspicion, CSF physical-chemical examination, and microbial isolation. Treatment should be initiated early, guided by local epidemiology. The duration will depend on the causative microorganism, its sensitivity and the availability of antibiotic treatments that are effective at the site of infection. The implementation of preventive measures with proven efficacy minimizes the risk of infection. This SADI-SATI intersociety update reviews relevant data recently published on this area at the national at international level regarding epidemiology, diagnostic methodologies, therapeutic approaches, and prevention guidelines.

Clinical and cerebrospinal fluid findings contribute to the early differentiation between infectious and noninfectious encephalitis

Early recognition and prompt specific treatment are crucial factors influencing the outcome of patients with acute encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine the main causes of acute encephalitis in our population and to find predictors that may lead to specific diagnosis. Adult patients admitted to our hospital with suspected diagnosis of encephalitis in the period 2006-2013 were included. One hundred and five medical records were analyzed. Eighty-two patients with infectious encephalitis were identified (78% of total cases), 53 (65%) men and 29 (35%) women, mean age 47.8 years. The most common microorganisms identified were: HSV-1 (11%), VZV (10%), HSV-2 (5%) and EBV (5%). Twenty-three patients (22% of the series) had non-infectious encephalitis. Headache (p < 0.0001) and fever (p = 0.008) were more frequent in encephalitis of infectious origin. Protein levels and white blood cell counts in the cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in patients affected by infectious encephalitis than in those affected by noninfectious encephalitis (OR 95% CI 12.3 [2.9-51.7] and OR 95% CI 7.4 [2-27], respectively). Identifying specific causal agents of acute encephalitis remains a major challenge. Cerebrospinal fluid markers, as well as specific clinical findings, may however contribute to initial differentiation between infectious and noninfectious causes.

El reconocimiento temprano y la instauración del tratamiento adecuado son dos elementos de gran relevancia en el pronóstico de las encefalitis agudas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar las principales causas de encefalitis aguda en nuestro medio, así como buscar predictores que permitan orientar a un diagnóstico determinado. Se revisaron de manera retrospectiva las historias clínicas de todos los pacientes adultos que consultaron en nuestro centro entre 2006 y 2013 con el diagnóstico presuntivo de encefalitis. Ciento cinco pacientes fueron finalmente incluidos en nuestro estudio. Se identificaron 82 pacientes con encefalitis de origen infeccioso (78%), 53 (65%) fueron hombres y 29 (35%) mujeres, con una edad promedio de 47.8 años. Los agentes infecciosos más frecuentes fueron virus: HSV-1 12 (11%), VZV 11 (10%), HSV-2 5 (5%) y EBV 5 (5%). Se diagnosticó encefalitis no infecciosa en 23 (22%) pacientes. La cefalea (p < 0.0001) y la fiebre (p = 0.008) fueron más frecuentes en las encefalitis de origen infeccioso. Además, los niveles de proteínas y células en el LCR fueron significativamente mayores en los casos de etiología infecciosa que en los de etiología no infecciosa (OR 12.3 95%CI [2.9-51.7] y OR 7.4 95%CI [2-27], respectivamente). La identificación de la etiología específica de las encefalitis agudas continúa siendo un gran desafío y en la mayoría de los casos no se identifica el agente causal. Determinados marcadores en el LCR pueden contribuir a la identificación inicial de las encefalitis de etiología infecciosa versus no infecciosa.

Indications of a new antibiotic in clinical practice: results of the tigecycline initial use registry

Tigecycline is the first of a new class of antibiotics named glycylcyclines and it was approved for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated skin and skin structure infections. Notwithstanding this, tigecycline's pharmacological and microbiological profile which includes multidrug-resistant pathogens encourages physicians' use of the drug in other infections. We analyzed, during the first months after its launch, the tigecycline prescriptions for 113 patients in 12 institutions. Twenty-five patients (22 percent) received tigecycline for approved indications, and 88 (78 percent) for "off label" indications (56 percent with scientific support and 22 percent with limited or without any scientific support). The most frequent "off label" use was ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (63 patients). The etiology of infections was established in 105 patients (93 percent). MDR-Acinetobacter spp. was the microorganism most frequently isolated (50 percent of the cases). Overall, attending physicians reported clinical success in 86 of the 113 patients (76 percent). Our study shows that the "off label" use of tigecycline is frequent, especially in VAP. due to MDR-Acinetobacter spp., where the therapeutic options are limited (eg: colistin). Physicians must evaluate the benefits/risks of using this antibiotic for indications that lack rigorous scientific support.