[Human resources in the National Health System. Medical education. SESPAS Report 2024]. / Recursos humanos del Sistema Nacional de Salud. Formación. Informe SESPAS 2024.

The problems posed by medical education in Spain are diverse. This paper analyzes the system currently used to select candidates who will be admitted to a public faculty of medicine in Spain and some issues arising from the unprecedented increase in both public and private medical schools in our country. The importance of generic competencies in today's medicine and the need to return to a core design in specialist training are other aspects that are discussed. The degree of development of advanced accreditation diplomas and areas of specific competence is also subject to analysis. Finally, the authors emphasize the importance of continuous professional development and the idea of professional recertification as a system that guarantees patients the quality of the care they receive.

Real-Life Effectiveness of Mepolizumab in Refractory Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mepolizumab in patients affected by chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in real-life. A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted on severe CRSwNP patients treated with mepolizumab. Nasal endoscopic polyp score (NPS), visual analogue scale (VAS) symptom score, sinonasal outcome test (SNOT-22), asthma control test (ACT) score, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), eosinophils blood cells and prednisone intake were assessed at baseline and after 6 months. A total of 55 patients were included; 49 patients (89%) presented with asthma; aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) in 28 patients (51%). A statistically significant decrease in the SNOT-22 score was observed (median difference -63; 95% CI: -68; -58; p < 0.001) with median t0 76 and IQR (61;90) to t6 10 (5;15). A reduction in NPS, median t0 NPS 4; (IQR:4;6), median t6 NPS 1; (IQR:0;1) p < 0.001, was greater in patients with AERD. The median baseline VAS score was 6 (IQR:6;7) and the differences between t0 and t6 were statistically significant p < 0.001. Significant changes in blood eosinophils cells, median t0 500 cell/mcl (IQR:340;830), median t6 97 cell/mcl (IQR:60;160) p < 0.001, were greater in patients with AERD. Mepolizumab treatment effects have been demonstrated with significantly reduced symptoms, polyp scores, blood eosinophils and systemic corticosteroid use, resulting in an increased health-related quality of life in patients with severe CRSwNP, regardless of the presence or absence of asthma or AERD.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency hidden in allegedly normal variants.

INTRODUCTION: Rare variants of Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) have been described by the Spanish registry of patients with AATD. The great majority of these rare variants are Mmalton alleles and many recent case series of them have been identified in the Canary Islands. The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of Mmalton mutations in a Canarian population previously studied for the most common deficient alleles, namely PI*S (S) and PI*Z (Z), with PI*M (M) being the normal variant. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 648 patients with allergic asthma was carried out. Mmalton mutation of the SERPINA1 gene was assayed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Of the 648 patients, 3 (0.46%) were carriers of a Mmalton allele. All of them had low levels of AAT (53.9 mg/dL, 90 mg/dL, and 61 mg/dL, respectively) and were asymptomatic, showing normal lung function, radiological images, and levels of hepatic transaminases. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, although the most frequent AATD genotypes are Z and S alleles, it is important to consider other rare variants, particularly when low AAT serum levels are observed. Although individuals with the Mmalton mutation usually have a heterogenous clinical presentation and very low levels of AAT, all the patients in this study were asymptomatic.

REal worlD Effectiveness and Safety of Mepolizumab in a Multicentric Spanish Cohort of Asthma Patients Stratified by Eosinophils: The REDES Study.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of mepolizumab is well documented in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), although the stringent selection criteria adopted by SEA clinical trials limits the generalizability of results. OBJECTIVE: Our study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab in patients with SEA in Spain. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change in the rate of clinically significant asthma exacerbations 12 months after starting mepolizumab compared to the baseline rate in the 12 months prior to treatment. Patients were stratified by baseline blood eosinophil counts. METHODS: We conducted a multicentric observational cohort study of SEA patients treated with mepolizumab across 24 specialized hospital asthma units in Spain. Severe exacerbation rate, lung function, oral corticosteroid use (OCS) and asthma control test (ACT) were retrospectively collected and compared during the 12-month pre- and post-mepolizumab treatment. Adverse events were also investigated. RESULTS: A total of 318 patients with SEA were included (mean age: 56.6 years, 69.2% female). Exacerbation rates decreased by 77.5%, and 50.6% of patients did not suffer any exacerbations during the 12 months of treatment. The difference in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) pre- and post-bronchodilator after starting mepolizumab was 0.21 (0.46) L (95% CI 0.14-0.27) (p < 0.001). Exacerbations and lung function significantly improved across all eosinophil subgroups. Among the 98 patients on OCS, 47.8% were able to discontinue this treatment and the mean daily dose was decreased by 59.9%. The baseline ACT score was 14.1, increasing by a mean (SD) of 6.7 points (1.9) at 12 months. Adverse events related to mepolizumab were uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: This real-world study of SEA patients confirms that mepolizumab is effective in reducing clinically meaningful exacerbations, improving lung function, and decreasing OCS dependence and mean OCS dose at 12 months, irrespective of baseline eosinophil counts.

Razonamiento clínico / Clinical reasoning

Todas las actuaciones médicas tienen una curva de aprendizaje, pero el razonamiento clínico se mantiene como un elemento clave en cualquiera de ellas. Los médicos experimentados manejan una gran cantidad de información en cualquier proceso clínico. Para conseguir la máxima eficiencia en la utilización de esta información, los clínicos emplean una serie de estrategias que les permiten combinar datos y sintetizarlos en un número reducido de hipótesis diagnósticas, evaluar los riesgos y los beneficios de realizar nuevos procedimientos diagnósticos y aplicar determinados tratamientos, y formular planes en el manejo del paciente. Uno de los objetivos principales de cualquier docente médico es promover el desarrollo de una forma de razonar experta en sus estudiantes. Sin embargo, enseñar estas habilidades cognitivas no es tarea sencilla porque no existe una teoría completa y ampliamente aceptada acerca de los procesos de razonamiento clínico, e incluso los médicos más experimentados a menudo no son conscientes de los métodos de razonamiento que utilizan para alcanzar un diagnóstico. Desde hace más de cuarenta años se ha investigado en este campo. En este artículo se revisan las bases científicas y las teorías propuestas a lo largo de este período acerca del modo de razonar de los clínicos. También se analiza la evolución de las estructuras del conocimiento y se examinan algunos errores frecuentes en razonamiento diagnóstico. Por último, se proponen algunas recomendaciones prácticas específicas para ayudar a los principiantes a fortalecer sus habilidades de razonamiento diagnóstico (AU)

There is a learning curve in almost everything doctors do, but judgment remains a key determinant of the value of any clinical intervention. Expert physicians manage huge amounts of information to ensure the quality of patient care by using a set of efficient reasoning strategies. These strategies allow them to combine and synthesize data into a few diagnostic hypotheses, assess benefits and risks of additional diagnostic procedures and treatments, and articulate plans for patient management. A major goal of the medical educators is to foster the development of expert clinical reasoning in apprentices. However, teaching these cognitive skills is a difficult task because there is no generally accepted inclusive theory of the clinical reasoning process and even the most seasoned clinicians are often unaware of the reasoning methods that lead them to achieve accurate diagnoses. Research in this field has been carried out for over 40 years. In this paper we review the scientific background and theories proposed throughout this time about how clinicians reason. We also analyze the evolution of knowledge structures and examine some common errors in diagnostic reasoning. Finally, we provide several practical and specific recommendations to help learners strengthen their diagnostic reasoning skills (AU)

Historia y realidad de los hospitales universitarios españoles / History and reality of the Spanish University hospitals

Existen muchos entornos asistenciales que pueden y deben participar activamente en la enseñanza práctica de la medicina, pero no se puede concebir una facultad de medicina sin un hospital docente con las características básicas que se describen en este documento. El sistema de comisiones mixtas se ha mostrado ineficaz y su funcionamiento es deficiente en la mayoría de las universidades. Desde hace años, la Conferencia de Decanos de Facultades de Medicina de España viene demandando la reforma del Real Decreto 1558/86 y el establecimiento de estándares claros en relación con el tipo de profesorado, los espacios físicos, la infraestructura y los recursos materiales necesarios para ejercer las labores docentes e investigadoras en los hospitales universitarios. También se requiere fijar unos criterios de calidad mínimos y el sistema que permita cuantificarlos. En definitiva, una evaluación por objetivos con auditorías rigurosas que conduzcan a la renovación o la revocación de la condición de "universitario" para todo hospital que opte al nivel de excelencia que esta denominación implica. En este artículo se proponen, con una óptica realista y pragmática, algunos de los criterios que deberían contemplarse

There are many clinical environments that might and should be used in the practical training of medical students, but it is inconceivable that a Medical School could exist without a teaching hospital with the basic features described in this document. The joint committee's system has proven to be inefficient in most universities. For years now, the RD 1558/86 reform has been an important item on the National Conference of Deans of the Spanish Medical Schools (CND) agenda. The CND has also been asking for clear policies and standards concerning clinical teachers, physical spaces, infrastructure, equipment and material resources which are necessary to carry out teaching and research activities at university hospitals. A set of minimum quality criteria and a system which makes it possible to check them is also required. In the end, a targeted evaluation and stringent audits that could imply the renewal or revocation of the "universitary" qualification of a hospital is mandatory. In this article, we propose some of the criteria that should be considered with a realistic and pragmatic view

Diferentes tipos de respuesta inflamatoria en el asma / Different types of inflammatory response in asthma

El asma es una enfermedad compleja en la que participan numerosas células inflamatorias y más de 100 mediadores con múltiples efectos. El infiltrado inflamatorio en el asma es multicelular y está formado por eosinófilos, neutrófilos, linfocitos y células mononucleares en proporción variable. Estas células y los mediadores que se liberan son responsables de la respuesta inmediata y tardía del asma. Los mastocitos desempeñan un papel primordial en los síntomas inmediatos del asma mientras que los eosinófilos, los macrófagos, los neutrófilos y los linfocitos Th2 intervienen preferentemente en la inflamación crónica. Se han descrito distintos fenotipos inflamatorios en el asma, definidos de acuerdo con el tipo celular predominante. Por otro lado, se sabe que determinadas células estructurales de la vía aérea, tales como las células epiteliales y del músculo liso bronquial, participan en la producción de mediadores inflamatorios y en el desarrollo del remodelado de la vía aérea (AU)

Asthma is a complex disease in which numerous inflammatory cells and more than 100 mediators participate with multiple effects. The inflammatory infiltrate in asthma is multicellular and consists of eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and mononuclear cells in variable proportions. These cells and the mediators released are the cause of immediate and delayed response in asthma. Mastocytes play a major role in the immediate symptoms of asthma while eosinophils, macrophages, neutrophils and Th2 lymphocytes mainly intervene in chronic inflammation. Distinct inflammatory phenotypes have been described in asthma, defined on the basis of the predominating cell type. In addition, specific cellular structures in the airway, such as epithelial cells and bronchial smooth muscle, participate in the production of inflammatory mediators and in the development of airway remodeling (AU)