Efficacy of an extensively hydrolyzed formula with the addition of synbiotics in infants with cow's milk protein allergy: a real-world evidence study.

Introduction: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is the most frequent food allergy in early childhood. For those infants requiring breastmilk substitutes, formulas with extensively hydrolyzed proteins (EHF), should be the treatment of choice. As there are limited data showing the progression of initial symptoms in infants newly diagnosed with CMPA who are treated with EHF with added synbiotics, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the resolution of symptoms in said infants after 4 weeks of treatment. As a secondary objective this study aimed to assess the impact of the treatment on the family's quality of life. Materials and Methods: observational, longitudinal, prospective, and multicentric real-world evidence study. The intervention phase (EHF with synbiotics) lasted 28 days and was completed by 65 patients. Treating physicians registered child´s anthropometry, Infant Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaire (IGSQ-13) and CoMiSS (Cow´s Milk Allergy Symptoms Score) both at baseline and after 28 days of treatment. During treatment, caregivers reported child´s regurgitation and stools, PO-SCORAD (Patient Oriented Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis) and FAQL-PB (Family Quality of Life-Parental Burden). Data were collected using Google Forms and analyzed through the STATA program. Results: 95.4% of the patients showed an improvement or disappearance of the overall initial symptoms after 4 weeks of treatment. Gastrointestinal symptoms improved or disappeared in 92% of patients (p < 0.05) while dermatological symptoms improved or disappeared in 87.5% of patients (p < 0.05). The median CoMiSS at baseline was 9, with 21 patients exceeding the cut-off point of 12. After 4 weeks of treatment, the median dropped to 3, and no patient exceeded the 12-cut-off point (p = 0.000). At baseline, patients had a PO-SCORAD of 11.5 (interquartile range 1-23) that went to 1.0 (interquartile range 1-6) at day 28 (p = 0.000). The treatment diminished stool frequency (p < 0.05), improved stool consistency (p = 0.004) and decreased the frequency of regurgitation in infants with CMPA (p = 0.01). The percentage of patients who no longer had any episode of regurgitation increased from 11% to 31% on day 28 (p = 0.003). At baseline, 13% of patients cried more than 3 h per day, while at day 28 that percentage dropped to 3% (p = 0.03). An improvement in the infants' sleep pattern was also appreciated with the treatment. At study onset, 56% of the families reported feeling very overwhelmed, a percentage that dropped to 17% after 28 days of treatment (p < 0.05). The small percentage of families who did not feel overwhelmed at study onset (17%), grew to 43% on day 28 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of an EHF with synbiotics for the management of infants diagnosed with or suspected to have CMPA suggested a good safety profile, an adequate infant growth, and improvement of overall, gastrointestinal, and dermatological symptoms. It also suggested a lower daily frequency of regurgitations and stools, and an improvement in stool consistency, sleeping pattern, and quality of life of the infant and his family.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Cell Versus Egg-Based Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in Children and Adults in Argentina.

Background: Quadrivalent cell-based influenza vaccines (QIVc) avoid egg-adaptive mutations and can be more effective than traditional quadrivalent egg-based influenza vaccines (QIVe). This analysis compared the cost-effectiveness of QIVc and QIVe in Argentinian populations < 65 years old from the payer and societal perspectives. Methods: A static decision tree model compared the costs and health benefits of vaccination with QIVc vs. QIVe using a one-year time horizon. The relative vaccine effectiveness of QIVc vs. QIVe was assumed to be 8.1% for children and 11.4% for adults. An alternative high egg-adaptation scenario was also assessed. Model inputs were sourced from Argentina or the international literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Compared to QIVe, QIVc would prevent 17,857 general practitioner visits, 2418 complications, 816 hospitalizations, and 12 deaths per year. From the payers' perspective, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per quality-adjusted life years gained was USD12,214 in the base case and USD2311 in the high egg-adaptation scenario. QIVc was cost-saving from the societal perspective in both scenarios. Conclusions: QIVc in Argentina would be cost-effective relative to QIVe. The potential health benefits and savings would be even higher in high egg-adaptation seasons.

Trends in Varicella Burden of Disease Following Introduction of Routine Childhood Varicella Vaccination in Argentina: A 12-Year Time Series Analysis.

One-dose universal varicella vaccination (UVV) was introduced in the Argentinian National Immunization Program in July 2015. This study examined the impact of one-dose UVV on varicella incidence and mortality in Argentina. Incidence and mortality data were obtained from official databases for pre-UVV (January 2008-June 2015) and post-UVV (July 2015-December 2019) periods. Time series analyses with autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling predicted varicella incidence and mortality in absence of UVV in the target (aged 1-4 years) and overall population. Predicted and observed values post-UVV were compared to estimate UVV impact. Mean annual incidence rates per 100,000 reduced from 1999 (pre-UVV) to 1122 (post-UVV) in the target population and from 178 to 154 in the overall population. Significant declines in incidence were observed, reaching reductions of 83.9% (95% prediction interval [PI]: 58.9, 90.0) and 69.1% (95% PI: 23.6, 80.7) in the target and overall populations, respectively, during peak months (September-November) post-UVV. Decreasing trends in mortality rate from 0.4 to 0.2 per 1,000,000 population were observed. Over the last four years, one-dose UVV has significantly reduced varicella burden of disease in Argentina. Continuous efforts to improve vaccination coverage rates and long-term follow-up are needed to better understand the benefits of the UVV program.

Cost-Effectiveness of Pneumococcal Vaccines for Adults Aged 65 Years and Older in Argentina.

OBJECTIVES: In 2017, the Argentine Ministry of Health incorporated a sequential 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13)-23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) regimen for adults aged ≥65 years to reduce pneumococcal disease burden. Cost-effectiveness analysis of PCV13-PPSV23 schedule for adults aged ≥65 years in Argentina was performed compared with PPSV23 only. METHODS: Markov model was developed. Local data were incorporated for costs and disease burden analysis. Vaccine efficacy or effectiveness was obtained from a systematic review adjusted to current local vaccine serotype circulation and vaccines coverage. A total of 3 scenarios were evaluated: main scenario according to published literature of pneumonia incidence, epidemiologic surveillance scenario based on Argentine Ministry of Health data, and an alternative scenario assuming a 50% hypothetical pneumonia incidence reduction resulting from herd immunity induced by childhood vaccination. Sensitivity analyses were done. RESULTS: Sequential PCV13-PPSV23 schedule showed cost-savings results in the main scenario with -$1 667 742.23 saved and 716 life-years gained (LYG). The epidemiologic surveillance scenario showed an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $2141.92 per LYG and an alternative scenario with $3740.30 per LYG. Tornado diagram shows widest bars related to adjustment for vaccine-type pneumococcal pneumonia (urine analysis) pneumonia at risk cost and pneumonia incidence rate. Monte Carlo simulation shows that >98% of simulations were cost-saving for the main scenario. CONCLUSIONS: In the main scenario, cost-saving results were obtained considering only reduction of vaccine serotype coverage after the introduction of childhood PCV13 vaccination. In the epidemiologic surveillance and alternative scenarios, assuming a hypothetical incidence reduction, highly cost-effective results were observed.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Switching from Trivalent to Quadrivalent Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in Argentina.

The burden of seasonal influenza disease in Argentina is considerable. The cost-effectiveness of trivalent (TIV) versus quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) in Argentina was assessed. An age-stratified, static, decision-tree model compared the costs and benefits of vaccination for an average influenza season. Main outcomes included: numbers of influenza cases; general practitioner (GP) visits; complicated ambulatory cases; hospitalizations; deaths averted; and costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. Epidemiological data from Argentina for 2014-2019 were used to determine the proportion of A and B strain cases, and the frequency of mismatch between vaccine and circulating B strains. To manage uncertainty, one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Switching from TIV to QIV would prevent 19,128 influenza cases, 16,164 GP visits, 2440 complicated ambulatory cases, 524 hospitalizations, and 82 deaths. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per QALY were 13,590 and 11,678 USD from the payer's and societal perspectives, respectively. The greatest health benefits and direct medical cost savings would occur in ≥ 65-year-olds. One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated the principal drivers of ICER to be vaccine acquisition costs, environmental B strain predominance, and B strain mismatch. Introducing QIV in Argentina would be beneficial and cost-effective relative to TIV, particularly in older adults.

What is the best time to assess the antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) profile to better predict the obstetric outcome in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients?

Serological risk factors are the most important determinant in predicting unsuccessful pregnancy in obstetric antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome (OAPS) despite conventional treatment. It is not clear if changes in the profile of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) during pregnancy modify the risk associated with a poor response to conventional treatment. The aim of our study was to compare the value of a serological tag for aPL obtained before and during the first trimester of pregnancy to predict the response to conventional treatment. We carefully selected 97 pregnancies in women who were included in our study only if they were diagnosed with OAPS prior to a new pregnancy (basal serological risk), retested for aPL during the first trimester of pregnancy (serological risk during pregnancy), and treated with conventional therapy. High baseline serological risk was associated with pregnancy failure in 62.1% of cases (18/29) and predicted 82.5% of pregnancy outcomes with conventional treatment: OR = 16.9, CI = 5.5-52.1, p < 0.001. High serological risk during pregnancy was associated with pregnancy failure in 86.3% of cases (19/22) and predicted 91.8% of pregnancy outcomes with conventional treatment: OR = 88.7, CI = 19.4-404.8, p < 0.001. According to these results, we found that risk categorization performed during pregnancy was better in predicting pregnancy outcome (82.5 vs. 91.8%). Moreover, risk categorization during pregnancy had an increased specificity regarding the prediction: 84.9% at baseline and 95.9% during pregnancy (p = 0.024). Our findings suggest that it is important to perform aPL during the first trimester of pregnancy since that is the best time to establish the serological risk factors.

Costos de hospitalización por diarrea en niños durante el período de circulación de rotavirus en el Noroeste Argentino / Hospitalization costs associated with diarrhea among children during the period of rotavirus circulation in the Northwest region of Argentina

Objetivo. Evaluar los costos médicos directos, gastos de bolsillo y costos indirectos en casos de diarrea aguda hospitalizada en <5 años, en el Hospital de Niños Héctor Quintana de la provincia de Jujuy, durante el período de circulación de rotavirus en la región Noroeste de Argentina. Métodos. Estudio de corte trasversal de costos de enfermedad. Fueron incluidos todos los niños hospitalizados <5 años con diagnóstico de diarrea aguda y deshidratación durante el período de circulación de rotavirus, entre el 1/5/2013 y el 31/10/2013. La evaluación de costos médicos directos se realizó mediante la revisión de historias clínicas, y los gastos de bolsillo y costos indirectos, mediante una encuesta. Para el intervalo de confianza del 95% del costo promedio por paciente, se realizó un análisis probabilístico de 10 000 simulaciones por remuestreo (boostraping). Resultados. Fueron enrolados 105 casos. La edad promedio fue de 18 meses (desvío estándar 12); 62 (59%) fueron varones. El costo médico directo, gasto de bolsillo y pérdida de dinero por lucro cesante promedio por caso fue de AR$ 3413, 6 (2856, 35-3970, 93) (USD 577, 59), AR$ 134, 92 (85, 95-213, 57) (USD 22, 82) y de AR$ 301 (223, 28380, 02) (USD 50, 93), respectivamente. El total del costo por evento hospitalizado fue de AR$ 3849, 52 (3298-4402, 25) (USD 651, 35). Conclusiones. El valor de costo total por evento hospitalizado se encuentra dentro de lo esperado para Latinoamérica. La distribución de costos presenta una proporción importante de costos médicos directos en relación con los gastos de bolsillo (3, 5%) y costos indirectos (7, 8%).

Objective. To assess direct medical costs, out-of-pocket expenses, and indirect costs in cases of hospitalizations for acute diarrhea among children <5 years of age at Hospital de Niños "Héctor Quintana" in the province of Jujuy during the period of rotavirus circulation in the Northwest region of Argentina. Methods. Cross-sectional study on disease-related costs. All children <5 years of age, hospitalized with the diagnosis of acute diarrhea and dehydration during the period of rotavirus circulation between May 1st and October 31st of 2013, were included. The assessment of direct medical costs was done by reviewing medical records whereas out-of-pocket expenses and indirect costs were determined using a survey. For the 95% confidence interval of the average cost per patient, a probabilistic bootstrapping analysis of 10 000 simulations by resampling was done. Results. One hundred and five patients were enrolled. Their average age was 18 months (standard deviation: 12); 62 (59%) were boys. The average direct medical cost, out-of-pocket expense, and lost income per case was ARS 3413.6 (2856.35-3970.93) (USD 577.59), ARS 134.92 (85.95-213.57) (USD 22.82), and ARS 301 (223.28380.02) (USD 50.93), respectively. The total cost per hospitalization event was ARS 3849.52 (32984402.25) (USD 651.35). Conclusions. The total cost per hospitalization event was within what is expected for Latin America. Costs are broken down into direct medical costs (significant share), compared to out-of-pocket expenses (3.5%) and indirect costs (7.8%).

Hospitalization costs associated with diarrhea among children during the period of rotavirus circulation in the Northwest region of Argentina. / Costos de hospitalización por diarrea en niños durante el período de circulación de rotavirus en el Noroeste Argentino.

OBJETIVE: To assess direct medical costs, outof-pocket expenses, and indirect costs in cases of hospitalizations for acute diarrhea among children <5 years of age at Hospital de Niños "Héctor Quintana" in the province of Jujuy during the period of rotavirus circulation in the Northwest region of Argentina. METHODS: Cross-sectional study on diseaserelated costs. All children <5 years of age, hospitalized with the diagnosis of acute diarrhea and dehydration during the period of rotavirus circulation between May 1st and October 31st of 2013, were included. The assessment of direct medical costs was done by reviewing medical records whereas out-of-pocket expenses and indirect costs were determined using a survey. For the 95% confidence interval of the average cost per patient, a probabilistic bootstrapping analysis of 10 000 simulations by resampling was done. RESULTS: One hundred and five patients were enrolled. Their average age was 18 months (standard deviation: 12); 62 (59%) were boys. The average direct medical cost, out-of-pocket expense, and lost income per case was ARS 3413.6 (2856.35-3970.93) (USD 577.59), ARS 134.92 (85.95-213.57) (USD 22.82), and ARS 301 (223.28-380.02) (USD 50.93), respectively. The total cost per hospitalization event was ARS 3849.52 (3298-4402.25) (USD 651.35). CONCLUSIONS: The total cost per hospitalization event was within what is expected for Latin America. Costs are broken down into direct medical costs (significant share), compared to out-of-pocket expenses (3.5%) and indirect costs (7.8%).

OBJETIVO: Evaluar los costos médicos directos, gastos de bolsillo y costos indirectos en casos de diarrea aguda hospitalizada en <5 años, en el Hospital de Niños Héctor Quintana de la provincia de Jujuy, durante el período de circulación de rotavirus en la región Noroeste de Argentina. MÉTODOS: Estudio de corte trasversal de costos de enfermedad. Fueron incluidos todos los niños hospitalizados <5 años con diagnóstico de diarrea aguda y deshidratación durante el período de circulación de rotavirus, entre el 1/5/2013 y el 31/10/2013. La evaluación de costos médicos directos se realizó mediante la revisión de historias clínicas, y los gastos de bolsillo y costos indirectos, mediante una encuesta. Para el intervalo de confianza del 95% del costo promedio por paciente, se realizó un análisis probabilístico de 10 000 simulaciones por remuestreo (boostraping). RESULTADOS: Fueron enrolados 105 casos. La edad promedio fue de 18 meses (desvío estándar 12); 62 (59%) fueron varones. El costo médico directo, gasto de bolsillo y pérdida de dinero por lucro cesante promedio por caso fue de AR$ 3413,6 (2856,35-3970,93) (USD 577,59), AR$ 134,92 (85,95-213,57) (USD 22,82) y de AR$ 301 (223,28-380,02) (USD 50,93), respectivamente. El total del costo por evento hospitalizado fue de AR$ 3849,52 (3298-4402,25) (USD 651,35). CONCLUSIONES: El valor de costo total por evento hospitalizado se encuentra dentro de lo esperado para Latinoamérica. La distribución de costos presenta una proporción importante de costos médicos directos en relación con los gastos de bolsillo (3,5%) y costos indirectos (7,8%).

Variabilidad de Receptores Hormonales y her2 post neoadyuvancia en cáncer de mama / Variability in Hormone Receptor and HER2 status after neoadjuvant chemotheraphy in breast cancer

La quimioterapia neoadyuvante es un pilar fundamental en el tratamiento del cáncer de mama localmente avanzado, y la medida en que modifica la expresión de los receptores hormonales y her2 es motivo de controversia. esta variabilidad tiene importantes consecuencias pronósticas y terapéuticas. Objetivo: Evaluar la variabilidad de los Receptores Hormonales y del her2/neu pre y post neoadyuvancia en pacientes tratadas en el Hospital General de Agudos Carlos G. Durand. Material y método: Estudio retrospectivo de las historias clínicas de las pacientes sometidas a quimioterapia neoadyuvante entre septiembre de 2010 y septiembre de 2014. Se obtuvieron datos de 32 pacientes (34 tumores, 2 de las pacientes presentaron cáncer de mama bilateral). Se evaluaron Receptores Hormonales y her2 en la punción biopsia Core y en la pieza quirúrgica, y se analizó su concordancia. Resultados: La concordancia observada entre la biopsia pre neoadyuvancia y el tumor residual fue para re del 14,8% (k=0,60), para rp del 25,9% (k=0,33), para rh tomados en conjunto del 18,5% (k=0,35) y para her2 del 7,4% (k=0,70). Conclusiones: En nuestra serie encontramos una concordancia buena para her2, moderada para re y débil para rp y rh entre las muestras pre y post neoadyuvancia. La variabilidad encontrada justifica el retesteo de los biomarcadores en la pieza quirúrgica...

[Model for a comprehensive approach to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity]. / Modelo para abordar integralmente la mortalidad materna y la morbilidad materna grave.

Maternal mortality is an important public health and human rights problem and reflects the effects of social determinants on women's health. Understanding the extent and causes of maternal death has been insufficient to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This article proposes a model for a comprehensive approach to maternal mortality, covering seven areas: prioritization and definition of the problem, contextual description, methodological scope, knowledge management, innovation, implementation, and a monitoring and evaluation system. This model helps address problems associated with maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity through early monitoring of potentially fatal complications in the reproductive process. Knowledge management is important for the reorientation of policies, programs, and health care. Interaction and synergies among people, communities, and actors in the health system should be strengthened in order to improve the results of health programs. More validated scientific information is needed on how actions should be implemented in different environments. It is essential to strengthen communication among research centers, cooperation agencies, and government organizations and to include them in programs and in the definition of a new women's health agenda in the Region of the Americas.

Estimation of the cost-effectiveness of apixaban versus vitamin K antagonists in the management of atrial fibrillation in Argentina.

Apixaban, a novel oral anticoagulant which has been approved for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, reduces both ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke and produces fewer bleedings than vitamin K antagonist warfarin. These clinical results lead to a decrease in health care resource utilization and, therefore, have a positive impact on health economics of atrial fibrillation. The cost-effectiveness of apixaban has been assessed in a variety of clinical settings and countries. However, data from emergent markets, as is the case of Argentina, are still scarce.We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of apixaban versus warfarin in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in patients suitable for oral anticoagulation in Argentina. A Markov-based model including both costs and effects were used to simulate a cohort of patients with NVAF. Local epidemiological, resource utilization and cost data were used and all inputs were validated by a Delphi Panel of local experts. We adopted the payer's perspective with costs expressed in 2012 US Dollars.The study revealed that apixaban is cost-effective compared with warfarin using a willingness to pay threshold ranging from 1 to 3 per capita Gross Domestic Product (11558 - 34664 USD) with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 786.08 USD per QALY gained. The benefit is primarily a result of the reduction in stroke and bleeding events.The study demonstrates that apixaban is a cost-effective alternative to warfarin in Argentina.

Bases para establecer un sistema de vigilancia activa y respuesta rápida para el manejo de la morbilidad materna severa / Basis for establishing a system of active surveillance and rapid response for the management of severe maternal morbidity

INTRODUCCIÓN: la razón de mortalidad materna (RMM) se ha utilizado como indicador de salud sin considerar los eventos precedentes. La morbilidad materna severa (MMS) incluye a mujeres con morbilidad asociada a un embarazo, que amenaza sus vidas pero que finalmente permite la sobrevida. OBJETIVOS: Investigar la situación de la mortalidad materna (MM) y la MMS en Misiones, Jujuy y LaRioja. Establecer bases para un sistema de vigilancia y manejo de casos.MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio multicéntrico de prevalencia con uncomponente de implementación. Mujeres embarazadas, tratadas enel subsector público entre el 1 de octubre de 2013 y el 31 de marzode 2014, fueron tamizadas para detectar condiciones potencialmentefatales (CPF) y notificar MMS y MM. RESULTADOS: Se analizaron 9.921nacimientos. Ingresaron 294 mujeres, y hubo 219 (74,5%) casos de CPF, 67 (22,8%) de MMS y 8 (2,7%) de MM. Criterios de identificación por tamizaje: clínicos 78,1% de CPF, basados en enfermedad 94% de MMS, y 100% de MM presentó algún criterio clínico. Las principales causas de MMS fueron hipertensión (35,8%), hemorragias (29,9%) y complicaciones de abortos (13,4%). La incidencia global deCPF fue 2,21%, la de MMS 0,68% y la de MM 0,08%. El índice demorbimortalidad global fue de 8,4 (4,0-7,4), la tasa de letalidad globalfue del 10,7%, y el uso global de intervenciones beneficiosas para elmanejo de MMS fue del 54,8%. CONCLUSIONES: El estudio permitióconocer la MM y la MMS en las tres provincias y sentar las bases paraimplementar un sistema de vigilancia activa y respuesta rápida para elmanejo de la MMS, consistente con el Plan Operativo Nacional.

INTRODUCTION: maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has been used as an indicator of maternal health regardless of the previous events. Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) refers to women with life-threatening pregnancy-associated morbidity, who ultimately survive. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the status of maternal mortality (MM) and SMM in Misiones, Jujuy and La Rioja. To establish the basis for a system of surveillance and case management. METHODS: Amulticenter prevalence study was conducted, with an implementationcomponent. Pregnant women assisted from October 1, 2013 to March31, 2014 in the public sub-sector were screened for potentially fatalconditions (PFC) and SMM and MM notification. RESULTS: A total of 9921 births were analyzed. From 294 women participating in the study, there were 219 (74.5%) cases of PFC, 67 (22.8%) of SMM and 8 (2.7%) of MM. Clinical screening criteria identified 78.1% of cases of PFC, disease criteria identified SMM 94%, and 100% of MM showedsome clinical criterion. The main causes of SMM were hypertensivedisorders (35.8%), hemorrhagic disorders (29.9%) and abortioncomplications (13.4%). Global incidence of PFC was 2.21%, andfor SMM and MM was 0.68% and 0.08%, respectively. The overallmorbidity index was 8.4 (4.0-7.4), the overall mortality rate was 10.7%,and the overall use of beneficial interventions for the managementof SMM was 54.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The study yielded information on MM and SMM in the three provinces and laid the groundwork for implementing a system of active surveillance and rapid response to handle SMM consistently with the National Operational Plan.

Modelo para abordar integralmente la mortalidad materna y la morbilidad materna grave / Model for a comprehensive approach to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity

La mortalidad materna es un importante problema de salud pública y de derechos humanos y refleja los efectos de los determinantes sociales sobre la salud de las mujeres. El conocimiento de la magnitud y las causas de las muertes maternas ha sido insuficiente para intervenir efectivamente en el alcance de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio. Por ello, se plantea un modelo para abordar integralmente la mortalidad materna, con siete campos: priorización y definición del problema, caracterización contextual, amplitud metodológica, gestión del conocimiento, innovación, implementación, y un sistema de monitoreo y evaluación. Este modelo permite abordar los problemas asociados con la mortalidad materna y la morbilidad materna grave mediante la integración, desde una perspectiva anticipatoria, de las complicaciones potencialmente fatales asociadas con el proceso reproductivo y su vigilancia. Se destaca la importancia de la gestión del conocimiento para la reorientación de políticas, programas y la atención sanitaria. Se debe mejorar la interacción y explotar las sinergias entre las personas, las comunidades y los actores del sistema de salud para potenciar los resultados de los programas sanitarios. Se requiere más información científica validada sobre la forma en que las intervenciones deben aplicarse en diferentes entornos. Para ello, es esencial fortalecer la articulación entre los centros de investigación, las agencias de cooperación y los organismos del Estado y su incorporación a las acciones programáticas y a la definición de una nueva agenda de salud de la mujer para la Región de las Américas.

Maternal mortality is an important public health and human rights problem and reflects the effects of social determinants on women's health. Understanding the extent and causes of maternal death has been insufficient to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This article proposes a model for a comprehensive approach to maternal mortality, covering seven areas: prioritization and definition of the problem, contextual description, methodological scope, knowledge management, innovation, implementation, and a monitoring and evaluation system. This model helps address problems associated with maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity through early monitoring of potentially fatal complications in the reproductive process. Knowledge management is important for the reorientation of policies, programs, and health care. Interaction and synergies among people, communities, and actors in the health system should be strengthened in order to improve the results of health programs. More validated scientific information is needed on how actions should be implemented in different environments. It is essential to strengthen communication among research centers, cooperation agencies, and government organizations and to include them in programs and in the definition of a new women's health agenda in the Region of the Americas.

Primer informe nacional de relevamiento epidemiológico SIP-Gestión: desarrollo e implementación a escala nacional de un sistema de información en salud de la mujer y perinatal en Argentina

Presenta los antecedentes, justificación, marco de referencia y desarrollo del SIP-G (Sistema Informático Perinatal); difunde los resultados principales de la implementación y relevamiento epidemiológico del SIP-G a escala nacional; destaca la importancia de la cooperación técnica con OPS/OMS Argentina y CLAP-SMR; y, establece lineamientos sobre el seguimiento de la actual propuesta

Primer informe nacional de relevamiento epidemiológico SIP-Gestión: desarrollo e implementación a escala nacional de un sistema de información en salud de la mujer y perinatal en Argentina

Presenta los antecedentes, justificación, marco de referencia y desarrollo del SIP-G (Sistema Informático Perinatal); difunde los resultados principales de la implementación y relevamiento epidemiológico del SIP-G a escala nacional; destaca la importancia de la cooperación técnica con OPS/OMS Argentina y CLAP-SMR; y, establece lineamientos sobre el seguimiento de la actual propuesta

Public health and economic benefits of new pediatric influenza vaccination programs in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Argentina's population was heavily affected by the 2009 influenza pandemic, particularly children, in whom incidence of seasonal influenza is consistently high. Following the pandemic, Argentinean national recommendations for pediatric vaccination against A/H1N1 influenza were defined for all children aged up to five years, in line with programs implemented by national authorities elsewhere. Economic evaluations have found that vaccination programs for this population against seasonal influenza are cost-effective, if not cost-saving in many countries. Recently, Argentina decided to routinely vaccinate against influenza children aged 6-23 mo-old. But, the economic value of such strategies for the country has never been assessed. METHODS: A model was developed to assess the value of four different vaccination strategies: (1) no pediatric vaccination; (2) vaccination of 6-23 mo-old children; (3) vaccination of 6-36 mo-old children; (4) vaccination of 6 mo-5 y-old children. We first estimated community health benefits of vaccination then we evaluated the economic and quality-of-life impact of these strategies on the population. Data used in the model come from surveillance networks, published literature, national databases and retrospective hospital-based data. RESULTS: Pediatric influenza vaccination benefited not only children but also the overall community, due to decreased disease transmission. Our results showed that the recent decision by Argentina to vaccinate 6-23 mo-old children is cost-effective as would be the incremental vaccination of broader age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study are consistent with previous analyses in other countries confirming that implementing influenza pediatric vaccination programs can be highly cost-effective through individual- and community protection against the disease.

The pharmacoeconomics of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in Latin America.

Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be the most important causative agent of invasive bacterial infections in children and is the most common cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children less than 5 years of age. Due to some conditions in the Latin America region, economic assessments of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have unique characteristics. First, distribution of S. pneumoniae serotypes, and thus coverage by vaccines that incorporate certain serotypes, varies within the region and compared with other parts of the world. Second, the mortality rate of pneumococcal infections in developing countries is significantly higher than in the US and Europe. Third, the economies of the Latin American region are very different from those of developed countries. For these reasons, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is promoting the need for economic valuation studies of the impact of pneumococcal vaccines Latin America. Given the importance of pneumonia in the burden of pneumococcal disease in Latin America, the number of pneumonia cases prevented by the vaccine has a large impact on the economic valuation of PCVs, due to a strong correlation with numbers of deaths averted, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained or disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) avoided. In terms of cost, analysis of impact on acute otitis media (short-term) and sequelae (long-term) show a significant and important expenditure avoided by vaccination. Cost-effectiveness is significantly modified by vaccine cost, mortality due to pneumonia, vaccine efficacy/effectiveness and herd immunity. Finally the validity of certain assumptions based on the uncertainty of the data should be considered in economic assessments of new PCVs. These include assumptions related to the impact on otitis media, estimates of efficacy/effectiveness based on measured antibody levels and the extrapolation to PCV10 and PCV13 of previous experience with PCV7.

Cost-effectiveness of the CRM-based 7-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV7) in Argentina.

UNLABELLED: Due to the region's own conditions, universal vaccination with pneumococcal conjugate heptavalent vaccine (PCV-7) in Latin American countries is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: To compare projected economic costs and health benefits associated with pneumococcal conjugate heptavalent vaccine as a routine immunization in healthy children in Argentina. DESIGN: A decision analytic model of Markov simulated lifetime evolution of a birth cohort (n 696,451) was developed and compared costs and health benefits of pneumococcal disease in the presence and absence of vaccination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cost per life year (LY) gained, reduce in diseases burden and costs of vaccination. RESULTS: From the society's perspective, the incremental cost per LY gained was US$ 5599.42 and the purchase of the 4 doses of vaccine for the entire cohort with a cost of US$ 26.5 dose requires an investment of US$ 73,823,806.00. The model estimated that vaccination reduce the number of death by 159 cases of meningitis, 756 cases of bacteriemias 4594 cases of pneumonias about 84,769 cases of otitis media and 20 meningitis sequelae. The value of the cost per LY gained was considerably modified by the variation in the cost of the vaccine dose, efficacy/effectiveness of the vaccine for pneumonia the mortality from pneumonia and herd immunity. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis predicted that routine vaccination of healthy infants <2 years could prevent an important number of pneumococcal infectious and reduce related mortality and morbidity. This strategic could be highly cost-effective in Argentina.

Evidence-based maternal and perinatal healthcare practices in public hospitals in Argentina.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of beneficial maternal and perinatal healthcare practices in a network of public maternity hospitals in Argentina. METHOD: A multicenter, prospective, descriptive study of 6661 deliveries in 9 hospitals. The use of 5 obstetric care practices that reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality was evaluated. RESULTS: Median use rates for the selected practices were: continuous support for women during childbirth (17.9%); corticosteroids for preterm birth (35.3%); avoidance of episiotomy in primiparous women (41.2%); iron and folate supplementation (52.5%); active management of third stage of labor (93.5%). CONCLUSION: There is limited use of the selected evidence-based maternal and perinatal practices in public hospitals in Argentina and a large variation in their use among and within hospitals. Efforts should be made to increase the use of these evidence-based practices.