Obtaining EHR-derived datasets for COVID-19 research within a short time: a flexible methodology based on Detailed Clinical Models.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 ranks as the single largest health incident worldwide in decades. In such a scenario, electronic health records (EHRs) should provide a timely response to healthcare needs and to data uses that go beyond direct medical care and are known as secondary uses, which include biomedical research. However, it is usual for each data analysis initiative to define its own information model in line with its requirements. These specifications share clinical concepts, but differ in format and recording criteria, something that creates data entry redundancy in multiple electronic data capture systems (EDCs) with the consequent investment of effort and time by the organization. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to design and implement a flexible methodology based on detailed clinical models (DCM), which would enable EHRs generated in a tertiary hospital to be effectively reused without loss of meaning and within a short time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The proposed methodology comprises four stages: (1) specification of an initial set of relevant variables for COVID-19; (2) modeling and formalization of clinical concepts using ISO 13606 standard and SNOMED CT and LOINC terminologies; (3) definition of transformation rules to generate secondary use models from standardized EHRs and development of them using R language; and (4) implementation and validation of the methodology through the generation of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC-WHO) COVID-19 case report form. This process has been implemented into a 1300-bed tertiary Hospital for a cohort of 4489 patients hospitalized from 25 February 2020 to 10 September 2020. RESULTS: An initial and expandable set of relevant concepts for COVID-19 was identified, modeled and formalized using ISO-13606 standard and SNOMED CT and LOINC terminologies. Similarly, an algorithm was designed and implemented with R and then applied to process EHRs in accordance with standardized concepts, transforming them into secondary use models. Lastly, these resources were applied to obtain a data extract conforming to the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 case report form, without requiring manual data collection. The methodology allowed obtaining the observation domain of this model with a coverage of over 85% of patients in the majority of concepts. CONCLUSION: This study has furnished a solution to the difficulty of rapidly and efficiently obtaining EHR-derived data for secondary use in COVID-19, capable of adapting to changes in data specifications and applicable to other organizations and other health conditions. The conclusion to be drawn from this initial validation is that this DCM-based methodology allows the effective reuse of EHRs generated in a tertiary Hospital during COVID-19 pandemic, with no additional effort or time for the organization and with a greater data scope than that yielded by conventional manual data collection process in ad-hoc EDCs.

Arsenic accumulation and speciation in strawberry plants exposed to inorganic arsenic enriched irrigation.

The accumulation and transformation of arsenic species have been studied in the context of hydroponic cultivation of strawberry plants. Cultivation experiments have been performed by adding inorganic arsenic at concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 µg L-1 via root irrigation. The total arsenic content was determined by Hydride Generation-Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (HG-AFS). The accumulation was dependent on the concentration of arsenic added to the irrigation and the arsenic species. Arsenic (III) accumulated at higher rates than arsenic (V). A greater accumulation of arsenic was found in roots (0.44-4.10 mg kg-1) than in stems (0.43-1.27 mg kg-1) and fruits (0.22-0.30 mg kg-1). The speciation results obtained by HPLC-HG-AFS analysis indicated that the addition of As(III) resulted in a partial methylation producing monomethyl arsenic (MMA) and dimethyl arsenic (DMA). After As(V) addition, only MMA was observed and this was accompanied with a notable reduction in the ratio of As(V) to As(III).

[HIGH-RISK CHRONICALLY ILL PATIENTS: DIAGNOSTICS, RESULTS AND NURSING INTERVENTIONS UPON DISCHARGE]. / Paciente crónico de riesga hospitalizado: DIAGNÓSTICOS, RESULTADOS E INTERVENCIONES ENFERMERAS RESUELTOS Y ACTIVOS AL ALTA.

It is after the implementation of the new nursing evaluation/ planning care registers (PCE) in the medical record and the updating of the document/circuit of the All-clear Ensuing Care Report (ICCA) with NANDA, NOC, NIC (NNN) in the first months of the year 2013, that we are contemplating the fulfillment of a descriptive/cross-section study so as to know diagnostics, results and nursing interventions upon discharge of high-risk chronically ill patients and qualitatively in medical hospitalization units and in palliative care. The results obtained at a quantitative level, with an implementation degree of 83 and 94 per cent, respectively, are extremely encouraging. Regarding the quality of care planning, we have identified for the first time in our hospital both the NANDA, the NOC and NIC with the prevalence degree in the units studied.

Hipocalcemia neonatal de inicio tardío: factor revelador de un hiperparatiroidismo primario materno desconocido / Late-onset neonatal hypocalcemia: Revealing unknown maternal primary hyperparathyroidism

Fundamento y objetivos. Describir el caso clínico de una hipocalcemia neonatal tardía secundaria a un hiperparatiroidismo materno previamente desconocido, poniendo de relieve la importancia de las pruebas de laboratorio, tanto en el diagnóstico como en el tratamiento del recién nacido y su madre. Caso clínico. Recién nacido varón a término de un embarazo y parto normales que en el 9.° día de vida presenta numerosas crisis convulsivas. En la primera analítica urgente se observa una hipocalcemia asociada a hipomagnesemia, que precisa una terapia correctora de ambos iones, siendo necesario el uso de tratamiento antiepiléptico para el cese de las crisis. Tras un estudio analítico completo y descartadas otras causas por la exploración, anamnesis y pruebas complementarias, se le diagnostica un hipoparatiroidismo neonatal. A partir de este diagnóstico se investiga a la madre, detectándole mediante las pruebas de laboratorio e imagen un posible adenoma paratiroideo izquierdo causante de un hiperparatiroidismo primario no diagnosticado con anterioridad, y confirmado tras su intervención. Conclusiones. Ante la presencia de una hipocalcemia neonatal es preciso investigar un posible hiperparatiroidismo materno (AU)

Background and objectives. To describe a case of late-onset neonatal hypocalcemia, secondary to previously unknown maternal hyperparathyroidism. In particular, highlighting the relevance of the lab tests, in both the diagnosis and the treatment of the newborn and his mother. Clinic case. A full term newborn male with a normal pregnancy and delivery presented at nine days suffering from multiple seizures. Emergency blood biochemistry showed hypocalcemia associated with a low blood magnesium that required corrective ion therapy and anticonvulsives in order to stop the seizures. After a full physical examination and biochemical studies which ruled out other etiologies, a diagnosis of neonatal hypoparathyroidism was reached. Thereafter, the mother was investigated, and laboratory tests and imaging of the parathyroids showed a feasible left parathyroid adenoma causing primary hyperparathyroidism which was previously undiagnosed and confirmed after surgery. Conclusions. In any presentation of neonatal hypocalcemia, the mother should be investigated for possible hyperparathyroidism (AU)

Preparation and characterization of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-loaded biodegradable polymeric microparticles and their antitumoral efficacy on cancer cell lines.

Cannabinoids present an interesting therapeutic potential as antiemetics, appetite stimulants in debilitating diseases (cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis), analgesics, and in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and cancer, among other conditions. However, despite their high clinical potential, only few dosage forms are available to date. In this paper, the development of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) biodegradable microspheres as an alternative delivery system for cannabinoid parenteral administration is proposed. Tetrahydrocannabinol was encapsulated into biodegradable microspheres by the oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion solvent evaporation method. Several formulations were prepared using different drug:polymer ratios. The influence of antioxidant (α-tocopherol acetate) concentration on the release of THC from the microparticles was studied. Elevated process yield and entrapment efficiencies were achieved. The in vitro drug release studies showed that the encapsulated drug was released over a two week period. As THC has shown therapeutic potential as anticancer drug, the efficacy of the microspheres was tested on different cancer cell lines. Interestingly, the microspheres were able to inhibit cancer cell proliferation during the nine-day study period. All the above results suggest that the use of biodegradable microspheres would be a suitable alternative delivery system for THC administration.

Exploiting nanotechnologies and TRPV1 channels to investigate the putative anandamide membrane transporter.

BACKGROUND: Considerable efforts have been made to characterize the pathways regulating the extracellular levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide. However, none of such pathways has been so argued as the existence of a carrier-mediated transport of anandamide across the membrane. Apart from the lack of molecular evidence for such a carrier, the main reasons of this controversy lie in the methodologies currently used to study anandamide cellular uptake. Furthermore, the main evidence in favor of the existence of an "anandamide transporter" relies on synthetic inhibitors of this process, the selectivity of which has been questioned. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used the cytosolic binding site for anandamide on TRPV1 channels as a biosensor to detect anandamide entry into cells, and exploited nanotechnologies to study anandamide membrane transport into intact TRPV1-overexpressing HEK-293 cells. Both fluorescence and digital holographic (DH) quantitative phase microscopy were used to study TRPV1 activation. Poly-epsilon-caprolactone nanoparticles (PCL-NPs) were used to incorporate anandamide, which could thus enter the cell and activate TRPV1 channels bypassing any possible specific protein(s) involved in the uptake process. We reasoned that in the absence of such protein(s), pharmacological tools previously shown to inhibit the "anandamide transporter" would affect in the same way the uptake of anandamide and PCL-NP-anandamide, and hence the activation of TRPV1. However, when masked into PCL-NPs, anandamide cellular uptake became much less sensitive to these agents, although it maintained the same pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as that of "free" anandamide. CONCLUSIONS: We found here that several agents previously reported to inhibit anandamide cellular uptake lose their efficacy when anandamide is prevented from interacting directly with plasma membrane proteins, thus arguing in favor of the specificity of such agents for the putative "anandamide transporter", and of the existence of such mechanism.