Remnant cholesterol levels are associated with severity and death in COVID-19 patients.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients with severe complications present comorbidities like cardiovascular-disease, hypertension and type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM), sharing metabolic alterations like insulin resistance (IR) and dyslipidemia. Our objective was to evaluate the association among different components of the lipid-lipoprotein profile, such as remnant lipoprotein (RLP)-cholesterol, in patients with COVID-19, and to analyze their associations with the severity of the disease and death. We studied 193 patients (68 (29-96) years; 49.7% male) hospitalized for COVID-19 and 200 controls (46 (18-79) years; 52.5% male). Lipoprotein profile, glucose and procalcitonin were assessed. Patients presented higher glucose, TG, TG/HDL-cholesterol and RLP-cholesterol levels, but lower total, LDL, HDL and no-HDL-cholesterol levels (p < 0.001). When a binary logistic regression was performed, age, non-HDL-cholesterol, and RLP-cholesterol were associated with death (p = 0.005). As the COVID-19 condition worsened, according to procalcitonin tertiles, a decrease in all the cholesterol fractions (p < 0.03) was observed with no differences in TG, while levels of RLP-cholesterol and TG/HDL-cholesterol increased (p < 0.001). Lower levels of all the cholesterol fractions were related with the presence and severity of COVID-19, except for RLP-cholesterol levels and TG/HDL-cholesterol index. These alterations indicate a lipid metabolic disorder, characteristic of IR states in COVID-19 patients. RLP-cholesterol levels predicted severity and death in these patients.

Estadísticas de mortalidad por covid 19: análisis de la calidad de la información sobre causas de fallecimiento / MORTALITY STATISTICS FOR COVID 19: ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITY OF THE INFORMATION ON CAUSES OF DEATH

El certificado médico de defunción (CMD) es la fuente de las estadísticas de causas de muerte en nuestro país. La falta de precisión de los datos que allí se registran afecta al análisis de las estadísticas de mortalidad y al diseño de políticas sanitarias basadas en dicho examen. La calidad de la información sobre causas de muerte se verá más o menos comprometida en la medida que el médico realice el registro de las causas de muerte acorde a los estándares establecidos por las autoridades sanitarias. La pandemia por COVID 19 ha resaltado la importancia de generar estadísticas confiables en salud, al mismo tiempo que la elaboración de esa información se ha visto afectada por diversos motivos. Se analizó la calidad del registro de causas de fallecimiento de pacientes con COVID 19 en el Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín". Se revisaron 488 certificados médicos de defunción (CMD) correspondientes a todos los fallecidos en el Hospital de Clínicas entre 13/04/2020 al 10/09/2020 (n: 373) y desde el 07/05/2021 al 08/06/2021 (n: 115). De todos ellos, 127 CMD informaban en al menos una de sus causas a la COVID 19 (códigos U.7 y siguientes del CIE 10). Hubo un 74,02% (n: 94) de causas de muerte "poco útiles" entre las causas inmediatas, 18,9% (n:24) entre las mediatas y 0% (n:0) en las originales. c) Se registró en forma completa el intervalo entre la enfermedad y la muerte en el 4,72% (n:6); y se registró la Causa Contribuyente (parte 2 del CMD) en un 11,02% (n: 14). La calidad de los registros de mortalidad por COVID 19 está comprometida. Se observó una alta proporción de "causas poco útiles" como registro en las causas de fallecimiento, y un déficit en el llenado del intervalo entre la enfermedad y la muerte, y en la causa contribuyente del fallecimiento. Debemos trabajar en todos los niveles para contribuir al mejoramiento de la certificación de las defunciones y por ende, a la obtención de estadísticas de mortalidad y de causas de muerte más precisas, que apoyen la evaluación de políticas públicas y la toma de decisiones acertadas en pro de la salud de la población.

The medical death certificate (CMD) is the source of the statistics of causes of death in our country. The lack of precision of the data recorded there affects the analysis of mortality statistics and the design of health policies based on said examination. The quality of the information on causes of death will be more or less compromised to the extent that the physician registers the causes of death in accordance with the standards established by the health authorities. The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of generating reliable health statistics, at the same time that the preparation of this information has been affected for various reasons. The quality of the registry of causes of death of patients with COVID 19 at the Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín" was analyzed. We reviewed 488 medical death certificates (CMD) corresponding to all those who died at the Hospital de Clínicas between 04/13/2020 and 09/10/2020 (n: 373) and from 05/07/2021 to 06/08/ 2021 (no.: 115). Of all of them, 127 CMDs reported COVID 19 in at least one of their causes (ICD 10 codes U.7 and following). There were 74.02% (n: 94) of "not very useful" causes of death among the immediate causes, 18.9% (n: 24) among the mediate ones, and 0% (n: 0) in the original ones. c) The interval between illness and death was fully recorded in 4.72% (n:6); and the Contributing Cause (part 2 of the CMD) was registered in 11.02% (n: 14). The quality of COVID 19 mortality records is compromised. A high proportion of "unhelpful causes" was observed as a registry in the causes of death, and a deficit in filling the interval between illness and death, and in the contributing cause of death. We must work at all levels to contribute to improving the certification of deaths and, therefore, to obtaining more accurate mortality statistics and causes of death, which support the evaluation of public policies and the making of sound decisions in favor of the population health.

Horacio Quiroga y su relación con los venenos / Horacio Quiroga and his relationship with poisons

Resumen La vida y obra del literato Horacio Quiroga ha estado signada por venenos en varias oportunidades. Profundo conocedor de la selva misionera, plasmó en sus personajes el conocimiento de ponzoñas y venenos que poseía su flora y su fauna. En cuanto a su vida personal y la de sus familiares, el veneno estuvo presente hasta sus últimos días. Se describen en este trabajo tanto los venenos detallados en su obra como también el desenlace de su suicidio con cianuro de potasio.

Abstract The life and the work of the writer Horacio Quiroga has been marked by poisons and venoms on several occasions. Connoisseur of the flora and fauna of the Misiones jungle, he reflected in his characters the knowledge of poisons and venoms that he possessed. As for his personal life and that of his family, the poison was present until his last days. Both the poisons and venoms detailed in his work as well as the outcome of his suicide with potassium cyanide are detailed in this work.

Evaluation of stress, burnout and hair cortisol levels in health workers at a University Hospital during COVID-19 pandemic.

In the critical context of COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are on the front line, participating directly in the care, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with COVID-19. This exposes them to a higher risk of developing chronic stress, psychological distress, and any other mental health symptoms. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate stress and burnout in a health workers population and, in addition, to measure hair cortisol concentration as a current biomarker of stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 234 health workers from Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín", Buenos Aires University, were included in this study. In this population hair samples were obtained from the posterior vertex as close to the scalp as possible and the individuals completed the following surveys: perceived stress, social support, burnout scale, life event scale, and sociodemographic data. Hair cortisol was measured by an automated chemiluminescent method. The studied population was divided into three groups considering those individuals below the healthy reference sample range (< 40 pg/mg hair), within the healthy reference range (40-128 pg/mg hair) and above the reference range (> 128 pg/mg hair). This study used a transversal and observational design. RESULTS: Our results show that 40% of the studied population presented hair cortisol values outside of the healthy reference range. In the whole studied population, a direct correlation was found between hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress as well as between hair cortisol concentration and the emotional exhaustion component of burnout (r = 0.142, p = 0.030; r = 0.143, p = 0.029, respectively). 12% of the studied population showed Burnout (52% doctors and residents, 19% nurses, 19% administrative personnel). Higher values in hair cortisol levels were found in the group with burnout versus individuals without burnout (p = 0.034). Finally, a mediation analysis was performed, finding that depersonalization is a mediating variable in the relationship between self-perceived stress and hair cortisol level (F = 4.86, p = 0.0086; indirect effect IC: 0.0987-1.8840). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in which a stress biomarker such as hair cortisol is evaluated in this population and in this context. Healthcare workers are subjected to increased levels of stress and burnout. High depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and decreased personal sense of accomplishment characterize this population. It is the responsibility of the health authorities to implement strategies to manage this psychological emergency.