Rapid proliferation of the parasitic copepod, Salmincola californiensis (Dana), on kokanee salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), in a large Colorado reservoir.

Ecologically and economically valuable Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) are widespread and susceptible to the ectoparasite Salmincola californiensis (Dana). The range of this freshwater copepod has expanded, and in 2015, S. californiensis was observed in Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado, USA, an important kokanee salmon (O. nerka, Walbaum) egg source for sustaining fisheries. Few S. californiensis were detected on kokanee salmon in 2016 (<10% prevalence; 2 adult S. californiensis maximum). By 2020, age-3 kokanee salmon had 100% S. californiensis prevalence and mean intensity exceeding 50 adult copepods. Year and kokanee salmon age/maturity (older/mature) were consistently identified as significant predictors of S. californiensis prevalence/intensity. There was evidence that S. californiensis spread rapidly, but their population growth was maximized at the initiation (the first 2-3 years) of the invasion. Gills and heads of kokanee salmon carried the highest S. californiensis loads. S. californiensis population growth appears to be slowing, but S. californiensis expansion occurred concomitant with myriad environmental/biological factors. These factors and inherent variance in S. californiensis count data may have obscured patterns that continued monitoring of parasite-host dynamics, when S. californiensis abundance is more stable, might reveal. The rapid proliferation of S. californiensis indicates that in 5 years a system can go from a light infestation to supporting hosts carrying hundreds of parasites, and concern remains about the sustainability of this kokanee salmon population.

Conocimiento y actitud sobre prácticas en Farmacovigilancia de los profesionales farmacéuticos de farmacia comunitaria y farmacia hospitalaria en España / Knowledge and attitude about Pharmacovigilance practices of pharmacy professionals of community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy in Spain

OBJETIVO: La justificación del estudio fue evaluar el grado de conocimiento de los farmacéuticos españoles en el ámbito de la Farmacovigilancia, su grado de notificación de Reacciones Adversas a Medicamentos (RAM) y su necesidad de formación, estableciendo las diferencias entre los farmacéuticos de farmacia comunitaria (FC) y los de farmacia hospitalaria (FH). MÉTODOS: Se diseñó un cuestionario con doce preguntas sobre Farmacovigilancia. La distribución y recogida de los cuestionarios se realizo vía online con la colaboración de los Colegios Oficiales de Farmacéuticos y la Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria, durante el periodo de noviembre de 2018 a junio de 2019.La población diana fueron los farmacéuticos colegiados o pertenecientes a la Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria. Los resultados fueron procesados mediante un análisis descriptivo y analítico. Las variables cualitativas se presentaron con su distribución de frecuencias y las cuantitativas con su media y desviación estándar. RESULTADOS: El 99% de los FH afirmaron haber tenido constancia de una RAM y el 96,9% de ellos la notificaron. El 73,5% de los FC declararon que tuvieron constancia de una RAM pero sólo el 48,7% confirmaron que la notificaran. En general, los farmacéuticos encuestados estaban de acuerdo en la importancia de la Farmacovigilancia, y opinaban que se podría mejorar la calidad de los tratamientos y se ahorraría en el sistema de salud español si se aplicara más la Farmacovigilancia. CONCLUSIONES: Nuestros resultados indican que los FH notifican más una RAM que los FC. También son los FH los que conocen mejor las obligaciones que tienen con Farmacovigilancia. Los farmacéuticos encuestados piensan que el desarrollo de actuaciones en Farmacovigilancia, aumentaría la adhesión de los profesionales a la notificación e implicaría mejoras en la calidad de los tratamientos, el uso racional de los medicamentos y la seguridad del paciente

OBJECTIVE: The justification of the study was to assess the degree of knowledge of Spanish pharmacists in the field of Pharmacovigilance, their degree of notification of adverse drug reactions and their need for training, establishing the differences between community pharmacy pharmacist and those of hospital pharmacy. METHODS: A questionnaire with twelve questions on Pharmacovigilance was designed. The distribution and collection of the questionnaires were carried out via online in collaboration with the Official Colleges of Pharmacists and the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy during the period from November 2018 to June 2019. The target population were the pharmacists registered or belonging to the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy. The results were processed using a descriptive and analytical analysis. The qualitative variables were presented with their frequency distribution and the quantitative with their mean and standard deviation. RESULTS: 99% of hospital pharmacists said they had evidence of suspected adverse reactions and 96.9% of them ever reported. 73.5% of community pharmacists stated that they had knowledge of suspected adverse reactions but only 48.7% confirmed that they notified them. In general, the pharmacists surveyed agreed on the importance of Pharmacovigilance and believed that the quality of treatments could be improved and the Spanish health system would be saved if Pharmacovigilance was applied more. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that hospital pharmacists report much more adverse drug reactions than community pharmacist does. It also hospital pharmacists who know best the obligations they have with Pharmacovigilance. The surveyed pharmacists thought that the development of actions in Pharmacovigilance would increase the adherence of pharmaceutical professionals to the notification and would imply improvements in the quality of treatments, the rational use of medications and patient safety

Diversidad cultural y lactancia materna. Prestación de cuidados culturalmente competentes en atención primaria / Cultural diversity and breastfeeding. Cultural competent in primary care

Objetivo principal: Analizar las prácticas y actitudes relacionadas con la lactancia materna en mujeres inmigrantes y mujeres pertenecientes a grupos en riesgo de vulnerabilidad social. Metodología: revisión de literatura internacional en publicaciones indexadas en LILACS, CINAHL, Medline, SciELO y CUIDEN. Selección de estudios: Cuantitativos, cualitativos, y mixtos que describían las perspectivas y opiniones en cuanto a la elección de la lactancia materna en mujeres inmigrantes o en riesgo de vulnerabilidad social; publicados entre enero de 2004 y abril de 2015; en línea; en español o inglés. Resultados principales: Se identificaron cuatro categorías de análisis: factores que influyen en la elección de lactancia materna exclusiva, factores que favorecen su continuación, factores que dificultan su mantenimiento, y sentimientos expresados. Conclusión principal: Existe una fuerte influencia de la cultura dominante en la decisión de amamantar. El apoyo familiar y profesional, son determinantes en la elección de la lactancia materna exclusiva y su continuidad

Objective: Analyze practices and attitudes to breast feeding on immigrant women and women or at risk of social ulnerability. Methods: review of international literature in publications indexed in LILACS, CINAHL, Medline, SciELO and CUIDEN. Study selection: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed describing the perspectives and opinions regarding the choice of breastfeeding on immigrant women or at risk of social vulnerability; published between January 2004 and April 2015; online; in Spanish or English. Results: four categories of analysis were identified: factors influencing the choice of exclusive breastfeeding, factors that favor its continuation, factors hindering maintenance and expressed feelings. Conclusions: Exists a strong influence of the dominant culture in the decision to breastfeed. Family and professional support are decisive in choosing exclusive breastfeeding and continuity

Counterfeit medicine. A threat to health. Legal situation / El medicamento falsificado. Una amenaza para la salud. Situación legal

The existence of substandard, spurious, falsely labelled, falsified and counterfeit (SSFFC) medical products is an unacceptable risk to public health, becoming an emerging problem in recent years. However, we should be aware that the phenomenon of counterfeiting is not a novelty since such practice coexists with human beings since time immemorial. In the present work we will do a partial analysis of counterfeiting situation from a legislative point of view and will analyze how various legal and non-legal instruments have been used trying to resolve this issue in the European context

La existencia de medicamentos falsificados es una realidad. Se trata de un problema emergente en los últimos años. Sin embargo, hemos de ser conscientes que el fenómeno de la falsificación no es un hecho novedoso ya que tal práctica convive con el ser humano desde tiempos pretéritos. En el siguiente texto se realizará un análisis parcial de la situación de los mismos desde su punto de vista legislativo y se analizará cómo se han utilizado diversas herramientas jurídicas y no jurídicas para intentar solventar esta problemática existente a nivel comunitario

Influence of the co-encapsulation of different excipients on the properties of polyester microparticle-based vaccine against brucellosis.

This work evaluates the influence of different pharmaceutical auxiliaries (Pluronic F68, polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP] or Tween 20), when mixed with an antigenic extract from Brucella ovis (hot saline; HS), on the characteristics of the resulting poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEC) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles. In all cases, PEC microparticles were smaller than PLGA ones. Concerning the HS loading, PLGA microparticles were highly dependent on the type of the excipient used, whereas all the PEC formulations displayed similar encapsulation efficiencies. For both types of microparticles, the presence of PVP induced a burst release effect. On the contrary, the use of Tween 20 or Pluronic F68 dramatically modified this profile. For PLGA-Tween 20 and PEC-Pluronic F68 microparticles, the HS was released in a pulsatil way during the first 7 days followed by a continuous release for at least 3 weeks. The antigenicity of the HS components was kept in all cases. Phagocytosis by murine monocytes showed a clear difference based just on the hydrophobicity of the polymer, being PEC microparticles better engulfed. Cell activation quantified by the release of H2O2 did not showed major differences between batches, however, microparticles of PEC and Pluronic F68 induced the highest nitric oxide production. Together, these results confirm the advantageous qualities of the "HS-PEC-Pluronic F68 microparticles" as favorable candidate for vaccine purposes against brucellosis.

Etiology and severity of community acquired pneumonia in children from Uruguay: a 4-year study.

The 4-year study (1987-1990) covered the major clinical-epidemiological characteristics of pneumonia in children as diagnosed at the emergency service of the Children's Hospital, as well as etiologies, and factors involved in the most severe cases. Etiology was determined in 47.7% of the 541 pneumonia cases, involving 283 pathogens of which 38.6% were viruses and 12.6% bacteria. Viral and mixed etiologies were more frequent in children under 12 months of age. Bacteria predominated in ages between 6 and 23 months. Among the viruses, respiratory syncytial virus predominated (66%). The bacterial pneumonias accounted for 12.2% of the recognized etiologies. The most important bacterial agents were S. pneumoniae (64%) and H. influenzae (19%). H. influenzae and mixed infections had a relevant participation during the 1988 season, pointing to annual variations in the relative participation of pathogens and its possible implication in severity of diseases. Correlation of severity and increased percentage of etiological diagnosis was assessed: patients with respiratory rates over 70 rpm, or pleural effusion and/or extensive pulmonary parenchyma compromise yielded higher positive laboratory results. Various individual and family risk factors were recognized when comparing pneumonia children with healthy controls.

[Acute intrathoracic respiratory infections in hospitalized children. Uruguay 1984-1986]. / Infecciones respiratorias agudas intratorácicas en niños hospitalizados. Uruguay 1984-1986.

Between may 1984 and november 1986, a study, which included 475 children under five years of age hospitalized due to acute intrathoracic respiratory infections, was carried out in order to obtain clinical, radiological and etiological characteristics which may aid in establishing norms to diagnose and treat these patients. Nasopharyngeal aspirations were performed on each child, while viral diagnosis was done through viral isolation techniques and indirect immunofluorescence. The presence of a virus was detected in 34.4% of the cases and in 28.8% of a subsample. A precoded questionnaire was used to obtain the clinical information needed and all X-rays were reviewed by the same radiologist using simple pre-established criteria. A comparison was made on the similarities found between both the clinical and radiological diagnosis, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of some of the clinical signs which characterize bronchiolitis and the pneumoniae.