[Seasonal influenza campaign 2020 in the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an unprecedented public health experience in Chile]. / Campaña influenza 2020 en contexto de pandemia por SARS-CoV-2: una experiencia inédita de salud pública en Chile.

In Chile, the Immunization Department of the Ministry of Health has carried out the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign annually since 1982 in collaboration with the national health services, regional health offices, and primary health care centres. With the aim of preventing deaths and serious morbidity in high-risk groups and preserving the integrity of health services, the seasonal influenza campaign had been the largest implemented in Chile until 2020, since in 2021 the vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 is expected to become the largest ever implemented. In response to local demographic and epidemiological changes, and taking into account the new scientific evidence on the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines, the influenza vaccines available in Chile would increase annually as a result of campaign planning. In 2020, the influenza campaign had to be re-planned while in progress due to the addition of new high-risk groups to be vaccinated in accordance with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic health alert modification of March 6th, 2020. Over the course of three weeks, the Immunization Department managed to increase the doses of available influenza vaccines from 6,799,800 previously agreed upon to 8,480,325 and thus serve high-risk groups, guaranteeing their access to state funded influenza vaccination.

Campaña influenza 2020 en contexto de pandemia por SARS-CoV-2: una experiencia inédita de salud pública en Chile / Seasonal influenza campaign 2020 in the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an unprecedented public health experience in Chile

Resumen Desde 1982, cada año el Departamento de Inmunizaciones del Ministerio de Salud de Chile lleva a cabo la campaña de vacunación contra influenza junto con las Secretarías Regionales Ministeriales-SEREMI, Servicios de Salud y centros de atención primaria de salud. Con los objetivos de prevenir mortalidad y morbilidad grave en grupos de mayor riesgo y de preservar la integridad de los servicios de salud, hasta el 2020 las campañas de vacunación contra influenza serían las más grandes implementadas en Chile, para dar paso, el 2021, a la vacunación contra SARS-CoV-2. Obedeciendo a cambios demográficos y epidemiológicos locales y acogiendo los avances científicos sobre seguridad e inmunogenicidad de la vacuna, el incremento de las vacunas influenza disponibles en Chile forma parte de la planificación anual de la campaña. El 2020, sin embargo, la Campaña Influenza tuvo que ser re-planificada en curso como consecuencia de la incorporación de nuevos grupos a vacunar según dispuso la modificación de la alerta sanitaria por brote de SARS-CoV-2 del 6 de marzo de 2020. Así, de 6.799.800 de dosis, el Departamento de Inmunizaciones logró en menos de dos meses aumentar la disponibilidad a 8.480.325, y cumplir con el compromiso de garantizar el acceso de los grupos de riesgo al beneficio de la vacunación estatal gratuita.

Abstract In Chile, the Immunization Department of the Ministry of Health has carried out the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign annually since 1982 in collaboration with the national health services, regional health offices, and primary health care centres. With the aim of preventing deaths and serious morbidity in high-risk groups and preserving the integrity of health services, the seasonal influenza campaign had been the largest implemented in Chile until 2020, since in 2021 the vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 is expected to become the largest ever implemented. In response to local demographic and epidemiological changes, and taking into account the new scientific evidence on the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines, the influenza vaccines available in Chile would increase annually as a result of campaign planning. In 2020, the influenza campaign had to be re-planned while in progress due to the addition of new high-risk groups to be vaccinated in accordance with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic health alert modification of March 6th, 2020. Over the course of three weeks, the Immunization Department managed to increase the doses of available influenza vaccines from 6,799,800 previously agreed upon to 8,480,325 and thus serve high-risk groups, guaranteeing their access to state funded influenza vaccination.

A Chair-based Abbreviated Repositioning Maneuver (ChARM) for fast treatment of posterior BPPV.

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of a variation of the Epley maneuver, which we have titled "Chair-based Abbreviated Repositioning maneuver (ChARM)", in solving cases of benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV) of the posterior canal. ChARM addresses multiple issues of highly overloaded medical centers that delay its due and timely resolution. For example it does not necessitate an examination bed/table and requires only a backed chair, and less than 3 min to be performed. In combination with a recently published abbreviated diagnostic maneuver it can solve BPPV cases within few minutes of single medical visit. METHODS: Patients being diagnosed with posterior BPPV by means of an abbreviated diagnostic maneuver were recruited. Immediately after diagnosis, a single attempt of ChARM was conducted. The patient was followed for 48 h and at 1 month after these procedures to assess the persistence of symptomatology. RESULTS: 124 patients were treated with ChARM immediately after diagnosis during their very first medical visit. 92 patients (74.2%) solved their symptomatology completely after a single attempt of ChARM. The absence of symptoms persisted during the 30 days of follow-up. DISCUSSION: ChARM showed high success rates in solving posterior BPPV. The entire diagnostic-treatment procedure takes less than 5 min to perform and may allow direct treatment of patients, thereby avoiding unnecessary referrals or full vestibular testing. These abbreviated tools may be particularly useful in primary care settings or heavily overloaded otolaryngology or neurology departments.

An Abbreviated Diagnostic Maneuver for Posterior Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo.

INTRODUCTION: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) secondary to canalolithiasis of the posterior semicircular canal is perhaps the most frequent cause of vertigo and dizziness. One of its properties is a high response rate to canalith repositioning maneuvers. However, delays in the diagnosis and treatment of this entity can range from days to years, depending on the setting. Here, we present an abbreviated variation of the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, which can be used to diagnose this disease. It is similar to the standard maneuver but can be performed without an examination bed/table and requires only a backed chair (a difference that we feel is very important in settings where a clinical bed/table is not readily available). METHODS: A diagnostic assessment study was conducted in 163 patients who presented with vertigo or dizziness. RESULTS: The abbreviated test had fairly good sensitivity (80%) and high specificity (95%) for diagnosing posterior BPPV. DISCUSSION: This new diagnostic maneuver may serve as a screening procedure for quickly identifying this pathology. This will allow patients to be more directly treated, without requiring unnecessary referrals or full vestibular testing, and will be especially useful in primary care settings or heavily overloaded otolaryngology or neurology departments.

Avaliação in vitro dos fungos aspergillus flavus e penicillium corylophilum em larvas de musca domestica diptera muscidade / In vitro avaliation of the fungus aspergillus flavus and penicillium corylophilum in larvae of musca domestica diptera muscidade

The present study was aimed at the evaluation of two isolates of Aspergillus flavus and two isolates of Penicilium corylophilum on third stage larvae of Musca domestica. The samples tested were isolated directly from M. domestica specimens. Third stage larvae were obtained from pupas of a laboratory colony. Four batches with 20 larvae were used for each of conidia dilution tested (105 to 108 conidia/ml). Larvae were dipped for one minute into conidia dilution, being then moved to dishes and kept under controlled environmental conditions. Two control groups were used: one received a treatment with spreading adhesive and the other one with no treatment at all. Larval surviving rates were: 57.50 percent and 86.25 percent for groups treated with 108 conidia/ml of A. flavus; and 63.75 percent and 72.50 percent for those who had received the same concentration of P. corylophilum conidia. Larval mortality rates were greater for groups that received higher conidia concentrations, and also increased directly proportional to exposition time. Adult hatching rates on treated groups, were affected by fungi treatment. It was concluded that A. flavus and P. corylophilum presented detrimental effects for third stage larvae of M. domestica

Evaluación del seguimiento auditivo del recién nacido prematuro extremo en el Hospital San Juan de Dios / Evaluation of auditory follow-up in extreme premature newborns at the San Juan de Dios hospital

La hipoacusia sensorioneural profunda a severa tiene una incidencia de 1 a 2 por ciento en recién nacidos con factores de riesgo. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar el seguimiento auditivo de los recién nacidos prematuros extremos del Hospital San Juan de Dios. Entre 1995 y 1997 nacieron 214 niños de estas características, sobreviviendo 141. De estos niños sólo en un 60 por ciento se realizó examen de potenciales auditivos evocados; de estos exámenes, un 61 por ciento umbral superior a 30 dB HL. De los 141 niños que sobrevivieron, se logró realizar 35 audiometrías sin pesquizar hipoacusia sensorioneural. Se concluye que el programa en uso no es efectivo, proponiéndose un nuevo esquema de evaluación