[What regulations have launched autonomous communities to going forward on patient safety culture in healthcare organizations?] / ¿Qué normativas han desarrollado las comunidades autónomas para avanzar en cultura de seguridad del paciente en sus organizaciones sanitarias?

INTRODUCTION: Patient Safety Culture is based on learning from incidents, developing preventive strategies to reduce the likelihood to happen and recognizing and accompanying those who have suffered unnecessary and involuntary harm derived from the health care received. To go ahead on patient safety culture entails facilitating the implementation of these behaviors and attitudes in healthcare professionals. Objective was to describe the regulations of some autonomous communities and national proposals for regulations changes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Search of normative changes made in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Navarra and the Basque Country. Proposals for legislative changes at national level were agreed. RESULTS: Activities and normative changes made in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Navarre and the Basque Country are described and proposals for normative changes at the national level at short-term and long-term changes are made. In such a way that it is easier to advance in creating culture of patient safety in the whole National Health System CONCLUSION: Currently there is no global regulation that facilitates to advance in patient safety culture. Changes at the national legislation level are essential. It is at the Inter-territorial Council where the proposed legislative amendment should be defined, promoted by the representatives of the health systems of the autonomous communities.

Fracaso multiorgánico como forma de presentación del síndrome de activación macrofágica en la enfermedad de Still infantil / Multi-organ failure as first clinical sign of macrophage activation syndrome in childhood Still's disease

El síndrome de activación macrofágica es una forma de linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica secundaria a enfermedades reumáticas. La artritis juvenil sistémica idiopática o enfermedad de Still infantil es la enfermedad con la que más frecuentemente se asocia. La hemofagocitosis forma parte de un síndrome clínico similar a la sepsis causado por elevación de citokinas en el contexto de una respuesta inmune aumentada pero inefectiva. Los criterios diagnósticos clínicos son coagulopatía y hemorragias, leucopenia, elevación de enzimas hepáticas, fiebre, rash, hepatoesplenomegalia y alteraciones del SNC, entre otros. No obstante, el diagnóstico es a menudo difícil debido a la inespecificidad de los signos clínicos. Presentamos el caso de un niño de 8 años que ingresa en UCI con letargia, fiebre, insuficiencia respiratoria aguda, coagulopatía, acidosis metabólica y fracaso multiorgánico. El diagnóstico inicial es de shock séptico, confirmándose finalmente un síndrome de activación macrofágica con respuesta satisfactoria a corticoides e inmunoglobulinas intravenosas (AU)

Macrophage activation syndrome is a form of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis seen in the context of rheumatic diseases. It is seen most frequently in association with systemic onset juvenile arthritis or childhood StillŒs disease. Hemophagocytosis is part of a sepsis-like clinical syndrome caused by hypercytokinemia due to a highly stimulated but ineffective immune response. Coagulopathy and hemorrhages, decreased white cell count, elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, fever, rash, hepatosplenomegaly and central nervous system dysfunction are some of diagnostic criteria of macrophage activation syndrome, but it is very difficult to diagnose due to the lack of specific clinical signs. We report a 8-year-old child who was admitted to the ICU with lethargy, fever, acute respiratory failure, coagulopathy, metabolic acidosis and multiorgan failure. Septic shock was suspected, but he was diagnosed with macrophage activation syndrome and treated with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin and later discharged from the ICU (AU)

[Multi-organ failure as first clinical sign of macrophage activation syndrome in childhood Still's disease]. / Fracaso multiorgánico como forma de presentación del síndrome de activación macrofágica en la enfermedad de Still infantil.

Macrophage activation syndrome is a form of secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis seen in the context of rheumatic diseases. It is seen most frequently in association with systemic onset juvenile arthritis or childhood Still's disease. Hemophagocytosis is part of a sepsis-like clinical syndrome caused by hypercytokinemia due to a highly stimulated but ineffective immune response. Coagulopathy and hemorrhages, decreased white cell count, elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, fever, rash, hepatosplenomegaly and central nervous system dysfunction are some of diagnostic criteria of macrophage activation syndrome, but it is very difficult to diagnose due to the lack of specific clinical signs. We report a 8-year-old child who was admitted to the ICU with lethargy, fever, acute respiratory failure, coagulopathy, metabolic acidosis and multiorgan failure. Septic shock was suspected, but he was diagnosed with macrophage activation syndrome and treated with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin and later discharged from the ICU.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Pastormaster method for disinfection of legionella in a hospital water distribution system.

The Pastormaster method consists of heating the water of hospital distribution systems at a specific point to a sufficient temperature for a minimum amount of time to eradicate legionella. The object of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pastormaster method for legionella disinfection in a hospital environment. A two-phase procedure was performed: hydraulic optimization of the water supply circuit, and implementation of the Pastormaster method. Water samples were taken at 10 representative points in the hospital hot-water system and cultured microbiologically. Other physical and chemical measurements were also determined. Implementation of the Pastormaster method and correction of the deficiencies identified during a hydraulic system audit confirmed the absence of legionella in the hospital water distribution system. The combination of implementation of the Pastormaster method and conduction of a hydraulic audit designed to identify and remedy any possible problems in water circulation is effective in minimizing the risk of legionella contamination in hospital water distribution systems.

[Epidemic outbreak of 81 cases of brucellosis following the consumption of fresh cheese without pasteurization]. / Estudio de un brote epidémico de 81 casos de brucelosis consecutivo al consumo de queso fresco sin pasteurizar.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the great effort that has been made in recent years in Castilla-La Mancha to control brucelosis, a lack of awareness on the part of producers and consumers leads to major epidemic outbreak, such as the one described below. METHODS: A description of the outbreak is described and a study is conducted of cases and controls to determine the factors which are responsible for the epidemic. Unadjusted and adjusted Odds Ratios (O.R.) are obtained together with their confidence intervals, for the main epidemiological factors studied. RESULTS: A total of 81 cases of brucelosis were recorded in a period of 25 weeks. All the cases occurred in the same borough or were in some way linked to it. In the case and controls study no differences were found with regard to age, sex, contact with livestock or the consumption of pasteurised milk or cheese. A strong link was established between the illness and the consumption of home-made cottage cheese prepared by a small-scale producer in the borough, (O.R. = 311.9; C.I. = 95% = 41.48-12735)., whose livestock turned out to be infected with Brucella Mellitensis. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak showed that in Spain, there is a risk of contracting brucelosis by consuming non-pasteurised dairy products, particularly cheese, when these are not subjected to the normal sanitary and health controls. The benefits of epidemiological research in the search for cases and determining the factors responsible for the outbreak are also demonstrated. An intensification of controls, the cleansing of the herds and flocks and health education in general, are suitable instruments for controlling this zoonosis in Spain.