Mutations in CmVPS41 controlling resistance to cucumber mosaic virus display specific subcellular localization.

Resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in melon (Cucumis melo L.) has been described in several exotic accessions and is controlled by a recessive resistance gene, cmv1, that encodes a vacuolar protein sorting 41 (CmVPS41). cmv1 prevents systemic infection by restricting the virus to the bundle sheath cells, preventing viral phloem entry. CmVPS41 from different resistant accessions carries two causal mutations, either a G85E change, found in Pat-81 and Freeman's cucumber, or L348R, found in PI161375, cultivar Songwhan Charmi (SC). Here, we analyzed the subcellular localization of CmVPS41 in Nicotiana benthamiana and found differential structures in resistant and susceptible accessions. Susceptible accessions showed nuclear and membrane spots and many transvacuolar strands, whereas the resistant accessions showed many intravacuolar invaginations. These specific structures colocalized with late endosomes. Artificial CmVPS41 carrying individual mutations causing resistance in the genetic background of CmVPS41 from the susceptible variety Piel de Sapo (PS) revealed that the structure most correlated with resistance was the absence of transvacuolar strands. Coexpression of CmVPS41 with viral movement proteins, the determinant of virulence, did not change these localizations; however, infiltration of CmVPS41 from either SC or PS accessions in CMV-infected N. benthamiana leaves showed a localization pattern closer to each other, with up to 30% cells showing some membrane spots in the CmVPS41SC and fewer transvacuolar strands (reduced from a mean of 4 to 1-2) with CmVPS41PS. Our results suggest that the distribution of CmVPS41PS in late endosomes includes transvacuolar strands that facilitate CMV infection and that CmVPS41 re-localizes during viral infection.

Importance of specialized paediatric and neonatal transport. Current situation in Spain: Towards a more equitable and universal future.

Specialized paediatric and neonatal transport is a useful and essential resource in the interhospital transfer of these patients. It allows bringing the material and personal resources of an intensive care unit closer to the regional hospitals where the patient can be found. The benefits of these teams are very well demonstrated in the literature. These units should be part of the emergency systems, while it would be recommended that they be staff integrated in the tertiary hospitals, in order to maintain the necessary skills and competencies. The team, made up of physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians, must master both the pathophysiology of transport and that of the critical patient in this age range. A high quality of both human and care is important, so continuous training and periodic recycling will be essential to be compliant with the quality indicators in transport. Likewise, it is essential to have specific vehicles adapted to this function, which allow carrying the wide variety of necessary material, as well as the electromedicine that is required. However, in Spain this paediatric and neonatal transport model is not standardized and therefore is not homogeneous: there are different models that do not always provide adequate quality, making it necessary to implement specialized units throughout the country to guarantee sanitary transport quality to any critical child or neonate.

Importancia del transporte pediátrico y neonatal especializado. Situación actual en España: Hacia un futuro más equitativo y universal / Importance of specialized paediatric and neonatal transport. Current situation in Spain: Towards a more equitable and universal future

El transporte pediátrico y neonatal especializado es un recurso útil y esencial en el traslado interhospitalario de estos pacientes. Permite acercar los recursos materiales y personales de una unidad de cuidados intensivos a los hospitales comarcales donde se pueda encontrar el paciente. Los beneficios de estos equipos están muy bien demostrados en la literatura. Estas unidades deberían formar parte de los sistemas de emergencias, al mismo tiempo que sería recomendable que estuvieran constituidas por personal integrado en los hospitales terciarios con el fin de mantener las habilidades y competencias necesarias. El equipo, compuesto por médicos, enfermeros y técnicos de emergencias sanitarias, tiene que dominar tanto la fisiopatología del transporte como la del paciente crítico en este rango de edad. Es importante una alta calidad tanto humana como asistencial, por lo que la formación continuada y el reciclaje periódico serán imprescindibles para poder cumplir correctamente con los indicadores de calidad en transporte. Así mismo, es fundamental contar con vehículos propios y adaptados a su función, que permitan llevar la gran variedad de material necesario, así como la electromedicina que se requiere. Sin embargo, en España este modelo de transporte pediátrico y neonatal no está estandarizado y por lo tanto no es homogéneo: existen diferentes modelos que no siempre aportan una adecuada calidad, siendo necesaria la implantación de unidades especializadas en todo el país para garantizar un transporte sanitario de calidad a cualquier niño o neonato crítico. (AU)

Specialized paediatric and neonatal transport is a useful and essential resource in the interhospital transfer of these patients. It allows bringing the material and personal resources of an intensive care unit closer to the regional hospitals where the patient can be found. The benefits of these teams are very well demonstrated in the literature. These units should be part of the emergency systems, while it would be recommended that they would be staff integrated in the tertiary hospitals, in order to maintain the necessary skills and competencies. The team, made up of physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians, must master both the pathophysiology of transport and that of the critical patient in this age range. A high-quality of both human and care is important, so continuous training and periodic recycling will be essential to be compliant with the quality indicators in transport. Likewise, it is essential to have specific vehicles adapted to this function, which allow carrying the wide variety of necessary material, as well as the electromedicine that is required. However, in Spain this paediatric and neonatal transport model is not standardized and, therefore, is not homogeneous: there are different models that do not always provide adequate quality, making it necessary to implement specialized units throughout the country to guarantee sanitary transport quality to any critical child or neonate. (AU)

Desarrollo de un sistema de indicadores para la evaluación de la calidad en transporte interhospitalario: proyecto multicéntrico / Quality indicators in interhospital transport: multicentre project

Introducción: El traslado interhospitalario se realiza por equipos muy diferentes en las distintas regiones de nuestro país, lo que dificulta la comparación de su calidad asistencial. Objetivo: Seleccionar y definir una lista consensuada de indicadores de calidad aplicable a todas las unidades de transporte, especializadas o no, a nivel nacional. Material y métodos: Realización de una propuesta inicial de indicadores por el comité coordinador con representantes del transporte especializado de nuestro país. Valoración del listado por especialistas en transporte de las unidades participantes y los grupos de trabajo de SECIP y SENeo. Selección de los indicadores mediante el método Delphi según su relevancia y factibilidad. Resultados: El listado inicial incluyó 35 posibles indicadores. Fueron valorados por 22 especialistas pertenecientes a siete unidades de transporte. En una primera fase se eligieron por consenso cuatro indicadores, que pasaron directamente al listado definitivo. Se enviaron a los encuestados los resultados del resto de indicadores y las observaciones realizadas por los participantes, y tras ello se realizó una segunda valoración, en la que alcanzaron un consenso aceptable otros 11 indicadores. Tras la elaboración del listado, se estableció de forma consensuada la definición final de cada indicador elegido. Conclusiones: Utilizando un sistema de búsqueda de consenso, definimos una lista de 15 indicadores comunes, que podría ser utilizada por las unidades especializadas de nuestro país y personal asistencial no especializado que realiza traslados pediátricos. Permitirá evaluar el rendimiento individual y comparar las diferentes unidades para encontrar oportunidades de mejora y asegurar la máxima calidad durante el transporte. (AU)

Introduction: Interhospital transport is carried out by variable teams in different regions of our country, and this makes quality evaluation and benchmarking complicated. Project objective: select and define a consensual list of quality measurement that may be used by national transport units, whether specialised or not. Methods: Initial set of quality indicators was proposed by coordinators (members of representative specialised transport units in Spain). Evaluation by selected transport specialists from participating units and SECIP (Society of Paediatric Intensive Care) and SENeo (Spanish Neonatology Society) work teams. Selection of definitive indicators by Delphi method according to relevance and feasibility. Results: A total of 35 quality indicators were included in the initial set. Evaluation was carried out by 22 specialists from seven transport teams. In a first round, four indicators were consensually included in the definitive list. Results for the rest of metrics and comments were sent to all participants, and after a second assessment, 11 other indicators reached enough consensus. After list accomplishment, a consensual final definition for every indicator was established. Conclusions: Using a consensual research method, a list of 15 common indicators was obtained, which may be used by specialised transport teams in our country, and by non-specialised clinics in charge of interhospital paediatric transport. It will allow individual performance to be assessed, as well as benchmarking, in order to find improvement opportunities and ensure the highest quality during interhospital transport. (AU)

Quality indicators in interhospital transport: Multicentre project.

INTRODUCTION: Interhospital transport is carried out by variable teams in different regions of our country, and this makes quality evaluation and benchmarking complicated. Project objective: Select and define a consensual list of quality measurement that may be used by national transport units, whether specialised or not. METHODS: Initial set of quality indicators was proposed by coordinators (members of representative specialised transport units in Spain). Evaluation by selected transport specialists from participating units and SECIP (Society of Paediatric Intensive Care) and SENeo (Spanish Neonatology Society) work teams. Selection of definitive indicators by Delphi method according to relevance and feasibility. RESULTS: A total of 35 quality indicators were included in the initial set. Evaluation was carried out by 22 specialists from 7 transport teams. In a first round, 4 indicators were consensually included in the definitive list. Results for the rest of metrics and comments were sent to all participants, and after a second assessment, 11 other indicators reached enough consensus. After list accomplishment, a consensual final definition for every indicator was established. CONCLUSIONS: Using a consensual research method, a list of 15 common indicators was obtained, which may be used by specialised transport teams in our country, and by non-specialised clinics in charge of interhospital paediatric transport. It will allow individual performance to be assessed, as well as benchmarking, in order to find improvement opportunities and ensure the highest quality during interhospital transport.

[Importance of specialized paediatric and neonatal transport. Current situation in Spain: Towards a more equitable and universal future]. / Importancia del transporte pediátrico y neonatal especializado. Situación actual en España: Hacia un futuro más equitativo y universal.

Specialized paediatric and neonatal transport is a useful and essential resource in the interhospital transfer of these patients. It allows bringing the material and personal resources of an intensive care unit closer to the regional hospitals where the patient can be found. The benefits of these teams are very well demonstrated in the literature. These units should be part of the emergency systems, while it would be recommended that they would be staff integrated in the tertiary hospitals, in order to maintain the necessary skills and competencies. The team, made up of physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians, must master both the pathophysiology of transport and that of the critical patient in this age range. A high-quality of both human and care is important, so continuous training and periodic recycling will be essential to be compliant with the quality indicators in transport. Likewise, it is essential to have specific vehicles adapted to this function, which allow carrying the wide variety of necessary material, as well as the electromedicine that is required. However, in Spain this paediatric and neonatal transport model is not standardized and, therefore, is not homogeneous: there are different models that do not always provide adequate quality, making it necessary to implement specialized units throughout the country to guarantee sanitary transport quality to any critical child or neonate.

Is a nasopharyngeal tube effective as interface to provide bi-level noninvasive ventilation?

BACKGROUND: The nasopharyngeal tube (NT) is a potential interface for noninvasive ventilation (NIV) available in all health care centers. The aim of the study was to describe our experience in the use of the NT for bi-level NIV in infants and its effectiveness. METHODS: Prospective observational study from January 2007 to December 2010, including all patients ≤ 6 months old admitted to the pediatric ICU (PICU) and treated with NIV with two levels of pressure using the NT. Clinical data collected before starting NIV, and at 2, 8, 12 and 24 h, were analyzed following NIV initiation: first-line or initial NIV (i-NIV), elective postextubation NIV (e-NIV), and rescue postextubation NIV (r-NIV). The need for intubation was considered to be NIV failure. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one episodes of NIV were included in the study, with 65% of patients having bronchiolitis. e-NIV was most frequently used (48%) (i-NIV 44%, r-NIV 8%), and the failure rate, 27% in total, was highest in the i-NIV group (37%) (e-NIV 18%, r-NIV 25%). Case patients with successful outcomes had shorter PICU stays (8.5 vs. 13 d, P = .001) and hospital stays (17 vs. 23 d, P = .03) stays. The NT needed to be changed for another interface in only 5 case patients, few complications (4 of 151 patients) were observed, and mortality (2 of 151 patients) was unrelated to NIV. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the NT showed 73% effectiveness, with few complications. The effectiveness was higher in e-NIV than i-NIV.