Economic consequences of over-diagnosis of threatened preterm labor.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether adherence to a cervical length-based protocol can reduce both unnecessary admissions and the socioeconomic costs associated with inappropriately admitted patients. METHODS: The present retrospective observational study included women admitted for threatened preterm labor (TPL) at 24-34 weeks of pregnancy to a tertiary hospital in the Canary Islands, 2009-2014. Data were reviewed from all patients admitted for TPL. Those with a long cervix (>25 mm) were classified as "inappropriate admissions", and both the economic burden based on diagnosis-related group (DRG) and the social costs associated with sick leave for these women were calculated. RESULTS: During the 6-year study period, 430 women were admitted for TPL. The rate of inappropriate hospital admissions was 45% in the first year, but was reduced to 23% in the final year (P<0.001); the premature delivery rates in these years did not differ (P=0.224). The mean DRG-based cost of the admission per patient with a long cervix was EU euros €2099. The total annual costs from inappropriate admission (both social security sick leave costs and hospital costs) were estimated to be up to €571 047.37 during the 6-year study period, and reduced from €60 420.76 in 2009 to €29 998.04 in 2014. CONCLUSION: Reductions in inappropriate admissions from applying cervical length-based management protocol could reduce healthcare costs without increasing the incidence of premature delivery.

Cost-effectiveness of cell-free DNA in maternal blood testing for prenatal detection of trisomy 21, 18 and 13: a systematic review.

The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of the analysis of cell-free DNA in maternal blood, often called the non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), in the prenatal screening of trisomy in chromosomes 21, 18 and 13. MEDLINE, MEDLINE in process, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched in April 2017. We selected: (1) economic evaluations that estimated the costs and detected cases of trisomy 21, 18 or 13; (2) comparisons of prenatal screening with NIPT (universal or contingent strategies) and the usual screening without NIPT, (3) in pregnant women with any risk of foetal anomalies. Studies were reviewed by two researchers. Data were extracted, the methodological quality was assessed and a narrative synthesis was prepared. In total, 12 studies were included, four of them performed in Europe. Three studies evaluated NIPT as a contingent test, three studies evaluated a universal NIPT, and six studies evaluated both. The results are heterogeneous, especially for the contingent NIPT where the results range from NIPT being dominant to a dominated strategy. Universal NIPT was found to be more effective but also costlier than the usual screening, with very high incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. One advantage of screening with NIPT is lower invasive procedure-related foetal losses than with usual screening. In conclusion, the cost-effectiveness of contingent NIPT is uncertain according to several studies, while the universal NIPT is not cost-effective currently.

Short and long term outcomes associated with fetal cholelithiasis: a report of two cases with antenatal diagnosis and postnatal follow-up.

The aims of this study were to present and discuss ultrasound findings of prenatal fetal cholelithiasis in two cases with different etiology and evolution. Case 1: a pregnant woman from sub-Saharan Africa, suffering from Lyme disease, was treated with ceftriaxone sodium. Six weeks later, biliary sludge associated with polyhydramnios was detected in the fetus and the fetal growth percentile was 14. Emergency caesarean was performed at 36 weeks of gestation due to fetal distress. Biliary sludge persists in the two-and-a-half-year-old child. Case 2: the fetus of a Caucasian woman with normal pregnancy showed multiple cholelithiasis associated with polyhydramnios at 31 weeks of gestation. At 39 weeks and 4 days, cesarean section was performed due to lack of dilation. The biliary disease resolved spontaneously at seven months of age, with no associated abnormalities. In conclusion, prenatal diagnosis of cholelithiasis is straightforward, but prognosis cannot be defined yet. Serious complications do not arise in 70% of cases, but severe diseases may ensue in 20%. Persistence of cholelithiasis after one year of age results in cholelithiasis in childhood and beyond. Biliary sludge is associated with worse prognosis than cholelithiasis when it appears before 28 weeks of gestation.

[The response of the intensive care units during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic: the experience in Chiapas, Mexico]. / La respuesta de la unidades de terapia intensiva frente a la pandemia de influenza AH1N1 2009: la experiencia en Chiapas, México.

Respiratory virus epidemics had highlighted the importance of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to save life of severe cases. ICU functioning and outcomes depends on infrastructure and trained healthcare personnel. In Chiapas, a Southern state in Mexico,an area to care for severe H1N1 cases on respiratory distress during the second H1N1-2009 outbreak, had to be habilitated.This had to be done without sufficient equipment and ICU un-experienced healthcare workers. It was possible to improve its performance through training and standardizing attention care processes for critically ill patients. In preparation for the next pandemic it is essential to designate hospitals with preexistent ICU where to refer severe cases and avoid improvisations.The experience in Chiapas showed that standardization of medical care processes are clue and in case of an overwhelming emergency it is possible to habilitate an ICU although it is imperative to take advantage from installed facilities in each city with the official authority.

La respuesta de la unidades de terapia intensiva frente a la pandemia de influenza AH1N1 2009: la experiencia en Chiapas, México / The response of the intensive care units during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic: The experience in Chiapas, Mexico

Las epidemias de virus respiratorios en la era moderna han destacado la importancia de las unidades de terapia intensiva (UTI) para salvar la vida de pacientes graves. El desempeño de la UTI depende mucho del equipamiento y del personal capacitado. En Chiapas, durante el segundo brote de influenza H1N1-2009, se habilitó un área para atender enfermos graves con insuficiente equipamiento y con personal sin experiencia en UTI. Se logró mejorar su desempeño con una capacitación para estandarizar los procesos de atención del paciente en estado crítico.En la preparación para una próxima pandemia es esencial identificar anticipadamente los hospitales con UTI donde referir los casos graves y evitar improvisaciones. La experiencia en Chiapas demuestra que la estandarización de los procesos de atención es clave,y que en caso de una emergencia avasalladora es posible habilitar unidades sin dejar de lado la importancia de aprovechar la infraestructura instalada de cada ciudad con una decisión de autoridad.

Respiratory virus epidemics had highlighted the importance of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to save life of severe cases. ICU functioning and outcomes depends on infrastructure and trained healthcare personnel. In Chiapas, a Southern state in Mexico,an area to care for severe H1N1 cases on respiratory distress during the second H1N1-2009 outbreak, had to be habilitated.This had to be done without sufficient equipment and ICU un-experienced healthcare workers. It was possible to improve its performance through training and standardizing attention care processes for critically ill patients. In preparation for the next pandemic it is essential to designate hospitals with preexistent ICU where to refer severe cases and avoid improvisations.The experience in Chiapas showed that standardization of medical care processes are clue and in case of an overwhelming emergency it is possible to habilitate an ICU although it is imperative to take advantage from installed facilities in each city with the official authority.

Determinants of organochlorine levels detectable in the amniotic fluid of women from Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain).

Organochlorines (OCs) tend to accumulate in human tissues and can be measured in amniotic fluid (AF). The detection of OCs in AF samples reflects intrauterine exposure of human beings to these persistent organic pollutants. The present study was performed to evaluate the level of contamination of AF by OCs in 100 pregnant women from Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify and quantify the analytes, including 7 polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners and 18 OC pesticides and metabolites. The majority of the AF samples (67%) showed some detectable OC-residue, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) being the most frequently detected compound (66% of the samples) and at the highest concentration (median 0.023 ng/ml). Lindane was also detected in 28% of the samples. Inverse associations were found between previous lactation and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCH) and cyclodienes in the group of younger women (p = 0.037 and p = 0.027, respectively). Unexpectedly, serum values of HCB (r = -0.414; p = 0.04), gamma-HCH (r = -0.294; p = 0.035), and SigmaOCs (r = -0.350; p = 0.014) were negatively related to age. Even more, women with detectable levels of HCH isomers were younger (33.9 +/- 4.9 years) than women with undetectable levels of them (36.1 +/- 4.9 years; p = 0.035). We conclude that approximately one in two fetuses in the Canary Islands is exposed to OCs in utero, and that, therefore, the exposure of young women from these Islands to some HCH isomers persists nowadays. Because prenatal exposure to these chemicals may be a causative factor in adverse health trends, further studies are required to enhance preventive measures.

Genetic counseling in a case of congenital hemivertebrae.

A case of in utero spondylothoracic dysostoses is diagnosed during a routine third trimester ultrasound scan in a low-risk patient. Ultrasound showed spine deformation, hemivertebrae and crab-like ribs. The newborn had no other associated anomalies except inguinal hernia, and karyotype was normal. Bidimensional and 3-4D ultrasound imaging as well as radiograph of the fetus and photos of the newborn are presented and discussed. Sporadic cases are difficult to diagnose and classify, as they are probably due to genetic heterogenicity. Sporadic cases of hemivertebrae are rare and not always lethal. Fetal ultrasound scan findings can help predict prognosis, enabling the parents' informed decision making.

Evolution and management of a hepatocellular carcinoma during pregnancy.

Coexistence of a hepatocellular carcinoma with pregnancy is extremely rare. The authors present the case of an African woman positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and referred to our hospital for suspected cervical incompetence in which a surgically unapproachable hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. The patient refused termination of pregnancy or liver transplantation because of religious beliefs. In this case, the authors had the opportunity to follow the growth of the mass throughout the pregnancy and puerperium.

Estradiol prevents neural tau hyperphosphorylation characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is three times more prevalent in women than men, and epidemiological studies have shown that estrogen replacement in aging women forestalls the onset of AD. Hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein that forms the neurofibrillary tangles found in AD brains might be responsible for the breakdown of microtubules in affected neurons. The mechanisms by which tau protein is phosphorylated in the AD brain are not fully understood. Using a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) and primary cultures of newborn male or female rat cerebral cortical neurons, we investigated the effect of 17beta-estradiol on tau protein expression and phosphorylation. We found that estradiol increased total tau and induced dephosphorylation at the proline-directed site of the molecule. Further, estradiol prevented okadaic acid-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau in both proline- and non-proline-directed sites, and antiestrogens blocked this effect. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an effect of estradiol on naturally occurring and induced tau phosphorylation. This assumes special significance because the estrogen action was found to be sexually dimorphic in rat cortical neurons and differentiation-sensitive in human neuroblastoma cells.

Tendencias de infecciones intrahospitalarias en un centro oncológico, 1986-1996 / Trends in nosocomial infections in an oncology center, 1986-1996

Objetivo. Describir los resultados de diez años de vigilancia de infecciones intrahospiralarias (II) en un centro oncológico. Material y métodos. Es un estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, del programa de vigilancia del Comité de Vigilancia y Control de Infecciones Intrahospitalarias del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, realizado en 1997. Se utilizaron los criterios de infección intrahospitararia por sitio propuestos por el Centro para la Prevención y el Control de Enfermedades de Atlanta, Georgia, de Estados Unidos de América, en 1972. De junio de 1986 a diciembre de 1996, se estudiaron 62 733 egresos. La vigilancia se realizó mediante la revisión de los expedientes de pacientes con fiebre, de aquellos que reciben antibióticos y de posoperados en los pisos de hospitalización y revisión de cultivos. Se calcularon las tasas de II por episodios/100 egresos. Resultados. La tasa de infecciones intrahospitalarias por 100 egresos fue de 4.4 en 1986; 7.7, en 1987; 8.1; 5.9, en 1989; 4.6, en 1990; 5.1, en 1991; 4.3 en 1992; 5.4, en 1993; 7.6, en 1994; 7.1 en 1995, y 8.5 en 1996. El germen más frecuentemente aislado en las II fue Escherichia coli. Los aislamientos de hongos y los de enterococo se incrementaron en casi siete veces desde 1987. Conclusiones. Se observó un incremento en la tas de infecciones hospitalarias en los últimos cuatro años. Al menos dos factores contribuyeron a esta tendencia: la aplicación de un sistema de vigilancia más experiemntando, el cual hizo que diminuyera el subregistro, y el aumento real en la frecuencias de tales infecciones.

Vigilancia de la infecciones de herida quirúrgica. Experiencia de 18 meses en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología / Surgical site infection surveillance at the National Cancer Institute

Objetivo. Conocer la frecuencia de infecciones quirúrgicas con un programa prospectivo de vigilancia de cirugías y seguimiento postegreso, en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, que es un hospital de tercer nivel de la Ciudad de México. Material y métodos. Durante 18 meses se captaron y se vigilaron todas las cirugías efectuadas en el hospital. Se calcularon las razones (por 100 cirugías) de infecciones de herida quirúrgica (IHQX) por servicio y por el grado de contaminación bacteriana. Se utilizaron las definiciones de IHQX del Centro para la Prevención y el Control de las Enfermedades de Estados Unidos de América (1992). Resultados. Se vigilaron 3 372 cirugías. Trescientos trece casos se infectaron: 140 (44.7 por ciento) fueron incisionales superficiales; 137 (43.7 por ciento), incicionales profundas, y 36 (11.5 por ciento), de órganos y espacios. La frecuencia de infecciones por servicio fue: gastroenterología, 14.13 por ciento; tumores de mama, 11.08 por ciento; piel y partes blandas, 10.98 por ciento; ginecología, 9.06 por ciento; urología, 7.38 por ciento; cabeza y cuello, 7.13 por ciento, y neumología, 1.81 por ciento. La IHQX ocurrió en promedio a los 11.6ñ6.23 días; 85 casos (27.16 por ciento) se diagnosticaron mientras el paciente estaba hospitalizado, y 228 (72.84 por ciento), después del egreso del paciente. Se obtuvo algún cultivo en 134 (42.8 por ciento) casos. Los gérmenes más comunes fueron: E. coli, 38 (22.5 por ciento); estafilococo coagulasa negativo, 23 (13.6 por ciento); Pseudomonas sp., 22 (13 por ciento); S. aureus, 16 (9.4 por ciento), y enterococos, 13 87.7 por ciento). Conclusiones. La vigilancia prospectiva de las cirugías con un seguimiento por 30 días aumentó hasta en 400 por ciento la posibilidad de detectar una IHQX. La frecuencia de IHQX en las cirugías limpias y limpias-contaminadas se encuentra por arriba de lo informado

Programa de vigilancia de infección de herida quirúrgica en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología / Wound infection surveillance program at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico

Objetivo: Conocer las tasas de incidencia de infección de herida quirúrgica (IHQX) y determinar los factores de riesgo asociados a ella. Metodología y diseño. En seis meses (01/01/93 a 30/06/93) se captaron y se siguieron 1,103 cirugía de manera prospectiva. Se estimaron tasas de incidencia de IHQX y se efectuó un análisis de casos y controles para conocer los factores de riesgo asociados a IHQX. Lugar. Centro oncológico de tercer nivel de atención. Resultados. La tasa de infección de IHQX fue de 9.0 por 100 cirugías. Los factores de riesgo asociados por análisis univariado fueron: obesidad (RM = 2.07 IC 95 por ciento = 1.19-3.64), presencia de algún adscrito a cirugía (RM = 1.50 IC 1.02-2.43), presencia de 1 drenaje (RM = 2.10 IC = 1.33-3.31), presencia de 2 drenajes (RM = 3.13 IC = 1.82-5.26), tiempo de permanencia del drenaje 1 (pacientes con IHQX: 15.2 ñ 6.7 días vs. pacientes sin IHQX: 8.2 ñ 6.6 días), duración de la cirugía (pacientes con IHQX: 2.9 ñ 6.4 vs. pacientes sin IHQX: 1.5 ñ 3.0 días). En el análisis de regresión logística los factores de riesgo asociados a IHQX fueron: obesidad (RM = 1.93 IC = 1.08-3.43), presencia de 2 drenajes (RM = 2.09 IC = 1.03 IC = 1.03 IC = 1.00-1.09). Conclusiones. La vigilancia prospectiva de los pacientes quirúrgicos durante el periodo de estudio hizo evidente el subregistro que existía de IHQX y permitió reconocer algunos de los factores de riesgo para IHQX en nuestra institución