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Journal Article; Pancreatic cancer remains an aggressive disease with a 5 year survival rate of 5%. Only 15% of patients with pancreatic cancer are eligible for radical surgery. Evidence suggests a benefit on survival with adjuvant chemotherapy (gemcitabine o fluourouracil) after R1/R0 resection. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is also a valid option in patients with positive margins. Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer is defined as the involvement of the mesenteric vasculature with a limited extension. These tumors are technically resectable, but with a high risk of positive margins. Neoadjuvant treatment represents the best option for achieving an R0 resection. In advanced disease, two new chemotherapy treatment schemes (Folfirinox or Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel) have showed improvements in overall survival compared with gemcitabine alone. Progress in pancreatic cancer treatment will require a better knowledge of the molecular biology of this disease, focusing on personalized cancer therapies in the near future. Yes

Journal Article; Multicenter Study; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; BACKGROUND Multiple sensitization is frequent among pollen-allergic patients. The goal of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the ImmunoCAP ISAC 112 (ISAC112) microarray in allergy to pollen from several taxa and its clinical utility in a Spanish population. METHODS Specific IgE was determined in 390 pollen-allergic patients using the ISAC112 microarray. Diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the ROC curve) was calculated for the diagnosis of allergy to pollen from grass (n=49), cypress (n=75), olive tree (n=33), plane tree (n=63), and pellitory of the wall (n=17) and compared with that of the singleplex ImmunoCAP immunoassay. RESULTS The sensitivity of the ISAC112 microarray ranged from 68.2% for allergy to plane tree pollen to 93.9% for allergy to grass pollen. The specificity was >90%. The AUC for the diagnosis of allergy to plane tree pollen was 0.798, whereas the AUC for the remaining cases was ≥0.876. The accuracy of ISAC112 was higher than that of ImmunoCAP for plane tree pollen and similar for the remaining pollens. The frequency of sensitization to most species-specific allergenic components and profilins varied between the different geographical regions studied. A total of 73% of pollen-allergic patients were sensitized to species-specific components of more than 1 pollen type. CONCLUSIONS The ISAC112 microarray is an accurate tool for the diagnosis of allergy to pollen from grass, cypress, olive tree, plane tree, and pellitory of the wall. The features of the ISAC112 microarray are similar or superior (in the case of plane tree pollen) to those of ImmunoCAP. This microarray is particularly useful for the etiologic diagnosis of pollinosis in patients sensitized to multiple pollen species whose pollination periods overlap. Yes

English Abstract; Journal Article; BACKGROUND The suicide mortality rate in Andalusia is higher than the Spanish average, and it shows a different evolution over time. This study analyzes recent changes of suicide mortality in Andalusia, its geographical distribution and its relation with antidepressant use, altitude and socioeconomic inequality. METHODS An ecological study of the Basic Health Zones in Andalusia has been conducted. Age-standarized suicide rates in 2012 and during 2007-2011 were calculated. The correlation among variables and their association with the geographical differences was assessed with Spearman's coefficient and generalized linear models were also estimated. RESULTS Andalusia registered 7,58 suicides per 100.000 inhabitants per year from 2007 to 2011, with a range of 0,96 to 27,71 in the different areas. Positive correlation has been observed between altitude and suicide rates in 2012 (r=0,29; p

There is an increasing trend in the incidence of cancer worldwide, and it has been accepted that environmental factors account for an important proportion of the global burden. The present paper reports preliminary findings on the influence of the historical exposure to a group of persistent organic pollutants on total cancer risk, at year 9 in the follow-up of a cohort from Southern Spain. A cohort of 368 participants (median age 51 years) was recruited in 2003. Their historical exposure was estimated by analyzing residues of persistent organic pollutants in adipose tissue. Estimation of cancer incidence was based on data from a population-based cancer registry. Statistical analyses were performed using multivariable Cox-regression models. In males, PCB 153 concentrations were positively associated with total cancer risk, with an adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.20 (1.01–1.41) for an increment of 100 ng/g lipid. Our preliminary findings suggest a potential relationship between the historical exposure to persistent organic pollutants and the risk of cancer in men. However, these results should be interpreted with caution and require verification during the future follow-up of this cohort., This study was supported in part by research grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS 02/974, EUS2008-03574), CIBER de Epidemiología; Junta de Andalucía (01/264, P09-CTS-5488 Project of Excellence, PI-0675-2010, and PI-0513-2012), and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS PI11/0610).

The high prevalence of disease-related hospital malnutrition justifies the need for screening tools and early detection in patients at risk for malnutrition, followed by an assessment targeted towards diagnosis and treatment. At the same time there is clear undercoding of malnutrition diagnoses and the procedures to correct it Objectives: To describe the INFORNUT program/ process and its development as an information system. To quantify performance in its different phases. To cite other tools used as a coding source. To calculate the coding rates for malnutrition diagnoses and related procedures. To show the relationship to Mean Stay, Mortality Rate and Urgent Readmission; as well as to quantify its impact on the hospital Complexity Index and its effect on the justification of Hospitalization Costs.The INFORNUT® process is based on an automated screening program of systematic detection and early identification of malnourished patients on hospital admission, as well as their assessment, diagnoses, documentation and reporting. Of total readmissions with stays longer than three days incurred in 2008 and 2010, we recorded patients who underwent analytical screening with an alert for a medium or high risk of malnutrition, as well as the subgroup of patients in whom we were able to administer the complete INFORNUT® process, generating a report for each. Other documentary coding sources are cited. From the Minimum Basic Data Set, codes defined in the SEDOMSENPE consensus were analyzed. The data were processed with the Alcor-DRG program. Rates in ‰ of discharges for 2009 and 2010 of diagnoses of malnutrition, procedure and procedures-related diagnoses were calculated. These rates were compared with the mean rates in Andalusia. The contribution of these codes to the Complexity Index was estimated and, from the cost accounting data, the fraction of the hospitalization cost seen as justified by this activity was estimated.RESULTS are summarized for both study years. With respect to process performance, more than 3,600 patients per year (30% of admissions with a stay3 days) underwent analytical screening. Half of these patients were at medium or high risk and a nutritional assessment using INFORNUT® was completed for 55% of them, generating approximately 1,000 reports/year. Our coding rates exceeded the mean rates in Andalusia, being 3.5 times higher for diagnoses (35‰); 2.5 times higher for procedures (50‰) and five times the rate of procedurerelated diagnoses in the same patient (25‰). The Mean Stay of patients coded with malnutrition at discharge was 31.7 days, compared to 9.5 for the overall hospital stay. The Mortality Rate for the same patients (21.8%) was almost five times higher than the mean and Urgent Readmissions (5.5%) were 1.9 times higher. The impact of this coding on the hospital Complexity Index was four hundredths (from 2.08 to 2.12 in 2009 and 2.15 to 2.19 in 2010). This translates into a hospitalization cost justification of 2,000,000; five to six times the cost of artificial nutrition.The process facilitated access to the diagnosis of malnutrition and to understanding the risk of developing it, as well as to the prescription of procedures and/or supplements to correct it. The interdisciplinary team coordination, the participatory process and the tools used improved coding rates to give results far above the Andalusian mean. These results help to upwardly adjust the hospital Complexity Index or Case Mix-, as well as to explain hospitalization costs.Introducción: La alta prevalencia de desnutrición hospitalaria relacionada con la enfermedad justifica la necesidad de herramientas de cribado y detección precoz de los pacientes en riesgo de desnutrición, seguido de una valoración encaminada a su diagnóstico y tratamiento. Existe asimismo una manifiesta infracodificación de los diagnósticos de desnutrición y los procedimientos para revertirla. Objetivos: Describir el programa/proceso INFORNUT ® y su desarrollo como sistema de información. Cuantificar el rendimiento en sus diferentes fases. Citar otras herramientas utilizadas como fuente de codificación. Calcular las tasas de codificación de diagnósticos de desnutrición y procedimientos relacionados. Mostrar su relación con Estancia Media, Tasas de Mortalidad y Reingreso urgente; así como cuantificar su impacto en el Índice de Complejidad hospitalario y su efecto en justificación de Costes de Hospitalización. Material y métodos: El proceso INFORNUT® se basa en un programa de cribado automatizado de detección sistemática e identificación precoz de pacientes desnutridos al ingreso hospitalario, así como de su valoración, diagnóstico, documentación e informe. Sobre el total de ingresos con estancias mayores de tres días habidos en los años 2008 y 2010, se contabilizaron pacientes objeto de cribado analítico con alerta de riesgo medio o alto de desnutrición, así como el subgrupo de pacientes a los que se les pudo completar en su totalidad el proceso INFORNUT® llegando al informe por paciente. Se citan otras fuentes documentales de codificación. Del Conjunto Mínimo de la Ba se de Datos se analizaron los códigos definidos en consenso SENPE-SEDOM. Los datos se procesaron con el programa Alcor-GRD. Se calcularon las tasas en ‰ altas dadas para los años 2009 y 2010 de diagnósticos de desnutrición, procedimientos y diagnósticos asociados a procedimientos. Se compararon dichas tasas con las tasas medias de la comunidad andaluza. Se estimó la contribución de dichos códigos en el Índice de Complejidad y, a partir de los datos de contabilidad analítica, se estimó la fracción del coste de hospitalización que se ve justificada por esta actividad. Resultados: Resumimos aquí un resultado para ambos años estudiados. En cuanto al rendimiento del proceso, más de 3.600 pacientes por año (30% de los ingresos con estancia3 días) fueron objeto de cribado analítico. La mitad de ellos resultaron de riesgo medio o alto, de los cuales al 55 % se les completó una valoración nutricional mediante INFORNUT®, obteniéndose unos 1.000 informes/ año. Nuestras tasas de codificación superaron a las tasas medias de Andalucía, siendo 3,5 veces superior en diagnósticos (35 ‰); 2,5 veces en procedimientos (50 ‰) y quintuplicando la tasa de diagnósticos asociados a procedimientos en el mismo paciente (25 ‰). La Estancia Media de los pacientes codificados al alta de desnutrición fue de 31,7 días, frente a los 9,5 de global hospitalaria. La Tasa de Mortalidad para los mismos (21,8 %) fue casi cinco veces superior a la media y la de Reingresos “urgentes” (5,5 %) resultó 1,9 veces superior. El impacto de dicha codificación en el Índice de Complejidad hospitalario fue de cuatro centésimas (de 2,08 a 2,12 en 2009 y de 2,15 a 2,19 en 2010). Esto se traduce en una justificación de costes de hospitalización por 2.000.000 ; cinco a seis veces el coste de la nutrición artificial. Conclusiones: El proceso ha facilitado el acceso al diagnóstico de la desnutrición o al conocimiento del riesgo de padecerla, así como a la prescripción de los procedimientos y/o suplementos para remediarla. La coordinación interdisciplinar del equipo, lo participativo del proceso y las herramientas utilizadas mejoran las tasas de codificación hasta resultados muy por encima de la media andaluza. Estos resultados contribuyen a ajustar al alza el IC hospitalario, así como a la justificación de costes de hospitalización.

English Abstract; Journal Article; Validation Studies; BACKGROUND Job satisfaction of nurses is a determinant factor in the quality and organizational adaptation of clinical management models in the current socio-economic context. The aim of this study was to construct and validate a questionnaire to measure job satisfaction of nurses in the Clinical Management Units in the Andalusian Public Health System. METHODS Clinimetric and cross-sectional study with a sample of 314 nurses of two university hospitals from Seville. Nurses were surveyed in 2011, from March to June. We used the Font Roja questionnaire adapted to our study variables. We performed analyses of correlations, reliability and construct validity, using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the a priori model. RESULTS The end questionnaire consists of 10 items, whose internal consistency was 0.75, with a percentage of variance explaining of 63.67%. CFA confirmed 4 dimensions (work environment, work relationships, motivation, and recognition): significant χ2 (p < .001); χ2/gl = 2.013; GFI= 0.958, RMR = 0.055 y RMSEA = 0.057; AGFI = 0.927, NFI = 0.878, TLI = 0.902, CFI =0.933 e IFI = 0.935; AIC = 132.486 y ECVI = 0.423. CONCLUSION This new questionnaire (G_Clinic) improves clinimetric values of the Font Roja questionnaire, because it reduces the number of items, improves the reliability of the dimensions, increases the value of variance explained, and allows knowing job satisfaction of nurses in clinical managementt. Yes Fundamentos: La satisfacción laboral de los profesionales de enfermería es un factor determinante en la calidad y adaptación organizativa de los modelos de gestión clínica en el actual contexto socioeconómico. El objetivo del estudio fue construir y validar un cuestionario para conocer el nivel de satisfacción laboral de los profesionales enfermeros en las Unidades de Gestión Clínica en el Sistema Sanitario Público Andaluz. Métodos: Estudio clinimétrico y transversal, tomando como muestra a 314 profesionales de enfermería pertenecientes a los Hospitales Universitarios Virgen del Rocío y Virgen Macarena de Sevilla. Las encuestas se realizaron en 2011, entre los meses de marzo a junio. Se utilizó como base el cuestionario Font Roja adaptado a las variables de nuestra investigación. Se realizó el análisis de correlaciones, fiabilidad, validez de constructo mediante Análisis Factorial Exploratorio (AFE) y Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) para comprobar el modelo apriorístico. Resultados: Se construyó un cuestionario con 10 ítems, cuya consistencia interna es de 0,75 con un porcentaje explicativo de la varianza del 63,67%. El AFC corroboró 4 dimensiones (clima laboral, relaciones laborales, motivación y reconocimiento): χ2 significativo (p < .001); χ2/gl = 2.013; GFI= 0.958, RMR = 0.055 y RMSEA = 0.057; AGFI = 0.927, NFI = 0.878, TLI = 0.902, CFI = 0.933 e IFI = 0.935; AIC = 132.486 y ECVI = 0.423. Conclusiones: Este nuevo cuestionario (G_Clinic) mejora los valores del cuestionario Font Roja, ya que disminuye el número de ítems, mejora la fiabilidad de cada una de las dimensiones, aumenta el valor de la varianza explicada y posibilita conocer la satisfacción de los profesionales de enfermería en la gestión clínica.

Purpose. To survey the management of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD) in Spain.Methods. An observational retrospective multicenter study was conducted. The variables analyzed were sociodemographic characteristics, foveal and macular thickness, visual acuity (VA), type of treatment, number of injections, and the initial administration of a loading dose of an antiangiogenic drug.Results. 208 patients were followed up during 23.4 months in average. During the first and second years, patients received a mean of4.5±1.8and1.6±2.1injections of antiangiogenic drugs, and5.4±2.8and3.6±2.2follow-up visits were performed, respectively. The highest improvement in VA was observed at 3 months of follow-up, followed by a decrease in the response that stabilized above baseline values until the end of the study. Patients who received an initial loading dose presented greater VA gains than those without.Conclusions. Our results suggest the need for a more standardized approach in the management and diagnosis of nvAMD receiving VEGF inhibitors. To achieve the visual outcomes reported in pivotal trials, an early diagnosis, proactive approach (more treating than follow-up visits), and a close monitoring might be the key to successfully manage nvAMD.

English Abstract; Journal Article; Multicenter Study; BACKGROUND It has been identified differences of medical care practice in primary care related to physician's sex. Simultaneously, there are gender inequalities in the assignment of health resources. Both aspects give rise to an increasing growing interest in the management and provision of health services. OBJECTIVES To examine the differences in the referral practice made by female and male primary care physicians working in health centers in Andalusia, to consider whether there are disparities in referrals received by men and women, and to examine the interaction between patient's sex and physician's sex. METHODS Observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study. POPULATION 4 health districts in Andalucía and their physicians. SAMPLE 382 physicians. MEASUREMENTS referral rate per visit (RV), referral rate per patient quota (RQ), patient's sex, physician: sex, age, postgraduate family medicine specialty, size of the patient quota by sex, mean number of patients/day by sex, mean age of the patient quota by sex, and proportion of men in the quota. Health center: urban / rural, size of the team, enrolled population, and postgraduate family medicine specialty's accreditation. SOURCES databases of health districts. PERIOD OF STUDY 2010. ANALYSIS Bivariate and multivariate multilevel analysis of the referral rate per visit with mixed Poisson model. RESULTS In 2010 382 physicians made 129,161 referrals to specialized care. The RQ was 23.47 and the RV was 4.92. The RQ in women and men was 27.23 and 19.78 for women physicians, being 27.37 and 19.51 for male physicians. The RV in women and men was 4.92 and 5.48 for women physicians, being 4.54 and 4.93 for male physicians. CONCLUSION There are no differences in referral according to physician's sex. However, there are signs that might indicate the existence of gender inequality, and women patient received less referrals. There are no physician-patient's sex interaction. Fundamentos: En atención primaria se han identificado diferencias de práctica según sexo del profesional y, simultáneamente, existen desigualdades de género en la asignación de recursos sanitarios, aspectos ambos que suscitan un interés creciente en la gestión y provisión de servicios de salud. El objetivo del estudio es conocer si existen diferencias de práctica en las derivaciones sanitarias realizadas por médicas y médicos de familia (MF) de centros de salud de Andalucía, si existen desigualdades en las derivaciones recibidas por hombres y mujeres, y si existe interacción sexo de profesional sexo de paciente. Métodos: Estudio transversal y multicéntrico. Población: MF de 4 distritos sanitarios (DDSS). Muestra: 382 MF. Variables: tasa de derivaciones por visita (TDxV), tasa de derivaciones por cupo (TDxC), sexo de paciente; sexo, edad, y formación postgraduada en medicina familiar de MF, tamaño del cupo por sexo, media de visitas/paciente por sexo, edad media del cupo por sexo, y proporción de hombres en el cupo; centro de salud urbano/rural, tamaño del equipo, población adscrita y acreditación docente. Fuentes: bases de datos de los DDSS. Análisis estadístico: descriptivo. Bivariante y multivariante mediante análisis multinivel de la TDxV con modelo mixto de Poisson. Resultados: En 2010 los/as 382 MF realizaron 129.161 derivaciones a especialistas. La TDxC fue 23,47 y la TDxV es 4,92. Las TDxC de las médicas fue 27,23 en mujeres y 19,78 en hombres y las de los médicos 27,37 en mujeres y 19,51 en hombres. La TDxV de las médicas fueron 4,92 en mujeres y 5,48 en hombres y para los médicos 4,54 y 4,93 respectivamente. Conclusiones: No existen diferencias en las derivaciones según sexo de MF, sin embargo, existen indicios de que las mujeres son menos derivadas. No existe interacción sexo profesional-sexo paciente. Yes

English Abstract; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review; The impact on health of alcohol in a given society is mainly related with the volume and pattern of drinking, and these are related with individual factors, but also with environmental factors, among which public policies are important determinants. Public policies may favour or reduce alcohol use, and thus have a substantial preventive capacity. The effectiveness of policies to prevent the harm caused by alcohol has been reviewed in recent documents, which provide evidence to extract recommendations. This paper reviews the most effective policies to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, with an emphasis in the use of taxes to increase its cost, availability regulation, and policies on drinking and driving. The regulation of alcohol promotion and publicity is also assessed, as well as the detection and treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence. The state of alcohol related policies in Spain is analysed, as well as the obstacles, for the adoption of policies more prone to prevention, and recommendations for the future are made. Yes

Journal Article; Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Patients from a previous study of neuropathic pain (NP) in the Spanish primary care setting still had symptoms despite treatment. Subsequently, patients were treated as prescribed by their physician and followed up for 3 months. Since pregabalin has been shown to be effective in NP, including refractory cases, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of pregabalin therapy in patients with NP refractory to previous treatments. METHODS This was a post hoc analysis of pregabalin-naïve NP patients treated with pregabalin in a 3-month follow-up observational multicenter study to assess symptoms and satisfaction with treatment. Patients were evaluated with the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the Treatment Satisfaction for Medication Questionnaire (SATMED-Q) overall satisfaction domain. RESULTS 1,670 patients (mean age 58 years, 59 % women), previously untreated or treated with ≥1 drug other than pregabalin, were treated with pregabalin (37 % on monotherapy). At 3 months, pain intensity and its interference with activities decreased by half (p

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a major public health problems, according to WHO, is the leading cause of death, when it affects the group of hospitalized patients, making denominating separate entity "hospital malnutrition". OBJECTIVES: The overall objective is to quantify the main diagnoses frequently high, causing exitus, with secondary diagnosis of malnutrition. METHODS: This is a descriptive study, which included all hospital discharges in 2011 and first half of 2012, which have been exitus and whose secondary diagnosis of malnutrition, with the total of 33. We performed a descriptive analysis, effected the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The most frequent main diagnoses among 33 analyzed are high sepsis (12.1%), liver metastases (9.1%), pneumonia (6.1%), acute respiratory failure (6.1%) and renal acute renal (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the most frequent primary diagnosis of sepsis, by grouping the diagnoses, the most frequent DRG is respiratory disease, so it has to make comprehensive and quality coding to adjust the relative weight of the same reality. It is essential to specify the source of clinical information used for coding, the degree of malnutrition, for greater specificity in the data. Yes Introducción: La desnutrición constituye uno de los principales problemas de Salud Pública, según datos de la OMS, es la primera causa de mortalidad, cuando la misma afecta al colectivo de los sujetos hospitalizados, toma entidad propia denominándose “desnutrición hospitalaria”. Objetivos: El objetivo general es cuantificar los diagnósticos principales de alta más frecuentes, que causan exitus, con el diagnóstico secundario de desnutrición. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio transversal y descriptivo, en el que se han incluido todas las altas hospitalarias del año 2011 y primer semestre de 2012, que han sido exitus y que tienen como diagnóstico secundario la desnutrición, siendo el total de 33. Se ha realizado un análisis estadístico descriptivo, efectuándose el test de Mann-Whitney para pruebas no paramétricas (p < 0,05). Resultados: Los diagnósticos principales más frecuentes entre las 33 altas analizadas son la sepsis (12,1%), metástasis hepáticas (9,1%), neumonía (6,1%), insuficiencia respiratoria aguda (6,1%) e insuficiencia renal aguda (6,1%). Conclusiones: Aunque el diagnóstico principal más frecuente es la sepsis, al agrupar los diagnósticos, el GRD más frecuente es de patología respiratoria, por lo que se ha de hacer codificación exhaustiva y de calidad para ajustar el peso relativo de los mismos a la realidad. Es fundamental especificar en la fuente de información clínica utilizada para la codificación, el grado de desnutrición, para obtener mayor especificidad en los datos.

[Resumen] Fundamento: Tocilizumab (TCZ) fue superior a adalimumab (ADA) en monoterapia en la reducción de los signos y síntomas de la artritis reumatoide del adulto (AR) en pacientes intolerantes o con respuesta inadecuada a metotrexato (MTX). El objetivo del estudio fue analizar el coste-efectividad de TCZ vs ADA en estos pacientes. Métodos: Evaluación económica del coste por respuesta o remisión con TCZ vs ADA a partir del estudio ADACTA (horizonte temporal: 24 semanas). Criterios de respuesta clínica ACR o de remisión de la enfermedad, índice DAS28. Ámbito: Sistema Nacional de Salud. Los costes incluidos (adquisición, administración y monitorización de los medicamentos en € de 2012) se obtuvieron de fuentes españolas. Se efectuaron análisis de sensibilidad simples univariantes. Resultados: Las tasas de respuesta ACR20, ACR50 y ACR70 con TCZ y ADA se obtuvieron en el 65% y 49,4% (p

The last published figures have shown geographical variations in mortality with respect to female breast cancer in European countries. However, national health policies need a dynamic image of the geographical variations within the country. The aim of this paper was to describe the spatial distribution of age-specific mortality rates from female breast cancer in the municipalities of Andalusia (southern Spain) and to analyze its evolution over time from 1981 to 2012. An ecological study was devised. Two spatio-temporal hierarchical Bayesian models were estimated. One of these was used to estimate the age-specific mortality rate for each municipality, together with its time trends, and the other was used to estimate the age-specific rate ratio compared with Spain as a whole. The results showed that 98% of the municipalities exhibited a decreasing or a flat mortality trend for all the age groups. In 2012, the geographical variability of the age-specific mortality rates was small, especially for population groups below 65. In addition, more than 96.6% of the municipalities showed an age-specific mortality rate similar to the corresponding rate for Spain, and there were no identified significant clusters. This information will contribute towards a reflection on the past, present and future of breast cancer outcomes in Andalusia Yes

Journal Article; Ethical approval The study coordinator presented the study protocol (protocol code: FIBICO-0015/01017-2015) to the Coordinating Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research in Andalusia for evaluation and obtained approval (240-2819-05/15). In April 2015, the Spanish National Health System (SNHS) developed a national strategic plan for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Our aim was to analyze the impact of this on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients included in the HERACLES cohort during the first 6 months of its implementation. The HERACLES cohort (NCT02511496) was set up in March 2015 to evaluate the status and follow-up of chronic HCV infection in patients co-infected with HIV in the south of Spain. In September 2015, the data were analyzed to identify clinical events (death, liver decompensation, and liver fibrosis progression) and rate of treatment implementation in this population. The study population comprised a total of 3474 HIV/HCV co-infected patients. The distribution according to liver fibrosis stage was: 1152 F0-F1 (33.2 %); 513 F2 (14.4 %); 641 F3 (18.2 %); 761 F4 (21.9 %); and 407 whose liver fibrosis was not measured (12.3 %). During follow-up, 248 patients progressed by at least one fibrosis stage [7.1 %; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 6.3-8 %]. Among cirrhotic patients, 52 (6.8 %; 95 % CI: 5.2-8.9 %) developed hepatic decompensation. In the overall population, 50 patients died (1.4 %; 95 % CI: 1.1-1.9 %). Eight hundred and nineteen patients (23.56 %) initiated interferon (IFN)-free treatment during follow-up, of which 47.8 % were cirrhotic. In our study, during 6 months of follow-up, 23.56 % of HIV/HCV co-infected patients included in our cohort received HCV treatment. However, we observed a high incidence of negative short-term outcomes in our population. Yes

This article is based on the Plenary Lecture given by Prof Bernat Soria during the 15th EAHIL Conference “Knowledge, Research, Innovation... eHealth!” which took place in Seville, Spain, on 6-11 June 2016. The paper examines the strategic value of knowledge in a healthcare system and the importance of health librarians. Yes

[Background] Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (AHCVI) outbreaks have been described recently within defined areas worldwide among HIV-infected homosexual men. This study aims to describe the cumulative frequency and incidence of firstly acquired AHCVI in an HIV-infected population in Southern Spain., [Methods] This is a retrospective study conducted at the Infectious Diseases Units of eight hospitals in Andalusia, Southern Spain. Primary AHC was considered as HCV immunoglobulin G antibody seroconversion. The time of infection was considered the moment between the last negative and the first positive HCV antibody determination., [Results] A total of 23 cases of primary AHCVI have been detected from 2000 to 2014. Incidence rates [IR; 95 % confidence interval (CI)] were 0.036 (2.272–0.054) per 100 person-years (py) in the overall population over a follow-up period of 64170 py. Of the 22 (95.7 %) male subjects, 21 (95.5 %) had acquired AHCVI by homosexual contact, the IR (95 % CI) was 0.039 (0.024–0.06) per 100 py in this subpopulation. There was no evidence of an increase of AHCVI IR. The incidence of AHCVI was slightly lower between 2000 and 2004 as compared to 2005–2009 [IR ratio (IRR) of 8.8 (95 % CI: 1.279–378.794; p = 0.01)] but reached a plateau afterwards [IRR between 2010 and 2014 versus 2005–2009: 0.727 (0.286–1.848; p = 0.5)]. The median (Q1-Q3) time between the last negative anti-HCV and the first positive anti-HCV determination was 4.7 (1.9–11.2) months. Peak (Q1-Q3) ALT and total bilirubin values during AHCVI were 496 (291–656) IU/mL and 1.15 (0.9–1.98) mg/dL, respectively., [Conclusions] In contrast to what has been reported from other areas, the incidence of primary AHCVI in the HIV-infected population is stable in Southern Spain and there is no evidence of an epidemic, in spite of the high prevalence of HIV/HCV-coinfection in this area., This work has been partially funded by the RD12/0017/0012 project as part of the Plan Nacional R + D + I and cofinanced by ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación, the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number PI15/01124). K.N. is the recipient of a Miguel Servet research grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number CP13/00187). J.M. is the recipient of a grant from the Servicio Andaluz de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (grant number B-0037). J.A.P. is recipient of an intensification grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number Programa-I3SNS).

Behcet's disease (BD) is an immuno-mediated vasculitis in which knowledge of its etiology and genetic basis is limited. To improve the current knowledge, a genetic analysis performed with the Immunochip platform was carried out in a population from Spain. A discovery cohort comprising 278 BD cases and 1,517 unaffected controls were genotyped using the Immunochip platform. The validation step was performed on an independent replication cohort composed of 130 BD cases and 600 additional controls. The strongest association signals were observed in the HLA class I region, being HLA-B*51 the highest peak (overall P = 6.82E-32, OR = 3.82). A step-wise conditional logistic regression with classical alleles identified HLA-B*57 and HLA-A*03 as additional independent markers. The amino acid model that best explained the association, includes the position 97 of the HLA-B molecule and the position 66 of the HLA-A. Among the non-HLA loci, the most significant in the discovery analysis were: IL23R (rs10889664: P = 3.81E-12, OR = 2.00), the JRKL/CNTN5 region (rs2848479: P = 5.00E-08, OR = 1.68) and IL12A (rs1874886: P = 6.67E-08, OR = 1.72), which were confirmed in the validation phase (JRKL/CNTN5 rs2848479: P = 3.29E-10, OR = 1.66; IL12A rs1874886: P = 1.62E-08, OR = 1.61). Our results confirm HLA-B*51 as a primary-association marker in predisposition to BD and suggest additional independent signals within the class I region, specifically in the genes HLA-A and HLA-B. Regarding the non-HLA genes, in addition to IL-23R, previously reported in our population; IL12A, described in other populations, was found to be a BD susceptibility factor also in Spaniards; finally, a new associated locus was found in the JRKL/CNTN5 region., This work was supported by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII, 13/01118), Fondos FEDER and Plan Andaluz de Investigación (CTS-0197). LOF is the recipient of a fellowship (ISCIII, FI11/00547) and FDC was funded by the RETICS Program (RIER, ISCIII, RD12/0009/0013). Instituto de Salud Carlos III Junta de Andalucía Red de Investigación en Inflamación y Enfermedades Reumáticas (España) RIER

Background: In Spain, several ecological studies have analyzed trends in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from all causes in urban areas over time. However, the results of these studies are quite heterogeneous finding, in general, that inequalities decreased, or remained stable. Therefore, the objectives of this study are: (1) to identify trends in geographical inequalities in all-cause mortality in the census tracts of 33 Spanish cities between the two periods 1996–1998 and 2005–2007; (2) to analyse trends in the relationship between these geographical inequalities and socioeconomic deprivation; and (3) to obtain an overall measure which summarises the relationship found in each one of the cities and to analyse its variation over time. Methods: Ecological study of trends with 2 cross-sectional cuts, corresponding to two periods of analysis: 1996– 1998 and 2005–2007. Units of analysis were census tracts of the 33 Spanish cities. A deprivation index calculated for each census tracts in all cities was included as a covariate. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate smoothed Standardized Mortality Ratios (sSMR) by each census tract and period. The geographical distribution of these sSMR was represented using maps of septiles. In addition, two different Bayesian hierarchical models were used to measure the association between all-cause mortality and the deprivation index in each city and period, and by sex: (1) including the association as a fixed effect for each city; (2) including the association as random effects. In both models the data spatial structure can be controlled within each city. The association in each city was measured using relative risks (RR) and their 95 % credible intervals (95 % CI). Results: For most cities and in both sexes, mortality rates decline over time. For women, the mortality and deprivation patterns are similar in the first period, while in the second they are different for most cities. For men, RRs remain stable over time in 29 cities, in 3 diminish and in 1 increase. For women, in 30 cities, a non-significant change over time in RR is observed. However, in 4 cities RR diminishes. In overall terms, inequalities decrease (with a probability of 0.9) in both men (RR = 1.13, 95 % CI = 1.12–1.15 in the 1st period; RR = 1.11, 95 % CI = 1.09–1.13 in the 2nd period) and women (RR = 1.07, 95 % CI = 1.05–1.08 in the 1st period; RR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.02–1.06 in the 2nd period). Conclusions: In the future, it is important to conduct further trend studies, allowing to monitoring trends in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality and to identify (among other things) temporal factors that may influence these inequalities This article was partially funded by Plan Nacional de I + D + I 2008–2011 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) –Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación- (Award numbers: PI081488, PI081978, PI080367, PI08/1017, PI080330, P08/0142, PI081785, PI080662, PI081713, PI081058, PI081340, PI080803, PI126/08), Fundación Canaria de Investigación Sanitaria FUNCIS 84/07 and by CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP) SI

Journal Article; PURPOSE To define importance values assigned to attributes of biological agents (BAs) by Spanish patients with rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis) and rheumatologists. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was an observational, cross-sectional design based upon a rank-based full-profile conjoint analysis. A literature review and four focus groups were undertaken to identify attributes and levels. An orthogonal matrix, combining the selected levels of attributes, was used to define scenarios. Participants ranked eight scenarios from 1 (most preferred) to 8 (least preferred). The relative importance (RI) of attributes was calculated. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify the characteristics that influenced the values of RI. A total of 488 patients (male 50.9%, mean age 50.6 [standard deviation {SD} 12.06] years, rheumatoid arthritis 33.8%, ankylosing spondylitis 32.4%, psoriatic arthritis 33.8%; mean time since diagnosis 12.6 [SD 8.2] years) and 136 rheumatologists (male 50.4%, mean age 46.4 [SD 9.1] years, mean time of practice 16.7 [SD 8.8] years) participated. RESULTS The ideal BAs for patients and physicians, respectively, should allow pain relief and improvement of functional capacity (RI 39% and 44.7%), with low risk of adverse events (RI 24.9% and 30.5%), a long time prior to perceiving the need for a new dose (RI 16.4% and 12.4%), and self-administration at home (RI 19.7% and 12.5%), as identified through their preferences. CONCLUSION Although efficacy and safety are paramount for patients and rheumatologists to make a choice regarding BAs, the need for a low frequency of administration and the administration method also play a role as preference attributes for BAs. Yes

Patients infected with these bacteria were more likely to have local endovascular complications., We investigated the prognostic role of high MICs for antistaphylococcal agents in patients with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus catheter-related bloodstream infection (MSSA CRBSI). We prospectively reviewed 83 episodes from 5 centers in Spain during April 2011–June 2014 that had optimized clinical management and analyzed the relationship between E-test MICs for vancomycin, daptomycin, oxacillin, and linezolid and development of complicated bacteremia by using multivariate analysis. Complicated MSSA CRBSI occurred in 26 (31.3%) patients; MICs for vancomycin and daptomycin were higher in these patients (optimal cutoff values for predictive accuracy = 1.5 μg/mL and 0.5 μg/mL). High MICs for vancomycin (hazard ratio 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–5.5) and daptomycin (hazard ratio 2.4, 95% CI 1.1–5.9) were independent risk factors for development of complicated MSSA CRBSI. Our data suggest that patients with MSSA CRBSI caused by strains that have high MICs for vancomycin or daptomycin are at increased risk for complications.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of transaminase elevations (TE) and total bilirubin elevations (TBE) during the first year of therapy with a single tablet regimen including RPV/FTC/TDF (EPA) in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected subjects in clinical practice. Methods In a retrospective analysis, HIV/HCV-coinfected subjects who started EPA at 17 centres throughout Spain were included as cases. Subjects who started an antiretroviral therapy (ART) other than EPA during the study period at the same hospitals were randomly selected as controls in a 1:2 ratio. Primary outcome variables were grade (G) 3–4 TE and G4 TBE. Results Of the 519 subjects included, 173 individuals started EPA. Nine (5.2%) subjects of the EPA group and 49 (14.2%) controls were naive to ART. The median (Q1–Q3) follow-up was 11.2 (9.7–13.9) months. TE was observed in 2 [1.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14%–4.1%] subjects receiving EPA and 11 (3.2%; 95%CI: 1.6%–5.6%) controls (p = 0.136), all events were G3. No patient discontinued ART due to TE. One (0.6%; 95%CI: 0.01%–3.1%) subject on EPA and 8 (2.3%; 95%CI: 1%–4.5%) subjects in the control group developed TBE (p = 0.141), without developing any other hepatic event during follow-up. Three (2.3%) subjects with cirrhosis versus 10 (3.1%) without cirrhosis showed G3-4 TE (p = 0.451). Conclusion The frequency of severe liver toxicity in HIV/HCV-coinfected subjects receiving EPA under real-life conditions is very low, TE were generally mild and did not lead to drug discontinuation. All these data suggest that EPA can be safely used in this particular subpopulation.

Background: In our study, we have hypothesized that proviral DNA may show the history of mutations that emerged at previous failures to a Raltegravir containing regimen, in patients who are currently undetectable and candidates to simplification to a Dolutegravir containing regimen, in order to decide on once a day or twice a day dosing. Methods: We have performed a pilot, observational, retrospective, non interventional study, including 7 patients infected by HIV-1, all with a history of previous failure to a RAL containing regimen, that were successfully salvaged and had reached viral suppression. A genotypic viral Integrase region study was available for each patient at the moment of RAL failure. After an average (IQR) time of 48 months (29–53) Integrase resistance mutations in proviral DNA were studied. Results: All the patients were infected by HIV-1 B subtypes, with a mean age of 55 (range 43 to 56), originating from Spain, and 4 were women. Median viral load (log) and CD4 count at the moment of the study on proviral DNA was of 1.3 log cp/ml (range 0–1.47) and 765.5 cells/μL (range; 436.75–1023.75). The median time (IQR) between previous failure to RAL and the study on proviral DNA was 48 (29–53) months. At Raltegravir failure, N155H was detected in four patients, and other secondary mutations were detected in five patients (71.4 %). In proviral DNA, N155H was detected by population sequencing in three patients (42.8 %), and UDS demonstrated a 9.77 % relative abundance of N155H in the remaining patient. Sanger sequencing correctly identified all the secondary mutations. Conclusion: This is a pilot study that demonstrates the possibility of properly identifying N155H and some secondary mutations 29–53 months after failure., This study was funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI12/01053, PI15/00713), RD12/0017/006 (Plan Nacional de I + D + I, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-FEDER).

Background Calmodulin 1, 2 and 3 (CALM) mutations have been found to cause cardiac arrest in children at a very early age. The underlying aetiology described is long QT syndrome (LQTS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF). Little phenotypical data about CALM2 mutations is available. Objectives The aim of this paper is to describe the clinical manifestations of the Asn98Ser mutation in CALM2 in two unrelated children in southern Spain with apparently unexplained cardiac arrest/death. Methods Two unrelated children aged 4 and 7, who were born to healthy parents, were studied. Both presented with sudden cardiac arrest. The first was resuscitated after a VF episode, and the second died suddenly. In both cases the baseline QTc interval was within normal limits. Peripheral blood DNA was available to perform targeted gene sequencing. Results The surviving 4-year-old girl had a positive epinephrine test for LQTS, and polymorphic ventricular ectopic beats were seen on a previous 24-hour Holter recording from the deceased 7-year-old boy, suggestive of a possible underlying CPVT phenotype. A p.Asn98Ser mutation in CALM2 was detected in both cases. This affected a highly conserved across species residue, and the location in the protein was adjacent to critical calcium binding loops in the calmodulin carboxyl-terminal domain, predicting a high pathogenic effect. Conclusions Human calmodulin 2 mutation p.Asn98Ser is associated with sudden cardiac death in childhood with a variable clinical penetrance. Our results provide new phenotypical information about clinical behaviour of this mutation.

[Objectives] Previous clinical audits of COPD have provided relevant information about medical intervention in exacerbation admissions. The present study aims to evaluate adherence to current guidelines in COPD through a clinical audit., [Methods] This is a pilot clinical audit performed in hospital outpatient respiratory clinics in Andalusia, Spain (eight provinces with more than 8 million inhabitants), including 9 centers (20% of the public centers in the area) between 2013 and 2014. Cases with an established diagnosis of COPD based on risk factors, clinical symptoms, and a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 0.70 were deemed eligible. The performance of the outpatient clinics was benchmarked against three guidance documents available at the time of the audit. The appropriateness of the performance was categorized as excellent (>80%), good (60−80%), adequate (40−59%), inadequate (20−39%), and highly inadequate (, [Results] During the audit, 621 clinical records were audited. Adherence to the different guidelines presented a considerable variability among the different participating hospitals, with an excellent or good adherence for symptom recording, MRC or CAT use, smoking status evaluation, spirometry, or bronchodilation therapy. The most outstanding areas for improvement were the use of the BODE index, the monitoring of treatments, the determination of alpha1-antitrypsin, the performance of exercise testing, and vaccination recommendations., [Conclusions] The present study reflects the situation of clinical care for COPD patients in specialized secondary care outpatient clinics. Adherence to clinical guidelines shows considerable variability in outpatient clinics managing COPD patients, and some aspects of the clinical care can clearly be improved., This study was financially supported by an unrestricted grant from Laboratorios Menarini, SA (Barcelona, Spain).

Journal Article; BACKGROUND The outcome for patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) is highly variable, therefore, the existence of robust and easy to determine prognostic markers is extremely important for an efficient management of these patients. Presently, there is a debate about the role of the serum free light chains (sFLC) in the prognosis of MM patients both at diagnosis and after treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate in a cohort of newly diagnosed MM patients from the Southern area of Spain, the prognostic value of sFLC both at baseline and after treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS 180 patients with a median age of 69 years were followed-up for a median time of 35 (18-61) months. The sFLC ratio (sFLCR) was calculated using the monoclonal sFLC as numerator. Patients were divided in two groups according to a sFLCR cut-off based on ROC analysis. The primary endpoints were the Overall Survival (OS) and the Progression-free Survival (PFS). Additionally, thirty-six MM patients treated with novel agents (Bortezomib/Dexamethasone) that achieved Complete Response (CR) or stringent CR (sCR) before autologous stem cell transplantation were studied to assess the impact of sCR in Disease Free Survival (DFS) and OS. RESULTS During follow-up there were 72 disease-related deaths. The 5-years OS for the whole group was 51%. However, separate analysis of patients with sFLCR above (group "high") or below (groups "low") the cut-off value of 47 shows an OS of 23% and 73%, respectively (HR = 5.03, 95%CI 2.99-8.50, p3.5 mg/L provided a statistically more significant result for this cohort when compared with the conventional ISS system. The HR for the new model were 2.84 (95% CI, 1.39-5.79, p = 0.004) for patients in stage 2 and 15.39 (95% CI, 6.35-37.33, p

Publicación que contiene datos de prevalencia, incidencia y mortalidad de los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica terminal en tratamiento sustitutivo residentes en nuestra Comunidad.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.There is a strong association between genetic polymorphisms and the acenocoumarol dosage requirements. Genotyping the polymorphisms involved in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of acenocoumarol before starting anticoagulant therapy would result in a better quality of life and a more efficient use of healthcare resources. The objective of this study is to develop a new algorithm that includes clinical and genetic variables to predict the most appropriate acenocoumarol dosage for stable anticoagulation in a wide range of patients. We recruited 685 patients from 2 Spanish hospitals and 1 primary healthcare center. We randomly chose 80% of the patients (n = 556), considering an equitable distribution of genotypes to form the generation cohort. The remaining 20% (n = 129) formed the validation cohort. Multiple linear regression was used to generate the algorithm using the acenocoumarol stable dosage as the dependent variable and the clinical and genotypic variables as the independent variables. The variables included in the algorithm were age, weight, amiodarone use, enzyme inducer status, international normalized ratio target range and the presence of CYP2C9∗2 (rs1799853), CYP2C9∗3 (rs1057910), VKORC1 (rs9923231) and CYP4F2 (rs2108622). The coefficient of determination (R2) explained by the algorithm was 52.8% in the generation cohort and 64% in the validation cohort. The following R2 values were evaluated by pathology: atrial fibrillation, 57.4%; valve replacement, 56.3%; and venous thromboembolic disease, 51.5%. When the patients were classified into 3 dosage groups according to the stable dosage (21 mg/week), the percentage of correctly classified patients was higher in the intermediate group, whereas differences between pharmacogenetic and clinical algorithms increased in the extreme dosage groups. Our algorithm could improve acenocoumarol dosage selection for patients who will begin treatment with this drug, especially in extreme-dosage patients. The predictability of the pharmacogenetic algorithm did not vary significantly between diseases., This study was funded by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, PI07/0710) and the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health (Progress and Health Foundation, PI-0717-2013)

The research leading to these results was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS-PI11/00610, FIS-PI041436, FIS-PI081151, FIS-PI042018, and FIS-PI09/02311), the European Union (EU) (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176, CB06/02/0041, FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, 11/01007, 11/02591, CP11/00178, FIS-PI06/0867, and FIS-PS09/00090), the Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, the Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT (1999SGR 00241), the Obre Social Cajastur, the Universidad de Oviedo, the Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069), and the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001). The ENVIRONAGE cohort is supported by the EU Program “Ideas” (ERC-2012-StG 310898) and by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO 1516112N and G073315N)., Clemente, D.B.P., Casas, M., Vilahur, N., Begiristain, H., Bustamante, M., Carsin, A., Fernández, M.F., Fierens, F., Gyselaers, W., Iñiguez, C., Janssen, B.G., Lefebvre, W., Llop, S., Olea, N., Pedersen, M., Pieters, N., Marina, L.S., Souto, A., Tardón, A., Vanpoucke, C., Vrijheid, M., Sunyer, J., Nawrot, T.S.

Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM; ISCIII Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion); Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo; Spanish Diabetes Society (SED), Brugnara, L., Murillo, S., Novials, A., Rojo-Martínez, G., Soriguer, F., Goday, A., Calle-Pascual, A., Castaño, L., Gaztambide, S., Valdés, S., Franch, J., Castell, C., Vendrell, J., Casamitjana, R., Bosch-Comas, A., Bordiú, E., Carmena, R., Catalá, M., Delgado, E., Girbés, J., López-Alba, A., Martínez-Larrad, M.T., Menéndez, E., Mora-Peces, I., Pascual-Manich, G., Serrano-Ríos, M., Gomis, R., Ortega, E.

Journal Article; BACKGROUND Since 1982, HIV-1 epidemics have evolved to different scenarios in terms of transmission routes, subtype distribution and characteristics of transmission clusters. We investigated the evolutionary history of HIV-1 subtype B in south Spain. PATIENTS & METHODS We studied all newly diagnosed HIV-1 subtype B patients in East Andalusia during the 2005-2012 period. For the analysis, we used the reverse transcriptase and protease sequences from baseline resistance, and the Trugene® HIV Genotyping kit (Siemens, Barcelona, Spain). Subtyping was done with REGA v3.0. The maximum likelihood trees constructed with RAxML were used to study HIV-1 clustering. Phylogeographic and phylodynamic profiles were studied by Bayesian inference methods with BEAST v1.7.5 and SPREAD v1.0.6. RESULTS Of the 493 patients infected with HIV-1 subtype B, 234 grouped into 55 clusters, most of which were small (44 clusters ≤ 5 patients, 31 with 2 patients, 13 with 3). The rest (133/234) were grouped into 11 clusters with ≥ 5 patients, and most (82%, 109/133) were men who have sex with men (MSM) grouped into 8 clusters. The association with clusters was more frequent in Spanish (p = 0.02) men (p< 0.001), MSM (p

Background: Mobile learning (m-learning) has becoming very popular in education due to the rapidly advancing technology in our society. The potentials of the mobile applications should be used to enhance the education process. Few mobile applications have been designed to complement the study of physical therapy skills for physiotherapy students. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a mobile application, as a supplement to traditional learning, is useful for physiotherapy students in the acquisition of palpation and ultrasound skills in the shoulder area. Methods: Forty-nine students participated in this single-blinded, randomized controlled study. They were randomly distributed into two groups: experimental, with free access to the mobile application; and control, with access to traditional learning materials on the topic. Objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) and multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) were used to assess the educational intervention. Then, we also assessed the time taken to get a reliable ultrasound image and to localize a specific shoulder structure by palpation. Results: There was no significant intergroup difference in the acquisition of theoretical knowledge (p = .089). Scores were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group for the majority items in the ultrasound assessment; positioning of patient (p < .001), positioning of ultrasound probe (p = 0.007), handling of ultrasound probe (p = .013) and global OSCE (p < .001) and skills in palpation of the shoulder; position of patient (p = .009), direction of palpation contact (p = .021) and global OSCE (p = .034). There were no significant differences in the time required to perform the examination between groups in ultrasound (p = .944) and palpation (p = .393). The results from the post-program survey assessing the global satisfaction with the mobile application were high (8.200 ± .767), on an 11 numeric point rating scale. Conclusion: These results suggest the effectiveness of an m-learning program as a complement to traditional education for developing skills in ultrasound and palpation of the shoulder region in undergraduate physiotherapy students., The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by a grant from the Educational Innovation Unit of the University of Granada, Spain (PID 13–86).

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Journal Article; INTRODUCTION The Rasch model is increasingly used in the field of rehabilitation because it improves the accuracy of measurements of patient status and their changes after therapy. OBJECTIVE To determine the long-term effectiveness of a holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation program for Spanish outpatients with acquired brain injury (ABI) using Rasch analysis. METHODS Eighteen patients (ten with long evolution - patients who started the program > 6 months after ABI- and eight with short evolution) and their relatives attended the program for 6 months. Patients' and relatives' answers to the European Brain Injury Questionnaire and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale at 3 time points (pre-intervention. post-intervention and 12 month follow-up) were transformed into linear measures called logits. RESULTS The linear measures revealed significant improvements with large effects at the follow-up assessment on cognitive and executive functioning, social and emotional self-regulation, apathy and mood. At follow-up, the short evolution group achieved greater improvements in mood and cognitive functioning than the long evolution patients. CONCLUSIONS The program showed long-term effectiveness for most of the variables, and it was more effective for mood and cognitive functioning when patients were treated early. Relatives played a key role in the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. Yes

et al., There is limited information on the role of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) in the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii to β-lactams. This study presents an analysis of the allelic variations of PBP genes in A. baumannii isolates. Twenty-six A. baumannii clinical isolates (susceptible or resistant to carbapenems) from three teaching hospitals in Spain were included. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile, clonal pattern, and genomic species identification were also evaluated. Based on the six complete genomes of A. baumannii, the PBP genes were identified, and primers were designed for each gene. The nucleotide sequences of the genes identified that encode PBPs and the corresponding amino acid sequences were compared with those of ATCC 17978. Seven PBP genes and one monofunctional transglycosylase (MGT) gene were identified in the six genomes, encoding (i) four high-molecular-mass proteins (two of class A, PBP1a [ponA] and PBP1b [mrcB], and two of class B, PBP2 [pbpA or mrdA] and PBP3 [ftsI]), (ii) three low-molecular-mass proteins (two of type 5, PBP5/6 [dacC] and PBP6b [dacD], and one of type 7 (PBP7/8 [pbpG]), and (iii) a monofunctional enzyme (MtgA [mtgA]). Hot spot mutation regions were observed, although most of the allelic changes found translated into silent mutations. The amino acid consensus sequences corresponding to the PBP genes in the genomes and the clinical isolates were highly conserved. The changes found in amino acid sequences were associated with concrete clonal patterns but were not directly related to susceptibility or resistance to β-lactams. An insertion sequence disrupting the gene encoding PBP6b was identified in an endemic carbapenem-resistant clone in one of the participant hospitals., This work was partially supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI, RD06/0008), and FIS (PI080209). We are grateful to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), which gave a PDEE grant to R.C. (protocol 4149/08-4). We acknowledge the funding of MICINN (BFU2009-09200) to J.A.A.

Data on fungemia epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility of isolates from children are scarce, leading frequently to pediatric empirical treatment based on available adult data. The present study was designed to update the epidemiological, mycological, and in vitro susceptibility data on fungal isolates from children with fungemia in Spain. All fungemia episodes were identified prospectively by blood culture over 13 months at 30 hospitals. Tests of susceptibility to amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin were performed at participant institutions by a microdilution colorimetric method. New species-specific clinical breakpoints for fluconazole, voriconazole, and echinocandins were also applied. A total of 203 episodes of fungemia in 200 children were identified. A higher proportion of fungal isolates was from general wards than intensive care units (ICU). Candida parapsilosis (46.8%), Candida albicans (36.5%), Candida tropicalis (5.9%), Candida glabrata (3.9%), and Candida guilliermondii (2.5%) were the leading species. C. parapsilosis was the predominant species except in neonates. C. albicans was the most frequent in neonatal ICU settings (51.9%). Intravascular catheter (79.3%), surgery (35%), prematurity (30%), and neutropenia (11%) were the most frequent predisposing factors. Most Candida isolates (95.1%) were susceptible to all antifungals. When the new species-specific clinical breakpoints were applied, all C. parapsilosis isolates were susceptible to echinocandins except one, which was micafungin resistant. This is the largest published series of fungemia episodes in the pediatric setting. C. parapsilosis is the most prevalent species in Spain, followed by C. albicans and C. tropicalis . Resistance to azole and echinocandin agents is extremely rare among Candida species. The fluconazole resistance rate in Spain has decreased in the last 10 years.

Background: A growing body of research suggests that prenatal exposure to air pollution may be harmful to fetal development. We assessed the association between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and anthropometric measures at birth in four areas within the Spanish Children’s Health and Environment (INMA) mother and child cohort study. Methods: Exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene was estimated for the residence of each woman (n = 2,337) for each trimester and for the entire pregnancy. Outcomes included birth weight, length, and head circumference. The association between residential outdoor air pollution exposure and birth outcomes was assessed with linear regression models controlled for potential confounders. We also performed sensitivity analyses for the subset of women who spent more time at home during pregnancy. Finally, we performed a combined analysis with meta-analysis techniques. Results: In the combined analysis, an increase of 10 µg/m3 in NO2 exposure during pregnancy was associated with a decrease in birth length of –0.9 mm [95% confidence interval (CI), –1.8 to –0.1 mm]. For the subset of women who spent ≥ 15 hr/day at home, the association was stronger (–0.16 mm; 95% CI, –0.27 to –0.04). For this same subset of women, a reduction of 22 g in birth weight was associated with each 10-µg/m3 increase in NO2 exposure in the second trimester (95% CI, –45.3 to 1.9). We observed no significant relationship between benzene levels and birth outcomes. Conclusions: NO2 exposure was associated with reductions in both length and weight at birth. This association was clearer for the subset of women who spent more time at home. This study was funded by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176 and CB06/02/0041), the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 04/1436, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 08/1151, 09/02311, 09/02647), Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana, Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241, and the Fundación Roger Torné

BACKGROUND Increasing trend and geographical variations in the use of caesarean section suggest the influence of non-clinical factors. The objective was to describe the use of caesarean section in the Andalusian region in Spain by exploring the role of social, clinical, and health services variables. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out using vital statistics. It involves all births occurred in Andalusia during the period of 2007-2009. The dependent variable was the use of caesarean section and the set of covariates were classified into three groups: those with a clinical meaning, those related to the health services organization, and those with a social significance. Multivariate logistic regressions were used. RESULTS In the data set of 293,558 births, the prevalence of caesarean delivery was 24.8%. The multivariate analysis highlights the labour complications as the clinical variable with the highest odds ratio (OR=19.36). Regarding the health services variables, the odds of experiencing a caesarean delivery were 55% higher on weekdays than on weekends. Cádiz was the province with the highest OR for caesarean section (comparison between Cádiz and Almería: OR=1,21) where the ratio between births in public and private hospitals was 3.7. The frequency of caesarean section was 34% higher in women with third level education than those with no education. CONCLUSIONS Labour complication is the most influential variable for caesarean section. Caesarean birth rate is above the accepted standards for all social classes and increases with educational level. Inter-provincial differences reflect different patterns with regard to the use of private medicine. Yes Fundamento: La tendencia creciente y variabilidad geográ­fica en el uso de la cesárea sugiere la existencia de factores explicativos no clínicos. El objetivo del estudio es analizar el uso de las cesáreas en Andalucía, explorando el papel de varia­bles sociales, clínicas y de los servicios sanitarios. Métodos: Estudio transversal de todos los nacimientos de Andalucía (2007-2009) utilizando como fuente de información el Movimiento Natural de la Población. La variable dependien­te fue la frecuencia de cesáreas y las explicativas se clasificaron en tres grupos: con significado clínico, relacionadas con el fun­cionamiento de los servicios sanitarios, y con significado social. Se realizó una regresión logística multivariante. Resultados: El 24,8% de los 293.558 nacimientos fue por cesárea. En el análisis multivariante se observó que la variable clínica con la mayor odds ratio (OR) fue la existencia de com­plicaciones (OR=19,36). En cuanto a las variables relacionadas con los servicios sanitarios hubo un 55% más cesáreas de lunes a viernes que en fines de semana y la provincia con mayor uso de cesárea fue Cádiz (OR de 1,21 frente a Almería) con una razón de partos en centros públicos frente a privados de 3,7. La frecuencia de cesáreas fue un 34% superior en las mujeres con estudios de tercer grado que en las que no tenían estudios. Conclusiones: La variable con mayor influencia en la prác­tica de cesárea fue la existencia de complicaciones. La tasa de cesárea estuvo por encima de los estándares aceptados en todas las clases sociales, con mayor incidencia a mayor nivel educati­vo. Las diferencias interprovinciales reflejan distintos patrones de uso de la medicina privada

Manuel Garcia-Medina1, Jose Javier Garcia-Medina2,3, Pablo Garrido-Fernandez1, Jose Galvan-Espinosa1, Jesus Martin-Molina1, Carlos Garcia-Maturana4, Sergio Perez-Pardo1, Maria Dolores Pinazo-Duran3 1Department of Ophthalmology, Torrecardenas Hospital, Almeria, Spain; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Huercal Overa Hospital, Almeria, Spain; 3Ophthalmology Research Unit “Santiago Grisolia”, University Hospital Doctor Peset, Valencia, Spain; 4University of Sevilla, SpainObjective: To determine the values of, and study the relationships among, central corneal thickness (CCT), intraocular pressure (IOP), and degree of myopia (DM) in an adult myopic population aged 20 to 40 years in Almeria (southeast Spain). To our knowledge this is first study of this kind in this region.Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was done in which a sample of 310 myopic patients (620 eyes) aged 20 to 40 years was selected by gender- and age-stratified sampling, which was proportionally fixed to the size of the population strata for which a 20% prevalence of myopia, 5% epsilon, and a 95% confidence interval were hypothesized. We studied IOP, CCT, and DM and their relationships by calculating the mean, standard deviation, 95% confidence interval for the mean, median, Fisher’s asymmetry coefficient, range (maximum, minimum), and the Brown-Forsythe’s robust test for each variable (IOP, CCT, and DM).Results: In the adult myopic population of Almeria aged 20 to 40 years (mean of 29.8), the mean overall CCT was 550.12 µm. The corneas of men were thicker than those of women (P = 0.014). CCT was stable as no significant differences were seen in the 20- to 40-year-old subjects’ CCT values. The mean overall IOP was 13.60 mmHg. Men had a higher IOP than women (P = 0.002). Subjects over 30 years (13.83) had a higher IOP than those under 30 (13.38) (P = 0.04). The mean overall DM was -4.18 diopters. Men had less myopia than women (P < 0.001). Myopia was stable in the 20- to 40-year-old study population (P = 0.089). A linear relationship was found between CCT and IOP (R2 = 0.152, P ≤ 0.001). CCT influenced the IOP value by 15.2%. However no linear relationship between DM and IOP, or between CCT and DM, was found.Conclusions: CCT was found to be similar to that reported in other studies in different populations. IOP tends to increase after the age of 30 and is not accounted for by alterations in CCT values.Keywords: central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, myopia, population study, glaucoma

Background Controversy exists concerning the influence of gender in the prognosis of patients with heart failure and no evidence is available from specific heart failure clinics. Hypothesis Women with ambulatory heart failure are managed differently than men, although their prognosis might be better than men. Methods and Results We analyzed the clinical characteristics, complementary test results, treatment, and prognosis in 4720 patients with chronic heart failure seen in 62 specialized clinics forming part of a multicenter registry during a mean follow-up of 40 months. The mean age was 65 ± 12 years and 71% were men. The men were younger than the women and more often had a history of hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease. The men had a more advanced heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (III-IV) than the women and a greater frequency of systolic ventricular dysfunction. The men more often received treatment with β-blockers, vasodilators, and antiplatelet aggregators as well as higher mean doses as compared with the women. The overall survival after the follow-up was similar for both genders, although the women had lower rates of survival free of admission for heart failure. Conclusions Despite the mortality of women and men with heart failure being similar, the rate of readmission for heart failure is greater in women in specialized heart failure clinics. These results may be associated with the pharmacological treatment differences observed. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background: Most of the studies on sychological distress in Spain have been conducted in small geographical areas or specific population groups. However, there are no studies that provide representative data for each Autonomous Community (AC). The objectives of this paper are to determine, both in Spain and in the AC, the prevalence of psychological distress, diagnosis, use of psychoactive medication, social support and self-perceived health, as well as to study the association between psychological distress and the rest of the variables. Methods: Cross-sectional study, using data from the 2006 National Health Survey, that was completed by 29,478 persons. Variables studied: sociodemographics, psychological distress (GHQ-12), self-perceived health, mental disorder diagnosis, functional social support (Duke) and use and prescription of psychoactive medication. Results: The prevalence of psychological distress in Spain was 20,1%; the highest prevalence was found in Canary Islands (28,2%) and the lowest in La Rioja (12,2%). Among those who presented psychological distress, 62,4% had never received a mental disorder diagnosis, and 71,6% had not used psychoactive medication in the last year. The highest prevalences of non-diagnosed cases (81,8%) and cases non-treated with psychoactive medication (83,1%) were found in La Rioja, whereas the lowest prevalences were found in Asturias. Eight percent of the persons who presented psychological distress had low social support and 63,8% reported bad self-perceived health. Conclusions: Psychological distress is a prevalent phenomenon, and more than half of the persons who suffer it receive neither a diagnosis nor psychoactive medication. Moreover, there are considerable differences between the AC. Yes Fundamentos: En España no existe ningún estudio en el que se hayan tomado muestras representativas por Comunidades Autónomas (CCAA) para estudiar la morbilidad psíquica. Los objetivos de este trabajo son describir su prevalencia, la presencia de diagnóstico, el consumo de psicofármacos, el apoyo social y la salud autopercibida y la relación entre la morbilidad psíquica y el resto de variables, tanto a nivel nacional como de CCAA. Método: Estudio transversal. Fuente de información: Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2006, muestra 29.478 personas. Variables estudiadas: sociodemográficas, morbilidad psíquica (GHQ-12), estado de salud autopercibido, diagnóstico de trastorno mental, apoyo social funcional (Duke) y consumo y prescripción de psicofármacos. Para determinar la frecuencia se utilizó el porcentaje y los intervalos de confianza al 95%. Para estudiar la relación entre morbilidad psíquica y el resto de variables se utilizó la prueba de Chi cuadrado, considerando la significación estadística con un valor de p

This is a copy of an article published in the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses © 2012 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses is available online at: http://online.liebertpub.com. Journal Article; Multicenter Study; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; End-stage renal diseases (ESRD) are becoming more frequent in HIV-infected patients. In Europe there is little information about HIV-infected patients on dialysis. A cross-sectional multicenter survey in 328 Spanish dialysis units was conducted in 2006. Information from 14,876 patients in dialysis was obtained (81.6% of the Spanish dialysis population). Eighty-one were HIV infected (0.54%; 95% CI, 0.43-0.67), 60 were on hemodialysis, and 21 were on peritoneal dialysis. The mean (range) age was 45 (28-73) years. Seventy-two percent were men and 33% were former drug users. The mean (range) time of HIV infection was 11 (1-27) years and time on dialysis was 4.6 (0.4-25) years. ESRD was due to glomerulonephritis (36%) and diabetes (15%). HIV-associated nephropathy was not reported. Eighty-five percent were on HAART, 76.5% had a CD4 T cell count above 200 cells, and 73% had undetectable viral load. Thirty-nine percent of patients met criteria for inclusion on the renal transplant (RT) waiting list but only 12% were included. Sixty-one percent had HCV coinfection. HCV-coinfected patients had a longer history of HIV, more previous AIDS events, parenteral transmission as the most common risk factor for acquiring HIV infection, and less access to the RT waiting list (p < 0.05). The prevalence of HIV infection in Spanish dialysis units in 2006 was 0.54% HCV coinfection was very frequent (61%) and the percentage of patients included on the Spanish RT waiting list was low (12%). Yes

Increased incidence is principally due to highly invasive nonvaccine serotypes of pneumococci, especially serotype 1., Pediatric parapneumonic empyema (PPE) has been increasing in several countries including Spain. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major PPE pathogen; however, antimicrobial pretreatment before pleural fluid (PF) sampling frequently results in negative diagnostic cultures, thus greatly underestimating the contribution of pneumococci, especially pneumococci susceptible to antimicrobial agents, to PPE. The study aim was to identify the serotypes and genotypes that cause PPE by using molecular diagnostics and relate these data to disease incidence and severity. A total of 208 children with PPE were prospectively enrolled; blood and PF samples were collected. Pneumococci were detected in 79% of culture-positive and 84% of culture-negative samples. All pneumococci were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing. Serotypes were determined for 111 PPE cases; 48% were serotype 1, of 3 major genotypes previously circulating in Spain. Variance in patient complication rates was statistically significant by serotype. The recent PPE increase is principally due to nonvaccine serotypes, especially the highly invasive serotype 1.

This is a copy of an article published in the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses © [2012] [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Research and Human Retroviruses is available online at: http://online.liebertpub.com. Journal Article; Our objective was to analyze the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in HIV patients at risk and to compare them with the general population. All HIV patients older than 50 years who attended our unit from October 2005-July 2006 and all persons attending for an annual medical checkup at an employees' insurance association during the same period were invited to participate in the study. Of the latter (n = 407), a person of the same sex and age (+/-5 years) was included for each HIV patient. PAD was assessed by the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in all subjects, and all completed the Edinburgh questionnaire. Ninety-nine HIV patients and 99 persons from the general population of the same age and sex were included in the study. The HIV patients had a greater prevalence of dyslipidemia, diabetes, and PAD, which was symptomatic in five of them and in one subject from the general population. Patients with HIV infection older than 50 had a high prevalence of PAD, and as it was asymptomatic in half the cases, an ABI may be performed in this population to actively look for PAD. Control of cardiovascular risk factors and the use of such drugs as platelet antiaggregation agents should therefore be optimized in this population. Yes

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are ranked among the leading causes of death in the industrialized countries. This study is aimed at ascertaining the mortality trends by ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Andalusia within the 1975-2004 period. Method: Based on the official IHD and CVD death statistics and the related populations, the gross rates (GR) and age-adjusted rates (TS) and the Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) were calculated. To quantify the trends and their change points, a joinpoint regression analysis was made. Results: The number of IHD deaths for females rose from 2,086 deaths in 1975 to 3,336 in 2004, the TS having dropped from 74.29 to 50.94 deaths/100,000 females, the PYLL having dropped from 173.65 years to 90.56 years/100,000 females. The number of deaths for males rose from 2,854 deaths in 1975 to 4,085 in 2004, the TS having dropped from 147, 67 to 104.96 deaths /100,000 males. The PYLL showed a like behaviour from the first to the last year of the series, showing values of 716.46 and 460.04 years / 100,000 males. For the IHD in females, the number of deaths in absolute numbers dropped from 4,712 to 4,221, the TS having dropped from 166.00 to 62.08 deaths in females, and the PYLL from 338.08 to 87.63 years / 100,000 females. For males, the number of deaths dropped from 3,714 to 2,951, the TS from 206.88 deaths /100,000 males in 1975 to 76.12 /100,000 males in 2004, and the PYLL dropping from 533.12 to 182.38 years / 100,000 males. Conclusions: The trend in mortality due to IHD was not constant either among females or males, although it has always been a downward trend, the drop being statistically significant. The drop in the CVD has been such a major one that both the absolute numbers and the gross rates are lower for the most recent years that the first years in the series studied despite the aging of Andalusia’s population. Fundamento: Las enfermedades cardiovasculares están entre las primeras causas de mortalidad en los países industrializados. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer las tendencias de la mortalidad por enfermedades isquémicas del corazón (EIC) y enfermedades cerebrovasculares (ECV) en Andalucía entre 1975 y 2004. Método: Con las defunciones por EIC y ECV de las estadísticas oficiales y las correspondientes poblaciones se calcularon las tasas brutas (TB), ajustadas por edad (TS) y Años Potenciales de Vida Pedidos (APVP). Para cuantificar las tendencias y sus puntos de cambio se realizó el análisis con regresión joinpoint. Resultados: En las mujeres las muertes por EIC pasaron de 2.086 en el año 1975 a 3.336 en el 2004, la TS descendió de 74,29 defunciones por 100.000 mujeres a 50,94, y los APVP pasaron de 173,65 años por 100.000 mujeres a 90,56. En los hombres el número de defunciones pasó de 2.854 defunciones en el 1975 a 4085 en el año 2004, la TS descendió de 147, 67 defunciones por 100.000 hombres a 104,96. Igual comportamiento tuvieron los APVP entre el primer y último año de la serie con unos valores de 716,46 años por 100.000 hombres y 460,04. Para las ECV en las mujeres las defunciones en números absolutos pasaron de 4.712 a 4.221, la TS pasó de 166,00 defunciones por 100.000 mujeres a 62,08 y los APVP de 338,08 años por 100.000 mujeres a 87,63. En los hombres el número de defunciones pasó de 3.714 a 2.951, la TS de 206,88 defunciones por 100.000 en 1975 a 76,12 en 2004, y la tasa de APVP de 533,12 años por 100.00 hombres a 182,38. Conclusiones: La tendencia de la mortalidad por EIC no fue constante ni en las mujeres ni en los hombres aunque en ambos siempre ha sido descendente, siendo el descenso estadísticamente significativo. La disminución de las ECV fue tan importante que tanto los números absolutos como las tasas brutas fueron menores en los últimos años de la serie estudiados que en los primeros, a pesar el envejecimiento de la población andaluza. Yes

Background Upper limb apraxia is a common disorder associated with stroke that can reduce patients’ independence levels in activities of daily living and increase levels of disability. Traditional rehabilitation programs designed to promote the recovery of upper limb function have mainly focused on restorative or compensatory approaches. However, no previous studies have been completed that evaluate a combined intervention method approach, where patients concurrently receive cognitive training and learn compensatory strategies for enhancing daily living activities. Methods/Design This study will use a two-arm, assessor-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial design, involving 40 patients who present a left- or right-sided unilateral vascular lesion poststroke and a clinical diagnosis of upper limb apraxia. Participants will be randomized to either a combined functional rehabilitation or a traditional health education group. The experimental group will receive an 8-week combined functional program at home, including physical and occupational therapy focused on restorative and compensatory techniques for upper limb apraxia, 3 days per week in 30-min intervention periods. The control group will receive a conventional health education program once a month over 8 weeks, based on improving awareness of physical and functional limitations and facilitating the adaptation of patients to the home. Study outcomes will be assessed immediately postintervention and at the 2-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure will be basic activities of daily living skills as assessed with the Barthel Index. Secondary outcome measures will include the following: 1) the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, 2) the Observation and Scoring of ADL-Activities, 3) the De Renzi Test for Ideational Apraxia, 4) the De Renzi Test for Ideomotor Apraxia, 5) Recognition of Gestures, 6) the Test of Upper Limb Apraxia (TULIA), and 7) the Quality of Life Scale For Stroke (ECVI-38). Discussion This trial is expected to clarify the effectiveness of a combined functional rehabilitation approach compared to a conservative intervention for improving upper limb movement and function in poststroke patients. Trial registration Clinical Trial Gov number NCT02199093. The protocol registration was received 23 July 2014. Participant enrollment began on 1 May 2014. The trial is expected to be completed in March 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-1034-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Introduction] To determine whether the PTPN22 (protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 22)/CSK (c-src tyrosine kinase) pathway is implicated in the susceptibility and clinical heterogeneity of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in the largest series of Caucasian HSP patients ever assessed for genetic studies., [Methods] A set of 329 Spanish patients diagnosed with HSP fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology and the Michel et al. classification criteria and 515 sex and ethnically matched controls were recruited in this study. Two well-known CSK (CSK rs34933034 and CSK rs1378942) and two functional PTPN22 (PTPN22 rs2476601 (R620W) and PTPN22 rs33996649 (R263Q)) polymorphisms, previously associated with autoimmunity, were genotyped with TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assays., [Results] No significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between HSP patients and controls were observed when the CSK rs34933034, CSK rs1378942, PTPN22 rs2476601 (R620W) and PTPN22 rs33996649 (R263Q) polymorphisms were analyzed independently. In keeping with this observation, no significant differences were found when we assessed these polymorphisms combined conforming haplotypes. In addition, there were no differences in the allele or genotype frequencies when HSP patients were stratified according the age at disease onset, sex, presence of arthralgia/arthritis, nephritis or gastrointestinal manifestations., [Conclusions] Our results do not support association between PTPN22/CSK and HSP., This study was supported by a grant from “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” PI12/00193 (Spain). RLM is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD12/00425). FG and BU are supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD12/0009/0013).

This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant numbers PSE-010000-2006-6 and IPT-010000-2010-36), Lopez-Lasanta, M., Julià, A., Maymó, J., Fernández-Gutierrez, B., Ureña-Garnica, I., Blanco, F.J., Cañete, J.D., Alperi-López, M., Olivè, A., Corominas, H., Tornero, J., Erra, A., Almirall, M., Palau, N., Ortiz, A., Avila, G., Rodriguez-Rodriguez, L., Alonso, A., Tortosa, R., Gonzalez-Alvaro, I., Marsal, S.

Background: Some patients with COPD may share characteristics of asthma; this is the so-called asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). There are no universally accepted criteria for ACOS, and most treatments for asthma and COPD have not been adequately tested in this population. Materials and methods: We performed a survey among pulmonology specialists in asthma and COPD aimed at collecting their opinions about ACOS and their attitudes in regard to some case scenarios of ACOS patients. The participants answered a structured questionnaire and attended a face-to-face meeting with the Metaplan methodology to discuss different aspects of ACOS. Results: A total of 26 pulmonologists with a mean age of 49.7 years participated in the survey (13 specialists in asthma and 13 in COPD). Among these, 84.6% recognized the existence of ACOS and stated that a mean of 12.6% of their patients might have this syndrome. In addition, 80.8% agreed that the diagnostic criteria for ACOS are not yet well defined. The most frequently mentioned characteristics of ACOS were a history of asthma (88.5%), significant smoking exposure (73.1%), and postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity,0.7 (69.2%). The most accepted diagnostic criteria were eosinophilia in sputum (80.8%), a very positive bronchodilator test (69.2%), and a history of asthma before 40 years of age (65.4%). Up to 96.2% agreed that first-line treatment for ACOS was the combination of a long-acting beta(2)-agonist and inhaled steroid, with a long-acting antimuscarinic agent (triple therapy) for severe ACOS. Conclusion: Most Spanish specialists in asthma and COPD agree that ACOS exists, but the diagnostic criteria are not yet well defined. A previous history of asthma, smoking, and not fully reversible airflow limitation are considered the main characteristics of ACOS, with the most accepted first-line treatment being long-acting beta(2)-agonist/inhaled corticosteroids., The authors want to thank Montserrat Falgueras, Maria Fontanals, Laura Molina, Rosa Palomino, and Sonia Pisa (GOC Networking, Barcelona, Spain) for their help in the organization of the study, data entry and analysis of the questionnaires, and the facilitation of the Metaplan session. This study was funded by Chiesi Spain.

Journal Article; BACKGROUND Around 27,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in Spain and 5400 die from this disease. Radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined, has proven to be effective as initial treatment in patients with localized disease. Our objective was to evaluate the use of external beam RT (EBRT) in our region, comparing the indication rate and irradiation rate and examining variability in its application among hospitals. METHODS We conducted a review of RT guidelines and indication studies for prostate cancer (% expected irradiation). Data were gathered from all twelve public healthcare centers in Andalusia (Spain) on RT-treated prostate cancer patients during 2013 (% actual irradiation) and from nine of the centers on RT discharge reports. Information was classified according to type of hospital, tumor risk category and RT treatment (technique, dosage, volume, toxicity). RESULTS The estimated RT rate was 67 % (1289/1917), 43 % were aged > 70 years, 44.7 % had ECOG performance status of 0); 44.7 % had high-risk tumors; 57 % underwent RT associated with hormone therapy; 70 % of patients receiving RT were treated with 3D planning (30 % IGRT); and doses were 70-76 Gy in 70 % of cases and >76 Gy in 10.7 %. Acute gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were

UnlabelledPressure ulcers represent a major current health problem and produce an important economic impact on the healthcare system. Most of studies to prevent pressure ulcers have been carried out in hospital contexts, with respect to the use of hyperoxygenated fatty acids and to date, no studies have specifically examined the use of olive oil-based substances.Methods and designMain objective: To assess the effectiveness of the use of olive oil, comparing it with hyperoxygenated fatty acids, for immobilised home-care patients at risk of suffering pressure ulcers. Design: Non-inferiority, triple-blind, parallel, multicentre, randomised clinical trial. Scope: Population attending Primary Healthcare Centres in Andalusia (Spain). Sample: 831 immobilised patients at risk of suffering pressure ulcers.ResultsThe follow-up period was 16 weeks. Groups were similar after randomization. In the per protocol analysis, none of the body areas evaluated presented risk differences for pressure ulcers incidence that exceeded the 10% delta value established. Sacrum: Olive Oil 8 (2.55%) vs HOFA 8 (3.08%), ARR 0.53 (-2.2 to 3.26) Right heel: Olive Oil 4 (1.27%) vs HOFA 5 (1.92)%, ARR0.65 (-1.43 to 2.73). Left heel: Olive Oil 3 (0.96%) vs HOFA 3 (1.15%), ARR0.2 (-1.49 to 1.88). Right trochanter: Olive Oil 0 (0%) vs HOFA 4 (1.54%), ARR1.54 (0.04 to 3.03). Left trochanter: Olive Oil 1 (0.32%) vs HOFA 1 (0.38%), ARR0.07 (-0.91 to 1.04). In the intention to treat analysis the lower limit of the established confidence interval was never exceeded.DiscussionThe results obtained confirmed that the use of topical extra-virgin olive oil to prevent PU in the home environment, for immobilised patients at high risk, is not inferior to the use of HOFA. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism by which olive oil achieves this outcome.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT01595347.