Dr. Alvarado-Livacic, Cristobal

Backround: There is a shortage of medical specialists in Chile, including neurologists; currently, there are 56,614 patients waiting for a first adult Neurology appointment in the country. The Teleneurology Program at the Hospital Las Higueras de Talcahuano (HHT) was implemented in 2015 to help reduce both the number of patients waiting for a first consultation and their waiting times. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed a cohort of 8269 patients referred to the HHT Neurology clinic between 2013 and 2018, from primary, secondary, and tertiary health centers. Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the factors influencing each outcome (number of patients waiting for a consultation and waiting time), such as age, gender, referral health establishment and the type of consultation (whether in situ at the HHT or by synchronic telepresence through the Teleneurology Program). Results: Out of the 8269 patients included in the study, 1743 consulted the neurologist through the Teleneurology Program, while 6526 received a consultation in situ at the HHT. Since its implementation (2015) until the end of 2018, the Teleneurology program contributed to decrease the number of patients waiting for their first appointment from 3084 to 298. Waiting time for the first consultation was 60% shorter for patients enrolled in the Teleneurology program than those with consultation in situ at HHT (6.23 ± 6.82 and 10.47 ± 8.70 months, respectively). Similar differences were observed when sorting patient data according to the referral health center. Cox regression analysis showed that patients waiting for a traditional in situ first adult Neurology consultation at the HHT had a higher risk (OR = 6.74) of waiting 90% longer than patients enrolled in the Teleneurology Program, without significant differences due to gender or age. Conclusions: Data from this study show a significant contribution of the Teleneurology Program at the HHT to decrease the number of patients waiting for a first consultation with a neurologist, as well as shorter waiting times, when derived from primary and secondary health centers.

Introducción: En los pacientes críticos con COVID-19 ocurren una serie de alteraciones metabólicas, las cuales afectan directamente el estado nutricional del paciente. Para mejorar la sobrevida de los pacientes con COVID-19, se hace relevante el tratamiento nutricional oportuno, idealmente dentro de las primeras 24-48 horas de la admisión a la UCI. El objetivo de este estudio fue reportar la evolución, desde el ingreso hasta el egreso, del balance nitrogenado, diversos parámetros bioquímicos y el estado nutricional de los pacientes con neumonía por COVID-19. Método: Estudio observacional retrospectivo de temporalidad longitudinal, se realizó en la UCI del Hospital Las Higueras de Talcahuano, Chile. Se incluyeron a 33 pacientes al ingreso y al egreso de la UCI. Resultados: Se reportó un incremento significativo del balance nitrogenado al egreso de los pacientes de UCI, sin embargo, no se registraron cambios en la media de talla, peso, IMC, prevalencia de desnutrición durante la estancia en la UCI. La prevalencia de desnutrición moderada y severa fue de un 14,0%, valor inferior al 45,0% informado en pacientes con COVID-19. Conclusión: En este estudio se reportó que la implementación del protocolo y la terapia nutricionales durante la pandemia de COVID-19 se asoció a un aumento del balance nitrogenado y un mejor control glicémico en los pacientes que egresan de la UCI por neumonía de COVID-19.

Oxidative stress produces macromolecules dysfunction and cellular damage. Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) induces oxidative stress, inflammation, epithelium and endothelium damage, and cessation of renal function. The IRI is an inevitable process during kidney transplantation. Preliminary studies suggest that aminoguanidine (AG) is an antioxidant compound. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of AG (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and its association with molecular pathways activated by IRI (30 min/48 h) in the kidney. The antioxidant effect of AG was studied measuring GSSH/GSSG ratio, GST activity, lipoperoxidation, iNOS, and Hsp27 levels. In addition, we examined the effect of AG on elements associated with cell survival, inflammation, endothelium, and mesenchymal transition during IRI. AG prevented lipid peroxidation, increased GSH levels, and recovered the GST activity impaired by IRI. AG was associated with inhibition of iNOS, Hsp27, endothelial activation (VE-cadherin, PECAM), mesenchymal markers (vimentin, fascin, and HSP47), and inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, Foxp3, and IL-10) upregulation. In addition, AG reduced kidney injury (NGAL, clusterin, Arg-2, and TFG-β1) and improved kidney function (glomerular filtration rate) during IRI. In conclusion, we found new evidence of the antioxidant properties of AG as a renoprotective compound during IRI. Therefore, AG is a promising compound to treat the deleterious effect of renal IRI.

La Telemedicina es la entrega remota de servicios de atención médica e información clínica utilizando tecnología de telecomunicaciones. La pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 ha catalizado la adopción de esta estrategia. En esta revisión analizamos su desarrollo local, considerando como modelo la Unidad de Teleprocesos del hospital Las Higueras de Talcahuano (HHT) en conjunto con la Unidad de Neurología (UN). Demostramos alta satisfacción usuaria, reducción en lista de espera de primera consulta, cobertura de la enfermedad neurológica ambulatoria y alto nivel de resolutividad. Esta experiencia ofrece una alternativa para mejorar la resolutividad médica a nivel nacional y mejorar la eficacia del sistema de salud especialmente en los nuevos escenarios causados por la pandemia. Finalmente, exponemos nuestras nuevas acciones centradas en educación, seguimiento de pacientes SARS-CoV-2 positivos y contactos estrechos, ampliación de prestaciones telemédicas a domicilio y creación de plataforma web junto a la comunidad.

Background: The quality assessment of the home-based isolation and care program (HBIC) relies heavily on patient satisfaction and length of stay. COVID-19 patients who were isolated and received HBIC were monitored through telephone consultations (TC), in-person TC visits, and a self-reporting application. By evaluating patient satisfaction and length of stay in HBIC, healthcare providers could gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of the HBIC program. Methods: A cross-sectional study design enrolled 444 HBIC patients who answered a structured questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model assessed the association between independent variables and patient satisfaction. The length of stay in HBIC was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. The data collection started on April (1–30), 2022, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results: The median age was 34, and 247 (55.6%) were females. A greater proportion (313, 70.5%) of the participants had high satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AOR = 2.827, 95% CI = 1.798, 4.443, p = 0.000) and those who were symptomatic (AOR = 2.001, 95% CI = 1.289, 3.106, p = 0.002) were found to be significant factors for high user satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AHR = 0.537, 95% CI = 0.415, 0.696, p = 0.000) and more in-person visits (>1 visit) (AHR = 0.495, 95% CI = 0.322, 0.762, p = 0.001) had greater chances to reduce the length of stay in the COVID-19 HBIC. Conclusion: 70.5% of the participants had high satisfaction with the system, and frequent phone call follow-ups on patients’ clinical status can significantly improve their satisfaction and length of recovery. An in-person visit is also an invaluable factor in a patient’s recovery.