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Resumen: Objetivo: Analizar la composición por sexo de los comités de personas expertas creados para la gestión y la toma de decisiones políticas durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en España. Método: Se realizó una revisión por pares para identificar los comités destinados a la gestión de la COVID-19 en las comunidades autónomas y de ámbito estatal. Se recopilaron el nombre, el número de integrantes, el sexo y las fuentes de información, y se calculó el porcentaje de mujeres. Resultados: En las comunidades autónomas se identificó la composición de 11 comités específicos, con una media de representación de las mujeres del 39,2%, siendo del 42,9% en todo el Estado. El 75% del conjunto de los comités representó a las mujeres por debajo del umbral de paridad. Conclusiones: Existe una significativa infrarrepresentación de las mujeres en los comités para la gestión de la COVID-19, lo que puede limitar la necesaria mirada feminista para la recuperación de la crisis. Abstract: Objective: To analyse the gender composition of the advisory boards created for the management and policy decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Method: A peer review was carried out to identify the advisory boards involved in the management of COVID-19 in the autonomous regions and in Spain. Name, number of members, sex and sources of information were collected, and the percentage of women was calculated. Results: At the regional level, the composition of eleven advisory boards was identified, with a mean representation of women of 39.2%; 42.9% at the national level. 75% of all boards represented women below the parity threshold. Conclusions: There is a significant under-representation of women in the advisory boards for the COVID-19 management, which may limit a necessary feminist perspective for the crisis recovery.

Introduction: The primary objective of the core data set is to reduce heterogeneity and promote harmonization among data sources in EM, thereby reducing the time needed to execute real life data collection efforts. Recently, a group led by the Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance has developed a core data set for collecting real-world data on multiple sclerosis (MS) globally. Our objective was to adapt this global data set to the needs of Latin America, so that it can be implemented by the registries already developed and in the process of development in the region., Material and Methods: A working group was formed regionally, the core data set created globally was adapted (translation process into Spanish, incorporation of regional variables and consensus on variables to be used). Consensus was obtained through the remote Delphi methodology of a round of questionnaires and remote discussion of the core data set variables., Results: A total of 25 professionals from Latin America carried out the adaptation process between November 2022 and July 2023. Agreement was established on a core data set of nine categories and 45 variables, version 2023 to suggest its implementation in developed or developing registries, and MS cohorts in the region., Conclusion: The core data set seeks to harmonize the variables collected by registries and cohorts in MS in Latin America in order to facilitate said collection and allow collaboration between sources. Its implementation will facilitate real life data collection and collaboration in the region.

O artigo apresenta três modelos de participação em saúde ­ os Comitês Consultivos Mistos da Itália, os Conselhos Comunitários de Saúde da Inglaterra e os Conselhos Municipais de Saúde do Brasil ­ evidenciando as potencialidades, os aspectos organizacionais e as debilidades de cada um. Sucessivamente, faz-se uma análise comparativa das três experiências, destacando regularidade e variações em relação às principais características da participação em saúde. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para a discussão de algumas categorias teóricas presentes na literatura especializada no campo da participação em saúde. Precisamente, analisam-se as seguintes dimensões da participação: (a) organização e composição dos fóruns de participação; (b) papel desempenhado pelos representantes dos cidadãos (consultivo, deliberativo ou de controle); (c) tipo de aproximação (individual ou coletiva) de participação em saúde. Finalmente, o artigo enfoca dois pontos críticos surgidos nas três experiências de participação e, precisamente, o problema da representatividade das instâncias colegiadas e a dificuldade dos porta-vozes dos cidadãos de exercerem sua influência nos processos de tomada de decisões dos gestores.This paper focuses on three models for citizens' participation in health (Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil). After discussing the strengths and weakness of the three experiences, the study presents a comparative analysis, highlighting convergences and variations in relation to the main characteristics of social participation in the health sector: (a) organization and composition of health councils; (b) functions played by citizens' representatives (decision-making, advisory, or social control or oversight); and (c) approaches to community participation. The paper then focuses on two critical points emerging from the analysis of experiences with community participation: the issue of representativeness and the difficulty experienced by representatives of health services users in influencing the decision-making by system managers.

Objective: To analyse the gender composition of the advisory boards created for the management and policy decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain., Method: A peer review was carried out to identify the advisory boards involved in the management of COVID-19 in the autonomous regions and in Spain. Name, number of members, sex and sources of information were collected, and the percentage of women was calculated., Results: At the regional level, the composition of eleven advisory boards was identified, with a mean representation of women of 39.2%; 42.9% at the national level. 75% of all boards represented women below the parity threshold., Conclusions: There is a significant under-representation of women in the advisory boards for the COVID-19 management, which may limit a necessary feminist perspective for the crisis recovery., (Copyright © 2021 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Annual recommendations on influenza vaccine use in different countries are developed by influenza-specific working groups within their Immunization Advisory Committees. Adults aged 65 years and over are included in the groups for which vaccination against influenza is particularly recommended due to the morbidity associated. A variety of influenza vaccines are available, some of which boosted immunity, are licensed for use only in this specific age group, where the immune response to traditional influenza vaccines may be suboptimal. We analyze the main annual recommendations on the use of the influenza vaccine issued by advisory committees on immunization for the population over 65 years of age., Methods: The latest influenza vaccination guidelines have been selected and the recommendations for people over 65 years of age published by the main vaccination advisory committees have been reviewed., Results: The UK Advisory Committee (JCVI) recommends the use of Quadruvalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine with Adjuvant (aQIV) or High Dose Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (QIV-HD). The US committee (ACIP) does not express a preference for any type of vaccine. The Australian committee (ATAGI) preferably recommends adjuvanted influenza vaccine. The advisory committees of Canada and Germany (NACI, STIKO) and the European Center for Disease Control (Ecdc) recommend using any of the age-appropriate flu vaccines available, although they bet on the The UK Advisory Committee (JCVI) recommends the use of Quadruvalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine with Adjuvant (aQIV) or High Dose Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (QIV-HD). The US committee (ACIP) does not express a preference for any type of vaccine. The Australian committee (ATAGI) preferably recommends adjuvanted influenza vaccine. The advisory committees of Canada and Germany (NACI, STIKO) and the European Center for Disease Control (Ecdc) recommend using any of the age-appropriate flu vaccines available, although they bet on the use of inactivated quadrivalent flu vaccine high dose at the individual level for those over 65 years.use of inactivated quadrivalent flu vaccine high dose at the individual level for those over 65 years., Conclusions: It is necessary further studies and improvement in their quality that analyze the different vaccines available and their comparability, although the use of reinforced immunity vaccines is generally recommended in the population over 65 years of age., (©The Author 2021. Published by Sociedad Española de Quimioterapia. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).)

COVID-19 is a global public health issue due to its epidemic nature that, to date, lacks pharmacological treatment. However, some COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for emergency use, although the duration of their protection, their ability to interrupt viral transmission, and their efficacy against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 are being studied. Chile's SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign required design and planning, like any other campaign. This process included the prioritization of risk groups for vaccination given the limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines globally. Throughout 2020, CAVEI issued recommendations on the prioritization of population groups to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 in response to different needs and in accordance with available evidence. These recommendations are consolidated in Table 1 in this report. In summary, it was recommended that healthcare workers, people in long-term residences and essential State personnel be vaccinated in phase 1. In phase 2, persons over 65 years of age and people with comorbidities. In phase 3, essential tasks workers and, lastly, the general population.

Pouchitis treatment is a complex entity that requires a close medical and surgical relationship. The elective treatment for acute pouchitis is antibiotics. After a first episode of pouchitis it is recommended prophylaxis therapy with a probiotic mix, nevertheless it is not clear the use of this formulation for preventing a first episode of pouchitis after surgery. First-line treatment for chronic pouchitis is an antibiotic combination. The next step in treatment should be oral budesonide. Selected cases of severe, chronic refractory pouchitis may benefit from biologic agents, and anti-TNF α should be recommended as the first option, leaving the new biologicals for multi-refractory patients. Permanent ileostomy may be an option in severe refractory cases to medical treatment., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Antibiotics are the most widely used medications in neonates during their first month of life in neonatal units, mainly due to the high risk they present of acquiring serious infections such as sepsis. Most of these antibiotics are used with extrapolated doses based on the suggestions in the adult population and older children, despite the fact that the pathophysiology in newborns is absolutely different. This leads to a higher risk of more adverse effects occurring, which can lead to greater toxicity and therapeutic failures, among others. In the last decade more and more pharmacokinetic studies of antibiotics have been carried out in neonates, this recent evidence has led to new dosage recommendations taking into account the weight and gestational age of the newborn, among other variables, in agreement to the antibiotic studied. Therefore, based on the need to order and summarize the most up-to-date and most evidence-based information on antibiotics in neonates, this document was prepared to facilitate and promote its correct use in neonatal units.

Ultrasound is an essential tool in the management of the nephrological patient allowing the diagnosis, monitoring and performance of kidney intervention. However, the usefulness of ultrasound in the hands of the nephrologist is not limited exclusively to the ultrasound study of the kidney. By ultrasound, the nephrologist can also optimize the management of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis, measure cardiovascular risk (mean intimate thickness), implant central catheters for ultrasound-guided HD, as well as the patient's volemia using basic cardiac ultrasound, ultrasound of the cava inferior vein and lungs. From the Working Group on Interventional Nephrology (GNDI) of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN) we have prepared this consensus document that summarizes the main applications of ultrasound to Nephrology, including the necessary basic technical requirements, the framework normative and the level of training of nephrologists in this area. The objective of this work is to promote the inclusion of ultrasound, both diagnostic and interventional, in the usual clinical practice of the nephrologist and in the Nephrology Services portfolio with the final objective of offering diligent, efficient and comprehensive management to the nephrological patient., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The role of Critical Care Medicine in Spain requires continuous revision and reflection. We have values and strengths that are evidenced in our daily work and by their important effects in routine hospital activity. Other medical specialties seeking to assume activities referred to critical patient care, as well as a number of other circumstances, may have a negative impact upon our routine duties. This article reflects the impressions of an important number of members of the Planning, Organization and Management Task Force of the Spanish Society of Critical Medicine Society (Grupo de Trabajo de Planificación, Organización y Gestión; GTPOG-SEMICYUC). The actions required to upgrade our Critical Care Medicine model are presented, evolving towards a broader view such as the 'ICU without walls' or 'Expanded ICU'. The subject is addressed from three complementary standpoints: actions involving the administrative authorities; actions required on the part of our scientific Society; and initiatives to be implemented locally in each Intensive Care Unit (led by the corresponding Unit representatives) at both hospital level and involving the regional authorities., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The drug evaluation in a defined market becomes more important if we manage to objectify the impact of it on health care professionals., Subjects and Methods: It has been collected all the information related to the autonomic committees of evaluation of drugs in a period of time (from April 2006 to May 2017) and in those who have produced reports related to the N3A therapeutic group (antiepileptics) and it has been measured the quantitative impact of their evaluations on the prescription habits of specialists in each of the autonomous communities and globally in Spain., Results: The impact was measured by analyzing the sales data in units (IQVIA) by provinces and at national level of each product evaluated., Conclusions: The impact of the work carried out by the autonomous evaluation committees and by the therapeutic positioning reports in relation to the antiepileptic drugs has been practically non-existent or null. We consider from this forum the suitability or not to keep the investment of time, personnel and other resources in this type of approach.

This document represents the position of the Chilean Infectious Diseases Society Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices regarding hepatitis A epidemiological situation in Chile. The recommendations are based on local epidemiological data, the hepatitis A virus infection characteristics and the global experience with the available vaccines. In relation to hepatitis A, Chile is no longer a highly endemic area but actually an intermediate one, currently concentrating cases in individuals over 15 years of age, with frequent outbreaks. In 2017 we have seen an important outbreak of genotype 1A in men who have sex with men (MSM). The current endemic, the presence of regular outbreaks, the frequency of natural disasters in Chile, together with the availability of safe, effective vaccines and local cost-effectiveness studies led us to propose measures for outbreak control for high risk groups protection and mid and long term, including a more definitive solution which is universal vaccination against this disease in small children.

Proper use of antiseptics and disinfectants, is an essential tool to prevent the spread of infectious agents and to control of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Given the increasing importance of environmental aspects, as well as several advances and updates in the field of its proper use at local and intemational level, the SOCHINF HAI Advisory Committee considers that it is necessary to develop a guide for the rational use of antiseptics and disinfectants, which it will provide consistent scientific basis with that purpose.

Dengue was first diagnosed on Easter Island on year 2002 and thereafter recurrent outbreaks have occurred involving different serotypes of dengue virus. Its vector, Aedes aegypti has not been eliminated despite the small size of the island. Conditions at the local hospital preclude adequate management of severe and hemorrhagic cases due to the absence of a Critical Care Unit as well as no availability of platelets, or plasma units for transfusion. Besides, transfer, of severely affected patients to continental Chile is cumbersome, slow and expensive. In this scenario, it is advisable to implement selective vaccination of Easter Island habitants with an available quadrivalent attenuated dengue vaccine with the aim to reduce hemorrhagic and severe dengue cases. This strategy should not replace permanent efforts to control waste disposal sites, water sources, maintain vector surveillance and increase education of the population.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors is a leading independent institution providing guidance for the report of biomedical research and health related topics in medical journals. Established in 1978, it is currently constituted by editors of fourteen general medical journals from different countries, plus one representative for the US National Library of Medicine and one representative for the World Association of Biomedical Journal Editors. Since 1978 the Committee provides a document, originally named "Uniform Requirements…", "to help authors, editors, and others involved in peer review and biomedical publishing create and distribute accurate, clear, unbiased medical journal articles". This document has been updated several times and the last version was released in August 2013, now renamed "Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals", available in www.icmje.org and citable as "ICMJE Recommendations". A vast proportion of medical journals, worldwide, have adopted these recommendations as rules. The ICMJE discusses and provides guidance on several relevant aspects including criteria on authorship, peer review, scientific misconduct, conflicts of interest, clinical trials registration, good editorial practices, the relations between editors and journal owners, the protection of individuals subject to medical research, the solvency of electronic publications, among others. The 2013 ICMJE Annual Meeting took place in Santiago, Chile, in November 4 and 5. The photograph shows attendants to the final session.

Background: Medical research is a fundamental tool to achieve the advancement of science, through the improvement of strategies aimed to protect, promote and restore an individual's and society's health. Three characteristics are required to obtain approval of the research proposal: scientific relevance, technical quality and the accomplishment of ethical issues., Objectives: The present review aimed at the determination of the specific criteria to perform a critical review of research proposals., Methods: A research was carried out in the PubMed, Medline, Ovid and Google Scholar databases, using the terms: peer review, research proposals, review and protocols, and reviewers. A total of 3546 related articles were reviewed, without finding a guide to critically assess research proposals. The guides to assess research articles consider that the quality criteria of the study should have been present since the study's conception; many of the issues described to review articles are incorporated in the review of the research proposals., Results: The specific criteria were integrated to allow the reviewer to critically assess research proposals of different areas with scientific basis., Conclusions: The reviewer of research proposals should be considered as a professional that contributes to the promotion of knowledge advancement through his/her comments, which allow researchers to improve the quality of research proposals.

The article summarizes the scientific evidence related with protection conferred by the 23 valent polysaccharide vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease, non bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia, and probable pneumococcal pneumonia in the elderly. Eider patients with and without risk factors are considered. The impact of herd immunity conferred by vaccination of children with conjugated pneumococcal vaccine in reduction of pneumonia in adults is discussed. Based on this analysis, the Advisory Committee on Immunizations of the Chilean Infectious Disease Society makes recommendations on the most efficient vaccine strategy for reduction of pneumococcal pneumonia in the elderly.

The article briefly reviews the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and associated diseases in the world and in Chile and the scientific information of the licensed HPV vaccines: Gardasil and Cervarix. Considering the available information, the Consultive Committee of Immunizations of the Chilean Society of Infectious Diseases, summarizes its conclusions and makes recommendations for vaccination against HPV in Chile.

This article briefly reviews the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and associated diseases globally and in Chile, and the scientific information of the licensed HPV vaccines: Gardasil and Cervari. Considering the available information, the Advisory Committee on Immunizations of the Chilean Society of Infectious Diseases recommends vaccination of teenage girls, ideally before initiating sexual activity, i.e., approximately at the age of 12 to 13 years and vaccination of women of any age if they have not started sexual activity. If women are vaccinated after initiating sexual activity, they should be informed of the lower efficacy of immunization if HPV infection has occurred. Education on responsible sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases should be maintained as a priority. Vaccination should be highly considered for inclusion in the National Immunization Program.

The article briefly reviews the epidemiology of rotavirus infection and the scientific information of the rotavirus vaccines: Rotashield, withdrawn from the market due to its association with intussusception, Rotateq currently in an advanced phase of development, and Rotarix, recently licensed in Chile. Considering the available information, the Consultive Committee of Immunizations of the Chilean Society of Infectious Diseases, summarizes its conclusions and makes recommendations for infants vaccination against rotavirus in our country.

Aims: In this paper we report on Public Health Resolution 90, which regulates the determination and certification of death in Cuba., Method: Public Health Resolution 90 is of great social importance in our country since it allows the determination and certification of death to be lawfully regulated throughout the whole territory. It is the fruit of over ten years work by a national commission which was set up for that purpose. This resolution includes a series of features that are unprecedented on an international level. By legalising all the aspects linked with the determination and certification of death by means of a ministerial resolution (Ministry of Public Health), and not through a law passed by Parliament, no obstacles are created to prevent it from being reassessed and changed in the future in order to keep up with scientific and technical progress. Unlike most legislation throughout the world, this resolution does not regulate the determination of death, or brain death, linked with organ transplants. In fact, the word transplants does not appear anywhere in the resolution. The clinical and instrumental criteria for determining death were grouped under the heading of the well known true signs of death , but included a true sign based on the irreversible loss of brain functions . Although the irreversible absence of respiratory and circulatory functions, together with the presence of post mortem changes, were included as true signs, the national commission concluded that the death of an individual can only be defined in terms of the irreversible loss of brain functions . The clinical and instrumental criteria for determining death are included in two annexes to the resolution, which must be reviewed from time to time by the National Commission for the Determination of Death, as and when scientific and technical progress makes it necessary to do so. Among the instrumental tests used as a diagnostic aid for the irreversible loss of brain functions and, for perhaps the first time in the world, a battery of tests made up of multimodal evoked potentials and electroretinography has been included., Conclusions: Public Health Resolution 90 offers the legal framework for regulating the determination and certification of death in Cuba.

Introduction: The International Classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes, proposed in 1989, have proven to be of considerable value and suministered a universal vocabulary for physicians. The use have identified also some disadvantages and the rapid advances in neuroimage and molecular genetics has become clear that reappraisal is needed., Development: An ILAE Task Force on Classification and Terminology is proposing a diagnostic scheme that makes use of standardized terminology and concepts to describe individual patients. The proposal include several definitive changes and terminology very logic but there is some new concepts that is not properly clear. The diagnostic scheme is made of flexible and dynamic modules. It consist of five level o axes: ictal phenomenology, seizure type, syndrome, etiology and impairement. It is lacking on axis about age at onset that is very important in some epileptic syndromes. The syndromic diagnosis is derived from a list of accepted epilepsy syndromes and of the syndromes are still in development, although no contain some syndromes of recent description. Finally it is proposed an example of a classification of epilepsy syndromes, grouping the syndromes according to age at onset and etiology.

Introduction: The use of a universal classification, generally agreed and accepted, is an essential step in medicine for the understanding, correct diagnosis and satisfactory treatment of diseases., Objective: We review and comment on the various proposed classifications of epileptic seizures, from that of Gastaut in 1970, which related the clinical findings to the electroencephalogram (EEG) of epileptic seizures, to the current classification described by the executive committee of the ILAE (International League Against Epilepsy) in 1997., Conclusions: The first classification was described by Gastaut and improved in the first international classification agreed on by the ILAE in 1981. Subsequently, the international classification of the ILAE in 1989 paid special attention to the differentiation of the different types of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes as such, with less emphasis on the correlation of seizures with the EEG. The current classification proposed by the ILAE considers epileptic seizures as just a list of types of seizures, although in greater detail. Concerning definition of the seizures, it does not establish their correlation with clinical investigations that permit greater objectivity (EEG, neuro imaging.).