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Microparticles (MPs) could be considered biomarkers of cell damage and activation as well as novel signalling structures. Since rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by immune and endothelial activation, the main aim of the present study was to analyse MP counts in RA patients. Citrated-blood samples were obtained from 114 RA patients, 33 healthy controls (HC) and 72 individuals with marked cardiovascular (CV) risk without autoimmune manifestations (CVR). MPs were analysed in platelet-poor plasma (PPP) and different subsets were identified by their surface markers: platelet-(CD41+), endothelial- (CD146+), granulocyte- (CD66+), monocyte- (CD14+) and Tang- (CD3+CD31+) derived. Disease activity score (DAS28), clinical and immunological parameters as well as traditional CV risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity) were registered from clinical records and all data were integrated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Absolute MP number was increased in RA patients compared with HC and positively correlated with traditional CV risk factors, similar to that of CVR subjects. In addition, frequency of the different MP subsets was different in RA patients and significantly associated with disease features. Moreover, in vitro assays revealed that MPs isolated from RA patients were able to promote endothelial activation and exhibited detrimental effects on human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-I) endothelial cell functionality. Circulating MPs from RA patients displayed quantitative and qualitative alterations that are the result of both disease-specific and traditional CV risk factors. Accordingly, this MP pool exhibited in vitro detrimental effects on endothelial cells, thus supporting their role as biomarkers of vascular damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the development of a dashboard with participative methodology we present a centralized strategy to analyze and visualize EMRs data for the management of 15 public hospitals from Buenos Aires City. This approach could constitute an efficient option for public health systems from developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: documentation of aspirin consumption is usually not complete and clear, probably because it´s a cheap drug that can be easily acquired. Objective: To evaluate the quality of the record of aspirin consumption documented in the electronic medical records (EMRs) of a Private University Hospital of Argentina. Design: Qualitative and quantitative descriptive exploratory study. Results: principal findings were that 86 % of the notes mentioned aspirin as a chronic prescription. 12% mentioned its temporary suspension. Numerous EMRs mentioned the use of an "antiplatelet" drug without specifying which, and didn´t specify abbreviations, consumed dose or when to start or stop aspirin. Conclusions: overall quality of aspirin related information registration in EMRs was poor. This is concerning since it’s a frequently prescribed drug, not exempt from adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the implementation of the EMR in the Primary Care Centers of the City of Buenos Aires, it has been claimed that there is a need to obtain systematic and accurate information about the assessment that patients have about such incorporation. A qualitative research has been carried out in order to answer this query. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the cause of death of hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease is of the utmost importance. This is usually recorded in free text form. In this study we aimed to develop a series of supervised natural language processing algorithms to extract cardiovascular causes of hospitalization and final causes of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an exploratory study on different variables known to be associated with epidemiological outbreaks of lower respiratory tract infections in children under 2 years raised to identify patterns and potential predictors for making strategic decisions in terms of strengthening health teams in periods of greatest demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity has been associated with many positive health outcomes. In this study we explored clinical notes to better understand how physicians record information on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of social relationships on mortality is comparable with that of standard clinical factors. In order to extract this information via supervised NLP algorithms, clinical notes have to be annotated manually. At present we did not find any systematic annotation standards to extract social support. In this work, we developed a systematic text annotation standard to detect social support in couples from electronic medical records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in the public healthcare system of Buenos Aires City began in June 2016. AGISE is a government department that assists in health decision-making processes by providing timely and quality data. In this study we designed a professional development program to improve organizational capacities for health analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of statistical information is usually associated with 'better decision making', fundamentally within the paradigm of evidence-based decisions. Thus, it is interesting to understand the demands and expectations, interpretations and effective use of statistical information by decision-makers at the primary health care level, considering the implications of the recently implemented Information System in Public Health (Buenos Aires, Argentina). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among members of the Health Plan of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires in Argentina, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using secondary data from the electronic medical record. We included all members over 50 years of age during the period 2008-2022. We assessed the number and type of screening tests performed and the proportion of members covered for screening. We analyzed 112,112 participants, with a median age of 58.6 years and a follow-up time of 8.6 years. Colonoscopy was the most commonly used test. The maximum coverage reached was 47.1% in December 2022. In conclusion, adherence to CRC screening was suboptimal, as was the method used. This information can be used for the design of a multicomponent intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, the Spanish Research Group on Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) (GEIDIS) established a national registry with participation of 66 hospitals to collect information on clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of BPD infants into adulthood. The aim of this observational study is to examine forced spirometry data in early childhood and to assess their correlation with the respiratory support required at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). The study analyzed data from preterm infants with BPD born between January 2016 and December 2017 who underwent forced spirometry at 5–7 years of age. Statistical analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between spirometry results, perinatal factors, and the required respiratory support at 36 weeks PMA. The study involved 143 patients with a median gestational age (GA) of 27.3 weeks (range 25.7–28.7) and a median weight of 880 g (range 740–1135). Abnormal spirometry results were observed in 39.2% (56) of the patients. Among patients diagnosed with BPD type 3, those requiring over 30% oxygen at 36 weeks PMA exhibited an increased risk of abnormal spirometry results (OR 4.48; 95% CI 1.11–18.13) compared to those requiring positive pressure with less than 30% oxygen. In addition, this subgroup had a higher risk of developing a restrictive-mixed pattern compared to those with BPD type 1 (OR 10.65; 95% CI 2.06–54.98) and BPD type 2 (OR 6.76; 95% CI 1.09–42.06). No significant differences were found in the incidence of an obstructive pattern between BPD types. Conclusion: The requirement of more than 30% oxygen at 36 weeks PMA serves as a risk indicator for pulmonary function impairment in school-aged children with BPD. These findings suggest persistent airway and parenchymal injury in this specific patient population, and highlight the importance of careful monitoring to evaluate their long-term effects on lung function. What is Known: • Premature patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) may present abnormalities in pulmonary function tests during school age. However, the predictive accuracy of consensus BPD severity classification remains uncertain. What is New: • The requirement of more than 30% oxygen at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) indicates a potential risk of pulmonary function impairment in school-aged children with BPD. Additionally, a significant correlation has been observed between a restrictive-mixed pattern with exposure to mechanical ventilation and the development of severe forms of BPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis is a complication of L-asparraginase in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Children with ALL are treated with corticosteroides, which are also associated with pancreatitis. Two L-asparraginase-induced pancreatitis cases in children with ALL are here reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GEIDIS is a national-based research-net registry of patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) from public and private Spanish hospitals. It was created to provide data on the clinical characterization and follow-up of infants with BPD until adulthood. The purpose of this observational study was to analyze the characteristics and the impact of perinatal risk factors on BPD severity. The study included 1755 preterm patients diagnosed with BPD. Of the total sample, 90.6% (n = 1591) were less than 30 weeks of gestation. The median gestational age was 27.1 weeks (25.8–28.5) and median birth weight 885 g (740–1,070 g). A total of 52.5% (n = 922) were classified as mild (type 1), 25.3% (n = 444) were moderate (type 2), and 22.2% (n = 389) were severe BPD (type 3). In patients born at under 30 weeks' gestation, most pre-and postnatal risk factors for type 2/3 BPD were associated with the length of exposure to mechanical ventilation (MV). Independent prenatal risk factors were male gender, oligohydramnios, and intrauterine growth restriction. Postnatal risk factors included the need for FiO2 of > 0.30 in the delivery room, nosocomial pneumonia, and the length of exposure to MV. Conclusion: In this national-based research-net registry of BPD patients, the length of MV is the most important risk factor associated with type 2/3 BPD. Among type 3 BPD patients, those who required an FiO2 >.30 at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age had a higher morbidity, during hospitalization and at discharge, compared to those with nasal positive pressure but FiO2 <.30. What is Known: • BPD is a highly complex multifactorial disease associated with preterm birth. What is New: • The length of exposure to mechanical ventilation is the most important postnatal risk factor associated to bronchopulmonary severity which modulate the effect of most pre and postnatal risk factors. • Among patients with BPD, the requirement for FiO2 >.30% at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age is associated with greater morbidity during hospitalization and at discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In large cities, where a large proportion of the population live in poverty and overcrowding, orders to stay home to comply with isolation requirements are difficult to fulfil. In this article, the use of alternative care sites (ACSs) for the isolation of patients with confirmed COVID-19 or persons under investigation (PUI) in the City of Buenos Aires during the first wave of COVID-19 are described. This is a cross-sectional study. All patients with COVID-19 and PUI with insufficient housing resources who could not comply with orders to stay home and who were considered at low clinical risk in the initial triage were referred to refurbished hotels in the City of Buenos Aires (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires [CABA]). ACSs were divided into those for confirmed COVID-19 patients and those for PUI. From March to August 2020, there were 58,143 reported cases of COVID-19 (13,829 of whom lived in slums) in the CABA. For COVID-19 positive cases, 62.1% (n = 8587) of those living in slums and 21.4% (n = 9498) of those living outside the slums were housed in an ACS. In total, 31.1% (n = 18,085) of confirmed COVID-19 cases were housed in ACSs. In addition, 7728 PUI were housed (3178 from the slums) in an ACS. The average length of stay was 9.0 ± 2.5 days for patients with COVID-19 and 1.6 ± 0.7 days for PUI. For the individuals who were housed in an ACS, 1314 (5.1%) had to be hospitalised, 56 were in critical care units (0.22%) and there were 27 deaths (0.1%), none during their stay in an ACS. Overall, about one-third of all people with COVID-19 were referred to an ACS in the CABA. For slum dwellers, the proportion was >60%. The need for hospitalisation was low and severe clinical events were rare. This strategy reduced the pressure on hospitals so their efforts could be directed to patients with moderate-to-severe disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The role of Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) as a predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events has been proposed in a variety of conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are still unknown. Since inflammation and Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) imbalance have been reported in RA patients to be related to CV disease, we wondered whether RDW could be linked to endothelial repair failure in RA. Methods EPCs (CD34 + VEGFR2 + CD133 + ) were quantified by flow cytometry in peripheral blood samples from 194 RA patients. IFNα, TNFα, IFNγ, IL-8, VEGF, GM-CSF, MCP-1, ICAM-1, EGF, Leptin and Resistin serum levels were quantified by immunoassays. Clinical and immunological parameters as well as history of traditional CV risk factors and CV events were registered from medical records. RDW was measured in complete blood cell count analyses. Results RDW was negatively related to EPC counts in patients with established disease (>1 year, n = 125) (r = −0.306, p < 0.001). Moreover, RDW was independently associated to an EPC depletion in the whole group (β [95% CI]: −3.537 [−6.162, −0.911], p = 0.009) after adjusting for clinical parameters, disease duration, treatments and traditional CV risk factors. Additionally, RDW was positively correlated with IFNα serum levels, a cytokine related to endothelial damage, and with IL-8, VEGF and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, thus supporting the association with inflammation and vascular remodelling. Conclusions RDW was associated to EPC depletion and increased levels of different mediators linked to endothelial damage and vascular repair failure, thereby shedding new light on the nature of RDW as CV-predictor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data regarding humoral and cellular response against SARS-CoV-2 in children are scarce. We analysed seroconversion rate, decrease of anti-RBD IgG antibodies over time and T-cell response in paediatric patients who suffered COVID-19. Longitudinal study of paediatric patients COVID-19 diagnosed by positive molecular assay in nasopharyngeal swabs. Blood samples were drawn 1–2 months and 6–7 months after acute infection. Anti-RBD IgG were determined using the Alinity® SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay (Abbott). Cellular immune response was analysed by T-SPOT® SARS-CoV-2 assay kit (Oxford Immunotec Ltd.). 27/39 (69,2%) patients seroconverted. Despite a significant decrease in antibody levels over time (p < 0,01), no children seroreverted between first and second visits. Only 6/16 (37,2%) children under 6 years-old were seropositive compared to 21/23 (91,3%) over 6 years-old (p < 0,01). Highest antibody levels were found in seropositive younger children (p = 0,036). Thirteen (33,3%) children showed T-cell response. Among participants showing humoral response, no cellular response was detected in 14 (51,9%). Anti-RBD IgG antibodies persistence at 6–7-months after SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed. A different IgG response was found depending on age. As measured by T-SPOT, most patients did not display cellular response 6–7 months after infection. • A long-term persistence of anti-Spike IgG antibodies in children was observed. • A significant decrease over time in IgG antibody levels was evidenced. • IgG response is different depending on the child's age. • Younger patients show a lower seroconversion rate. • Most of the children did not show cellular response at 6–7 months by T-SPOT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]