Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Polymyxins have been available since the 1960s, however, because of their adverse effects, their use has been reserved for the treatment of infections caused by multiresistant bacteria. The increase in the clinical experience acquired in recent years and the published medical literature have raised doubts about the information provided by the product, indicating the need to update dosage recommendations, pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic information (PK/PD). In addition, differences in concentration and dose between the different products of colistin may lead to errors of indication/administration and pose a risk to patients. In 2013, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) commissioned the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHPM) to review available data and to make updated recommendations on the use of colistin. This procedure yielded a first report in 2014. This review highlights critical safety and efficacy aspects, reviews the recent pharmacokinetic and stability advances, the available pharmaceutical forms in Chile, providing the schemes currently recommended by health care agencies and experts in the field.

Background: The emergence of colistin resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella represents a therapeutic challenge and a worldwide problem. Aim: To estimate the in-hospital mortality and identify the associated risk factors among patients with colistin-resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC) that present with a clinical infection. Methods: We carried a retrospective cohort study, including adult patients infected with colistin-resistant KPC hospitalized at a tertiary teaching hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the year 2016. The main outcome was in-hospital mortality. We used generalized lineal models to evaluate potential predictors of mortality. Results: 18 patients that developed a colistin-resistant KPC clinical infection were identified and included in the final analysis. In-hospital mortality in this cohort was 38.9%. The presence of bacteremia, acute renal injury at the time of diagnosis and septic shock were associated with the main outcome. Conclusions: Infections due to colistin-resistant KPC among in-hospital patients was frequent and was associated with high mortality rate. In our cohort, both shock and acute kidney injury were associated with a higher likelihood of poor outcomes. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the role of these and others risk factors so as to aid in the early detection of high risk patients.

Currently, the use of cefazolin is recommended to determine the susceptibility to first-generation oral cephalosporins in strains of enterobacteria in uncomplicated UTI. We determined susceptibility differences to oral cephalosporins in urinary strains according to cefazolin or cefalotin breakpoints and the correlation of susceptibility between cefazolin and cefadroxil. We studied 52 strains with cefalotin and cefazolin by disk-diffusion and MIC (Kirby-Bauer and Vitek XL) and a subgroup by disk-diffusion for cefadroxil. Agreement among different methods was 100% for K. pneumoniae and Proteus spp. In Escherichia coli, agreement for Vitek and disk-diffusion were 0 and 50% respectively. Susceptibility to first generation cephalosporins in E. coli should be determined with cefazolin. Agreement between cefazolin and cefadroxil suggests that cefazolin could also predict the susceptibility of cefadroxil.

Background: There is no consensus on the optimal dosage use of posaconazole (PSC) for invasive fungal infection (IFI) in pediatric patients and normally it is adjusted with drug levels (DLs) ≥ 0.7 μg/ml and ≥ 1.25 μg/ml for prophylaxis and treatment, respectively. Objective: To describe the experience of monitoring DLs of PSC in immunocompromised pediatric patients with IFI and to determine if the recommended doses reach CP effective in prophylaxis (≥ 0.7 μg/mL) and treatment (≥ 1.25 μg/mL). Method: A retrospective analysis in children who received PSC from January 2012 to October 2016, in the Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant units at Hospital Calvo Mackenna was done. Results: Six patients with 78 DLs were reviewed (4 prophylaxis and 4 treatment). Median PSC dose was 12.5 and 18.8 mg/kg/d for prophylaxis and treatment, resulting in mean DLs of 0.97 and 1.8 μg/ mL respectively. In prophylaxis 40/67 (60%) were recorded with DLs ≥ 0.70 μg/mL receiving a median dose of 12.5 mg/kg/d. While for treatment: 5/11 (46%) presented DLs ≥ 1.25 μg/mL, receiving a median dose of 18 mg/ kg/d. Conclusion: Our results are in line with the recommended for PSC dosage, but individualized monitoring is required to maintain adequate DLs.

Introduction: Currently, Paraguay has no data on the prevalence of soil-transmitted geohelminth infection in schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years. Aim: To determine the prevalence and intensity of infection by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms and the socio-cultural-environmental characteristics of the affected population. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study, in three semi-tropical climatic zones: continental, semi steppe and humid. A total of 1,404 schoolchildren from 20 schools in eight departments were selected from the country’s three climate zones. Copro-parasitological exams were analyzed in situ with the Kato-Katz method. Results: The national prevalence for geohelminthiasis was 3.73% (95% CI = 2.8-4.8). The risk factors found were consumption of well water OR: 2.88 (95% CI = 1.64-2.07), ground floor in housing OR: 2.56 (95% CI = 1.45-4.50) and lack of flushing water baths in households OR: 2.29 (95% CI = 1.23-4.28). Conclusion: Although the national prevalence of geohelminthiasis was low, it is recommended to promote good hygienic practices, use of footwear, and safe water consumption, as well as designing interventions with all relevant sectors to improve access to safe water and improved basic sanitation facilities.