Instituto Nacional De Salud Del Research Articles

Asociación entre el desempeño funcional y la calidad de vida familiar en pacientes con parálisis cerebral de un instituto especializado categoría III-2 en Perú: Un estudio transversal

Objective. To relate functional performance and quality of family life in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy from the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño during 2021. Materials and methods. A retrospective analytical study that analyzed 80 children and adolescents between 2 and 18 years old with cerebral palsy, in a non-probabilistic way, who attended the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service for outpatient consultation. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale adapted to Latin America were applied. Results. There were 56% males and a median age of 7 (3-9). The most frequent diagnoses were spastic hemiparesis (32%) and spastic quadriparesis (31%). Slight correlations were observed between functional performance and satisfaction with support for people with disabilities (rho = 0.25; p = 0.026). At the same time, self-care (rho = 0.26; p = 0.022) and social performance (rho = 0.26; p = 0.021) were associated with satisfaction with support for people with disabilities. Conclusion. Functional performance was associated with quality of life domains such as satisfaction with health and safety and support for people with disabilities.

Direct costs and clinical-epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized patients with chickenpox in 2013. At Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño


 
 
 La Varicela es una enfermedad altamente transmisible y afecta a la población infantil. La carga de enfermedad se ve reflejada en las complicaciones que motivan hospitalización, condicionando impacto económico para las instituciones de salud. Objetivos: Estimar los costos directos y describir las características clínico epidemiológicas de pacientes hospitalizados por varicela adquirida en la comunidad en el INSN. Material y método: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo. Se revisaron historias de pacientes hospitalizados por varicela en el año 2013. Para la estimación de costos se identificó y luego se realizó la valoración de los consumos por paciente hospitalizado. Resultados: De 217 historias clínicas evaluadas, el promedio de edad fue de 3.5 años ± 2.9 años. La población < de 5 años representó el 75.6% del total. Ningún paciente había recibido vacuna contra varicela. Se hospitalizaron más en primavera y verano. La mayoría procedían de los distritos más poblados de Lima. Las complicaciones más frecuentes: sobreinfecciones de piel y tejidos blandos 72.4% ( 157/217) , del sistema nerviosos central 13.4%( 29/217) y respiratorias 11.1% ( 24/217 ) . Fallecieron 2 pacientes (1%). El costo directo total estimado de los 217 pacientes hospitalizados fue: S/ 538,381.48 soles; el concepto de costos por hospitalización represento el 64% del total. El promedio de costos por pacientes fue de: S/2,481.02 soles. Conclusiones: Los pacientes hospitalizados por varicela complicada generaron consumo de recursos altos desde la perspectiva del hospital. Se hospitalizaron mayormente menores de 5 años principalmente por sobre infecciones de piel y tejidos blandos, sin antecedentes de vacunación.
 
 

Hallazgos citogenéticos y edad materna en pacientes con Síndrome Down en un hospital de referencia pediátrico en el Perú

Introduction: Down syndrome is a congenital disorder caused by a total or partial trisomy of chromosome 21 and is considered the most common genetic cause of congenital malformations and intellectual disability. The objective of this study was to describe the cytogenetic alterations of patients with Down syndrome and their relationship with maternal age. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. 436 patients with Down syndrome admitted to the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño during the 2017-2019 period were included. The variables analyzed were: cytogenetic diagnosis and maternal age. Results: It was found that 99,3% (n=433) of patients presented some type of cytogenetic alteration and three patients presented a normal karyotype. The age of the patients at the time of sampling was between 0,03 and 17 years, the male/female ratio was 1.2:1. The most frequent cytogenetic alteration was free trisomy 21 (94,7%), followed by Robertsonian translocation (n=16) and mosaicism (n=6). In the case of maternal age, a median of 37 years was found (range: 13-47). Conclusions: Free trisomy 21 is the most common cytogenetic condition in Down syndrome; however, the Robertsonian translocation and mosaicisms were more frequent in patients whose mothers were les than 35 years old, suggesting that there are other risk factors than advanced maternal age in this group.

Congenital pulmonary malformations in children in a pediatric hospital in Peru, 2010-2020.

Congenital pulmonary malformations (CPMs) are rare in children. This study aimed to describe the clinical, imaging characteristics, and treatment of patients with this pathology. We conducted a descriptive and retrospective study with data from patients with CPMs diagnosed at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño-Breña (Lima-Peru), from January 2010 to December 2020. We described CPM clinical and imaging characteristics, type and treatment. The sample was formed of 70 patients. The median age was 29 months (range 15 days-14 years) and the male/female ratio was 1.4. The chest tomography found parenchymal involvement in 50 (71.4%) cases and mixed involvement (parenchymal and vascular) in 18 (25.7%) cases. Congenital malformation of the pulmonary airway was present in 39 (55.7%) cases, followed by bronchogenic cyst in 10 (14.3%), intralobar pulmonary sequestration in 9 (12.9%), and extralobar pulmonary sequestration in 7 (10%). Lobectomy was performed in 61 (87.1%) cases, cystectomy in 5 (7.1%), segmentectomy in 2 (2.9%), and embolization in 2 (2.9%). The most frequent post-operative complication was pneumonia, found in 9 (12.9%) cases. The median hospital stay was 26 days. No patient died during hospitalization. In our institution, the most frequent CPM was congenital malformation of the pulmonary airway, and lobectomy was the most frequently performed surgical procedure. CPMs represent a diverse group of disorders of lung development with varied imaging patterns and clinical manifestations.

Survival and prognostic factors in pediatric patients with medulloblastoma treated at a national pediatric hospital in Peru: a retrospective cohort.

The objectives of this study were to determine the overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates of patients with medulloblastoma treated in a national pediatric hospital in Peru, as well as to identify demographic, clinical, imaging, postoperative, and histopathological characteristics and prognostic factors associated with OS and EFS. The authors conducted a retrospective study analyzing information from the medical records of children with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma who underwent surgical treatment at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño-San Borja, a public hospital in Lima, Peru, from 2015 to 2020. Clinical-epidemiological variables, degree of disease extension, risk stratification, extent of resection, postoperative complications, status of oncological treatment received, histological subtype, and neurological sequelae were taken into account. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to estimate OS, EFS, and prognostic factors. Of the 57 children evaluated with complete medical records, only 22 children (38.6%) underwent complete oncological treatment. OS was 37% (95% CI 0.25-0.55) at 48 months. EFS was 44% (95% CI 0.31-0.61) at 23 months. High-risk stratification-meaning patients with ≥ 1.5 cm2 of residual postoperative tumor, those younger than 3 years, those with disseminated disease (HR 9.69, 95% CI 1.40-67.0, p = 0.02), and those who underwent subtotal resection (HR 3.78, 95% CI 1.09-13.2, p = 0.04)-was negatively associated with OS. Failure to receive complete oncological treatment was negatively associated with OS (HR 20.0, 95% CI 4.84-82.6, p < 0.001) and EFS (HR 7.82, 95% CI 2.47-24.7, p < 0.001). OS and EFS of patients with medulloblastoma in the author's milieu are below those reported in developed countries. Incomplete treatment and treatment abandonment in the authors' cohort were also high compared with high-income country statistics. Failure to complete oncological treatment was the most important factor associated with poor prognosis, both in terms of OS and EFS. High-risk patients and subtotal resection were negatively associated with OS. Interventions are needed to promote the completion of adjuvant oncological therapy for medulloblastoma in the disadvantaged Peruvian population.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers of Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, Peru, April 2020 to March 2021

Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers of Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño (INSN) from April 2020 to March 2021. Materials and methods: A non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 608 workers who tested positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test. The COVID-19 clinical-epidemiological research sheets prepared bythe Ministry of Health of Peru and self-administered by the workers were reviewed. The INSN Department of Epidemiology staff verified the completion of the sheets. The data was entered into a database, which was used for the respective statistical analysis. The study was approved by the INSN Institutional Research Ethics Committee (registration code: PI-17/21). Results: COVID-19 prevalence among INSN workers was 7.24 % from April 2020 to March 2021. Out of the workers with COVID-19 71.4 % were women; 83.4 % were in the 30 to 59 age range with an average age of 44.71 years; 65.6 % were healthcare workers, most of whom were nursing technicians; and 56.9 % experienced symptoms, mainly fever/chills (12.2 %), cough (8.9 %), malaise (7.7 %), sore throat (6.7 %), stuffy nose (2.5 %) and headache (1.3 %). Most workers lived in Lima Centro districts (33.2 %). A significant association between sex, age groups, worker type and worker profile was found. Conclusions: COVID-19 prevalence among INSN workers was 7.24 %; the most frequent characteristics, which showed significant differences with the rest of the factors, were being a woman, healthcare worker and nursing technician. A total of 56.9 % of the workers experienced symptoms, only 20.9 % developed clinical signs and 10.9 % had comorbidities.

Estudio comparativo de factores asociados con la ansiedad dental parental en un hospital peruano

Background: Dental anxiety is a source of problems in the dental treatment that can lead to dental avoidance. Objective: Determine and compare the factors associated with dental anxiety in Peruvian parents. Material and Methods: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample consisted of children from 3 to 6 years old and their companions, who attended the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño in Lima, Peru. The Corah anxiety scale, the dental fear questionnaire and the Frankl scale were used to assess anxiety, parental dental fear, and children's collaboration. The following variables were also evaluated: negative dental experience, treated tooth and treatment of the children. Chi-square statistical tests, Mann-Whitney U and the binary logistic regression model were used. Results: The sample consisted of 325 children and their companions. An association was found between gender (OR = 2.456; 95% CI: 1.037 - 5.818), child collaboration (OR = 0.044; 95% CI: 0.044 - 0.543) and maternal anxiety (pandlt;0.05). Furthermore, there was an association between dental fear (OR = 3.569; 95% CI: 1.136 - 11.218), child collaboration (OR = 0.023; 95% CI: 0.003 - 0.172) and paternal anxiety (pandlt;0.05). Conclusion: The factor associated with maternal dental anxiety was the sex of the child, and on the father’s side, it was the dental fear experienced by them. Moreover, the component affiliated with both parents was the child's collaboration.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in patients from a pediatric hospital in Peru, 2017-2020.

Motivation for the study: there are few reports describing cases of invasive pneumococcal disease after the introduction of the 13-valent conjugate vaccine in Peru. Main findings: cases of invasive pneumococcal disease are still reported in children, more frequently in children under five years of age. The most frequent clinical form was bacteremia and there was greater antibiotic resistance to erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and penicillin. Implications: our findings suggest the need to maintain epidemiological surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease and to measure the impact of vaccination against pneumococcus in children. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, serotypes, and antibiotic susceptibility in patients with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The medical records of patients with IPD who were hospitalized at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño-Breña (Lima, Peru) were reviewed. We evaluated 29 patients. The median age was 1.9 years (interquartile range: 1 to 4 years). Of the sample, 51.7% were women and the most frequent clinical form of IPD was bacteremia in 18 (62.1%) patients; 65.5% had a complete vaccination schedule, according to the Peruvian Ministry of Health. Germ isolation was performed from blood samples in 82.8% of patients. Antibiotic resistance to erythromycin (55.2%) was the most frequent, followed by resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (48.3%) and penicillin (24.1%). The isolated serotypes were 6C, 19A, 23A and 24F. One patient died of meningitis. In conclusion, IPD was more frequent in children aged one to five years and the most frequent clinical form was bacteremia. Five serotypes reported in previous studies were found to be resistant to penicillin and erythromycin.

Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Production in Scopus by the Instituto Nacional de Salud Del Niño-Breña, Peru, 2010–2019

ABSTRACT A bibliometric study was conducted to describe the scientific production of Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño-Breña (INSN-Breña) in Peru from 2010 to 2019 in the Scopus database (Scopus ID: 60,071,245). In the study period, 209 publications were registered (3,165 citations; 15.1 citations/publication), with an increasing trend from 18 to 30 publications (2010–2019). About 75% were open access publications. INSN-Breña had greater international collaboration (118 articles, 23.5 citations/publication) and 40% of the publications were in Quartile 3. Scientific production at INSN-Breña consistently grew in the studied period.

Socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics of the family members of patients hospitalized in the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja, 2018

Objective: To describe the family and social characteristics of patients hospitalized in the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja from April to December 2018. Materials and methods: A descriptive, observational and analytical research. Probability sampling was used in a study population of 4,383 patients. The sample consisted of 573 patients, with a 96 % confidence level and a 4 % margin of error. A data collection sheet included in the medical record was used as instrument. The data was processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics statistical software. Results: Forty-seven point one two percent (47.12 %) of the patients came from Lima Metropolitan Area, 2.97 % from the Constitutional Province of Callao, and 49.91 % from inland, including Lima Province. Seventy-three point six five percent (73.65 %) of the patients lived in poverty, 24.26 % lived in extreme poverty, and only 2.09 % were not considered poor. Forty point four nine percent (40.49 %) of the patients lived in unsuitable housing conditions. Most study subjects were holders of the Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS) (94.24 %). Regarding the mothers’ and fathers’ educational level, 1.92 % and 0.52 % received no education, and 7.68 % and 4.19 % did not finish primary school, respectively. Forty-three point one one percent (43.11 %) of the mothers and 39.3 % of the fathers finished the regular basic education (EBR). Nine point seven seven percent (9.77 %) of the fathers and only 6.63 % of the mothers had higher technical education. Conclusions: The study enabled us to take a close look to the patients’ socioeconomic conditions, which definitely affect their health. It showed that most patients live in poverty and extreme poverty. A significant percentage of the patients come from the different departments of Peru. This situation reflects the centralism prevailing in the specialized pediatric centers and demonstrates the importance of the intercultural approach in health. The type of insurance is related to the patients’ economic status. It was confirmed that most of them hold the SIS and live in poverty or extreme poverty. The patients' low economic status is related to dwellings which do not comply with minimum housing standards. This fact is a risk factor for patients with chronic diseases or who got a transplant (bone marrow and solid organs). Finally, fathers evidenced a higher education level than mothers, which could suggest a gender gap.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation in pediatric population: clinical, electrophysiological and therapeutic characteristics in a Peruvian pediatric hospital

This study aims to describe the clinical, electrophysiological and therapeutic characteristics of pediatric patients with supraventricular tachycardia undergoing radiofrequency ablation. Observational, descriptive, retrospective study of children admitted for supraventricular tachycardia treatment at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño during 2018 to 2021. Data from 62 procedures were collected, corresponding to 59 patients (mean age: 9.91 years, 61% male), 23% of procedures were performed in patients under 15kg, and two were in patients under 5kg. 63% of patients had a structurally normal heart, while 37% had some type of congenital heart disease, the most common being Ebstein's anomaly. The most widely used group of drugs were beta-blockers, mainly propranolol. Among the arrhythmias treated, 21.7% had preexcitation Syndrome, 33.3% had at least one hidden accessory pathway, 5% corresponded to permanent reciprocating junctional tachycardia, 5% intranodal tachycardia, 11.7% atrial tachycardia, 10 % atrial flutter, 5% had other types of tachycardia and in 5 cases no tachycardia was induced. Of the total procedures, 76% corresponded to electrophysiological study and ablation, four patients recurred. The most common supraventricular tachycardia substrate in children was the presence of some accessory pathway. Radiofrequency catheter ablation could be applied in children with a high success rate and a low complication rate.

Antifungal Prophylaxis With Posaconazole in Immunocompromised Children Younger Than 13 Years.

Prophylaxis with posaconazole (PP) is effective in the prevention of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised adult patients. However, evaluation of its effectiveness and safety in children is limited. The aim of the study was to describe the use of posaconazole as antifungal prophylaxis in children. We reviewed the medical records of immunocompromised patients younger than 13 years with hematologic diseases and post hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) who received antifungal PP at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja (INSN-SB) in Lima, Peru, from January 2014 to December 2018. Fifty-six courses of PP were identified in 47 patients with a median age of 7.5 years (IQR, 4-10), 51.6% (n = 24) of whom were female. The main underlying medical conditions were aplastic anemia (n = 19, 33.9%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 18, 32.1%), acute myeloid leukemia (n = 14, 25.0%), and 34.1% had undergone HSCT. The median dose of posaconazole was 13.62 mg/kg/day (IQR, 12.0-16.8), and the median duration of PP was 24 days (IQR, 16-82). Gastrointestinal symptoms included abdominal pain (17.9%), nausea (16.1%), diarrhea (7.1%), and vomiting (3.6%). Elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were observed in 9/35 patients (25.7%) and 10/51 (19.6%) patients, respectively. Five cases of breakthrough fungal infection were identified (8.9%). Patients younger than 13 years who received PP showed an increase in transaminase values, and the development of breakthrough fungal infections.

Awareness of primary immunodeficiency diseases at a national pediatric reference center in Peru.

ABSTRACTObjective To investigate the level of awareness of primary immunodeficiency diseases among physicians working at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño.Methods Cross-sectional study including pediatric residents and pediatricians working at the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño during the study period (2017-2019). Physicians working at the immunology unit and surgery departments were excluded. Three aspects of awareness of primary immunodeficiency diseases were investigated: education, general knowledge, and diagnostic suspicion and actions taken in the face of suspicion.Results This sample comprised 83 physicians with a median age of 33 years. Most physicians were women (71.1%) and half were pediatric residents. During their undergraduate studies, 43.1% had taken primary immunodeficiency disease courses, and 39.2% had attended conferences on this topic. During their residency training, 25.9% had taken primary immunodeficiency disease courses, and 60.3% had participated in conferences on this topic. Among pediatricians, 50% had taken primary immunodeficiency disease courses, and 53.1% had attended conferences on this topic. Only 39.8% of physicians reported being familiar with the list of 10 warning signs developed by the Jeffrey Modell Foundation. More than half of physicians considered the lack of access to laboratory tests the major challenge in making diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency diseases.Conclusion This study revealed limited awareness of primary immunodeficiency diseases among physicians working at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño. Although most physicians suspected primary immunodeficiency diseases in patients with a history of recurrent infections and frequent use of antibiotics, not all of them were familiar with the list of 10 warning signs proposed by the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, nor were they able to describe ancillary tests requested in suspected cases.

#50: Vancomycin Doses and Trough Concentrations in Pediatric Patients

Abstract Background Vancomycin serum trough concentrations are monitored to reduce nephrotoxicity and optimize therapeutic efficacy. Vancomycin pharmacokinetics and trough levels used in pediatric patients are extrapolated from the adult population. The pediatric dosing strategies are empirical and there is limited evidence to suggest that these doses result in the recommended steady-state trough concentrations. The objective of the study was to determine the association between vancomycin dosing regimens and trough concentrations levels of 10 to 20 μg/mL in pediatric patients with complicated infections. Methods Retrospective cohort, 505 trough vancomycin serum concentrations of patients of 1 month to 18 years from hospital wards and the Intensive Care Unit of the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja during December 2015 to April 2019. It included only the first vancomycin trough level measured 30 minutes before the fourth doses and serum trough concentrations of 10 to 20 μg/mL were considered as therapeutic levels. A multinomial logistic regression model to estimate the relative risk ratio (RRR) with a 95% confidence interval was used, the comparator group was therapeutic vancomycin levels and it was adjusted by glomerular filtration rate, age group, hospital room, dose interval, and weight. Results Five hundred and five vancomycin dosages were analyzed. Infants and children were 43.12% and 39.22%, respectively, 45.17% were women. 56.77% had a high glomerular filtration rate and only 28.02% of the patients obtained therapeutic trough levels of vancomycin. The RRR of having sub-therapeutic levels in patients with low glomerular filtration rates compared with normal filtration rates was 0.31 (P = 0.049) and the RRR of having sub-therapeutic levels in patients from 2 to 12 years compared with patients under 2 years old was 2.38 (P = 0.007). There was no difference in having therapeutic levels using doses equal or greater than 60 mg/kg/day vs. less than 40 mg/kg/day comparing sub-therapeutic levels (P = 0.655) and supratherapeutic levels (P = 0.264). Conclusions The empirical vancomycin regimens used in pediatric patients did not reach the recommended therapeutic trough levels of 10 to 20 μg/mL. Patients of 2 to 12 years and low glomerular filtration rates were associated to have sub-therapeutic trough levels.

#65: Characterization of Resistance Patterns Among Isolates of E. coli and Klebsiella sp. from Wastewater, and Clinical Samples in a Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital in Lima, Peru

Abstract Background Environmental monitoring of enterobacteria in hospital wastewater could be a useful tool to understand the composition of the microbiota in patients, their visits, and healthcare personnel, but it also may be useful for monitoring antimicrobial resistance among healthcare-associated infections in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to characterize and describe the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp. strains from wastewater and from clinical isolates in a tertiary care children’s hospital in Lima, Perú. Methods We systematically collected 70 isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp. from wastewater and 24 isolates of the same enterobacteria from blood and urine cultures at Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja (INSN-SB) in Lima from December 2018 to May 2019. Susceptibility profiles were evaluated following CLSI criteria. We used the Jarlier method for the detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL). For detection of AmpC beta-lactamases, we used discs of cefoxitin, ceftazidime, and ceftriaxone combined with cloxacillin and cefotaxime. For the detection of carbapenemase production, we used EDTA and phenylboronic acid inhibitors between meropenem and imipenem disks. We performed genomic sequencing for the detection of resistance genes and to perform a phylogenetic cluster analysis. Results We collected a total of 94 isolates (70 from wastewater and 24 from clinical samples). Among the total isolates, 19 (20.2%) were ESBL producers. The frequency of ESBL producers in wastewater was 7.1% (5/24), whereas the frequency of ESBL producers in clinical samples was 58.3% (14/70). The most frequent resistance genes were tet (variant 34 and A) and blaTEM-1. The frequency of tet(34) and tet(A) were 10% and 7%, respectively, in isolates from wastewater, whereas the frequency of these genes were 0% and 6%, respectively, in clinical isolates. The gene blaCTX-M-15 was present in isolates from wastewater (1%) and clinical samples (2%). Phylogenetic cluster analysis found no similarities between isolates from wastewater and to those from clinical samples, suggesting that the population of these enterobacteria were different in wastewater compared with clinical samples. Conclusions Enterobacteria from hospital wastewater may not reflect the profile of infections caused by these microorganisms. However, they may reflect the microbiological microbiota among patients, their visits, and hospital healthcare personnel. Further studies that compare the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics among isolates from wastewater and the enteric microbiota from these individuals would be necessary to assess this hypothesis.

Respiratory viruses and clinical- epidemiological characteristics in episodes of acute respiratory infection.

The aim of the study was to determine the viral frequency and clinical-epidemiological characteristics in the episodes of acute respiratory infection in patients of the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja in Lima, the information of the episodes of patients who required at least one direct Immunofluorescence test from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 was analyzed. 1153 episodes were identified in 707 patients. The median age was 1 year and 55% were male. The viral frequency was 13.4%; respiratory syncytial virus was identified in 10.7% of the episodies. The viral frequency was higher in children under 1 year of age (16.2%); in those with congenital disease respiratory (38.9%) and during the autumn (24.2%). The most common symptoms were cough (70.3%) and fever (53.4%); and the main diagnoses, viral pneumonia (31.8) and bronchiolitis (23.4%). It is concluded that the respiratory viral frequency was related to age, seasonality and pre-existing pathology.

Changes in the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Infants With Cleft Lip and/or Palate Before and After Surgical Treatment.

To assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) changes before and after the primary surgical treatment in infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Quasi-experimental study. A total of 106 infants with CL/P younger than 2 years undergoing primary surgical treatment in the Plastic Surgery Service of the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño in Peru. The parent/caregiver answered a questionnaire about OHRQoL named the Peruvian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (P-ECOHIS) in the pretreatment (baseline) and follow-up post-treatment. The total score of P-ECOHIS and their 2 sections (child impact and family impact) in the baseline and each follow-up period post-treatment scores were assessed. As well as, the type of the CL/P on OHRQoL, standardized effect sizes (ES) based on mean total change scores (difference between baseline and 12th month) were analyzed. Improvements in infant's OHRQoL after treatment were reflected in each follow-up period P-ECOHIS score compared to the baseline score. The total P-ECOHIS scores decreased significantly from 28.07 (baseline) to 7.7 (12th month; P < .0001), as did the individual domain scores (P < .0001). There were significant differences in the baseline and follow-up post-treatment scores of infants who reported improvement of the OHRQoL (P < .0001). The ES was large (3.79). The cleft lip had an improvement in the OHRQoL at 12th month post-treatment (P < .0001). Primary surgical post-treatment resulted in significant improvement of the infant's OHRQoL with CL/P.

Characteristics of oncological clinical trials submitted to the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Peru, 1995-2019.

A descriptive observational study was carried out to identify the characteristics of the oncological clinical trials submitted to the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Perú during the period from 1995 to 2019. The information was obtained from the Peruvian Registry of Clinical Trials. We identified 1,996 clinical trials during the studied period, from which 470 were oncological (23.5%); 74.9% of the oncological clinical trials were mainly sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, 61.9% were phase III and 86.2% were authorized. Regarding those authorized clinical trials, 55.6% were on chemical research products and 35.9% were on therapeutic indication for breast cancer. The most frequent study designs found were: parallel arm (84.7%), randomized (85.2%) and blinded (51.0%); the most frequently used main endpoint was the objective response rate (46.7%). We conclude that the number of oncological clinical trials has been increasing over the years, often with different characteristics.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 in a pediatric hospital in Peru.

The aim of the study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19. We analyzed the clinical records of inpatients and outpatients of the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja from the period between March and May, 2020. A total of 33 patients were registered, 57.6% were males with a median age of 4.8 years (range: 2 months - 17 years). We found that 81.8% of the children had contact with a positive COVID-19 case, 60.6% had concomitant diseases, 93.9% presented symptoms (mainly fever and cough) and the median incubation period was 7 days. The hemogram and acute-phase reactants were normal in most cases. Chest X-ray was abnormal in 11/16 patients. All patients received supportive treatment; 2 patients required supplemental oxygen. One patient died from complications associated with a terminal phase brain tumor. We report the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 during the first months of the pandemic in Peru.

Análisis bibliométrico de las publicaciones científicas originales del Instituto Nacional de Salud del Perú en el periodo 1998-2018

Objetivos: Medir la producción científica del Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS) mediante indicadores bibliométricos de producción, colaboración e impacto. Materiales y métodos: Estudio bibliométrico de publicaciones originales en revistas indizadas en Scopus y Scielo Perú en el periodo 1998-2018. Los indicadores de producción fueron el número de publicaciones por año y por subperiodos (1998-2008 y 2009- 2018), por temática, y por revista de publicación. Los indicadores de colaboración fueron el índice de coautoría, el índice de número de firmas institucionales, la tasa de colaboración nacional e internacional, la proporción de primeria autoría con filiación del INS. Los indicadores de impacto fueron el número de citaciones por año, índice citas/documento, la proporción de documentos alguna vez citados y la velocidad de citación. Resultados: 618 publicaciones tuvieron al menos un autor con filiación INS. El 55,9% (346/618) fue publicado en revistas científicas peruanas. 30 autores del INS fueron grandes productores. El 49,0% (303/618) de las publicaciones tuvo al primer autor con filiación INS. 132 (21,4%) publicaciones fueron sobre enfermedades transmitidas por vectores; 9,7% (60), sobre tuberculosis; y 9,5% (59), sobre zoonosis. La tasa de colaboración internacional fue de 38,8%. La razón citas/documentos fue de 12,8 para todo el periodo. El índice H de las publicaciones con participación del INS fue 37. Conclusiones: En las últimas dos décadas, la contribución del INS estuvo centrada en las enfermedades infecciosas. Por otro lado, requiere fortalecer los índices de productividad de sus autores, así como consolidar las nuevas líneas temáticas que han desarrollado en la última década. Este esfuerzo permitirá mejorar su función como instituto público de investigación.