Abstract Asthma symptoms can be controlled through proper self-management, medication adherence, and avoidance of triggers, thus avoiding high costs for multiple hospitalizations, emergency or outpatient visits. This article seeks to develop a conceptual framework of the factors that influence asthma self-management in a pediatric population living in the Andean urban area of Cuenca-Ecuador. A phenomenological study was carried out (February-April 2021) in 10 children and adolescents from 7 to 17 years old with asthma attending public and private hospitals. In-depth interviews were applied using open questions created after reviewing the literature. Factors influencing asthma self-management include individual (attitudes, self-education, seeking medical attention, managing crisis triggers) and environmental (health system, school/family support). The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by two independent researchers. Our results show that the pediatric population identifies individual and environmental influences that affect asthma self-management, with age and socioeconomic status moderating the influential factors. The participants described the beliefs, attitudes, practices, perceptions, and specific experiences in the family, school, and health system contexts as relevant to comply with asthma self-management. In addition, problems or barriers that hinder the self-management of the disease, mainly related to adherence to treatment, were identified. In conclusion, our analysis highlights the need to empower the pediatric population in asthma self-management. When delivering patient-centered education for effective asthma management, future interventions must consider children´s age and socioeconomic status influences in individual and environmental factors.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is the most frequent cardiocirculatory defect in preterm infants; it is inversely related to gestational age and birth weight; it is also associated with various complications. Objective: To determine the intrahospital morbidities in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) with and without PDA. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of cases and controls nested in a cohort of VLBWI admitted in the NICU, from January 2013 to December 2015. We excluded newborns with congenital malformations, who died in the delivery room, who died on the first day of life because of severe perinatal asphyxia or who were transferred to other institutions. The baseline characteristics were: weight, gestational age, sex, prenatal, maternal hypertension, multiple pregnancy, growth restriction, prenatal corticosteroids, prolonged rupture of membranes, type of delivery, and Apgar score. The morbidities analyzed were respiratory distress (RDS), pulmonary hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), sepsis, respiratory support, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), alveolar rupture, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and death. The data were recorded in SSPS 17 and Epi info 7.2, the X² or Fischer test, Student t test and the Mann Whitney test were applied. Significance was defined as p <0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. Results: We included 131 newborns, 62 with PDA and 69 without PDA, whose baseline characteristics were similar, except for the use of prenatal corticosteroids in the group without PDA (p 0.035) RR 0.7 (0.5-0.9). Newborns with PDA had more RDS (p 0.0003) RR 1.5 (1.1-1.9), pulmonary hemorrhage (p 0.024) RR 8.9 (1,1-69), mechanical ventilation (p 0, 0001) RR 1.7 (1.3-2.2), oxygen at 28 days (p 0.001) RR 2.2 (1.3-3.8), longer duration of TPN (p 0.01), transfusions (p 0.01) RR 1.7 (1.3-2.2), IVH (p 0.003) RR 2.1 (1.2-3.6), BPD (p 0.0001) RR 2.6 1.5-4.5), more hospitalization days (p 0.008) and a risk of death (p 0.001) RR 3.5 (1.5-8.2). No association with was observed with NEC (p 0.195), ROP (p 0.739), clinical sepsis (p 0.123) or late sepsis (p0.12). Conclusion: VLBWI with PDA had a higher risk of death and severe morbidity compared to those who did not have PDA.

RESUMEN Introducción: El ductus arterioso persistente (DAP) es el defecto cardiocirculatorio más frecuente en prematuros, está inversamente relacionado con la edad gestacional y el peso al nacimiento; y se asocia a diversas complicaciones. Objetivo: Evaluar la morbilidad asociada a la presencia de ductus arterioso persistente (DAP) en Recién Nacidos de muy bajo peso al nacer (RMBPN). Materiales y Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de casos y controles anidado en una cohorte de RMBPN admitidos en la UCIN, de enero de 2013 a diciembre de 2015. Excluidos RN con malformaciones congénitas, fallecidos en sala de parto, fallecidos el primer día de vida asociados a asfixia perinatal severa y trasladados a otras instituciones. Las características basales fueron: peso, edad gestacional, sexo, control prenatal, hipertensión materna, embarazo múltiple, restricción del crecimiento, corticoide prenatal, ruptura prolongada de membranas, tipo de parto, Apgar. Las morbilidades analizadas fueron: distres respiratorio (SDR), hemorragia pulmonar, enterocolitis necrozante (ECN), hemorragia intraventricular (HIV), sepsis, soporte respiratorio, broncodisplasia pulmonar (DBP), ruptura alveolar, retinopatía del prematuro (ROP), días de internación y muerte. Se consignaron los datos en SSPS 17 y Epi info 7.2, se aplicó la prueba X² o Fischer, t de Student o la prueba de Mann Whitney. Significancia p< 0,05 con intervalo de confianza 95%. Resultados: Se incluyeron 131 RN, con DAP 62 y sin DAP 69, cuyas características basales fueron similares, salvo el uso de corticoides prenatales para el grupo sin DAP (p 0.035) RR 0,7 (0,5-0,9). Los RN con DAP tuvieron SDR (p 0,0003) RR 1,5 (1,1-1,9), hemorragia pulmonar (p 0,024) RR 8,9 (1,1-69), ventilación mecánica (p 0,0001) RR 1,7(1,3-2,2), oxígeno a los 28 días (p 0,001) RR 2,2 (1,3-3,8), mayor duración de NPT (p 0.01), trasfusiones (p 0,01) RR 1,7(1,3-2,2), HIV (p 0,003) RR 2,1 (1,2-3,6), BDP (p 0,0001) RR 2,6(1,5-4,5), y mayor cantidad de días de internación (p 0,008). Riesgo de muerte (p 0,001) RR 3,5 (1,5-8,2). Sin asociación con ENC (p 0,195), ROP (p 0,739), Sepsis clínica (p 0,123) ni sepsis tardía (p 0,12). Conclusión: Los RMBN con DAP tuvieron mayor riesgo de muerte y morbilidades graves en comparación con los que no desarrollaron DAP.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is recognized as the main cause of bacterial diarrhoea among children in Asia, Africa and Latin America but less investigated in Bolivia. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between enterotoxins, CFs and serotypes as well as the antimicrobial resistance patterns in a set of ETEC isolates collected from hospitalized children with acute diarrhea. In the present study we characterized 43 ETEC strains isolated from 2002 to 2006 from hospitalized children (0-5 years) with acute diarrhea in Bolivia. The strains were analyzed for heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins and colonization factor (CF) profiles, as well as for serogroups and antimicrobial resistance using phenotypic (ELISA, dot blot, slide agglutination and disc diffusion) and genotypic (Multiplex PCR) methods. Among the ETEC isolates tested, 30 were positive for LT, 3 for STh and 10 for LT/STh. Sixty-five percent (28/43) of the strains expressed one or more CF. The most common CFs were CS17 (n = 8) and CFA/I (n = 8). The phenotypical and genotypical results for toxins and CFs were congruent except for CS21 that was amplified in 10 of the strains by multiplex PCR, but CS21 pili was only detected phenotypically in four of these strains. The ETEC strains had diverse O and H antigens and the most common types were O8:H9 LT CS17 (n = 6; 14%) and O78:HNM LT-ST CFA/I (n = 4; 9%). The analysis of antibiotic resistance showed that 67% (n = 29/43) of the strains were resistant to one or several of the antimicrobial agents tested. Presence of CFs was associated with antibiotic resistance. CONCLUSION: The most common toxin profile was LT 70%, LT/STh 23% and STh 7%. High antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin among serogroups O6, O8 and O78 were the most common.

Con el objeto de evaluar la resistencia antimicrobiana a 11 antibióticos y su relación con la presencia de integrones (clase 1-3), se analizo un total de 138 muestras que incluyen enteropatógenos (Shigella spp, EPEC, ETEC y EHEC) aislados de heces de niños con diarrea, así como E. coli no diarreogénica, aislada de heces de niños sanos de la ciudad de La Paz. Entre los marcadores de resistencia más frecuentemente encontrados, se destacan Ampicilina (95%) y Estreptomicina (90%) seguido por Cotrimoxazol (60%). Se encontró un elevado porcentaje (96%) de aislados resistentes al menos a 1 antibiótico, donde la multiresistencia de 3 hasta 6 antibióticos representó el 82%. Los aislados de Shigella spp y E. coli no diarreogénica presentaron perfiles de resistencia similares, predominando la multiresistencia ( a 4 antibióticos, en contraste a ETEC y EPEC, con menores porcentajes de resistencia. Esto sugiere que E. coli no diarreogénica puede servir de reservorio de genes de multiresistencia a otros patógenos y viceversa y que la expansión de la multiresistencia estaría relacionada a la prevalencia de enteropatógenos circulantes. Se observó una asociación significativa entre la presencia del integrón de clase 2 con la multiresistencia ( a 4 antibióticos en todos los aislados analizados y con el integrón de clase 1 (Shigella spp y E. coli no diarreogénica). La presencia de integrones estuvo asociada en mayor frecuencia a aislados resistentes a 7 antibióticos analizados. Este estudio constituye el primer reporte en nuestro medio de la multiresistencia antimicrobiana asociada a integrones detectados por métodos moleculares, y refleja la amplia distribución de los mismos, tanto en la flora normal como patogénica de la población infantil de la ciudad de La Paz. En conjunto, los datos obtenidos tienen relevancia para el tratamiento antimicrobiano de enfermedades diarreicas y control de la diseminación de la resistencia.

A total of 138 samples collected in the city of La Paz, including enteropathogens isolated from stools of children with diarrhea as well as fecal E. coli from healthy children, were analyzed to evalúate integron-associated antimicrobial multi-resistance distribution. The highest rate of resistance was against Ampicillin (95%), Streptomycin (90%) followed by Cotrimoxazole (60%). A high percentage (96%) of antimicrobial resistance isolates to at least one antibiotic and multi-resistance to between 3-6 antibiotics (82%) was found. Resistance patterns were similar among Shigella spp and non-diarrheogenic E coli, showing high multi-resistance prevalence to ( 4 antibiotics, in contrast to ETEC and EPEC. These data suggest, that non-diarrheogenic E coli can serve as multi-resistance genes reservoir to other pathogens and vice versa, and that multi-resistance expansion may be associated with the circulating enteropathogens prevalence. In all isolates, a significant association among class 2 integran and (4 antibiotic multi-resistance was found, as well as between class 1 integron and isolates from Shigella and non-diarrheogenic E coli. Integran presence was associated with the resistance to 7 antibiotics. This is the first report of molecular detection of integrons among pathogenic and normal flora of child population of city of La Paz demonstrating a wide integron-associated antimicrobial multi-resistance. These results are relevant to antimicrobial diarrhea treatment and resistance dissemination control.

En este ensayo se analizan las legislaciones vigentes y los tipos de violencia intra familiar, haciendo énfasis en la agresión verbal y el daño que provoca el callar este tipo de agresión. La violencia intra familiar es un mal que históricamente ha aquejado a nuestra sociedad, de modo que a través de la transmisión intergeneracional se ha arraigado como una lamentable costumbre de difícil, pero no imposible, erradicación. Los funcionarios encargados del procedimiento que regula la violencia doméstica en general, deben ser funcionarios, no solo con conocimiento de la ley, sino personas con cogniciones médicas, sociales, culturales e históricas, pues deben ser hábiles para localizar y diagnosticar el problema, sus posibles soluciones y velar por los derechos de las partes. Estos conocimientos especiales deben ser introducidos o bien alimentados por el mismo Estado. Así que el Poder Judicial, estaría en la obligación de realizar una serie de actividades académicas, que profundicen sobre el tema, capaciten y actualicen al personal señalado. La educación también debe ser para la población, ya que es el método específico, para evitar la reiteración de conductas que una sociedad considera lesivas, dado que no son las penas, ni las leyes, las que evitan la comisión de estos actos hostiles.

In this essay we analyze the actual laws and the types of intra familiar violence, making emphasis on the verbal aggression and the damage that is caused when this type of violence is silenced. Intra familiar violence is a historical phenomenon that has affected our society, in this way through the inter generational transmission it has been installed and arraigned like a lamentable costume of hard, but not impossible, eradication. The functionaries in charge of the proceeds that control domestic violence in general, have to be functionaries with knowledge not only of the law, but also understanding on other areas such as medicine, society, culture, and history, because they need to pin-point and diagnose the problem, state possible solutions, and protect the human rights of the parts involved. This special knowledge have to be provided and improved by the State. Therefore, the Judicial Power, would be in the obligation of carry out academic activities to deepen into this matter, and to capacitate the respective professionals and keep them up to date. The education also has to be for the population, because it is the most specific method to avoid the perpetration of behaviors considered harmful by the society, because the laws and punishments by themselves do not avoid the execution of these hostile acts.