IntroductionThe selection of a medical specialty has been associated with multiple factors, such as personal preferences, academic exposure, motivational factors and sociodemographic factors, such as gender. The number of women in the medical field has increased in recent years. In Latin America, we have not found any studies that explore this relationship.ObjectiveTo determine whether there is an association between gender and the intention to choose a medical specialty in medical students from 11 countries in Latin America.MethodsSecondary analysis of the Collaborative Working Group for the Research of Human Resources for Health (Red-LIRHUS) data; a multi-country project of students in their first year and fifth year of study, from 63 medical schools in 11 Latin American countries. All students who referred intention to choose a certain medical specialty were considered as participants.ResultsOf the 11073 surveyed students, 9235 indicated the name of a specific specialty. The specialties chosen most often in the fifth year were General Surgery (13.0%), Pediatrics (11.0%), Internal Medicine (10.3%) and Obstetrics/Gynecology (9.0%). For women, the top choices were Pediatrics (15.8%), Obstetrics/Gynecology (11.0%), Cardiology (8.7%), General Surgery (8.6%), and Oncology (6.4%). In the adjusted analysis, the female gender was associated with the choice of Obstetrics/Gynecology (RP: 2.75; IC95%: 2.24–3.39); Pediatric Surgery (RP: 2.19; IC95%: 1.19–4.00), Dermatology (RP: 1.91; IC95%:1.24–2.93), Pediatrics (RP: 1.83; IC95%: 1.56–2.17), and Oncology (RP: 1.37; IC95%: 1.10–1.71).ConclusionsThere is an association between the female gender and the intention to choose Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Dermatology, and Oncology. We recommend conducting studies that consider other factors that can influence the choice of a medical specialty.

Background: Peru was one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 mortality worldwide during the first stage of the pandemic. It is then relevant to evaluate the risk factors for mortality in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in three hospitals in Peru in 2020, from March to May, 2020.  Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study. The population consisted of patients from three Peruvian hospitals hospitalized for a diagnosis of COVID-19 during the March-May 2020 period. Independent sociodemographic variables, medical history, symptoms, vital functions, laboratory parameters and medical treatment were evaluated. In-hospital mortality was assessed as the outcome. We performed Cox regression models (crude and adjusted) to evaluate risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Hazard ratios (HR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated.  Results: We analyzed 493 hospitalized adults; 72.8% (n=359) were male and the mean age was 63.3 ± 14.4 years. COVID-19 symptoms appeared on average 7.9 ± 4.0 days before admission to the hospital, and the mean oxygen saturation on admission was 82.6 ± 13.8. While 67.6% (n=333) required intensive care unit admission, only 3.3% (n=16) were admitted to this unit, and 60.2% (n=297) of the sample died. In the adjusted regression analysis, it was found that being 60 years old or older (HR=1.57; 95% CI: 1.14-2.15), having two or more comorbidities (HR=1.53; 95% CI: 1.10-2.14), oxygen saturation between 85-80% (HR=2.52; 95% CI: 1.58-4.02), less than 80% (HR=4.59; 95% CI: 3.01-7.00), and being in the middle (HR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.15-2.39) and higher tertile (HR=2.18; 95% CI: 1.51-3.15) of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, increased the risk of mortality.  Conclusions: The risk factors found agree with what has been described in the literature and allow the identification of vulnerable groups in whom monitoring and early identification of symptoms should be prioritized in order to reduce mortality.

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Background Estimating the cumulative prevalence of SARS-COV-2 will help to understand the epidemic, contagion, and immunity to COVID-19 in vulnerable populations. The objective is to determine the extent of infection in the general population and the cumulative incidence by age group. Methods It was carried out with a longitudinal analytical study, in the population of the Lambayeque region, located in the north of Peru. The selection was carried out in multistages (districts, area, household, and finally choosing the interviewee within the house). Seroprevalence was estimated as a positive result of the rapid test whether it was positive IgM or positive IgG. An adjustment was made for the sampling weights used. Results The seroprevalence found in the region was 29.5%. Young people between 21 and 50 years old presented the highest seroprevalence frequencies. A total of 25.4% were asymptomatic. The most frequent complaint was dysgeusia and dysosmia (85.3% and 83.6%). Dysosmia (PR = 1.69), chest pain (PR = 1.49), back pain (PR = 1.45), cough (PR = 1.44), fever (PR = 1.41), general malaise (PR = 1.27) were associated factors with the higher the frequency of seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2. Reporting of complete isolation at home decreased the frequency of positivity (PR = 0.80), however, reporting having ARI contact (PR = 1.60), having contact with a confirmed case (PR = 1.51), and going to market (PR = 1.26) increased the frequency of positivity for SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion These results suggest that Lambayeque is the region with the highest seroprevalence in the world, well above Spain, the United States and similar to a study in India.

The undergraduate thesis rather than a requirement to graduate, are a way of doing research. Previous studies show a thesis To describe the characteristics of the undergraduate thesis of a medical school. Material and Methods: assess publication. Descriptive statistics were used. The undergraduate thesis were characterized as descriptive, in hospitals, in adults, based on out dated literature

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Introduction Before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) arrival and its pandemic, dengue was already a significant cause of epidemics in South East Asia and Latin America. In 2020 with their cocirculation, coinfections began to be observed and reported in different countries. As expected, this syndemic is evident in different areas and deserves proper characterisation and studies in Peru. Methods We retrospectively assessed the clinical, epidemiological, diagnostic characteristics and outcomes in a Social Security Hospital of Chiclayo, Lambayeque, Peru, of patients that were diagnosed simultaneously with COVID-19 and dengue during May–August 2020. Results A total of 50 patients with COVID-19/dengue coinfection were identified. Of them, 60% presented thrombocytopenia, and 52% fever, among other findings. The case fatality rate in this group was 28%, being higher in those patients initially classified as severe dengue (100%), as well as in females (55%) than males (21%) (OR = 4.65; 95%CI 1.18–18.45). Discussion Co-occurrence of COVID-19/Dengue is growing as a consequence of the syndemic of these viral diseases in endemic areas, such as Latin America, and as both conditions may evolve to severe disease, their epidemiological but clinical interaction in terms of outcomes need further assessment in future studies in the region.

In general, the level of knowledge about research was unsatisfactory and the attitudes toward it were inappropriate. In order to change this situation, it will be critical to make changes in the curriculum to ensure that students engage in research from the beginning of their academic careers and develop research skills in their final years of study.