This epidemiological survey in Spain estimates the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children up to 5 year of age during a 15-year period (1997–2011).Observational retrospective survey was conducted by reviewing data of the National Surveillance System for Hospital Data, including >98% of Spanish hospitals. All hospitalizations related to RSV infection for children up to 5 years, reported during 1997–2011 period, were analyzed. Codes were selected by using the International Classification of Diseases 9th Clinical Modification 466.0–466.19, 480.1, and 079.6.A total of 326,175 and 286,007 hospital discharges for children up to 5 and 2 years of age were reported during the study period. The annual incidence was 1072 and 2413 patients per 100,000, respectively. The average length of hospital stay was 5.7 (standard deviation 8.2) days. Four hundred forty-six deaths were reported; of those, 403 occurred in children <2 years and 355 (80%) occurred in children <12 months of age.Hospitalization and mortality rates were significantly higher in boys and decrease significantly with age. The higher rate of hospitalization and mortality rates were found in the first year of life.Annual average cost for National Health Care System was € 47 M with a mean hospitalization cost of €2162. The average length of hospitalization and costs were significantly higher in high-risk children.RSV infections in children up to 5 year of age still pose a significant health threat in Spain, especially in the infants. The development of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic guidelines focused in children with comorbidities may help reduce the hospital and economic burden of the disease.

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Abstract. All the records from the Spanish information system for hospital data of patients diagnosed with leishmaniasis during a 12-year period (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008) were studied. The 2,028 individuals were hospitalized because of leishmaniasis, as indicated by the principal diagnostic code. The average hospitalization rate was 0.41/100,000 inhabitants. One-third of them were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The incidence of hospitalization in the adult population with leishmaniasis co-infected with HIV increased with age, peaked at 35-39 years of age and subsequently declined. In the pediatric population, all leishmaniasis cases occurred in HIV-negative children. Incidence of hospitalizations was highest in Madrid and in the Mediterranean coast. The cost per inpatient hospital care was $9,601 corresponding to an annual direct cost of more than $1.5 million for inpatient care alone. The economical burden of leishmaniasis is not neglectable and in the 12-year study period it represented more than $19 million.

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BackgroundThis study aimed to assess the costs and clinical benefits of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) administered annually to the 65-year-old cohort in Spain versus the alternative of not vaccinating patients and treating them only when infected.MethodsCases of pneumococcal disease avoided were calculated through a dynamic model based on the work of Anderson and May (1999). Sixty-six percent of the 65-year-old cohort was assumed to have been vaccinated with one PCV13 dose (304,492 subjects). Base-case estimated vaccine effectiveness and serotype coverage were 58% and 60%, respectively. Disease-related costs were calculated based on published data.ResultsOver the 5-year period, a total of 125,906 cases of pneumococcal disease would be avoided. Net savings of €102 million would be obtained. The cost-saving distribution was not homogeneous, starting in the 2nd year and increasing through the 5th. To demonstrate model robustness, an additional scenario analysis was performed using extreme values of model parameters (vaccination programme coverage, vaccine effectiveness, discount rate and disease costs). Under those scenarios, net savings were always achieved.ConclusionsBased on the assumptions of the model, the 65-year-cohort pneumococcal vaccination campaign appears to be a cost-saving intervention in the Spanish population under different scenarios.

We describe the most widely used temporary hospital in Europe during the first pandemic wave, its structure, function, and achievements. Other models of care developed during the pandemic around the world were reviewed including their capacity, total bed/ICU bed ratio and time of use. We particularly analyzed the common and differential characteristics of this type of facilities. IFEMA Exhibition Center was transformed into a temporary 1,300-bed hospital, which was in continuous operation for 42 days. A total of 3,817 people were treated, generally patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, 91% of whom had pneumonia. The average length of stay was 5 to 36 days. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (16.5%), diabetes mellitus (9.1%), COPD (6%), asthma (4.6%), obesity (2.9%) and dementia (1.6%). A total of 113 patients (3%) were transferred to another centers for aggravation, 19 (0.5%) were admitted to ICU and 16 patients (0.4%) died. An element of great help to reducing the overload of care in large hospitals during peaks of health emergencies could be these flexible structures capable of absorbing the excess of patients. These must be safe, breaking domestic transmission and guarantee social and emotional needs of patients. The success of these structures depends on delimitation in admission criteria taking into account the proportion of patients who may require, during admission, assistance in the critical care area.

Background: Many publications link high homocysteine levels to cardiovascular disease. In Spain there is little information on the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia and associated vitamin factors among the general population, and less still among children. Cardiovascular risk factors in the childhood population may be related to the appearance of cardiovascular disease at adult age. The aim of this study is to establish a definition of hyperhomocysteinaemia in adolescents and to analyze the influence of vitamin and metabolic factors in homocysteine levels in this population group.

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