Background In populations above 3,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) normal values of oxygen saturation (SpO2) above 90% have been reported. Few studies have been conducted in cities of moderate altitude (between 2,500 and 3,000 m a.s.l). We set out to describe the range of SpO2 values measured with a pulse oximeter in healthy children between 1 month and 12 years of age living in an Ecuadorian Andean city. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in Quito, Ecuador, located at 2,810 m a.s.l. SpO2 measurement in healthy children of ages ranging from 1 month to 12 years of age residents in the city were recorded by pulse oximetry. Age and gender were recorded, and median and 2.5th and 5th percentile were drawn. Non parametric tests were used to compare differences in SpO2 values by age and gender. Results 1,378 healthy children were included for the study, 719 (52.2%) males. The median SpO2 for the entire population was 94.5%. No differences were observed between SpO2 median values by age and gender. The 2.5th percentile for global SpO2 measurements was 90%, in children under 5 years of age was 91% and it was 90% in children older than 7. Conclusions Our results provide SpO2 values for healthy children from 1 to 12 years old residents in Quito, a city of moderate altitude. The SpO2 percentile curve could contribute as a healthy range for the clinical evaluation of children residing at this altitude.

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Urban cycling is gaining popularity worldwide. Inadequate local and international guidelines on street cycling have contributed to a significant increase in road traffic/cycling collisions. Developing countries are the least safe for cyclists. In this sense, this is the first epidemiological study that seeks to determine the impact of street cycling-related mortality in Ecuador over the last 13 years. Methods: A descriptive ecological analysis of the epidemiology of bicycling-related mortality in Ecuador was conducted. All deaths identified as V10 to V19 according to the International Code of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) from 2004 to 2017 were retrieved from the National Institute of Statistics and Census in Ecuador (INEC) database. Results: From 2004 to 2017, a total of 300 deaths among street cyclists were officially reported in Ecuador. From this, 91% of the victims were men (n = 273) and 9% were women (n = 27). In relationship to other traffic accidents, bicycle-related deaths accounted for 0.68% of the overall car accident mortality. Bicycle-related deaths are more frequent in urban areas with 85% (n = 257), while rural areas accounted for 15% of the deaths (n = 43). In addition, lower educational attainment (75% did not reach secondary school) seems to be linked with higher mortality rates. Conclusions: In Ecuador, fatalities involving cyclists are an important part of the burden of disease attributed to traffic accidents. These preventable deaths are becoming a growing health problem, especially among those with poorer health determinants, such as lower educational attainment, ethnic minority status, and living in rural areas. The lack of public policy related to the prevention of this type of accident, as well as the irresponsibility of cars and transport vehicle drivers, might be associated with an increasingly high portion of the overall bicycle-related mortality in Ecuador.

AimThe COVID-19 outbreak has already caused more than 6.5 million deaths, overwhelming health systems worldwide. The unusual demand for funeral home services could make these workers a potential risk group for occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 associated with corpses management for COVID-19 patients.MethodologyThis is a cross-sectional study aimed to describe the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in funeral home staff by testing them with RT-qPCR in Quito, Ecuador. A total of 232 funeral home workers, representing more than 40% of funeral home personnel in Quito, were included in the study, in June 2020, immediately after the population lockdown was lifted in Ecuador.ResultsA total of 48 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, yielding an infection rate of 20.7%. The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 18.1 and 20.0% among personnel managing corpses or not managing corpses, respectively. Among the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 81.3% reported no symptoms related to COVID-19, and 3 individuals had high viral loads over 108 copies/ml.ConclusionThe high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in funeral home staff suggested a potential occupational risk for COVID-19 but not related to corpses management. Public health guidelines for safe corpses management for COVID-19 victims and safe funeral services should be reinforced.

Background In populations above 3,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) normal values of oxygen saturation (SpO2) above 90% have been reported. Few studies have been conducted in cities of moderate altitude (between 2,500 and 3,000 m a.s.l). We set out to describe the range of SpO2 values measured with a pulse oximeter in healthy children between 1 month and 12 years of age living in an Ecuadorian Andean city. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in Quito, Ecuador, located at 2,810 m a.s.l. SpO2 measurement in healthy children of ages ranging from 1 month to 12 years of age residents in the city were recorded by pulse oximetry. Age and gender were recorded, and median and 2.5 th and 5 th percentile were drawn. Non parametric tests were used to compare differences in SpO2 values by age and gender. Results 1,378 healthy children were included for the study, 719 (52.2%) males. The median SpO2 for the entire population was 94.5%. No differences were observed between SpO2 median values by age and gender. The 2.5 th percentile for global SpO2 measurements was 90%, in children under 5 years of age was 91% and it was 90% in children older than 7. Conclusions Our results provide SpO2 values for healthy children from 1 to 12 years old residents in Quito, a city of moderate altitude. The SpO2 percentile curve could contribute as a healthy range for the clinical evaluation of children residing at this altitude.