We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Patients are the centre and the core of our system. We are professionals committed to quality care and our organizational structure breaks down the traditional boundaries between departments and professional groups, with an exclusive model of knowledge areas.
Would you like to know what your stay at Vall d'Hebron will be like? Here you will find all the information.
The commitment of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital to innovation allows us to be at the forefront of medicine, providing first class care adapted to the changing needs of each patient.
The immune system is a defense and adaptation system of our body in relation to the external environment. It allows us to distinguish what we accept and what we do not from everything around us—foods, germs, chemical substances, our own aged or damaged cells, etc.—in order to preserve good health. All disorders caused by an excess or a deficiency of this function are included within these diseases.
It has two fundamental components: innate immunity, which depends on the genes of our species and does not need to be trained to function, and acquired immunity, which depends on the learning process of our body through contact with infections, foods, or chemical substances. Both work together in close collaboration and in a delicate balance.
There are immune system disorders caused by:
a) loss of function: primary immunodeficiencies, acquired immunodeficiencies.
b) excess of function: autoimmune diseases, in which the body, through an excessive exercise of its defenses, attacks itself due to the loss of a fundamental function: self-tolerance. This means that under normal conditions, a body’s own cell will never attack another of its own cells.
In the first case, immunodeficiencies are indicated by the repeated occurrence of infections, which is the key sign for detection. These can appear early in life due to a genetic alteration, in adulthood as a result of treatments for other diseases such as cancer, or can be acquired through viral infections, with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) being one of the most significant.
In the second case, autoimmune diseases are suggested by the appearance of inflammation without apparent cause in joints, lungs, kidneys, liver, or other organs.
Symptoms primarily depend on whether they are due to a loss of function (recurrent infections) or an excess of function (inflammatory disease affecting one or more organs).
Immune diseases can affect anyone throughout their life. In general, immunodeficiencies are more common in early childhood, while autoimmune diseases usually affect young adults, more frequently women.
The body’s defense capacity is assessed in two ways:
Basal state: in the patient’s ordinary condition.
After stimulation: the immune cells are stimulated in the laboratory to evaluate their function.
For autoimmune diseases, factors present in the blood are analyzed; elevated levels may indicate abnormal activity against the body itself.
Diagnostic evaluations include:a) Study of innate immunityb) Study of acquired immunityc) Study of the functional capacity of the immune systemd) Study of factors characterizing autoimmune disease
Assessing immune competence can be done in several ways:
- Detection and counting of immune cells, specifically lymphocytes.
- Laboratory stimulation of lymphocytes to test their functionality.
- Analysis of blood or biopsy samples for factors causing self-attack, such as autoantibodies (defense proteins with abnormal self-aggressive function).
- Study of elevated cellular messengers indicating the activity of these cells against the body.
Immunodeficiency: restoration of the immune system’s functional capacity.
Autoimmunity: modulation or inhibition of the immune system’s self-aggressive capacity.
Laboratory tests to assess immune system functionality are standard. Genetic tests are also used to assist in diagnosis.
In addition to general recommendations for a healthy diet, regular exercise, and abstaining from smoking, adherence to the childhood vaccination schedule is essential. Vaccinations not only protect against specific infections but also help improve overall immune defense.
Infective endocarditis is the presence of a microbial infection on the endocardial surface (the inner surface of the heart). It is the most common cardiovascular infection and is highly significant due to its potential severity and the fact that it can present in different clinical forms.
Infective endocarditis primarily affects the heart valves, whether natural or artificial, although it can sometimes involve other structures of the heart. It is classified according to the duration of the infection (days, weeks, or months) and the type of causative microorganism (bacteria, yeast, or fungi).
The characteristic lesion of infective endocarditis is the endocardial vegetation. This consists of an abnormal aggregate of platelets, fibrin, bacteria, and inflammatory cells that adheres to the inner surface of the heart—typically a heart valve—and can detach, causing infectious emboli in distant organs such as the skin, nervous system, or extremities.
It is considered a serious disease. Although most cases are curable, it carries significant complications and mortality even with treatment. In many cases, achieving a definitive cure requires surgical intervention to remove affected tissue and replace the valve with an artificial one.
In the acute form, infective endocarditis may cause high fever, chills, prostration, and rapid deterioration of general condition over hours or days.
In subacute forms, with progression over weeks or months, the main symptoms are fatigue, loss of appetite, and mild fever. In these cases, characteristic skin lesions, such as nodules or spots, may also occur, although not always.
In patients with severe valve involvement, valvular dysfunction may develop, resulting in heart failure symptoms, such as significant shortness of breath and edema in the lower limbs.
Infective endocarditis has a global incidence of 2–3 cases per 100,000 people per year. In Catalonia, around 200 new cases are diagnosed annually. Its incidence increases significantly with age, reaching 15–30 cases per 100,000 people per year in individuals over 65—about 10 times higher than in younger populations.
The causative agents have changed over recent decades. Previously, streptococci, particularly viridans streptococci, were the most common. Currently, the most frequent pathogens are staphylococci, followed by streptococci and enterococci. However, any microorganism present in the blood can adhere to a heart valve, especially if it is previously damaged or artificial.
Diagnosis is primarily based on:
-blood cultures: to identify the causative microorganism and guide selection of the appropriate antibiotic therapy.
-echocardiography: to locate endocardial vegetations, assess valve function, and determine the need for surgery in certain patients.
In some cases, additional imaging (CT scans, nuclear medicine scans) is necessary to detect peripheral emboli, which are common at diagnosis or during treatment.
Treatment of infective endocarditis is antibiotic therapy, specifically targeted at the causative microorganism. Doses are high and prolonged, because vegetations are poorly vascularized and the antibiotic must penetrate by diffusion from circulating blood.
Patients who do not respond adequately to antibiotic therapy, or who develop significant valvular damage, may require valve replacement surgery.
Blood cultures and echocardiography, both at diagnosis and during follow-up, to monitor disease progression.
In individuals with known valvular abnormalities, antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended before dental procedures or gum surgery, following specialist guidance.
Preventive measures should also be taken during endoscopic procedures, especially upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (gastroscopy), according to the prescribed antibiotic regimen.
This prevention is crucial because the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream during such procedures significantly increases the risk of infective endocarditis.
This is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that covers the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball. When small blood vessels of the conjunctiva become inflamed, they become more visible, so this layer turns red. The most common cause is a viral or bacterial infection, a reaction to an allergen or an irritant. This is a very common condition in the general population.
The following three types of conjunctivitis may be found:
It can affect any person of any age.
Diagnosis of conjunctivitis is clinical, by means of good medical history and an examination by the primary care doctor and/or, on specific occasions, by the ophthalmologist.
The most common test is a biomicroscopic examination with a slit lamp. On certain occasions a sample of conjunctival exudate can be collected for a culture, especially if the suspicion is of a bacterial conjunctivitis.
For viral conjunctivitis, being a viral infection, the main treatment is waiting, as the body itself is able to combat the infection. Hydrating eye drops can be used frequently to soothe the discomfort, in addition to washing with saline solution if there is an accumulation of secretions, or even sometimes additional anti-inflammatory drops according to the clinical picture.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is usually treated with topical antibiotics, except on certain occasions that may require systemic antibiotic treatment. Hydrating eye drops can also be used to soothe the discomfort in addition to washing with saline solution if there is an accumulation of secretions.
In the case of an allergic conjunctivitis, anti-histamines can normally be used to reduce itching and inflammation, although hydrating drops and washing with cold saline solution can also be useful for soothing symptoms.
As for conjunctivitis due to irritants, hydrating eye drops and washing with saline solution are usually enough, although depending on the origin of the irritation, it can sometimes require an anti-inflammatory or other types of drops.
In the case of viral and bacterial conjunctivitis, prevention could be carried out by means of good hygiene (washing your hands, not touching your eyes if you live with an affected person, changing the pillows and not sharing towels).
In the case of allergic conjunctivitis, prevention is possible, avoiding contact with the allergen if known.
And for conjunctivitis due to irritants, prevention could be done through eye protection (protective glasses), especially in work environments where there may be a risk of contact with chemical substances or risk of foreign bodies entering the eye.
Infectious Diseases, General Hospital
The acceptance of these terms implies that you give your consent to the processing of your personal data for the provision of the services you request through this portal and, if applicable, to carry out the necessary procedures with the administrations or public entities involved in the processing. You may exercise the mentioned rights by writing to web@vallhebron.cat, clearly indicating in the subject line “Exercise of LOPD rights”. Responsible entity: Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Catalan Institute of Health). Purpose: Subscription to the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus newsletter, where you will receive news, activities, and relevant information. Legal basis: Consent of the data subject. Data sharing: If applicable, with VHIR. No other data transfers are foreseen. No international transfer of personal data is foreseen. Rights: Access, rectification, deletion, and data portability, as well as restriction and objection to its processing. The user may revoke their consent at any time. Source: The data subject. Additional information: Additional information can be found at https://hospital.vallhebron.com/es/politica-de-proteccion-de-datos.