RCAAP Repository

A doença por coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) é a doença provocada pelo novo coronavírus 2, que foi identificado pela primeira vez em dezembro de 2019, em Wuhan (China), no contexto de um conjunto de casos de pneumonia atípica na região. Esta é caracterizada pelo desenvolvimento da síndrome respiratória aguda grave por coronavírus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsável por milhares de hospitalizações por todo o mundo. O grande aumento do número de casos a nível mundial levou a que a Organização Mundial de Saúde declarasse a situação de pandemia em março de 2020. O primeiro caso em Portugal foi identificado no dia 2 de março de 2020. As manifestações clínicas variam desde casos assintomáticos, a casos ligeiros, com sintomas inespecíficos como febre, tosse, dispneia, cefaleias e sintomas gastrointestinais. No entanto, nos casos mais graves, a doença pode levar a quadros clínicos de pneumonia grave e conduzir ao desenvolvimento de síndrome de dificuldade respiratória aguda (acute respiratory distress syndrome – ARDS), envolvimento multiorgânico e morte. O desenvolvimento de lesão renal aguda (LRA) associada à COVID-19 tem sido demonstrado em todo o mundo, e a sua incidência varia entre 0.5 e 57%. Nos doentes críticos internados em Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI), a lesão renal aguda afeta entre 20-40% dos doentes com COVID-19, associando-se a piores resultados e agravando a doença subjacente. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em avaliar a incidência de LRA, e o seu prognóstico nos doentes internados por COVID-19 no Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte.

A Nefropatia IgA faz parte de um conjunto de glomerulopatias primárias, sendo a mais comum, mundialmente. É mais frequente em homens e em jovens adultos (entre 16 e 35 anos). Também corresponde a uma importante causa de doença renal terminal, sendo que o risco de a desenvolver é de 15% a 25% após dez anos de seguimento. A sua fisiopatologia ainda não está completamente definida. De um modo geral, baseia-se na produção de imunoglobulina A com défice de galactose, na produção de autoanticorpos que se ligam a essas imunoglobulinas, com formação de imunocomplexos, e deposição destes nos mesângios renais, promovendo a proliferação das células mesangiais e o desenvolvimento de processos inflamatórios e de lesões glomerulares. A apresentação clínica é variável, mas a maioria dos doentes não manifesta sintomas. Os sinais mais frequentes são hematúria microscópica, com ou sem episódios de hematúria macroscópica, e proteinúria não nefrótica. O diagnóstico envolve, em primeiro lugar, a realização de análises sanguíneas e à urina, e exclusão de outras patologias. Para confirmar e obter um diagnóstico definitivo deve ser feita uma biópsia renal. Atualmente, não existe um tratamento específico ou curativo. Deste modo, é aconselhável a realização de tratamento de suporte, que se baseia em medidas não farmacológicas e na utilização de fármacos modificadores do eixo renina angiotensina. Estas medidas terapêuticas visam promover o controlo da pressão arterial, bem como minimizar a progressão da doença e a deterioração da função renal. No entanto, outras terapêuticas continuam a ser desenvolvidas e estudadas.

As infeções urinárias são resultado da invasão e multiplicação de patogenos, maioritariamente bactérias, ao longo do trato urinário. A recorrência destas infeções é um problema bastante comum e preocupante. A população do sexo feminino é o grupo mais afetado por questões anatómicas e fisiológicas. As mulheres na pós-menopausa são um grupo específico em que as infeções recorrentes estão associadas à diminuição de estrogénios enquanto que nas mulheres em idade fértil, os principais fatores de risco são as relações sexuais frequentes, o uso de espermicidas e múltiplos parceiros sexuais. As infeções recorrentes têm dois principais mecanismos para patogénese: a ascensão repetida e frequente do agente ou a persistência do mesmo na bexiga. A Escherichia coli uropatogénica é o patogeno mais frequente, sendo deste modo o mais bem estudado. Para além deste, microrganismos como a Klebsiella pneumoniae, o Proteus mirabilis e o Staphylococcus saprophyticus poderão causar ITU. Para que o patogeno possa colonizar o trato urinário, este apresenta fatores de virulência, como adesinas, toxinas, flagelo e mecanismos de captação de ferro. Embora a terapêutica antibiótica seja a mais eficaz no tratamento de ITU, a resistência dos microrganismos tem vindo a crescer drasticamente. Deste modo, deve-se optar por terapêuticas profiláticas, como é o caso da imunoterapia, dos Lactobacillus e dos estrogénios. As infeções do trato urinário são um problema de saúde pública, onde é importante perceber os potenciais métodos a adotar de modo a prevenir recorrências.

In this edition of the Huntington's Disease Clinical Trials Corner we expand on the GENERATION-HD1 and PACE-HD trials, and we list all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington's disease.

The poor predictability of human liver toxicity is still causing high attrition rates of drug candidates in the pharmaceutical industry at the non-clinical, clinical, and post-marketing authorization stages. This is in part caused by animal models that fail to predict various human adverse drug reactions (ADRs), resulting in undetected hepatotoxicity at the non-clinical phase of drug development. In an effort to increase the prediction of human hepatotoxicity, different approaches to enhance the physiological relevance of hepatic in vitro systems are being pursued. Three-dimensional (3D) or microfluidic technologies allow to better recapitulate hepatocyte organization and cell-matrix contacts, to include additional cell types, to incorporate fluid flow and to create gradients of oxygen and nutrients, which have led to improved differentiated cell phenotype and functionality. This comprehensive review addresses the drug-induced hepatotoxicity mechanisms and the currently available 3D liver in vitro models, their characteristics, as well as their advantages and limitations for human hepatotoxicity assessment. In addition, since toxic responses are greatly dependent on the culture model, a comparative analysis of the toxicity studies performed using two-dimensional (2D) and 3D in vitro strategies with recognized hepatotoxic compounds, such as paracetamol, diclofenac, and troglitazone is performed, further highlighting the need for harmonization of the respective characterization methods. Finally, taking a step forward, we propose a roadmap for the assessment of drugs hepatotoxicity based on fully characterized fit-for-purpose in vitro models, taking advantage of the best of each model, which will ultimately contribute to more informed decision-making in the drug development and risk assessment fields.

Medicines are the most used health technology in Long-Term Care. The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medicines amongst Long-Term Care patients is high. Pharmacists, assisted by prescribing-assessment tools, can play an important role in optimizing medication use at this level of care. Through a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, 13 long-term care and hospital pharmacists assessed as ‘appropriate’, ‘uncertain’, or ‘inappropriate’ a collection of commonly used prescribing-assessment tools as to its suitability in assisting pharmacy practice in institutional long-term care settings. A qualitative analysis of written or transcribed comments of participants was pursued to identify relevant characteristics of prescribing-assessment tools and potential hinders in their use. From 24 different tools, pharmacists classified 9 as ‘appropriate’ for pharmacy practice targeted to long-term care patients, while 3 were classified as ‘inappropriate’. The tools feature most appreciated by study participants was the indication of alternatives to potentially inappropriate medication. Lack of time and/or pharmacists and limited access to clinical information seems to be the most relevant hinders for prescribing-assessment tools used in daily practice.

This paper illustrates the process we engaged in to translate and adapt a survey to examine life in an immigration detention center in Italy from the perspective of the migrants detained therein. The process consisted of: the forward translation of the original measure performed by four independent translators; a blind backward translation to identify misinterpretations or incorrect cross-cultural and contextual adaptations; a synthesis of all translations to obtain a semifinal version; the creation of an Expert Committee composed of scholars, practitioners, and migrants with experience of detention to assess equivalence and content validity; and, finally, pretesting with a group of 15 detained persons. Through this multi-step process we obtained a measure capable of grasping the context-specific meanings, needs and experiences that characterize life in detention. The challenges and benefits of a collaborative and ecological approach to measurement translation and adaption are discussed in the final section.

Objectives Community pharmacists claim veterinary pharmacy as an integral part of their duties. There a paucity of studies investigating medication and health products’ dispensation for veterinary purposes. This study aimed to probe the Portuguese community pharmacists’ knowledge and behaviour towards veterinary pharmacy practice. Methods A cross-sectional exploratory survey, using an online questionnaire, was sent to a sample of academic-related community pharmacists in greater Lisbon, Portugal (N = 349). The questionnaire addressed participants’ specific education and training, counselling of products, and attitudes towards veterinary prescriptions. Logistic regression was used to estimated participants’ propensity for changing veterinary prescriptions independently. Everyday case scenarios were used to ascertain veterinary pharmacotherapy knowledge. Key Findings Participation reached 57.6% (N = 201), pointing to the theme’s relevance, with 83.6% females and a mean age of 36 years (SD =10.1). A large proportion (71.6%) declared to have received veterinary pharmacy education, although virtually all pharmacists (99.0%) perceived a skills deficit. The overall level of correct decisions regarding case scenarios reached 54%, although most professionals counsel pets’ treatments (85.6%). 18% of the sample declared to have changed a prescription without contacting the veterinarian. The propensity to independent medication changes was associated with being a male pharmacist, having one to two decades of professional experience, and working in community pharmacies with a permanent supply of prescribed veterinary pharmaceuticals. Conclusions Although recognizing limitations in veterinary pharmacy competencies, not all community pharmacists decide to minimize potential hazards to animals’ health as with human health. Present findings reinforce the urgency of further formal education and interprofessional collaboration.

Background: Prior reviews investigated medical education developments in response to COVID-19, identifying the pivot to remote learning as a key area for future investigation. This review synthesized online learning developments aimed at replacing previously face-to-face 'classroom' activities for postgraduate learners. Methods: Four online databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, and PubMed) and MedEdPublish were searched through 21 December 2020. Two authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, performed data extraction, and assessed risk of bias. The PICRAT technology integration framework was applied to examine how teachers integrated and learners engaged with technology. A descriptive synthesis and outcomes were reported. A thematic analysis explored limitations and lessons learned. Results: Fifty-one publications were included. Fifteen collaborations were featured, including international partnerships and national networks of program directors. Thirty-nine developments described pivots of existing educational offerings online and twelve described new developments. Most interventions included synchronous activities (n Fif5). Virtual engagement was promoted through chat, virtual whiteboards, polling, and breakouts. Teacher's use of technology largely replaced traditional practice. Student engagement was largely interactive. Underpinning theories were uncommon. Quality assessments revealed moderate to high risk of bias in study reporting and methodology. Forty-five developments assessed reaction; twenty-five attitudes, knowledge or skills; and two behavior. Outcomes were markedly positive. Eighteen publications reported social media or other outcomes, including reach, engagement, and participation. Limitations included loss of social interactions, lack of hands-on experiences, challenges with technology and issues with study design. Lessons learned highlighted the flexibility of online learning, as well as practical advice to optimize the online environment. Conclusions: This review offers guidance to educators attempting to optimize learning in a post-pandemic world. Future developments would benefit from leveraging collaborations, considering technology integration frameworks, underpinning developments with theory, exploring additional outcomes, and designing and reporting developments in a manner that supports replication.

This exploratory study aimed to identify communication trends typical of pharmacists’ clinical communication in the context of hospital consultations. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the pharmacist-patient exchange, applying the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Communication variables and RIAS composites were assessed, including therapeutic information complexity, estimated through the ad-hoc score CTICS (Cancer Therapy Information Complexity Score). The study comprised 13 consultations of cancer patients with one female pharmacist, of which 6 included a patient family member, lasting on average 22.74 minutes and presenting repeated or overlapping consultation phases. The pharmacist’s talk dominance reached 53.49%, slightly higher in dyadic consultations (U = 6.0, p = .032), and with an overall predominance of closed-ended questioning (W = 81.0, p = .013). Patients’ questioning on biomedical issues was higher in dyadic consultations. The level of the pharmacist’s rapport-building with the relative was higher when the patient’s age was ≥80 years. Several strong correlations, both positive and negative, were found between composites, including between patient positive rapport-building and relative lifestyle/psychosocial information giving (Rho = −0.971, p = .001). Pharmaceutical consultations seem to be lengthier than other hospital practitioners’ interviews, indicating a lack of clear organization and flow, thus challenging their efficiency regarding therapy management. Still, several positive communication features were found regarding the pharmaceutical care of older cancer patients. Further studies are needed, involving larger samples and other hospital consultation settings.

Constant improvement of the quality of community pharmacy services is important in the development of contemporary patient care. A national and voluntary Community Pharmacy Services Quality Guidelines (CPSQG) was developed to formulate the principles of contemporary pharmacy services, including quality criteria for service provision. The purpose of this study was to identify the implementation of the CPSQG as a profession-driven initiative towards improving and harmonizing community pharmacy services in Estonia. Three cross-sectional electronic surveys were conducted among community pharmacies in Estonia in 2014 (N = 478 pharmacies), 2016 (N = 493), and 2019 (N = 494), and the CPSQG indicators were used for evaluation of the service quality. In this study, the aggregated data, collected in three study years were used to identify the implementation of guidelines into practice. For data analysis, the One-Way ANOVA test and Post-hoc multiple comparisons were used. The results demonstrated slow implementation of the CPSQG, but guidelines-based evaluation enabled a detailed overview of the community pharmacy activities and provided services. In order to develop community pharmacy services more efficiently, the use of implementation science principles, continuous introduction of the CPSQG to the pharmacists, and more active involvement of the state could be considered in the future.

Introduction: Medical devices are healthcare technologies with a significantly growing market worldwide. This study aims to analyze medical device alerts issued by the Portuguese Medicines Agency, INFARMED, I.P. during 2017, as well as to identify the respective regulatory actions and to suggest additional recommendations. Material and Methods: All alerts on medical device alerts publicly available in the website of INFARMED, I.P. were identified and analyzed, including actions taken. Additionally, reports on medical devices from the Portuguese national competent authorities were compared with reports from other European Union member states such as Germany. Results: A total of 32 safety alerts were identified: 18 (56%) related with devices without identified records of commercialization in Portugal, six (19%) related with devices voluntarily withdrawn from the market, such as counterfeit products, and eight (25%) categorized as ‘other’. In both Portugal and Germany, 0.28 and 4.53 reports of national competent authorities per million inhabitants were identified, respectively. Diverse regulatory actions were taken, such as six compulsory indications to not acquire or use devices. Discussion: Considering that the European Union is an open market where citizens should have equal access to medical devices, the Portuguese system of medical device safety alerts seems to be functioning normally. The identified safety alerts seemed relevant, with Portugal registering a proportionally slightly lower number of alerts when compared with higher sales volume markets, which may be explained by an underreporting of this type of problems. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results, although the development of databases comprising data on patients using medical devices is recommended in order to generate automatic email and text message alerts. Conclusion: A limited number of safety alerts on medical devices was identified in Portugal, with few reported cases of counterfeit or falsified devices. The Portuguese Medicines Agency contributes to the citizens’ access to quality medical devices, by issuing safety alerts, recommendations and mandatory market withdrawals for unsuitable or unsafe medical devices.

Purpose Long-Term Care (LTC) systems have experienced recent developments driven by changes in healthcare and demography (e.g. population ageing). As well, pharmacists are changing from traditional roles to more patient-oriented services. The present study aimed to identify and assess pharmacists’ and/or pharmacy-based interventions in institutional LTC settings, also mapping relevant medications. Methods The review was undertaken in general accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), using three main literature databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge). A set of 16 keywords, divided into three domains (professional, type of care and type of setting), were combined into search equations. Selected studies were assessed through the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Results Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria, out of 794 initial hits. Most studies (12) described pharmacist/pharmacy-driven interventions assessing Medication Management Reviews' impact in different endpoints or outcomes. Other studies (3) assessed pharmacists’ interventions on specific medication groups. Good Administration Practices, new pharmaceutical care models, antibiotic stewardship programs, and studies assessing other pharmacists’ interventions, such as pharmacy-managed informatics and education, were addressed by 11 other papers. Six studies were classified as Strong after quality assessment. Conclusion LTC is a clinically complex type of care benefiting from interdisciplinary work. Despite the overall lower quality of the identified studies, pharmacists perform in a wide array of LTC areas. The broad implementation of pharmaceutical activities in institutional LTC settings opens opportunities to optimise medicines’ use.

Pharmacy education is largely based on learning elements of disease and the corresponding elements of treatment, using the natural sciences and the biomedical perspective. While this is central for competent pharmacists in working on the research, production, and use of drugs, many professionals deal with people suffering from ill-health. Developing clinical roles requires, besides the traditional pharmaceutical knowledge, the ability to understand illness experiences from the perspectives of patients and significant others. Health humanities provide important resources to link human traits and biomedical knowledge, essential for sensitive and responsive pharmacy practice. The chapter aims to explore emerging opportunities for pharmacists' thinking and working with patients offered by the developing movement of health humanities and narrative medicine.

Background Prescription drug use and the consumption of substances to enhance college students' cognitive performance, described as pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE), is a known phenomenon potentially impacting individuals' health. University and college students are two specific subpopulations noted to use PCE (up to 17%, on average). To our knowledge, no data have been published on the use of PCE drugs among university students at a national level in Portugal and the factors that might be associated with this usage. Objective The main objective was to estimate the prevalence of PCE use by Portuguese university students and to identify the PCE substances commonly used by university students, i.e., those classified as prescription drugs and other legal and nonprescribed substances, including food supplements. Methods The study followed a cross-sectional exploratory, descriptive design and pursued a convenience sample of students from Portuguese public and private universities (22 higher education institutions). Results From a sample of 745 university students, 32% indicated the use of prescribed and nonprescribed substances. The most consumed substances were food supplements with CNS stimulants being the most frequent prescription-only drugs but not necessarily accessed through a medical prescription. A significant statistical association was found between substance consumption and the field of study. Health science students reported more food supplements and drug intake, allegedly under prescribed regimens, compared to humanities and exact sciences students. The study discusses the need to better understand the competitive societies that produce and support young students' outputs and the perceived ‘need’ for performance-enhancing substances. Conclusions One-third of the university students aimed to improve their performance by pharmacological cognitive enhancement, with a preference for food supplements dispensed in pharmacies. PCE substance consumption in higher education is thus non-negligible. The study suggests the need to improve regulations on potential inequalities in academic rankings and success and an observant attitude concerning implications that negatively affect health in the long run.

O presente trabalho pretende descrever a intervenção pedagógica que foi desenvolvida na Escola Secundária de Alcochete, do Agrupamento de Escolas de Alcochete, no ano letivo de 2020/2021, a qual é parte integrante do Mestrado em Ensino de Informática. A intervenção foi realizada na disciplina de Redes de Comunicação, numa turma do décimo primeiro ano do ensino secundário profissional do curso de Gestão e Programação de Sistemas Informáticos, ao longo de seis aulas de 90 minutos cada. Esta intervenção teve por base os objetivos descritos no referencial da disciplina para o módulo seis (Programação de Sistemas de Comunicação) pelo que foram abordados os conceitos associados à arquitetura cliente-servidor, endereçamento IP (Internet Protocol), Sockets e a programação de Sockets. A consolidação destes conhecimentos foi feita através do desenvolvimento de uma aplicação cliente-servidor, utilizando a linguagem de programação PHP, por forma a criar um sistema de comunicação com recurso a sockets. A intervenção ocorreu no regime de ensino a distância, tendo sido utilizada a plataforma Teams para as aulas síncronas e partilha de conteúdos. No decorrer da intervenção foram utilizadas diversas metodologias de ensino e aprendizagem, na abordagem dos diversos conceitos. O desenvolvimento da aplicação foi feito a pares utilizando a estratégia Virtual Pair Programming permitindo aos alunos o trabalho em equipa e partilha de conhecimentos. No final da intervenção foi analisado se, na perspetiva dos alunos, a programação a pares promoveu melhorias na sua aprendizagem de programação de sockets. Na opinião dos alunos que responderam ao questionário, a programação a pares ajudou-os a desenvolver código com menos erros, assinalando como útil a partilha de conhecimento entre pares; no entanto, referem dificuldades técnicas na realização do trabalho a pares a distância. A falta de assiduidade dos alunos comprometeu a parte investigativa da intervenção.

Com este relatório pretende-se apresentar os resultados da conceção de uma unidade didática, implementada em Desenho A, numa turma do 10.º ano, com o objetivo de perceber o uso que os alunos fazem da cor como forma de expressão. Pretendia-se estimular estes alunos a utilizar a cor na construção de narrativas e/ou composições visuais onde a cor fosse o elemento predominante, tendo como base o fauvismo, um movimento artístico do início do século XX, que utilizava a cor de uma forma aleatória e muito expressiva, consoante as emoções do momento - alegria, tristeza, euforia ou frustração - transpondo-as para a tela através da cor. Para tal, no seu exercício foi dado aos alunos liberdade para a utilização da cor, de forma arbitrária e aleatória, de forma a tentar perceber quais eram as suas reais capacidades sem que houvesse uma intervenção direta do professor. A fundamentação teórica desta investigação partiu da pedagogia de projetos definida por John Dewey que sustenta que o aluno tem que ter a sua própria autonomia, e que a intervenção do professor deve ser reduzida ao papel de mediador entre o aluno e as suas próprias experiências. Esta pedagogia permite criar estratégias para melhorar a aprendizagem baseada nas descobertas que são feitas pelos alunos, tornando a aprendizagem mais dinâmica e diversificada. Os resultados desta intervenção pedagógica revelaram ter contribuído para o crescimento cognitivo destes alunos, dado que a liberdade criativa que lhes foi dada estimulou a sua iniciativa, sensibilidade estética e capacidade de autoavaliação. De igual modo lhes permitiu perceber a diversidade de formas como cada um de nós encara uma mesma realidade e como interpreta o mundo real, e que se reflete na diversidade humana e cultural que compõe a nossa sociedade.

For a long time Helicobacter pylori infections have been treated using the macrolide antibiotic, clarithromycin. Clarithromycin resistance is increasing worldwide and is the most common cause of H. pylori treatment failure. Here we review the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance to clarithromycin, detailing the individual and combinations of point mutations found in the 23S rRNA gene associated with resistance. Additionally, we consider the methods used to detect clarithromycin resistance, emphasizing the use of high-throughput next-generation sequencing methods, which were applied to 17 newly sequenced pairs of H. pylori strains isolated from the antrum and corpus of a recent colonized paediatric population. This set of isolates was composed of six pairs of resistant strains whose phenotype was associated with two point mutations found in the 23S rRNA gene: A2142C and A2143G. Other point mutations were found simultaneously in the same gene, but, according to our results, it is unlikely that they contribute to resistance. Further, among susceptible isolates, genomic variations compatible with mutations previously associated with clarithromycin resistance were detected. Exposure to clarithromycin may select low-frequency variants, resulting in a progressive increase in the resistance rate due to selection pressure.

Helicobacter pylori is a common component of the human stomach microbiota, possibly dating back to the speciation of Homo sapiens. A history of pathogen evolution in allopatry has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations, associated with different human populations, and more recent admixture among H. pylori subpopulations can provide information about human migrations. However, little is known about the degree to which some H. pylori genes are conserved in the face of admixture, potentially indicating host adaptation, or how virulence genes spread among different populations. We analyzed H. pylori genomes from 14 countries in the Americas, strains from the Iberian Peninsula, and public genomes from Europe, Africa, and Asia, to investigate how admixture varies across different regions and gene families. Whole-genome analyses of 723 H. pylori strains from around the world showed evidence of frequent admixture in the American strains with a complex mosaic of contributions from H. pylori populations originating in the Americas as well as other continents. Despite the complex admixture, distinctive genomic fingerprints were identified for each region, revealing novel American H. pylori subpopulations. A pan-genome Fst analysis showed that variation in virulence genes had the strongest fixation in America, compared with non-American populations, and that much of the variation constituted non-synonymous substitutions in functional domains. Network analyses suggest that these virulence genes have followed unique evolutionary paths in the American populations, spreading into different genetic backgrounds, potentially contributing to the high risk of gastric cancer in the region.

Background Helicobacter pylori is a human gastric carcinogen that is highly prevalent in Latin American. The prophages of H. pylori show a structured population and contribute to the diversity of this bacterium. However, H. pylori prophages present in American strains have not been described to date. In this study, we identified, characterized, and present the phylogenetic analysis of the prophages present in Colombian H. pylori strains. Methods To characterize Colombian H. pylori strains and their prophages, a Multilocus Sequences Typing (MLST) and a Prophage Sequences Typing (PST), using the integrase and holin genes, were performed. Furthermore, five Colombian H. pylori had their full genome sequenced, and six Colombian H.pylori retrieved from databases, allowing to determine the prophage complete genome and insertion site. Results The integrase gene frequency was 12.6% (27/213), while both integrase and holin genes were present in 4.2% (9/213) of the samples analyzed. The PST analysis showed that Colombian prophages belong to different populations, including hpSWEurope, hpNEurope, hpAfrica1, and a new population, named hpColombia. The MLST analysis classified most of the Colombia strains in the hpEurope population. Conclusions The new H. pylori prophage population revealed that Colombian prophages follow a unique evolutionary trajectory, contributing to bacterial diversity. The global H. pylori prophage phylogeny highlighted five phylogenetic groups, one more than previously reported. After the arrival of Europeans, the Colombian H. pylori bacteria and their prophages formed an independent evolutionary line to adapt to the new environment and new human hosts.