Università-Ospedale. Piccola storia di un’alleanza pedagogica

The activity of the Pediatric Clinic of Monza starts in 1984 and in the same year the Italian Society of Medical Education is founded. Not just a coincidence in time, but the beginning of a significant collaboration that allowed us to apply innovative programs and didactic methods. The limited human resources (totally hospital staff and only one university apical figure) was not an obstacle, but an opportunity to introduce effective pedagogical methods avoiding the resistance to change consolidated educational habits. Our target priority was the education of students to become doctors/pediatricians not just at hospital, but also in family pediatrics, to provide them a broad view of the problems of child health and make them able to manage their continuing education in a future of rapid and continuous changes and progress of Medicine and Pediatrics. Problem Solving was applied not only in lessons and tutorial groups, but in clinical practice too, and was deeply rooted, as evidenced by the comments of some of them, now pediatricians. Our experience is a small model of integration between Hospital and University, that we tried to promote to a wider reality, realizing a meeting of reflection which involved hospital and university doctors and administrative heads of the hospital and the university. Our aim is far from being realized and is still a utopia, but we need utopia to walk

Multicentre Italian study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents, preliminary data as at 10 April 2020

Data on features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children and adolescents are scarce. We report preliminary results of an Italian multicentre study comprising 168 laboratory-confirmed paediatric cases (median: 2.3 years, range: 1 day-17.7 years, 55.9% males), of which 67.9% were hospitalised and 19.6% had comorbidities. Fever was the most common symptom, gastrointestinal manifestations were frequent; two children required intensive care, five had seizures, 49 received experimental treatments and all recovered

Nationwide survey on the management of pediatric pharyngitis in Italian emergency units

Background Acute pharyngitis is a frequent reason for primary care or emergency unit visits in children. Most available data on pharyngitis management come from primary care studies that demonstrate an underuse of microbiological tests, a tendency to over-prescribe antibiotics and a risk of antimicrobial resistance increase. However, a comprehensive understanding of acute pharyngitis management in emergency units is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of rapid antigen test use to diagnose acute pharyngitis, as well as other diagnostic approaches, the therapeutic attitude, and follow-up of children with this condition in the emergency units.Methods A multicentric national study was conducted in Italian emergency departments between April and June 2022.Results A total of 107 out of 131 invited units (response rate 82%), participated in the survey. The results showed that half of the units use a scoring system to diagnose pharyngitis, with the McIsaac score being the most commonly used. Most emergency units (56%) were not provided with a rapid antigen diagnostic test by their hospital, but the test was more frequently available in units visiting more than 10,000 children yearly (57% vs 33%, respectively, p = 0.02). Almost half (47%) of the units prescribe antibiotics in children with pharyngitis despite the lack of microbiologically confirmed cases of Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. Finally, about 25% of units prescribe amoxicillin-clavulanic acid to treat Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus pharyngitis.Conclusions The study sheds light on the approach to pharyngitis in emergency units, providing valuable information to improve the appropriate management of acute pharyngitis in this setting. The routinary provision of rapid antigen tests in the hospitals could enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to pharyngitis