Comparison of Seafood Consumption in a Group of Italian Mother-Child Pairs

Seafood is an important component of healthful human diets. Intake of seafood is recommended both for young women and children. In fact, it is a good source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fats, and rich in essential nutrients (e.g. iodine, iron, choline, and selenium) and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), especially omega-3. However, the relationship between maternal diet and the children\u2019s dietary habits is controversial. This study investigated the possible association between the seafood consumption by mothers and that by their 8-11 years old children and compared maternal seafood intakes during pregnancy and about 10 years later. The seafood consumption by 37 pregnant women was assessed in 1999-2001. In 2009, mothers were asked to report their weekly intake and their children\u2019s. Motherchild pairs showed a similar consumption pattern: the overall intake was 1.28\ub10.77 vs 1.19\ub10.64 (p=0.49) while the sum of specific items was 3.71\ub13.01 vs 3.18\ub12.90 (p=0.049). However, it cannot be discerned whether maternal diet affected the children\u2019s nutritional habits or vice-versa. In fact, mothers showed to have a higher seafood intake about 10 years after pregnancy (3.71 vs 1.83; p<0.001), suggesting that a progressive modification of dietary habits occurred after delivery, possibly due to the influence of maternal diet on the nutritional habits of offspring or due to the presence of children in the family unit, that could have influenced maternal dietary habits. This dietary improvement could be brought forward through educational interventions addressed to young women, that could also allow a more informed choice of the healthier species of fish both for them and their children

Hospital discharge diagnoses in patientswith positive blood cultures in an Italian academic hospital

Objective. To assess the sensitivity of hospital discharge diagnoses for identifying sepsis in patients with blood culture confirmation.Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Italian 1000-bed University Hospital of Udine. The administrative databases of the Hospital were used as the source of information. Laboratory data were linked with hospital discharge data. We estimated the proportion of hospitalizations with at least 2 positive blood culture tests in which at least one discharge diagnosis indicated bloodstream infection.Results. From 2011 to 2017, 3571 hospitalizations (1.2%) had positive blood culture tests. Of them, only 49.5% had at least one ICD-9-CM discharge diagnosis code of sepsis, with lower proportions in surgical than in medical wards.Conclusions. The sensitivity of ICD-9-CM discharge codes for sepsis is low as compared with the blood culture gold standard. Using discharge codes for epidemiological estimates of sepsis, health planning and risk management may yield biased results. Audits and ICD coding training are needed

Enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis type IV (Morquio syndrome)

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness, safety and appropriate dose regimen of ERT in people with MPS IV A. To determine whether evidence from NRSIs (which potentially offers longer follow-ups) can contribute to the ERT efficacy evidence-base, and to determine the potential need for additional RCT evidence. To consolidate recommendations for the design of future clinical trials

The influence of patients’ complexity and general practitioners’ characteristics on referrals to outpatient health services in an Italian region

Background. Patient referrals to outpatient health services may affect both health outcomes and health expenditures. General practitioners (GP) have a crucial role in driving the use of outpatient services and recognizing factors which affect referrals is important for health managers and planners. Objectives. We investigated patient- and physician-related determinants of patient referrals in an Italian region. Methods. This was cross-sectional study based on the individual linkage of administrative databases from the health information system of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. For each GP of the region, the association of the number of patient referrals to different types of outpatient services with the proportion of patients with chronic conditions, with the number of hospital admissions and drug prescriptions in 2012, and with GP’s characteristics was investigated through multilevel multivariable Poisson regression models. Results. Some chronic conditions (e.g., cancer, autoimmune diseases, endocrine diseases, digestive system diseases) were positively associated with the number of referrals, as were hospital admissions and drug prescriptions. Time since GP’s graduation was inversely related with referrals. Conclusion. Patient complexity and GP’s experience affect referral rates. These factors should be considered in case of a reorganization of the general practice structure in Friuli Venezia Giulia

Comparison of Seafood Consumption in a Group of Italian Mother-Child Pairs

Seafood is an important component of healthful human diets. Intake of seafood is recommended both for young women and children. In fact, it is a good source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fats, and rich in essential nutrients (e.g. iodine, iron, choline, and selenium) and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), especially omega-3. However, the relationship between maternal diet and the children’s dietary habits is controversial. This study investigated the possible association between the seafood consumption by mothers and that by their 8-11 years old children and compared maternal seafood intakes during pregnancy and about 10 years later. The seafood consumption by 37 pregnant women was assessed in 1999-2001. In 2009, mothers were asked to report their weekly intake and their children’s. Motherchild pairs showed a similar consumption pattern: the overall intake was 1.28±0.77 vs 1.19±0.64 (p=0.49) while the sum of specific items was 3.71±3.01 vs 3.18±2.90 (p=0.049). However, it cannot be discerned whether maternal diet affected the children’s nutritional habits or vice-versa. In fact, mothers showed to have a higher seafood intake about 10 years after pregnancy (3.71 vs 1.83; p<0.001), suggesting that a progressive modification of dietary habits occurred after delivery, possibly due to the influence of maternal diet on the nutritional habits of offspring or due to the presence of children in the family unit, that could have influenced maternal dietary habits. This dietary improvement could be brought forward through educational interventions addressed to young women, that could also allow a more informed choice of the healthier species of fish both for them and their children

Long term effects of enzyme replacement therapy in an Italian cohort of type 3 Gaucher patients

Background: The chronic neuropathic form of Gaucher disease (GD3) is characterised by hepatosplenomegaly, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, bone alterations and central neurological involvement. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been demonstrated to be effective in non neuropathic Gaucher disease, but long term results in patients with GD3 are still limited and contrasting. A possible role of genotype in determining the response to ERT has been hypothesised. Patients and methods: All patients affected by GD3, treated with ERT, and followed-up in 4 different Italian centres (Udine, Catanzaro, Sassari and Florence) were included. Data on clinical conditions, laboratory values, neurological and neuropsychological examinations, radiological and electrophysiological features were collected retrospectively from clinical records. Results: Ten patients (6 females, 4 males) with four different genotypes (L444P/L444P, L444P/F231I, P159T/unknown, C.115+1G&gt;A/N188S) were identified. They received ERT infusions from 3 to 21 years. Haematological parameters and organomegaly improved/normalised in all patients. Three patients showed severe progressive skeletal deformities. 6/10 patients were neurologically asymptomatic when they started ERT for systemic symptoms. During the follow-up, 2/6 developed an important central nervous system disease; 2/6 developed mild central symptoms; and 2/6 did not show any neurological symptom after 5, and 20 years of treatment respectively, despite the presence of epileptiform abnormalities at the electroencephalogram. Overall, neurological involvement worsened over time in 6/10 patients, 3 of whom developed progressive myoclonic encephalopathy and died. Conclusions: ERT improved the systemic manifestations in patients with GD3, but was not able to counteract the progression of neurological symptoms in the long term