Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pediatric rheumatology: an European perspective

To analyse the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in children with rheumatic diseases, treated at a paediatric rheumatology centre in Italy

Iodine Extravasation Quantification on Dual-Energy CT of the Brain Performed after Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke Can Predict Hemorrhagic Complications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intracerebral hemorrhage represents a potentially severe complication of revascularization of acute ischemic stroke. The aim of our study was to assess the capability of iodine extravasation quantification on dual-energy CT performed immediately after mechanical thrombectomy to predict hemorrhagic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Because this was a retrospective study, the need for informed consent was waived. Eighty-five consecutive patients who underwent brain dual-energy CT immediately after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke between August 2013 and January 2017 were included. Two radiologists independently evaluated dual-energy CT images for the presence of parenchymal hyperdensity, iodine extravasation, and hemorrhage. Maximum iodine concentration was measured. Follow-up CT examinations performed until patient discharge were reviewed for intracerebral hemorrhage development. The correlation between dual-energy CT parameters and intracerebral hemorrhage development was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for continuous variables. RESULTS: Thirteen of 85 patients (15.3%) developed hemorrhage. On postoperative dual-energy CT, parenchymal hyperdensities and iodine extravasation were present in 100% of the patients who developed intracerebral hemorrhage and in 56.3% of the patients who did not ( P = .002 for both). Signs of bleeding were present in 35.7% of the patients who developed intracerebral hemorrhage and in none of the patients who did not ( P P CONCLUSIONS: The presence of parenchymal hyperdensity with a maximum iodine concentration of >1.35 mg/mL may identify patients developing intracerebral hemorrhage with 100% sensitivity and 67.6% specificity

The state of interprofessional collaboration in Northern Italy: a mixed methods study.

Abstract Health care systems are facing continual reorganizations in response to scientific and technological innovations as well as financial constraints. Simultaneously the rising prevalence of chronic diseases call for a kind of health care organization in which interprofessional collaboration (IPC) functions on a high level. This article describes a research project that aims to generate an empirical account of the current state of IPC in the South Tyrolean Health Trust, located in a bilingual region in northern Italy. The study will employ a sequential mixed methods' design. A survey will be followed by individual and focus group interviews. An innovative aspect of the study is that it will include participants from six different health professions (dieticians, nurses, occupational therapists, physicians, physiotherapists, and speech therapists). Qualitative data analysis will draw on the negotiated order/structural ordering approach and on the social world/arena perspective. The results are expected to generate specific recommendations to improve IPC in the South Tyrolean Health Trust and inform further research

The role of self-trapped excitons in polaronic recombination processes in lithium niobate

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national survey of anatomical pathology centres in italy the questionnaire

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Safety and efficacy of infliximab and adalimumab for refractory uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis : 1-year followup data from the Italian Registry

To evaluate safety and efficacy of adalimumab (ADA) and infliximab (IFX) for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related anterior uveitis (JIA-AU).Starting January 2007, patients with JIA-AU treated with IFX and ADA were managed by a standard protocol and data were entered into the National Italian Registry (NIR). At baseline, all patients were refractory to standard immunosuppressive treatment and/or were corticosteroid-dependent. Data recorded every 3 months included uveitis course, number/type of ocular complications, drug-related adverse events (AE), treatment change or withdrawal, and laboratory measures. Data of patients treated for at least 1 year were retrieved from the NIR and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Treatment efficacy was based on change in uveitis course and in number of ocular complications.Up to December 2009, data for 108 patients with JIA-AU treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-\u3b1 agents were recorded in the NIR and data from 91, with at least 12 months' followup, were included in the study. Forty-eight patients were treated with IFX, 43 with ADA. Forty-seven patients (55.3%) achieved remission of AU, 28 (32.9%) had recurrent AU, and 10 (11.8%) maintained a chronic course. A higher remission rate was observed with ADA (67.4% vs 42.8% with IFX; p = 0.025). Ocular complications decreased from 0.47 to 0.32 per subject. Five patients experienced resolution of structural complications. No patient reported serious AE; 8 (8.8%) experienced 11 minor AE (9 with IFX, 2 with ADA).IFX and ADA appear to be effective and safe for treatment of refractory JIA-related uveitis, with a better performance of ADA in the medium-term period