Analysis of the antibiotic resistance profiles in methicillin-sensitive s. Aureus pathotypes isolated on a commercial rabbit farm in Italy

The breeding of meat rabbits is an important sector in the livestock industry in Italy. The focus of this study was to describe the antibiotic resistance profile distribution among the Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus isolated in a rabbit farm. From 400 animals of different ages and three farm workers, 96 randomly selected strains isolated from various anatomical sites and lesions were analysed. According to spa typing and the resistance profiles towards veterinary and human antibiotics, 26 pathotypes were identified. The highest resistance was observed against Tetracyclines (92.3%) and Macrolides (80.8%), while almost all were susceptible to Penicillins, according to the limited use of β-lactams on the farm. In total, 92.3% of pathotypes were multidrug resistant (MDRs). Two MDR pathotypes belonging to the t2802 spa type were isolated from both farmers and rabbits. Age categories harboured significantly different pathotypes (p = 0.019), while no association was found between pathotypes and lesions (p = 0.128) or sampling sites (p = 0.491). The antibiotic resistance was observed to increase with the time spent in the farm environment (age category). The selective pressure exerted by antibiotic use acted by giving advantage to more resistant strains rather than by lowering susceptibility to various drug categories within strains

Malpractice claims in interventional radiology: frequency, characteristics and protective measures Il contenzioso in radiologia interventistica: frequenza, caratteristiche ed azioni di tutela

interventistica \ue8 sensibilmente aumentato negli ultimi anni; di pari passo si \ue8 notato un incremento del contenzioso medico-legale ad esse associato. Questo studio mira a sottolineare i problemi all\u2019origine delle denunce per malapratica in radiologia interventistica, ed a valutare l\u2019importanza del consenso informato. Materiali e metodi. Sono state esaminate tutte le denunce assicurative causate da presunti errori in radiologia interventistica in un periodo di 14 anni, enuncleandole dal data-base assicurativo dei radiologi iscritti alla Societ\ue0 Italiana di Radiologia Medica (SIRM) dal 01/01/1993 al 31/12/2006. Risultati. Nel periodo in esame sono state sporte 98 denunce contro radiologi che avevano effettuato procedure interventistiche. In 21 casi (21,4%) l\u2019evento aveva causato la morte del paziente. In oltre l\u201980% dei casi l\u2019evento lesivo era occorso in una struttura pubblica. Il rischio di ricevere una denuncia per presunta malapratica per un radiologo che pratichi tecniche interventistiche \ue8 pari al 47 per mille, il che corrisponde ad una denuncia per ogni 21 anni di attivit\ue0. Discussione. La radiologia interventistica, attivit\ue0 sovrapponibile per profilo di rischio biologico alle procedure chirurgiche, espone gli operatori ad un elevato rischio di contenzioso medico-legale sia per problemi intrinseci alle tecniche usate, sia per la necessit\ue0 di operare su soggetti con gravi patologie, e in condizioni cliniche compromesse. Conclusioni. La prevenzione del contenzioso dipende in gran parte da una riduzione della percentuale di errore medico abbinata ad una corretta ed organica informazione del paziente. L\u2019adozione di buone pratiche radiologiche, la scrupolosa revisione delle procedure e dell\u2019efficienza tecnica degli strumenti usati, la verifica delle procedure organizzative e gestionali sono i fattori che riducono la probabilit\ue0 dell\u2019errore. Il miglioramento delle tecniche di comunicazione, nel rispetto dell\u2019autonomia del paziente, passa anche attraverso l\u2019adozione di procedure chiare e rigorose per l\u2019ottenimento del consenso all\u2019atto medico.Purpose. The use of interventional radiology procedures has considerably increased in recent years, as has the number of related medicolegal litigations. This study aimed to highlight the problems underlying malpractice claims in interventional radiology and to assess the importance of the informed consent process. Materials and methods. The authors examined all insurance claims relating to presumed errors in interventional radiology filed by radiologists over a period of 14 years after isolating them from the insurance database of all radiologists registered with the Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM) between 1 January1993 and 31 December 2006. Results. In the period considered, 98 malpractice claims were filed against radiologists who had performed interventional radiology procedures. In 21 cases (21.4%), the event had caused the patient\u2019s death. In >80% of cases, the event occurred in a public facility. The risk of a malpractice claim for a radiologist practising interventional procedures is 47 per 1,000, which corresponds to one malpractice claim for each 231 years of activity. Discussion. Interventional radiology, a discipline with a biological risk profile similar to that of surgery, exposes practitioners to a high risk of medicolegal litigation both because of problems intrinsic to the techniques used and because of the need to operate on severely ill patients with compromised clinical status.Conclusions. Litigation prevention largely depends on both reducing the rate of medical error and providing the patient with correct and coherent information. Adopting good radiological practices, scrupulous review of procedures and efficiency of the instruments used and audit of organisational and management processes are all factors that can help reduce the likelihood of error. Improving communication techniques while safeguarding the patient\u2019s right to autonomy also implies adopting clear and rigorous processes for obtaining the patient\u2019s informed consent to the medical procedure

A quality-control framework for sub-daily flow and level data for hydrological modelling in Great Britain

\ua9 2023 IWA Publishing. All rights reserved.The absence of an accessible and quality-assured national flow dataset is a limiting factor in sub-daily hydrological modelling in Great Britain. The recent development of measuring authority APIs and projects such as the Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) pro-gramme aim to facilitate access to such data. Basic quality-control (QC) of 15-minute data is performed by the data collection authorities and the National River Flow Archive (NRFA). Still, there is a need for a comprehensible and verifiable quality control methodology. This paper presents an initial assessment of the available data and examines what needs to be done for applicability of the data at national scale. The 15-minute flow series has many inconsistencies, and there are also inconsistencies with the NRFA Annual Maximum values. When producing a QCed dataset, decisions regarding the retention of data values need to be taken and recorded. Furthermore, QC should remove and rectify erroneous values, such as negative and above world record flows; and an assessment of homogeneity and truncated values in the stations could be beneficial to flag suspect data. The complex chain for production and changeability of flow and level data makes data curation and governance imperative to assure the longevity of the dataset

Work stress and metabolic syndrome in radiologists. First evidence.

Background. Il fatto che lo stress da lavoro aumenti il rischio cardiovascolare \ue8 un dato suffragato da sufficiente evidenza scientifica. L\u2019associazione dello stress con la sindrome metabolica ha fino ad oggi ricevuto minore attenzione. In questo studio ci siamo proposti di indagare l\u2019associazione tra stress da lavoro e sindrome metabolica in una popolazione di radiologi. Metodo. I radiologi e radioterapisti partecipanti ad alcuni congressi scientifici sono stati invitati a compilare un questionario per la valutazione dello stress da lavoro e dei principali parametri che consentono la diagnosi di sindrome metabolica (obesit\ue0, ipertensione, ipercolesterolemia, ipertrigliceridemia, iperglicemia). Risultati. La maggior parte dei medici che hanno partecipato all\u2019indagine (383, 58,6%) presenta almeno una componente patologica. Quarantasei soggetti (7,1%) presentano una sindrome metabolica. Tutte le variabili indicative di stress da lavoro, sia quelle derivanti dal modello demand/control di Karasek che quelle appartenenti al modello effort/reward di Siegrist, risultano significative predittrici delle componenti di sindrome metabolica. I radiologi con alto stress da lavoro hanno un rischio di soffrire di sindrome metabolica significativamente pi\uf9 elevato di quello dei loro colleghi meno stressati, sia quando lo stress \ue8 definito come \u201cjob strain\u201d, cio\ue8 elevato carico di lavoro e ridotta discrezionalit\ue0 (OR 4,89 IC95% 2,51-9,55), sia quando questo \ue8 definito come \u201ceffort reward imbalance\u201d, discrepanza tra lo sforzo lavorativo e le ricompense ricevute per il lavoro svolto (OR 4,66 IC95% 2,17-10,02). Conclusioni. I risultati di questa prima indagine trasversale, ove siano confermati da un successivo studio longitudinale, indicherebbero la necessit\ue0 di intervenire con tempestive misure organizzative per ridurre lo stress professionale dei medici radiologi.Background. Scientific data have amply demonstrated that work stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, less attention has been given to the association between stress and metabolic syndrome. In this study, our aim was to investigate the relationship between work stress and metabolic syndrome in a population of radiologists. Method. Radiologists and radiotherapists taking part in scientific congress meetings were invited to compile a questionnaire to evaluate work stress and the main parameters for diagnosing metabolic syndrome (obesity, hypertension, elevated cholesterol level, elevated triglycerides, hyperglycemia). Results. Most of the doctors taking part in the survey (383, 58.6%) were found to have at least one pathological component. Forty-seven subjects (7.1%) manifested metabolic syndrome. All the variables indicating work stress, whether derived from Karasek\u2019s demand/control model or from the effort/reward model devised by Siegrist, were significant predictors of metabolic syndrome components. Radiologists with elevated levels of stress had a significantly higher risk of being affected by metabolic syndrome than colleagues with lower stress levels, whether stress was defined as \u201cjob strain\u201d, i.e. elevated work load and reduced discretionary power (OR 4.89 IC95% 2.51-9.55), or as \u201ceffort reward imbalance\u201d, i.e. mismatch between effort and reward for the work performed (OR 4.66 IC95% 2.17-10.02). 2 Conclusions. Should the results of this cross-sectional study be confirmed by a subsequent longitudinal survey, they would indicate the need for prompt organizational intervention to reduce occupational stress in radiologists

Satisfaction at work among radiologists

This study sought to evaluate professional satisfaction among Italian radiologists and identify what personal characteristics of radiologists and features of their work and work setting affect job satisfaction

Antiseptic compounds still active against bacterial strains isolated from surgical wound infections despite increasing antibiotic resistance.

The in vitro activities of povidone iodine, potassium peroxymonosulfate, and dimethyldidecylammonium chloride were investigated against 379 nosocomial isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa responsible for surgical wound infections in patients operated on between July 1995 and June 2001. Overall, the isolates were inhibited by the antiseptics at concentrations below those used routinely. In spite of increasing resistance to the various antibiotics used to treat surgical wound infections, no significant variation in the susceptibility to antiseptics was demonstrated during this 6-year study

Intégration des cultures énergétiques par les moyens d'analyse spatiale avancée

International audienceLes auteurs présentent un modèle multicritère d'évaluation des systèmes bioénergétiques. Il combine un outil analytique d'aide à la décision, qui intègre trois dimensions (économique, environnementale et énergétique), et des études de cas réels pour des fins de validation. Le modèle utilise un serveur Internet comme moyen de communication avec des usagers potentiels ; le système exploite les apports des SIG pour l'élaboration des études sur l'offre de la biomasse énergétique et améliore le niveau des connaissances multidisciplinaires sur la question