Test linguistici e test standardizzati: un confronto sull’acquisizione del passivo da parte di due gemelli sordi italiani

In this article, we compare the answers given by two deaf Italian twins in the standardized test TCGB and in a test developed by linguists to analyse the competence of passives in children. Results show that their comprehension of passives is more impaired than other syntactic constructions. Based on the comparison of the results obtained in the two tests, some suggestions are provided to design standardized tests for the clinical practice and language rehabilitation and teaching strategies

SIAIP position paper: provocation challenge to antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in children

Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) in childhood are mainly caused by betalactam or non-betalactam antibiotics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Laboratory tests for identifying children who are allergic to drugs have low diagnostic accuracy and predictive value. The gold standard to diagnose DHR is represented by the drug provocation test (DPT), that aims of ascertaining the causative role of an allergen and evaluating the tolerance to the suspected drug. Different protocols through the administration of divided increasing doses have been postulated according to the type of drug and the onset of the reaction (immediate or non immediate reactions). DPT protocols differ in doses and time interval between doses. In this position paper, the Italian Pediatric Society for Allergy and Immunology provides a practical guide for provocation test to antibiotics and NSAIDs in children and adolescents

Day case parathyroidectomy: is this the right way for the patients?

Minimally-invasive video-assisted parathyroidectomy (MIVAP) can be considered as the primary treatment of choice for single parathyroid adenoma. Often, this technique is performed in a day surgery setting and is associated with regional anaesthesia (RA). Many studies have already reported the feasibility and safety of MIVAP in day surgery. Here our focus has been on the patient's personal experience with these procedures through an assessment of their recovery at home

Charting differentially methylated regions in cancer with Rocker-meth

Matteo Benelli et al. present Rocker-meth, a new Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based method, to robustly identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs). They use Rocker-meth to analyse more than 6000 methylation profiles across 14 cancer types, providing a catalog of tumor-specific and shared DMRs

Teaching Medical Humanities to medical students: implementing an integrated approach

[EN] Medical Humanities is a rapidly expanding field of medical education. However, in Italy, only a few humanities are included in the curricula of medical schools. Other humanities are provided in the form of elective courses, with great heterogeneity among the various medical schools. The objective of this paper is to present an optional course in Medical Humanities, based on an integrated approach, aiming at fostering the human and professional growth of medical students. In addition, the paper presents the research project associated with the integrated course, aimed at evaluating the effects of the course program on students' personal and professional skills and psychological well-being.Tusoni, F.; Iagnemma, A.; Franceschini, A.; Ferrara, V.; Cofini, V.; Giusti, L.; Necozione, S.... (2024). Teaching Medical Humanities to medical students: implementing an integrated approach. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd24.2024.1720

Blackwater Fever Treated with Steroids in Nonimmune Patient, Italy

: Causes of blackwater fever, a complication of malaria treatment, are not completely clear, and immune mechanisms might be involved. Clinical management is not standardized. We describe an episode of blackwater fever in a nonimmune 12-year-old girl in Italy who was treated with steroids, resulting in a rapid clinical resolution

Epidemiology and Prevention of Early Infections by Multi-Drug-Resistant Organisms in Adults Undergoing Liver Transplant: A Narrative Review

Invasive bacterial infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplant (LT), especially during the first months after LT, and infections due to multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are increasing in this setting. Most of the infections in patients in intensive care unit arise from the endogenous microflora and, for this reason, pre-LT MDRO rectal colonization is a risk factor for developing MDRO infections in the post-LT. Moreover, the transplanted liver may carry an increased risk of MDRO infections due to organ transportation and preservation, to donor intensive care unit stay and previous antibiotic exposure. To date, little evidence is available about how MDRO pre-LT colonization in donors and recipients should address LT preventive and antibiotic prophylactic strategies, in order to reduce MDRO infections in the post-LT period. The present review provided an extensive overview of the recent literature on these topics, with the aim to offer a comprehensive insight about the epidemiology of MDRO colonization and infections in adult LT recipients, donor-derived MDRO infections, possible surveillance, and prophylactic strategies to reduce post-LT MDRO infections

Recurrent Sweet's syndrome in a patient with multiple myeloma

Key Clinical MessageWe report on a case of Sweet's syndrome associated with multiple myeloma, as harbinger for disease relapse

The Brain Correlates of Laugh and Cataplexy in Childhood Narcolepsy

The brain suprapontine mechanisms associated with human cataplexy have not been clarified. Animal data suggest that the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex are key regions in promoting emotion-induced cataplectic attacks. Twenty-one drug-naive children/adolescent (13 males, mean age 11 years) with recent onset of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) were studied with fMRI while viewing funny videos using a "naturalistic" paradigm. fMRI data were acquired synchronously with EEG, mylohyoid muscle activity, and the video of the patient's face. Whole-brain hemodynamic correlates of (1) a sign of fun and amusement (laughter) and of (2) cataplexy were analyzed and compared. Correlations analyses between these contrasts and disease-related variables and behavioral findings were performed