Clusterization of co-morbidities and multi-morbidities among persons living with HIV: a cross-sectional study

Background: Among people living with HIV (PLWH), the prevalence of non-HIV related co-morbidities is increasing. Aim of the present study is to describe co-morbidity and multi-morbidity, their clustering mode and the potential disease-disease interactions in a cohort of Italian HIV patients. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis conducted by the Coordinamento Italiano per lo Studio di Allergia e Infezioni da HIV (CISAI) on adult subjects attending HIV-outpatient facilities. Non-HIV co-morbidities included: cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, oncologic diseases, osteoporosis, probable case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, psychiatric illness, kidney disease. Multi-morbidity was defined as the presence of two or more co-morbidities. Results: One thousand and eighty-seven patients were enrolled in the study (mean age 47.9 \ub1 10.8). One hundred-ninety patients (17.5%) had no co-morbidity, whereas 285 (26.2%) had one condition and 612 (56.3%) were multi-morbid. The most recurrent associations were: 1) dyslipidemia + hypertension (237, 21.8%); 2) dyslipidemia + COPD (188, 17.3%); 3) COPD + HCV-Ab+ (141, 12.9%). Multi-morbidity was associated with older age, higher body mass index, current and former smoking, CDC stage C and longer ART duration. Conclusions: More than 50% of PLHW were multi-morbid and about 30% had three or more concurrent comorbidities. The identification of common patterns of comorbidities address the combined risks of multiple drug and disease-disease interactions

Epidemiology and Microbiology of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: Preliminary Results of a National Registry

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) represent a wide range of clinical conditions characterized by a considerable variety of clinical presentations and severity. Their aetiology can also vary, with numerous possible causative pathogens. While other authors previously published analyses on several types of SSTI and on restricted types of patients, we conducted a large nationwide surveillance programme on behalf of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases to assess the clinical and microbiological characteristics of the whole SSTI spectrum, from mild to severe life-threatening infections, in both inpatients and outpatients. Twenty-five Infectious Diseases (ID) Centres throughout Italy collected prospectively data concerning both the clinical and microbiological diagnosis of patients affected by SSTIs via an electronic case report form. All the cases included in our database, independently from their severity, have been managed by ID specialists joining the study while SSTIs from other wards/clinics have been excluded from this analysis. Here, we report the preliminary results of our study, referring to a 12-month period (October 2016–September 2017). During this period, the study population included 254 adult patients and a total of 291 SSTI diagnoses were posed, with 36 patients presenting more than one SSTIs. The type of infection diagnosed, the aetiological micro-organisms involved and some notes on their antimicrobial susceptibilities were collected and are reported herein. The enrichment of our registry is ongoing, but these preliminary results suggest that further analysis could soon provide useful information to better understand the national epidemiologic data and the current clinical management of SSTIs in Italy

Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

Is "option B+" also being adopted in pregnant women in high-income countries? Temporal trends from a national study in Italy

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Studi sui prestiti comunali

- Indice #9- Natura dei prestiti comunali #15- Forma dei prestiti comunali #13

Post intubation tracheal stenosis in children

Many authors have reported that tracheal stenosis is a complication that can follow tracheal intubation in both adults and children. The symptoms, when they do appear, can be confused with asthma, with subsequent treatment providing only mild and inconsistent relief. We report here the case of an 8 year old girl admitted to our hospital for whooping cough that was not responding to therapy

Measuring Ivrea Landscape Attractiveness through GIS Multicriteria and Surveys

Basing on previous studies lead by Sjerp de Vries (2013) about measuring the attractiveness of Dutch landscapes, we investigated the link between landscape, attractiveness, appreciation applied on a small region of Piedmont (IT) on the east of Turin: the Morain Amphitheatre of Ivrea. Concerning the concept of attractiveness, we intend the presence of elements that can trigger an increase of interest. In order to measure the landscape attractiveness, we have developed a set of the elements (indicators) that make a landscape attractive and usable and (through surveys) submit them to a participate evaluation, thus giving each indicator the proper weight. Through a GIS-based method, rooted on open regional geographic data, we were able to use survey statistics for defining the proper weight of good and bad indicators in the ending map, that is called Appeal Capacity Map. Our method is aimed to support decision-making process in the framework of regional planning, contribute in the building strategies, and defining landscape units, building developing scenarios. Together the landscape attractiveness, we retain advantageous also the evaluation of the usability, considering the usability as the sum of the connectivity grade of mobility system and touristic offer (presence of hotels and farmhouses). Surveys includes the application of a PPGIS tool in a website called SightMap, that traces pictures of concentration shot by users, a major concentration of which means an identification of the landscape key-elements

Correlation of bispectral index (BIS) monitoring and end-tidal sevoflurane concentration in a patient with lobar holoprosencephaly

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: The bispectral index (BIS) is a parameter derived by electroencephalography (EEG) which provides a direct measurement of the effects of sedatives and anesthetics on the brain and offers guidance on the adequacy of anesthesia. The literature lacks studies on BIS monitoring in pediatric patients with congenital brain disease undergoing general anesthesia.CLINICAL FEATURES: A 13-year-old child weighing 32 kg, suffering from lobar holoprosencephaly, underwent surgery in which the bispectral index (BIS) monitoring the depth of anesthesia showed an abnormal response. Detailed analysis of the trends of BIS values in the different observation times demonstrated sudden falls and repetitive values of BIS likely related to repetitive epileptiform electrical activity caused by sevoflurane.CONCLUSION: The BIS is a very useful monitoring tool for assessing the degree of depth of anesthesia and to analyze the electroencephalographic variations of anesthetics. Particular attention should be given to patients with congenital disorders of the central nervous system in which the BIS may give abnormal responses that do not reflect an accurate assessment of the depth of anesthesia