Defining Kawasaki disease and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome-temporally associated to SARS-CoV-2 infection during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Italy: results from a national, multicenter survey

Background: There is mounting evidence on the existence of a Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome-temporally associated to SARS-CoV-2 infection (PIMS-TS), sharing similarities with Kawasaki Disease (KD). The main outcome of the study were to better characterize the clinical features and the treatment response of PIMS-TS and to explore its relationship with KD determining whether KD and PIMS are two distinct entities. Methods: The Rheumatology Study Group of the Italian Pediatric Society launched a survey to enroll patients diagnosed with KD (Kawasaki Disease Group - KDG) or KD-like (Kawacovid Group - KCG) disease between February 1st 2020, and May 31st 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data, treatment information, and patients' outcome were collected in an online anonymized database (RedCAP®). Relationship between clinical presentation and SARS-CoV-2 infection was also taken into account. Moreover, clinical characteristics of KDG during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (KDG-CoV2) were compared to Kawasaki Disease patients (KDG-Historical) seen in three different Italian tertiary pediatric hospitals (Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste; AOU Meyer, Florence; IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa) from January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2019. Chi square test or exact Fisher test and non-parametric Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney test were used to study differences between two groups. Results: One-hundred-forty-nine cases were enrolled, (96 KDG and 53 KCG). KCG children were significantly older and presented more frequently from gastrointestinal and respiratory involvement. Cardiac involvement was more common in KCG, with 60,4% of patients with myocarditis. 37,8% of patients among KCG presented hypotension/non-cardiogenic shock. Coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) were more common in the KDG. The risk of ICU admission were higher in KCG. Lymphopenia, higher CRP levels, elevated ferritin and troponin-T characterized KCG. KDG received more frequently immunoglobulins (IVIG) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) (81,3% vs 66%; p = 0.04 and 71,9% vs 43,4%; p = 0.001 respectively) as KCG more often received glucocorticoids (56,6% vs 14,6%; p < 0.0001). SARS-CoV-2 assay more often resulted positive in KCG than in KDG (75,5% vs 20%; p < 0.0001). Short-term follow data showed minor complications. Comparing KDG with a KD-Historical Italian cohort (598 patients), no statistical difference was found in terms of clinical manifestations and laboratory data. Conclusion: Our study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection might determine two distinct inflammatory diseases in children: KD and PIMS-TS. Older age at onset and clinical peculiarities like the occurrence of myocarditis characterize this multi-inflammatory syndrome. Our patients had an optimal response to treatments and a good outcome, with few complications and no deaths

Economic consequences of investing in anti-HCV antiviral treatment from the Italian NHS perspective : a real-world-based analysis of PITER data

OBJECTIVE: We estimated the cost consequence of Italian National Health System (NHS) investment in direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy according to hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment access policies in Italy. METHODS: A multistate, 20-year time horizon Markov model of HCV liver disease progression was developed. Fibrosis stage, age and genotype distributions were derived from the Italian Platform for the Study of Viral Hepatitis Therapies (PITER) cohort. The treatment efficacy, disease progression probabilities and direct costs in each health state were obtained from the literature. The break-even point in time (BPT) was defined as the period of time required for the cumulative costs saved to recover the Italian NHS investment in DAA treatment. Three different PITER enrolment periods, which covered the full DAA access evolution in Italy, were considered. RESULTS: The disease stages of 2657 patients who consecutively underwent DAA therapy from January 2015 to December 2017 at 30 PITER clinical centres were standardized for 1000 patients. The investment in DAAs was considered to equal €25 million, €15 million, and €9 million in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. For patients treated in 2015, the BPT was not achieved, because of the disease severity of the treated patients and high DAA prices. For 2016 and 2017, the estimated BPTs were 6.6 and 6.2 years, respectively. The total cost savings after 20 years were €50.13 and €55.50 million for 1000 patients treated in 2016 and 2017, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study may be a useful tool for public decision makers to understand how HCV clinical and epidemiological profiles influence the economic burden of HCV

Variazioni strutturali della regione a monte del gene mef(a) in Streptococcus pyogenes

Negli streptococchi, la resistenza ai macrolidi a 14- e 15-atomi può essere sostenuta da pompe di efflusso appartenenti alla “major facilitator superfamily”, codificate dai geni mef(A) associati ai geni msr(D). In S. pyogenes il cluster genico mef(A)-msr(D) è veicolato da profagi o trasposoni. La sequenza di questi elementi genetici mobili ha recentemente dimostrato una elevata variabilità. Nel corso dello studio della regione mef(A)-msr(D) volta a determinare possibili associazioni con i livelli di espressione della resistenza, abbiamo osservato ulteriori variazioni di sequenza nella regione a monte del gene mef(A). Sono stati inclusi nello studio 29 ceppi di S. pyogenes eritromicino-resistenti positivi al gene mef(A) e il ceppo m46 (contenente l’elemento F-m46.1) come ceppo di controllo. La regione a monte del mef(A) è stata amplificata mediante PCR e i prodotti ottenuti sono stati sequenziati. I ceppi presentavano tutti un fenotipo M di resistenza ai macrolidi e valori di MIC per l’eritromicina compresi tra 4 e 32 mg/L. In 5 ceppi è stata dimostrata la presenza del F-m46.1, inserito nel gene rumA. Nel 27% dei ceppi è stata rilevata una sequenza compatibile con quella del fago F-m46.1-like MB56Spyo045, recentemente descritto e anch’esso inserito nel gene rumA. Una proporzione identica di ceppi (8 su 30) aveva il gene mef(A) e la regione a monte nel fago F10394.4 inserito nel gene comEC. In cinque di questi ultimi ceppi, la sequenza a monte del gene mef(A) presentava una inserzione di 16 nt ca. 170 nt a monte del gene mef(A). Nel rimanente gruppo di ceppi la regione a monte del gene mef(A) aveva una lunghezza di ca. 4 Kb e caratteristiche molto differenti rispetto a quanto descritto fino ad ora negli elementi noti. Gli elementi genetici mobili veicolanti le pompe di efflusso in S. pyogenes continuano ad offrire un quadro di variabilità molto ampio, indice di una evoluzione molto rapida e di riarrangiamenti consistenti

Road toward a new model of care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the Lazio Region

A timely, confirmed diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) has a significant impact on the evolution of the disease. The current model of care in the Lazio region (in Italy) was assessed on the basis of real-world data provided by the four reference centers responsible for diagnosing and treating IPF. The 5-year, population-based, retrospective longitudinal study provided the data that is at the basis of the current proposal for a new clinical and therapeutic pathway (DTCP) and has been shared with regional decision makers. A DTCP must be defined and based on four pillars: GPs, pulmonologists, IPF centers, and telemedicine. Each must play a role within a sort of hub-and-spoke model. IPF centers remain the hubs, while spokes are identified in trained GPs and pulmonologists

Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Simple Summary Significant gender disparities have been highlighted in the incidence, aggressiveness, and prognosis of HCC. A different epidemiological distribution of the risk factors of liver damage and, above all, the actions of sex hormones are at the basis of these differences. Accurate knowledge of gender disparities in HCC would lead to adequate surveillance strategies and the potential implementation of current treatment schemes. Several chronic liver diseases are characterized by a clear gender disparity. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows significantly higher incidence rates in men than in women. The different epidemiological distribution of risk factors for liver disease and HCC only partially accounts for these gender differences. In fact, the liver is an organ with recognized sexual dysmorphism and is extremely sensitive to the action of androgens and estrogens. Sex hormones act by modulating the risk of developing HCC and influencing its aggressiveness, response to treatments, and prognosis. Furthermore, androgens and estrogens are able to modulate the action of other factors and cofactors of liver damage (e.g., chronic HBV infection, obesity), significantly influencing their carcinogenic power. The purpose of this review is to examine the factors related to the different gender distribution in the incidence of HCC as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, with particular reference to the central role played by sex hormones

Figure dell'Identità di Genere: uno sguardo tra Psicologia, Clinica e Discorso Sociale

Il presente volume raccoglie i contributi di alcuni tra i più autorevoli esponenti nel campo della ricerca scientifica, nazionale ed internazionale, sul tema dell’identità di genere, nonché di alcuni rappresentanti della comunità transessuale, diversamente impegnati, in tale ambito, in attività politiche e sociali. Gli articoli raccolti rappresentano una chiara espressione della nuova sensibilità, presente in seno alla comunità scientifica ed al più ampio contesto sociale, per le complesse questioni connesse alle differenti forme di disagio sperimentate da quanti vengano a vivere e ad esprimere sul piano dei comportamenti il proprio porsi al di là del binarismo di genere e/o dell’orientamento eterosessuale, divenendo spesso, per tale ragione, oggetto di discriminazione e stigma. Nel suo complesso, il volume offre al lettore uno sguardo multidimensionale e pluridisciplinare su questioni di estrema attualità e di notevole rilevanza sul piano clinico, ma, anche e soprattutto, etico e sociale

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy in the elderly: Lessons from REPOSI

The dramatic demographic changes that are occurring in the third millennium are modifying the mission of generalist professionals such as primary care physicians and internists. Multiple chronic diseases and the related prescription of multiple medications are becoming typical problems and present many challenges. Unfortunately, the available evidence regarding the efficacy of medications has been generated by clinical trials involving patients completely different from those currently admitted to internal medicine: much younger, affected by a single disease and managed in a highly controlled research environment. Because only registries can provide information on drug effectiveness in real-life conditions, REPOSI started in 2008 with the goal of acquiring data on elderly people acutely admitted to medical or geriatric hospital wards in Italy. The main goals of the registry were to evaluate drug prescription appropriateness, the relationship between multimorbidity/polypharmacy and such cogent outcomes as hospital mortality and re-hospitalization, and the identification of disease clusters that most often concomitantly occur in the elderly. The findings of 3-yearly REPOSI runs (2008, 2010, 2012) suggest the following pertinent tasks for the internist in order to optimally handle their elderly patients: the management of multiple medications, the need to become acquainted with geriatric multidimensional tools, the promotion and implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach to patient health and care and the corresponding involvement of patients and their relatives and caregivers. There is also a need for more research, tailored to the peculiar features of the multimorbid elderly patient

Gout, allopurinol intake and clinical outcomes in the hospitalized multimorbid elderly

310nononeBackground: Increased serum uric acid has been considered a cardiovascular risk factor but no study has assessed its relation with hospital mortality or length of stay. On the basis of data obtained from a prospective registry, the prevalence of gout/hyperuricemia and its association with these and other clinical parameters was evaluated in an Italian cohort of elderly patients acutely admitted to internal medicine or geriatric wards. Methods: While the prevalence of gout was calculated by counting patients with this diagnosis hyperuricemia was inferred in patients taking allopurinol at hospital admission or discharge, on the assumption that this drug was only prescribed owing to the finding of high serum levels of uric acid. A series of clinical and demographic variables were evaluated for their association with gout/hyperuricemia. Results: Of 1380 patients, 139 (10%) had a diagnosis of gout or were prescribed allopurinol. They had more co-morbidities (7.0 vs 5.6; P < 0.0001) and consumed more drugs (6.8 vs 5.0; < b 0.0001). The CIRS (co-morbidity index) was worse in these patients (OR 1.28 95% CI 1.15-1.41). Multivariable regression analysis showed that only renal and heart failures were independently associated with gout/allopurinol intake. Moreover, this combined event was associated with an increased risk of adverse events during hospitalization (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.16-2.36), but not with the risk of re-hospitalization, length of hospital stay or death. Conclusions: Gout/allopurinol intake has a high prevalence in elderly patients acutely admitted to hospital and are associated with renal and cardiovascular diseases, an increased rate of adverse events and a high degree of drug consumption. In contrast, this finding did not affect the length of hospitalization nor hospital mortality.noneFranchi, Carlotta; Salerno, Francesco; Conca, Alessio; Djade, Codjo D.; Tettamanti, Mauro; Pasina, Luca; Corrao, Salvatore; Marengoni, Alessandra; Marcucci, Maura; Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio; Nobili, Alessandro; Sparacio, Eleonora; Alborghetti, Stefania; Di Costanzo, Rosa; Prisco, Domenico; Silvestri, Elena; Cenci, Caterina; Barnini, Tommaso; Delitala, Giuseppe; Carta, Stefano; Atzori, Sebastiana; Guarnieri, Gianfranco; Zanetti, Michela; Spalluti, Annalisa; Serra, Maria Grazia; Bleve, Maria Antonietta; Vanoli, Massimo; Grignani, Giulia; Casella, Gianluca; Gasbarrone, Laura; Maniscalco, Giorgio; Gunelli, Massimo; Tirotta, Daniela; Brucato, Antonio; Ghidoni, Silvia; Di Corato, Paola; Bernardi, Mauro; Li Bassi, Silvia; Santi, Luca; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Iorio, Alfonso; Marchesini, Emanuela; Mannarino, Elmo; Lupattelli, Graziana; Rondelli, Pamela; Paciullo, Francesco; Fabris, Fabrizio; Carlon, Michela; Turatto, Francesca; Baroni, Maria Cristina; Zardo, Marianna; Manfredini, Roberto; Molino, Christian; Pala, Marco; Fabbian, Fabio; Nuti, Ranuccio; Valenti, Roberto; Ruvio, Martina; Cappelli, Silvia; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Rizzo, Maria Rosaria; Laieta, Maria Teresa; Salvatore, Teresa; Sasso, Ferdinando Carlo; Utili, Riccardo; Mangoni, Emanuele Durante; Pinto, Daniela; Olivieri, Oliviero; Stanzial, Anna Maria; Fellin, Renato; Volpato, Stefano; Fotini, Sioulis; Barbagallo, Mario; Dominguez, Ligia; Plances, Lidia; D'Angelo, Daniela; Rini, Giovanbattista; Mansueto, Pasquale; Pepe, Ilenia; Licata, Giuseppe; Calvo, Luigi; Valenti, Maria; Borghi, Claudio; Strocchi, Enrico; Rinaldi, Elisa Rebecca; Zoli, Marco; Fabbri, Elisa; Magalotti, Donatella; Auteri, Alberto; Pasqui, Anna Laura; Puccetti, Luca; Pasini, Franco Laghi; Capecchi, Pier Leopoldo; Bicchi, Maurizio; Sabbà, Carlo; Vella, Francesco Saverio; Marseglia, Alessandro; Luglio, Chiara Valentina; Palasciano, Giuseppe; Modeo, Maria Ester; Aquilino, Annamaria; Raffaele, Pallante; Pugliese, Stefania; Capobianco, Caterina; Postiglione, Alfredo; Barbella, Maria Rosaria; De Stefano, Francesco; Fenoglio, Luigi; Brignone, Chiara; Bracco, Christian; Giraudo, Alessia; Musca, Giuseppe; Cuccurullo, Olga; Cricco, Luigi; Fiorentini, Alessandra; Cappellini, Maria Domenica; Fabio, Giovanna; Seghezzi, Sonia; De Amicis, Margherita Migone; Fargion, Silvia; Bonara, Paola; Bulgheroni, Mara; Lombardi, Rosa; Magrini, Fabio; Massari, Ferdinando; Tonella, Tatiana; Peyvandi, Flora; Tedeschi, Alberto; Rossio, Raffaella; Moreo, Guido; Ferrari, Barbara; Roncari, Luisa; Monzani, Valter; Savojardo, Valeria; Folli, Christian; Magnini, Maria; Mari, Daniela; Rossi, Paolo Dionigi; Damanti, Sarah; Prolo, Silvia; Lilleri, Maria Sole; Micale, Giuliana; Podda, Mauro; Selmi, Carlo; Meda, Francesca; Accordino, Silvia; Monti, Valentina; Corazza, Gino Roberto; Miceli, Emanuela; Lenti, Marco Vincenzo; Padula, Donatella; Balduini, Carlo L.; Bertolino, Giampiera; Provini, Stella; Quaglia, Federica; Murialdo, Giovanni; Bovio, Marta; Dallegri, Franco; Ottonello, Luciano; Quercioli, Alessandra; Barreca, Alessandra; Secchi, Maria Beatrice; Ghelfi, Davide; Chin, Wu Sheng; Carassale, Laura; Caporotundo, Silvia; Anastasio, Luigi; Sofia, Lucia; Carbone, Maria; Traisci, Giancarlo; De Feudis, Lucrezia; Di Carlo, Silvia; Davì, Giovanni; Guagnano, Maria Teresa; Sestili, Simona; Bergami, Elisabetta; Rizzioli, Emanuela; Cagnoni, Carlo; Bertone, Luca; Manucra, Antonio; Buratti, Alberto; Tognin, Tiziana; Liberato, Nicola Lucio; Bernasconi, Giordano; Nardo, Barbara; Bianchi, Giovanni Battista; Benetti, Giampiero; Quagliolo, Michela; Centenaro, Giuseppe Riccardo; Purrello, Francesco; Di Pino, Antonino; Piro, Salvatore; Mancuso, Gerardo; Calipari, Daniela; Bartone, Mosè; Gullo, Francesco; Cortellaro, Michele; Magenta, Marina; Perego, Francesca; Meroni, Maria Rachele; Cicardi, Marco; Magenta, Antonio Gidaro Marina; Sacco, Andrea; Bonelli, Antonio; Dentamaro, Gaetano; Rozzini, Renzo; Falanga, Lina; Giordano, Alessandro; Perin, Paolo Cavallo; Lorenzati, Bartolomeo; Gruden, Gabriella; Bruno, Graziella; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Greco, Elisabetta; Tizzani, Pietro; Fera, Giacomo; Di Luca, Maria Loreta; Renna, Donatella; Perciccante, Antonio; Coralli, Alessia; Tassara, Rodolfo; Melis, Deborah; Rebella, Lara; Menardo, Giorgio; Bottone, Stefania; Sferrazzo, Elsa; Ferri, Claudio; Striuli, Rinaldo; Scipioni, Rosa; Salmi, Raffaella; Gaudenzi, Piergiorgio; Gamberini, Susanna; Ricci, Franco; Morabito, Cosimo; Fava, Roberto; Semplicini, Andrea; Gottardo, Lucia; Vendemiale, Gianluigi; Serviddio, Gaetano; Forlano, Roberta; Bolondi, Luigi; Rasciti, Leonardo; Serio, Ilaria; Masala, Cesare; Mammarella, Antonio; Raparelli, Valeria; Fanelli, Filippo Rossi; Delfino, Massimo; Amoroso, Antonio; Violi, Francesco; Basili, Stefania; Perri, Ludovica; Serra, Pietro; Fontana, Vincenzo; Falcone, Marco; Landolfi, Raffaele; Grieco, Antonio; Gallo, Antonella; Zuccalà, Giuseppe; Franceschi, Francesco; De Marco, Guido; Chiara, Cordischi; Marta, Sabbatini; Bellusci, Martino; Setti, Donatella; Pedrazzoli, Filippo; Romanelli, Giuseppe; Pirali, Caterina; Amolini, Claudia; Rosei, Enrico Agabiti; Rizzoni, Damiano; Castoldi, Luana; Picardi, Antonio; Gentilucci, Umberto Vespasiani; Mazzarelli, Chiara; Gallo, Paolo; Guasti, Luigina; Castiglioni, Luana; Maresca, Andrea; Squizzato, Alessandro; Contini, Sara; Molaro, Marta; Annoni, Giorgio; Corsi, Maurizio; Zazzetta, Sara; Bertolotti, Marco; Mussi, Chiara; Scotto, Roberto; Ferri, Maria Alice; Veltri, Francesca; Arturi, Franco; Succurro, Elena; Sesti, Giorgio; Gualtieri, Umberto; Perticone, Francesco; Sciacqua, Angela; Quero, Michele; Bagnato, Chiara; Loria, Paola; Becchi, Maria Angela; Martucci, Gianfranco; Fantuzzi, Alessandra; Maurantonio, Mauro; Corinaldesi, Roberto; De Giorgio, Roberto; Serra, Mauro; Grasso, Valentina; Ruggeri, Eugenio; Carozza, Lorenzo Mauro; Pignatti, FabioFranchi, Carlotta; Salerno, Francesco; Conca, Alessio; Djade, Codjo D.; Tettamanti, Mauro; Pasina, Luca; Corrao, Salvatore; Marengoni, Alessandra; Marcucci, Maura; Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio; Nobili, Alessandro; Sparacio, Eleonora; Alborghetti, Stefania; Di Costanzo, Rosa; Prisco, Domenico; Silvestri, Elena; Cenci, Caterina; Barnini, Tommaso; Delitala, Giuseppe; Carta, Stefano; Atzori, Sebastiana; Guarnieri, Gianfranco; Zanetti, Michela; Spalluti, Annalisa; Serra, Maria Grazia; Bleve, Maria Antonietta; Vanoli, Massimo; Grignani, Giulia; Casella, Gianluca; Gasbarrone, Laura; Maniscalco, Giorgio; Gunelli, Massimo; Tirotta, Daniela; Brucato, Antonio; Ghidoni, Silvia; Di Corato, Paola; Bernardi, Mauro; Li Bassi, Silvia; Santi, Luca; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Iorio, Alfonso; Marchesini, Emanuela; Mannarino, Elmo; Lupattelli, Graziana; Rondelli, Pamela; Paciullo, Francesco; Fabris, Fabrizio; Carlon, Michela; Turatto, Francesca; Baroni, Maria Cristina; Zardo, Marianna; Manfredini, Roberto; Molino, Christian; Pala, Marco; Fabbian, Fabio; Nuti, Ranuccio; Valenti, Roberto; Ruvio, Martina; Cappelli, Silvia; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Rizzo, Maria Rosaria; Laieta, Maria Teresa; Salvatore, Teresa; Sasso, Ferdinando Carlo; Utili, Riccardo; Mangoni, Emanuele Durante; Pinto, Daniela; Olivieri, Oliviero; Stanzial, Anna Maria; Fellin, Renato; Volpato, Stefano; Fotini, Sioulis; Barbagallo, Mario; Dominguez, Ligia; Plances, Lidia; D'Angelo, Daniela; Rini, Giovanbattista; Mansueto, Pasquale; Pepe, Ilenia; Licata, Giuseppe; Calvo, Luigi; Valenti, Maria; Borghi, Claudio; Strocchi, Enrico; Rinaldi, Elisa Rebecca; Zoli, Marco; Fabbri, Elisa; Magalotti, Donatella; Auteri, Alberto; Pasqui, Anna Laura; Puccetti, Luca; Pasini, Franco Laghi; Capecchi, PIER LEOPOLDO; Bicchi, Maurizio; Sabbà, Carlo; Vella, Francesco Saverio; Marseglia, Alessandro; Luglio, Chiara Valentina; Palasciano, Giuseppe; Modeo, Maria Ester; Aquilino, Annamaria; Raffaele, Pallante; Pugliese, Stefania; Capobianco, Caterina; Postiglione, Alfredo; Barbella, Maria Rosaria; De Stefano, Francesco; Fenoglio, Luigi; Brignone, Chiara; Bracco, Christian; Giraudo, Alessia; Musca, Giuseppe; Cuccurullo, Olga; Cricco, Luigi; Fiorentini, Alessandra; Cappellini, Maria Domenica; Fabio, Giovanna; Seghezzi, Sonia; De Amicis, Margherita Migone; Fargion, Silvia; Bonara, Paola; Bulgheroni, Mara; Lombardi, Rosa; Magrini, Fabio; Massari, Ferdinando; Tonella, Tatiana; Peyvandi, Flora; Tedeschi, Alberto; Rossio, Raffaella; Moreo, Guido; Ferrari, Barbara; Roncari, Luisa; Monzani, Valter; Savojardo, Valeria; Folli, Christian; Magnini, Maria; Mari, Daniela; Rossi, Paolo Dionigi; Damanti, Sarah; Prolo, Silvia; Lilleri, Maria Sole; Micale, Giuliana; Podda, Mauro; Selmi, Carlo; Meda, Francesca; Accordino, Silvia; Monti, Valentina; Corazza, Gino Roberto; Miceli, Emanuela; Lenti, Marco Vincenzo; Padula, Donatella; Balduini, Carlo L.; Bertolino, Giampiera; Provini, Stella; Quaglia, Federica; Murialdo, Giovanni; Bovio, Marta; Dallegri, Franco; Ottonello, Luciano; Quercioli, Alessandra; Barreca, Alessandra; Secchi, Maria Beatrice; Ghelfi, Davide; Chin, Wu Sheng; Carassale, Laura; Caporotundo, Silvia; Anastasio, Luigi; Sofia, Lucia; Carbone, Maria; Traisci, Giancarlo; De Feudis, Lucrezia; Di Carlo, Silvia; Davì, Giovanni; Guagnano, Maria Teresa; Sestili, Simona; Bergami, Elisabetta; Rizzioli, Emanuela; Cagnoni, Carlo; Bertone, Luca; Manucra, Antonio; Buratti, Alberto; Tognin, Tiziana; Liberato, Nicola Lucio; Bernasconi, Giordano; Nardo, Barbara; Bianchi, Giovanni Battista; Benetti, Giampiero; Quagliolo, Michela; Centenaro, Giuseppe Riccardo; Purrello, Francesco; Di Pino, Antonino; Piro, Salvatore; Mancuso, Gerardo; Calipari, Daniela; Bartone, Mosè; Gullo, Francesco; Cortellaro, Michele; Magenta, Marina; Perego, Francesca; Meroni, Maria Rachele; Cicardi, Marco; Magenta, Antonio Gidaro Marina; Sacco, Andrea; Bonelli, Antonio; Dentamaro, Gaetano; Rozzini, Renzo; Falanga, Lina; Giordano, Alessandro; Perin, Paolo Cavallo; Lorenzati, Bartolomeo; Gruden, Gabriella; Bruno, Graziella; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Greco, Elisabetta; Tizzani, Pietro; Fera, Giacomo; Di Luca, Maria Loreta; Renna, Donatella; Perciccante, Antonio; Coralli, Alessia; Tassara, Rodolfo; Melis, Deborah; Rebella, Lara; Menardo, Giorgio; Bottone, Stefania; Sferrazzo, Elsa; Ferri, Claudio; Striuli, Rinaldo; Scipioni, Rosa; Salmi, Raffaella; Gaudenzi, Piergiorgio; Gamberini, Susanna; Ricci, Franco; Morabito, Cosimo; Fava, Roberto; Semplicini, Andrea; Gottardo, Lucia; Vendemiale, Gianluigi; Serviddio, Gaetano; Forlano, Roberta; Bolondi, Luigi; Rasciti, Leonardo; Serio, Ilaria; Masala, Cesare; Mammarella, Antonio; Raparelli, Valeria; Fanelli, Filippo Rossi; Delfino, Massimo; Amoroso, Antonio; Violi, Francesco; Basili, Stefania; Perri, Ludovica; Serra, Pietro; Fontana, Vincenzo; Falcone, Marco; Landolfi, Raffaele; Grieco, Antonio; Gallo, Antonella; Zuccalà, Giuseppe; Franceschi, Francesco; De Marco, Guido; Chiara, Cordischi; Marta, Sabbatini; Bellusci, Martino; Setti, Donatella; Pedrazzoli, Filippo; Romanelli, Giuseppe; Pirali, Caterina; Amolini, Claudia; Rosei, Enrico Agabiti; Rizzoni, Damiano; Castoldi, Luana; Picardi, Antonio; Gentilucci, Umberto Vespasiani; Mazzarelli, Chiara; Gallo, Paolo; Guasti, Luigina; Castiglioni, Luana; Maresca, Andrea; Squizzato, Alessandro; Contini, Sara; Molaro, Marta; Annoni, Giorgio; Corsi, Maurizio; Zazzetta, Sara; Bertolotti, Marco; Mussi, Chiara; Scotto, Roberto; Ferri, Maria Alice; Veltri, Francesca; Arturi, Franco; Succurro, Elena; Sesti, Giorgio; Gualtieri, Umberto; Perticone, Francesco; Sciacqua, Angela; Quero, Michele; Bagnato, Chiara; Loria, Paola; Becchi, Maria Angela; Martucci, Gianfranco; Fantuzzi, Alessandra; Maurantonio, Mauro; Corinaldesi, Roberto; De Giorgio, Roberto; Serra, Mauro; Grasso, Valentina; Ruggeri, Eugenio; Carozza, Lorenzo Mauro; Pignatti, Fabi

Adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines and outcomes in the hospitalized elderly with different types of pneumonia

Background: Few studies evaluated the clinical outcomes of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) in relation to the adherence of antibiotic treatment to the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in hospitalized elderly people (65 years or older). Methods: Data were obtained from REPOSI, a prospective registry held in 87 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. Patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia (ICD-9 480-487) or prescribed with an antibiotic for pneumonia as indication were selected. The empirical antibiotic regimen was defined to be adherent to guidelines if concordant with the treatment regimens recommended by IDSA/ATS for CAP, HAP, and HCAP. Outcomes were assessed by logistic regression models. Results: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 317 patients. Only 38.8% of them received an empirical antibiotic regimen that was adherent to guidelines. However, no significant association was found between adherence to guidelines and outcomes. Having HAP, older age, and higher CIRS severity index were the main factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines was poor, particularly for HAP and HCAP, suggesting the need for more adherence to the optimal management of antibiotics in the elderly with pneumonia

Brain and kidney, victims of atrial microembolism in elderly hospitalized patients? Data from the REPOSI study.

Background: It is well known that atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with a higher risk of stroke, and new evidence links AF to cognitive impairment, independently from an overt stroke (CI). Our aim was to investigate, assuming an underlying role of atrial microembolism, the impact of CI and CKD in elderly hospitalized patients with AF. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data collected on elderly patients in 66 Italian hospitals, in the frame of the REPOSI project. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with AF and different degrees of CI. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to explore the relationship between variables and mortality. Results: Among the 1384 patients enrolled, 321 had AF. Patients with AF were older, had worse CI and disability and higher rates of stroke, hypertension, heart failure, and CKD, and less than 50% were on anticoagulant therapy. Among patients with AF, those with worse CI and those with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) had a higher mortality risk (odds ratio 1.13, p=0.006). Higher disability levels, older age, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher eGFR were related to lower probability of oral anticoagulant prescription. Lower mortality rates were found in patients on oral anticoagulant therapy. Conclusions: Elderly hospitalized patients with AF are more likely affected by CI and CKD, two conditions that expose them to a higher mortality risk. Oral anticoagulant therapy, still underused and not optimally enforced, may afford protection from thromboembolic episodes that probably concur to the high mortality