Risk of galvanic corrosion induced by CFRP strengthening in reinforced concrete

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) used for the strengthening of reinforced concrete structures damaged by steel corrosion can promote galvanic coupling phenomena. The risk of macrocouple generated by conductive carbon fibers on corroding steel was investigated. Reinforcing bars subjected to pitting corrosion in chloride contaminated concrete were coupled with CFRP laminate embedded in chloride-free concrete and with externally bonded CFRP laminates or sheets. The CFRP laminate embedded in concrete generated a remarkable macrocouple current. When the CFRP were externally bonded to surface of the concrete, consequences of galvanic coupling were negligible, even at temperatures higher than 40°C. The macrocouple current greatly increased when a layer of mortar was applied to coat the composite material

Effects of cathodic prevention on the chloride threshold for steel corrosion in concrete

This paper presents the results of long-term experimental tests aimed at studying the effects of cathodic prevention on the critical chloride threshold for the onset of pitting corrosion on steel bars in concrete. Cathodic prevention is applied when the structure is newand rebars are still passive being in contact with alkaline and chloride-free concrete. The results obtained showed that even very low values of current densities can increase the critical chloride threshold and, therefore, contribute to increase the service life of reinforced concrete structures in chloride-bearing environments

Effectiveness of a Multifaced Antibiotic Stewardship Program: A Pre-Post Study in Seven Italian ICUs

Multidrug resistance has become a serious threat for health, particularly in hospital-acquired infections. To improve patients’ safety and outcomes while maintaining the efficacy of antimicrobials, complex interventions are needed involving infection control and appropriate pharmacological treatments in antibiotic stewardship programs. We conducted a multicenter pre-post study to assess the impact of a stewardship program in seven Italian intensive care units (ICUs). Each ICU was visited by a multidisciplinary team involving clinicians, microbiologists, pharmacologists, infectious disease specialists, and data scientists. Interventions were targeted according to the characteristics of each unit. The effect of the program was measured with a panel of indicators computed with data from the MargheritaTre electronic health record. The median duration of empirical therapy decreased from 5.6 to 4.6 days and the use of quinolones dropped from 15.3% to 6%, both p < 0.001. The proportion of multi-drug-resistant bacteria (MDR) in ICU-acquired infections fell from 57.7% to 48.8%. ICU mortality and length of stay remained unchanged, indicating that reducing antibiotic administration did not harm patients’ safety. This study shows that our stewardship program successfully improved the management of infections. This suggests that policy makers should tackle multidrug resistance with a multidisciplinary approach based on continuous monitoring and personalised interventions