[Rheumatology in the Italian literary fiction: "La Longobarda" by Giorgio Conconi (1999)]

In the literary fiction "La Longobarda" by Giorgio Conconi (1999) the protagonist Linda narrates her life, when about fifty she falls ill because of arthritis, thus looking prematurely older and suffering from severe disturbances of body image. This fiction represents an uncommon case of contemporary literature dealing with rheumatological topics. In the present note, it has shown how literature can contribute in several ways to achievement in the human dimension of medicine, by teaching physician concrete and powerful lessons about the lives of sick people

The Institute for the History of Rheumatology, an offspring of the Italian Society of Rheumatology, is born in Venice.

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Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The discovery of "sale amarissimo antifebbrile" ("bitter febrifugal saline") by Bartolommeo Rigatelli, i.e. the origins of pharmacoeconomics

When considering the history of salycilates, it has to be underlined that a number of Italian scientists made significant contributions on such a topic. Among these, two pharmacists, Bartolommeo Rigatelli in Verona and Francesco Fontana in Lazise, carried out the first extraction of the active component of willow bark in 1824. Rigatelli named the drug "sale amarissimo antifebbrile" ("bitter febrifugal saline"). In his report some references of pharmacoeconomics are sketched out, thus indicating the attention that the Austrian government on the North Italian districts gave to the management policy. In fact, Rigatelli carried out an economic account of the use of salicin extracts as an antipyretic agent instead of the chincona bark which had been imported from South America at that time and was very expensive. This historical report gives rise to outline a brief history of pharmacoeconomics

Quelques notes sur Cesare Bertagnini, pionnier de la pharmacocinétique

Cesare Bertagnini was a student of Raffaele Piria. He took orally various acids (nitrobenzoic, camphoric and salicylic) and dosed these compounds and metabolites in his own urines. He acted as a precursor of pharmacokinetics.Cesare Bertagnini est un élève de Raffaele Piria qui, ayant absorbé de l’acide nitrobenzoïque, de l’acide camphorique et de l’acide salicylique, dosa ces composés et leurs métabolites dans les urines, se montrant un précurseur de la pharmacocinétique.Pasero Giampiero, Marson Piero. Quelques notes sur Cesare Bertagnini, pionnier de la pharmacocinétique. In: Revue d'histoire de la pharmacie, 96e année, N. 361, 2009. pp. 37-40