Detection of ST1702 Escherichia coli blaNDM-5 and blaCMY-42 genes positive isolates from a Northern Italian hospital

We describe two multi drug-resistant (MDR) carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli clinical isolates from an acute hospital in Milan. Both strains, isolated from a surgical wound sample and a surveillance rectal swab respectively, were positive for a blaNDM-type gene by Xpert Carba-R test. The whole-genome sequence characterization disclosed several resistance determinants: blaNDM-5, blaCMY-42, blaTEM-198, rmtB, mphA. The two isolates belonged to phylogenetic group A, sequence type (ST) 1702 and serotype O89:H9. PCR-based replicon typing and conjugation assay demonstrated an IncI1 plasmid localization for both blaNDM-5 and blaCMY-42 genes. This is the first report of a ST1702 NDM-5 and CMY-42- producing E. coli clone in Italy

The representation of conflict in the discourse of Italian melodrama

This paper is part of an extensive study of cinematic dialogue in a variety of film genres in Italian, which aims to address the disregard for the verbal plane that characterises film theory and, particularly, genre theory. Assuming a pragmatic and functional semantic perspective, it analyses the scripted dialogues in films against the backdrop of the literature on real life discourse. The focus of the paper is confrontational talk in Italian melodramas from early 1960s to the present. Conflict in such films is, to an extent, comparable to the cooperative sequential rebuttal of speakers' turns that typically occurs in comedies. However, melodramas are also marked by more incisive and subtle patterns of confrontation that can be summarised as 'disaffiliative dysfluency'. The forms of such break in the conversational flow are discussed and illustrated with selected scenes from a number of films

An ecological study on the relationship between supply of beds in long-term care institutions in Italy and potential care needs for the elderly

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ageing population in Europe is putting an ever increasing demand on the long-term care (LTC) services provided by these countries. This study analyses the relationship between the LTC institutional supply of beds and potential care needs, taking into account the social and health context, the supply of complementary and alternative services, along with informal care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An observational, cross-sectional, ecological study was carried out. Statistical data were obtained from the Italian National Institute of Statistics and Ministry of Health. Indicators, regarding 5 areas (Supply of beds in long term care institutions, Potential care needs, Social and health context, Complementary and alternative services for the elderly, Informal care), were calculated at Local Health Unit (LHU) level and referred to 2004.</p> <p>Two indicators were specifically used to measure supply of beds in long term care institutions and potential care needs for the elderly. Their values were grouped in tertiles. LHU were classified according to the combination of tertiles in three groups: A. High level of supply of beds in long term care institutions associated with low level of potential care needs; B. Low level of supply of beds in long term care institutions associated with high level of potential care needs; C. Balanced level of supply of beds in long term care institutions with potential care needs. For each group the indicators of 5 areas were analysed.</p> <p>The Index Number (IN) was calculated for each of these indicators.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Specific factors that need to be carefully considered were highlighted in each of the three defined groups. The highest level of alternative services such as long-stay hospital discharges in residence region (IN = 125), home care recipients (HCR) (IN = 123.8) were reported for Group A. This group included North regions. The highest level of inappropriate hospital discharges in (IN = 124.1) and out (IN = 155.8) the residence region, the highest value of families who received help (IN = 106.4) and the lowest level of HCR (IN = 68.7) were found in Group B. South regions belong to this group. The highest level of families paying a caregiver (IN = 115.8) was shown in Group C. Central regions are included in third group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Supply of beds in long term care institutions substantially differs across Italian regions, showing in every scenario some imbalances between potential care needs and other studied factors. Our study suggests the need of a comprehensive rethinking of care delivery "system".</p

ENHANCEMENT OF BUILDING STOCKS THROUGH THE SOCIAL HOUSING

About social housing system in Italy, this study shows the cases of reuse of two existing buildings in Turin and Milan, both located in neighborhoods affected by processes of demographic change and housing pressure. “Vivo al Venti” in Turin is the redevelopment of a historical building of approximately 5,500 sqm designed by Filippo Juvarra. “Via Padova 36” Milan is the renovation of an inhabited old building. In both cases, housing and services are designed, dimensioned and assigned with the aim to build a community of people based on the principles of relationship and social integration

Pain Management through Neurocognitive Therapeutic Exercises in Hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Background. The hypermobile type of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is likely the most common hereditary disorder of connective tissue mainly characterized by joint hypermobility. Patients with hEDS suffer joint pain, in particular low back pain, commonly resistant to drug therapy. The aim of this research was to evaluate a neurocognitive rehabilitation approach based not only on the motion and function recovery but also on the pain management. Methods. In this nonrandomized clinical trial, eighteen hEDS patients (4 males and 14 females) with mean age 21 years (range 13-55) were recruited and evaluated before and after three months of rehabilitation treatment. Results. The outcome scores showed significant statistical results after treatment in reducing pain symptoms (numerical rating scale, P=0.003; McGill (total score), P=0.03), fatigue (fatigue severity scale, P=0.03), fear of movement (Tampa scale, P=0.003), and pain-associated disability (Oswestry disability index, P=0.03). Conclusion. The clinical results observed in our study seem to confirm the role of a specific neurocognitive rehabilitation program in the chronic pain management in the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome; the rehabilitation treatment should be tailored on patient problems and focused not only in the recovery of movement but also on pain perception

Kidney Replacement Treatment in South-Western Italy (Campania): Population-Based Study on Gender and Residence Inequalities in Health Care Access

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of kidney replacement treatment (KRT) in Italy with a focus on gender and residence. As a population-based study using administrative databases from the Campania region of Italy between 2015 and 2018, the study outcomes included diagnoses of haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplant, and mortality. A total of 11,713 residents in Campania were on KRT from 2015 to 2018. The annual prevalence ranged between 1000 and 1015 patients per million population (pmp) for haemodialysis, between 115 and 133 pmp for peritoneal dialysis, and between 2081 and 2245 pmp for kidney transplant. The annual incidence ranged between 160 and 185 pmp for de novo haemodialysis and between 59 and 191 pmp for kidney transplant. Annual mortality ranged between 12.8% and 14.2% in haemodialysis, between 5.2% and 13.8% in peritoneal dialysis, and between 2.4% and 3.3% in kidney transplant. In Cox regression targeting mortality, significant HRs were found for age (95%CI = 1.05/1.05), kidney transplant (compared to haemodialysis: 0.37/0.47), residence in suburban areas (1.03/1.24), and de novo dialysis incidence in years 2015–2018 (1.01/1.17). The annual rate of kidney transplant was 2.6%. In regression targeting kidney transplant rate, significant HRs were found for female gender (0.67/0.92), age (0.93/0.94), residence in suburban areas (0.65/0.98), and de novo incidence of dialysis in 2015–2018 (0.49/0.71). The existence of socioeconomic inequities in KRT is suggested by the evidence that gender and suburban residence predicted mortality and/or access to kidney transplant

Emergency medical care for multiple sclerosis: A five-year population study in the Campania Region (South Italy)

Background: Emergency hospital admissions are common in multiple sclerosis (MS), and can highlight unmet medical needs. Objectives: To evaluate burden, predictors and outcomes of MS emergency admissions. Methods: This is a population-based study, conducted in the Campania Region (South Italy) from 2015 to 2019, using hospital discharge records, drug prescriptions and outpatients. The risk of emergency hospital admissions and the likelihood of worse outcomes were evaluated using the Cox regression and multinomial logistic regression models, respectively, in relation to age, sex, disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), comorbidities and adherence. Results: We recorded 1225 emergency admissions for 1001 patients (out of 5765 prevalent MS patients), overall costing 4,143,764.67 EUR. The risk of emergency admissions increased with age (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 1.03; p &lt; 0.01) and comorbidities (HR = 1.62; p &lt; 0.01), and decreased in patients using DMTs (interferon beta/peg-interferon beta/glatiramer acetate HR = 0.19; p &lt; 0.01; teriflunomide/dimethyl-fumarate/fingolimod HR = 0.18; p &lt; 0.01, and alemtuzumab/cladribine/natalizumab/ocrelizumab HR = 0.21; p &lt; 0.01), and with higher adherence (HR = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.13, 0.26; p &lt; 0.01). Following emergency admission, older age was associated with probability of death (n = 63) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; p &lt; 0.01) and discharge to long-term facility (n = 65) (OR = 1.03; p = 0.01). Conclusion: With 17% people with MS requiring emergency medical care over 5 years, improved management of DMTs and comorbidities could potentially reduce their medical, social and financial burden

Spectrum of Germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 Variants Identified in 2351 Ovarian and Breast Cancer Patients Referring to a Reference Cancer Hospital of Rome

Pathogenic variants (PVs) carriers in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are associated with an elevated lifetime risk of developing breast cancer (BC) and/or ovarian cancer (OC). The prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline alterations is extremely variable among different ethnic groups. Particularly, the rate of variants in Italian BC and/or OC families is rather controversial and ranges from 8% to 37%, according to different reports. By In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) next generation sequencing (NGS)-based pipelines, we routinely screened thousands of patients with either sporadic or cancer family history. By NGS, we identified new PVs and some variants of uncertain significance (VUS) which were also evaluated in silico using dedicated tools. We report in detail data regarding BRCA1/2 variants identified in 517 out of 2351 BC and OC patients. The aim of this study was to report the incidence and spectrum of BRCA1/2 variants observed in BC and/or OC patients, tested in at Policlinico Gemelli Foundation Hospital, the origin of which is mainly from Central and Southern Italy. This study provides an overview of the variant frequency in these geographic areas of Italy and provides data that could be used in the clinical management of patients

Fertility, pregnancy and childbirth in women with multiple sclerosis: a population-based study from 2018 to 2020

Background: We aim to evaluate whether fertility, pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding have been actually improving in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), compared with general population, and in relation to treatment features. Methods: We included 2018-2020 population-level healthcare data on women with MS living in the Campania region (Italy). Fertility, pregnancy and delivery outcomes were obtained from Certificate of Delivery Assistance; breastfeeding was collected up to 6 months after delivery by trained personnel. Results: Out of 2748 women with MS in childbearing age, 151 women delivered 156 babies. Fertility rate was 0.58 live births per woman with MS, compared with 1.29 in Campania region and 1.25 in Italy. Disease-modifying treatment (DMT) continuation during pregnancy was associated with lower birth weight (coeff -107.09; 95% CI -207.91 to -6.26; p=0.03). Exposure to DMTs with unknown/negative effects on pregnancy was associated with birth defects (OR 8.88; 95% CI 1.35 to 58.41; p=0.02). Birth defects occurred in pregnancies exposed to dimethyl fumarate (2/21 exposed pregnancies), fingolimod (1/11 exposed pregnancies) and natalizumab (2/30 exposed pregnancies). After delivery, 18.8% of women with MS were escalated of DMT efficacy, while 50.7% started on same/similar-efficacy DMTs, and 30.5% did not receive DMT. The probability of breastfeeding was higher in women who were treated with breastfeeding-safe DMTs (OR 5.57; 95% CI 1.09 to 28.55; p=0.03). Conclusions: Fertility rate in women with MS remains below the general population. Family planning and subsequent DMT decisions should aim to achieve successful pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding outcomes, while controlling disease activity

HealthCare I

[Italiano]: Una delle sfide che ha maggiormente segnato il dibattito pubblico degli ultimi anni ha riguardato lo sforzo di salvaguardare la sostenibilità dell’assistenza sanitaria in relazione al cambiamento demografico. Il progressivo invecchiamento della popolazione, nonché la tendenziale cronicizzazione delle malattie, richiede l’impiego di metodiche di cura con requisiti tecnologici-assistenziali sempre più avanzati e costosi, che in Italia gravano e mettono in difficoltà, sia da un punto di vista sanitario sia economico, il Sistema Sanitario Nazionale. Tale criticità è emersa anche durante la pandemia da COVID-19, comprovando la necessità di ripensare al modello di gestione della cronicità, ancora troppo centrato su una prospettiva specialistica e/o ospedaliera, per renderlo più idoneo a rispondere alle problematiche assistenziali dei pazienti nel rispetto delle risorse economiche disponibili. A questo proposito, può risultare di grande interesse l’Outcome Research, intesa come area di ricerca che si avvale della Real World Evidence (RWE), poiché dalle analisi delle evidenze prodotte nel mondo reale è possibile confermare o meno la validità delle decisioni politiche attuate al fine di migliorare la governance e la qualità dei servizi erogati. Questo lavoro intende proporre una fotografia dettagliata della prevalenza delle patologie croniche, e delle relative comorbidità, in Regione Campania ma, nel contempo, vuole anche essere un efficace strumento di conoscenze a disposizione di quei decisori impegnati nella programmazione delle politiche e delle strategie sanitarie. /[English]: One of the main challenges in the healthcare sector in recent years has concerned the effort to ensure the healthcare sustainability in view of demographic change. Due to the progressive increasing of aging and chronic conditions, it is necessary to employ treatment methods with increasingly advanced and costly technological and care requirements that the Italian Health System has to deal with both from a health and economic standpoint. This critical issue also emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, proving the need to reconsider the management of chronic conditions, which is still too focused on a specialist and/or hospital perspective, to make it more suitable for responding to patients' care issues while respecting available economic resources. In this regard, Outcome Research is of great interest as a research area based on Real World Evidences (RWE). Indeed, analyses of evidence produced in a Real-World context can confirm or not the value of political decision-making to improve governance and the quality of health-services provided. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed snapshot of the prevalence of chronic diseases and related comorbidities in Campania Region. At the same time, it also aims to be an effective knowledge tool for decision-makers involved in the planning of health policies and strategies