Pharmacovigilance of the Analgesic Therapy

Analgesics, the cornerstone for the alleviation of both acute and chronic pain, represent one of the most used classes of medications. While they are essential for the improvement of patients’ quality of life, analgesic use is often associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that might affect their usability in particular clinical situations. This indicates that a detailed knowledge of analgesic‐derived ADRs is essential for the planning of an efficient pain relief strategy. This chapter reviews the ADRs associated with the two most commonly used analgesic classes, opioid and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAID), discussing their common adverse effects and how these can influence their usability in clinical applications. With the publication in recent years of more and more long‐term studies, this chapter also provides an overview of the potential risks of long‐term analgesic use. This is particularly important for opioid analgesics, whose chronic use can lead to analgesic tolerance and addiction. A full description of potential problems deriving from analgesic use represents the first step in optimizing protocols for its safe application in clinical settings

Headache of Analgesic Abuse as a Cause of New Pain Pathways Development

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a worldwide health problem with a prevalence of 1–2%. It is a severe form of headache where the patients often have a long history of unsuccessful headache treatments. MOH is characterized by chronic headache and the overuse of different headache medications. Through the years, withdrawal of the overused medication has been recognized as the treatment of choice. However, currently, there is no clear consensus regarding the optimal strategy for the management of MOH. Treatment approaches are based on expert opinion rather than scientific evidence. This chapter focuses on an overall discussion of medication abuse as a novel pain pathway in headaches

The reference site collaborative network of the european innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing

Seventy four Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) have been recognised by the European Commission in 2016 for their commitment to excellence in investing and scaling up innovative solutions for active and healthy ageing. The Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN) brings together the EIP on AHA Reference Sites awarded by the European Commission, and Candidate Reference Sites into a single forum. The overarching goals are to promote cooperation, share and transfer good practice and solutions in the development and scaling up of health and care strategies, policies and service delivery models, while at the same time supporting the action groups in their work. The RSCN aspires to be recognized by the EU Commission as the principal forum and authority representing all EIP on AHA Reference Sites. The RSCN will contribute to achieve the goals of the EIP on AHA by improving health and care outcomes for citizens across Europe, and the development of sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs

Che cosa possiamo imparare dalla gestione della comunicazione istituzionale durante l'emergenza Covid-19?

Communication during health emergencies has a crucial role for the effectiveness of the measures implemented. International Health Regulations, as well as the Italian National Prevention Plan, identify risk communication as one of the fundamental capacities to strengthen detection and response systems for threats to public health. The Covid-19 pandemic involved a number of actors in the emergency communication. In Italy, the management of institutional communication has been characterized by fragmented and disjointed messages. There are multiple lessons learned from the Covid-19 emergency, including: the need of an accurate, coordinated and inclusive communication plan; and the integration of communication tools

COVID-19: universal health coverage now more than ever

The viewpoint emphasizes the importance of UHC during a pandemic. It examines the respones of the Italian National Health Service to the Covid-19 epidemi

The Italian health system and the COVID-19 challenge

The article illustrates the response of the Italian Health System to the COvid-19 epidemic challeng

Hazard prevention, death and dignity during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

On 9 March 2020, Italy passed the Prime Minister's Decree n. 648, establishing urgent measures to contain the transmission of COVID-19 and prevent biological hazards, including very restrictive interventions on public Holy Masses and funerals. Italy banned burial procedures based (i) on the recent acknowledgment about the virus environmental stability as well as (ii) its national civil contingency plan. Hence, only the cremation process is admitted for COVID-19 deaths. Viewing of the body is permitted only for mourners, which are allowed to perform the prayer at the closing of the coffin and the prayer at the tomb (cf. Rite of Succession, first part n. 3 and n. 5). The dead cannot be buried in their personal clothes; however, priests have been authorized to put the family clothes on top of the corpse, as if they were dressed. Burying personal items is also illegal. The dignity of the dead, their cultural and religious traditions, and their families should be always respected and protected. Among all the threats, COVID-19 epidemic in Italy revealed the fragility of human beings under enforced isolation and, for the first time, the painful deprivation of families to accompany their loved ones to the last farewell. Ethics poses new challenges in times of epidemics

COVID-19: leave no healthcare worker behind

The article comments on guarantees of perosna protection granted to Italian health workers during the Covid-19 epidemi