Direct and indirect costs of cluster headache : a prospective analysis in a tertiary level headache centre

Cluster headache (CH) is the most frequent trigemino-autonomic cephalgia. CH can manifest as episodic (ECH) or chronic cluster headache (CCH) causing significant burden of disease and requiring attack therapy and prophylactic treatment. The few data available on the economic burden of CH come from retrospective studies based on questionnaires, population surveys and medical insurance claims database. Although all these studies showed an important economic burden, they provided different estimates depending on variability of CH awareness and management, healthcare systems, available therapies and use of treatments according to different guidelines. This prospective study aimed to quantify the total direct and indirect cost of ECH and CCH over a cluster period, both for the patient and for the National Health System (NHS), using data from subjects who consecutively attended an Italian tertiary headache centre between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. A total 108 patients (89 ECH, 19 CCH) were included. Mean attack frequency was 2.3 ± 1.4 per day. Mean total cost of a CH bout was €4398 per patient and total cost of CCH was 5.4 times higher than ECH (€13,350 vs. €2487, p <  0.001). Direct costs represented the 72.1% of total cost and were covered for the 94.8% by the NHS. The costs for any item of expense were higher for CCH than for ECH (p <  0.001). Mean indirect costs for a CH bout were €1226 per patient and were higher for CCH compared to ECH (€3.538 vs. €732), but the difference was not significant. Days with reduced productive capacity impacted for the 64.6% of the total indirect costs. The analysis of the impact CH on work showed that 27%% of patients felt that CH had limited their career, 40% had changed their work pattern, 20% had changed their place of employment and 10% had lost a job due to the disease. Our results provide a valuable estimate of the direct and indirect costs of ECH and CCH in the specific setting of a tertiary headache centre and confirm the high economic impact of CH on both the NHS and patients

Coinfection of Tuberculosis Pneumonia and COVID-19 in a Patient Vaccinated with Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Case Report

COVID-19 is a respiratory tract infection caused by the new coronavirus SARS-COV2 that can be complicated by acute distress respiratory syndrome and multiorgan failure. In light of the high rate of mortality associated with COVID-19, pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to prevent the infection are currently being tested. Among non-pharmacological preventive measures, vaccines represent one of the main resources for public health. It has been suggested that Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may protect individuals against infection from COVID-19 virus, and two clinical trials addressing this question are underway. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old woman, vaccinated with BCG when she was 1 year old, who was diagnosed with apical tuberculous pneumonia of the right lung along with COVID 19 pneumonia

Using INTERCheck® to Evaluate the Incidence of Adverse Events and Drug–Drug Interactions in Out- and Inpatients Exposed to Polypharmacy

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SARS-Cov-2 pneumonia and concurrent myelodysplasia complicated by pseudomonas aeruginosa over-infection

The new virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCov-2) causing Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread quickly in several countries and it has become pandemic. Different types of clinical manifestations are attributed to this infection. Some mechanisms related to the infection regarding the immune response are not still elucidated. Herein we reported a case of a 66-years-old patient affected by myelodysplasia who was referred to our hospital because of clinical and radiological manifestations of viral pneumonia. The clinical course has become complicated due to bacterial secondary over-infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa during stay in internal medicine unit whilst a persistent positive oral and naso-pharyngeal swab test was reported up to 100 days of admission. The patient had a fast clinical and radiological worsening that led her to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Despite intubation and mechanical ventilation she died in a few days

Clinical Management of Adult Coronavirus Infection Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Positive in the Setting of Low and Medium Intensity of Care: a Short Practical Review

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) is a viral infection which is rapidly spreading on a global scale and causing a severe acute respiratory syndrome that affects today about four and a half million registered cases of people around the world. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an urgent guidance for the doctors who take care of these patients. Recommendations contained in this protocol are based on limited, non-definitive, evidence and experience-based opinions about patients with low and medium intensity of care. A short guidance on the management of COVID-19 is provided for an extensive use in different hospital settings. The evidence-based knowledge of COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, and we hope that, in the near future, a definitive and most efficacious treatment will be available including a specific vaccine for SARS-CoV-

Insulin sensitivity depends on the route of glucose administration

Aims/hypothesis: The small intestine plays an important role in hepatic and whole-body insulin sensitivity, as shown by bariatric surgery. Our goal was to study whether routes and dose of glucose administration have an acute impact on insulin sensitivity. The primary endpoint of this proof-of-concept study was the difference in insulin-mediated metabolic clearance rate (MCR/I) of glucose between the oral and intravenous routes of glucose administration. Secondary endpoints were differences in insulin effect on proteolysis, ketogenesis, lipolysis and glucagon levels. Methods: In this parallel cohort study, we administered multiple oral glucose loads to 23 participants (aged between 18 and 65&nbsp;years) with morbid obesity and with normal or impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes. In a different session, we administered isoglycaemic intravenous glucose infusions (IGIVI) to match the plasma glucose levels observed during the oral challenges. Glucose rate of appearance (Ra) and disappearance (Rd) and endogenous glucose production (EGP) were calculated by infusing [6,6-2H2]glucose with or without oral [U-13C6]glucose. Plasma small polar metabolites were measured by gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Lipids were measured by ultra-HPLC and quadrupole mass spectrometry. Glucagon-like peptide-1, insulin, C-peptide and glucagon were also measured. Participants, caregivers, people doing measurements or examinations, and people assessing the outcomes were unblinded to group assignment. Results: Glucose MCR/I was significantly higher during IGIVI than during oral glucose administration, independently of glycaemic status (12 \ub1 6 for IGIVI vs 7.4 \ub1 3&nbsp;ml&nbsp;min 121&nbsp;kg 121 per nmol/l for oral, p&lt; 0.001 from paired t test). Insulin secretion was higher during oral administration than during IGIVI (p&lt; 0.001). The disposition index was significantly lower during the oral procedure: 4260 \ub1 1820 vs 5000 \ub1 2360 (ml&nbsp;min 121&nbsp;kg 121 (nmol/l) 121 pmol/min; p = 0.005). Insulin clearance was significantly higher when glucose was infused rather than ingested (2.53 \ub1 0.82 vs 2.16 \ub1 0.49&nbsp;l/min in intravenous and oral procedure, respectively, p = 0.006). The efficacy of insulin in inhibiting lipolysis and proteolysis was decreased after oral glucose loads. A heat map diagram showed a different pattern for the metabolites between the two routes of glucose administration. Conclusions/interpretation: Our study shows that insulin sensitivity depends on the route of glucose administration, the oral route leading to increased insulin secretion and compensatory insulin resistance compared with the intravenous route. The efficacy of insulin in blocking lipolysis and protein breakdown is lower after oral glucose loads vs the intravenous route. Our findings suggest that, while the glucose-mediated incretin release is followed by an increase in insulin release, the effect of the released insulin is limited by an increase in insulin resistance. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03223129. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

HPV Vaccination Adherence in Working-Age Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the world. HPV vaccination adherence rates in men are generally lower than in women. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess adherence to HPV vaccination in young working-age males (18–30 years old). Methods: A systematic review was performed using three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Results: After duplicate removal, the initial search resulted in 478 eligible papers. With the exclusion of 425 papers after screening the abstracts, full texts of 53 articles were reviewed. Subsequently, 45 were excluded. Among the eight studies included, four (50%) examined the vaccination adherence in young adults through data registered in nationwide insurance or private companies’ databases, three (37.5%) in young adults in different settings through data collected from surveys and questionnaires, and one (12.5%) an HPV vaccination campaign in a family medicine residency practice. Conclusion: Adherence to HPV vaccination in men of working age (18–30 years) does not appear to be adequate (pooled prevalence 11%). In order to achieve a higher level of compliance, it is important to place an emphasis on vaccination campaigns in schools as well as in the workplace, after consultation with and approval from local, regional, and federal public health agencies

A case report of chylous ascites after gastric bypass for morbid obesity

Introduction We described the case of a highly aggressive antral gastric carcinoma with a scarce symptomatology, in a patient undergone Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) for obesity. Presentation of case A 61 year-old white man in apparent good health, who underwent laparoscopic RYGB for obesity 18 months earlier, with a loss of 30 kg, reported a sudden abdominal distension and breath shortness with a weight gain of 5 kg in few days. Endoscopy of both upper gastro-intestinal tract and the colon were performed along with CT-scan and positron-emission tomography (PET) CT- scan. A biopsy of the palpable lymph node in the left supraclavicular fossa was taken for analysis. Abdominal paracentesis produced milky fluid, while citrine pleural fluid was aspirated by thoracentesis. Immunochemistry studies of the lymph node biopsy revealed tumor cells positive for cytokeratin (CK)7 and CK20, CDX2 and CAM 5.2 and negative for HER2 and TTF1 suggesting colon cancer. The colon and upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy were normal. A CT-scan and positron-emission tomography (PET) with 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) showed an intense FDG-uptake in the gastric antrum and in the lymph nodal chains. Given these findings, a diagnosis of poorly differentiated antral gastric carcinoma with multiple lymph node metastases was raised.The patients died 4 months after diagnosis. Discussion RYGB is a widely performed bariatric operation and no data are reported on the risk of developing gastric cancer in the excluded stomach. Conclusion This case report suggests that great attention should be devoted to post-RYGB patients for an early diagnosis of malignant gastric cancer

Comparison of Computerized Prescription Support Systems in COVID-19 Patients. INTERCheck and Drug-PIN

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection requires major efforts in healthcare systems, due to the high risk of mortality, particularly in subjects with significant comorbidity (≥ 2 pathologies) and polypharmacy (≥ 5 drugs). The treatment of COVID-19 needs a careful evaluation, to reduce the risk of potentially adverse drug reactions. The aim of the study was to examine the use of computerized prescription support in the management and treatment of the COVID-19 infection. We evaluated n.33 patients (51% females) admitted to the west COVID Low-Medium Intensity of Care of Sant'Andrea Hospital during the period March-April 2020 and n.42 subjects (50% females) admitted to the Internal Medicine ward (as control group), by INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN®. The comorbidity (n. pathologies), polypharmacy (n. drugs), and total INTERCheck score in COVID-19 patients and controls were, respectively (mean ± standard deviation): 5.8 ± 3.8, 7.9 ± 4.5, and 9.2 ± 7.1 and 6.8 ± 2.6, 8.0 ± 2.6, and 4.9 ± 3.8 (statistically significant for comorbidity p &lt; 0.01 and INTERCheck score p &lt; 0.01). The correlation between the scores obtained by the INTERCheck and Drug-PIN software was statistically significant, either at admission (p &lt; 0.0000001) or during hospitalization (p &lt; 0.00000001). Both the computerized prescription support systems, INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN®, are useful to better characterize the patients and to ameliorate the drugs prescriptions in COVID-19 infection, with particular attention to the elderly population

Coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with cardiovascular disease. clinical features and implications on cardiac biomarkers assessment

Previous cardiovascular disease (CVD) and myocardial involvement are common in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We investigated relationships between CVD, cardiac biomarkers and outcome in COVID-19