217 research outputs found

    COVID-19 and Pregnancy: An Updated Review about Evidence-Based Therapeutic Strategies

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    The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant challenge for clinicians in managing pregnant women, who were at high risk of virus transmission and severe illness. While the WHO declared in May 2023 that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, it emphasized that it remains a global health threat. Despite the success of vaccines, the possibility of new pandemic waves due to viral mutations should be considered. Ongoing assessment of the safety and effectiveness of pharmacological therapies is crucial in clinical practice. This narrative review summarizes the evidence-based therapeutic strategies for pregnant women with COVID-19, considering over three years of pandemic experience. The review discusses the safety and effectiveness of various drug regimens (antivirals, anticoagulants, corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, and therapeutic gases) and procedures (prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). Drugs with contraindications, inefficacy during pregnancy, or unknown adverse effects were excluded from our evaluation. The aim is to provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive guide for managing pregnant women with COVID-19 based on lessons learned from the pandemic outbreak

    Feasibility and Surgical Outcomes of Hysteroscopic Myomectomy of FIGO Type 3 Myoma: A Systematic Review

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    The latest classification from the Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique (FIGO) has reclassified type 3 myomas, changing their classification from intramural to submucosal. While hysteroscopic myomectomy is considered the gold standard treatment for patients experiencing symptoms from submucosal myomas, there are currently no specific guidelines available for managing type 3 myomas, and the optimal surgical approach remains uncertain. Methods: The search for suitable articles published in English was carried out using the following databases (PROSPERO ID CRD42023418602): MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register), Health Technology Assessment Database, Web of Science and search register. Only original studies reporting data on hysteroscopic myomectomy of type 3 myoma were considered eligible. The main outcomes investigated were the effectiveness and feasibility of hysteroscopic myomectomy and reproductive outcomes after surgical treatment. Results: Two hundred and sixty-one studies were screened and nineteen of these were read for eligibility. Three studies encompassing 56 patients in total were included. Among the overall population studied, three patients needed an additional procedure to completely remove the myoma and five cases of post-surgical synechiae were recorded. No complications were reported. Of 42 patients wishing for pregnancy, the cumulative live birth rates before and after the hysteroscopic myomectomy were 14.3% and 42.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Hysteroscopic myomectomy appears to be a safe and feasible approach. Nevertheless, data reported in the literature are extremely scarce and based on studies with few patients enrolled. New evidence is needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of hysteroscopic treatment for FIGO type 3 myomas

    The Role of Micronutrients in Human Papillomavirus Infection, Cervical Dysplasia, and Neoplasm

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    There is evidence that diet and nutrition are modifiable risk factors for several cancers. In recent years, attention paid to micronutrients in gynecology has increased, especially regarding Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We performed a review of the literature up until December 2022, aiming to clarify the effects of micronutrients, minerals, and vitamins on the history of HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer. We included studies having as their primary objective the evaluation of dietary supplements, in particular calcium; zinc; iron; selenium; carotenoids; and vitamins A, B12, C, D, E, and K. Different oligo-elements and micronutrients demonstrated a potential protective role against cervical cancer by intervening in different stages of the natural history of HPV infection, development of cervical dysplasia, and invasive disease. Healthcare providers should be aware of and incorporate the literature evidence in counseling, although the low quality of evidence provided by available studies recommends further well-designed investigations to give clear indications for clinical practice

    Effect of maternal age and body mass index on induction of labor with oral misoprostol for premature rupture of membrane at term: A retrospective cross-sectional study

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    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal age and body mass index (BMI) on induction of labor with oral misoprostol for premature rupture of membrane (PROM) at term. We have conducted retrospective cross-sectional study, including only term (37 weeks or more of gestation) PROM in healthy nulliparous women with a negative vaginal-rectal swab for group B streptococcus, a single cephalic fetus with normal birthweight, and uneventful pregnancy that were induced after 24 h from PROM. Ninety-one patients were included. According to the multivariate logistic regression, age and BMI odds ratio (OR) for induction success were 0.795 and 0.857, respectively. The study population was divided into two groups based on age (<35 and ≥35 years) and obesity (BMI <30 and ≥30). Older women reported a higher induction failure rate (p < 0.001); longer time to cervical dilation of 6 cm (p = 0.03) and delivery (p < 0.001). Obese women reported a higher induction failure rate (p = 0.01); number of misoprostol doses (p = 0.03), longer time of induction (p = 0.03) to cervical dilatation of 6 cm (p < 0.001), and delivery (p < 0.001); and higher cesarean section (p = 0.012) and episiotomy rate (p = 0.007). In conclusion, maternal age and BMI are two of the main factors that influence oral misoprostol efficacy and affect the failure of induction rate in term PROM

    Intron 4-5 hTERT DNA Hypermethylation in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Frequency, Association with Other Clinico-pathological Features and Prognostic Relevance

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    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation, mainly affecting elderly population or immunocompromised individuals. As methylation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (mhTERT) has been shown to be a prognostic factor in different tumors, we investigated its role in MCC, in particular in intron 4-5 where rs10069690 has been mapped and recognized as a cancer susceptibility locus. DNA methylation analysis of hTERT gene was assessed retrospectively in a cohort of 69 MCC patients from the University of Bologna, University of Turin and University of Insubria. Overall mortality was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Royston-Parmar models. High levels of mhTERT (mhTERThigh) (HR\u2009=\u20092.500, p\u2009=\u20090.015) and p63 (HR\u2009=\u20092.659, p\u2009=\u20090.016) were the only two clinico-pathological features significantly associated with a higher overall mortality at the multivariate analysis. We did not find different levels of mhTERT between MCPyV (+) and (-) cases (21 vs 14, p\u2009=\u20090.554); furthermore, mhTERThigh was strongly associated with older age (80.5 vs 72 years, p\u2009=\u20090.026), no angioinvasion (40.7% vs 71.0%, p\u2009=\u20090.015), lower Ki67 (50 vs 70%, p\u2009=\u20090.005), and PD-L1 expressions in both tumor (0 vs 3%, p\u2009=\u20090.021) and immune cells (0 vs 10%, p\u2009=\u20090.002). mhTERT is a frequently involved epigenetic mechanism and a relevant prognostic factor in MCC. In addition, it belongs to the shared oncogenic pathways of MCC (MCPyV and UV-radiations) and it could be crucial, together with other epigenetic and genetic mechanisms as gene amplification, in determining the final levels of hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity in these patients

    Risk perception and affective state on work exhaustion in obstetrics during the COVID-19 pandemic

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    Amulticenter cross-sectional survey study involving four Italian University Hospitals was performed to test the hypothesis that negative affect and positive affect (affective dimensions) mediate the association between risk perception (perceived risk of infection and death; cognitive dimensions) and the feeling of work exhaustion (WE) among obstetrics healthcare providers (HCPs) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Totally, 570 obstetrics HCPs were invited to complete the 104-item IPSICO survey in May 2020. A theoretical model built on the tested hypothesis was investigated by structural equation modelling. The model explained 32.2% of the WE variance. Only negative affect mediated the association between cognitive dimensions and WE and also the association between WE and psychological well-being before the pandemic, experiences of stressful events, female gender, and dysfunctional coping. Non-mediated associations withWE were observed for work perceived as a duty, experience of stressful events, support received by colleagues, and the shift strategy. Only previous psychological well-being, support by colleagues, and shift strategies were inversely associated with WE. Based on study results, monitoring negative than positive affect appears superior in predicting WE, with practical implications for planning psychological interventions in HCPs at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels
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