57 research outputs found

    The Persistence and Increase in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) to Pandemic Levels

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    Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been known about since ancient times. Today, however, STDs are on the rise in young people around the world. Interventions and sex education are being utilized in attempt to prevent STD spread in individuals who are the greatest risk of infection. Young people should be provided with easy and accessible health services. There should be anonymity as well as investigations into the reasoning behind unsafe behavior

    Local Dermonecrosis with Generalized Urticaria Probably Due to Loxosceles rufescens Bite

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    BACKGROUND: The spiders of the Loxosceles genus, commonly denoted as “brown spiders” or “Mediterranean recluse” or “brown recluse,” belong to the spider family Sicariidae, suborder Labidognatha, order Araneida, class Arachnida, and phylum Arthropoda. This spider is widespread in Africa and South/Central America, but it is also distributed in North America, in the West Indies, in the Mediterranean Europe, and in China. CASE REPORT: Here, we report the case of a severe dermonecrotic loxoscelism identified in Southern Italy, probably due to the bite of Loxosceles rufescens. The patient was a women admitted at hospital ER because of a little skin erythema that evolved toward a severe necrosis and ulceration within 20 days. After clinical and laboratory data excluded other local and systemic diseases, she was treated with a systemic and local therapy using corticosteroids and antibiotics with the diagnosis of loxoscelism. The healing from the local skin lesion occurred within 2 months, but the local pain, weakness, and discomfort lasted for a long time. CONCLUSION: It is the fisrt time that a possible case of systemic loxoscelism with skin generalized urticaria is reported in Italy

    Mycobacterium leprae: A historical study on the origins of leprosy and its social stigma

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    This article aims to investigate about the social stigma and the prejudice of society towards the patients with leprosy, but also to understand how this infectious disease has largely influenced human lifestyle and evolution analyzing the evolution of its treatments from past empirical treatments to actual multidrug therapy (MDT). References on leprosy were extensively searched in literature using PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Springer link and Elsevier’s (EMBASE.com) databases, but also in medical, religious and archaeological books. Leprosy’s spread all around the world following human paths of migration from the African Continent to the Asian one and to Europe, instead its appearance in the New Continent is more recent. Wars, unhygienic conditions, social and health inequality created conditions for its spread since prehistorical times, and existing health disparities contributed to unequal morbidity and mortality, before its gradual decline after the Middle Ages due to the raise of other worse pandemics. Starting from Renaissance, a deeper knowledge on its pathophysiological mechanisms brought an increasingly advanced combined surgical and pharmacological treatment, but still in modern times many efforts have been made to erase its social stigma, changing its name in “Hansen’s disease” included

    Current knowledge about the connection between health status and gut microbiota from birth to elderly. A narrative review

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    The human body is colonized from the birth by a large number of microorganisms. This will constitute a real “functional microbial organ” that is fundamental for homeostasis and therefore for health in humans. Those microorganisms. The microbial populations that colonize humans creating a specific ecosystem they have been collectively referred to as “human microbiota” or “human normal microflora”. The microbiota play an important pathophysiological role in the various locations of the human body. This article focuses on one of the most important, that is the enteric microbiota. The composition (quantitative and qualitative) of microbes is analyzed in relation to age and environment during the course of human life. It also highlights eubiosis and dysbiosis as key terms for its role in health and disease. Finally, it analyzes its bi-directional relationship with the microbiota of the lungs, skin and that of the brain, and consequently for the whole central and peripheral nervous system for the maintenance of health in the human body

    The war against bacteria, from the past to present and beyond

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    Introduction: : The human defense against microorganisms dates back to the ancient civilizations, with attempts to use substances from vegetal, animal or inorganic origin to fight infections. Today, the emerging threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria highlights the consequences of antibiotics inappropriate use, and the urgent need of novel effective molecules. Methods and materials: We extensively researched on more recent data within the databases PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Elsevier's EMBASE, Cochrane Review for the modern pharmacology in a period ranging from 1987 until 2021. Furthermore, the historical evolution was defined through a detailed analysis of past studies on the significance of medical applications in the ancient therapeutic field. Areas covered: To examine history of antibiotics development and discovery, the most relevant biochemical aspects of their mode of action, and the biomolecular mechanisms conferring bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Expert opinion: : The list of pathogens showing low sensitivity or full resistance to most currently available antibiotics is growing worldwide. Long after the "golden age" of antibiotic discovery, the most novel molecules should be carefully reserved to treat serious bacterial infections of susceptible bacteria. A correct diagnostic and therapeutic procedure can slow down the spreading of nosocomial and community infections sustained by multidrug-resistant bacterial strains

    Evaluation and Management of Patients with Methomyl Poisoning – A Case Report

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    The Apulian Poison Centre (PC) of Foggia, Italy, annually manages numerous consultations concerning certain or suspected poisonings from pesticides, starting at the same time a careful activity related to the risk assessment phase. The management of the exposure to pesticides and to other chemicals, and the alerting of the “National center for chemicals, cosmetics and consumer protection” at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), actively contributes to the improvement of products quality and safety. Thus, leading to a reduction in the number of intoxications - and therefore of the accesses to the emergency services - allows greater protection for workers, bystanders, residents and consumers. The reported case of methomyl poisoning has been of fundamental importance both from the medical point of view and for the management of the intoxicated patient, both for the risk assessment actions, and for cooperation with the competent authorities, generating discussion points on the regulations in force between PCs and National Competent Authority. It follows that the feedback of intoxication in an emergency can lead to improvements in the management and risk mitigation measures in order to reach a greater protection of human, animal, and environmental health. In addition, the regulatory feedback deriving from these reports is an input to the increase product quality improvement (mixtures, labels, packaging, and risk communication) leading to a greater protection of potential exposed subjects. The importance of creating an information and management network that allows the optimization of the flow of information deriving from PCs arises. The actions taken are therefore described, both relating to the management of the emergency, and relating to the subsequent information flow and to the measures for containing the consequent risks

    Philosophy and Hippocratic Ethic in Ancient Greek Society: Evolution of Hospital - Sanctuaries

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    The aim of this paper is to offer a new perspective of the Hippocratic thought and how it influenced the evolution of the medical art till now, highlighting the ethical aspects and hospital born from ancient temples and sanctuary. Ethics is defined as a set of values, principles, and rules that regulate human behavior and relate to how human actions can significantly affect not only their own lives but also the lives of others. The essence of a culture can be perceived by the philosophy and the means by which is placed against the illness and its treatment. In this sense, the medical anthropology of every age is an indicator of its culture and help us understand its basic dimensions such as life and death

    Candida albicans and oral carcinogenesis. A brief review.

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    Current medical knowledge and research on patients’ management are still evolving, and several protocols on minimizing risk of infection by Candidaspp.among the population have developed. The aim of this workis to reviewthe epidemiological and biomolecular characteristics and the various histopathological carcinogenesis hypothesis mechanisms that can occur during Candida albicansinfections. Current evidence from the literature on the role of C. albicansduring potentially malignant oral disorders and oral cancer has been sought.Thus, these biomolecular processes can give or contribute to benign lesions,also in precancerous or cancerous situations. Alongside this, the physiological microorganism oral flora (microbiota) can play a crucial role in maintaining oral health during those infections and therefore avoid carcinogenesis

    What we have learned for the future about COVID-19 and healthcare management of it?

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    Background and aim of the work: COVID-19 is a current global pandemic. However, comprehensive global data analyses for its healthcare management are lacking. Methods: In this study we have researched through published scientific articles and international health care guidelines to find out actually about our knowledge for this new pandemic from SARS-CoV-2 and related COVID-19 disease that emerged from December 2019 in China in order to better manage this health emergency. Results: The pathogens represented by microorganisms (bacteria, mycetes or viruses) show their effect after days and are responsible for epidemics/pandemics as dangerous as the greater their possibility of transmission, especially by inhalation, and therefore their infectivity. Conclusions: The appearance of new pathogenic viruses for humans such as the COVID -19, which previously were found only in the animal world occurs through the spillover (is the third documented of an animal coronavirus to humans), it is thought that it could also be the same also for the origin of this virus. Furthermore, the trend of this pandemic in one of the countries most affected by Italy after China was also considered
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