Every cockroach is beautiful to his mother’s eyes”? A multicentric study on the perception of child’s health status according to the parent

Introduction. Childhood obesity is a social health problem in the their children. 88.3% of parents with obese children believe that Western World and an important goal is to analyze and correct their children are of normal weight or only “a little overweight”. risk factors. However, part of the problem could be determined by 67.6% of parents who have overweight children think that their a different perception of the weight. children are of normal weight (p < 0.001). Material and methods. In October 2019, we conducted a cross-Conclusions. Our results show a misperception of the weight of sectional study in which a questionnaire was administered to the the children in the parents eyes. The acquisition of healthy behavparents of primary and secondary school children in South-East iour during childhood is extremely important for health in adult-Tuscany, Italy. The aim was to determine the association between hood and for avoiding the onset of associated diseases. Therefore, children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and the parent’s perception. food education becomes a crucial objective. Children and parents Results. Analysis was carried out on 1,405 complete question-need to increase consciousness of the correct weight and diseases naires. We found that most parents wrongly perceive the weight of resulting from bad nutrition

Overview of case definitions and contact tracing indications in the 2022 monkeypox outbreak

Background: In 2022, a new outbreak of the Mpox virus occurred outside of Africa, its usual endemic area. The virus was detected in European, American, Asian, and Oceanian countries where Mpox is uncommon or had not been reported previously and where the spread was rapid. The study aims to compare the case definition and the indications for contact tracing in case of Mpox infection among the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and four European Countries. Methods: From August 2022 to November 2022, we conducted research, first on the WHO and ECDC official websites and then on the official websites of the Ministry of Health or National Health Agencies of four European Countries (Italy, France, Spain, and Portu-gal). All reports found were compared to enlighten the differences in the definition of the case and indications for contact tracing. Results: The WHO divides the case definition into four categories: suspected, probable, confirmed, and dis-carded, while the ECDC divides cases into confirmed and probable. The ECDC defines contact as close and others, while the WHO divides it into high, medium, and minimal risk. The four countries analyzed show heterogeneity in both the case definitions and the indications for contact tracing. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed heterogeneity in the case definition between the WHO and ECDC. Different countries followed different indications or have given their indications for both the case definition and contact tracing indications. Harmonization strengthens public health preparedness and response and creates unified communication

Analyzing the 20-year declining trend of hospital length-of-stay in European countries with different healthcare systems and reimbursement models

The study aims to investigate the last 20-year (2000–2019) of hospital length of stay (LOS) trends and their association with different healthcare systems (HS) among 25 European countries. A panel dataset was created using secondary data from Eurostat and Global Burden of Disease study databases, with dependent and control variables aggregated at the national level over a period of 20 years. A time trend analysis was conducted using a weighted least squares model for panel data to investigate the association between LOS, HS models [National Health Service (NHS), National Health Insurance, Social Health Insurance (SHI), and Etatist Social Health Insurance], healthcare reimbursement schemes [Prospective Global Budget (PGB), Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG), and Procedure Service Payment (PSP)], and control variables. The study showed a reduction of average LOS from 9.20 days in 2000 to 7.24 in 2019. SHI was associated with a lower LOS compared to NHS (b = − 0.6327, p < 0.05). Both DRG (b = 1.2399, p < 0.05) and PSP (b = 1.1677, p < 0.05) reimbursement models were positively associated with LOS compared to PGB. Our results confirmed the downward trend of LOS in the last 20 years, its multifactorial nature, and the influence of the SHI model of HS. This could be due to the financial incentives present in fee-for-service payment models and the role of competition in creating a market for healthcare services. These results offer insight into the factors influencing healthcare utilization and can inform the design of more effective, efficient, and sustainable HS. © The Author(s) 2024

A novel technology for disinfecting surfaces infested with Candida auris: the UVC chip

Background The fungal pathogen Candida Auris is increasingly associated with multidrug-resistant infections that are highly expensive for the Health Care System. The spreading of this pathogen can occur, among others, through contact with infected surfaces or medical instruments. This study evaluated the efficacy of a novel UVC chip, novel alternative to UVC LEDs and lamps, in inactivating Candida auris strain. Methods This experimental study was carried out between July and September 2020 at the University of Siena. Candida auris (ATCC 12372) at two known concentrations (1.5X107 and 1.5x106 CFU/ml) at a fixed distance (7,5 cm) from the chip (5.1mW radiant power) was tested, in triplicates, with three exposure times (5, 10 and 15 minutes). Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates without the plate lid and containing Candida auris were exposed to UVC light. Subsequently, the plates were incubated at 36 °C for 48 h. Log reduction between treated and positive control (not exposed to UVC light) samples was calculated. Results At 15 minutes, we had the highest inactivation result, mean 4.43 log10, starting from a 1.5x106 CFU/mL concentration. At a higher concentration, 1.5X107 CFU/mL, the reduction had a mean of 3.51 log10. Conclusions The results of the experiments showed a significant microbial reduction in relation to the exposure time. The highest level of reduction was reached after 15 minutes of exposure. UVC chip had a relevant biocidal effect on Candida auris and may represent a valuable tool in the prevention of infections caused by this pathogen, which is becoming increasingly prevalent and persistent globally. Key messages • The use of UVC Chip decreases surface contamination. • New technology against healthcare-associated infections

Stylish UV-C lamp for disinfecting household objects

In this study, UV-C device proved to be a valuable tool for disinfecting household items and enhancing safety for everyday healt

Flu and Covid-19: is there adherence to vaccination in target groups?

In Italy, the flu vaccine is recommended and free for target groups (adults≥60 years old, fragile people, healthcare workers, pregnant women). During the 2020/2021 flu season, an increased vaccination coverage (+6,9%) was observed compared to the previous season, also due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We aimed to investigate how strong the adherence to the flu vaccine was by the vulnerable groups and assess if the Covid-19 vaccination campaign may have influenced the rate of flu vaccines

How to reduce erroneous Emergency Department admissions for the frail elderly

Background. Readmission after a first hospitalization is a common occurrence. It may be due to incomplete treatment, poor care for underlying problems or reflect bad coordination with health services at the time of discharge. The aim of this study was to identify the factors and classify the pathologies that expose elderly patients to erroneous access to the Emergency/Urgency Department (EUD).Study design. Retrospective observational study.Materials and methods. From January 2016 to December 2019 we studied patients who had at least one readmission to the EUD in the six months following discharge. All EUD accesses of the same patient that occurred for the problem treated during the previous hospitalization were identified. Data was provided by the University Hospital of Siena. Patients were stratified by age, gender, and municipality of residence. We used an ICD-9-CM coding system to describe health problems. Statistical analysis was carried out with Stata software.Results. We studied 1,230 patients (46.6% females) the mean age was 78.2 +/- 14.3. Most of them, 721 (58.6%) were >= 80 years old, 334 (27.1%) were 65-79, 138 (11.2%) were 41-64, and only 37 (3.0%) were <= 40. Patients who lived in Municipality of Siena had a lower probability to return than to those living in other municipalities (OR 0.76; 95%CI: 0.62-0.93; p<0,05). The main causes of readmission for >= 65 years old were "symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions" (18.3%), "respiratory diseases" (15.0%), "injury and poisoning" (14.1%), "cardiovascular diseases" (11.8%), "classification of factors influencing health status and contact with health services" (9.8%), "genitourinary diseases" (6.6%) and "digestive diseases (5.7%).Conclusions. We observed that patients residing a greater distance from the hospital facilitates the risk of readmission. The factors that were exposed could be used to identify frequent users and initiate measures to reduce their access

Factors influencing the first thousand days of life

The first 1,000 days is a vulnerable phase in which parents, institutions and health professionals should create early interventions for the proper development and promotion of good health