Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Not a member yet
755 research outputs found
Sort by
Smoking intensity changes during the COVID-19 pandemic waves in a cohort of smokers in Italy
Get PDFIntroduction. COVID-19 lockdown in Italy resulted in increased smoking consumption, mainly associated with mental distress. This study aims to update previous findings investigating changes in smoking intensity during the whole COVID-19 pandemic.Methods. This analysis was carried out within the “LOST IN ITALY” (“LOckdown and lifeSTyle IN ITALY”) and “LOST IN TOSCANA” studies on 880 smokers with information collected during main pandemic peaks. Changes in cigarettes/day were investigated in association with survey-periods, socio-demographic and psychological characteristics through a linear mixed-model.Results. Net of psychological distress and socio-demographic variables, in comparison to pre-pandemic period cigarettes/day increased by 1.16 during lockdown, and remained over half higher subsequently. In the overall period, an increase of >1 cigarette/day was also associated to lower education, older age, male gender and psychotropics drugs use.Conclusions. After 2 years of pandemic, cigarettes/day have not yet returned to the prepandemiclevels, mainly due to socio-demographic factors, but also to nicotine addiction, that tends to stabilize consumption
Testimonies and experiences of patients awaiting transplant and transplanted patients in Italy: a survey aiming to understand their needs
Get PDFIntroduction. Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) species is divided into 6 biotypes (BT), 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5 classified based on biochemical reactions and about 70 serotypes, classified based on the structure of the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen. The BT1A is considerednon-pathogenic, while the BT 1B-5 are considered pathogenic.Methods. Evaluate the distribution of eleven chromosomal and plasmid virulence genes, ail, ystA, ystB, myfA, hreP, fes, fepD, ymoA, sat, virF and yadA, in 87 Ye strains isolated from food, animals and humans, using two SYBR Green real-time PCR platforms.Results. The main results showed the presence of the ail and ystA genes in all the pathogenic bioserotypes analyzed. The ystB, on the other hand, was identified in all non-pathogenic strains biotype 1A. The target fes, fepD, sat and hreP were found in both pathogenicbiotypes and in BT1A strains. The myfA gene was found in all pathogenic biotype and in some Ye BT1A strains. The virF and yadA plasmid genes were mainly detected in bioserotype 4/O:3 and 2/O:9, while ymoA was identified in all strains.Conclusions. The two molecular platforms could be used to better define some specific molecular targets for the characterization and rapid detection of Ye in different sources which important implications for food safety and animal and human health
From mass vaccination to personalized vaccinology? The COVID-19 case
Get PDFIn recent times, especially as a result of the experience gained worldwide with the COVID19 pandemic vaccination campaigns, the personalization of vaccination strategies is becoming increasingly important. This does not yet mean bringing precision medicineand genomics approaches into immunization campaigns, but where there is more than one vaccine against the same disease, there is a need to identify criteria for personalizing vaccination.Vaccination strategies based on prescription appropriateness – whenever is possible – can lead to more effective immune response, reduced rates of adverse events, increased public confidence in vaccination and higher vaccination coverage, contributing to a decrease of morbidity and mortality related to preventable diseases
Improving the quality of care for people with chronic diseases: translating recommendations to practice
Get PDFIntroduction. Aim of this paper is to present a guide for translating to practice an evidence-based set of Quality Criteria and Recommendations (QCR) to promote the implementation of policies and practices in the field of health promotion, disease prevention and care for people with chronic diseases.Methods. The guide is based on real-world experiences of eight European pilot actions using QCR as a framework for practice design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. All partners implemented their respective practices by following the same agreed process.Results. The implementation method was summarized in seven steps where each of one outline a particular phase of the process. The guide provides a step-by-step tutorial for the implementation of QCR.Conclusions. Practical experiences from the pilot actions show the potential value of using the QCR in designing and implementing practices to improve the quality of care for people with chronic diseases
Recognition of early warning signs and symptoms by caregivers, general practitioners and paediatricians – the first steps on the road to Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis
No full textObjective. To identify developmental symptoms reported at firsts doctor visits by parents of children later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Design. Cohort study. Setting. The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry Research of “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia” Clinical Psychiatry Hospital from Bucharest between September 2019 and May 2021. Patients. 105 cases: 82 boys and 23 girls, 100 children with autism, and 5 patients with Asperger’s syndrome.Intervention. ASD was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, ADOS-1 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 1st Edition) and/or ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) tests scores; features reported by the parents for which they presented to the doctor for a diagnosis were taken into consideration. Main outcome measures. The age at first presentation to the doctor; the most common early signs reported by the parents of children with ASD.Results. The age at first presentation to the doctor in our group was between 9 months and 14 years. The most common early signs reported by parents were: delayed language development, deficits in understanding verbal instructions/indications, and hyperactivity and aggressivity. In the case of patients with Asperger’s syndrome, the reported features were hyperactivity and aggressivity, learning difficulties, and social interaction problems. Regression and delay in language development occurred more often in boys than in girls.Conclusions. Parents, as well as family doctors or paediatricians, should pay great attention to the children’s behaviour, alongside their cognitive and language development. Early detection is essential for early intervention and our results can be used to develop training programs for parents and paediatricians for early recognition of ASD
First report of two Asian invasive mosquito species, Aedes japonicus and Aedes koreicus, in Piedmont, northwest Italy
Get PDFIntroduction. Aedes japonicus japonicus and Aedes koreicus are two invasive mosquitoes recently reported in various parts of Europe, including areas very close to Piedmont where, since 2012, specific tools have been implemented to allow the early detection of invasive mosquitoes, through the surveillance of the main points of entry.Results. Thanks to the regional surveillance system, Ae. j. japonicus was intercepted in Piedmont for the first time in 2019, in the northernmost part of the region and now it is reported in six provinces. Ae. koreicus was intercepted for the first time in 2012 in three provinces.Discussion and conclusion. The spread of these two invasive mosquitoes in Europe is still ongoing. Where Aedes albopictus is abundant, probably their presence goes undetected, therefore, it is crucial to begin surveillance early in the season. Due to their competence for several arboviruses and tolerance to the cold temperatures Ae. j. japonicusand Ae. koreicus represent a further concern for Public Health. A longer seasonal period for surveillance and response to mosquito-borne diseases, as well as a shift up of these activities to previously uncovered altitudes are indeed needed
A population-based cohort approach to assess the excess mortality according to the spread of COVID-19 in Italy, January-May 2020: Excess mortality in 2020: a cohort approach
No full textAims. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all-cause mortality in Italy during the first wave of the epidemic, taking into consideration the geographical heterogeneity of the spread of COVID-19.Methods. This study is a retrospective, population-based cohort study using national statisticsthroughout Italy. Survival analysis was applied to data aggregated by day of death, age groups, sex, and Italian administrative units (107 provinces). We applied Cox models to estimate the relative hazards (RH) of excess mortality, comparing all-cause deaths in 2020 with the expected deaths from all causes in the same time period. The RH of excess deaths was estimated in areas with a high, moderate, and low spread of COVID-19. We reported the estimate also restricting the analysis to the period of March-April 2020 (first peak of the epidemic).Results. The study population consisted of 57,204,501 individuals living in Italy as of January 1, 2020. The number of excess deaths was 36,445, which accounts for 13.4% of excess mortalities from all causes during January-May 2020 (i.e., RH = 1.134; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.129-1.140). In the macro-area with a relatively higher spread of COVID-19 (i.e., incidence rate, IR): 450-1,610 cases per 100,000 residents), the RH of excess deaths was 1.375 (95% CI: 1.364-1.386). In the area with a relatively moderate spread of COVID-19 (i.e., IR: 150-449 cases) it was 1.049 (95% CI: 1.038-1.060). In the area with a relatively lower spread of COVID-19 (i.e., IR: 30-149 cases), it was 0.967 (95% CI: 0.959-0.976). Between March and April (peak months of the first wave of the epidemic in Italy), we estimated an excess mortality from all causes of 43.5%. The RH of all-cause mortality for increments of 500 cases per 100,000 residents was 1.352 (95% CI: 1.346-1.359), corresponding to an increase of about 35%.Conclusions. Our analysis, making use of a population-based cohort model, estimated all-cause excess mortality in Italy taking account of both time period and of COVID-19 geographical spread. The study highlights the importance of a temporal/geographic framework in analyzing the risk of COVID-19-epidemy related mortality
Styloid process elongation and temporomandibular disorders: a pilot study in the Albanian population
Get PDFIntroduction. Patients with an elongated styloid process (SP) presented related symptomsas deep neck pain, foreign body sensation in the throat, pain on turning the head, and odynophagia. These symptoms are the source of misdiagnosis of this syndrome since these clinical manifestations are like those of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). This study aimed to investigate a possible correlation between the TMD and elongation of the SP.Materials and methods. The case-control study included 60 participants between 25-60years of age and was carried out at University Dental Clinic, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Tirana, Albania during the period November 2020 – March 2021. The study group consisted of 30 patients diagnosed with TMD (21 females and 9 males) and the control group consisted of 30 individuals without TMD (18 females and 12 males). The diagnosis of TMD was performed according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders axis I and the SP measurement was performed by a single experienced examiner. The normal range of SP length was considered 20-30 mm.
Results. SP >30mm was found in 86.67% of patients with TMD group and 43.33% of individuals of the control group. There was a significant difference between the TMD group and the control group in regards to SP length (p <0.001).Conclusions. There is a significant association between the elongation of the SP and TMD. Dental clinicians should recognize the morphological changes in the length of SP on the panoramic radiographs, which could be a hint in the proper diagnosis of TMD