1,721,259 research outputs found
Infection control in Europe
No full textThis review focuses on the present state of the art in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Europe and discusses both the European Union (EU) recommendations and laws and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) programs. The standards for countries and organizations to recommended effective control and prevention of HAIs are also discussed. These standards have evolved from a range of activities (e.g., scientific and professional societies, national and regional authorities, and voluntary accreditation bodies). Finally competencies for infection control/hospital hygiene (IC/HH) professionals, agreed at the European level, are summarized according to different professional responsibilities and compared with standards developed outside Europe. Training of healthcare workers in IC/HH is recognized as a fundamental requirement to achieving a safer delivery of healthcare
Prevenzione cardiovascolare. Riduzione del rischio cardio-vascolare: risultati e prospettive di un progetto
No full textThe Euroaction project, promoted by European Society of Cardiology, aims to determine whether a nurse co-ordinated, multidisciplinary, family based preventive cardiology programme could help more patients and their families achieve the recommended European lifestyle, risk factor and therapeutic goals for cardiovascular disease prevention. EUROACTION was evaluated in a paired cluster randomized controlled trial, and the primary care branch included 6 European countries. Consecutive patients > 50 years and or = 5% over 10 years, either now or when projected to age 60 years) and on no medical treatment for blood pressure, lipids or diabetes; (ii) on treatment with anti-hypertensive and/or lipid-lowering drug therapies started in the last year but with no diabetes; (iii) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (treated by diet alone or with oral hypoglycaemic drug therapy and/or insulin) within the last three years in both intervention and usual care practices. All eligible high risk individuals and their partners were then invited by the nurse for an assessment of their lifestyle, risk factors and therapeutic management as soon as possible after identification. In the primary care intervention branch 1019 patients have been enrolled with no differences by sex and mean age 62, while in the control branch 1005 patients were recruited with mean age 63, female were 43%. The main results show that Intervention group (I) had a statistically significant improvement compared to Usual Care (UC) in the assumption of recommended quantity of fruit and vegetables (78.4% I vs 38.8% UC p=0.005), in the weight loss (weight loss > al 5% in subjects with BMI > 25 kg/m2) (16.5% I vs 6.8% UC p=0.005), in blood pressure control both in people specifically treated with drugs and untreated (respectively 52% I vs 35% UC p=0.04 and 65% Ivs 45% UC p=0.02), in reaching the European target for total cholesterol (Total Cholesterol < 5.0 mmol/l) during the study year (from 21.9% to 35.8% (I) absolute increase 12.7% (p=0.025) vs from 33% to 32.2% (UC)). No significant differences were found about change of smoking habits. The experimented intervention model based on a multidisciplinary approach and nurses leaded showed a good one year impact in reducing cardiovascular risk factors in high risk people. This model should be further tested in local contexts
Il Goverrno dell'Ospedale: Quale ruolo per la direzione sanitaria
No full textIl ruolo degli ospedali all’interno dei sistemi sanitari è soggetto ad ampia variabilità ed è strettamente
correlato con la cultura prevalente in un dato contesto,
l’evoluzione del concetto di salute e con la conseguente
missione dei servizi sanitari
Ethics committees and research in Italy: Seeking new regulatory frameworks (with a look at the past)
No full textThe legislation of Italy and the European Union requires a shift in terms of the organisation and national regulation of ethics committees and clinical trials. More generally, this affects the entire sphere of biomedical research. The first part of this contribution provides a brief review of the history of ethics committees in Italy. We then discuss the current situation and formulate proposals. There is a vital need for rules that promote efficiency of ethics committees, to guarantee that Italy's position remains competitive and attractive within the European Union
Case-Fatality Rate and Characteristics of Patients Dying in Relation to COVID-19 in Italy
No full textThis Viewpoint from physicians with the Italian National Institute of Health confirms a higher case-fatality rate from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy compared with China and explains possible reasons, including age, cause of death definitions, and testing strategy
Patient Safety in the World
Full text linkPatient safety is a fundamental principle of health care. However, many medical practices and risks associated with health care are emerging as major challenges for patient safety globally and contribute significantly to the burden of harm due to unsafe care. Available evidence suggests hospitalizations in low- and middle-income countries lead annually to 134 million adverse events, contributing to 2.6 million deaths. About 134 million adverse events worldwide give rise to 2.6 million deaths every year. Estimates indicate that in high-income countries, about 1 in 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care. This problem affects both high-income countries and low- and middle countries even if priorities and issues may differ. The most important adverse events concern medication procedures, healthcare-associated infections, surgical procedures, injection safety, blood transfusions, venous thromboembolism, sepsis, and diagnostic and radiation errors. Since 1999 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published its report “To err is human,” some progress has been made but patient harm is still a daily problem in healthcare. As a matter of fact, new threats are emerging due to population aging, along with new treatments and technologies which must be dealt with in addition to still-unresolved, long-standing problems. In this context, it is very important to adopt an international common strategy that creates networks, shares knowledge, programs, tools, good practices and develop and track indicators focusing on the specific priorities of each country and region
A few ethical issues in translational research for medicinal products discovery and development
No full textThe results obtained with basic research showing significant therapeutic promise are often not translated into clinical applications. The purpose of translational research is to favour the transition of basic research to application at the patient's bedside, and from here to routine clinical practice (without excluding the opposite pathway, in which the evidence generated by clinical practice helps to guide research). Although translational research can provide patients with valuable therapeutic resources, it is not risk-free. The most significant ethical issues in translational research on medicinal products derive from the risk of the intention to shorten the timeframes for the application of the results of the research making the scientific methods adopted and the regulatory requisites to be satisfied along the long path from the bench to the patient's bedside less rigorous. This is also relevant during pandemics when shortening the timeline from basic research to bedside is even more crucial. It is therefore necessary to establish defined and agreed requisites in order to guarantee the ethicality of translational research, by promoting the good of individuals and minimising the risks
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