1,721,021 research outputs found
Reflections on the next generation of hemostasis instrumentation. A glimpse into the future?
No full textHemostasis testing is conventionally referred to as performance of in vitro diagnostic tests for screening, diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients with either bleeding or thrombotic disorders. The ongoing revolution of diagnostic testing, squeezed between reduced funding and increasing volumes, carries notable implications in the way laboratory resources are organized and coagulation tests delivered. It is therefore predictable that the newer generation of hemostasis analyzers may be designed to face these emerging needs whilst maintaining a high degree in the quality of testing. In this opinion paper, we aim to discuss some concepts of redesigning coagulation analyzers in consideration of the most important aspects of the preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical phases in hemostasis testing
The future of laboratory medicine in the era of precision medicine
No full textThe future of laboratory medicine in the era of precision medicin
Willingness-to-pay threshold for preventing spurious hemolysis during blood sample collection
No full textWillingness-to-pay threshold for preventing spurious hemolysis during blood sample collection
Are icteric and lipemic indices reliable to screen for hyperbilirubinemia and hypertriglyceridemia?
No full textAre icteric and lipemic indices reliable to screen for hyperbilirubinemia and hypertriglyceridemia
Current epidemiology of low back pain
No full textBackground: Low back pain (LBP) is a major disabling pathology, whose clinical, societal and economic burden remains mostly overlooked. Therefore, we aim to provide here a concise overview on the recent worldwide epidemiology of this condition. Methods: An electronic search was performed in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) repository, a large worldwide database of health-related data, using the keyword “low back pain”. The result of our electronic search was downloaded in comma-separated values (CSV), imported into an Excel file and analyzed. Results: The current estimates of incidence, prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of LBPs are 245.9 million cases/year (3.2%; 15th worldwide cause), 577.0 million cases (7.6%; 15th worldwide cause) and 64.9 million DALYs (2.6% of all DALYs; 6th worldwide cause), respectively. All these measures displayed a considerable ~50% increase during the last 20 years. The burden of all LBP cases is marginally higher in women than in men, exhibits gradual increase from the birth age, reaching the peak between 40–50 years, and then progressively declining. An analysis within each age range shows that prevalence of LBP among all human diseases grows in parallel with ageing, with the most notable increase after 80 years. The risk of LBD increases in parallel with socio-demographic index (SDI), being over 3-fold higher in high than in low SDI countries. According to a linear fit based on data of the last 20 years, incidence, prevalence and DALYs of LBP may further increase by ~1.4 fold by the year 2050. Conclusions: LBP poses a significant worldwide epidemiologic burden, especially in women, adults and high SDI countries, displaying an escalating trend that is not expected to reverse soon
Elements of Biomedical Laboratory Organization
No full textThe organization of a biomedical laboratory is complex, multifaceted, and represents the result of a series of reforms that over the years have determined its structure and functioning. The aim of this chapter is to provide the basic elements and legislative references to understand the organizational context of a biomedical laboratory, the role of different structures, and various professional profiles in the different articulations and duties
Frequency and severity of COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis: A short single-site report from northern Italy
No full textNeurologists are interested in understanding whether patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) undergoing immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive therapy are more susceptible to developing COVID-19 or have worse outcomes. Currently, there are no conclusive data in this regard. We report the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 (confirmed and possible) in pwMS followed at the Veneto Regional MS Center in Verona (Italy), an area most stricken by COVID-19. In our sample size, the prevalence of COVID-19 seems to be much higher than that officially reported at the regional level on the general population, but it also characterized by a favourable course
Results of a hospital survey on critical values communication
No full textResults of a hospital survey on critical values communicatio
Epidemiologic burden of ischemic heart disease in Italy
No full textBackground: this article provides an updated overview on the current epidemiologic burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Italy. Methods: an electronic search was carried out in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) registry, using the keyword “ischemic heart disease”, for retrieving recent information (year 2017) on incidence, prevalence, health loss (expressed as disability-adjusted life year, DALYs) and mortality of IHD in Italy. Results: the cumulative incidence, prevalence and mortality of IHD in Italy are 0.38%, 3.47% and 0.16% respectively, whilst the impact on health loss is 1.11 million DALYs (6.73% of total DALYs). Incidence, prevalence and DALYs are higher in men than in women, whilst mortality is only marginally higher in males. Overall, IHD is the first cause of death in Italy (15.5% of all deaths). During the last three decades the incidence has constantly increased (+30%), whilst DALYs have declined in both sexes by ~30%. Mortality for IHD steadily decreased in men (-13%), whilst it remained almost unchanged in women. The curve of incidence of IHD in Italy peaks between 60-84 years in men and between 75-94 years in women. The mortality curve of IHD in Italy peaks in both sexes between 85-94 years. Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes are the leading risk factors for IHD in Italy. Conclusions: IHD still poses a substantial clinical, social and economic burden in Italy
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