139 research outputs found
Do Kawasaki disease patients without coronary artery abnormalities need a long-term follow-up? A myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography pilot study
No full textJ Paediatr Child Health. 2009 Jul-Aug;45(7-8):419-24. Epub 2009 Jul 20.
Do Kawasaki disease patients without coronary artery abnormalities need a long-term follow-up? A myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography pilot study.
Zanon G, Zucchetta P, Varnier M, Vittadello F, Milanesi O, Zulian F.
Source
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the frequency and risk factors for long-term myocardial perfusion scintigraphy abnormalities in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD).
METHODS:
A cohort of patients with KD at least 3 years after disease onset and with persistent coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) (group 1) or without CAA (group 2) underwent stress-rest myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Clinical and laboratory parameters at disease onset were considered to assess their predictive value for the development of myocardial perfusion abnormalities.
RESULTS:
Forty patients, 20 in group 1 and 20 in group 2, entered the study. The two groups turned out to be comparable for demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics. Five patients (12.5%), two in group 1 and three in group 2, had abnormal myocardial perfusion assessed by SPECT. Neither the presence of CAA nor the overall cardiac involvement at the disease onset significantly increased the risk for these abnormalities.
CONCLUSION:
Cardiac SPECT abnormalities are not unusual in KD and can be found in patients with or without CAA. If confirmed in a larger cohort of patients, these preliminary data indicate that careful long-term cardiac follow-up should be considered, regardless of the presence of CAA.
PMID:
19712178
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Teaching research methods and statistics in the nursing school. Second part
No full textIn sette scuole per infermieri del Veneto è stata realizzata una sperimentazione triennale sull'insegnamento di Metodologia della ricerca e statistica. L'obiettivo era di valutare l'efficacia di un metodo didattico siull'apprendimento degli student
Reliability of LoSCAT score for activity and tissue damage assessment in a large cohort of patients with Juvenile Localized Scleroderma
No full textObjectives: To assess reliability of the two indexes of Localized Scleroderma Cutaneous Assessment Tool (LoSCAT), the modified Localized Scleroderma Skin Severity Index (mLoSSI) and the Localized Scleroderma Skin Damage Index (LoSDI), when applied by clinicians with different experience in scoring and managing patients with JLS. Secondary aim was to compare LoSCAT and infrared thermography (IRT) in monitoring lesions over time. Methods: Consecutive children with Juvenile Localized Scleroderma (JLS) were blindly evaluated by three examiners with different experience in Paediatric Rheumatology and with no experience in LoSCAT use. At each visit, patients were assessed by LoSCAT and IRT. Sensitivity to change of LoSCAT and IRT was assessed in a group of patients 3-6 months later. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and variance analysis (ANOVA). Findings: Forty-seven patients (129 lesions) entered the study, and 26 (79 lesions) were re-evaluated with same modality after 4.5 (SD 1.5) months. mLoSSI showed excellent inter-rater reliability expressed by ICC 0.965 confirmed by ANOVA. Similarly, inter-rater reliability for LoSDI was good (ICC = 0.774) but worse concordance among examiners was observed. A comparable improvement of mLoSSI in all anatomic sites was noted by all examiners in 79 lesions examined in two subsequent visits and was consistent with thermography. Conclusions: Different clinical experience in JLS did not influence clinical judgement in mLoSSI which showed excellent concordance, whereas LoSDI is less precise in damage assessment and not completely reliable in monitoring skin changes. Infrared thermography confirms to be a helpful tool for detecting disease activity and reliable in monitoring lesions over time
Tonsillectomy efficacy in children with PFAPA syndrome is comparable to the standard medical treatment: A long-term observational study
No full textObjective: Tonsillectomy has recently been suggested as an effective treatment for periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome but little is known about its long-term efficacy. We compared the clinical features and the long-term outcome of a large cohort of patients with PFAPA syndrome treated with tonsillectomy or with standard medical treatment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients with PFAPA syndrome followed at a tertiary care centre from January 1993 to August 2010. Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters were evaluated at onset and during the follow-up. Disease outcomes of patients who underwent tonsillectomy and of those treated with medical therapy (NSAIDs, prednisone) were compared. Clinical remission on medication (CRM) was considered the persistence of fever attacks which were well controlled by medical therapy, clinical remission (CR) was defined as the absence of fever attacks, without any treatment, for more than 12 months. Results: 275 patients with PFAPA syndrome, 59.6% males, aged 27.9 months at onset and followed for mean 54.5 months, entered the study. CR was reported in 59.6% of the patients and was significantly less frequent in those with positive family history for PFAPA (46.4% vs. 66.1%, p=0.003). 27/41 patients (65.9%), responded to tonsillectomy and this result was comparable with that observed in those treated with medical therapy (59.1%, p=0.51). Disease duration, age at remission or presence of associated symptoms were not significantly different in both groups. No predictors of tonsillectomy failure were found. Conclusion: In a large cohort of patients with PFAPA syndrome, tonsillectomy efficacy was comparable to the standard medical treatment
Is Intraarticular Corticosteroid Injection (IAC) an effective therapy for Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Involvement in JIA?
No full textTeaching methodology of research and statistics in nursing schools Parte I
No full textL'articolo descrive il disegno e la metodologia adottata per la sperimentazione educativa dell'insegnamento della ricerca nelle 22 scuole per infermieri della Regione del Veneto. Lo studio è stato realizzato con un finanziamento della Regione per il miglioramento della didattica
Modular anatomic approach to oral tongue carcinoma: functional outcomes and quality of life
No full textObjectives. The purpose of this study is to present the long-term functional swallowing outcomes of various surgical approaches to oral tongue/floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma (OTFOMSCC) according to a modular and compartment-based concept previously described elsewhere. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted on patients undergoing surgery for OTFOMSCC from January 2017 to April 2023 in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the Hospital of Bolzano. Functional swallowing outcomes and quality of life (QoL) were assessed through the administration of a scale and questionnaires between 6 months and 1 year postoperatively or after the end of adjuvant therapy, stratifying the results according to the surgical technique used. Results. A total of 92 patients with OTFOMSCC were enrolled: 44 patients underwent transoral anatomically guided surgery (TAGS) for early-stage tumours, and 48 underwent major surgery for advanced stages. Among the latter 48 patients: 35 underwent compartment tongue surgery (CTS), 3 underwent extended glossectomies (EG) Type A, 6 underwent EG Type B, and 4 underwent EG Type C. After TAGS, all patients resumed oral feeding for all consistencies. In the CTS group, only one patient faced challenges with pure liquids, yet all achieved the target of consuming a semisolid and semiliquid diet. EG exhibited a noticeable decline in performance from Type A to total glossectomy (Type C). Conclusions. Following an anatomically-guided approach to the resection of OTFOMSCC allows the surgery to be modulated on the structures involved by the tumour, thus achieving optimal oncological results, while maintaining the possibility to predict functional outcomes and postoperative QoL
Potentiometric sensors with liquid polymer electrolytes based on polyethyleneglycol400, LiCl and d-MgCl2.
No full textThis report describes the first attempt for the development of potentiometric H+ sensors based on liquid polymer electrolytes (PEs). The devices proposed here consist of a reference-polymer electrolyte-glass membrane electrode (R-PEGE) and an indicator electrode. Two types of indicator electrodes were obtained. The first uses a PVC-based polymer membrane as sensitive material, and was used to make an indicator-polymer electrolyte-polymer membrane electrode (I-PEPE). The second was assembled with a sensitive glass membrane, indicator-polymer electrolyte-glass membrane electrode (I-PEGE). Both the reference and indicator electrodes were prepared by the superposition of three layers of different materials, i.e., M|PE|SE|, where M is Mg, Li or Ag, PE is PEG400/(LiCl)0.349 or PEG400/(delta-MgCl2)0.112 and SE is a sensitive glass- or PVC-based polymeric membrane. The response of the devices to the H+ concentration (a) is very linear from pH 2 to 13; (b) depends on temperature; (c) is very stable and reproducible; and (d) exhibits response times lower than 40 s. These properties make these devices very promising and indicate the polymer electrolytes as suitable materials for the development of innovative ion selective electrode (ISE) sensors
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pediatric rheumatology: an European perspective
No full textTo analyse the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in children with rheumatic diseases, treated at a paediatric rheumatology centre in Italy
Prognostic role of euthyroid sick syndrome in MIS-C: results from a single-center observational study
No full textBackground: Euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) is characterized by low serum levels of free triiodothyronine (fT3) with normal or low levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) and is reported in different acute clinical situations, such as sepsis, diabetic ketoacidosis and after cardiac surgery. Our aim was to evaluate the predicting role of ESS for disease severity in patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C). Methods: A single-centre observational study on consecutive patients with MIS-C. Before treatment clinical, and laboratory data were collected and, in a subset of patients, thyroid function tests were repeated 4 weeks later. Variables distribution was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U-test and correlations between different parameters were calculated by Spearman's Rho coefficient. Results: Forty-two patients were included and 36 (85.7%) presented ESS. fT3 values were significantly lower in patients requiring intensive care, a strong direct correlation was shown between fT3 and Hb, platelet count and ejection fraction values. A significant inverse correlation was retrieved between fT3 levels and C-reactive protein, brain natriuretic peptide, IL-2 soluble receptor and S-100 protein. Subjects with severe myocardial depression (EF < 45%) had lower fT3 values than subjects with higher EF. The thyroid function tests spontaneously normalized in all subjects who repeated measurement 4 weeks after admission. Conclusion: ESS is a frequent and transient condition in acute phase of MIS-C. A severe reduction of fT3 must be considered as important prognostic factor for severe disease course, with subsequent relevant clinical impact in the management of these patients
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