672 research outputs found

    Cuff pressure monitoring by manual palpation in intubated patients: How accurate is it? A manikin simulation study

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    Endotracheal intubation (ETI) for mechanical ventilation has a central role in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). ETI is one of the main risk factors for the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as its presence reduces the natural defences of the upper airway and allows the micro-suction of secretions in the airways. In order to minimise such complications, it is fundamental to maintain a suitable pressure inside the tube cuff

    The Pottesman Collection in the British Museum. Early Dynastic and Sargonic administrative texts. With an Appendix on a Palmyrene Inscription

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    Edizione, trascrizione, traduzione e commento di un frammento di iscrizione palmirena inedita presente nella collezione Pottesman del British Museum (Appendice Agostini).The British Museum houses a small collection of six cuneiform tablets and a Palmyrene dedicatory inscription purchased in 1987 from the private collection of Solomon Pottesman. The aim of the present contribution is to provide a catalog of this lot and an edition of the so far unpublished cuneiform texts. In the appendix, Alessio Agostini added the edition of the Palmyrene inscription, which would have otherwise gone beyond the capabilities of the present author

    Recensione di Cecilia Falchini (2023). Ruperto di deutz - Un’intima familiarità. Antologia, Edizioni Qiqajon (Comunità di Bose), Magnano (Bi), 281 pp.

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    Review of Cecilia Falchini (2023). Ruperto di deutz - Un’intima familiarità. Antologia, Edizioni Qiqajon (Comunità di Bose), Magnano (Bi), 281 pp. Author: Alessio MagogaRecensione di Cecilia Falchini (2023). Ruperto di deutz - Un’intima familiarità. Antologia, Edizioni Qiqajon (Comunità di Bose), Magnano (Bi), 281 pp. Autor: Alessio Magog

    Handheld-Impedance-Measurement System with seven-decade capability and potentiostatic function

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    This paper describes design and test of a new impedance-measurement system for nonlinear devices that exhibits a seven-decade range and works down to a frequency of 0.01 Hz. The system is specifically designed for electrochemical measurements, but the proposed architecture can be employed in many other fields where flexible signal generation and analysis are required. The system employs an unconventional signal generator based on two pulsewidth modulation (PWM) oscillators and an autocalibration system that allows uncertainties of less than 3% to be obtained over a range of 1 kΩ to 100 GΩ. A synchronous demodulation processing allows the noise superimposed to the low-amplitude input signals to be made negligibl

    Changes in Drug Use Patterns during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Monitoring a Vulnerable Group by Hair Analysis

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    From 22 March until 18 May 2020, a complete lockdown in Italy was ordered as a countermeasure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation measures affect some populations more than others, and people with drug and/or alcohol disorders (SUDs) are more likely to be adversely affected. This study presents, for the first time, laboratory data on the use of alcohol and drugs in a high-risk population during Italy’s first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty subjects with SUDs were monitored for the use of illicit drugs and alcohol every 3 months before, during and after the lockdown, by hair analysis. The number of samples positive for heroin, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis fell considerably during the lockdown and then resumed to pre-lockdown levels when the period of confinement was over. Interestingly, the consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol followed the opposite trend; both the number of benzodiazepine-positive samples and the level of alcohol consumption increased and remained high, even at the end of the lockdown. The confinement measures produced significant changes in drug/alcohol use patterns, with a shift toward the use of substances that were more easily accessible, used as self-medication for negative feelings, and used to alleviate the effects of abstinence from drugs that were no longer readily available

    Monitoring people at risk of drinking by a rapid urinary ethyl glucuronide test

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    Abstract Alcohol and illicit drug abuse are major public health problems worldwide. Since alcohol is the predominant substance of choice in polydrug abusers, monitoring its use, along with urinary drug screening in patients in rehabilitation programs, appeared to be crucial in identifying patients at risk of alcohol disorders leading to impaired quality of life. Ethyl β-D-6-glucuronide, a non-oxidative, non-volatile, stable and minor direct ethanol metabolite, has a 6h to 4 day window of detection in urine after the last alcohol intake. Each of the 119 subjects (85 males, 34 females) registered with the Public Health Service for Drug Dependence Treatment provided a urine sample for ethylglucoronide (EtG) determination in an immunochemical test with a 500 ng/ml cutoff. All results were evaluated with confirmation criteria of a fully validated gas chromatography/mass spectrometry assay. The diagnostic performance of the EtG immunochemical test was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analysis. The immunochemical test specificity was 100% for EtG urinary values above 500 ng/ml. No false positive results were found. With levels below 500 ng/ml, 12% of the samples were classified as negative. The average consumption of the incorrectly classified subjects was 171 ng/ml, with a misclassification error of 6.5% to 18.5%. High agreement between EtG as determined in an immunochemical test and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, suggests that the rapid EtG test is a reliable, cost-effective alcohol monitoring assay for patient management in many non-forensic settings, such as drug rehabilitation programs.</jats:p

    Long-Term Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Drug/Alcohol Use Prevalence in a Population with Substance Use Disorders

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    As time passes, the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming increasingly apparent. The extreme restrictions imposed during the pandemic have had detrimental impacts on the most vulnerable groups, such as individuals suffering from substance and/or alcohol disorders (SUDs). This study reports quarterly laboratory data on alcohol and drug use in 150 subjects with SUDs that were examined using hair analysis for 2 years before the start of pandemic until after the end of the Italian health emergency. Overall, it was found that the number of subjects who used heroin, cocaine, and MDMA all decreased during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns, increasing during reopening and subsequently stabilizing close to pre-COVID levels. Cannabis use was less impacted, remaining stable throughout the pandemic. Alcohol and benzodiazepine use both increased significantly during the lockdowns, displaying an opposing trend. While benzodiazepine use progressively returned to baseline levels, alcohol remained at significantly increased levels, even in September 2022. Long-term heavy drinking combined with substance use should be seriously considered, since these results in several health and social problems alongside alcohol-related comorbidities. Thus, appropriate response plans should be implemented both during and after the pandemic, whilst focusing on those who are most vulnerable

    Analisi retrospettiva dell’uso di sostanze psicoattive e alcol in soggetti deceduti per suicidio: contributo della matrice cheratinica all’identificazione di profili di rischio

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    Il suicidio rappresenta una delle principali problematiche di sanità pubblica a livello globale, con oltre 800.000 decessi ogni anno secondo il rapporto OMS 2024. In Italia si contano circa 4.000 suicidi annuali, con una marcata prevalenza nel sesso maschile (78,8%). Numerose evidenze suggeriscono una possibile associazione tra uso problematico di sostanze psicoattive e comportamento suicidario, evidenziando l’opportunità di approfondire i pattern di consumo nei soggetti deceduti per suicidio
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