1,721,033 research outputs found
Pregnancy outcome after early detection of bacterial vaginosis
No full textObjective: To assess if detecting bacterial vaginosis either in early pregnancy or at midtrimester may predict adverse pregnancy outcome in women at risk for preterm delivery. Study design: 242 pregnant women with a previous preterm delivery were evaluated for bacterial vaginosis either in the first trimester (prior to 10 + 0 weeks) or in the second one (24-26 weeks). Adverse outcome was intended as miscarriage (≤25 weeks), or premature delivery (≤36 + 6). Results: The risk of adverse pregnancy outcome was significantly increased in women diagnosed at first trimester with bacterial vaginosis (OR: 4.56; 95% CI: 2.54-8.93); the same finding at midtrimester did not increase significantly the risk of preterm delivery. Conclusions: Early screening for bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women who experienced a preterm delivery may help in predicting the risk of adverse outcome
The SF-36 instrument for the follow-up of health-related quality-of-life assessment of patients undergoing home parenteral nutrition for benign disease.
No full textMETODO E KIT PER LA DIAGNOSI DELLA SENSIBILITA’ AL GLUTINE NON ASSOCIATA ALLA CELIACHIA
No full textLa sensibilità al glutine non celiaca (dall’anglosassone, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, NCGS) è una condizione caratterizzata da sintomi intestinali ed extra-gastrointestinali, provocati dall’ingestione di glutine in assenza di una diagnosi certa di malattia celiaca. La NCGS interessa tra lo 0.6 ed il 6% della popolazione e non sono attualmente disponibili biomarcatori a fini diagnostici. Pertanto, la diagnosi viene ipotizzata, ma difficilmente provata con certezza, in base al miglioramento dei sintomi in seguito all’esclusione del glutine dalla dieta ed alla loro ricorrenza in seguito alla reintroduzione del glutine nella dieta. Uno dei problemi legati alla diagnosi della NCGS risiede nella difficoltà nel distinguerla, in base alla sintomatologia, dalla sindrome dell’intestino irritabile. La presente invenzione permette di diagnosticare la sensibilità al glutine non celiaca e di differenziarla da patologie intestinali funzionali quali la sindrome dell’intestino irritabile. L'invenzione si basa sul dosaggio di una proteina sierica, la zonulina, e sulla raccolta di dati clinici
Defining hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A challenging perspective
No full textObjective: This study was designed to assess the steroid profiling by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in PCOS women with different phenotypes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospital of Bologna, Italy. Patients and Methods: A total of 156 PCOS women and 141 controls comparable for age were investigated. All underwent a steroid profiling by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Metabolic parameters were also investigated and hirsutism was measured by the modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) score. Results: Three distinct phenotypes were initially defined according to the combination of hirsutism (mF-G ≥ 8) and/or high testosterone (T) (HA), oligo-amenorrhea (OA), and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOm); OA + PCOm (n = 43), HA + OA (n = 65), and HA + OA + PCOm (n = 45). T, androstenedione (A), and free androgen index (FAI) levels progressively increased in the 3 PCOS phenotypes with respect to the controls, with the highest values in the HA + OA + PCOm phenotype. The various combinations of hirsutism, high T, high A, and high FAI made it possible to categorize the 3 original phenotypes into 8 hyperandrogenic subgroups, characterized by divergent additional steroid profile and metabolic pattern. A total of 90% of patients with PCOS thus proved hyperandrogenic. Interestingly, half the PCOS women originally classified as having the OA-PCOm phenotype were categorized in a hyperandrogenic subgroup. No significant correlation was found between T, A, and the mF-G score. In contrast, significant correlation was found between A and both T and FAI. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that, by including a steroid profile in the definition of hyperandrogenemia, the majority of women with PCOS are hyperandrogenic, although a clinical and biochemical heterogeneity exists. In addition, these data demonstrate that hirsutism and high androgen levels cannot be used indifferently to define hyperandrogenism
A prognostic score for clinical success after revascularization of critical limb ischemia in hemodialysis patients
No full textObjective: The revascularization of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients features poor results in terms of patient survival and limb salvage. Recent predictive models in CLI revascularization did not specifically address HD patients. The aim of this study was to define risk factors for clinical success (CS) after revascularization of CLI in HD patients and to transform findings in a prognostic score. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of prospectively gathered data, including consecutive HD patients treated for CLI from January 2004 to December 2012. Patients' demographics, comorbidities, CLI stage (Rutherford classification), tissue loss (Texas University Wound classification [TUWC]), and type of revascularization were assessed. End points were CS after revascularization (amputation-free and reintervention-free survival) and a prognostic score for CS based on significant risk factors (multivariable analysis). Results: In the study period, 131 patients (mean age, 70.2 ± 9.9 years; male, 76.3%) with a total of 180 limbs were treated. Endovascular (52.8%), surgical (28.9%), or hybrid (10.6%) revascularization was performed in 163 (90.6%) limbs in 117 patients. The mean (± standard deviation) follow-up was 20.8 ± 21.1 months. Considering revascularized patients, CS was 47.9%, 30.8%, and 17.8% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. On multivariable analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.05; P =.005), coronary artery disease (CAD; HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.04-2.32; P =.032), and TUWC stage D (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.22-2.67; P =.003) were independent negative factors. Type of revascularization had no influence on CS. The score for predicting CS was 0.026 × age (years) + 0.441 × CAD + 0.59 × TUWC stage D. CAD and TUWC stage D were 1 in the presence of disease and 0 in the absence of disease. The score has a significant discrimination power of 75.5% (P =.036), with a best cutoff value of 2.07. Patients with a CS score <2.07 would have a low risk of clinical failure, whereas patients with a CS score >2.07 would have a high risk. There were 31 (26.5%) cases of low-risk score and 86 (73.5%) cases of high-risk score. Cases with low-risk score had a CS at 1 year of 51.6% compared with 23.3% in cases with high-risk score. Conclusions: CS after revascularization in HD patients remains poor independent of the type of revascularization. A prognostic model based on age, history of CAD, and severity of CLI (TUWC stage D lesion) can estimate an individual's chances of CS and may help in the decision-making process
New insights in the selection and management of cancer patients applicants for ovarian tissue cryopreservation
No full textOvarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC), representing a promising strategy to preserve ovarian function in cancer patients, is recommended to women younger than 35 years. This study aimed to identify endocrine and biometric parameters as additional selection criteria for OTC. One hundred and ninety-one cancer patients before chemoradiotherapy and OTC and 43 controls were investigated. Mean ± SD, median, quartiles, 5th and 95th centiles and correlations of FSH, LH, estradiol, inhibin-B, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), ovarian volume and antral follicle count (AFC) were assessed. Most ovarian reserve parameters presented typical variations of ovulatory menstrual cycle, except AMH and AFC showing minimal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. The 5th centiles of AMH (0.31and 0.4 ng/mL in controls and cancer patients, respectively) and AFC (five follicular structures in both groups) could be conjectured as minimum thresholds to include patients aged <35 years in OTC; below this threshold patients of any age should be excluded from OTC. Conversely, patients with AMH and AFC above the 25th centiles (1.2-1.6 ng/mL and 9-10 follicular structures in controls and cancer patients, respectively) might be inserted in OTC regardless of age. Baseline assessment of AMH and AFC might be considered as selection criteria, in addition to chronological age, to take decision of OTC in cancer patient
Acute abdominal pain in the emergency department of a university hospital in Italy
No full textBackground: Acute abdominal pain (AAP) is one of the most common causes of referral to an emergency department (ED), but information about its impact is limited. Objectives: The objectives of this article are to define the prevalence of AAP among ED visits in a large university hospital and analyze its main clinical features. Methods: All patients admitted at the Sant’Orsola, Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna ED on 12 a priori selected sample days in 2013 were included. General data were recorded for each patient. A total of 192 clinical variables were recorded for each patient with abdominal pain. Results: During the observation period the ED assisted 2623 patients with a daily admission rate of 219 20 (mean SD). Of these, 239 patients complained of AAP as their chief complaint at entry (prevalence = 9.1%). AAP prevalence was significantly higher in females than in males (10.4% vs. 7.8%; OR = 1.37; p = 0.021) as well as in foreign over Italian patients (13.2% vs. 8.5%; OR = 1.64; p = 0.007). The most frequent ED operative diagnoses were non-specific abdominal pain (n = 86, 36.0%) and gastrointestinal (GI) tract-related pain (n = 79, 33.1%; n = 19 upper GI, n = 60 lower GI). Conclusions: AAP is a common cause of referral at EDs. Despite technological advances, non-specific abdominal pain is still the main operative diagnosis
Gioie e dolori del pubblicare in modo alternativo : l'esperienza di JOP - Journal of the Pancreas
Full text linkReporto about publishing in an alternative way, using the example of JOP, the Journal of Pancreas
Circadian variations of rectal cell proliferation in patients affected by advanced colorectal cancer.
No full textThe circadian rhythm of the rectal cell proliferation was studied in five patients affected by advanced colon cancer. Biopsies were taken from apparently normal mucosa at 10 cm from the anal verge, every 6 h in a 24-h period. Fragments were incubated for 1 h in a culture medium containing bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd). As compared with the mean 24 h values, the percentage of BrdUrd-labelled cells in the crypts (Labelling Index, LI) was lower in the specimens collected at 10.00 PM (P = 0.02) The LI in such biopsies was also lower than the LI observed at the baseline time, 10.00 AM (P = 0.001) The results suggest that the rectal cell proliferation in patients with advanced colon cancer fluctuates during the day. The study of the rhythmicity of the intestinal cells may be useful to modulate the infusion of antiproliferative agents to prevent damage of the normal colorectal mucosa
Does additional antimicrobial treatment have a better effect on URTI cough resolution than homeopathic symptomatic therapy alone? A real-life preliminary observational study in a pediatric population
No full textAbstract Background: The effectiveness of a homeopathic syrup on cough has been demonstrated in an adult population in a previous double-blind randomized study. The present prospective observational study investigated children affected by wet acute cough caused by non-complicated URTIs, comparing those who received the homeopathic syrup versus those treated with the homeopathic syrup plus antibiotic. Objectives: The aims were: 1) to assess whether the addition of antibiotics to a symptomatic treatment had a role in reducing the severity and duration of acute cough in a pediatric population, as well as in improving cough resolution; 2) to verify the safety of the two treatments. Methods: Eighty-five children were enrolled in an open study: 46 children received homeopathic syrup alone for 10 days and 39 children received homeopathic syrup for 10 days plus oral antibiotic treatment (amoxicillin/clavulanate, clarithromycin, and erythromycin) for 7 days. To assess cough severity we used a subjective verbal category-descriptive (VCD) scale. Results: Cough VCD score was significantly (P < 0.001) reduced in both groups starting from the second day of treatment (-0.52 ± 0.66 in the homeopathic syrup group and -0.56 ± 0.55 in children receiving homeopathic syrup plus oral antibiotic treatment). No significant differences in cough severity or resolution were found between the two groups of children in any of the 28 days of the study. After the first week (day 8) cough was completely resolved in more than one-half of patients in both groups. Two children (4.3 %) reported adverse effects in the group treated with the homeopathic syrup alone, versus 9 children (23.1 %) in the group treated with the homeopathic syrup plus antibiotics (P = 0.020). Conclusions: Our data confirm that the homeopathic treatment in question has potential benefits for cough in children as well, and highlight the strong safety profile of this treatment. Additional antibiotic prescription was not associated with a greater cough reduction, and presented more adverse events than the homeopathic syrup alone
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