{"title":"Comment on \"Best practices for disinfection in dental settings: insights from Italian and European regulations\".","authors":"Livia Barenghi, Francesco Spadari","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7416/ai.2025.2682","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142998845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Maria Ticozzi, Pier Mario Perrone, Silvia Deandrea, Marina Tanious, Danilo Cereda, Silvana Castaldi
{"title":"Lombardy Region: seven years of breast cancers screening before, during and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.","authors":"Elena Maria Ticozzi, Pier Mario Perrone, Silvia Deandrea, Marina Tanious, Danilo Cereda, Silvana Castaldi","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7416/ai.2025.2683","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer represents the most common form of neoplasm in women, with an estimated 685,000 deaths annually. In this regard, screening programmes represent one of the most effective intervention tools in the field of cancer prevention. The aim of this study is to analyse and describe the key performance indicators of the screening programmes in Lombardy from 2016 to 2022.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Descriptive temporal analysis study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The data pertaining to the screening campaign were subjected to analysis, with the results broken down according to the following criteria: individual province, age group eligible for screening, and campaign year. For each campaign, the data pertaining to the population subjected to screening, as well as the data concerning the rate of cancers identified during the campaign, were subjected to analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For the three age groups, a substantial overlap in call and campaign adherence rates can be observed, with stable values between 2016 and 2019, followed by a significant decline in the 2020 campaign associated with the impact of the pandemic on prevention activities, including cancer screening campaigns. The data for 2021 and 2022 indicate a reversal of the decline in adherence and call rates, particularly in the 45-49 age group, which exhibited an increase of approximately 300% in the call rate between 2021 and 2020. Moreover, the categorization of the provinces into urban, mountainous and rural provinces demonstrates an overlap in the admission rates between the three areas in the different years.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite the existence of mammography screening campaigns for more than 20 years, adherence rates in the Lombardy region remain below the targets set out in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. In this regard, the observed variations, particularly during the period of the pandemic and in the subsequent post-pandemic period, provide an opportunity to rethink the organization of screening campaigns in order to increase adherence and effectiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142998846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Flavia Pennisi, Leandro Gentile, Stefania Borlini, Vincenza Gianfredi, Carlo Signorelli
{"title":"Direct and indirect healthcare costs of ocular diseases in Italy: a literature review on glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration.","authors":"Flavia Pennisi, Leandro Gentile, Stefania Borlini, Vincenza Gianfredi, Carlo Signorelli","doi":"10.7416/ai.2025.2676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7416/ai.2025.2676","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration impose substantial economic burdens on healthcare systems due to their high prevalence and chronic nature. Nevertheless, comprehensive Italian data is limited. This study aims to collect Italian evidence on the economic impact of these conditions to support more effective healthcare planning.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Systematic review.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases. Studies reporting cost evaluations of managing glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration in Italy were included. Direct, indirect and non-medical costs were considered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The review included 23 studies exhibiting considerable heterogeneity in timeframes, regions, and economic evaluation approaches. For glaucoma, annual direct costs ranged from €788.70 for early-stage cases to €8,368.51 for advanced cases requiring surgery. Annual costs associated with diabetic retinopathy ranged from €4,050 to €5,799 per patient, depending on disease severity and treatment approach. The financial burden of age-related macular degeneration varied considerably, with costs ranging from €1,399.20 for early-stage cases to €3,973.30 for advanced stages. Although non-medical and indirect costs, such as lost productivity and caregiving expenses were less frequently assessed, they represented a significant contributor to the overall financial burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the substantial economic burden ocular diseases place on the Italian healthcare system. Early intervention and preventive strategies could reduce the long-term costs of managing diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Further research into indirect costs and cost-effective interventions is necessary to support more efficient healthcare resource allocation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mariateresa Ceparano, Antonio Covelli, Valentina Baccolini, Claudia Isonne, Antonio Sciurti, Giuseppe Migliara, Maria De Giusti, Carolina Marzuillo, Paolo Villari
{"title":"Prevalence and predictors of hand hygiene compliance in clinical, surgical and intensive care unit wards: results of a second cross-sectional study at the Umberto I teaching hospital of Rome.","authors":"Mariateresa Ceparano, Antonio Covelli, Valentina Baccolini, Claudia Isonne, Antonio Sciurti, Giuseppe Migliara, Maria De Giusti, Carolina Marzuillo, Paolo Villari","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2642","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2642","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hand hygiene is the most cost-effective procedure for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, but healthcare worker compliance is often insufficient.</p><p><strong>Research design: </strong>The objective of this second cross-sectional study was to quantify hand hygiene compliance among the healthcare workers of a large teaching hospital, to explore associated factors and to compare results to those of the 2021 study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In 2022, educational sessions were conducted within each hospital department during which hospital healthcare workers received tailored feedback on the hand hygiene compliance registered in the previous year. Then, one month later, direct observations of hand hygiene compliance with five World Health Organization recommendations were collected again by anonymous observers in each ward. Data were grouped by healthcare area (clinical, surgical and intensive care), and three multivariable logistic regression models were built to identify predictors of hand hygiene compliance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 5,426 observations were collected by 73 observers in three weeks. Hand hygiene compliance was 79.7%, 73.5% and 63.1% in clinical, surgical and intensive care areas, respectively, increasing in clinical wards but decreasing in surgical departments compared to the 2021 study. The multivariable analyses showed that hand hygiene compliance after patient contact was consistently higher than before patient contact, while there was some variability in compliance with other factors across the three areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study found suboptimal adherence to good hand hygiene practice, with the lowest rates observed before patient interaction, which, together with the variability recorded across departments, underscores the challenges involved in achieving a uniform level of compliance. Hence, additional training is essential to raise awareness among healthcare workers, while repeating this survey over time will also be crucial, so that hand hygiene compliance can be monitored and any major issue identified.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"25-36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141154387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of citizenship in the acceptance and completion of COVID-19 vaccine cycle in the resident population with foreign citizenship registered with the Umbrian Health Care System - An analysis of regional data.","authors":"Irene Giacchetta, Chiara Primieri, Manuela Chiavarini, Chiara de Waure, Carla Bietta","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2645","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Non-italian citizens experienced less access to anti-COVID-19 vaccination, compared to the native population. Literature has found differences in adherence to anti-COVID-19 vaccination among these groups; however, there are apparently no studies that investigated the role of citizenship. Our objective was to investigate the role of citizenship in vaccine hesitancy toward anti-COVID-19 vaccination and the completion of vaccine cycle, in the non-Italian citizens resident in the Umbria Region.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>This is a population study, performed on resident population in Umbria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Population data were obtained thanks to a record linkage between the Regional Health Information System and the regional DBCOVID Umbria database. On this dataset, a descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 19.2% of non-Italian citizens did not take even one dose, 2.1% did not complete it and 40.6% did not take the additional dose. The range of values of which these results are an average, however, is very wide, suggesting important differences in COVID-19 vaccine up taking, among different citizenships. The logistic regression shows that citizenships with the highest probability of non-adherence to vaccination, compared to Philippine, was Romanian (OR=7.8), followed by Macedonian (OR=7.3) and Polish (OR=5.9).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study provides evidence of differences among citizenships that pinpoint the importance of understanding the reasons behind these behaviours, to support decisions around health policies tailored to each citizenship.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"37-48"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141625799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Dionisi, Noemi Giannetta, Gloria Liquori, Aurora De Leo, Nicolò Panattoni, Mariasole Caiafa, Marco Di Muzio, Emanuele Di Simone
{"title":"The prevention of medication errors in the home care setting: a scoping review.","authors":"Sara Dionisi, Noemi Giannetta, Gloria Liquori, Aurora De Leo, Nicolò Panattoni, Mariasole Caiafa, Marco Di Muzio, Emanuele Di Simone","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2641","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2641","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The changes in health, social and demographic needs impose new approaches to cures and care without giving up patients' safety. Although several studies analysed the patient safety approach and strategies, the literature considering the home care setting seems still scarce. The analysis of the phenomenon of medication errors in the primary care setting highlights the necessity of exploring the specific variables to understand how to prevent or reduce the occurrence of a medication error in the home context. This review investigates the main preventive strategies implemented at the patient's home to prevent and/or limit the possibility of a medication error.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>The scoping review was conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) statement and based on the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>No time or language limit was set to obtain the most comprehensive results possible. The following databases were queried: PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, ERIC and PsycINFO via EBSCO. All literature published up to 31 December 2022 was considered for data collection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The main preventive strategies implemented in the patient's home to prevent a medication error are: Multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic reconciliation and computerised systems that improve information sharing. As evidenced by all of the included studies, no educational intervention or preventive strategy individually reduces the risk of making a medication error.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>It would be desirable for healthcare professionals to be constantly updated about their knowledge and understand the importance of introducing the aforementioned preventive strategies to guarantee safe care that protects the person from medication errors even at the patient's home.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141178031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesca Gallè, Fabiano Grassi, Federica Valeriani, Roberto Albertini, Silvia Angelillo, Giuseppina Caggiano, Annalisa Bargellini, Aida Bianco, Lavinia Bianco, Laura Dallolio, Giorgia Della Polla, Gabriella Di Giuseppe, Maria Eufemia Gioffrè, Pasqualina Laganà, Francesca Licata, Fabrizio Liguori, Giuseppina Lo Moro, Isabella Marchesi, Manuela Martella, Alice Masini, Maria Teresa Montagna, Christian Napoli, Stefania Oliva, Giovanni Battista Orsi, Stefania Paduano, Cesira Pasquarella, Concetta Paola Pelullo, Rossella Sacchetti, Roberta Siliquini, Francesco Triggiano, Licia Veronesi, Vincenzo Romano Spica, Matteo Vitali, Carmela Protano
{"title":"Sleep quality among Italian university students: the UnSleep multicenter study.","authors":"Francesca Gallè, Fabiano Grassi, Federica Valeriani, Roberto Albertini, Silvia Angelillo, Giuseppina Caggiano, Annalisa Bargellini, Aida Bianco, Lavinia Bianco, Laura Dallolio, Giorgia Della Polla, Gabriella Di Giuseppe, Maria Eufemia Gioffrè, Pasqualina Laganà, Francesca Licata, Fabrizio Liguori, Giuseppina Lo Moro, Isabella Marchesi, Manuela Martella, Alice Masini, Maria Teresa Montagna, Christian Napoli, Stefania Oliva, Giovanni Battista Orsi, Stefania Paduano, Cesira Pasquarella, Concetta Paola Pelullo, Rossella Sacchetti, Roberta Siliquini, Francesco Triggiano, Licia Veronesi, Vincenzo Romano Spica, Matteo Vitali, Carmela Protano","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2655","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2655","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scientific evidence demonstrates that poor sleep quality can lead to various health problems. This study aimed to investigate sleep patterns among Italian university students and identify several factors that may contribute to its quality.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An electronic questionnaire regarding sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and sleep-related habits, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, was distributed between January 2022 and July 2023 among students belonging to 12 universities located in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>On a total of 1,674 questionnaires collected, the participants (mean age 24.06±4.56 years, 71.3% F) reported an average number of hours of nocturnal sleep equal to 6.89±1.28 hours. A total of 927 (54.6%) of respondents showed a poor sleep quality (PSQI >5). Regression analysis showed that better sleep quality is associated with lower age, attending universities in Northern Italy, less time spent on electronic devices during the day, not being used to study at night and not playing videogames before sleep.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>From a public health perspective, our findings suggest that public health operators should raise the awareness of young adults about the importance of sleep quality for maintaining good health, as well as the impact that certain behaviors can have on sleep.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"141-153"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142379964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paolo Emilio Santoro, Carlotta Amantea, Martina Travaglini, Gianluca Salin, Ivan Borrelli, Maria Francesca Rossi, Dariush Khaleghi Hashemian, Maria Rosaria Gualano, Umberto Moscato
{"title":"Smart working during the COVID-19 pandemic: the prevalence of musculoskeletal and visual disorders in administrative staff of a large international company.","authors":"Paolo Emilio Santoro, Carlotta Amantea, Martina Travaglini, Gianluca Salin, Ivan Borrelli, Maria Francesca Rossi, Dariush Khaleghi Hashemian, Maria Rosaria Gualano, Umberto Moscato","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2650","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the use of digital devices during work activities has increased with important repercussions on the psychological and physical well-being of the employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal and visual disorders related to the use of computers and home workstation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study is a cross-sectional study. A checklist, from the National Institute of Health, was administered to white collar workers of a large international pharmaceutical company based in Italy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our study showed that postural breaks have a protective effect on neck/shoulder pain (OR 0.32, CI 0.16-0.62), back and lower extremity pain (OR 0.35, CI 0.18-0.69), and eye burning (OR 0.50, CI 0.27-0.94) of study participants.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The research recommends that remote employees who often change their workstations should establish a suitable work environment and obtaining enough risk training from an occupational physician. This is essential for maintaining their mental and physical well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"74-83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vincenza Gianfredi, Simona Scarioni, Luca Marchesi, Elena Maria Ticozzi, Martina Ohene Addo, Valeriano D'errico, Lorenzo Fratantonio, Ludovica Liguori, Alberto Pellai, Silvana Castaldi
{"title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic performance among developmental age students: a systematic review with meta-analysis.","authors":"Vincenza Gianfredi, Simona Scarioni, Luca Marchesi, Elena Maria Ticozzi, Martina Ohene Addo, Valeriano D'errico, Lorenzo Fratantonio, Ludovica Liguori, Alberto Pellai, Silvana Castaldi","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2647","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2647","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted educational systems worldwide, raising concerns about its impact on academic performance, particularly among developmental age students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the academic performance in this population was performed according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Embase were searched on December 2023 to identify relevant studies. Both fixed and random effect models were performed. The Effect size was reported as Cohen's d with a 95% Confidence Interval. Studies' quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria, but only 13 could be combined in the meta-analysis. Based on a sample size of 4,893,499 students, pooled Cohen's d was -0.07 [(95% CI = -0.10; -0.03); p-value <0.001]. Subgroup analyses by subject suggested that performance in math was affected the most, Cohen's d= -0.14 [(-0.18; -0.10); p-value <0.001].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings revealed a significant negative association between the COVID-19 pandemic and academic performance among developmental age students. Interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on educational outcomes in this population are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"49-73"},"PeriodicalIF":16.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141625798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Osvalda De Giglio, Fabrizio Fasano, Giusy Diella, Valentina Spagnuolo, Francesco Triggiano, Marco Lopuzzo, Francesca Apollonio, Carla Maria Leone, Maria Teresa Montagna
{"title":"Machine learning vs. regression models to predict the risk of Legionella contamination in a hospital water network.","authors":"Osvalda De Giglio, Fabrizio Fasano, Giusy Diella, Valentina Spagnuolo, Francesco Triggiano, Marco Lopuzzo, Francesca Apollonio, Carla Maria Leone, Maria Teresa Montagna","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2644","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2644","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The periodic monitoring of Legionella in hospital water networks allows preventive measures to be taken to avoid the risk of legionellosis to patients and healthcare workers.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>The aim of the study is to standardize a method for predicting the risk of Legionella contamination in the water supply of a hospital facility, by comparing Machine Learning, conventional and combined models.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>During the period July 2021- October 2022, water sampling for Legionella detection was performed in the rooms of an Italian hospital pavilion (89.9% of the total number of rooms). Fifty-eight parameters regarding the structural and environmental characteristics of the water network were collected. Models were built on 70% of the dataset and tested on the remaining 30% to evaluate accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,053 water samples were analyzed and 57 (5.4%) were positive for Legionella. Of the Machine Learning models tested, the most efficient had an input layer (56 neurons), hidden layer (30 neurons), and output layer (two neurons). Accuracy was 93.4%, sensitivity was 43.8%, and specificity was 96%. The regression model had an accuracy of 82.9%, sensitivity of 20.3%, and specificity of 97.3%. The combination of the models achieved an accuracy of 82.3%, sensitivity of 22.4%, and specificity of 98.4%. The most important parameters that influenced the model results were the type of water network (hot/cold), the replacement of filter valves, and atmospheric temperature. Among the models tested, Machine Learning obtained the best results in terms of accuracy and sensitivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Future studies are required to improve these predictive models by expanding the dataset using other parameters and other pavilions of the same hospital.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"128-140"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141578768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}