Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita最新文献

{"title":"Low-intensity rehabilitation in persistent post COVID-19 dyspnoea: the value of Spa health resort as appropriate setting.","authors":"Emanuela Resta, Carla Maria Irene Quarato, Giulia Scioscia, Eustachio Cuscianna, Pasquale Tondo, Giuseppe Mansueto, Ernesto Lulaj, Simone Sorangelo, Onofrio Resta, Maria Pia Foschino Barbaro, Silvio Tafuri, Donato Lacedonia","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2617","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2617","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Post COVID-19 syndrome is a frequent disabling outcome, leading to a delay in social reintegration and return to working life.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>This was a prospective observational cohort study. The main objective was to explore the effectiveness of a Spa rehabilitation treatment on the improvement of post COVID-19 dyspnoea and fatigue, also analyzing the relationship between such symptoms. Additionally, it was assessed if different clinical characteristics could predispose patients in experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms or could influence the effectiveness of a Spa intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From July to November 2021, 187 post COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. All the patients complained persi-sting dyspnoea, whose impact on daily activities was assessed using the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale. 144 patients (77.0%) reported also fatigue. The Spa treatment was started at least 3 months after COVID-19 acute phase. At the end of the treatment, patients were asked to rate the improvement in the dyspnoea and fatigue sensation. 118 patients also underwent the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale for severity estimation of Exertion Dyspnoea and the Barthel index for severity estimation of Physical Limitation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>165 out of 187 patients (88.2%) reported an improvement in dyspnoea, while 116 out 144 patients (80.6%) reported an improvement in both dyspnoea and fatigue. On a total of 118 subjects, a clinically significant improvement in the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale (i.e. Delta Borg equal or more than -2.0 points) was reached by the 50.8% of patients, while a clinically significant improvement in the Barthel index (i.e. Delta Barthel equal or more than +10.0 points) was reached by the 51.7% of them. The 31.4% of patients reached a minimal clinically important improvement in both the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale and the Barthel index. No risk factors were associated to a clinically impacting dyspnoea at entry, while a BMI>30 Kg/m2 was the main risk factor for chronic fatigue. Presence of respiratory comorbidities, obesity and severe acute COVID-19 (phenotype 4) configured risk factors for the lack of improvement of dyspnoea after the treatment, while no risk factors were associated to a lack of improvement for fatigue. Older age, obesity and comorbidities seemed to make more difficult to reach a clinically meaningful improvement in the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale and the Barthel index after treatment. Female gender may imply more physical limitation at entry, while male patients seem to show less improvement in the Barthel index after treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dyspnoea and fatigue were confirmed to be important post COVID-19 symptoms even in younger subjects of wor-king age and subjects with absent or modest pulmonary alterations at distance from acute COVID-19. A Spa health resort seems to be an effective \"lo","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"597-613"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140020793","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":"Decade-long insights: tracking asbestos-related health impacts among formerly exposed workers in Palermo, Italy.","authors":"Claudio Costantino, Caterina Ledda, Matteo Riccò, Eduardo Costagliola, Francesco Balsamo, Miriam Belluzzo, Nicole Bonaccorso, Alessandro Carubia, Luciano D'Azzo, Martina Sciortino, Tania Vitello, Luigi Zagra, Santo Fruscione, Sara Ilardo, Elisa Trapani, Giuseppe Calamusa, Venerando Rapisarda, Walter Mazzucco","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2619","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2619","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asbestos is a foremost occupational carcinogen globally. Despite the prohibition under Law 257/1992, Italy persists as one of the European nations most burdened by asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). This research assessed ARD cases in asbestos-exposed workers from the Province of Palermo, Italy, spanning 2010-2021.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data acquisition utilized the epidemiological dataset from the 'Service of Prevention and Safety on Work Environment' under the Prevention Department of Palermo's Local Health Authority (LHA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2010 and 2021, we identified 245 ARD instances, comprising 163 Asbestosis/Pleural plaques, 41 Lung Cancers, 38 Mesotheliomas, and 3 unspecified cases. Multivariate analysis indicated a notable decline in temporal exposure for mesothelioma (HR=0.933; 95% CI=0.902-0.965) and lung cancer (HR=0.93; 95% CI=0.90-0.978) relative to pleural plaques/asbestosis. Tobacco use displayed a pronounced correlation with lung cancer (smoker HR=64.520 95% CI=13,075-318.390; former smoker HR=20.917 95% CI=4,913-89.048). A significant link was observed between mesothelioma and pleural plaques/asbestosis in those employed in shipbuilding and repair (HR=0.371 95% CI=0.155-0.892).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ARDs persist in clinical observations, even following the 1992 cessation of asbestos-related activities, emphasizing an enduring public health challenge. Enhancing prevention strategies is paramount, focusing on amplifying anamnestic and occupational data collection, thereby facilitating superior early diagnosis strategies for these maladies in the occupationally exposed cohort.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"525-536"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140093362","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":"Infectious risk profile and strategies for prevention and control of outbreaks in refugee, asylum seekers and migrant populations in EU/EEA countries: a systematic narrative review of evidence.","authors":"Francesco Paolo Bianchi, Daniel Fiacchini, Emanuela Maria Frisicale, Renata Gili, Stefano Greco, Stefano Guicciardi, Matteo Riccò, Salvatore Zichichi, Nunzio Zotti, Silvio Tafuri","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2610","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2610","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The recent surge in migration to and within the European Union and European Economic Area has brought the development of migration policy, including health policy, to the forefront of regional priorities. While migrants, in general, do not pose a health threat to the host population, specific subgroups of migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants, are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. To support public health policies in this area, the Emergency Preparedness and Management' working group of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health has conducted a systematic narrative review with the aim to comprehensively analyze the infectious disease risk within the refugee and asylum seeker populations in EU, EEA, and EU-applicant countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-two studies were systematically selected from scientific articles in the MEDLINE/PubMed database from January 1, 2008, to June 1, 2023. The infectious risk associated with each infectious disease among refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the strategies to prevent and control outbreaks, was collected from all available studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The congregate living conditions in refugee camps, transit centers, and temporary housing facilities make this population particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. As such, implementing stringent hygiene and preventive measures is critical to safeguarding the health of refugees and reducing the risk of outbreaks that may affect both the refugee population and the host communities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Effective vaccination and preventive strategies for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are vital for public health and the well-being of these populations. They should be delivered as part of universal health care. By addressing barriers and implementing tailored programs, we can ensure equitable access to vaccines and protect the health of these vulnerable individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"549-568"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140020791","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":"Vaccine hesitancy in South Tyrol: a narrative review of insights and strategies for public health improvement.","authors":"Christian J Wiedermann, Verena Barbieri, Barbara Plagg, Giuliano Piccoliori, Adolf Engl","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2625","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2625","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This review examines vaccine hesitancy in South Tyrol, Italy, a region characterized by cultural and linguistic diversity. The critical need for vaccination to control infectious diseases contrasts with the region's low vaccination rates, which pose a significant public health challenge.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Based on literature, reports, and studies, we used PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to explore vaccine hesitancy in South Tyrol. It emphasizes the analysis of historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors, and focuses on quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to understand the roots of vaccine hesitancy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In two studies with four reports, mistrust in health policies and institutions, misinformation, and cultural and linguistic barriers were identified as key factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy in South Tyrol. These factors are accentuated by the region's unique sociopolitical landscape, which influences public health policies and vaccination initiatives.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings highlight the need for public health strategies specifically tailored to South Tyrol. Recommended actions include developing culturally sensitive and multilingual communication campaigns, increasing community involvement, and rebuilding trust in healthcare systems. These approaches are essential for addressing the specific challenges in South Tyrol, thereby improving vaccine uptake and overall public health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"569-579"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140304486","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":"Predicting the risk of type 2 diabetes: Standardized diabetes risk score among the Khmer ethnic minority in Vietnam.","authors":"Tuyen Thi Hong Nguyen, Lam Phuc Duong","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2652","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7416/ai.2024.2652","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Predicting the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes, as well as identifying the factors that increase this risk, helps the population adjust the modifiable risk factors, improve quality of life, and reduce the disease burden.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted on 918 ethnic Khmer minority people aged 40 and above in Vietnam who had never been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To predict the 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes, the Finnish Diabetes Risk Scoring Scale, adjusted for the Asian population with modification of the waist circumpherence and Body Mass Index Cut-Offs, was used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 10-year predicted risk of progression to type 2 diabetes in ethnic Khmer people aged 40 years and older in southern Vietnam, using the Asian-modified Finnish Diabetes Risk Scoring Scale, resulted 10.54% in the total population study, females have a higher risk at 12.62% compared to 8.01% of males. Among the items that make up the Finnish Diabetes Risk Scoring Scale, age, waist circumference, BMI, family history of diabetes, history of high blood glucose, and use of blood pressure medication were the most accurate predictors, with the area under the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve at 0.83, 0.81, 0.77, 0.75, 0.74 and 0.73 respectively. The optimal cut-off score to identify progression to tipe 2 diabetes was 13.5 points (Se = 1.00, Sp = 1.00, p < 0.001). The multivariable logistic regression model shows that factors associated with high risk of type 2 diabetes progression in 10 years are age, gender, occupation, economic status, education level and regular alcohol consumption (p < 0.05). The study results provide a basis for proposing potential solutions to reduce modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes in the population. These include providing culturally appropriate health education and changing behavior to address alcohol consumption.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusions: </strong>The use of the Asian-modified Finnish Diabetes Risk Scoring Scale to predict the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes and as a screening tool for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes is appropriate for the Vietnamese Khmer population.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142103631","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":"Primary care doctors retirements in the context of an ageing population in Italy.","authors":"Zeno Dalla Valle, Carlo Signorelli, Cristina Renzi","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2602","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2602","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ongoing shortages in primary care doctors/primary care paediatricians and increasing healthcare needs due to ageing of the population represent a great challenge for healthcare providers, managers, and policymakers. To support planning of primary healthcare resource allocation we analyzed the geographic distribution of primary care doctors/primary care paediatricians across Italian regions, accounting for area-specific number and age of the population. Additionally, we estimated the number of primary care doctors/primary care paediatricians expected to retire over the next 25 years, with a focus on the next five years.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Ecological study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We gathered the list of Italian general practitioners and primary care paediatricians and combined them with the data from the National Federation of Medical Doctors, Surgeons and Dentists. Using data from the National Institutes of Statistics, we calculated the average number of patients per doctor for each region using the number of residents above and under 14 years of age for general practitioners and primary care paediatricians respectively. We also calculated the number of residents over-65 and over-75 years of age per general practitioner, as elderly patients typically have higher healthcare needs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>On average the number of patients per general practitioner was 1,447 (SD: 190), while for paediatricians it was 1,139 (SD: 241), with six regions above the threshold of 1,500 patients per general practitioner and only one region under the threshold of 880 patients per paediatrician. We estimated that on average 2,228 general practitioners and 444 paediatricians are going to retire each year for the next five years, reaching more than 70% among the current workforce for some southern regions. The number of elderly patients per general practitioner varies substantially between regions, with two regions having >15% more patients aged over 65 years compared to the expected number.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>over 65 years compared to the expected number. Conclusions. The study highlighted that some regions do not currently have the required primary care workforce, and the expec-ted retirements and the ageing of the population will exacerbate the pressure on the already over-stretched healthcare services. A response from healthcare administrations and policymakers is urgently required to allow equitable access to quality primary care across the country.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"392-404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139650159","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":"Influenza and Covid-19 Vaccination in 2023: a descriptive analysis in two Italian Research and Teaching Hospitals. Is the On-Site strategy effective?","authors":"Pier Mario Perrone, Simone Villa, Giuseppina Maria Raciti, Laura Clementoni, Valentina Vegro, Francesco Scovenna, Augusto Altavilla, Adriana Monica Tomoiaga, Valentina Beltrami, Ilaria Bruno, Marcello Vaccargiu, Elisa Astorri, Navpreet Tiwana, Matteo Letzgus, Peter Johannes Schulz, Fabrizio Ernesto Pregliasco, Silvana Castaldi","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2606","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2606","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Vaccinations represent an extremely effective tool for the prevention of certain infectious diseases - such as influenza and COVID-19 -, particularly for those categories at risk due to both their frail condition or professional exposure, such as healthcare workers. The aim of this study is to describe the course of the anti-influenza and anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign at two Research Hospitals in Milan, Italy.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Multicentre, cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>For the 2023-24 vaccination campaign, the two facilities opted for two different approaches. At the Hospital A, two dif-ferent strategies for vaccinating healthcare workers were implemented: a fixed-site vaccination clinic and two mobile vaccination groups run by Public Health residents of the University of Milan. At the Hospital B, on the other hand, a single fixed-site outpatient clinic run by Public Health residents of the University of Milan was used. On the occasion of the campaign, a survey was also carried out using anonymous online questionnaires to investigate healthcare workers attitudes towards vaccination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,937 healthcare workers were vaccinated: 756 were immunized against influenza only, 99 against COVID-19 only, and 1,082 against both. The results show a substantial difference in vaccination adherence among medical and nursing staff compared to other professional categories. In particular, the category with the highest vaccination adhesion turned out to be that of medical doctors with 55.7% adhesion while, on the contrary, the category with the lowest adhesion turned out to be that of auxiliary personnel characterized by 7.4% adhesion. At the same time, the comparison between the two hospital facilities showed a double adherence rate by the staff of Hospital A as regards both the flu vaccine (40.6% and 20.1%) and the anti-COVID-19 vaccine (26.4% and 12.3%). Finally, the survey showed that the attitude towards influenza vaccination is lower among auxiliary staff in terms of both knowledge and vaccination attitude.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results of the study show a vaccination adherence in line with that of previous years, although lower than the values recommended by the principal national and international Organizations. The analysis of the differences between the two facilities and the surveys carried out will allow for the implementation of targeted interventions to increase adherence in future campaigns.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"421-431"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140206257","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":"Identification of bullet holes in mummified corpse.","authors":"K S Bisogni, F Magli, I A Galassi","doi":"10.7417/CT.2024.5101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7417/CT.2024.5101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The evaluation of the cause of death in a forensic context is often challenging especially when the corpse is in a severely altered state (decomposed, skeletonized, charred, dismembered, etc.), thus making it difficult to obtain an overview of the features and/or lesions suggestive of the dynamics leading to death.</p><p><strong>Case report: </strong>In this case, the corpse was partly in a state of saponification and partly in a state of mummification with signs of skeletonization. The head, trunk, arms and upper legs were mummified and almost completely dehydrated.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The use of special techniques such as the rehydration of bodies is an ancient practice. Parts of skin in different states of decomposition with the use of rehydration solution represents a useful procedure for the study of some damaging modalities, being able to identify damaged areas characterized by compression/dehydration effects, hidden by the advanced transformative state of the corpse, highlighting very damaged, in which skin normality can no longer be restored.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":"175 Suppl 2(4)","pages":"134-137"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141888234","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":"Effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide wipes for surface disinfection in healthcare facilities.","authors":"Marco Lopuzzo, Maria Teresa Montagna, Francesco Triggiano, Giuseppina Caggiano","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2621","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The correct method of surface disinfection in hospitals is an essential tool in the fight against the spread of healthcare-associated infections caused by multi-resistant microorganisms. Currently, there are many disinfectants on the market that can be used against different microorganisms. However, the effectiveness of different active molecules is controversial in the literature.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of wipes based on hydrogen peroxide (1.0 %) and highly specific plant-based surfactants, contained in H2O2TM (Hi-speed H2O2TM) products, against some hospital-associated microorganisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The effectiveness of the wipes was tested against nosocomial and control strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida parapsilosis. Specifically, in vitro activity was assessed using three different techniques: stainless steel surface testing, surface diffusion testing and well diffusion test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The three different methods tested confirm the wipes' good effectiveness against the most common multi-resistant bacteria and against fungi.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These data show that the tested wipes could be a valid adjunct to the disinfection process and could assist in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"487-497"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140304485","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":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency and elective surgery. A retrospective observational analysis in Apulia, southern Italy.","authors":"Francesco Paolo Bianchi, Antonio Daleno, Donato Rizzi, Giovanni Migliore, Silvio Tafuri","doi":"10.7416/ai.2024.2612","DOIUrl":"10.7416/ai.2024.2612","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In Italy, at the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, only emergency and life-saving elective surgical procedures were allowed with obvious limitations in terms of numbers of operable cases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the performance of surgical activities by Apulian healthcare facilities (Southern Italy) under the pandemic emergency pressure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The surgical procedures in study were identified via the Apulian regional archive of hospital discharge forms. We used the ICD9 codes in order to define the elective and urgency surgeries in analysis, and we extended our search to all procedures performed from 2019 to 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The number of all procedures decreased from 2019 to 2020; the reduction was higher for elective surgery (-43.7%) than urgency surgery (-15.5%). In 2021, an increase compared to 2020 was recorded for all procedures; nevertheless, elective surgeries registered a further slightly decrease compared to 2019 (-12.4%), while a slightly increase was observed for urgency surgeries (+3.5%). No particular variation was observed considering sex and age at surgery of the patients, and days of hospitalization from 2019 to 2021.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The impact of COVID19 on Apulian regional health system has been extremely shocked and has required the implementation of strategies aimed at containing the infection and guaranteeing health services as far as possible. A new paradigm of hospital care for SARS-COV-2 patients in the post-emergency phase in Italy is needed, in order to optimize the resources available and to guarantee high standards of quality and efficiency for citizens.</p>","PeriodicalId":7999,"journal":{"name":"Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita","volume":" ","pages":"414-420"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139929687","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}