0000000000544451
AUTHOR
L. Ficano
showing 8 related works from this author
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: effect on survival.
2010
Abstract Background Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is offered to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with severe dysphagia. Immediate benefits of PEG are adequate food intake and weight stabilization. However, the impact of PEG on survival is still uncertain. In this work we retrospectively evaluated the effect of PEG on survival in a cohort of ALS patients followed in a tertiary referral centre. Methods Between 2000 and 2007, 150 dysphagic ALS patients were followed until death or tracheostomy. PEG was placed in 76 patients who accepted the procedure and survival was analysed using the Kaplan–Meier life-table method. Results In ALS patients submitted to PEG, no major co…
An endoscopic approach to the management of surgical bile duct injuries: nine years’ experience
2003
Abstract Background. The evaluation of the endoscopic treatment of surgical bile duct injuries, especially in the management of post-operative strictures, remains controversial. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using endoscopic management from a study of the clinical reports of two of the main endoscopy units in Sicily. Patients and methods. A total of 137 consecutive patients were selected. There were 85 simple biliary fistulas: 64 from the cystic duct stump; 19 from the gall bladder bed; and two from intra-hepatic bile ducts. There were 52 biliary lesions: 15 complete transections; 12 incomplete lesions of the common bile duct with six associated strictures; f…
Trans-visceral migration of retained surgical gauze as a cause of intestinal obstruction: a case report
2008
AbstractIntroductionA retained surgical sponge in the abdomen is uncommon although it is likely that this finding is underreported in the medical literature. The intravisceral migration of retained surgical gauze is even rarer, as demonstrated by the very few cases reported.Case presentationThree years after undergoing anterior resection of the rectum, a 75-year-old man presented with symptoms of small bowel obstruction. Plain abdominal radiography and CT showed a radio-opaque marker; a foreign body was suspected, probably a piece of retained surgical gauze. An ileotomy of about 5 cm. was performed to confirm this diagnosis and remove the gauze.ConclusionAlthough rare, retained gauze in the…
Evaluation of main functional dyspepsia symptoms after probiotic administration in patients receiving conventional pharmacological therapies
2021
Objective Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) are the two main forms of functional dyspepsia (FD). Probiotics are a promising therapy for FD, but current data remains heterogeneous. This work aims to evaluate a probiotic combination of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04 (DSM 16605), Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LPS01 (DSM 21980), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbruekii LDD01 (DMS 22106), alone or together with other pharmacological therapies, for clinical improvement of symptoms associated with FD. Methods Patients with FD were enrolled and divided into two groups: PDS and EPS. Probiotic alone or co…
Appropriateness of upper-GI endoscopy: an Italian survey on behalf of the Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy
2007
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Open-access endoscopy allows physicians to directly schedule endoscopic procedures for their patients without prior consultation. An evaluation of both appropriateness and diagnostic yield of endoscopic procedures is critical when assessing the costs and benefits of endoscopy in an open-access setting. The aim of this Italian multicenter study was to assess the appropriate use of upper endoscopy (EGD) in an open-access system and to establish the yield of diagnostic information relevant to patient care. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study. PATIENTS: A total of 6270 patients referred to 44 Italian centers for open-access EGD during 1 …
Training with a computer-based simulator achieves basic manual skills required for upper endoscopy: A randomized controlled trial
2004
Changes in medical practice have constrained the time available for education and the availability of patients for training. Computer-based simulators have been devised that can be used to achieve manual skills without patient contact. This study prospectively compared, in a clinical setting, the efficacy of a computer-based simulator for training in upper endoscopy.Twenty-two fellows with no experience in endoscopy were randomly assigned to two groups: one group underwent 10 hours of preclinical training with a computer-based simulator, and the other did not. Each trainee performed upper endoscopy in 19 or 20 patients. Performance parameters evaluated included the following: esophageal int…
Discriminant analysis in diagnosing carcinoma of the pancreas and of the papilla of Vater
1994
The clinical and biochemical presentation of carcinoma of the pancreas (PC) and of the papilla of Vater (CPV) are very similar, and, consequently, detailed investigations are required to correctly distinguish between them. The aim of the present study was to select the clinical and biochemical variables that would most efficiently discriminate the precise site of tumor origin. The study group consisted of 72 patients with PC and 22 patients with CPV consecutively hospitalized in our department. The following clinical parameters were considered: age, asthenia, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss, pain, fever, pruritis, and constipation; the biochemical parameters considered were total, direct, a…
Lactobacillus plantarum LP01, Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01) in patients undergoing bowel prepa…
2019
Bowel preparation (BP) for colonoscopy induces significantly changes in gut microbiota and elicit intestinal symptoms. Impaired microbiota causes an intestinal dysbiosis. Consequently, probiotics may counterbalance the disturbed microbiota after BP. The current survey evaluated the efficacy and safety of Abincol®,an oral nutraceuticalcontaining a probiotic mixture with Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (1 billion of living cells), Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02 (800 millions of living cells), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01 (200 millions of living cells), in 2,979 outpatients (1,579 males and 1,400 females, mean age 56 years) undergoing BP. Patients took 1 stick/daily for 4 w…