0000000001092559
AUTHOR
Amelia Licari
showing 17 related works from this author
Inter-society consensus for the use of inhaled corticosteroids in infants, children and adolescents with airway diseases
2021
Abstract Background In 2019, a multidisciplinary panel of experts from eight Italian scientific paediatric societies developed a consensus document for the use of inhaled corticosteroids in the management and prevention of the most common paediatric airways disorders. The aim is to provide healthcare providers with a multidisciplinary document including indications useful in the clinical practice. The consensus document was intended to be addressed to paediatricians who work in the Paediatric Divisions, the Primary Care Services and the Emergency Departments, as well as to Residents or PhD students, paediatric nurses and specialists or consultants in paediatric pulmonology, allergy, infecti…
Social robots and therapeutic adherence: a new challenge in pediatric asthma?
2020
Social Robots are used in different contexts and, in healthcare, they are better known as Socially Assistive Robots. In the context of asthma, the use of Socially Assistive Robots has the potential to increase motivation and engagement to treatment. Other positive roles proposed for Socially Assistive Robots are to provide education, training regarding treatments, and feedback to patients. This review evaluates emerging interventions for improving treatment adherence in pediatric asthma, focusing on the possible future role of social robots in the clinical practice.
Machine learning: A modern approach to pediatric asthma
2021
Among modern methods of statistical and computational analysis, the application of machine learning (ML) to healthcare data has been gaining recognition in helping us understand the heterogeneity of asthma and predicting its progression. In pediatric research, ML approaches may provide rapid advances in uncovering asthma phenotypes with potential translational impact in clinical practice. Also, several accurate models to predict asthma and its progression have been developed using ML. Here, we provide a brief overview of ML approaches recently proposed to characterize pediatric asthma.
What Is the Impact of Innovative Electronic Health Interventions in Improving Treatment Adherence in Asthma? The Pediatric Perspective
2019
Suboptimal adherence to treatment is a significant issue in the management of pediatric asthma and is a major cause of uncontrolled disease, life-threatening attacks, and increased utilization of healthcare resources. Electronic health (e-Health) solutions have the potential to positively impact asthma self-management in children and adolescents and their families, thereby improving treatment adherence and asthma outcomes. However, there is a lack of sufficient data to support widespread adoption of e-Health tools in pediatric asthma practice. A critical evaluation of the impact of these new interventions on treatment adherence in childhood asthma must consider unmet needs, heterogeneity of…
Pharmacogenomics: A Step forward Precision Medicine in Childhood Asthma.
2022
Personalized medicine, an approach to care in which individual characteristics are used for targeting interventions and maximizing health outcomes, is rapidly becoming a reality for many diseases. Childhood asthma is a heterogeneous disease and many children have uncontrolled symptoms. Therefore, an individualized approach is needed for improving asthma outcomes in children. The rapidly evolving fields of genomics and pharmacogenomics may provide a way to achieve asthma control and reduce future risks in children with asthma. In particular, pharmacogenomics can provide tools for identifying novel molecular mechanisms and biomarkers to guide treatment. Emergent high-throughput technologies, …
Asthma-Related Knowledge and Practices among Mothers of Asthmatic Children: A Latent Class Analysis
2022
Mothers’ knowledge about childhood asthma influences management practices and disease control, but validating knowledge/practice questionnaires is difficult due to the lack of a gold standard. We hypothesized that Latent Class Analysis (LCA) could help identify underlying mother profiles with similar knowledge/practices. A total of 438 mothers of asthmatic children answered a knowledge/practice questionnaire. Using answers to the knowledge/practice questionnaire as manifest variables, LCA identified two classes: Class 1, “poor knowledge” (33%); Class 2, “good knowledge” (67%). Classification accuracy was 0.96. Mothers in Class 2 were more likely to be aware of …
Digital health interventions in children with asthma
2020
Abstract Although healthcare providers are actively involved in offering education, information and interventions for asthmatic patients, medication and therapeutic adherence remain low in the paediatric population, with estimates suggesting that adherence rates hover below 50%. A range of available digital health interventions has been explored in paediatric asthma with promising but variable results, limiting their widespread adoption in clinical practice. They include emerging technologies that yield the advantage of tracking asthma symptoms and medications, setting drug reminders, improving inhaler technique and delivering asthma education, such as serious games (video games designed fo…
Artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of pediatric allergic diseases.
2020
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of data science pertaining to advanced computing machines capable of learning from data and interacting with the human world. Early diagnosis and diagnostics, self-care, prevention and wellness, clinical decision support, care delivery, and chronic care management have been identified within the healthcare areas that could benefit from introducing AI. In pediatric allergy research, the recent developments in AI approach provided new perspectives for characterizing the heterogeneity of allergic diseases among patients. Moreover, the increasing use of electronic health records and personal healthcare records highlighted the relevance of AI in …
Endotyping allergic rhinitis in children: A machine learning approach.
2021
Introduction: The diversity of allergic rhinitis (AR) phenotypes is particularly evident in childhood, suggesting the need to analyze and identify new approaches to capture such clinical heterogeneity. Nasal cytology (NC) is a very useful diagnostic tool for identifying and quantifying nasal inflammation. Data-driven approaches such as latent class analysis (LCA) assign subjects to classes based on their characteristics. We hypothesized that LCA based on NC, including the assessment of neutrophils, eosinophils, and mast cells, may be helpful for identifying AR endotypes in children. Methods: A total of 168 children were enrolled. Sociodemographic characteristics and detailed medical history…
Italian pediatric respiratory society recommendations on pediatric pulmonary function testing during COVID-19 pandemic
2020
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2). Person-toperson transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs primarily through close contact with an infected person, mainly occurring via respiratory droplets and after touching contaminated objects. Accordingly, pulmonary function testing (PFT) could be considered at high-risk for viral transmission due to the potential for coughing and droplet formation during PFT procedures. The most likely surfaces for possible contamination by this route are mouthpieces, proximal valves, and tubing. Also, both technic…
Management of chronic urticaria in children: a clinical guideline
2019
Abstract The aim of this guidance is to provide recommendations to clinicians and other interested parties on chronic urticaria in children. The Italian Society for Pediatrics (SIP), the Italian Society for Allergy and Immunology (SIAIP), the Italian Society for Pediatric dermatology (SIDerP) convened a multidisciplinary panel that prepared clinical guidelines for diagnosis and management of chronic urticaria in childhood. Key questions on epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis, and management were developed. The literature was systematically searched and evaluated, recommendations were rated and algorithms for diagnosis and treatment were developed. The recommendations focus on identific…
Consensus statement of the Italian society of pediatric allergy and immunology for the pragmatic management of children and adolescents with allergic…
2020
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has surprised the entire population. The world has had to face an unprecedented pandemic. Only, Spanish flu had similar disastrous consequences. As a result, drastic measures (lockdown) have been adopted worldwide. Healthcare service has been overwhelmed by the extraordinary influx of patients, often requiring high intensity of care. Mortality has been associated with severe comorbidities, including chronic diseases. Patients with frailty were, therefore, the victim of the SARS-COV-2 infection. Allergy and asthma are the most prevalent chronic disorders in children and adolescents, so they need careful attention and, if necessary, an adaptation of their regular…
Cluster analysis of clinical data reveals three pediatric eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder phenotypes
2022
Primary eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) are a spectrum of emerging inflammatory diseases, which may involve any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and lead to a pathological eosinophilic mucosal infiltration.1,2 Based on the anatomical site of the eosinophil inflammation, EGIDs are classified into eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and nonesophageal EGIDs.This study aimed to characterize EGIDs heterogeneity by performing cluster analysis on a cohort of children and adolescents followed at the Pediatric Center for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (CPED) in Pavia, Italy, using an extensive pediatric primary care database from our University Hospital
Endotyping Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis in Children: A Cluster Analysis.
2022
BackgroundSeasonal Allergic Rhinitis (SAR) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease. We hypothesized that a cluster analysis based on the evaluation of cytokines in nasal lavage (NL) could characterize distinctive SAR endotypes in children.MethodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled 88 children with SAR. Detailed medical history was obtained by well-trained physicians. Quality of life and sleep quality were assessed through standardized questionnaires [Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) respectively]. Children were grouped through K-means clustering using Interleukin (IL)-5, IL-17, IL-23, and Interferon (INF)-γ in NL.R…
Artificial intelligence as an emerging diagnostic approach in paediatric pulmonology.
2020
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the subset of computer science that covers anything related to making machines smart. Along with machine learning (ML), AI encompasses a wide range of approaches and technologies, including knowledge discovery and data mining methodologies, predictive analytics, advanced statistics for pattern recognition and neurocomputing. AI technologies and their expanding applications in diagnostics call for constant updates of knowledge and skills. In this commentary, we outline recent breakthroughs in paediatric pulmonology.
Impact of a Supervised Training Course on Spirometry Competency for Primary Care Pediatricians
2020
Objective: Spirometry is the most commonly performed lung function test, and performance, adherence to acceptability and repeatability criteria, and accurate interpretation of results help optimize the test's usefulness. This study aimed to measure the effects of spirometry training courses supported by the Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society (IPRS) on primary care pediatricians' (PCP) knowledge of spirometry test quality, ability to interpret results, and overall degree of satisfaction with the course.Methods: Of the six face-to-face courses, four lasted two days and two lasted one day: mean duration of theoretical lessons was five and four hours respectively; and practical sessions last…
Severe asthma features in children: A case–control online survey
2016
Background Very few studies have explored the distinguishing features of severe asthma in childhood in Europe, and only one study was conducted in Southern Europe. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed characterization of children with severe asthma treated in specialized pediatric asthma centers across Italy. Methods We conducted a web-based data collection of family, environmental, clinical and laboratory characteristics of 41 patients aged 6–17 years with severe asthma, defined according to the recent guidelines of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society, and 78 age-matched peers with non-severe persistent asthma. The patients have been enrolled from …