Search results for "Italy"

Physical inactivity in patients with COPD, a controlled multi-center pilot-study

2010

Physical activity (PA) has been reported to be reduced in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies in moderate COPD are currently scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate physical activity in daily life in patients with COPD (n=70) and controls (n=30).A multi-center controlled study was conducted. PA was assessed using a multisensor armband device (SenseWear, BodyMedia, Pittsburgh, PA) and is reported as the average number of steps per day, and the time spent in mild and moderate physical activity.Patients suffered from mild (n=9), moderate (n=28), severe (n=23) and very severe (n=10) COPD. The time spent in activities with mild (80 + or - 69 min vs 160 + …

Current Practices in the Management of Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacities: A Survey of SICT Members

2018

Background Several gray areas and controversies exist concerning the management of pulmonary ground-glass opacities (GGOs), and there is a lack of consensus among clinicians on this topic. One of the main aims of the Italian Society of Thoracic Surgery is to promote education and research, so we decided to perform a survey on this topic to estimate current trends in practice in a large sample of thoracic surgeons. Methods A total of 160 thoracic surgeons responded, namely, completed our questionnaire (response rate, 53%; 160 of 302). The survey was composed of 36 questions divided into six subsections: (1) demographic characteristics of the respondents; (2) terminology and taxonomy; (3) rad…

Tracheostomy in patients with long-term mechanical ventilation: a survey.

2010

Summary Background Tracheostomy is increasingly performed in intensive care units (ICU), with many patients transferred to respiratory ICU (RICU). Indications/timing for closing tracheostomy are discussed. Aim and Method We report results of a one-year survey evaluating: 1) clinical characteristics, types of tracheostomy, complications in patients admitted to Italian RICU in 2006; 2) clinical criteria and systems for performing decannulation, and outcome of patients undergoing tracheostomy (number decannulated; number non-decannulated/non-ventilated; number non-decannulated/ventilated; dead/lost patients). Results 22/32 RICUs replied. There were 846 admissions of 719 patients (Mean age 64,3…

Physician specialty as a source of heterogeneity in the care of patients with COPD.

2011

Chronic burden of near-roadway traffic pollution in 10 European cities (APHEKOM network).

2013

AD; International audience; Recent epidemiological research suggests that near road traffic-related pollution may cause chronic disease, as well as exacerbate related pathologies, implying that the entire “chronic disease progression” should be attributed to air pollution, no matter what the proximate cause was. We estimated the burden of childhood asthma attributable to air pollution in 10 European cities by calculating the number of cases of 1) asthma caused by near road traffic-related pollution, and 2) acute asthma events related to urban air pollution levels. We then expanded our approach to include coronary heart diseases in adults.Derivation of attributable cases required combining c…

Factors that influence exhaled nitric oxide in Italian schoolchildren

2008

Conflicting results exist about the meaning of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) in epidemiologic studies, mainly because of the numerous factors that may affect the measurement.To evaluate the role of the factors that influence eNO levels in a sample of schoolchildren with or without respiratory diseases. We studied 335 schoolchildren, ages 10 to 16 years, from 8 schools in Palermo, Italy. After a respiratory questionnaire was completed, spirometry, skin tests, and eNO measurements were performed.Among 335 children, 13.7% reported symptoms of bronchial asthma, 46.9% reported symptoms of rhinitis, and 39.4% were asymptomatic. The ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capaci…

Comparative bench study evaluation of different infant interfaces for non-invasive ventilation

2018

Abstract Background To compare, in terms of patient-ventilator interaction and performance, a new nasal mask (Respireo, AirLiquide, FR) with the Endotracheal tube (ET) and a commonly used nasal mask (FPM, Fisher and Paykel, NZ) for delivering Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) in an infant model of Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF). Methods An active test lung (ASL 5000) connected to an infant mannequin through 3 different interfaces (Respireo, ET and FPM), was ventilated with a standard ICU ventilator set in PSV. The test lung was set to simulate a 5.5 kg infant with ARF, breathing at 50 and 60 breaths/min). Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) mode was not used and the leaks were nearly zero. Res…

Mitral valve annuloplasty and papillary muscle relocation oriented by 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography for severe functional mitral reg…

2012

Objective The study of the mitral valve apparatus and its modifications during functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is better revealed by 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TOE). To plan mitral valve repair by annuloplasty and papillary muscle (PPM) relocation, we proposed a valve repair procedure oriented by the new main features obtained by real-time 3D TOE reconstruction of the mitral valve apparatus. Methods Since January 2008, 25 patients with severe FMR before mitral valve repair were examined. Mean coaptation depth and mean tenting area were 1.3 ± 0.2 cm and 3.2 ± 0.5 cm 2 , respectively. Intraoperative 2D and 3D TOE were performed, followed by a 3D offline reconst…

Eligibility for treatment with omalizumab in Italy and Germany.

2013

Summary Omalizumab is an add-on therapy for patients with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma. In Europe, patients must fulfil a number of additional criteria to become eligible for omalizumab therapy, creating a challenge for epidemiology studies to quantify the potential patient pool. Thus, and in the absence of robust data, the number of omalizumab-eligible patients has remained unclear. To assess eligible patient numbers, a chart-audit design approach was employed to measure epidemiology variables based on patient-level data. 770 patient charts were reviewed in designated towns in Germany and Italy, in collaboration with >200 primary care physicians (PCPs) and respiratory specialists (R…

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors effect before and during hospitalization in COVID-19 outcomes: Final analysis of the international HOPE COVID-19 …

2021

Background The use of Renin-Angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been questioned because both share a target receptor site. Methods HOPE-COVID-19 (NCT04334291) is an international investigator-initiated registry. Patients are eligible when discharged after an in-hospital stay with COVID-19, dead or alive. Here, we analyze the impact of previous and continued in-hospital treatment with RASi in all-cause mortality and the development of in-stay complications. Results We included 6503 patients, over 18 years, from Spain and Italy with data on their RASi status. Of those, 36.8% were receiving any RASi before admission. RASi patients were …