Protective Effects of Home T2DM Treatment with Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Sodium-Glucose Co-transporter-2 Inhibitors Against Intensive Care Unit Admission and Mortality in the Acute Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Study in Italy.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a relevant risk factor for severe forms of COVID-19 (SARS coronavrus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] disease 2019), and calls for caution because of the high prevalence of T2DM worldwide and the high mortality rates observed in patients with T2DM who are infected with SARS-CoV-2. People with T2DM often take dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1ras), or sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is), all of which have clear anti-inflammatory effects. The study aimed to compare (i) the severity and duration of hospital stay between patients with T2DM categorized by pre-hospitalization drug class utilization and (ii) the COVID-19-related death rates of those three groups.

Developing and validating an algorithm to identify incident chronic dialysis patients using administrative data.

Background: Administrative healthcare databases are widespread and are often standardized with regard to their content and data coding, thus they can be used also as data sources for surveillance and epidemiological research. Chronic dialysis requires patients to frequently access hospital and clinic services, causing a heavy burden to healthcare providers. This also means that these patients are routinely tracked on administrative databases, yet very few case definitions for their identification are currently available.

Dementia Improvement after Primary Hyperparathyroidism Surgery.

This is the case of a 76-year-old man admitted to hospital in a delirium state, previously diagnosed with a major depressive disorder at an age of 50 years, treated for years for chronic tension headache. The computed tomography of the head resulted negative. Inpatient laboratory tests revealed a mild hypercalcemia.

Proportional incidence of interval colorectal cancer in a large population-based faecal immunochemical test screening programme.

Background: The European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommend that interval cancer rate be expressed as a proportion of background incidence rate.

Aim: To determine the crude and adjusted proportional incidence of interval CRC in an Italian regional two-yearly faecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening programme.

Methods: The programme (year of implementation, 2005) is targeted at over 1,000,000 people aged 50-69 years.

One-year mortality associated with COPD treatment: a comparison of tiotropium and long-acting beta2-agonists in three Italian regions: results from the OUTPUL study.

Purpose: Long-acting bronchodilators, i.e. beta-2-agonists (LABA) and tiotropium are commonly used in COPD treatment.

The Effect on Total Mortality of Adding Inhaled Corticosteroids to Long-Acting Bronchodilators for COPD: A Real Practice Analysis in Italy.

Purpose: Chronic therapy with long-acting bronchodilators (LB) is recommended to treat moderate-to-severe COPD. Although the benefits of adding inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to LB are still unclear, patients who experience repeated exacerbations are suggested to add ICS to their LB treatment. The objective of this study is to analyze whether adding ICS to LB therapy reduces mortality.

Long term effectiveness on prescribing of two multifaceted educational interventions: results of two large scale randomized cluster trials.

Introduction: Information on benefits and risks of drugs is a key element affecting doctors' prescribing decisions. Outreach visits promoting independent information have proved moderately effective in changing prescribing behaviours.

Objectives: Testing the short and long-term effectiveness on general practitioners' prescribing of small groups meetings led by pharmacists.

Baby-friendly hospitals and cesarean section rate: a survey of Italian hospitals.

Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative aims at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. Cesarean section is known to represent an obstacle to breastfeeding. In this observational study we compared Baby-Friendly and non-Baby-Friendly hospitals (BFHs and non-BFHs, respectively) in terms of cesarean section rate.

A population based cohort study to assess the safety of pandemic influenza vaccine Focetria in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy - part two.

Introduction: A two phases post authorization safety and effectiveness study of individuals vaccinated with the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, Focetria (Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Siena, Italy), was conducted in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy during the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic. The second phase study aim was to detect short- and long-term adverse events of special interest (AESIs) following vaccination, and to measure vaccine effectiveness in term of hospital admissions.

Study Design And Method: A population-based cohort study using record linkage of automated healthcare databases is described.

Randomised controlled trials for evaluating the prescribing impact of information meetings led by pharmacists and of new information formats, in General Practice in Italy.

Background: Suboptimal translation of valid and relevant information in clinical practice is a problem for all health systems. Lack of information independent from commercial influences, limited efforts to actively implement evidence-based information and its limited comprehensibility are important determinants of this gap and may influence an excessive variability in physicians' prescriptions. This is quite noticeable in Italy, where the philosophy and methods of Evidence-Based Medicine still enjoy limited diffusion among practitioners.

Do coxibs reduce prescription of gastroprotective agents? Results of a record linkage study.

Background: Coxibs are claimed to be cost-effective drugs and reduced prescription of gastroprotective agents is assumed to be one of their major benefits. Real life prescription of these drugs may be substantially different than that considered in pharmacoeconomic analyses or claimed by drug companies, yet. Our objective was to evaluate whether coxibs were associated with reduced prescription of gastro-protective agents (GPAs, specifically proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers and misoprostol) compared to non selective NSAIDs.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: further considerations on selection criteria.

The selection criteria in liver transplantation for HCC are a matter of debate. We reviewed our series, comparing two periods: before and after 1996, when we started to apply the Milan criteria. The study population was composed of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of HCC, confirmed by the pathological report and with a survival of >1 year.