Dementia, stroke, age, use of medical devices and antipsychotic drugs may increase the risk of nosocomial infections among elderly patients hospitalized at Neurology Clinics.

Healthcare-acquired infections (HCAI) represent a major health problem worldwide. Stroke and dementia are considered risk factors for HCAI. Preliminary data suggest that use of antipsychotic drugs also increase the risk for HCAI.

Healthcare costs of diabetic foot disease in Italy: estimates for event and state costs.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate healthcare costs of diabetic foot disease (DFD) in a large population-based cohort of people with type-2 diabetes (T2D) in the Tuscany region (Italy).

Data Sources/study Setting: Administrative healthcare data of Tuscany region, with 2018 as the base year.

Study Design: Retrospective study assessing a longitudinal cohort of patients with T2D.

The Impact of New Surgical Techniques on Geographical Unwarranted Variation: The Case of Benign Hysterectomy.

Since the 1980s, the international literature has reported variations for healthcare services, especially for elective ones. Variations are positive if they reflect patient preferences, while if they do not, they are unwarranted, and thus avoidable. Benign hysterectomy is among the most frequent elective surgical procedures in developed countries, and, in recent years, it has been increasingly delivered through minimally invasive surgical techniques, namely laparoscopic or robotic.

Managing the performance of general practitioners and specialists referral networks: A system for evaluating the heart failure pathway.

High quality chronic disease management requires coordinated care across different healthcare settings, involving multidisciplinary teams of professionals, and performance evaluation systems able to measure this care. Inter-organizational performance should be measured considering the professional relationships between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists, who are usually linked through informal referral networks. The aim of this paper is to identify and evaluate the performance of naturally occurring networks of GPs and hospital-based specialists providing care for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients in Tuscany, Italy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Steinert's myotonic dystrophy. About two clinical cases.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1, or Steinert's myotonic dystrophy, is a rare RNA-mediated autosomal dominant disease. Here we describe two clinical cases of patients with Steinert's disease who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia in conjunction with thoracic peridural anaesthesia, without muscle relaxants. Using such an anaesthesiological technique allowed for rapid recovery from anaesthesia, quick and complete recovery of autonomous breathing, and a significant haemodynamic and arterial blood gases stability, as well as an adequate and complete analgesic coverage over the entire perioperative period.