Publications by authors named "Fabio Caramelli"

Background: Endometrial Cancer (EC) is strongly linked to obesity. Bariatric surgery is recognized as a long-term solution for weight loss in severely obese patients. This pilot study investigates the feasibility, intraoperative and 30-day morbidity outcomes of integrating gynecological surgical staging and bariatric robotic surgery in class II and III obese patients affected by early EC or Endometrial Intraepithelial Neoplasia (EIN).

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Background: The use of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic is debated. Understanding the consequences these measures may have on vulnerable populations including children and adolescents is important.

Methods: This is a multicenter, quasi-experimental before-after study involving 12 hospitals of the North Italian Emilia-Romagna Region, with NPI implementation as the intervention event.

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Background: The use of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs), such as lockdowns, social distancing and school closures, against the COVID-19 epidemic is debated, particularly for the possible negative effects on vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents. This study therefore aimed to quantify the impact of NPIs on the trend of pediatric hospitalizations during 2 years of pandemic compared to the previous 3 years, also considering two pandemic phases according to the type of adopted NPIs.

Methods: This is a multicenter, quasi-experimental before-after study conducted in 12 hospitals of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy, with NPI implementation as the intervention event.

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Objectives: To explore the relationship between real-time therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-guided pharmacodynamic target attainment of continuous infusion (CI) beta-lactam monotherapy and microbiological outcome in the treatment of critically ill children with severe documented Gram-negative infections.

Methods: Observational, monocentric, retrospective study of critically ill patients receiving CI piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, or meropenem in monotherapy for documented Gram-negative infections optimized by means of a real-time TDM-guided strategy. Average steady-state beta-lactam concentrations (C ss ) were calculated for each patient, and the beta-lactam C ss /minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio was selected as a pharmacodynamic parameter of efficacy.

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Background: Pediatric patients affected by oncologic disease have a significant risk of clinical deterioration that requires admission to the intensive care unit. This study reported the results of a national survey describing the characteristics of Italian onco-hematological units (OHUs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) that admit pediatric patients, focusing on the high-complexity treatments available before PICU admission, and evaluating the approach to the end-of-life (EOL) when cared in a PICU setting.

Methods: A web-based electronic survey has been performed in April 2021, involving all Italian PICUs admitting pediatric patients with cancer participating in the study.

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Objectives: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may be helpful in tailoring antimicrobial treatment, and expert interpretation of the results may make it more clinically useful.

Methods: This study aimed to assess retrospectively the first-year impact (July 2021 to June 2022) of a newly established expert clinical pharmacological advice (ECPA) programme based on TDM results in tailoring therapy with 18 antimicrobials hospital-wide in a tertiary university hospital. All patients having ≥1 ECPA were grouped in five cohorts [haematology, intensive care unit (ICU), paediatrics, medical wards and surgical wards].

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Article Synopsis
  • Wheezing is common in preschoolers, affecting about 30% of children under three, and these children face significantly higher rates of emergency visits and hospitalizations compared to older kids with asthma.
  • A consensus document from experts in Italy outlines mechanisms behind preschool wheezing, identifying both risk factors (like allergies, pollution, and tobacco exposure) and protective factors (such as breastfeeding and vitamin D).
  • The expert panel used systematic reviews and the GRADE approach to develop recommendations, emphasizing the need for more research and preventive strategies to reduce children's exposure to risks that harm respiratory health.
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Background: Pediatric robotic-assisted surgeries have increased in recent years; however, guidance documents are still lacking. This study aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations, or best practice statements when evidence is lacking or inadequate, to assist surgical teams internationally.

Methods: A joint consensus taskforce of anesthesiologists and surgeons from the Italian Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Anesthesia and Intensive Care (SARNePI) and the Italian Society of Pediatric Surgery (SICP) have identified critical areas and reviewed the available evidence.

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Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target attainment of continuous-infusion (CI) meropenem and microbiological outcome in critical COVID-19 patients with documented Gram-negative superinfections. Methods: Patients receiving CI meropenem for documented Gram-negative infections at the COVID ICU of the IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna and undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring from January 2021 to February 2022 were retrospectively assessed. Average steady-state meropenem concentrations (Css) were calculated and the Css/MIC ratio was selected as a pharmacodynamic parameter of meropenem efficacy.

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Preschool wheezing should be considered an umbrella term for distinctive diseases with different observable and measurable phenotypes. Despite many efforts, there is a large gap in knowledge regarding management of preschool wheezing. In order to fill this lack of knowledge, the aim of these guidelines was to define management of wheezing disorders in preschool children (aged up to 5 years).

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A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs in the incision created by an invasive surgical procedure. Although most infections are treatable with antibiotics, SSIs remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery and have a significant economic impact on health systems. Preventive measures are essential to decrease the incidence of SSIs and antibiotic abuse, but data in the literature regarding risk factors for SSIs in the pediatric age group are scarce, and current guidelines for the prevention of the risk of developing SSIs are mainly focused on the adult population.

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Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) in paediatrics is a rather frequent pathology caused by pathophysiological alterations leading to partial and prolonged obstruction (hypoventilation) and/or intermittent partial (hypopnoea) or complete (apnoea) obstruction of the upper airways. Paediatric OSA is characterised by daytime and night-time symptoms. Unfortunately, there are few data on shared diagnostic-therapeutic pathways that address OSA with a multidisciplinary approach in paediatric age.

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Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a potential complication of surgical procedures, with a significant impact on mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery are often considered patients at high risk of developing SSIs. This consensus document aims to provide information on the management of peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis for the pediatric and neonatal population undergoing cardiac and non-cardiac thoracic surgery.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the controversial use of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) in pediatric patients with cancer, noting the rising survival rates among these children and recent reports showing effective ECMO use.
  • Researchers analyzed 13 retrospective studies involving 625 patients, focusing on mortality rates during ECMO and hospital stays, revealing a 55% mortality rate during ECMO and a 60% overall hospital mortality rate.
  • The findings highlight higher mortality rates compared to typical pediatric intensive care unit patients, with noted inconsistencies in complication reporting across studies, suggesting the need for cautious interpretation of the results.
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Study Objective: Withdrawal syndrome (WS) may be a critical drawback of opioid/benzodiazepine weaning in children. The most effective intervention to reduce WS prevalence is yet to be determined. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) was estimated to be effective in reducing WS-related symptoms, but no randomized trial has been conducted to prove its efficacy so far.

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SARS-CoV-2 infection in children can trigger cardiovascular manifestations potentially requiring an intensive treatment and defining a new entity named Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), whose features partially overlap with Kawasaki Disease (KD). A cross-sectional study including all diagnoses of MIS-C and KD from April 2020 to May 2021 in our metropolitan area was conducted evaluating clinical, laboratory (including immunological response, cytokines, and markers of myocardial damage), and cardiac (coronary and non-coronary) features at onset of the diseases. Evolution of ventricular dysfunction, valve regurgitations, and coronary lesions was documented.

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Antimicrobial treatment is quite common among hospitalized children. The dynamic age-associated physiological variations coupled with the pathophysiological alterations caused by underlying illness and potential drug-drug interactions makes the implementation of appropriate antimicrobial dosing extremely challenging among paediatrics. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may represent a valuable tool for assisting clinicians in optimizing antimicrobial exposure.

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TORCH (Toxoplasmosis, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex Virus and Syphilis) infections are a major cause of intrauterine and perinatal infections with associated morbidity and mortality. Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus infection caused by an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family is devastating and fatal. Herpes Viruses are not hepatotropic but may rarely cause hepatitis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Children with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are at a high risk for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after general anesthesia due to respiratory muscle weakness, but using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) may improve outcomes.
  • A study involving 167 pediatric patients with NMDs across 13 Italian hospitals found that 89% were at risk for PPCs, yet only 8% actually developed complications, with a majority having a relatively short hospital stay.
  • The results suggest that the severity of the disease has a greater impact on patient outcomes than the invasiveness of the surgical procedures, highlighting the effectiveness of the combined NIV and MI-E approach in minimizing PPCs
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Background: Although with exceptions, evidence seems to indicate that children have lower susceptibility than adults to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. When infected, children generally remain asymptomatic or develop mild disease. A small number of pediatric cases required admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), respiratory support with a mechanical ventilation and additional life-saving interventions.

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Since December 2019, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread, becoming the first pandemic of the 21st century by number of deaths (over 2,000,000 worldwide). Many aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents remain unclear, and optimal treatment has not yet been defined. Therefore, our goal was to develop a consensus document, practically synthesizing the accumulated data and clinical experience of our expert group.

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Introduction: Some evidence indicates that exogenous surfactant therapy may be effective in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis, even though more confirmatory data are needed. To date, no large multicentre trials have evaluated the effectiveness and safety of exogenous surfactant in severe cases of bronchiolitis requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).

Methods And Analysis: This is a multicentre randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, performed in 19 Italian paediatric intensive care units (PICUs).

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