A Wide Range of Strategies to Cope with Healthcare Workers' Vaccine Hesitancy in A North-Eastern Italian Region: Are They Enough?

The recent pandemic reminded the world of the high risk of healthcare workers (HCWs) and patient contagiousness along with the healthcare services disruption related to nosocomial outbreaks. This study aims at describing vaccination campaigns within healthcare institutions of a North-Italian Region and comparing their effectiveness in term of vaccination coverage. In December 2019, we surveyed all healthcare institutions of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region throughout an email questionnaire with 15 questions investigating strategies adopted for the vaccination of HCWs against influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), along with actions put in place in case of a VPD exposure.

Absences from work among healthcare workers: are they related to influenza shot adherence?

Background: The coverage for influenza vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is inadequate in many countries despite strong recommendations; is there evidence that influenza vaccination is effective in preventing absenteeism? Aim of the study is to evaluate the influenza vaccination coverage and its effects on absences from work among HCWs of an Italian academic healthcare trust during the 2017-2018 influenza season.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study to identify predictive characteristics for vaccination, and a retrospective cohort study to establish the effect of vaccination on absences among the vaccinated and non-vaccinated cohorts between December 2017 and May 2018. Overall absence rates over the whole observation period and sub-rates over 14-days intervals were calculated; then comparison between the two groups were conducted applying Chi-square test.

Preliminary study on the correlation between grading and histology of solitary pulmonary nodules and contrast enhancement and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose standardised uptake value after evaluation by dynamic multiphase CT and PET/CT.

Aim: To evaluate whether the histology and grading of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) correlated with the results of dynamic multiphase multidetector CT (MDCT) and the [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose standardised uptake value (SUV) in 30 patients.

Methods: Chest x-rays of 270 patients with incidentally detected SPNs were retrospectively evaluated. Thirty patients with histologically proven SPNs were enrolled.