Late Hepatocellular Carcinoma Occurrence in Patients Achieving Sustained Virological Response After Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy: A Matter of Follow-Up or Something Else?

: Despite achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), an unexpected increase in the occurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been observed among HCV-treated patients. This study aims to assess the long-term follow-up of HCV patients treated with DAAs who achieved an SVR to investigate the potential for late-onset HCC. : In this prospective multicenter study, we enrolled consecutive HCV patients treated with DAAs following Italian ministerial guidelines between 2015 and 2018.

Impact of ESKAPE Pathogens on Bacteremia: A Three-Year Surveillance Study at a Major Hospital in Southern Italy.

Background/objectives: ESKAPE pathogens (, , , , , and spp.) pose a serious public health threat as they are resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by ESKAPE bacteria have high mortality rates due to the limited availability of effective antimicrobials.

Safety profile of trastuzumab originator vs biosimilars: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Purpose: In the last decade trastuzumab biosimilars became more and more frequent. Among their uses, from several years, they have been available in Europe for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, as an alternative to Herceptin®.

Methods/patients: This meta-analysis aimed to analyze the available literature with particular focus on phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing adverse events between trastuzumab biosimilar and originator.

Bacterial Porins and Their Procoagulant Role: Implication in the Pathophysiology of Several Thrombotic Complications during Sepsis.

The association between sepsis and thrombotic complications is still not well known. Different mechanisms have been shown to be involved in the sepsis-induced prothrombotic state, but clinical scenarios may differ. In this review, we have summarized the role that bacterial products such as porins and toxins can have in the induction of the prothrombotic state during sepsis and the interaction that they can have with each other.

An Analysis of the Distribution of Direct Cost of Diabetes Care in Selected Districts in Italy.

Introduction: This study aims to define the distribution of direct healthcare costs for people with diabetes treated in two healthcare regions in Italy, based on number of comorbidities and treatment regimen.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis using data from two local health authority administrative databases (Campania and Umbria) in Italy for the years 2014-2018. Data on hospital care, pharmaceutical and specialist outpatient and laboratory assistance were collected.

Update on the Pharmacological Actions of Enoxaparin in Nonsurgical Patients.

Low-molecular-weight heparins are a class of drugs derived from the enzymatic depolymerization of unfractionated heparin that includes enoxaparin. Several studies have been performed on enoxaparin in recent years, in particular for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome. Furthermore, the use of enoxaparin has been extended to other clinical situations that require antithrombotic pharmacological prevention, such as hemodialysis and recurrent abortion.

Thromboembolic Events after COVID-19 Vaccination: An Italian Retrospective Real-World Safety Study.

Introduction: Real-world safety studies can provide important evidence on the thromboembolic risk associated with COVID-19 vaccines, considering that millions of people have been already vaccinated against COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to estimate the incidence of thromboembolic events after COVID-19 vaccination and to compare the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective real-world safety study using data from two different data sources: the Italian Pharmacovigilance database (Rete Nazionale di Farmacovigilanza, RNF) and the Campania Region Health system (Sistema INFOrmativo saNità CampanIA, SINFONIA).

Retrospective Analysis of a Real-Life Use of Tixagevimab-Cilgavimab plus SARS-CoV-2 Antivirals for Treatment of COVID-19.

Tixagevimab-cilgavimab is effective for the treatment of early COVID-19 in outpatients with risk factors for progression to severe illness, as well as for primary prevention and post-exposure prophylaxis. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the hospital stay (expressed in days), prognosis, and negativity rate for COVID-19 in patients after treatment with tixagevimab-cilgavimab. We enrolled 42 patients who were nasal swab-positive for SARS-CoV-2 (antigenic and molecular)-both vaccinated and not vaccinated for COVID-19-hospitalized at the first division of the Cotugno Hospital in Naples who had received a single intramuscular dose of tixagevimab-cilgavimab (300 mg/300 mg).

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Sex-Stratified Analysis of the VAERS Database Using Brighton Collaboration Criteria.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-c) is an uncommon, but serious, inflammatory response that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection. As time went by, MIS-c was also reported as a potential adverse event following COVID-19 vaccination. A descriptive analysis was performed of Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) associated with anti COVID-19 vaccines and related to the pediatric population from 2020 to 2022.

[Real-world analysis of the use of rifaximin 200 mg in the Campania Region.].

Introduction: Since its approval in Italy in 1987, rifaximin has been licensed in over 30 countries for the treatment of a wide range gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of the study was to analyze the real world use of rifaximin 200 mg in the Campania region.

Methods: An observation retrospective study was conducted analysing the prescriptions of rifaximin received by the subjects ≥18 years old resident in the Campania Region.

Hospital Antibiotic Use during COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major issue in healthcare being correlated to global inappropriate use of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to compare the data on hospital antibiotic consumption in 2020-2021 with those related to 2019 in order to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescriptions and appropriate use at national level and in the different geographical areas. To estimate the consumption of antibiotics, two indicators were calculated: "number of DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day" and "number of DDD per 100 hospitalisation days".

Exploring Contemporary Data on Lipid-Lowering Therapy Prescribing in Patients Following Discharge for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in the South of Italy.

Current international guidelines strongly recommend the use of high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) after hospitalization for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. With this study, our aim was to evaluate LLT prescribing in a large Italian cohort of patients after discharge for an ASCVD event, exploring factors associated with a lower likelihood of receiving any LLT and high-intensity LLT. Individuals aged 18 years and older discharged for an ASCVD event in 2019-2020 were identified using hospital discharge abstracts from two local health units of the Campania region.

Hypernatremia During Intravenous Treatment With Fosfomycin: A Retrospective Medical Record Review Study and an Analysis of Spontaneous Reports in the EudraVigilance Database.

Hypernatremia is a serious event that can occur during intravenous (IV) treatment with fosfomycin, and it can also be caused by a wrong drug preparation. Considering the clinical significance of hypernatremia, we decided to carry out two studies by using two different data sources with the aim to evaluate cases of IV fosfomycin-induced hypernatremia. A retrospective medical record review was performed from June 2017 to June 2019 using data from two hospitals in Southern Italy.

Evolution in Real-World Therapeutic Strategies for HIV Treatment: A Retrospective Study in Southern Italy, 2014-2020.

Changes in HIV treatment guidelines over the last two decades reflect the evolving challenges in this field. Our study examined treatment change patterns throughout a 7-year period in a large Italian cohort of HIV patients as well as the reasons and direction of changes. Treatment-naïve and -experienced HIV patients managed by Cotugno Hospital of Naples between 2014 and 2020 were analyzed.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis with Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Prevent COVID-19 nor Virus Related Venous Thromboembolism.

Different and several public health strategies have been planned to reduce transmission of pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 since it started. None drugs have been confirmed as able to prevent viral transmission. Hydroxychloroquine with its immunomodulatory properties has been proposed as potential anti-viral drug in particular for prevention once viral exposure has been happen or in first phases of infection.

Screening, Linkage to Care and Treatment of Hepatitis C Infection in Primary Care Setting in the South of Italy.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a pressing public health issue. Our aim is to assess the linkage to care of patients with HCV diagnosis and to support the proactive case-finding of new HCV-infected patients in an Italian primary care setting. This was a retrospective cohort study of 44 general practitioners (GPs) who managed 63,955 inhabitants in the Campania region.

Recent advances in the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: biosimilar granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use in Italy.

During the National Congress of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology, which was held in Rome, Italy, October 2019, experts met to discuss advantages of febrile neutropenia prevention based on biosimilar G-CSF. This issue is of paramount importance in oncology as recent biological products may be of great benefit, provided that costs are sustainable.