Fresh whole blood: A feasible alternative in disasters and mass casualty incidents? a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: While balanced blood component therapy (BCT) is pivotal in trauma patient damage control resuscitation in well-resourced settings, disasters, and mass casualty incidents (MCIs) pose significant challenges, especially in securing sufficient access to blood products. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to explore the utilization of fresh whole blood (FWB) transfusion as a potential alternative to BCT, informing future research and clinical strategies.

Methods: We searched Pubmed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and grey literature for articles identifying FWB transfusions, limited to those published in English or French.

Evaluation of the Climate Impact and Nutritional Quality of Menus in an Italian Long-Term Care Facility.

Global warming poses a significant threat to our planet, with the food sector contributing up to 37% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to assess the climate change impact and healthiness of menus in a long-term care facility in Italy. We analyzed two 28-day cyclical menus using the carbon footprint (CF) and the Modified EAT-Lancet Diet Score (MELDS) to evaluate adherence to the Planetary Health Diet (PHD).

Asbestos exposure and asbestosis mortality in Italian cement-asbestos cohorts: Dose-response relationship and the role of competing death causes.

Objectives: In Italy, asbestos was used intensively until its ban in 1992, which was extended for asbestos cement factories until 1994. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dose-response between asbestos exposure and asbestosis mortality across a pool of Italian occupational cohorts, taking into account the presence of competing risks.

Methods: Cohorts were followed for vital status and the cause of death was ascertained by a linkage with mortality registers.

Corrigendum: Time-Trends in Air Pollution Impact on Health in Italy, 1990-2019: An Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.

Access to care in Afghanistan after august 2021: a cross-sectional study exploring Afghans' perspectives in 10 provinces.

Background: The Taliban takeover in August 2021 ended a decades-long conflict in Afghanistan. Yet, along with improved security, there have been collateral changes, such as the exacerbation of the economic crisis and brain drain. Although these changes have altered the lives of Afghans in many ways, it is unclear whether they have affected access to care.

Assessing primary healthcare disaster preparedness: a study in Northern Italy.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to outline the steps taken to develop an operational checklist to assess primary healthcare (PHC) all-hazards disaster preparedness. It then describes a study testing the applicability of the checklist.

Background: A PHC approach is an essential foundation for health emergency and disaster risk management (H-EDRM) because it can prevent and mitigate risks prior to disasters and support an effective response and recovery, thereby contributing to communities' and countries' resilience across the continuum of the disaster cycle.

Exploring differences in the utilization of the emergency department between migrant and non-migrant populations: a systematic review.

Background: Migrants face several barriers when accessing care and tend to rely on emergency services to a greater extent than primary care. Comparing emergency department (ED) utilization by migrants and non-migrants can unveil inequalities affecting the migrant population and pave the way for public health strategies aimed at improving health outcomes. This systematic review aims to investigate differences in ED utilization between migrant and non-migrant populations to ultimately advance research on migrants' access to care and inform health policies addressing health inequalities.

Psychoactive substance consumption after the Fundão dam mine tailing disaster in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Disasters cause changes in morbidity, mortality, and medicine use. Brazil is one of the main producers of mineral ores at great environmental cost. Mine tailings are stored in dams and ruptures have led to major disasters.

The Use of the Health Belief Model in the Context of Heatwaves Research: A Rapid Review.

As heatwaves increase and intensify worldwide, so has the research aimed at outlining strategies to protect individuals from their impact. Interventions that promote adaptive measures to heatwaves are encouraged, but evidence on how to develop such interventions is still scarce. Although the Health Belief Model is one of the leading frameworks guiding behavioral change interventions, the evidence of its use in heatwave research is limited.

Impact of Ebola and COVID-19 on maternal, neonatal, and child health care among populations affected by conflicts: a scoping review exploring demand and supply-side barriers and solutions.

Introduction: Armed conflicts have a severe impact on the health of women and children. Global health emergencies such as pandemics and disease outbreaks further exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in accessing maternal, neonatal, and child healthcare (MNCH). There is a lack of evidence that summarizes the challenges faced by conflict-affected pregnant women, mothers, and children in accessing MNCH services during global health emergencies, mainly the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics.

Causes of maternal deaths in Sierra Leone from 2016 to 2019: analysis of districts' maternal death surveillance and response data.

Introduction: Sierra Leone is among the top countries with the highest maternal mortality rates. Although progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality, challenges remain, including limited access to skilled care and regional disparities in accessing quality care. This paper presents the first comprehensive analysis of the burden of different causes of maternal deaths reported in the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system at the district level from 2016 to 2019.

Factors causing emergency medical care overload during heatwaves: A Delphi study.

Heatwaves pose an important risk for population health and are associated with an increased demand for emergency care. To find factors causing such overload, an online Delphi study included 15 experts in emergency medicine, disaster medicine, or public health. One open-ended question was delivered in the first round.

Venetoclax with Hypomethylating Agents in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survival Data from Real-World Studies.

In recent years, the association of venetoclax (VEN) with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) significantly improved the outcome of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who were unfit for intensive chemotherapy and became the standard of care after the publication of the pivotal RCT VIALE-A. However, it is still not clear to what extent the results observed in the VIALE-A apply to a real-world setting. For this reason, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world studies on newly diagnosed patients with AML, ineligible for intensive induction chemotherapy, receiving first-line VEN+HMA.

Health System Response to the 2023 Floods in Emilia-Romagna, Italy: A Field Report.

In May 2023, the Italian region Emilia-Romagna was hit by intense rainfall, which caused extensive floods in densely populated areas. On May 4, 2023, a 12-month state of emergency was declared in the region with the activation of response and recovery plans. This field report provides an overview of the health response to the floods, paying particular attention to the measures put in place to ensure care for displaced populations and raising interesting points of discussion regarding the role of the health system during extreme weather events (EWEs).

Prehospital Emergency Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

Background: An under-developed and fragmented prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system is a major obstacle to the timely care of emergency patients. Insufficient emphasis on prehospital emergency systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) currently causes a substantial number of avoidable deaths from time-sensitive illnesses, highlighting a critical need for improved prehospital emergency care systems. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the prehospital emergency care services across LMICs.

Time-Trends in Air Pollution Impact on Health in Italy, 1990-2019: An Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

We explored temporal variations in disease burden of ambient particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM) and ozone in Italy using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We compared temporal changes and percent variations (95% Uncertainty Intervals [95% UI]) in rates of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost, years lived with disability and mortality from 1990 to 2019, and variations in pollutant-attributable burden with those in the overall burden of each PM- and ozone-related disease.

[Interactions between drugs, environment and health: a new challenge for epidemiology.].

Traditionally, the effects of drugs and of environmental factors on health have been studied independently. Recently, several research groups have started to broaden the view and consider potential overlaps and interactions between environmental exposures and drug use. In Italy, regardless the strong competencies in environmental and pharmaco-epidemiology and the availability of detailed data, to date research in the fields of pharmacoepidemiology and environmental epidemiology is mainly being conducted in silos, but time has come to dedicate attention to possible convergence and integration between the two disciplines.

Efficacy and Safety of Quadrivalent Conjugate Meningococcal Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Over the last decades, different quadrivalent antimeningococcal vaccine formulations (diphteria toxoid conjugate, MenACWY-D; tetanus toxoid conjugate, MenACWY-TT; CRM protein conjugate, MenACWY-CRM) have been developed. However, their availability varies, both in terms of authorized formulations and of inclusion in vaccination schedules. Furthermore, several countries include only the monovalent meningococcal C (MenC) vaccine in their immunization programmes.