Short-term mortality and associated factors among older hospitalized patients: A narrative retrospective analysis of end-of-life care in an acute geriatric unit.

Objectives: To explore short-term mortality and its predictors among older patients hospitalized in a acute geriatric ward (AGW) in Northwestern Italy.

Design: Retrospective observational single-center cohort study.

Material And Methods: Patients consecutively admitted for any reason between June 2021 and May 2022 were included in the analysis.

Does presbygeusia really exist? An updated narrative review.

This review critically assessed the existence of presbygeusia, i.e., the impairment in taste perception occurring in the elderly, as a natural part of the aging process and its potential clinical implications.

Randomised trial of genetic testing and targeted intervention to prevent the development and progression of Paget's disease of bone.

Introduction: Paget's disease of bone (PDB) frequently presents at an advanced stage with irreversible skeletal damage. Clinical outcomes might be improved by earlier diagnosis and prophylactic treatment.

Methods: We randomised 222 individuals at increased risk of PDB because of pathogenic variants to receive 5 mg zoledronic acid (ZA) or placebo.

Atypical Course of SarsCov-2 Infection in a Patient with Multiple Myeloma Treated with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.

Covid-19 infection has more relevant consequences in frail and comorbid patients, but little is known about its course in patients with hematologic malignancies. In this report, we would like to present the case of a patient with multiple myeloma treated with recent autologous bone marrow stem cell transplantation and affected by Covid-19 pneumonia, presenting with a possible reinfection or an extremely long viral shedding.

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Older Inpatients with Suspected Infection.

Objectives: To determine the rate and predictors of death in older individuals with suspected infection at any time during hospital stay in a geriatric acute ward and the prognostic ability of different tools [quick Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), Modified and National Early Warning Scores (MEWS) and (NEWS)] in such population.

Design: Prospective observational single-center cohort study.

Setting And Participants: Among patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit of an Italian University Hospital with at least 1 sepsis risk factor, all subjects with suspected infection at admission or during hospital stay (defined as antibiotic prescription and associated culture test) were considered.

Geographical Distribution of Three Forest Invasive Beetle Species in Romania.

(Sahlberg, 1836), (Blandford, 1894) and (Fabricius, 1775) are invasive species reported in Romania, but their current distribution is poorly known. The research aim was to provide new information on this issue. A survey was conducted over the period 2015-2017 in 82 locations, using flight-interception traps and bottle traps, baited with different attractants.

Circulating MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures.

Context: Measurement of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers of fragility fracture risk has recently become a subject of investigation.

Objective: Measure by next-generation sequencing (NGS), global miRNA expression in serum samples of osteoporotic subjects vs individuals with normal bone mineral density (BMD).

Design: Samples were collected from patients with different bone phenotypes and/or fragility fractures who did not receive any antiresorptive and/or bone-forming drug at the time of blood collection.

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracies of qSOFA, NEWS, and MEWS to Identify Sepsis in Older Inpatients With Suspected Infection.

Objectives: To determine and compare the accuracies of the quick Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and Modified and National Early Warning Scores (NEWS and MEWS) to identify sepsis in older inpatients with suspected infection.

Design: Prospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Setting And Participants: Patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit of an Italian University Hospital with at least one sepsis risk factor and suspected infection defined as antibiotic prescription and associated culture test during hospital stay.

Delirium symptoms duration and mortality in SARS-COV2 elderly: results of a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Since the occurrence of the SARS-COV2 pandemic, there has been an increasing interest in investigating the epidemiology of delirium. Delirium is frequent in SARS-COV2 patients and it is associated with increased mortality; however, no information is available on the association between delirium duration in SARS-COV2 patients and related outcomes.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the duration of delirium symptoms and in-hospital mortality in older patients with SARS-COV2 infection.

Telemedicine-assisted care of an older patient with COVID-19 and dementia: bridging the gap between hospital and home.

Hospital at Home (HaH) has been proposed as a solution to relieve pressure on hospital beds during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, caregivers' feelings of inadequacy and concerns on the need for tighter clinical monitoring might lead to unnecessary and potentially harmful hospital admissions in frail older patients with mild or atypical COVID-19. Here we report the case of a 91-year old woman with severe dementia and atypical COVID-19 that could be successfully managed by our HaH thanks to her highly motivated caregivers and the support of a telemedicine solution (TMS) to provide caregiver training and support as well as supplementary telemonitoring. Despite some well-known issues on TMS use, the hybrid in-person and tele-visit approach of TMS-assisted HaH could help to create a "secure" environment, empowering caregivers to manage frail older adults with COVID-19 at home, avoiding unnecessary admissions to closed wards and their negative physical, functional and psychological outcomes.

Prevalence, determinants and practical implications of inappropriate hospitalizations in older subjects: A prospective observational study.

In a context of high demand for hospital services among older people, we aimed to assess the rate and determinants of inappropriate hospitalizations of older patients, and to what extent they were associated with inappropriate hospital stay. This prospective observational multicentre study evaluated a random sample of consecutive patients aged ≥ 70 years accessing the Emergency Department (ED) of two Italian tertiary hospitals. A standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment was carried out in each patient, including the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screen Scale (BRASS) for identification of patients at risk of difficult discharge.

Dietary calcium intake in a cohort of individuals evaluated for low bone mineral density: a multicenter Italian study.

Background: A low calcium intake is a well-known factor that influences the bone mineral density (BMD) maintenance. In the presence of inadequate calcium intake, secondary hyperparathyroidism develops, leading to an increased bone turnover and fracture risk.

Aims: To assess the dietary calcium intake in relation with osteoporosis and fragility fracture in a cohort of Italian individuals evaluated for low BMD.

Evidence and uncertainties in the management of atrial fibrillation in the elderly.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac sustained arrhythmia, whose incidence and prevalence increase with age, representing a significant burden for health services in western countries. Older people contribute to most patients affected from AF. Although oral anticoagulant therapy represents the cornerstone for the prevention of ischemic stroke and its disabling consequences, several other interventions - including left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), catheter ablation (CA) of AF, and rhythm control strategy (RCS) - have proved to be potentially effective in reducing the incidence of AF-associated clinical complications.

Does solar ultraviolet radiation play a role in COVID-19 infection and deaths? An environmental ecological study in Italy.

A significantly stronger impact in mortality and morbidity by COVID-19 has been observed in the northern Italian regions compared to the southern ones. The reasons of this geographical pattern might involve several concurrent factors. The main objective of this work is to investigate whether any correlations exist between the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the different Italian regions and the amount of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth's surface.

Disparity of Phoresy in Mesostigmatid Mites upon Their Specific Carrier (Coleoptera: Scolytinae).

Linnaeus, 1758, the most important pest of Norway spruce ( Linnaeus, 1753) from Eurasia has damaged, in the last decades, a large area of forest in Romania. Associations between beetles and their symbiotic fungi are well known compared to beetle-mite relationships. The objectives of the study are to determine: (i) the diversity of mites species associated with in a local outbreak from Central Romania; (ii) the mite's preferences concerning the body parts of their carriers; and (iii) how phoresy changes during seasonal flight activity of the host.

Circulating Long Non-Coding RNA GAS5 Is Overexpressed in Serum from Osteoporotic Patients and Is Associated with Increased Risk of Bone Fragility.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a multifactorial disorder in which environmental factors along with genetic variants and epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of bone metabolism and OP aetiology. In this study, we analyzed the expression level and the genetic association of lncRNA GAS5 in OP patients compared to controls.

Off-label use of reduced dose direct oral factor Xa inhibitors in subjects with atrial fibrillation: a review of clinical evidence.

In real-world clinical practice, underdosing, i.e. off-label use of reduced doses (RDs), of oral factor Xa inhibitors (oFXaIs) is quite common in stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, possibly reflecting the hope to increase safety without reducing efficacy in selected patients.

Associations between hypovitaminosis D and COVID-19: a narrative review.

In the search for factors affecting incidence and lethality of the current COVID-19 pandemic, recent association studies explored the possible role of vitamin D deficiency. Altogether, these studies, in most cases based on cross-sectional analyses, could not yet provide a convincing demonstration of a cause-effect relationship. In this editorial, the authors describe the scientific evidence underlying a possible role of vitamin D in the prevention and development of the pandemic, considering its immunomodulatory role and antiviral effects.