The Clinical Challenge of Identifying Postural Changes Associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders in a Population of Adolescents: The Evaluation of a Diagnostic Approach.

: Inappropriate posture, overweight, and physical inactivity are common causes of pathologies on muscles, ligaments, joints, and bone structures, which could negatively impact the quality of present and future life. The challenge of this work was to develop a diagnostic approach to identify the causes of musculoskeletal disorders in an adolescent population in order to implement preventive procedures. : A total of 147 subjects aged between 14 and 18 years who were affected by musculoskeletal disorders and who accessed the Clinical Posturology unit of the IRCCS San Gerardo hospital, Monza, Italy, from 2015 to 2023, were enrolled.

The Evaluation of the Balance Test and MuscleLab Test for the Early Detection of Femoroacetabular Impingement.

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common source of hip pain affecting a wide range of subjects. In this work, we assessed two tests, namely the balance test and the MuscleLab test, in comparison with the flexion-abduction-external rotation (FABER) and flexion-adduction-internal rotation (FADIR) tests, in order to evaluate the functionality of the neural-musculoskeletal system of the subjects affected by FAI based on the measurement of biomechanical parameters. Our goal was to investigate the early detection of an altered hip joint and to monitor pathology progression over time.

New Antimicrobials for Gram-Positive Sustained Infections: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians.

Antibiotic resistance is a public health problem with increasingly alarming data being reported. Gram-positive bacteria are among the protagonists of severe nosocomial and community infections. The objective of this review is to conduct an extensive examination of emerging treatments for Gram-positive infections including ceftobiprole, ceftaroline, dalbavancin, oritavancin, omadacycline, tedizolid, and delafloxacin.

The diagnostic performances of the Atellica® 1500 automated urinalysis system for ruling out bacterial urinary tract infection.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common diseases occurring in both hospitalized and community subjects. Urine culture is the gold standard test for the diagnosis of UTI, but approximately 80% are negative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the automated urinalysis system Atellica® 1500 (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany) as screening tool for ruling out UTI.

Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of and Strains Isolated from Clinical Specimens: A Twenty-Year Surveillance Study.

We retrospectively analyzed the antimicrobial data of spp. strains isolated from hospitalized subjects and outpatients over 20 years (2000-2019). A total of 2277 non-duplicate spp.

Lack of Direct Correlation between Biofilm Formation and Antimicrobial Resistance in Clinical Isolates from an Italian Hospital.

is an opportunistic pathogen and a frequent cause of nosocomial infections. In this work, we show that, among 51 isolates from an Italian hospital, only a minority displayed biofilm formation, regardless of their isolation source (peripheral blood, catheter, or skin wounds); however, among the biofilm-producing isolates, those from catheters were the most efficient in biofilm formation. Interestingly, most isolates including strong biofilm producers displayed production levels of PIA (polysaccharide intercellular adhesin), the main extracellular polysaccharide, similar to reference strains classified as non-biofilm formers, and much lower than those classified as intermediate or high biofilm formers, possibly suggesting that high levels of PIA production do not confer a particular advantage for clinical isolates.

Anaerobic bloodstream infections in Italy (ITANAEROBY): A 5-year retrospective nationwide survey.

Introduction: A lack of updated data on the burden and profile of anaerobic bloodstream infections (ABIs) exists. We assessed the incidence of ABIs and trends in antimicrobial resistance in anaerobes isolated from blood in Italy.

Material And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 17 Italian hospitals (2016-2020).

Prevalence and species distribution of microorganisms isolated among non-pregnant women affected by vulvovaginal candidiasis: A retrospective study over a 20 year-period.

Background: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the second most common infection of the genital tract affecting millions of women worldwide. Data concerning the distribution and antifungal resistance of Candida species responsible of VVC vary among countries and population studied.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence, species distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida species among symptomatic women over a 20-year period.

Hemolysis and blood gas analysis: it's time for a change!

Modern blood gas analyzers are not able to identify hemolysis, lipemia and icterus; therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of hemolysis on blood gas samples. Blood gas analysis represents an essential part in the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients, including those affected by the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hemolysis, lipemia, and icterus, are causes of clinical misinterpretation of laboratory tests.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of the Siderophore Cephalosporin Cefiderocol against Strains Recovered from Clinical Samples.

Background: Cefiderocol is a siderophore cephalosporin that exhibits antimicrobial activity against most multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including Enterobacterales, , , and .

Methods: A total of 20 multidrug-resistant strains were isolated from 2020 to 2021, molecularly characterized and tested to assess the in vitro antibacterial activity of cefiderocol. Thirteen strains were carbapenem-hydrolysing oxacillinase OXA-23-like producers, while seven were non-OXA-23-like producers.

Antimicrobial Resistance Trends of Isolates from Outpatient and Inpatient Urinary Infections over a 20-Year Period.

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem, and resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, particularly and , is a critical threat to human health. Inappropriate and unnecessary use of antibiotics in human health care is the most common cause for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. In this work, we retrospectively analyzed the antimicrobial data of strains isolated from midstream urinary samples over a 20-year period (2000-2019).

Old and New Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors: Molecular Structure, Mechanism of Action, and Clinical Use.

The β-lactams have a central place in the antibacterial armamentarium, but the increasing resistance to these drugs, especially among Gram-negative bacteria, is becoming one of the major threats to public health worldwide. Treatment options are limited, and only a small number of novel antibiotics are in development. However, one of the responses to this threat is the combination of β-lactam antibiotics with β-lactamase inhibitors, which are successfully used in the clinic for overcoming resistance by inhibiting β-lactamases.

Baseline characteristics of COVID-19 Italian patients admitted to Desio Hospital, Lombardy: a retrospective study.

The correlation of clinical, radiological and laboratory findings of patients at admission in the Emergency Department (ED) with clinical severity and risk of mortality was investigated. Adult coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized in March 2020 in Desio Hospital, Lombardy, were retrospectively included in the study, and categorized in terms of disease severity and adverse outcome. Out of the 175 patients enrolled, 79% presented one or more comorbidities, with cardiovascular disease being the most frequent (62%).

Rapid Identification of Carbapenemase-producing strains by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight using Vitek Mass Spectrometry System.

Objective: The analysis of the protein pattern of carbapenemase (KPC)-producing strains by Bruker Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) Biotyper system has revealed the presence, in the majority of cases, of an 11.109 peak. The peak corresponds to the gene product named p019 of the -bearing plasmids and has been suggested as a candidate for a biomarker that is able to distinguish KPC-producers from non-KPC-producers.

In Vitro Activity of Antifungal Drugs Against Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes spp. by E-Test Method and Non-supplemented Mueller-Hinton Agar Plates.

Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes spp. are two of the most frequently isolated dermatophytes causing dermatophytosis worldwide. Since the incidence of resistance to antifungal agents is increasing, antifungal susceptibility tests are needed to successfully treat dermatophytoses.

The importance of considering the neglected intestinal protozoan parasite Dientamoeba fragilis.

Dientamoebiasis is globally distributed and detected in a large number of subjects with diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, flatulence, fatigue and loss of appetite. The life cycle and transmission of Dientamoeba fragilis are poorly understood. Microscopic examination of permanent stained smears is traditionally employed to diagnose the infection.

Development of an algorithm for ruling-out non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in the emergency department using high sensitivity troponin T assay.

Introduction: Chest pain and its clinical manifestations are the most common reasons for presentation to the emergency department (ED). Given that the prevalence of chest pain due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the ED is modest, clinicians should use cardiac troponins to safely and rapidly rule out AMI, avoiding the delayed release of low risk patients. The study aims to develop and validate an algorithm to early rule-out of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in subjects admitted to the ED with symptoms of myocardial infarction.

Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Subjects Affected by Iron-Deficiency Anemia.

Previous studies have suggested that iron-deficiency anemia affects glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements, but the results were contradictory. We conducted a retrospective case-control study to determine the effects of iron deficiency on HbA1c levels. Starting with the large computerized database of the Italian Hospital of Desio, including data from 2000 to 2016, all non-pregnant individuals older than 12 years of age with at least one measurement of HbA1c, cell blood count, ferritin, and fasting blood glucose on the same date of blood collection were enrolled.