The PaCO2/FiO2 ratio as outcome predictor in SARS-COV-2 related pneumonia: a retrospective study.

Background And Aim: Respiratory failure in SARS-CoV-2 patients is characterized by the presence of hypoxemia and hypocapnia without relevant dyspnea. To date, the use of respiratory parameters other than PaO2/FiO2 ratio to stratify the risk of worsening of these patients has not been sufficiently studied.  Aim of this work was to evaluate whether the ratio between partial pressure levels of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) measured at emergency department (ED) admission is predictive of the clinical course of patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Surveillance of paediatric exposures to liquid laundry detergent pods in Italy.

Objective: To analyse paediatric exposures to pod and traditional laundry detergents in Italy and changes in exposure trends.

Methods: Analyses of a series of patients aged <5 years and exposed to laundry detergents between September 2010 and June 2015, identified by the National Poison Control in Milan.

Results: In comparison with patients exposed to traditional laundry detergents (n=1150), a higher proportion of those exposed to pods (n=1649) were managed in hospital (68% vs 42%), had clinical effects (75% vs 22%) and moderate/high severity outcomes (13% vs <1%).

Development of a new categorization system for pesticides exposure to support harmonized reporting between EU Member States.

Objectives: European legislation requires reporting from Member States on acute poisoning incidents involving pesticides. However, standard rules for data collection and reporting have not yet been set out. The new categorization system presented in this paper is aimed at enabling Member States to gather comparable data and provide standard reporting on pesticide poisoning exposures.

Inadvertent oral administration of methylergometrine maleate to children in the first months of life: from surveillance to prevention.

Purpose: Methylergometrine maleate is an ergot alkaloid frequently used in obstetrics for prevention and treatment of post partum haemorrhage. Accidental administration of this medicine to newborns can cause severe effects and should be carefully prevented. The present paper is aimed at describing the main characteristics of cases accidentally exposed to this medicine in Italy before and after Novartis, the manufacturer of Methergin®, a widely used methylergometrine maleate-containing gynecological medication, decided to withdraw the drop preparation from the European market.

Antihypertensive drug treatment and circadian blood pressure rhythm: a review of the role of chronotherapy in hypertension.

Elevated nighttime blood pressure (BP) and a reduced day-night BP fall ("nondipping" condition) are strong predictors of cardiovascular complications, both in hypertension and in the general population. A reduced or inverted nocturnal BP fall might also be theoretically used to define the most appropriate timing for drug administration. In a systematic review of the available evidence, we show that bedtime dosing of antihypertensive medication reduces nocturnal BP and increases day-night BP fall more than standard morning dosing.

Cardio-ankle vascular index and subclinical heart disease.

The relationship between arterial stiffness, measured as pulse wave velocity (PWV), and the left ventricle is confounded by the effects of blood pressure. We evaluated the relationship between carotid-femoral PWV and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a less pressure-dependent measurement of the stiffness constant (β) of the aorta and the iliac, femoral and tibial arteries, and obtained prognostically relevant measurements of left ventricular structure and systolic function. CAVI, carotid-femoral PWV and echocardiographic left ventricular mass and systolic function were determined in 133 subjects with either hypertension or high-normal blood pressure (33% treated; 56 ± 16 years, blood pressure 145/89 ± 21/12 mm Hg).

Relationship between short-term blood pressure variability and large-artery stiffness in human hypertension: findings from 2 large databases.

Short-term blood pressure (BP) variability predicts cardiovascular complications in hypertension, but its association with large-artery stiffness is poorly understood and confounded by methodologic issues related to the assessment of BP variations over 24 hours. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and 24-hour ambulatory BP were measured in 911 untreated, nondiabetic patients with uncomplicated hypertension (learning population) and in 2089 mostly treated hypertensive patients (83% treated, 25% diabetics; test population). Short-term systolic BP (SBP) variability was calculated as the following: (1) SD of 24-hour, daytime, or nighttime SBP; (2) weighted SD of 24-hour SBP; and (3) average real variability (ARV), that is, the average of the absolute differences between consecutive SBP measurements over 24 hours.

Oral ingestion of a topical benzydamine hydrochloride-containing gynaecological preparation in association with television advertising in Italy: analysis of cases managed by a National Poison Control Centre.

Objective To evaluate the impact of a television advertising campaign on the risk of oral ingestion of a topical non-prescription gynaecological preparation containing benzydamine hydrochloride. Design An interrupted time series design with data routinely collected. Setting A National Poison Control Centre.

Aortic stiffness is increased in polymyalgia rheumatica and improves after steroid treatment.

Background: Inflammatory rheumatic diseases have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness. Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a disease which affects primarily older people, is characterised by a systemic inflammatory response but little is known about aortic involvement in PMR. A study was undertaken to investigate whether aortic stiffness is increased in PMR and whether it improves after steroid treatment.

Combined effects of office and 24-h blood pressure on aortic stiffness in human hypertension.

Objective: Aortic stiffness, a prognostically adverse marker of arteriosclerosis, is critically dependent on blood pressure (BP). Office BP may not always reflect BP behaviour away from the medical environment, and it is uncertain whether office or out-of-office BP values are stronger determinants of arterial stiffness.

Methods: Twenty-four-hour BP and carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV)--a direct measure of aortic stiffness--were measured in 539 never-treated hypertensive patients and in 71 normotensive individuals.

A case of contact dermatitis to dimethylfumarate in shoes identified in Italy.

The present paper describes a case of shoe contact dermatitis from DMF identified by the Poison Control Centre of Milan (PCCM), Italy, in 2009. A 35 year old woman was affected by irritant reactions while wearing shoes contaminated with DMF. Exposure to these shoes was limited to a 8 hour period and was not repeated.

[A cluster of methanol-related poisonings in Sicily: case characterization and identification of unexpected sources of exposure].

Objective: To describe methanol poisoning exposures in Italy and to investigate a cluster of methanol-related deaths due to abuse occurred in Sicily among immigrants from East Europe.

Design: the human methanol exposures handled by the Poison Control Centre of Milan, the major national centre for toxicological advise active in Italy, were reviewed retrospectively (January 2004-September 2006) and prospectively (October 2006-October 2008).

Setting: For each case of managed human exposure, the Poison Control Centre of Milan uses a standard format to collect patient information, substance/exposure information, clinical effects, therapy, outcomes.

Spontaneous abortion and maternal work in greenhouses.

Background: A positive association between maternal occupational exposure to pesticide and spontaneous abortion has been reported in some studies. Work in greenhouses may imply exposure of pregnant women to pesticides continuously and at elevated level.

Methods: A total of 717 women working in greenhouses provided information on 973 pregnancies, including 110 spontaneous abortions.

The use of personal protective equipment in pregnant greenhouse workers.

Aim: To determine the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among pregnant greenhouse workers in Italy and to identify risk factors related to the non-use of appropriate preventive measures.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers, to Italian female greenhouse workers regarding their use of PPE and the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in their first pregnancy.

Results: Two hundred and thirty-two workers participated.

Surveillance of toxic exposures: the pilot experience of the Poison Control Centers of Milan, Pavia and Bergamo in 2006.

Between 1 February and 31 March 2006, the Poison Control Centers (PPC) active in Lombardy collaborated with an integrated surveillance system carried out in Piedmont during the Olympic Games 2006. The collaborating PPC notified to the system 697 human cases of exposure occurred in Piedmont during the observation period. Among these cases, 70% were exposed accidentally, 40% were 6 years old or younger, and 45% reported at least a clinical effect.

[Mortality among workers in a cigarette factory in Lucca (Tuscany)].

Aim of the present cohort study was to evaluate the mortality pattern among workers in a cigar and cigarette factory in Lucca, Italy. The study followed 2341 workers (1585 women and 756 men) registered in the company payrolls and employed for at least six months from 1 January 1960 through 1 January 1994. Follow-up was between the start of employment in the factory and 1 June 2002 (totally 74363,5 person-years).

Exposure to pesticides and time to pregnancy among female greenhouse workers.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible effect of maternal work in greenhouses, as characterised by potentially high exposure to pesticides, on female fertility. Nine hundred and ten women active in 34 greenhouse flower growing enterprises in 1998-2000, with at least one pregnancy, and aged less than 50 years were identified. Seven hundred and seventeen (79%) agreed to be interviewed and reported 1699 pregnancies, of which 713 had complete information on time to pregnancy and occupation.

Health risk and occupation in agricultural settings in Italy.

In Italy several studies have examined the association between cancer and occupation in agricultural settings, focusing on exposure to pesticides. Most of the cohort studies evaluated cancer mortality in licensed pesticide users. Many case-control studies considered hematolymphopoietic malignancies, and the most recent studies observed increased risks for use of specific chemical classes of pesticides.

[Agricultural pesticide-related poisonings in Italy: cases reported to the Poison Control Centre of Milan in 2000-2001].

Objective: Aim of the present study is to provide a preliminary description of agricultural pesticide-related poisonings in Italy.

Design: The study focuses on the cases with at least one sign or symptom due to exposure to agricultural pesticides occurred in 2000-2001 and referred to the Poison control centre of Milan, the Italian centre more frequently consulted nationwide.

Results: During the study period, 872 agricultural pesticide-related poisonings were identified.

Prostate cancer and exposure to pesticides in agricultural settings.

Our study evaluates the association between prostate cancer and exposure to pesticides in agricultural settings in Italy. The data were derived from a hospital-based multi-site case-control study carried out in 5 rural areas between 1990-92. In our study, 124 new cases of prostate cancer were ascertained and interviewed, along with 659 cancer controls.

[Testicular tumors in Italy: historical trends, geographic differences, and etiological hypotheses].

Testicular cancer is a rare tumour. Its incidence has been increasing in many parts of the world during the last decades. This cancer has an unusual age distribution with one peak in incidence in young adults (aged 20-39) and a second peak in over 60.