Vaccination: Adherence and Hesitancy among Pregnant Women for COVID-19, Pertussis, and Influenza Vaccines.

In the realm of antenatal care, vaccinations serve as a cornerstone, crucial for safeguarding the health of both the mother and the fetus, while also extending protection to the newborn against communicable diseases. Nevertheless, vaccine adherence among pregnant women remains very low. The aim of our study was to evaluate the uptake of vaccines (influence, pertussis, and COVID-19) among women during pregnancy and to understand pregnant women's knowledge of vaccines and the diseases they protect against.

The Role of Pharmacists in Counteracting Vaccine Hesitancy: Effectiveness of the 2019 Carnia Project in Improving Adherence to Influenza Vaccination among Target Population.

Vaccine hesitancy has been included among the top ten threats to global health by the World Health Organization. Pharmacists can play a pivotal role in removing the individual barrier to vaccination, because of the relationship of trust they have with citizens and their ease of access. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a pharmacy-based intervention to support the 2019 influenza vaccination campaign conducted in the Carnia district through one-to-one counseling.

A look at the past to draw lessons for the future: how the case of an urgent ICU transfer taught us to always be ready with a plan B.

Objective: The urgent transfer of an intensive care unit (ICU) is particularly challenging because it carries a high clinical and infectious risk and is a critical node in a hospital's patient flow. In early 2017, exceptional rainfall damaged the roof of the tertiary hospital in Udine, necessitating the relocation of one of the three ICUs for six months. We decided to assess the impact of this transfer on quality of care and patient safety using a set of indicators, primarily considering the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and mortality rates.

Health professionals who have worked in COVID-19 immunization centers suffer the effects of violence.

Background: The phenomenon violence against health professionals has received increasing attention in recent years because of its frequency and significant impact on victims' mental health and disruption of health services. Despite this attention, little is known about the incidence of workplace violence in the highly politicized immunization services. Therefore, we decided to examine the prevalence of workplace violence in the COVID-19 immunization campaign, the risk and protective factors, and the impact on victims' mental health.

Early Warning Systems for Emerging Profiles of Antimicrobial Resistance in Italy: A National Survey.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national surveillance systems in Italy lack alert systems for timely detection of emerging profiles of AMR with potential relevance to public health. Furthermore, the existence of early warning systems (EWS) at subnational level is unclear. This study aims at mapping and characterizing EWS for microbiological threats available at regional level in Italy, focusing on emerging AMR, and at outlining potential barriers and facilitators to their development/implementation.

Potential Use of a Combined Bacteriophage-Probiotic Sanitation System to Control Microbial Contamination and AMR in Healthcare Settings: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

Microbial contamination in the hospital environment is a major concern for public health, since it significantly contributes to the onset of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are further complicated by the alarming level of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of HAI-associated pathogens. Chemical disinfection to control bioburden has a temporary effect and can favor the selection of resistant pathogens, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, probiotic-based sanitation (probiotic cleaning hygiene system, PCHS) was reported to stably abate pathogens, AMR, and HAIs.

A Web Tool to Help Counter the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News: Pre-Post Study Among Medical Students to Increase Digital Health Literacy.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by the spread of uncontrolled health information and fake news, which also quickly became an infodemic. Emergency communication is a challenge for public health institutions to engage the public during disease outbreaks. Health professionals need a high level of digital health literacy (DHL) to cope with difficulties; therefore, efforts should be made to address this issue starting from undergraduate medical students.

The knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists related to the use of dietary supplements: An observational study in northeastern Italy.

Inappropriate use of dietary supplements can be potentially harmful to patients, especially given the uncontrolled information on the Internet and social media. The role that pharmacists play in advising citizens and purchasing these products can help improve their safer use, but the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of these professionals on this topic are still largely unknown. Pharmacists in the Italian Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) were surveyed from September 2020 to February 2021 using a 54-item online questionnaire.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission by asymptomatic healthcare workers positive to screening swab: an Italian study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets of symptomatic individuals. With respect to asymptomatic individuals, there are conflicting results in the literature and a lack of studies specifically examining transmission in healthcare settings.

Methods: The aim of this retrospective study, conducted in a northeastern Italian region, was to estimate the contagiousness of asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

SPiNCAR: A systematic model to evaluate and guide actions for tackling AMR.

Background: Italy records very alarming levels antimicrobial resistance (AMR), so a National Action Plan on Antimicrobial resistance (PNCAR) was developed, adopting the AMR European Union's recommendations based on the results of the ECDC site visit of January 2017. For achieving PNCAR objectives, it is necessary to support and harmonize the implementation of recommendations in all the different healthcare levels (regional authorities and local trusts), so the SPiNCAR project was launched to create a tool for reaching this goal.

Methods: We developed a framework based on a scientific literature and national and international guidelines.

Fattori che influenzano lo screening nutrizionale nei pazienti ricoverati in ospedali per acuti: un'indagine di prevalenza regionale (2017).

Background: the prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients varies between 19.8% and 50%, with approximately 31% of all hospital patients considered malnourished or at nutritional risk, both in European and in Italian hospitals. Nutritional screening is necessary to identify nutrition-related problems, but it is not largely performed at the admission or during hospitalization.

Plaque-Type Psoriasis Treated with Calcipotriene Plus Betamethasone Dipropionate Aerosol Foam: A Prospective Study on Clinical and Dermoscopic Predictor Factors in Response Achievement and Retention.

Introduction: Little information on possible local factors that can influence the achievement and retention of response of plaque-type psoriasis to calcipotriene plus betamethasone dipropionate aerosol foam is available. The aim of this study was to assess possible correlations between baseline clinical/dermoscopic features of psoriatic plaques and therapeutic response, and between residual dermoscopic findings in clinically improved/healed lesions and post-treatment relapse.

Methods: For each target lesion, we calculated the local psoriasis severity index and assessed dermoscopic findings at baseline and at the end of a 4-week treatment, correlating the therapeutic outcome with the initial clinical and dermoscopic features.

Impact of a probiotic-based hospital sanitation on antimicrobial resistance and HAI-associated antimicrobial consumption and costs: a multicenter study.

Purpose: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major threats to human health, and the high frequency of resistant pathogens in the hospital environment can contribute to the transmission of difficult-to-treat health care-associated infections (HAIs). We recently reported that, compared with conventional chemical cleaning, the use of a microbial-based sanitation strategy (Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System [PCHS]) was associated with remodulation of hospital microbiota and reduction of HAI incidence. Here, we aimed to analyze the impact of PCHS on AMR and related effects, such as HAI-associated antimicrobial drug consumption and costs.

Correlation Between eHealth Literacy and Health Literacy Using the eHealth Literacy Scale and Real-Life Experiences in the Health Sector as a Proxy Measure of Functional Health Literacy: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey.

Background: The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) is a tool for the self-assessment of perceived comfort and skills in using the internet as a source for health-related information. Although evidence exists of the reliability and construct and structural validity of the scale, there is a lack of evidence in relation to what is proposed by Norman and Skinner in their theoretical lily model of eHealth literacy; in particular it is not clear whether having a higher level of health literacy can positively influence electronic health (eHealth) literacy as measured by the eHEALS.

Objective: Our study aim was to assess whether real-life experiences from studying or working in the health field, as a proxy of higher functional health literacy, correlate with self-referred eHealth literacy as measured by the eHEALS.

Reducing healthcare-associated infections incidence by a probiotic-based sanitation system: A multicentre, prospective, intervention study.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) are a global concern, further threatened by the increasing drug resistance of HAI-associated pathogens. On the other hand, persistent contamination of hospital surfaces contributes to HAI transmission, and it is not efficiently controlled by conventional cleaning, which does not prevent recontamination, has a high environmental impact and can favour selection of drug-resistant microbial strains. In the search for effective approaches, an eco-sustainable probiotic-based cleaning system (Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System, PCHS) was recently shown to stably abate surface pathogens, without selecting antibiotic-resistant species.

Control and prevention measures for legionellosis in hospitals: A cross-sectional survey in Italy.

Risk assessment, environmental monitoring, and the disinfection of water systems are the key elements in preventing legionellosis risk. The Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health and the Italian Multidisciplinary Society for the Prevention of Health Care-Associated Infections carried out a national cross-sectional survey to investigate the measures taken to prevent and control legionellosis in Italian hospitals. A multiple-choice questionnaire was developed, comprising 71 questions regarding hospital location, general characteristics, clinical and environmental surveillance, and control and preventive measures for legionellosis in 2015.

Monitoring Polypharmacy in Healthcare Systems Through a Multi-Setting Survey: Should We Put More Attention on Long Term Care Facilities?

Background: Polypharmacy is a main issue of patient safety in all healthcare settings (i.e. increase adverse drug reactions and incidence of drug-drug interactions, etc.

Promotion of flu vaccination among healthcare workers in an Italian academic hospital: An experience with tailored web tools.

Background: Influenza causes significant mortality particularly among the elderly and high-risk groups. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure due to contact with patients. Aims of this study was to promote flu shot among HCWs through a multimedia campaign in a large North-Eastern Italian Hospital.

Polytherapy and the risk of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) among elderly and very elderly patients in three different settings (hospital, community, long-term care facilities) of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy: are the very elderly at higher risk of PIPs?

Purpose: The aim of this point-prevalence study was to assess the occurrence of polypharmacy and hyperpolypharmacy and the risk of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) among elderly and very elderly patients in different health-care settings of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the North-East of Italy.

Methods: Prescription pattern of elderly (65-79 years) and very elderly (>79 years) patients in three different health-care settings [hospitals, general practitioners, and long-term care facilities (LTCFs)] was assessed in March 2014, and PIPs were assessed according to the Beers criteria. Other situations at potentially high risk were checked.

Prevalence of urinary colonization by extended spectrum-beta-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae among catheterised inpatients in Italian long term care facilities.

Background: Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) play a key role in guaranteeing care to patients in developed countries. Many patients, mostly elderly, access LTCFs at some time in their lives, and their healthcare pathways often require them to move back and forth between hospital and outpatient settings. These patterns bring about new challenges regarding infection control, especially healthcare associated infections.

Errors and omissions in hospital prescriptions: a survey of prescription writing in a hospital.

Background: The frequency of drug prescription errors is high. Excluding errors in decision making, the remaining are mainly due to order ambiguity, non standard nomenclature and writing illegibility. The aim of this study is to analyse, as a part of a continuous quality improvement program, the quality of prescriptions writing for antibiotics, in an Italian University Hospital as a risk factor for prescription errors.