[Storytelling in prevention: the case-study of accidents at work. How the narrative method can enhance the prevention of occupational injuries.].

Objective: This article aims to analyze the elements of the narrative which, applied to investigations of accidents at work, transform them into stories, making the dynamics of accidents clearer, more complete and emotionally engaging and also capable of being transferred to a non-experts audience.

Method: The theoretical reference identified for the analysis of the accident histories is the work of the Lithuanian semiologist Algirdas Julien Greimas. The title, the dimensions of space and time, the characters (according to the actantial model), the point of view, the structure of the story (following the canonical narrative scheme), and the moral of the tale are the elements of the narration analyzed in this article.

The Community of Practice: A Method for Cooperative Learning of Occupational Health and Safety Inspectors.

Background: Workplace injuries in Italy still occur despite laws and safety norms. We need to understand the causes rooted in the context and social conditions, and need to improve the practice of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) inspectors of the Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) of the Italian regional health boards. The aims of this study were to describe the setting up of a Community of Practice (CoP) for the production of best practices for injury prevention and to evaluate the motivation of OSH inspectors for participating in the CoP and the effects of CoP participation on their professional practice.

[The community of practice as a place of prevention: the value of collective knowledge in occupational safety].

Background: Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) inspectors of the Health Units of Piedmont Region wrote 47 case histories based on data gathered from injury investigations as part of the project "From the injury investigation reports to case histories: creation of a collection of case histories on occupational injuries". Afterwards a Community of Practice (CoP) was initiated with the aim of sharing recommendations for prevention of occupational injuries.

Objective: The aims of the article are: 1) to describe the implementation process of the CoP; 2) to evaluate the benefits of CoP regarding the improvement of professional practice of OSH inspectors.

MDCT and US of intrathoracic extrapleural space soft tissue-containing lesions: US extrapleural fat sign and MDCT fat ghost ribs sign.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the normal anatomy of the extrapleural space, its soft tissue-containing lesions, and to illustrate the extrapleural fat sign with Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) and Ultrasound (US), which was never described so far.

Materials And Methods: The study includes 28 patients. 24 with histologically or surgically proven extrapleural soft tissue-containing lesions and 4 pleural lesions.

Austerity Resistant Social Policies to Protect Employment.

During the worse phase of the economic downturn, few social policies resisted to the austerity measures imposed to Italy by the European Union. Among them, the most important is the Wage Supplementation Fund, to protect workers and entrepreneurs from bankruptcy and unemployment. Adopting a realist methodology we studied the social mechanisms which are the roots of some political and administrative choices in that period; the public policy decision making approach gave us a theoretical base.

[Not Available].

Background: Many authors consider narrative descriptions of injuries gathered by OSH inspectors extremely important in identifying causes, setting priorities and drawing up intervention strategies. Narratives provide additional insight regarding complex behaviour, attitudes and interactions, which help to understand the decision patterns and the context of the injury. Storytelling is an effective way of sharing and remembering information.

MDCT evaluation of acute aortic syndrome (AAS).

Non-traumatic acute thoracic aortic syndromes (AAS) describe a spectrum of life-threatening aortic pathologies with significant implications on diagnosis, therapy and management. There is a common pathway for the various manifestations of AAS that eventually leads to a breakdown of the aortic intima and media. Improvements in biology and health policy and diffusion of technology into the community resulted in an associated decrease in mortality and morbidity related to aortic therapeutic interventions.

MDCT distinguishing features of focal aortic projections (FAP) in acute clinical settings.

Focal aortic projections (FAP) are protrusion images of the contrast medium (focal contour irregularity, breaks in the intimal contour, outward lumen bulging or localized blood-filled outpouching) projecting beyond the aortic lumen in the aortic wall and are commonly seen on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of the chest and abdomen. FAP include several common and uncommon etiologies, which can be demonstrated both in the native aorta, mainly in acute aortic syndromes, and in the post-surgical aorta or after endovascular therapy. They are also found in some types of post-traumatic injuries and in impending rupture of the aneurysms.

[Testing of interventions for prevention of heat wave related deaths: results among frail elderly and methodological problems].

Objective: to evaluate the impact of a programme based on soft home care services and an offer of social caretaking, compared to one based only on soft home care, for the prevention of heat-related health events among clinically and/or functionally frail elderly.

Design: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting And Participants: the study population included 2,612 persons over 75 years of age living alone in the city of Turin, North-West Italy, who were classified as clinically (hospitalization with specific diagnoses before summer 2004) and/or functionally (were receiving a disability pension) frail.