Publications by authors named "Porcu G"

Article Synopsis
  • A new predictive score, called the "Elderly Nursing Home Placement" (ENHP) score, has been developed to identify elderly individuals at risk of requiring nursing home care.
  • The study analyzed healthcare data from over 2.4 million citizens aged 65 and older in Lombardy, Italy, using case-control methodology to find key factors influencing nursing home admission.
  • The ENHP score demonstrated strong predictive performance, helping healthcare decision-makers target support services to those most in need, potentially reducing unnecessary nursing home placements.*
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Article Synopsis
  • Comparing vaccination campaigns' effectiveness in preventing deaths shows a significant public health impact, focusing on overall excess deaths rather than just COVID-19 specific fatalities.
  • A predictive model analyzed daily deaths in three Italian regions from 2015-2019 to estimate excess deaths during vaccination from December 2020 to October 2022.
  • Lombardy had the highest vaccination rates and prevented more deaths (65%) compared to Marche (60%) and Sicily (58%), but due to lower overall excess mortality, the actual number of averted deaths per 10,000 people was less in Lombardy than in the other two regions.
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Background: Subjects with a fragility fracture have an increased risk of a new fracture and should receive effective strategies to prevent new events. The medium-term to long-term strategy should be scheduled by considering the mechanisms of action in therapy and the estimated fracture risk.

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the sequential strategy in patients with or at risk of a fragility fracture in the context of the development of the Italian Guidelines.

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Background: The use of intravenous fluid therapy in patients with major trauma in prehospital settings is still controversial. We conducted an umbrella review to evaluate which is the best volume expansion in the resuscitation of a hemorrhagic shock to support the development of major trauma guideline recommendations.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL up to September 2022 for systematic reviews (SRs) investigating the use of volume expansion fluid on mortality and/or survival.

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Purpose: Since vertebral fragility fractures (VFFs) might increase the risk of subsequent fractures, we evaluated the incidence rate and the refracture risk of subsequent vertebral and non-vertebral fragility fractures (nVFFs) in untreated patients with a previous VFF.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to February 2022 for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that analyzed the occurrence of subsequent fractures in untreated patients with prior VFFs. Two authors independently extracted data and appraised the risk of bias in the selected studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study in Italy examined influenza cases and healthcare usage in children aged 0-14 over 10 seasons, revealing an average of 8,892 diagnosed cases annually from a sample of 1.4 million children.
  • Vaccination rates were notably low, at 3.6% for diagnosed cases and 6.8% for non-diagnosed cases, highlighting a significant gap in preventive measures.
  • Healthcare utilization was substantial, with frequent pediatric visits and notable complications, including otitis media and pneumonia, yet no flu-related deaths were reported during the study period.
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Unlabelled: Randomized clinical trials and observational studies on the implementation of clinical governance models, in patients who had experienced a fragility fracture, were examined. Literature was systematically reviewed and summarized by a panel of experts who formulated recommendations for the Italian guideline.

Purpose: After experiencing a fracture, several strategies may be adopted to reduce the risk of recurrent fragility fractures and associated morbidity and mortality.

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An uncommon clinical case of an adult woman who was referred to the hospital with severe symptoms attributable to cystic echinococcosis (CE) is described in this report. According to a questionnaire, the subject was exposed to a high risk of infection since she was employed on a farm about 20 years before diagnosis. She lived close to several animal species and handled vegetables in inadequate hygienic conditions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Noncommunicable chronic diseases often require long-term medication, and the concept of a "medication holiday" involves planned breaks from treatment, needing guidance from healthcare professionals.
  • The study aimed to assess how adherence to antiosteoporotic treatment influences outcomes like refracture rates and quality of life in patients with fragility fractures, contributing to Italian clinical guidelines.
  • After analyzing multiple studies, results showed that adhering to medication significantly reduced the risk of refractures and mortality, while there were no major differences in quality of life or side effects between continuous and discontinuous treatment.
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Introduction: Large-scale diagnostic testing has been proven insufficient to promptly monitor the spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019. Electronic resources may provide better insight into the early detection of epidemics. We aimed to retrospectively explore whether the Google search volume has been useful in detecting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreaks early compared to the swab-based surveillance system.

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Background: Fragility fractures are a major public health concern owing to their worrying and growing burden and their onerous burden upon health systems. There is now a substantial body of evidence that individuals who have already suffered a fragility fracture are at a greater risk for further fractures, thus suggesting the potential for secondary prevention in this field.

Purpose: This guideline aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for recognizing, stratifying the risk, treating, and managing patients with fragility fracture.

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Purpose: Preventing fragility fractures by treating osteoporosis may reduce disability and mortality worldwide. Algorithms combining clinical risk factors with bone mineral density have been developed to better estimate fracture risk and possible treatment thresholds. This systematic review supported panel members of the Italian Fragility Fracture Guidelines in recommending the use of best-performant tool.

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BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale diagnostic testing and contact tracing have proven insufficient to promptly monitor the spread of infections.AimTo develop and retrospectively evaluate a system identifying aberrations in the use of selected healthcare services to timely detect COVID-19 outbreaks in small areas.MethodsData were retrieved from the healthcare utilisation (HCU) databases of the Lombardy Region, Italy.

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Purpose: The effect of systemic hemostatic agents initiated during pre-hospital care of severely injured patients with ongoing bleeding or traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis was therefore conducted to assess the effectiveness and safety of systemic hemostatic agents as an adjunctive therapy in people with major trauma and hemorrhage or TBI in the context of developing the Italian National Institute of Health guidelines on major trauma integrated management.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to October 2021 for studies that investigated pre-hospital initiated treatment with systemic hemostatic agents.

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Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy and adherence to achieve viral load suppression (VLS) are crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality of perinatally HIV-infected infants. In this descriptive cohort study of 39 HIV perinatally infected infants, who started treatment at one month of life in Mozambique, we aimed to describe the viral response over 2 years of follow up. VLS ≤ 400 copies/mL, sustained VLS and viral rebound were described using a Kaplan-Meier estimator.

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Psychosocial support (PSS) to caregivers of HIV-infected infants on antiretroviral treatment (ART) is crucial to ensure ART adherence and sustained long-term viral suppression in children. A specific approach including tools to monitor and understand adherence behavior and risk factors that prevent optimal treatment compliance are urgently needed. This qualitative exploratory study, conducted in southern Mozambique, monitored the infants' viral response trajectories during 18 months follow-up, as a measure of adherence, reviewed the caregiver's PSS session notes and the answers to a study questionnaire, to analyze whether the standard PSS checklist applied to infants' caregivers can identify barriers influencing their adherence.

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Despite widespread childhood immunization programs, pneumococcal disease (PD) continues to be associated with significant clinical and economic burden worldwide. This retrospective study assessed the PD-related economic burden in children from the Veneto region of Italy following the introduction of a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to the Italian immunization schedule in 2010. Between 2010 and 2017, the annual incidences of pneumonia, acute otitis media (AOM), and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), as well as syndromic-disease-related episodes, declined.

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Despite advances in preventative interventions, invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. We studied the annual incidence of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and non-invasive pneumonia in children <15 years of age during the early (2010−2013) and late (2014−2017) 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) periods in Veneto, Italy. In this retrospective observational study, pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and non-invasive pneumonia cases were identified from several sources, including the Pedianet database.

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Background: Several studies have reported an association between perinatal complications and the severity of the hypertensive disease. The increasing number of pregnancies complicated by hypertension and the small assurance about the perinatal effects of hypertensive drug use during pregnancy involves the need of studying the better management of hypertensive mothers.

Objective: To evaluate the association between maternal use of antihypertensive drugs and maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with chronic hypertension.

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Unlabelled: Impetigo is a common skin infection in children. The worldwide prevalence in children is estimated to be 12%, but this may be lower since high-income countries are under-represented. This research aims to evaluate the incidence, prevalence, and management of children with non-bullous impetigo (NBI) residing in Italy.

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This study aimed to assess trends in the incidence of acute otitis media (AOM), a common childhood condition, following the introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in the Veneto region of Italy in 2010. AOM episodes (overall, simple, and recurrent (≥3 or ≥4 episodes in 6 or 12 months, respectively, with ≥1 episode in the preceding 6 months)) in children <15 years of age were identified in Pedianet from 2010−2017. Interrupted time series analyses were conducted to assess changes in the annual incidence rates (IRs) in early (2010−2013) and late (2014−2017) PCV13 periods.

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Background: Major trauma describes serious injuries requiring lifesaving interventions or resulting in long-term disability; it represents about 8% of all deaths worldwide. Specific guidelines can help reduce deaths and disabilities, provided they adhere to high quality and trustworthiness standards. This article aims at introducing the development process of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS (Italian National Institute of Health) guideline for major trauma integrated management.

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Background: Early detection of critical bleeding by accurate tools can help ensure rapid delivery of blood products to improve outcomes in major trauma patients. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the accuracy of risk tools to predict critical bleeding in patients with major trauma.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched up to February 2021 for studies investigating risk tools to predict critical bleeding for major trauma people in prehospital and emergency department.

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Trauma is one of the leading causes of uncontrolled haemorrhage, death, and disability. Use of a tourniquet can be considered an optimal anti-haemorrhagic resource, in pre-hospital and emergency settings, and its lifesaving effect is clinically contradictory. This review aims to assess the clinical efficacy of the tourniquet in the emergency pre-hospital care setting for the management of haemorrhage.

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Background: Multiple studies regarding the use of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in patients with non-compressible torso injuries and uncontrolled haemorrhagic shock were recently published. To date, the clinical evidence of the efficacy of REBOA is still debated. We aimed to conduct a systematic review assessing the clinical efficacy and safety of REBOA in patients with major trauma and uncontrolled haemorrhagic shock.

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