Essential strategies in HAI prevention and control: performance assessment through the implementation of the HAI-CoSIP tool of the GISIO-SItI group. A pilot study in a sample of Italian Organizations.

Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections are a great concern for worldwide healthcare systems and represent a considerable threat to patient safety, leading to adverse clinical outcomes. A defined panel of indicators represents a key element to guide Healthcare Organizations towards identification of main gaps, implementation of effective actions and continuous improvements on Healthcare-Associated Infections prevention and control activities. A review on accreditation systems conducted by the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene Preventive Medicine and Public Health revealed a substantial heterogeneity of implemented standards and led to the development of a core set of indicators and requirements for Healthcare-Associated Infections' prevention and control within the hospital setting.

Definition of criteria and indicators for the prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) in hospitals for the purposes of Italian institutional accreditation and performance monitoring.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are an important issue in terms of quality of care. HAIs impact patient safety by contributing to higher rates of preventable mortality and prolonged hospitalizations. In Italy, analysis of the currently available accreditation systems shows a substantial heterogeneity of approaches for the prevention and surveillance of HAIs in hospitals.

Occurrence of neural tube defects in pregnancy: an excess of cases in a 2773-km2 area in Central Italy.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) have a complex and imperfectly understood etiology, in which both genetic and environmental factors might be involved. The aim of the study was to describe an excess of cases of NTDs in a small area in central Italy. Over a 2-wk period in autumn 2002, three diagnoses of anencephaly were made in a 2773-km(2) area.

Evaluation of a transit first-aid station providing emergency care to former Yugoslavian war victims evacuated in Ancona, Italy.

Background: A first-aid station was implemented in Falconara Marittima airport (Ancona, Italy). It provided medical emergency care to war victims evacuated from former Yugoslavia in transit for further treatment.

Materials And Methods: A descriptive analysis of the displaced population arriving at the first-aid station was performed using three independent datasets for administrative information, of which one included medical information.