Efficacy and safety of posaconazole and liposomal amphotericin B use for prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections in a paediatric and young adult haemato-oncological population.

Background: The prevention of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is crucial for paediatric haemato-oncological patients. This study evaluates the clinical efficacy and side-effects of posaconazole and liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) as primary prophylaxis.

Materials And Methods: This cohort study included patients aged 3 months to 21 years who received posaconazole or L-AmB (5 mg/kg twice weekly) as prophylaxis from January 2017 to March 2022 at the Hemato-oncological Pediatric Unit, University Hospital of Padua, Italy.

Impact of a two step antimicrobial stewardship program in a paediatric haematology and oncology unit.

Objective: To describe the implementation of a multi-step antimicrobial stewardship program in a haemato-oncology and stem cell transplantation program unit. Methods: Pre-post quasi-experimental study with two interrupted time-series analyses, conducted between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2022 in the Paediatric Haemato-Oncology Unit of the Padua Paediatric Hospital. The interventions were: (1) 02/2020: dissemination of febrile neutropenia clinical pathways, (2) April 2021: provision of the clinical pathways via a customized App (Firstline.

Posterior cerebral circulation in children with sickle cell anemia: an uncharted territory.

Not available.

Oncological pediatric early warning score: a dedicated tool to predict patient's clinical deterioration and need for pediatric intensive care treatment.

Pediatric oncohematological patients frequently require PICU admission during their clinical history. The O-PEWS is a specific score developed to predict the need for PICU admission of oncohematological children. This study aimed at i) describing the trend of the O-PEWS in a cohort of patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Oncohematology ward and transferred to the PICU of Padua University Hospital, measured at different time-points in the 24 hours before PICU admission and to evaluate its association with mortality and presence of organ failure; ii) investigating the association between the recorded O-PEWS, and PIM3, number of organ failure and the need for ventilation, dialysis and inotropes.

Early-onset indicators of a hypercoagulable state and clinical complications in a cohort of children with sickle cell trait.

Adults with sickle cell trait (SCT) have a procoagulant state with increased risk of thromboembolism, but limited data are available for children. We compared the coagulation profile of children with SCT, different sickle cell disease (SCD) genotypes, and healthy controls. Compared to controls and similarly to HbSC patients, 41 SCT children (mean age 6.

Prevention of neurovascular complications in children with Sickle Cell Disease in the real-world setting: What adult medicine physicians should know.

Neurovascular complications represent one of the most detrimental manifestations of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), affecting many patients since infancy. They include overt stroke, silent cerebral infarcts and neurocognitive disorders. In fact, neurodevelopment can be impaired in children resulting in cognitive dysfunction in adults with SCD.

Relationship between hemoglobin, hemolysis, and transcranial Doppler velocities in children with sickle cell disease: Results from a long-term natural history study in Italy in the era of multimodal therapy.

Background: Stroke and cerebral vasculopathy are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a reliable and validated predictor of stroke risk. Children with conditional or abnormal TCD are at an increased risk for stroke, which can be mitigated by red blood cell transfusion or hydroxyurea.

Point-of-care testing allows successful simultaneous screening of sickle cell disease, HIV, and tuberculosis for households in rural Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.

Diagnosis of noncommunicable genetic diseases like sickle cell disease (SCD) and communicable diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or tuberculosis (TB) is often difficult in rural areas of Africa due to the lack of infrastructures, trained staff, or capacity to involve families living in remote areas. The availability of point-of-care (POC) tests for the above diseases offers the opportunity to build joint programs to tackle all conditions. We report successful simultaneous screening of SCD, HIV, and TB utilizing POC tests in 898 subjects in Fanhe, in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Distribution of HbS Allele and Haplotypes in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Guinea Bissau, West Africa: Implications for Public Health Screening.

Background: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited condition that is widespread globally and especially in malaria-endemic West African countries. Limited epidemiological data on SCD are available for Guinea Bissau, where newborn screening is not yet implemented, routine diagnosis is not available, and care is case directed.

Methods: Dried blood spots were collected from children accessing two hospitals managed by Italian Non-Governmental Organizations in the capital city of Bissau and sent to Padova for Hemoglobin (Hb) quantification through HPLC and molecular analysis.

Treatment Strategies for Children With Relapsed Pancreatoblastoma: A Literature Review.

Pancreatoblastoma (PB) is a tumor typically seen in childhood. Despite its rarity, there are some internationally agreed recommendations for its first-line treatment, but very little is known about the management of relapse. We reviewed the literature on the treatment and outcome of children with progressing/recurrent PB, and the role of high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) or liver transplantation in difficult cases.

Emergency paediatric blood transfusion practices in Mozambique.

Objectives: To analyse adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) indications for transfusion requests and capacity to meet the demand in the paediatric emergency units of a tertiary hospital in Mozambique.

Background: Severe anaemia is a relevant paediatric problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Transfusion can be a life-saving intervention, but in this setting, blood supply is often limited, and there is a high risk of transfusion-related complications.

Emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and affectivity in adults seeking treatment for obesity.

Obesity has become an increasingly widespread endemic with social implications; however, the relationship between higher body mass index (BMI) and psychological functioning is still not fully understood. This study examined the differences in affect-related psychological variables among BMI classes. A total of 134 adults seeking treatment for obesity and 124 controls completed a set of questionnaires to assess: trait emotional intelligence, emotion regulation strategies, anxiety, depression, binge eating behaviors and happiness.

Successful management of giant hydrocolpos in a limited-resource setting.

Abdominal distention and urinary retention are rare manifestations in newborns. The differential diagnosis of a female neonate presenting these signs, especially when combined, should include hydrocolpos due to imperforate hymen. The prognosis of imperforate hymen is generally good, although it can be associated with serious nephro-urologic and infectious complications.

A multi-element psychosocial intervention for early psychosis (GET UP PIANO TRIAL) conducted in a catchment area of 10 million inhabitants: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Multi-element interventions for first-episode psychosis (FEP) are promising, but have mostly been conducted in non-epidemiologically representative samples, thereby raising the risk of underestimating the complexities involved in treating FEP in 'real-world' services.

Methods/design: The Psychosis early Intervention and Assessment of Needs and Outcome (PIANO) trial is part of a larger research program (Genetics, Endophenotypes and Treatment: Understanding early Psychosis - GET UP) which aims to compare, at 9 months, the effectiveness of a multi-component psychosocial intervention versus treatment as usual (TAU) in a large epidemiologically based cohort of patients with FEP and their family members recruited from all public community mental health centers (CMHCs) located in two entire regions of Italy (Veneto and Emilia Romagna), and in the cities of Florence, Milan and Bolzano. The GET UP PIANO trial has a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled design.

Endothelial function and its relationship to leptin, homocysteine, and insulin resistance in lean and overweight eumenorrheic women and PCOS patients: a pilot study.

Objective: To verify if patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), have an increased cardiovascular risk compared with healthy controls.

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Setting: University-based practice.

Multislice CT cholangiography without biliary contrast agent: technique and initial clinical results in the assessment of patients with biliary obstruction.

Our objective was to describe our technique for multislice CT cholangiography without cholangiographic contrast agent, and to present our preliminary clinical results. Thirty-seven patients with suspected biliary obstruction were studied. A multislice CT unit was used with the following technical parameters: 2.

[Intra-arterial chemotherapy in locally advanced or recurrent breast neoplasms].

Intraarterial chemotherapy is studied as an alternative procedure for the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced and recurrent breast cancer. Our study was aimed at investigating the feasibility, the toxicity and the local response rate of an intraarterial chemotherapy regimen including 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and mitomycin. These drugs were administered angiographically into the subclavian and internal mammary arteries ipsilateral to the lesion.