COVID-19 in the tonsillectomised population.

Objective: Interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and pharyngeal associated lymphoid tissue are thought to influence the manifestations of COVID-19. We aimed to determine whether a previous history of tonsillectomy, as a surrogate indicator of a dysfunctional pharyngeal associated lymphoid tissue, could predict the presentation and course of COVID-19.

Methods: Multicentric cross-sectional observational study involving seven hospitals in Northern and Central Italy.

[Effects of high temperature and air pollution on the risk of preterm births. Analysis in six Italian cities, 2001-2010].

Objectives: to evaluate the association between short term maternal exposure to high temperature and air pollution on preterm births (PBs), which represent the first cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity in developed Countries, and to identify maternal risk factors enhancing individual susceptibility.

Design: time series. SETTING E PARTICIPANTS: all singleton live-births occurred in six Italian cities between 1st April and 31st October of each year in the period 2001-2010 were identified through the Certificate of Delivery Care Registry (CedAP).

[Estimate of the prevalence of Parkinson's disease by using electronic health archives].

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Parkinson's disease using electronic health archives and to obtain a knowledge base for its governance.

Materials: Drug prescriptions, tax-exemptions and hospital discharge records relating to assisted of Health Services Agency "Triestina" in the year 2011.

Results: We identified 909 cases (crude prevalence rate: 380/100.

[Air pollution and urgent hospital admissions in 25 Italian cities: results from the EpiAir2 project].

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between air pollution and hospital admissions in 25 Italian cities that took part in the EpiAir (Epidemiological surveillance of air pollution effects among Italian cities) project.

Design: study of time series with case-crossover methodology, with adjustment for meteorological and time-dependent variables. The association air pollution hospitalisation was analyzed in each of the 25 cities involved in the study; the overall estimates of effect were obtained subsequently by means of a meta-analysis.

[Air pollution and mortality in twenty-five Italian cities: results of the EpiAir2 Project].

Objectives: this study aims at presenting the results from the Italian EpiaAir2 Project on the short-term effects of air pollution on adult population (35+ years old) in 25 Italian cities.

Design: the short-term effects of air pollution on resident people died in their city were analysed adopting the time series approach. The association between increases in 10µg/m(3) in PM10, PM2.

[Prevalence of malnutrition among institutionalized elderly subjects in Trieste, Northen Italy)].

Aim: to evaluate nutritional status in a representative sample of guests of residential homes for the elderly using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA, Nestlè®) and compare results with data from literature.

Design: cross-sectional study of prevalence using cluster sampling in two stages.

Setting And Participants: the investigation focused on a sample of 420 guests of 37 facilities for the elderly, out of 2,967 residents in 89 facilities in the province of Trieste.

[Smoking cessation with the help of community pharmacists].

Aim: To investigate the outcome of a protocol for smoking cessation used in the practice of the community pharmacies.

Design: Observational descriptive study of a non pharmacological intervention, without parallel control.

Setting And Participants: Urban community pharmacies in the province of Trieste (n=60).

[Exposure to passive smoking in local health units of northern Italy before and after the enforcement of the smoking ban].

Objective: to assess smoking habits, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and smoking attitudes of workers toward different possible institutional restrictions before and after the implementation of the new Italian legislation about the public health protection from passive smoking (L 3/2003).

Design: Descriptive study based on self-reported questionnaires (2004 and 2005) and indoor measurement of particulate matter (PM, 2004 and 2006).

Setting: Local health authority n.

[Changes in PM10 and PM2.5 air levels in bars after the enforcement of the smoking ban in the Italian legislation].

Objective: in Italy law n.3/2003 has banned smoking in closed places, with the exception of private venues and of public venues reserved for smokers and marked as such. The present report estimates the effects of the ban.

[Estimate of potential health benefits of the reduction of air pollution with PM10 in Trieste, Italy].

Objectives: Estimate of the possible benefits, in Trieste, of a reduction of PM10 to values not over 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 microg/mc, utilizing data of PM10 of the year 2002 as cause specific deaths and admissions.

Design: Cause specific deaths and admissions attributable to short term effects of PM10 calculated by software AirQ, utilizing Relative Risk from MISA 1 study (as published in 2002).

Setting: Trieste (Italy).