[The Early Years of Nephrology at Molinette Hospital in Turin Told by Those Who Lived and Built Them].

This article, written by several authors, describes the birth and early development of the nephrology at Molinette Hospital in Torino, Italy. In particular, it supplies important information on Antonio Vercellone, very motivated and innovative clinician and one of the fathers of Italian nephrology, and on Giuseppe Piccoli, his right-hand man and then his successor. This article also shows the strong professional and human engagement that was requested to the young doctors who, in the early Sixties and Seventies of the past century, had chosen to devote their professional lives to the patients with kidney diseases: from endless workdays without schedules to the anguish caused by the shortage of artificial kidneys to the cure of very fragile and unfortunate patients, and much more.

Chronic kidney disease certification process manual by the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN): part II: programme management and clinical information management.

This is the second part of a document describing a voluntary certification process based on Joint Commission International (JCI) criteria developed by the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) and JCI representatives. In the first part we discussed standards for clinical care delivery and performance measurements related to chronic kidney disease care. Herein (Part II), we complete the description of Performace measurements and CKD care by describing issues related the management and clinical information management.

Chronic kidney disease certification process manual by the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN): Part I: clinical care delivery and performance measurements and improvement.

Chronic kidney diseases (CKD) has now emerged as a public health priority, and there is an increasing demand by patients and health care organisations that the quality of care delivered by renal units to CKD patients be systematically monitored and evaluated. The Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) has started an initiative aimed at promoting a quality certification process specifically focused on CKD. To this end, SIN started a collaboration with an independent Italian company which is a partner of Joint Commission International (JCI), a nonprofit international organisation dedicated to the promotion of quality improvement and safety of health services.

[Relationship between the amount of copper and zinc given to critically ill patients on total parenteral nutrition and plasma and erythrocyte copper and zinc levels].

Objectives: Complications resulting from zinc and copper deficiency, or adverse effects from excessive zinc and copper intake should be avoided during total parenteral nutrition (TPN). This study was conducted on critically ill patients requiring TPN to determine the relationship between the zinc and copper levels of the TPN mixtures, patients' clinical progression, and changes in plasma levels of zinc, serum levels of copper, and erythrocyte levels of zinc and copper.

Patients And Methods: 29 adult critically ill patients following pancreatitis or after a major abdominal surgery were studied.