Pandemic influenza preparedness plan in Liguria, Italy: a valuable tool for Public Health.

As known, influenza presents a multifaceted challenge to public health, causing disease that ranges from mild cases to severe pandemics with significant morbidity and mortality. Effective pandemic preparedness demands a comprehensive strategy that integrates research, surveillance, response coordination and community engagement, to mitigate the impact of future health emergencies. The pandemic preparedness cycle involves dynamic, cyclical phases of preparation and response aimed at enhancing response capacity.

Implementation of a centralized, web-based surveillance for healthcare associated infections among residents of long-term care facilities in Italy.

Objective: The Italian National Action Plan to contrast AMR identified among its objectives the development and implementation of a national Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) surveillance system based on European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indications, through point prevalence surveys (PPS) of HAIs and antibiotic use in acute-care hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCFs). We aimed to assess feasibility and appropriateness of proposed tools for a national surveillance system of HAIs and antibiotic use in LTCFs.

Study Design: Point prevalence survey.

Systematic Review of Lung Cancer Screening: Advancements and Strategies for Implementation.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Europe, with low survival rates primarily due to late-stage diagnosis. Early detection can significantly improve survival rates, but lung cancer screening is not currently implemented in Italy. Many countries have implemented lung cancer screening programs for high-risk populations, with studies showing a reduction in mortality.

Who Is at Higher Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection? Results from a Northern Region of Italy.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, generating a high impact on healthcare systems. The aim of the study was to examine the epidemiological burden of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections and to identify potential related risk factors. A retrospective observational study was conducted in Liguria Region, combining data from National Vaccines Registry and Regional Chronic Condition Data Warehouse.

Protection against MIS-C outweighs the risk of myocarditis after Covid-19 vaccination in children.

From March 2020 to July 2022, in Liguria region (North-West Italy) incidence of MIS-C among pediatric patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 was 38.7/100.000, which is higher than that of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination.

Economic burden of pneumococcal disease in children in Liguria, Italy.

Vaccinations against are included in infant immunization programs globally. However, a substantial burden due to pneumococcal disease (PD) remains. This study aimed to estimate the cost of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations associated with invasive pneumococcal disease, all-cause pneumonia, and acute otitis media in children <15 years of age in the Liguria region of Italy between 2012 and 2018.

Has Clinical and Epidemiological Varicella Burden Changed over Time in Children? Overview on Hospitalizations, Comorbidities and Costs from 2010 to 2017 in Italy.

According to WHO estimates, varicella disease is responsible of a worldwide significant burden in terms of hospitalizations, complications, and deaths, with more than 90% of cases under 12 years old. This study aims at evaluating the clinical, epidemiological, and economic burden of varicella in Ligurian children, about comorbidities, organizational variables, and vaccination coverages from 2010 to 2017, in terms of Emergency Department accesses and hospitalizations. The overall hospitalization rate was 179.

Economic Burden of Pneumococcal Disease in Individuals Aged 15 Years and Older in the Liguria Region of Italy.

Despite the availability of vaccines against , the global incidence and economic cost of pneumococcal disease (PD) among adults is still high. This retrospective cohort analysis estimated the cost of emergency department (ED) visits/hospitalizations associated with non-invasive pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease among individuals ≥15 years of age in the Liguria region of Italy during 2012-2018. Data from the Liguria Region Administrative Health Databases and the Ligurian Chronic Condition Data Warehouse were used, including hospital admission date, length of stay, discharge date, outpatient visits, and laboratory/imaging procedures.

Infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background/aim: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of all or part of the digestive tract and primarily includes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). This review has as target to summarize the complicated correlation between IBD and infections, which can affect patients' quality of life and increase substantially morbidity and mortality rates.

Results: Scientific evidence in recent years shows a growing recognition of the phenomenon although the association between these two aspects is not definitively clear.

Adenocarcinoma Arising from Perianal Fistulizing Crohn's Disease.

Perianal fistula is a very debilitating event and a cause of morbidity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Its malignant transformation is very rare with an incidence of around 0.004-0.

Regional point prevalence study of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals in Liguria, Italy.

Background: Given the importance of monitoring healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and the consumption of antibiotics, a regional point prevalence survey was conducted in Liguria between March and April 2016.

Aim: To measure the overall prevalence of HCAI and describe the use of antibiotics in all public hospitals.

Methods: Data on risk factors and use of antibiotics were collected for each hospitalized patient.

Colorectal Cancer in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Need for a Real Surveillance Program.

The association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) has been widely shown. This association is responsible for 10% to 15% of deaths in patients with IBD, even if according to some studies, the risk of developing CRC seems to be decreased. An adequate surveillance of patients identified as at-risk patients, might improve the management of IBD-CRC risk.

Surgical and medical treatment in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mucosa of the colorectum. The treatment of UC depends on the severity of symptoms and the extent of the disease. Acute severe colitis (ASC) occurs in 12-25% of patients with UC.

Colorectal cancer screening in LHU4 Chiavarese, Italy: ethical, methodological and outcome evaluations at the end of the first round.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION. The screening programmes are very challenging from the ethical perspective, and their impact in terms of morbidity and mortality make secondary colorectal cancer prevention a valuable public health intervention.

Methods: The target population people aged 50-69 years receive an invitation card with a test-tube for the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and an immunochemical test is used for fecal occult blood.

Adherence to international and national recommendations for the prevention of surgical site infections in Italy: results from an observational prospective study in elective surgery.

Background: An observational prospective study of the perioperative procedures for prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) was carried out in a tertiary referral teaching hospital in Liguria, Italy, to evaluate their adherence to international and national standards.

Methods: A 1-month survey was performed in all surgical departments, monitored by turns by trained survey teams. Data regarding presurgical patient preparation and intraoperative infection control practices were collected.

[Crohn's disease surgery: problems of postoperative recurrence].

Crohn's disease is associated with high rates of postoperative recurrence. By 10 years postoperatively a high percentage of patients suffer clinical relapses (as many as 75% and above) and many of these (up to 45%) require re-intervention. The aim of the study was to identify, among the various potentially predictive factors, those which today can be considered real risk factors for postoperative recurrence.

Universal childhood immunisation against Streptococcus pneumoniae: the five-year experience of Liguria Region, Italy.

Liguria was the first Italian Administrative Region, since 2003, to actively recommend free-of-charge immunisation, of all infants, with heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-7), within a research pilot-project. Vaccination coverage among infants rapidly increased from 42.8% in 2003 to 83.

Surveillance of hospital-acquired infections in Liguria, Italy: results from a regional prevalence study in adult and paediatric acute-care hospitals.

A multi-hospital prevalence study of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) was carried out between 19 March and 6 April 2007 in Liguria, Italy, being the first to be performed in this region. Of the 29 existing public acute hospitals, 25 took part in the investigation (86.2%).

Appendectomy or right hemicolectomy in the treatment of appendiceal carcinoid tumors?

Aims And Background: Carcinoids of the appendix continue to be of interest, despite their low incidence. There is still considerable controversy surrounding these tumors, especially with regard to the role of right hemicolectomy in the surgical management. The aim of this work was to explicate the current therapeutic knowledge and to review the criteria for the indications of appendectomy or hemicolectomy.

[Transcutaneous excision of the submandibular and sublingual glands: notes on anatomy and surgical technique].

Removal of the submandibular and sublingual glands requires in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and scrupulous technique for the purposes of limiting the functional and aesthetic damage, which is unjustifiable above all in the treatment of benign lesions (sialodenitis, lithiasis). After presenting the main aspects of the surgical anatomy of the submandibular space, the operative technique for its dissection with removal of the submandibular gland and excision of the sublingual gland is described. The complexity of the anatomical structures that may be involved in submandibular and sublingual gland lesions is the cause of unsatisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes in some cases.

[Excision of a schwannoma of the neck: surgical technique].

We present a case of schwannoma of the neck in 49 year old man, symptomatic (paresthesia, cervical mass and dysphagia). After ultrasonography and magnetic resonance of the neck, the patient was operated and excision of the lesion was completely performed. The operation was performed through a cervical approach: the nerves and the vascular and muscular structures were carefully isolated and preserved.