Looking for more reliable biomarkers in breast cancer: Comparison between routine methods and RT-qPCR.

Purpose: Decades of quality control efforts have raised the standards of immunohistochemistry (IHC), the principle method used for biomarker testing in breast cancer; however, computational pathology and reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) may also hold promise for additional substantial improvements.

Methods: Herein, we investigated discrepancies in the assessment of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and marker of proliferation Ki67 comparing routinely obtained IHC (and FISH) data (ORI) with the results of manual (REV) and semi-automated (DIA) re-evaluation of the original IHC slides and then with RNA expression data from the same tissue block using the MammaTyper® (MT) gene expression assay.

Results: Correlation for ER and PR was high between ORI IHC and the other three study methods (REV, DIA and RT-qPCR).

Higher TLR7 Gene Expression Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Advanced NSCLC Patients Treated with Immunotherapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer. However, their clinical benefit is limited to a minority of patients. To unravel immune-related factors that are predictive of sensitivity or resistance to immunotherapy, we performed a gene expression analysis by RNA-Seq using the Oncomine Immuno Response Assay (OIRRA) on a total of 33 advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICI evaluating the expression levels of 365 immune-related genes.

Predicting needlestick and sharps injuries in nursing students: Development of the SNNIP scale.

Aim: To develop an instrument to investigate knowledge and predictive factors of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in nursing students during clinical placements.

Design: Instrument development and cross-sectional study for psychometric testing.

Methods: A self-administered instrument including demographic data, injury epidemiology and predictive factors of NSIs was developed between October 2018-January 2019.

Results of a survey of procedures for cleaning and disinfecting ambulances.

Background: In 2014, the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (GISIO-SItI), in collaboration with the National Association of Medical Hospital Managers (ANMDO), conducted a survey on the availability of procedures for cleaning and disinfecting ambulances in order to assess the practices in use.

Methods: An online questionnaire was prepared through the Survey Monkey® platform and a web link access was sent to a convenience sample of ANMDO doctors working in healthcare management in public and private healthcare facilities.

Results: Ninety-six questionnaires were collected (26% response rate).

Hospital hygiene in Italy: the GISIO-SItI survey.

Background: In Italy there are no rules concerning the establishment of a hospital hygiene structure in hospitals and other healthcare settings, and the hospital organization plans vary widely. The aim of the survey, carried out by the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive medicine and Public health, was to evaluate the presence in the hospital organization plan of a structure referred to as Hospital hygiene, or including in its denomination the words "hygiene" or "hospital hygiene", the activities carried out, the relation to other areas, like patient safety, the type and quantity of professionals involved, the strengths and the critical aspects.

Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to Healthcare Trusts representing all Italian Regions through the members of the above Study Group.

Control and prevention measures for legionellosis in hospitals: A cross-sectional survey in Italy.

Risk assessment, environmental monitoring, and the disinfection of water systems are the key elements in preventing legionellosis risk. The Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health and the Italian Multidisciplinary Society for the Prevention of Health Care-Associated Infections carried out a national cross-sectional survey to investigate the measures taken to prevent and control legionellosis in Italian hospitals. A multiple-choice questionnaire was developed, comprising 71 questions regarding hospital location, general characteristics, clinical and environmental surveillance, and control and preventive measures for legionellosis in 2015.

Cost-effectiveness of Corticosteroid Nasal Spray vs Surgical Therapy in Patients With Severe to Extreme Anatomical Nasal Obstruction.

Importance: Health insurance companies commonly require a trial of corticosteroid nasal spray prior to authorizing nasal surgery, even in patients with severe to extreme anatomical nasal obstruction, despite lack of data supporting such medical therapy.

Objectives: To provide a model for the comparative analysis of medical vs surgical treatment for nasal obstruction to help maximize health care benefit per dollar spent and to explore the cost-effectiveness of corticosteroid nasal spray in patients with severe to extreme nasal airway obstruction on Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scores.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A cost-efficiency frontier economic evaluation was performed.

Appropriate and inappropriate use of day-hospital care in Italy.

This study describes the extent of inappropriate day-hospital assistance and the effect of different variables on such inappropriateness. A random sample of patients admitted to pediatric and adult day-hospital care during the period Janurary--December 2000 in three hospitals located in the area of Catanzaro, Italy were reviewed. Assessment of appropriateness was made for the first access and for each of the following accesses in day-hospital.

[Liver pathology caused by drugs. Pathogenetic, histopathological and clinical notes and case reports].

After a brief review of drug metabolic pathways in the liver, the various mechanisms leading to liver damage are described. The different histological lesions and the clinical situations that can arise are discussed. A case survey is reported.