Body donation under Italy's recent legal reforms: A cross-sectional study of attitudes, beliefs, and educational gaps among medical students and faculty.

Postmortem body donation (BD) plays a central role in medical education and scientific research. Sociocultural, religious, and legal factors can influence attitudes toward BD. In Italy, BD programs are in early development, and recent legislation (Law 10/2020) regulating body donation came into effect in 2021.

Tuberculosis among young contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in a reference hospital.

Objectives: Young contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients face a higher risk of TB. Still, few studies have evaluated this risk among contacts of patients with pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). This study aimed to describe the incidence rate and the prevalence of TB infection (TBI) and TB disease (TBD) in young contacts of patients with MDR-TB.

Effectiveness and Safety of Argon Plasma Coagulation in Patients with Haemoptysis Caused by an Endobronchial Malignancy.

Introduction: Patients with central neoplasms and haemoptysis show low survival rates. Symptom control without recurrence 48 h after bronchoscopic interventions may improve the prognosis of these patients. Bronchoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a useful technique for endobronchial management of haemoptysis in patients with central malignancies.

The current practice in the diagnostic work-up of patients with hemoptysis of unknown etiology: an international survey.

Background: Hemoptysis is a challenging and potentially life-threatening medical condition. The most appropriate diagnostic work-up is debated and several diagnostic approaches are implemented worldwide.

Methods: An international, online survey was carried out to investigate the current practice of the diagnostic work-up of patients with hemoptysis of unknown etiology.

Pulmonary Involvement in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: A Systematic Review.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a non-malignant disease, characterized by the production of wart-like growths in the respiratory tract, affecting both young people and adults (juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, JORRP, and adult-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, AORRP, respectively). Infection caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) is known as the main factor involved in RRP development. Complications of RRP may rarely occur, including lung involvement and malignant transformation.

Vitamin D Status in an Italian Pediatric Cohort: Is There a Role for Tobacco Smoking Exposure?

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is a common public health issue worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the vitamin D status and its potential determinants in children residing in Sardinia (40°N), Italy.

Methods: Children were enrolled over a 12-month period.

Exacerbation Burden in COPD and Occurrence of Mortality in a Cohort of Italian Patients: Results of the Gulp Study.

Objective: To describe the burden of moderate to severe exacerbations and all-cause mortality; the secondary objectives were to analyze treatment patterns and changes over follow-up.

Design: Observational, multicenter, retrospective, cohort study with a three year follow-up period.

Setting: Ten Italian academic secondary- and tertiary-care centers.

Tailored treatment for tuberculosis in transgender individuals: a call for a patient-centered approach from a large Italian cohort.

Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and management in special populations remain challenging. Data about TB and transgender individuals is scarce, and strategies aimed at reducing the TB burden in this at-risk group are needed. We conducted an observational monocentric study from a national reference center for TB, including transgender individuals with active TB in a low-TB burden country (Italy), over 34 years (1990-2023).

Vaccination and Antiviral Treatment Reduce the Time to Negative SARS-CoV-2 Swab: A Real-Life Study.

Clinical trials demonstrated the role of vaccines and antiviral treatments against SARS-CoV-2 in reducing the likelihood of disease progression and death. However, there are limited data available regarding the time to negativity of people who received these treatments. Further, several comorbidities and risk factors might affect the impact of vaccines and antiviral treatments.

Synergistic properties of linezolid against Enterococcus spp. isolates: a systematic review from in vitro studies.

Purpose: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections with limited therapeutic options. Combination of at least two antimicrobials is a possible strategy to obtain rapid and sustained bactericidal effects and overcome the emergence of resistance. We revised the literature on linezolid synergistic properties from in vitro studies to assess its activity in combination with molecules belonging to other antibiotic classes against Enterococcus spp.

Early lung diffusion abnormalities and airways' inflammation in children with type 1 diabetes.

Background And Aims Of The Study: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) impacts lung function and exercise capacity in adults, but limited information is available in children. We hypothesize that T1D causes alterations in pulmonary function and cardiorespiratory fitness, i.e.

Comparison of genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial profile in carbapenemases producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Background And Aim: Prompt administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy is crucial in improving outcomes, particularly in cases sustained by multi-drug resistant strains. Although phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) represents the gold standard to address antibiotics treatment, the long time required to obtained affordable results could negatively affect the prognosis. In contrast, rapid genotypic AST provide essential information for treatment and surveillance program.

Preliminary Results of Feasibility and Acceptability of Self-Collection for Cervical Screening in Italian Women.

Background: Given the diagnostic accuracy of HPV-DNA tests in terms of self-collected samples, in order to implement self-sampling in cervical screening programs, the standardization of the pre-analytical phase, including decisions concerning the choice of medium, the volume of elution, and storage conditions, are necessary, in addition to understanding the potential factors involved in acceptability by women. On this basis, we carried out a cross-sectional study to assess (i) the stability of dry vaginal self-collected samples stored at room temperature for up to 4 weeks after elution in 2 mL of eNat (Copan) medium, and (ii) the acceptability of self-collection in enrolled women.

Methods: 185 women were enrolled in the LILT (Italian League Against Tumors) regional project.

Adenotonsillectomy in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Clinical and Functional Outcomes.

Adenotonsillectomy (AT) is the first-line treatment for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Relatively few studies have evaluated the clinical and functional outcomes of AT in children with OSAS, but these studies show that surgery improves behavior and quality of life (QOL). However, residual OSAS after AT is reported in severe cases.

Pulmonary rehabilitation and risk of fall in elderly with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Few data are available on the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on risk of fall in over 80 individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated the effectiveness of PR on the risk of fall in older as compared to younger than 80 individuals.

Methods: Parallel-group retrospective exploratory study of individuals undergone in-hospital PR.

Brain perivascular spaces and autism: clinical and pathogenic implications from an innovative volumetric MRI study.

Introduction: Our single-center case-control study aimed to evaluate the unclear glymphatic system alteration in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through an innovative neuroimaging tool which allows to segment and quantify perivascular spaces in the white matter (WM-PVS) with filtering of non-structured noise and increase of the contrast-ratio between perivascular spaces and the surrounding parenchyma.

Methods: Briefly, files of 65 ASD and 71 control patients were studied. We considered: ASD type, diagnosis and severity level and comorbidities (i.

Tuberculosis in migrants: epidemiology, resistance and outcome in Milan, Italy.

Background: Human migration and the ever-changing geopolitical scenarios are redefining the epidemiology and the management of tuberculosis (TB), especially in low-TB burden countries welcoming high rates of people from high-TB burden countries.

Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective mono-centric study in a Northern-Italy TB reference centre from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2019, focusing on the differences in epidemiology, resistance patterns and treatment outcomes between Italians and migrants with active TB. Data were collected from medical records.

Retrospective study of lameness in beef cattle in northeastern Sardinia, Italy.

Lameness is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting dairy and beef cattle, resulting in decreased animal performance, decreased animal welfare, and substantial economic loss. In extensive beef cattle farming, the risk factors for this multifactorial disease are largely unexplored. This study aims to conduct a preliminary epidemiological survey of risk factors in beef cattle in extensive breeding, evaluate the farmer's perception of lameness, and determine the recurrence frequency of the pathologies under investigation in treated animals.

Bronchoscopy in the post-acute phase of COVID-19: an observational study.

Background: Bronchoscopy is a useful technique adopted in the management of patients with COVID-19. 10-40% of COVID-19 survivors experience persistent symptoms. A comprehensive description of the utility and safety of bronchoscopy in the management of patients with COVID-19 sequelae is lacking.

Comparison among populations with severe and intermediate alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Severe alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) is associated with a high risk of airflow obstruction and emphysema. The risk of lung disease in those with intermediate AAT deficiency is unclear. Our aims were to compare pulmonary function, time of onset of symptoms, and indicators of quality of life among patients with severe AATD (PI*ZZ), patients with intermediate AATD (PI*MZ) from the Italian Registry of AATD with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cohort of patients without AATD (PI*MM).