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Biomedical subjects

C Perucci

Publications and source records attributed to C Perucci.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Assessing effectiveness of home care for persons with AIDS: analysis of methodological problems.

The aim of this paper is to assess the methodological problems of an unsuccessful randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted to evaluate the effectiveness, in terms of survival and quality of life, of the early offer of home care (HC) to persons with AIDS (PWA). The study carried out was an intention-to-treat RCT. Persons in the treatment group (TG) received the offer of HC at the moment of AIDS diagnosis; those in the control group (CG) received it six months from diagnosis. Many problems have hindered the progress of the study: particularly, the low compliance to the offer and the failure to enroll the required sample size have made the results unreliable. Analogous problems have been reported within other trials evaluating HC in different fields. The present study thoroughly evaluates the specific ethical and methodological problems encountered in designing and conducting a RCT on HC for PWA. We conclude that, before designing and conducting a RCT in this field, it is advisable to examine some main issues carefully, such as the acceptability of the offer of treatment, the expected compliance and the required size of the study population. If one or more of these elements prove to be problematic, the results of the trial risk being seriously compromised, and alternative approaches should be considered.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Malignant mesothelioma in thermoelectric power plant workers in Italy.

Asbestos has been widely used in Italian thermoelectric power plants and instances of exposure to workers have been documented in a variety of jobs. Preventive measures were put into effect only in the late 1970s. We report here on four mesothelioma cases among workers of three Italian power plants where cohort studies were carried out, and on three additional cases recorded by a systematic survey carried out on this neoplasm in Tuscany. When the data of the cohorts sources are merged, a significant excess of lung cancer is also evident. Even without a quantitative assessment of exposure, this report shows the importance of asbestos risk in thermal power plants. The risk appears not to be restricted to any particular category of workers.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Is maternal asthma a risk factor for low birth weight? Results of an epidemiologic survey.

The association between history of asthma in the mother and low birth weight (< 2,500 g) was studied in 2,929 primary schoolchildren, randomly selected from three areas of the Lazio Region, Italy, and enrolled in a cross-sectional survey to assess their health status in relation to environmental factors. A history of asthma in the mother was associated with a higher prevalence of low birth weight, with a crude OR of 2.95 (95% CI 1.10-6.72). After stratification for other variables, an association was still present only for males (OR 4.13; 95% CI 1.01-12.53), when mothers had smoked in pregnancy (OR 8.02; 95% CI 1.63-32.28) and were resident in an industrial town (OR 10.21; 95% CI 2.69-32.27). An OR of 6.43 was also found when mothers belonged to low social class, but the 95% CI included the unity. These results suggest that a history of asthma in the mother is a risk factor for low birth weight, but only when other adverse factors are concurrently present.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cesarean section rates in Italy by hospital payment mode: an analysis based on birth certificates.

The study, based on birth certificate data from 1985 through 1987, investigated cesarean section (CS) rates in the Lazio region of Italy and their relationship with mode of hospital care payment. Use of abdominal delivery increased from 22.3% in 1985 to 24.3% in 1987. CS rates were highest (34.7%) in private hospitals. A marked variation in the use of CS was associated with mode of hospital care payment independently from other predictors of abdominal delivery.

Birth Certificates↗
PubMed1987

Surveillance of meningococcal meningitis in the Latium region, Italy 1984-1985.

A surveillance system on meningococcal meningitis was set up in an Italian region in 1984, to monitor the trend and distribution of the disease, to acquire bacteriological data, to evaluate control measures. Results of the first two years show no overall increase in the incidence of the disease, on the other hand an increased incidence in the 15-24 age group, a high fatality rate, a prevalence of serogroup C and serotype 2a and widespread resistance to sulfonamides were observed. Features characteristic of an epidemic period are thus present in the context of an endemic setting.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Silica, silicosis and lung cancer among ceramic workers: a case-referent study.

A case-referent study has been carried out regarding a possible connection between silica exposure and lung cancer (ICD 162) in Central Italy, where the pottery industry has a long tradition. Silicosis among 72 cases of lung cancer and among 314 referents, all deceased, was ascertained through checking the individual files of compensated cases of silicosis. Questionnaires on past employments and smoking habits were blindly administered to the next-of-kin of the deceased subjects. Controlling for age, period of death, and smoking, workers in the ceramic industry were found to have a higher lung cancer risk than workers in other occupations free from silica exposure (Mantel-Haenszel rate ratio = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-3.5). This increased risk was mainly due to a rate ratio of 3.9 (95% CI = 1.8-8.3) for silicotic individuals, while for nonsilicotic ceramic workers it was only 1.4 (95% CI = 0.7-2.8). The result of this study seems to suggest that lung cancer might be merely indirectly associated with exposure to silica through the silicotic process, although the dose may differ for silicotic and nonsilicotic individuals.

Ceramics↗
PubMed1975

Isolation of the most immunoreactive antigenes of echinococcus granulosus from sheep hydatid fluid.

This paper describes a simplified procedure for obtaining purified Echinococcus granulosus antigens from sheep hydatid fluid by using affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. The presence of two "major" antigens (4 and 5) was confirmed. Antigen 5 was isolated by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antigen 4, eluted by diffusion from the gel, was seen to be "contaminated" by antigen 5 and was isolated by using anti-5 Sepharose-linked serum. These two major antigens were then tested separately against the sera of hydatidosis patients by using very simple immunolgic tests. The best results were obtained in passive hemagglutination with antigen 4. Antigen 4 is the most immunoreactive parasitic antigen; antibodies against it were found in the sera of all hydatidosis patients showing positive reaction. Apart from the direct use of this antigen in serologic tests, it appears possible to standarize the most frequently used and commerically available antigenic materials by titrating this component.

Animals↗