Biomedical subjects

F Fabris

Publications and source records attributed to F Fabris.

256 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Health demands in adolescence. The results of 2 epidemiological studies in the Padua area in 1990-1992].

UNLABELLED: In order to make a detailed analysis of the specific requirements of adolescent health in this country, local health unit n. 19 in Padua performed an epidemiological survey with the collaboration of 15 general physicians who were asked to record all ambulatory visits by 13-24 year olds on a special form. The survey, which lasted two years, revealed that of a total of 4748 records, 2112 (44.48%) were male and 2636 (55.51%) were female. The age at which the greatest number of visits was recorded was 18. The majority of adolescents attended alone (68.48%) and this pattern tended to increase with age. The frequency of annual attendance was 86.64%. In order of frequency, diagnoses included: requests for certificates and prescriptions (21.76%); respiratory disease and influenza (21.61%); obstetric and gynecological problems (8.61% of the total and 15.52% of female attendance) which together with auxoendocrinological problems amounted to a frequency of 10.55%; psychological problems (6.53%); dermatological diseases (6.324%); problems involving the osteomuscular structure, problem of the digestive tract (4.93%); nervous disorders and diseases of the sense organs (4.87%); medication and requests for information (3.60%); nephro-uro-andrological problems (3.26%). IN CONCLUSION: the high rate of attendance at medical clinics does not show that adolescents are an often ill population but that the doctor has been selected as the prime interlocutor for all health-related problems. It should also be pointed out that the majority of problems tend to be reported as somatic, whereas only a minimum part (6.53%) are classified as psychological. This analysis confirms, however, that the health requirements presented as somatic often involve a psychological component.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Myeloproliferative disease in patients with a history of multiple blood donations: a report of 8 cases.

BACKGROUND: The clonal origin of myeloproliferative disorders has been clearly demonstrated and it is known that reactive thrombocytosis occurs as a non specific response to various inflammatory or neoplastic conditions. Only a few papers have discussed the topic of myeloproliferative diseases in blood donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report 8 cases of myeloproliferative diseases (3 polycythemia vera and 5 essential thrombocythemia) in blood donors out of a total of 44 myeloproliferative disorders diagnosed in our Department during the last 5 years on the basis of the criteria established by the Polycythemia Vera Study Group criteria. As controls we considered 61 patients with reactive thrombocytosis referred to our Department in the same period of time. The estimated odds ratio was calculated according to standard methods. RESULTS: The prevalence of blood donors with myeloproliferative disorders was 18.1%, while that of donors with reactive thrombocytosis was 3.2%. The estimated odds ratio was 6.56 with a 95% confidence interval between 1.07 and 17.3. No other single factor except blood donations was frequent in the past history of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data seem to indicate that both thrombocytosis and erythrocytosis resembled primary forms in these subjects; however, none of them suffered serious thrombotic and/or hemorrhagic symptoms. Our study indicates the importance of paying due attention to the blood cell counts of blood donors.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Use and misuse of hospital admission in a department of medicine in Padua].

We evaluated retrospectively 357 consecutive inpatients (M = 157; F = 200) 14=93 wars old (mean 60.9 +/- 1.0, SF: M = 59.5 +/- 1.4: F = 61.9 +/- 1.4) treated by a same physician at the 2nd Division of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, from January 1993 to July 1995. Such Division, which is representative of the Internal Medicine of an important Center has a high medical standard, as evaluated on the basis of academical and scientific titles of its staff, but no specific geriatric facilities. Patients had been assigned to the Division and, within it, to a given physician at random. 38.1% of patients were older than 70 (M = 30.0; F = 44.5, p < 0.01). Apart from the previous group, 29.1% of admissions (M = 28.0; F = 30.0) were inappropriate. 4.5% of admissions were terminally-ill cancer patients, already diagnosed and treated at other divisions and not further susceptible of specific therapy. Only 28.3% of patients (M = 38.2; F = 20.5, p < 0.0005) did not fall within any of the previous categories, but 33% of the days of their hospital stay were inappropriate (M = 30; F = 37). The mean hospital stay was 10.2 +/- 0.5 SE days (M = 10.4 +/- 0.6; F = 10.1 +/- 0.6). Considering patients altogether, the mean hospital stay was longer for patients older than 70 than for the others (12 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.3 +/- 0.5 days, p < 0.01) and a significant correlation was observed between age and stay length (r = 0.249, p < 0.0001). The educational level of inpatients was as follows: no education and elementary 65.8%; junior-high 20.7%; high 8.9%; university 4.4% with no difference between sexes, nor as compared to the general population, adjusted for age. It is concluded that a highly qualified division, to which it would appear appropriate applying only for cases not manageable as outpatients or by less qualified institutions, is suboptimally utilized with waste of money and resources. This is due to a deficiency in geriatric and residential facilities as well as in community and domiciliary care, to a noxious culture subordinating internal medicine to specialty branches and to the inadequate use of resources by both physicians and patients, in particular, among them, by females.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cost-effectiveness of hip fracture prevention].

We estimated the Cost Per Avoided Hip Fracture (CPAHF, millions Lira) by osteoporosis treatment, on the basis of a review on randomized controlled trials. Prevention with vitamin D3 in institutionalized elderly women is cost-neutral (CPAHF = -4; 95% CI = -9, +5). Prevention with alendronate in non-institutionalized women screened on bone mineral density generates doubts (CPAHF = 275; 95% CI = 146, 19.426). The cost-effectiveness analyses can strengthen or weaken conclusions of the clinical trials and discourage the use of economically unsustainable preventive treatments whose efficacy is unproven.

Aged↗