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Biomedical subjects

F Palumbo

Publications and source records attributed to F Palumbo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular risk.

Cardiovascular diseases represent, today, the principal cause of mortality in the general population, especially in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In these patients the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases is equal to that of non-diabetic subjects with a previous episode of myocardial infarction. Many factors concur to determine such high risk. Hyperglycaemia contributes to the increase in morbidity and cardiovascular mortality associated with diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycaemia acts as a multiplier of cardiovascular risk due to frequent association of multiple risk factors in diabetic patients. Therefore, effective treatment requires a more complete assessment of quantitative and qualitative aspects of glycemic control as well as all components of the diabetic syndrome or, more commonly, metabolic syndrome.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2001

Sildenafil: efficacy and safety in daily clinical experience.

OBJECTIVES: Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) is a potent selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 5 proposed for the oral treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy and safety when used in daily practice in patients with ED of various aetiology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From September 1998 to April 1999, 380 patients chose sildenafil as treatment for their ED. One hundred and forty-five (38%) of them suffered from psychogenic ED, 125 (33%) organic and 110 (29%) of mixed aetiology. The grade of erection achieved and the occurrence of satisfactory sexual intercourse assessed the efficacy. Safety and tolerance were evaluated recording any side effect or adverse event. RESULTS: The overall efficacy of Viagra was 77%, with a response of 100% among the group of hormonal patients, 88% for psychogenic, 72% for mixed, 69% for diabetes, 65% for vascular and 60% for neurological symptoms. A few and mild to moderate side effects were recorded. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the use of sildenafil citrate is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for men with ED of various aetiology with an overall success rate of 77%.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Initial experience with a new transurethral microwave thermotherapy treatment protocol '30-minute TUMT'.

OBJECTIVE: We report on our experience with a less invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a high-energy '30-minute' treatment algorithm of transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT). As initial investigators of this new device, we have tested its safety, tolerance and efficacy. METHODS: From April 1998 to May 1999, all males attending our Outpatient Clinic for symptomatic BPH were evaluated with physical examination, symptoms questionnaire, bladder and prostate ultrasound scan, cystomanometry and pressure-flow study. Sixty-one males with: prostate volume > 30 cm3, prostate length > 25 mm, Qmax < 15 ml/s, IPSS > or =13, MSS > or = 8, and without excessive middle lobe, underwent one session of 30-min TUMT treatment after informed consent was obtained. Treatments were performed on an outpatient basis and with oral sedation and local analgesia. Follow-up visits were scheduled for 2 weeks, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Fifty-six out of 61 patients (92%) completed the 6-month follow-up visit: mean MSS improved from 12.0 to 4.3; IPSS changed from 18.1 to 5.2. The mean maximum flow rate improved from 9.1 to 17.8 ml/s and the mean post-void residual decreased from 92 to 18 ml. Cavities within prostatic tissue were observed in 54 out of 56 patients (95%). The most frequent adverse event was UTI (21.3%); no major complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Our experience demonstrated that 30-min TUMT is a safe, effective and well-tolerable treatment for patients with BPH and LUTS, although further studies are needed to assess result durability and long-term efficacy.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Plasma-treated PET surfaces improve the biocompatibility of human endothelial cells.

Failures of small internal diameter vascular grafts have been caused by the lack of a stable endothelial lining to form on their artificial surfaces. Polymer surfaces can be optimized by means of proper treatment to allow a homogeneous and uniform coverage in artificial prosthesis applications. Several solutions were studied to improve cell attachment and growth on artificial materials. In the present study, polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) surfaces were treated by plasma processes with oxygen and ammonia and also in the presence of a gas mixture to verify the effect of functional groups grafting onto the endothelial cell growth. Related surface chemical modifications were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Then using cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility tests, the biocompatibility of the modified PET surfaces was assessed by studying the behavior of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The results showed that plasma-treated PET samples have no toxic effect on HUVEC. The cytocompatibility tests revealed an increase in cell growth with incubation time and the presence of well-spread and flattened cells (SEM analyses). Thus it is reported that plasma treatments can improve PET biocompatibility to HUVEC.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed2000

Practice Management Guidelines for Prophylactic Antibiotic Use in Tube Thoracostomy for Traumatic Hemopneumothorax: the EAST Practice Management Guidelines Work Group. Eastern Association for Trauma.

Multiple factors contribute to the development of posttraumatic empyema. These factors include the conditions under which the tube is inserted (emergent or urgent), the mechanism of injury, retained hemothorax, and ventilator care. The incidence of empyema in placebo groups ranges between 0 and 18%. The administration of antibiotics for longer than 24 hours did not seem to significantly reduce this risk compared with a shorter duration, although the numbers in each series were small. Most reports found a significant reduction in pneumonitis when patients received prolonged prophylactic antibiotics. This use of antibiotics might possibly be better described as presumptive therapy rather than prophylactic.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗
PubMed2000

Therapeutic apheresis in children: experience in a pediatric dialysis center.

The use of apheretic procedures in pediatric patients has always been restricted by technical difficulties and the low incidence of diseases requiring this kind of treatment. The aim of the present study was to describe the solutions adopted to solve technical difficulties related to priming, vascular access and monitoring and then to evaluate clinical results. Between 1982 and 2000, 51 consecutive children (28 male, 23 female) with a mean age of 4.9 +/- 4.8 years (3 months-14.8 years) and a mean weight of 19.7 +/- 12.8 kg (5-52 kg), with renal and/or extra-renal diseases requiring apheretic procedures were selected for the study. The overall number of procedures performed were: 226 plasma-exchange (PE), 6 LDL-apheresis (LDL-A) and 8 protein A immunoadsorption (IAPA) sessions. Our therapeutic protocol involves hematic flux of 20-100 ml/min and ultrafiltration of 5-20 ml/min. In each 70-95 minute session we exchanged plasmatic volume with fresh frozen plasma or with a solution of 6% albumin in lactated Ringer's, using heparin (10-20 UI/kg/h). We used Paired Filtration Dialysis Monitor in PE and LDL-A; Citem 10 in IAPA. As plasma separator, we used a filter made of polypropylene, 0.2 m2 surface, 30 ml priming (Hemaplex BT 900). Hemolytic uremic syndrome was the most commonly treated disease (18/51 cases) with good results in 10/18 cases. We recorded, good results in vasculitis as well, in one girl with focal glomerulosclerosis in transplanted kidney and rapid improvement in all children with Guillaine-Barré Syndrome. PE treatment was effective in metabolic disorders such as tirosynemia and familiar hypercholesterolemia. Only 4/12 patients with acute liver failure due to viral hepatitis recovered. We had poor results in the remaining eight cases. Complications were rare and no viral infection was found in any patient. Our data show that it is possible to use these procedures in pediatric patients even though clinical indications and real effectiveness still need to be cleared up.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Sexual transmission of the hepatitis C virus and efficacy of prophylaxis with intramuscular immune serum globulin. A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C and to assess the value of prophylaxis with periodic intramuscular immune serum globulin administration. METHODS: Of 1102 steady heterosexual partners of patients with antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), 899 were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. All the partners tested negative for antibodies to HCV and had normal baseline serum aminotransferase concentrations. The partners were assigned to receive 4 mL of 16% polyvalent immune serum globulin prepared from unscreened donors every 2 months (n = 450) or a placebo (n = 449). Tests for HCV infection were performed every 4 months. RESULTS: Eight hundred eighty-four partners completed the study. Seven partners became infected with HCV: 6 in the control group (incidence density, 12.00 per 1000 person-years; 95% confidence interval, 3.0 21.61) and 1 in the immune serum globulin group (incidence density, 1.98 per 1000 person-years; 95% confidence interval, 0-5.86). The risk of infection was significantly higher for partners in the control group (P = .03): for each year approximately 1% of the partners became infected. Sequence homology studies strongly suggest the sexual transmission of HCV. All immune serum globulin lots used had high enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers of neutralizing antibodies to HCV envelope glycoproteins and high neutralization titers in the neutralization of binding assay. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis C can be sexually transmitted. Immune serum globulin prepared from unscreened donors significantly reduced the risk. The treatment was safe and well tolerated. Because only immune serum globulin from unscreened donors (and not from those screened for HCV) contain anti-HCV neutralizing antibodies, hyperimmune anti-HCV immune serum globulin should be prepared from blood testing positive for antibodies to HCV, which is currently discarded.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Incidence of and risk factors for hepatitis A in Italy: public health indications from a 10-year surveillance. SEIEVA Collaborating Group.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for acute viral hepatitis A (HAV) in Italy. METHODS: Data were from a surveillance system for type-specific acute viral hepatitis (SEIEVA). To estimate the association of hepatitis A cases with the potential risk factors (Odds Ratios) and the proportion of all hepatitis A cases attributable to a given risk factor (population attributable risk), hepatitis B cases were used as controls. Independent predictors of HAV were estimated by conditional multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: During the period 1985-1994, 25553 viral hepatitis cases were reported. Of these, 6408 (25%) were due to hepatitis A (HAV). HAV incidence declined from 10/100000 in 1985 to 2/100000 in 1987. Since 1991, however, an increase in HAV has been observed. The majority of cases were 15-24 years old; the incidence was higher in males and in subjects residing in southern Italy. Only one death (0.02%) was observed. Shellfish consumption was the most frequently reported risk factor (62%). The proportion of cases reporting personal contact with an icteric case, travel to a high-medium endemic areas, and family contact with a child attending a day-care centre (household of day-care child) was 17%, 19% and 15%, respectively. The results of multivariate analysis showed that shellfish consumption (OR=2.6; 95% CI=2.4-2.9), travel to endemic areas for people residing in northern and central Italy (OR=5.4; 95% CI=4.6-6.2) and household of day-care child (OR=1.2; 95% CI=1.03-1.4), were all types of exposure independently associated with HAV. The estimates of population-attributable risk show that shellfish consumption explained as many as 42.2%, travel to high-medium endemic areas for people residing in northern and central Italy 24.2%, and household of day-care child only 1.4% of all acute hepatitis A cases in Italy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that HAV in Italy is mainly a food-borne disease. Vaccination against hepatitis A is strongly recommended for travellers to endemic areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Paget's disease.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

Risk factors for acute hepatitis B: a case-control study.

Over the period 1989-1991 a case-control study was carried out in the area of Naples comparing 162 subjects with acute hepatitis B and 788 hospitalized control subjects. The results of multivariate analysis showed that surgical intervention (odds ratio 3.8; 95% CI 1.2-11.7), household contact with an hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive carrier (odds ratio 2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.7) and intravenous drug use (odds ratio 13.0; 95% CI 3.2-52.7) were risk factors independently associated with hepatitis B. No association was found with the other risk factors considered, such as blood transfusion, hospitalization, other percutaneous exposures, dental therapy, contact with an icteric case, barber shop shaving and two or more sexual partners. As a significant proportion of the general population undergoes surgical intervention, efficient procedures for sterilization of instruments should be implemented, together with the use of disposable materials, to control the spread of HBV infection in surgical settings.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

Hemodynamic effects of creatine phosphate in patients with congestive heart failure: a double-blind comparison trial versus placebo.

BACKGROUND: The use of metabolic drugs effective in addition to conventional therapy represents a significant challenge in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to investigate the hemodynamic effects of acute intravenous (i.v.) administration of creatine phosphate (CP) and of short-term treatment in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) from ischemic heart disease (IHD) or dilated cardiomyopathy in addition to conventional therapy. METHODS: We compared the hemodynamic effects of exogenous creatine phosphate (CP) and placebo in a double-blind, crossover design study in 13 hospitalized patients (12 men, 1 woman, mean age 52 +/- 8 years) with CHF. All patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-III and received conventional pharmacologic therapy for CHF; this was not changed during the study period. The study design consisted of two treatment periods (CP or placebo and placebo or CP, respectively) of 4 days each, separated by a 2-day washout interval. The intravenous infusion consisted of 6 g CP or placebo (acute treatment) or 6 g CP or placebo daily for 4 days (short-term treatment) diluted in 50 ml of NaCl 0.9%; infusion duration was about 10 min. Mono-bidimensional echocardiographic examination (Hewlett Packard Sonos 1000, with a 2.5 MHz transducer) was performed at baseline, after acute infusion, and 12 h after the end of short-term treatment. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Student's t-test for paired data; the results obtained after acute and short-term therapy were compared with the baseline values. RESULTS: After placebo therapy, no significant change was observed. The results after treatment with CP showed a significant reduction of end-systolic diameter [baseline: 4.5 +/- 0.6; acute: 4.2 +/- 0.5, (p < 0.001); short-term 4.3 +/- 0.6 cm, (p < 0.05)] and systemic vascular resistance (baseline: 1064.9 +/- 483.7; acute: 947.5 +/- 390.2 (p < 0.05); short-term: 950.7 +/- 394.3 dyne-s-cm-5 (p < 0.05); moreover, a significant increase of percent ejection fraction [baseline: 48 +/- 12%; acute 53 +/- 12% (p < 0.01); short-term 52 +/- 11% (p < 0.01)], and of percent fractional shortening [baseline: 25 +/- 7; acute 28 +/- 8 (p < 0.05); short-term 28 +/- 7% (p < 0.05)] was observed. CONCLUSION: CP was shown to improve cardiac function, even in the presence of a conventional CHF pharmacologic therapy.

Cross-Over Studies↗
PubMed1996

Reactive arthritis by staphylococcus epidermidis: report of an unusual case.

In the literature many cases of Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE) complications are reported, but we have not found any reference about reactive arthritis secondary to SE. We report an unusual case of a patient with SE bacteriaemia, who developed elbow arthritis, asymmetrical sacroiliitis, keratoderma and restrictive cardiomyopathy. The clinical pictures, the instrumental and biochemical findings, in particular the positivity of HLA B27, allow us to set this case in the complex and heterogeneous chapter of reactive arthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Incidence of non-A, non-B and HCV positive hepatitis in healthcare workers in Italy.

In Italy, using figures from a surveillance system for acute viral hepatitis, the incidence rate of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis cases was evaluated in healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population of the same age over the period 1988-1994. The NANBH incidence among the general population declined from 4.7/100,000 in 1988 to 2.1/100,000 in 1994; the corresponding figures among HCWs were 12.3/100,000 (RR 2.62; CI 95% = 1.66-4.15) in 1988 and 4.3/100,000 (RR 2.05; CI 95% = 1.13-3.77) in 1994. Since 1991, NANBH cases have been tested for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). During the period 1991-1994 the proportion of NANBH cases tested for anti-HCV was 81% (38/47) in HCWs and 85% (1019/1193) in other NANBH cases. A similar proportion of NANBH cases in each group (74% and 70%) were shown to be due to HCV. The incidence rate of HCV positive cases among the general population was 1.3/100,000 in 1991 and 1.8/100,000 in 1994; the corresponding figures among HCWs were 3.7/100,000 (RR 2.85; CI 95% = 1.42-5.92) in 1991 and 3.1/100,000 (RR 1.72; CI 95% = 0.88-3.59) in 1994. The proportion of cases with jaundice was 56.2% in HCWs and 63.7% in the general population. Needlestick injury without major risk factors such as blood transfusion, intravenous drug use or surgical intervention was reported by 12.0% of HCWs and by 0.1% of the general population. Lack of any risk factor was reported by 40.2% of HCWs. These findings strongly suggest that in Italy healthcare workers are at greater risk than the general population of acquiring NANBH, as well as HCV.

Acute Disease↗