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Biomedical subjects

G M Fara

Publications and source records attributed to G M Fara.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Prevalence survey of nosocomial infections in a paediatric hospital.

A prevalence survey of nosocomial and community infections in a children's hospital was carried out in the wards of the Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy. The overall prevalence of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) was 5.1%, with higher rates in surgical units and among children aged 1 to 5 years. The proportion of community-acquired infections was 9.2%, with higher rates in the infectious disease and internal medicine units and among children aged 6 to 11 years. The most frequent type of HAI was respiratory tract infection, with only a small number of urinary tract infections.

Child↗
PubMed1987

[Studies on the possible association between severe neurological syndromes and compulsory vaccination in Milano].

From June 1978 throughout February 1979, 66 children with a mean age of 13 months were admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit in Naples (Santobono Hospital) after a rapid onset of coma or deep stupor of unknown ethiology. The "mystery disease" ("il male oscuro") as somebody in Naples has defined this syndrome, was suspected to be associated with tetanus and diphtheria immunization. Epidemiological investigations and an international symposium of experts agreed not to consider the cases due to immunization. Some of these deaths were related with with Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), evidence which is favored by the poor sanitary situation, evident in many sections of Naples. Although an ad hoc Committee appointed by the Italian Ministry of Health excluded any correlation with immunization, the Ministry of Health invited some Italian groups to carry epidemiological retrospective studies in some Regions of the Country. To obtain comparable results a special protocol was prepared. Two retrospective case-control studies, performed in Genoa and Florence, did not show any association between immunization with anti-diphtheria-tetanus and even anti-poliomyelitis vaccine and severe neurological illness. A retrospective study, performed by us at the Institute of Hygiene of the University of Milan for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, has included not only the 208 admittances to the only pediatric intensive care unit of Milan (S. Carlo Hospital) but also the other intensive care units of Milan where, sometimes, children are accepted, especially if they were previously admitted to the pediatric wards of the same hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Central Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed1987

[Anti-rabies prophylaxis. Experience of the Antirabies Service of Rome].

Clinical records from 4820 outpatients who required assistance after animal bites during 1986 at the "Antirabid Center" of Rome were collected and analysed. The study was carried out to investigate epidemiology of animal bites among our population and the proportion of people who received post-exposure antirabid prophylaxis. We noted a high proportion of people submitted to rabies immunization after animal bites (44% received at least one dose of HDCV vaccine), in spite of the fact that rabies is absent from Central Italy since many years in both wild and domestic animals (being present, on the contrary, in Northern Italy). These considerations suggest the opportunity of a substantial revision of the official Recommendations, and we feel that a differential policy should be adopted in rabies enzootic areas (Northern Italy) compared to those where risk is only potential.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Gynaecomastia and premature thelarche in a schoolchildren population of northern Italy.

The prevalence and incidence of gynaecomastia and thelarche have been studied in pre-school children and school children belonging to different socio-economical classes in two Northern Italian Cities: Milano and Mantova. The children selected underwent three clinical examinations in their own school by the same examinator. The highest prevalence (36.6%) of breast enlargement was observed in nursery children until 2 years of age in Milano. Age and sex specific incidence rates were higher in Milano than in Mantova except in boys 11-14 years old. Assumption of drugs which might induce gynaecomastia thelarche was excluded. Relative risks calculated for veal and chicken must suggest that these are not relevant in the etiology of breast enlargement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

A hepatitis B vaccination programme in a group of dental practitioners.

A questionnaire concerning the acceptance of hepatitis B vaccination was mailed in April 1985 to 626 private dentists practicing in Milano and its county. Two hundred and twenty eight dentists (36.4%) filled out the questionnaire, 166 of them indicating their willingness to receive the vaccine. Between October 1985 and February 1986 we tested 241 practitioners for HBs antigen, anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibody, and SGPT (ALT) enzyme level. A 14.9% prevalence of HBV markers was found in the prevaccination testing. All persons with positivity for anti-HBs or HBsAg or with elevations of SGPT were excluded from the study (the latter temporarily). A few (42 or 20.9%) left spontaneously before the first dose of vaccine was administered. On the whole, 159 participants began the vaccination course. The proportion of vaccine recipients in dentists who indicated in the questionnaire their willingness to accept the vaccine and/or participated in a seroepidemiological survey performed in 1983 by some of us (85.1%) was significantly greater than that in the group of dentists who did neither (65.0%) (p less than 0.01). Educational effort appeared to be important to enroll and to counsel practitioners in implementing vaccination programme.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Hepatitis B virus infection in dentists and dental students.

To evaluate exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in dental operators, we surveyed 297 students of the Dental School, University of Milano, and 526 dentists registered at the Italian Dental Association (A.M.D.I.) of Lombardia. Out of 297 students, 10.8% had one or more serologic markers of HBV infection; none was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive. No significant difference in seropositivity was detected among students in relation to sex, age, or possible risk factors investigated. Out of 526 practitioners, 2.3% were positive for HBsAg, and 37.3% were antibody positive. The seropositivity increased progressively with age and years of professional experience, reaching the highest proportion in dentists with 30 years or more of practice (79.3%). Of those who had suffered from clinical hepatitis during their curriculum, 81.1% were seropositive compared with 34.5% observed in dentists without a prior clinical history of viral hepatitis. The proportion of seropositive dentists did not vary significantly with a history of blood transfusion, size of their practice, presence or absence (or unawareness) of subjects at high risk for HBV infection among their patients. The seropositivity was significantly lower in dentists who routinely adopted mask and gloves (21.1%) compared with those who never and/or occasionally used such barriers (46.3%). The result of the study confirmed that hepatitis B does remain a significant hazard for dental professionals, hence immunization with hepatitis B vaccine should be delivered early in their employment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Antipneumococcal vaccination: comparison between vaccines].

Fourteen antigen and 17 antigen polyvalent vaccines against Str. pneumoniae have been tested on 137 healthy volunteers. They have been shown to cause side-effects infrequently. A two-fold or higher increase of antibody concentration (detected by RIA) has been demonstrated in 80% of the vaccinees against all antigens of the 17 valent vaccine; while such increase has been demonstrated only for 12 out of 14 antigens in the other vaccine (for the other two antigens the percentages have been 66.7% (antigen 1) and 73.7% (antigen 12F). It is stressed that the use of these vaccines is particularly recommended for the prevention of pneumococcal diseases in higher risk subjects.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

Problems in the assessment of human exposure to tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD): the marker chloracne.

An epidemiological study, aiming to assess the extent of the exposure to tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) of the population involved in the Seveso accident, needs an effective information system, able to answer the questions usually asked--such as: why? what? who? where? when? how long?--and therefore concerning the wide range of the expected events, from the early cases till the ones expected in the long term. The paper is concerned with evaluation of possible use of chloracne as indicator of human exposure to TCDD, taking into account from one hand chloracne itself (i.e. its latency period, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of diagnosis, etc) and, from the other, the development of the observational process. Moreover, the paper points out the role of the dermatological findings as representative--more than and before the other clinical findings--of the exposure conditions in the polluted area. The group of subjects classified as "chloracne" by the end of the second screening (May, 1977) included 187 cases, 164 of which were children 0-14 yrs old by the 10th of July 1976; 34 out of 164 were diagnosed in September-December 1976, the other 130 were diagnosed within the screening program. The results of a survey concerning their exposure data, clinical and laboratory findings are detailed. Finally, some remarks are made related to the quality of data. The authors emphasize that the reliability of assessment of health status of the exposed population depends not only upon a comprehensive a posteriori analysis of the different sets of clinical findings, but also upon the degree of integration of the professional staffs involved at operational levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1985

Ongoing tetanus prophylaxis of injured patients in five hospital emergency rooms.

The adequacy of antitetanus prophylaxis given in five hospital emergency rooms to 729 individuals up to 15 years, suffering from different types of injuries, was evaluated retrospectively using vaccinal data retrieved from a terminal of the computerized files of the City of Milan Health Authority operated in our Department. Comparing the recommended treatment (according to the guidelines issued by the Italian Ministry of Health, 1982) with that actually obtained, we have classified the subjects into three ("correctly treated", "undertreated" and "overtreated") groups. Correct treatment ranged from 70 to 90 percent, undertreatment from 4 to 6 percent, and overtreatment from 8 to 26 percent at the different hospitals. Undertreatment was most likely in incompletely immunized patients (having previously received one or two doses of tetanus toxoid), while overtreatment was much more common in patients fully immunized. By comparison, 545 patients sixteen and older, whose immunization history was unknown, were evaluated to obtain information about the behaviour adopted by the physicians in the same circumstances. Grouping the subjects by age we found that in two hospitals the highest proportion of untreated (18 and 25 percent) belonged to the group of individuals more prone to the disease (over 60 years of age). Compliance with the Ministerial Instructions would have led to an increase in the use of tetanus toxoid and to a decrease in the use of human immunoglobulin, improving the quality of prevention without adding to its cost.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Epidemic of breast enlargement in an Italian school.

An outbreak of breast enlargement in girls and boys attending a school in Milan, first noted in November, 1977, was followed up until the end of 1978. 213 boys aged 3-14 years and 110 girls aged 3-7 years were studied; control children attending five other schools were also examined. In total 1647 boys and 476 girls were examined. Breast enlargement was significantly more common in boys (29.0%) and girls (21.6%) aged 3-5 years, boys (58.0%) aged 6-10, and girls (67.1%) aged 6-7 from the school in Milan, than in age and sex matched children at control schools. Breast enlargement was not pronounced and disappeared within 8 months. Hormonal determinations were within normal limits except for 17 beta-oestradiol which was slightly raised. Although oestrogen contamination was not detected when samples of school meals were tested, an uncontrolled supply of poultry and beef was suspected as being the cause of this outbreak.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Epidemiology of measles (author's transl)].

A detailed analysis of epidemiology of measles in pre-vaccinal era is reported for both isolated, underdeveloped and developed populations, together with the most recent knowledge on epidemiological changes tooking place in those countries which introduced large-scale vaccination with live, further attenuated measles vaccines: reduction of morbidity mortality and complication rates, morbidity age shift, etc. Results obtained in U.S.A., where vaccination was introduced in 1963, are analyzed also considering that it never spanned above 66% of children 1-4 year. Suggestions derive after the american experience for a correct strategy of the incoming vaccination in this Country.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[Epidemiological findings in the study of congenital malformations].

Experience with thalidomide and German measles contracted during pregnancy has focused attention on the question of birth defects. It is suggested that good reasons exist for the carrying out epidemiological investigations to establish the true incidence and geographical and social distribution of such deformities, and hence their possibly "environmental" origin at least in some instances. Such investigations would supplement research into experimental teratology. The advantages, disadvantages and limitations of retrospective and prospective investigations are discussed. A detailed account is given of a prospective survey in progress in Israel. Reference is also made to a similar survey being launched in some Italian cities with the aid of the CNR.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗