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Biomedical subjects

L Palombi

Publications and source records attributed to L Palombi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Child malnutrition in north Albania: results from an anthropometric survey.

In order to assess child malnutrition, an anthropometric cross-sectional survey of children aged 0-36 months was conducted in selected rural, urban and mountainous areas of Northern Albania in May 1997. The results showed a high prevalence of low anthropometric indices in rural and mountainous areas with a trend of similar magnitude in northern rural areas. In Northern Albania child malnutrition is a public health priority. As the main risk factor for underweight we found a recent history of diarrhoea (OR = 2.45) together with female gender (OR = 2.28), rural (OR = 2.09) or mountain (OR = 1.61) residency. Absence of sanitation, marker of poor housing conditions, also showed a significant association (OR = 1.55) with underweight. Low birthweight (OR = 1.12) was confirmed as an important risk factor for underweight condition. In conclusion these findings underline the importance of support appropriate mother and child health and nutritional programmes in rural areas of Northern Albania.

Albania↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Social and health services needs in a sample of elderly people in Catanzaro].

The aim of this study is to analyze the general health state conditions of older people living in Catanzaro, using a multidimensional assessment instrument to determine their social and health needs. To this purpose, a sample of 544 individuals (344 women and 210 men) older than 65 years of age (mean age = 75.3) was selected from the general population. All subjects were administered the OARS (Older Americans Resources and Services) questionnaire that evaluates five areas: physical health, mental health, social resources, economic resources and Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The percentage of subjects with score 3 or more in each area, and therefore identified as partially or totally dependent, is higher in the area of physical health (17.9%) and ADL (16.6%). About 65% of the sample is not disabled in any of the different areas, while 8% is dependent in 3 or more areas. These subjects are partially or totally dependent elderly people, who stay at their own house in precarious conditions, and are able to remain there only because they are helped by informal caregivers. Probably these people are those for whom any domiciliary help is necessary and more urgent in order to support the existing stability and to avoid institutionalization.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Multidimensional functional evaluation of social and health care needs of an elderly population in Rome].

The aim of this study is to analyse the condition of the elderly of Rome through a multidimensional instrument to determine their assistance needs. To this purpose a sample composed by 693 over 65 subjects was selected (430 women and 263 men). The Geriatric Functional Rating Scale of Grauer was administered to them. The questionnaire is divided into 7 sections (physical health, mental health, functional skills, support to the collectivity, type of housing, social relationships and economic situation); they enable to evaluate the dependency level of each subject. On the base of each area score a total score is obtained which divides the elderly into three categories according to their assistance need. The whole information collected in the single areas led to a definition of non self-sufficiency for 4.9% of the interviewed people and of partial self-sufficiency for 5.3%, the rest of the sample turned out composed by subjects able to live in an autonomous way. This sample of elderly (about 10%) is that on which it is possible to intervene with social and/or health home care plans in order to limit institutionalization.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Iron deficiency anemia and feeding practices in Albanian children.

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional problem of humans. In northern Albania, nutritional deficiencies are widespread among children but there is a lack of biochemical data. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of the iron deficiency anemia in a sample of northern Albanian children. A group of 112 children aged 6-60 months, recruited during the routine vaccinations, was enrolled in a cross-sectional health examination survey that included venou blood measurements of iron status. The survey was conducted during 2000 in Lezha District. The mean age was 17.1 +/- 10 months, the majority of the children were living in rural areas (61%), 47.8% were female. The mean level of hemoglobin was lower than the reference value (10.3 +/- 1.1). Iron deficiency Anemia occurred in 47 children (47%) and more likely during the first year of the life (51%). Fifty seven children were fed with whole cow's milk, among them 44 were IDA. The risk value to be anemic or iron deficient for infants aged 6 to 12 months that were fed with whole cow's milk before the fourth months of life was high (OR = 6.2 (C.L.1.0-38)). In conclusion, the high prevalence of IDA and the relationship with early feeding of whole cow's milk suggest to consider iron deficiency in infancy and childhood in Albania as an important nutritional public health problem and to implement strategies for his detection, treatment and prevention.

Albania↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Substernal goiters.

BACKGROUND: Substernal goiter, also said cervico-mediastinic goiter, is a thyroid formation with cervical departure that goes beyond, with stretched neck, the superior thoracic strait for at least 3 cm and that preserves, generally, the parenchimal or fibrous connections between the cervical and thoracic portion, maintaining a direct vascularization supplied by the thyroid arteries. The prevalence of this pathology is very variable and fluctuates between 1.7% and 30% of all thyroid damages. The actual classification is provided by the radiologic examination of the chest and, above all, by the new techniques of imaging. METHODS: In the period between January 1998 and December 2003, 332 patients with thyroid pathology have been treated surgically. Forthy-five (13.5%) of these were afflicted with a cervico-mediastinic goiter. In 32/45 (71.1%) cases a total thyroidectomy has been performed by collar carving in accordance with Kocher; in 11/45 (24.5%) cases an hemithyroidectomy has been performed by collar incision; in 2/45 (4.4%) cases, already submitted to surgical intervention of isthmus-lobectomy a totalization has been performed. RESULTS: The surgical technique foresees always an anterior collar neck incision. This way of access is to prefer in the substernal goiters, both for the presence of a cervical vascularization easy to control and for the possibility, nearly always realizable, to dislocate the goiter by that way. As for what concerns the results of the histological examination, in 2/45 (4.5%) cases it has been set a diagnosis of follicular carcinoma (one of them surely invading and the other, leastly invading), in 3/45 (6.6%) cases papillary carcinoma, in 4/45 (8.8%) cases colloido-cystic goiter, in 33/45 (73.5%) cases micro-macrofollicular hyperplasia (in one of which contemporarily compromise from lymphoma of Hodgkin); in 3/45 (6.6%) cases of adenomatous hyperplasia of the thyroid. DISCUSSION: The surgical approach has been in all cases the collar neck incision in accordance to Kocher, and it has never been necessary to associate a sternotomy or thoracotomy. After the intervention, in all the patients the symptomatology tied to the mediastinal compression has disappeared. The goiter showed signs of neoplastic degeneration in 11.1% of the cases, with prevalence of the papillary carcinoma in the 6.6% and, in the remaining 4.5%, of follicular carcinoma. These data are superimposable to the data gathered in other surveys. All the patients passed the post-operating hospitalization in optimal conditions and have been discharged during the fourth post-operating day with the prescription of increasing levothyroxine doses according to the body weigh.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Retroperitoneal mass: a clinical case].

The Authors discuss about a case of retroperitoneal mass, recently observed in their Institution. About the nature of the mass, by the imaging and clinical evolution, the Authors suppose a traumatic genesis: subcapsular renal hematoma, occurred 2 years before, broken and expanded in retroperitoneal space and then superficialized in the left lumbar region.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Intragastric balloon in bariatric surgery].

Intragastric balloon (BIB) is a mechanical restrictive device formed by a silicone wrapper inserted endoscopically in the stomach, filled with 500 cc of physiological blue methyl solution and kept in situ for 6 months. In two years 98 intragastric balloon have been set in 88 patients at the average age of 37.1 years, of 41.9 of BMI and 47.6 kg of weight. Complications were intolerance, gastro-oesophageal reflux, break and/or deflation and meteorism. BIB is an effective procedure in the temporary treatment of obesity leading to satisfactory weight loss and to short-term improvement of comorbidities.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Breast cancer in young women: case report and a review.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer in patients under 40 years is uncommon. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program reveals that 75% of breast tumors occur in women age > 50 years, only 6.5% in women age < 40 years, and a mere 0.6% in women age < 30 years. Breast-conserving surgery with subsequent chemo-radiotherapy has become the treatment of choice in women with breast neoplasm. CASE REPORT: Two young patients, 30 and 28 years respectively, with breast cancer. One patient with an atypical medullary breast carcinoma diagnosis, pT2 pN1 bipMx, Grade 3 Stage IIB, negative for receptors, Ki 67: 47%, cERB-2 negative; the other with an intraductal breast carcinoma, pT1c pN0 pMx, Grade 2 Stage I, negative for receptors, Ki 67: 85%, cERB-2 negative, p53 negative, Bcl-2 negative. The first patient underwent right radical mastectomy sec. Madden and axillary lymphoadenectomy in October 2001, started six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the right side of the chest and on axillary and supraclavicular lymph nodes area. After 2 years an ecotomography revealed small hypoechogenic nodules in the left breast. In December the patient underwent left radical mastectomy with positioning of an expander device. The histological exam revealed a not much differentiated intraductal carcinoma, pT1a N0 Mx, Stage I. After the surgical therapy, she follows another adjuvant chemotherapy. The second patient underwent left quadrantectomy with axillary limphoadenectomy in November 2004. Like the first-will follow several cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age differ from breast cancer in older women in numerous clinical, pathological and biological features. The studies demonstrate that breast cancer arising in women under 40 years have a more aggressive profile than those of older patients. In both our patients family history of breast cancer was reported. That suggests a possible genetic susceptibility of these patients through BRCA1 and BRCA2 germ-line mutations. Breast conservative surgery with chemio-radiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment breast cancer, expecially in consideration of the aggressiveness of the lesions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The evaluation of care needs in elderly people: the use of Geriatric Functional Evaluation Questionnaire].

The evaluation of the demand for assistance requires instruments and procedures scientifically validated as being effective. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a survey on the demand for assistance by a sector of the population, with an approach based on validated instruments and standardised procedures. The survey was carried out on a sample of 1,245 elderly persons (610 in Rome and 635 in Viterbo), who represent the over sixty-five year olds, resident in the Local Health Authority Roma D area and in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo. All the subjects were given the questionnaire for the Geriatric Functional Evaluation (GFE). Around 30% of over sixty-five year olds needs assistance. The Final Brief Evaluation indicates that 8% (CL 95%: 7.2-8.8) of the people interviewed need health and social services at the time of the study, and 20.6% more (CL95%: 19.5-21.7), should be carefully monitored in order to provide supportive, even if only social, services. Around 20.7% (CL95% 19.6-21.8) suffers from neurological pathologies and is characterised by a reduced functional capacity, as pointed out by the Multiple Correspondence Analysis. The combination of neuropathy and need of physical rehabilitation service is relevant part of the need for assistance. The approach used makes it possible to find out about situations of frailty in advance, so that a suitable plan of assistance in the area surveyed is possible.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Proposal for changing the ministerial instructions for antirabies prophylaxis in the light of the experience of the Centro Antirabbico di Roma].

Records of clinical assistance and of post-exposure antirabies prophylaxis from 4820 outpatients who attended the Antirabies Center of Rome following animal bites in 1986 were analysed. We observed a high proportion of people submitted to active immunization (44% received at least one shot of HDCV vaccine) in spite of the fact that rabies is absent from Central Italy since many decades in both wild and domestic animals. These considerations suggest the opportunity of a major revision of the official recommendations for rabies prevention, and we feel that different policies should be adopted in rabies enzootic areas (such as Northern Italy) compared to those where the risk is only potential. Immunization should be avoided after bites by rodents; passive immunization should be added to the vaccine after bites by wild animals in enzootic areas, while bites by cats and dogs, even uncaptured, will not be necessarily followed by vaccination in non enzootic areas.

Adolescent↗