Internal and emergency medicine
-
The administrative claims database of the Italian region Lombardy, the first in Europe to be hit by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, was employed to evaluate the impact on healthcare resource utilization following recovery from the second (mainly alpha-related variant) and third (delta-related) infection waves. 317,164 individuals recovered from the infection and became negative after the second wave, 271,180 after the third. Of them, 1571 (0.5%) and 1575 (0.6%) died in the first 6 post-negativization months. In the remaining cases (315,593 after the second wave and 269,605 after the third), hospitalizations, attendances to emergency rooms and outpatient visits were compared with those recorded in the same pre-pandemic time periods in 2019. ⋯ Following both waves, hospitalizations, attendances at emergency rooms, and outpatient visits were similar in number and rates to the pre-pandemic periods. However, there was an increased dispensation a number of drugs and diagnostic tests, particularly those addressing the cardiorespiratory and blood systems. In a large region such as Lombardy taken as a relevant model because early and severely hit by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the post-COVID burden on healthcare facilities was mildly relevant in cases who recovered from the second and third infection waves regarding such pivotal events as deaths, hospitalizations, and need for emergency room and outpatient visits, but was high regarding the dispensation of some drug classes and types of diagnostic tests.
-
This study analyzed hospital admissions for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in epidemiological and economic terms in Italy from 2015 to 2019. The volume of acute admissions for meningococcal diagnosis was analyzed in the period from 2015 to 2019. IMD admissions were identified by ICD-9-CM diagnoses. ⋯ From 2015 to 2019, hospitalizations for IMD appear to be decreasing slightly in Italy, even if mortality remains high. Favorable trends in hospitalizations for IMD were seen in the 0-1-year age group, which may be attributable to increased vaccination. Costs of hospitalizations for IMD remain high.
-
To assess the rate of PMR who, during the follow-up, undergo a diagnostic shift as well as to assess which clinical, laboratory and US findings are associated to a diagnostic shift and predict the long-term evolution of PMR. All PMR followed-up for at least 12 months were included. According to the US procedures performed at diagnosis, patients were subdivided into four subgroups. ⋯ Most PMR have their diagnosis changed during follow-up. The early use of the US is associated with a lower dosage of GCs. Patients with a definite subset of clinical, laboratory and US findings seem to be more prone to maintain the diagnosis of PMR.