Minerva medica
-
General population data on hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in Italy come mostly from studies conducted in small towns. The highest rates have consistently been found in southern regions, especially in Calabria. Herein, we aimed to determine HCV prevalence, awareness, and risk factors in the general population of Catanzaro, the capital city of Calabria, Italy. ⋯ We detected a much lower anti-HCV prevalence than those previously found in Calabria, along with a substantial change in HCV transmission modes. Infected people were almost only elderly and mostly unaware of their infection. Improving diagnosis and linkage to care for these infected persons would be needed.
-
Limited real-world data are available regarding the comparison about safety and efficacy of DOACs prescription in very elderly patients (≥85 years) with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Concern about the risk of bleeding with anticoagulation in very older patients still represents an important challenge for clinicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the different prevalence of major bleeding and thromboembolic events between very elderly NVAF patients (≥85 years) compared to those non very elderly (<85 years). ⋯ This single center registry, showed that the use of DOACs in very elderly NVAF was safe and is a therapeutic option to be pursued for stroke prevention especially for those who are at high risk of ischemic events.
-
The aim of this study was to explore the correlations of inflammatory factors, caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (CCCK-18), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and D-Dimer (DD) with the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II Score and prognosis of patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage (ACH). ⋯ ACH patients receiving emergency operation have a poorer prognosis and a higher APACHE II Score than those undergoing conservative treatment. The APACHE II Score has positive associations with the levels of inflammatory factors, CCCK-18, MMP-9 and DD. In addition, raised levels of hs-CRP, CCCK-18, MMP-9 and DD are considered as independent risk factors for poor neurologic outcomes of ACH patients.
-
Observational Study
Evaluation of tolerability and major factors affecting the adherence to probiotic therapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, observational, real-life study.
Probiotics have been evaluated in multiple clinical trials on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, in real-life long-term compliance could be low. Our study is single-center, observational and prospective, aiming both to evaluate the adherence to prescription of probiotic therapy in real-life and to identify factors able to influence adherence to therapy. ⋯ This study suggested that the adherence to probiotic therapy is affected by different factors in patients with IBS in a real-life setting. The main reason for lack of adherence was the price of the product. Other reasons are mild AEs (mainly bloating) and low palatability.