Search

Sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are responsible for anogenital infections and tumours. Types 16 and 18 cause 70% of cervical carcinomas, the incidence of which is higher among young women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the propensity of mothers to have their 12-year-old daughters vaccinated against HPV and identify the variables that may influence their agreement, such as their kowledge of HPV and its relationship with cervical cancer. A 17-item questionnaire was anonymously administered to 312 mothers of girls born in 1997 who were invited to undergo vaccination by their local health authority. The results were analysed using the chi-squared test and STATA 9 statistical software. The analysis showed that 69% of the mothers had had their daughters vaccinated, that most of them know about HPV but only 20% clearly understood the relationship between HPV and cancer Acceptance of the vaccination seems to be associated more with a general predisposition to vaccinate than with a knowledge of HPV and its causal relationship with cervical carcinoma. This indicates a need for educational/ information programmes before and during the vaccination cycle.

The health care staff is potentially more exposed to contract infectious diseases at work. This risk becomes true if the DPI are not utilized and the operators don't work according to the standard protocol, and, with regard to the health care students, they begin their clinical training without the right knowledges. To verify the adequacy of knowledges and the consequent behaviours we effected a study among the students at first year of the D. U. for nurses in the University of L'Aquila, through a questionnaire. It came out many gaps of knowledges about the standard practice and about the Universal Precautions in about 20% of the interviewed.

The purpose of this research is to analyse occupational, household, sport and traffic related injuries among adolescents aged 14 to 17, during the first half of the year 2000, in the city of L'Aquila (Italy). All the data have been collected from the files of the Emergency Department. The occurrences have been 557: therefore 86 out of 1000 inhabitants have suffered from the above listed injuries. Among these ones, sport related injuries show to be prevalent: car accidents, occasional, household and professional injuries follow. Traffic related and occupational injury rates increase in the eldest children. In fact the "risk profile" shows to be worse in younger children. The study shows a major risk in 14 year old children, it is therefore necessary to focus on prevention and improvement in the data standardization, collection and recording at the Emergency Departments.

The aim of our study was to measure the quality of a restaurant service of a geriatric rehabilitation and long-term setting as it is perceived from patients compared with an objective measure of the quality. We have also verified the weight of the restaurant service on the whole quality of the hospital. Our data showed some problems in the organisation of the service, a substantially negative judgment from patients, the necessity to integrate subjective judgments with objective evaluations. The data confirmed also the importance that patients give to taste and variability of food and to the way in which it is presented. The results we obtained suggested an audit of the organisation of the restaurant service. The outcome of the proposed changes will be followed up and bring, eventually, to further arrangements.

The sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare complication of bacterial endocarditis in infancy and childhood. This report describes a young man with congenital aortic stenosis and bacterial endocarditis caused by Salmonella typhi. Bacterial endocarditis in this young man was complicated by the development of an aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva and a severe aortic regurgitation. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography proved useful for the initial diagnosis and serial follow-up of this unusual disorder. However, an angiographic examination has been necessary for the surgical correction in order to understand the relationship between the aneurysm and the coronary arteries.

The present study concerns with anthropometric and nutritional data collected in the school population of a small rural town in Lazio. We studied 368 school-children of both sexes, belonging to the following age groups: from 7 to 8 years, 9 to 10 years, 11 to 12 years, 13 to 14 years. The technique of evaluation of obesity used in this paper is: weight 20% higher than the height-adjusted figure according to NCHS's curves and triceps skinfold higher than 90 degrees centile according to Tanner's curves. Dietary intake was assessed by a "24 hour-recall" on three consecutive days one of which of holiday. The prevalence of obesity is 17.7%. In all the age groups daily caloric intake is adjusted to that recommended by Italian 1987 Larn. On the other hand the single nutrient's assumption shows important differences from Larn. Particularly in all the age groups daily protein intake is high (14.6%-15.8% of the energy in a day), with an increased animal-vegetable protein ratio (1.5-2.1). Dietary lipids are higher than 35.9% of day's energy (35.9%-39.5%); the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio is low (0.3-0.5). Cholesterol in the diet (231-347 mg/day) exceeds the level recommended. The daily intake of total carbohydrates (45.3%-48.5%) is low. Crude fiber intake increases with age from 2.8 g to 4.5 g/day. There is no statistical difference between obese and not obese subjects for what concerns energy intake or single nutrient's assumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We studied 11 patients affected by mild essential hypertension during chronic therapy with enalapril (E). After a pharmacological wash-out the patients were treated with E once a day (10-20 mg) for 4 weeks. Before and after the treatment period the patients were studied by means of the isotonic exercise stress test on the cycloergometer with increments of 25 W every 2 min and by means of the Sustained Handgrip test (SHG) at 70% of maximal capacity for 1 min. During the study period E reduced the blood pressure at rest in all patients without untoward effects. During the isotonic test and particularly during SHG, E reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and the product systolic BP x heart rate. The treatment did not influence the time length of the isotonic exercise stress test. Our results suggest that E does not increase the MVO2 at rest and during different types of exercise: this can be very important because many patients affected by hypertension suffer from ischemic heart disease. E is utilized also in patients with heart failure, some of whom have an hypertensive or ischemic cardiomyopathy.