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Summary: An Italian multidisciplinary working group discussed the current Italian scenario of osteoporosis management during a meeting and highlighted the essential role of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of fragility fractures. Purpose: This paper aims to review and discuss data on calcium and vitamin D requirements and the role of combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis. Methods: The discussion of the experts covered literature data on calcium and vitamin D supplementation, gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, and the role of the primary care physician in identifying and treating patients with osteoporosis. Articles for consideration were identified through PubMed searches using different combinations of pertinent keywords. Results: The discussion highlighted that insufficient calcium or vitamin D intake increases the risk of fragility fractures. The experts also drew attention to the essential role of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in achieving an anti-fracture effect and supporting the efficacy of anti-osteoporotic agents without increasing nephrolithiasis and cardiovascular risks. In addition, the discussion underlined the role of the primary care physician in the initial clinical approach to patients with osteoporosis. Conclusions: The experts believe that efficient treatment for patients with osteoporosis should include calcium and vitamin D supplementation to achieve adequate levels that are able to inhibit the parathyroid hormone and bone resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To support the wellbeing of both patients and their families, our aim was to investigate the satisfaction of non-COVID in- and out-patients regarding safety measures implemented at our radiology unit of a transplant institute against COVID infection. Materials and Methods: Over a five-month period, adult patients' feedback was obtained by a questionnaire on the fear of contracting COVID-19 during a radiology examination, the perceived delay in treatment, and the following safety measures implemented: modified schedules to limit the number of patients in the waiting area and to maximize social distancing; assistance by staff when visitors were not admitted; cleaning and disinfection of machines; mask wearing and hand hygiene of staff; and staff advice on hand hygiene and infection control precautions. Results: Over a five-month period, our preliminary results (387 patients) showed general patient satisfaction (99.1%) with safety measures applied at our radiology unit. Patients were satisfied with distancing and assistance by staff (100%), cleaning and disinfection (91%), mask wearing and hand hygiene of the staff (97%), and staff advice (94%). There was some criticism of the perceived delay in treatment (7.3%) and in the scheduling of the waiting list (5.4%), with 5.4% fearing contracting the virus. Patients' awareness of safety measures and confidence in the hospital preparedness policy was perceived by all interviewers, and 100% appreciated being questioned. Conclusion: The feedback given by the non-COVID patient helps to measure the quality in health care, to improve the quality service, and to protect and satisfy more vulnerable patients, also during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring of a wide variety of bridges often requires an approach that, a priori, does not take into account the specific vibrational modes of their structure. An experimental approach to this issue requires to sufficiently energize the structure to allow the detection system to collect the entire range of the structure vibrational modes as well as to characterize their time evolution, also to get information on the structure degradation state. With the aim of monitoring the dynamical response of bridges, the present work addresses an approach based on both a wavelet transform and on an innovative cross-correlation wavelet analysis of the response signals obtained by a traffic-dependent energizer and by an impulsive energizer, where for this latter a new mathematical model has been formulated. The employed devices realize two different stress conditions for the mechanical structure while the wavelet analysis provides the tool for processing the recorded structure response. It is shown that the analysis of a viaduct response, which also includes the cross-correlation wavelet method, makes possible to perform a joint time–frequency analysis for both the cases. Discrete wavelet transform is employed for signal denoising while continuous wavelet transform for detecting signal frequencies and time localization. The performed frequency analyses furnish a common value for the main frequency, i.e. 2.15 Hz for the traffic-dependent energizer and 2.8 Hz for the impulse energizer. The wavelet cross-correlation between the signals produced by the traffic-dependent energizer and by the impulsive energizer, furnishes a diachronic picture of its correlation coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study analyses the difference in 25OH-vitamin D values between two groups of patients both affected by severe osteoporosis with fragility fractures, but one group has vertebral fractures and the other one has hip fractures. Patients with hip fractures have vitamin D values lower than patients with vertebral fractures.Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate 25OHD levels in patients with fragility vertebral fractures (VF) and hip fractures (HF) and make a comparison between the groups.Methods: In the first group were enrolled ambulatory patients with 3 or more moderate to severe VF; in the second group were enrolled patients hospitalized in the Department of Orthogeriatrics undergoing surgery for HF. For all patients, we collected values of 25OHD and PTH. The group of patients with VF was further subdivided into pre-existing VF or recent VF treated within 30 days with vertebroplasty.Results: The sample consists of 180 subjects divided into two groups: 90 with VF and 90 with HF. The average value of 25OHD in the total sample was 13.2 ± 9.6 ng/ml, Vitamin D was significantly lower in the HF group than the VF group (p < 0.001)(VF 18.6 ± 9.7 ng/ml, HF 7.9 ± 5.7 ng/ml). The mean PTH value in the total sample was 67.5 ± 54.9 pg/ml and PTH was significantly higher in the HF group compared to the group with VF (p < 0.001) (VF 55.6 ± 27.2 pg/ml, HF 78.7 ± 70.2 pg/ml). The mean 25OHD value in the recent VF group is 16.0 ± 6.6 ng/ml while in the pre-existing VF group is 19.5 ± 10.4 ng/ml with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Patients of the same age with severe osteoporosis have a lower 25OHD value when the fracture occur at the hip and is recent, probably this is due to the inflammation caused by fracture and/or surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation is considered as being one of the most complex procedures in abdominal interventional radiology. Our aim was twofold: quantification of TIPS-related patient radiation exposure in our center and identification of factors leading to reduced radiation exposure.Materials and Methods: Three hundred and forty seven consecutive patients underwent TIPS in our center between 2007 and 2014. Three main procedure categories were identified: Group I (n = 88)-fluoroscopic-guided portal vein targeting, procedure done in an image intensifier-based angiographic system (IIDS); Group II (n = 48)--ultrasound-guided portal vein puncture, procedure done in an IIDS; and Group III (n = 211)--ultrasound-guided portal vein puncture, procedure done in a flat panel detector-based system (FPDS). Radiation exposure (dose-area product [DAP], in Gy cm(2) and fluoroscopy time [FT] in minutes) was retrospectively analyzed.Results: DAP was significantly higher in Group I (mean ± SD 360 ± 298; median 287; 75th percentile 389 Gy cm(2)) as compared to Group II (217 ± 130; 178; 276 Gy cm(2); p = 0.002) and Group III (129 ± 117; 70; 150 Gy cm(2) p < 0.001). The difference in DAP between Groups II and III was also significant (p < 0.001). Group I had significantly longer FT (25.78 ± 13.52 min) as compared to Group II (20.45 ± 10.87 min; p = 0.02) and Group III (19.76 ± 13.34; p < 0.001). FT was not significantly different between Groups II and III (p = 0.73).Conclusions: Real-time ultrasound-guided targeting of the portal venous system during TIPS creation results in a significantly lower radiation exposure and reduced FT. Further reduction in radiation exposure can be achieved through the use of modern angiographic units with FPDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether the use of a low-dose acquisition protocol (LDP) in digital subtraction angiography during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation/revision results in significant reduction of patient radiation exposure and adequate image quality, as compared to a default reference standard-dose acquisition protocol (SDP). Methods: Two angiographic runs were performed during TIPS creation/revision: the first following catheterization of the portal venous system and the second after stent deployment/angioplasty. Constant field of view, object to image-detector distance, and source to image-receptor distance were maintained in each patient during the two angiographic runs. 17 consecutive adult patients who underwent TIPS creation ( n = 11) or TIPS revision ( n = 6) from December 2013 to March 2014 were considered eligible for this single centre prospective study. In each patient, the LDP and the SDP were used in a random order for the two runs, with each patient serving as his/her own control. The dose-area product (DAP) was calculated for each image and compared. Image quality was graded by two interventional radiologists other than the operator. Results: In all runs acquired with the LDP, image quality was considered adequate for a successful procedural outcome. The DAP per image of the LDP was numerically inferior as compared to the DAP per image of the SDP in all patients. The mean reduction in DAP per image was 75.24% ± 5.7% ( p < 0. 001). Conclusion: Radiation exposure during TIPS creation/revision was significantly reduced by selecting a LDP in our flat-panel detector-based system, while maintaining adequate image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a Joint Position Statement by Gruppo Italiano di OrtoGeriatria (GIOG) supported by Società Italiana di Gerontologia e Geriatria (SIGG), and Associazione Italiana Psicogeriatria (AIP) on management of hip fracture older patients. Orthogeriatric care is at present the best model of care to improve results in older patients after hip fracture. The implementation of orthogeriatric model of care, based on the collaboration between orthopaedic surgeons and geriatricians, must take into account the local availability of resources and facilities and should be integrated into the local context. At the same time the programme must be based on the best available evidences and planned following accepted quality standards that ensure the efficacy of the intervention. The position paper focused on eight quality standards for the management of hip fracture older patients in orthogeriatric model of care. The GIOG promotes the development of a clinic database with the aim of obtaining a qualitative improvement in the management of hip fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether grid removal during routine biliary interventional procedures performed in a flat-panel interventional suite results in adequate image quality and a significant decrease of patient radiation exposure. Materials and Methods: Routine biliary interventional procedures were defined as those in which absence of fine image detail during fluoroscopy carries no procedural impact, including substitution of internal-external biliary drains ( n = 25) or bilioplasty of benign biliary anastomotic strictures ( n = 5). All patients had undergone a previous procedure in which the grid was used. Constant object-to-detector and source-to-image distance were maintained in each patient during the grid/no-grid procedures. The same fluoroscopy protocol was used for all examinations. The dose area product (DAP [cGy.cm]) and procedure fluoroscopy time (seconds) were recorded for each procedure. DAP was normalized per unit of fluoroscopy time (nDAP [cGy.cm/s]). Results: In all procedures, image quality was considered adequate by two different interventional radiologists, and all procedures were successfully completed without significant changes in fluoroscopy time between the two groups ( p = 0.13). In every procedure without the grid, nDAP was inferior compared with nDAP in procedures performed using the grid. The mean decrease in dose was 39.2 ± 23.5 % ( p = 0.000001). Conclusion: Our preliminary data show that removal of the grid during routine biliary procedures is feasible and results in a significant decrease of patient radiation exposure. This seems of particular relevance because most of these patients require frequent reintervention. Larger studies with more procedures are warranted to confirm these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A successful therapy needs high level of adherence consisting in right drug intake in terms of persistence and compliance. Our study suggests adherence is higher if spot (less than 30 days) therapies are excluded; the analysis of spot therapy causes underlines the importance of the interpersonal aspects of medical practice. Introduction: A successful therapy needs a high level of adherence consisting in right drug intake in terms of persistence and compliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate anti-osteoporotic therapies recorded in general practitioner databases in the area of Rome, which used the same computerized medical record management. The study focused on evaluating therapy adherence, any adherence changes excluding spot therapies (less than 30 days), and any cause of early therapy discontinuation in a subgroup of patients randomly selected. Methods: Thirty-one databases were evaluated, including a total of 6,390 anti-osteoporotic therapies: 5,853 were prescribed to women and 537 to men. The prescribed drugs were: vitamin D (13 %), calcium (8.7 %), vitamin D + calcium (40.1 %), raloxifene (3.3 %), alendronate (16.4 %), risedronate (7.7 %), clodronate (10.4 %), or other drugs (0.4 %). Spot therapies represented 53.7 % of the total prescriptions. The difference between adherence in the total group (24.64 %) and the group excluding spot therapies (43.38 %) is significant. The main factors influencing low adherence were side effects (27 %), misinformation given by the physician (17 %), insufficient motivation (9 %), difficult intake (9 %), and no perceived benefits (9 %). Results: Our study suggests adherence is high and similar to other chronic diseases if spot therapies are excluded. The analysis of spot therapy causes suggests that an important role is played by the physician and the interpersonal aspects of medical practice, especially at the first prescriptions. Conclusions: The physician should collaborate with patients in choosing a personalized medical treatment. Reducing spot therapy could be the real goal in order to improve anti-osteoporotic therapy adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Acta Diabetologica Latina is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)