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Backgrounds: In non-critical hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus, guidelines suggest subcutaneous insulin therapy with basal-bolus regimen, even in old and vulnerable inpatients. Aim: To evaluate safety, efficacy, and benefit on clinical management of the GesTIO protocol, a set of subcutaneous insulin administration rules, in old and vulnerable non-ICU inpatients. Methods: Retrospective, observational study. Patients admitted to Geriatric Clinic of Padua were studied. 88 patients matched the inclusion criteria: type 2 diabetes or hospital-related hyperglycemia, ≥65 years, regular measurements of capillary glycemia, and basal-bolus subcutaneous insulin regimen managed by 'GesTIO protocol' for five consecutive days. Main outcome measures: ratio of patients with blood glucose (BG) <3.9 mmol/l; number of BG per patient in target range (5-11.1 mmol/l); daily mean BG; and calls to physicians for adjusting insulin therapy. Results: Mean age was 82 ± 7 years. 9.1% patients experienced mild hypoglycaemia, and no severe hypoglycaemia was reported. The median number of BG per patients in target range increased from 2.0 ± 2 to 3.0 ± 2 ( p < 0.001). The daily mean BG decreased from 11.06 ± 3.03 to 9.64 ± 2.58 mmol/l (−12.8%, p < 0.005). The mean number of calls to physicians per patient decreased from 0.83 to 0.45 ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Treatment with GesTIO protocol allows a safe and effective treatment even in very old and vulnerable inpatients with a faster management insulin therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the comet assay as a possible tool to assess genotoxicity in erythrocytes of Columba livia to detect genotoxic effects induced by exposure to urban air pollution. Fieldwork was conducted between June 2004 and June 2005 in the city of Milan, Italy, by sampling pigeons in different areas almost twice a week. Six air contaminants—CO, PM10, NO, O (ozone), SO, and C6H6—plus polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fine particles, temperature, and ultraviolet index, were considered. Genotoxicity levels, expressed as %DNA migrated, tail moment, and damage index (DI), were always higher in wild pigeons than in pigeons living indoors (controls). Animals exposed to urban air showed significant differences from season to season, and the genotoxic parameters presented the highest values in summer (45.30% ± 1.40% %DNA migrated, 12.73 ± 0.80 tail moment, and 22.30 ± 0.15 × DI × 10); regression analyses showed a positive relation between DI and O concentrations ( P < 0.001). The use of the comet assay DI parameter as a rapid assessment of incipient genotoxic risk by pollution, as measured in C. livia living in urban areas, is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective comparative study was conducted in Italy to determine whether the risk of accidental falls is the same in acute care hospitals as in nursing homes. Accidental falls were significantly related to women older than 80 years and to a hospital stay 10 days or longer, with an increased risk related to stroke, arterial hypertension, and a Norton Scale score greater than 15. Prevention strategies need to be based on the context and specific intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the risk of falls in elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This cross-sectional monocentric study aims to utilize the Early Childhood Attention Battery to investigate early attention patterns in young preterm children and ascertain the extent to which their attentional abilities diverge from those of term peers., Methods: Inclusion criteria encompassed gestational age < 34 weeks, with assessments conducted between 3 and 5 years 11 months. Exclusion criteria included major brain lesions, significant motor or behavioral disorders, and intellectual functioning with IQ < 70. Preterm raw scores converted to scaled scores and percentiles. Frequency analysis compared preterm scores to norms. Non-parametric tests assessed significance between scaled scores and subgroups (age, gestational age, sex, birth weight)., Results: One hundred nineteen preterm patients were enrolled in the study between November 2016 and June 2023. Comparisons with published norms showed lower mean scores across all subtests and domains for preterm children. A notable proportion of assessments (13-40%) fell below the 5th percentile, with the dual task item in sustained attention being the highest (40%). Sex did not predict differences, except for auditory sustained and visual search subtests. Gestational age did not correlate with abnormal scores, consistent with previous studies. The prevalence of assessments below the 5th percentile highlights preterm children's vulnerability to attention issues. The test's sensitivity to attention deficits in preterm populations suggests its potential in identifying at-risk children early for tailored interventions., Conclusions: The battery effectively detects attentional deficits in preterm children. Early detection and targeted insights support tailored educational interventions. By focusing on specific attention skills, the battery guides clinicians in choosing individualized or group activities based on areas most affected., What Is Known: • Attention is often impaired in preterm children but it is not systematically investigated before school age. The ECAB is a tool specifically designed for preschool children., What Is New: • Using the ECAB we evidenced a different level of attention between pre-term and term-born children at preschool age., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)