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Introduction. During the 2014–2016 West-African Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, some HCWs from Western countries became infected despite proper equipment and training on EVD infection prevention and control (IPC) standards. Despite their high awareness toward EVD, some of them could not recall the transmission routes. We explored these incidents by recalling the stories of infected Western HCWs who had no known directly exposures to blood/bodily fluids from EVD patients. Methodology. We carried out conventional and unconventional literature searches through the web using the keyword “Ebola” looking for interviews and reports released by the infected HCWs and/or the healthcare organizations. Results. We identified fourteen HCWs, some infected outside West Africa and some even classified at low EVD risk. None of them recalled accidents, unintentional exposures, or any IPC violation. Infection transmission was thus inexplicable through the acknowledged transmission routes. Conclusions. We formulated two hypotheses: inapparent exposures to blood/bodily fluids or transmission due to asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic carriers. This study is in no way intended to be critical with the healthcare organizations which, thanks to their interventions, put an end to a large EVD outbreak that threatened the regional and world populations.

Ebola virus disease (EVD—formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe hemorrhagic fever caused by lipid-enveloped, nonsegmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the genus Ebolavirus. Case fatality rates may reach up to 76% of infected individuals, making this infection a deadly health problem in the sub-Saharan population. At the moment, there are still no indications on ophthalmological clinical signs and security suggestions for healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses or cooperative persons). This paper provides a short but complete guide to reduce infection risks.

Malpractice is the responsible for the greatest number of legal claims. At the present time, legal actions against physicians in Italy are 15,000 per year, and a stunning increase about costs to refund patients injured by therapeutic and diagnostic errors is expected. The method for the medical prevention is “Risk Management”, that is the setting-up of organizational instruments, methods and actions that enable the measurement or estimation of medical risk; it allows to develop strategies to govern and reduce medical error. In the present work, the reconstruction about the history of risk management in Italy was carried out. After then the latest initiatives undertaken by Italy about the issue of risk management were examined.

A successful anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL) requires solid healing of the tendon graft in the bone tunnel. New biological strategies have already been proposed with the aim of improving ACL graft healing and therefore allowing a faster rehabilitative program. The aim of this prospective study was to clinically and radiologically evaluate the efficacy of nanohydroxyapatite bone-base grafts in facilitating bone-tendon incorporation after ACL reconstruction with hamstrings (HS). As far as we know, this is the first study that has tried to asses the efficacy of such a type of bone substitute on human beings.40 male patients with chronic ACL rupture who underwent surgical reconstruction with 4-strand semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft via a single-bundle technique. Patients were randomly assigned to enter group A (20 patients, nanohydroxyapatite group) or group B (20 patients, control group). Preoperative and postoperative clinical evaluation was always performed, in a blinded way, assessing the Lachman and Pivot-shift tests and range of motion (ROM) of the affected knee. The Lysholm knee score, Tegner activity level, subjective and objective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) forms, and 30 lb KT-1000 arthrometer evaluations. Patients underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam at 30, 90 and 180 days after surgery by the same musculoskeletal radiologist in a blinded way.As for the clinical evaluation, Lysholm, Tegner, IKDC scales, and KT-1000 arthrometer results did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Radiological data show a tendency toward better results in regard to the graft strength signal, the graftbone interface, and bone edema remodeling process, these parameters show significant differences between the two groups only at the short or mid-term follow-ups, while they are never significant at the mid-to long-term follow-up.In conclusion the use of nanohydroxyapatite bone substitute does not provide significant clinical improvements in terms of better knee stability or patient satisfaction.