ABSTRACT
Background: Caregiver stress is a common problem observed in nursing homes. Aim: To determine the association between the level of resilience and stress, anxiety and depression in formal caregivers of older people institutionalized in long-stay establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: One hundred ninety eight formal caregivers working at 11 long term residences for older people in southern Chile were invited to answer the SV-RES resilience and the DASS-21 anxiety and depression scales and 102 agreed to participate. Results: We observed a significant association between the resilience scale score and variables such as weekly working hours (p < 0.01), current hours of sleep (p < 0.01), self-perception of sleep (p < 0.01), anxiety level (p < 0.01) and stress level (p < 0.01). Conclusions: A higher score on the Resilience Scale was associated with the absence of anxiety and stress, working between 22 and 43 hours per week, sleeping between 7 and 8 hours of sleep and a satisfactory self-perception of sleep. Studying the factors associated with resilience in formal caregivers of the elderly allows healthcare personnel to focus preventive actions, intervening promptly in risk areas associated with the work context, and strengthening the personal resources of caregivers.
ABSTRACT
The outreach program "A scuola di Astroparticelle” was proposed in 2016 by the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN - Napoli Division) in collaboration with the Physics Department "Ettore Pancini” of the Federico II University in Napoli, CNR-SPIN and CNR-ISASI Institutes. Its main goal is to engage teachers and students of High Schools in astroparticle physics projects. For the third edition (2018/19), the activities, which are also part of the Italian Educational Program PCTO - "Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento”, involved 18 schools for a total of 21 projects on several topics. Some projects were strictly related to astroparticles as cosmic rays, while others were more technical, as the development of particle detectors, or cross-disciplinary projects. Students worked for the entire school year and prepared materials for the final event. More than 600 students attended the event and presented their work to a jury with a poster and an oral presentation in plenary sessions. Since 2018, the program is part of OCRA - Outreach Cosmic Ray Activities - a national outreach project of INFN with the aim of collecting, within a common framework, the numerous outreach activities in cosmic-ray field carried out at the local level. The fourth edition (2019-20), in spite of the difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has also seen the participation of 22 schools that carried out part of the activities in an online format. The project realized using the open data of the Pierre Auger Observatory will be presented in detail. © Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
ABSTRACT
Background: Gynecological cancers of the uterus and cervix are common malignancies in women. The correct management of these tumors involves many figures. Material and methods: Therefore, to respond to these multidisciplinary needs in June 2019 in Azienda Ospedialiero-Universitaria of Modena was born a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Care Pathways (DTCP) with gynaecologists, radiotherapists, medical oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medical doctors, pathologists, anaesthesiologists, a nurse Case Manager and a patients' association representative. A molecular biologist, endocrinologists and nutritionists have already enriched the team after the first year of activity. The group performs weekly collegial discussions of clinical cases and cohort visits, continued in the COVID era. Results: The new diagnoses in the first year of activity were 53 endometrial cancers (EC) and 24 cervical ones (CC). The median age at diagnosis was 51 years between EC patients and 70 years in CC. 87% of EC were endometrioid subtypes, while 65% CC were squamous cell ones. 70% EC patients (pts) were stage (st) I (52% IA and 48% IB), 5,5% st II, 9,4% st III and 11,3% st IV. Immunohistochemical analysis for estrogen and progesterone receptor, p53 and mismatch repair (MMR) proteins were performed on 20 EC. All tumours tested are p53 negative. We found 3 pts who had MMR deficiency, none of them diagnosed with Lynch syndrome at the subsequent genetic counselling. After surgery, 66% pts in st I underwent observation and 34% made radiotherapy (RT). Among st II pts, 1 patient performed RT, one other platinum- based chemotherapy (pCT) and the third did not perform any adjuvant treatment for ECOG. All except one st III pts (67%) underwent pCT with RT. Among st IV one received surgery, pCT and palliative RT, the others (83%) made pCT. Most CC were diagnosed in early st. 9 pts underwent upfront surgery, followed in 2 cases with RT and in 3 with RT and pCT. One patient received neoadjuvant chemo-RT. Radical RT with weekly cisplatin was performed in 9 pts, other 4 pts made RT alone due to advanced age and/or ECOG. One patient started observation for age, ECOG and absence of symptoms. Conclusions: In our experience, DTCP allows the optimization of the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy in EC and CC pts, especially in most complex cases.
ABSTRACT
Background: Polyethylene glycols (PEGs), also called macrogols, are molecules that cause allergic reactions in individuals who are sensitized to them. Their relevance lies in their popularity as they are usually found in many drugs and skin products such as laxatives, cosmetics, antibiotics, corticoids, contrast dyes, vitamin complexes These compounds have recently attained certain prominence due to their presence in several vaccines developed against the global pandemic of SARS-CoV2. Allergic to these substances individuals cannot be vaccinated, as PEGs or polysorbate 80 (which cross-reacts with PEGs) may be included in the vaccine. This research presents a clinical case of a 57-year man who had had several local skin reactions with associated itching, caused by different cosmetic products and Betadine® (povidone-iodine ointment) in gel. He also developed a similar clinical picture, as well as wheezing, by means of Moviprep® (a laxative), but the same day he tolerated another laxative, Casenglicol®. Additionally, he suffered a reaction to Vincigrip® (paracetamol/pseudoephedrine hydrochloride/chlorpheniramine maleate), but tolerated paracetamol alone Method: The tests have been practised on this patient are standard patch-tests, photopatch testing with sunscreen lotions, prick-tests and intra dermo-reaction (1:100) with PEGs, and controlled exposure test with laxatives Citraflett® and Vincigrip® (both of them without PEGs). Results: All these tests cast negative results but the intra dermoreaction test. In this case, the patient developed facial and oropharynx itchiness, scattered wheals, and dyspnoea, which decreased after administrating adrenaline, corticoids, and antihistamines. The patient was diagnosed allergy to PEG and has been advised from receiving any SARS-CoV2 vaccine at all. Conclusion: It is of great relevance to diagnose allergic to PEG patients, for two main reasons. First, due to the frequent presence of PEGs in medicaments and cosmetics. Many times they may be overlooked as they are included only in some formulations or brands of a same product. Thus, in consequence, these patients cannot be administrated some vaccines against SARS-CoV2 containing PEG or polysorbate.