Parental thoughts after the Codroipo case: the other side of the story.

BACKGROUND: To address vaccine hesitancy and to build public trust, many factors need to be considered in the process of planning consistent public health interventions. After uncertain vaccinations of the Codroipo case, hesitant parents were surveyed about own beliefs and trusted sources of information. METHODS: A semi-structured phone survey was conducted between December 2017 and February 2018, collecting also age and educational level of respondents. RESULTS: The most trusted sources of information of the 258 surveyed parents were pediatricians (27.2%), general practitioners (25.4%) and institutional channels (12.1%). Highly educated parents trusted self-study of the scientific literature and expressed doubts about vaccine effectiveness more than others (p=0.0018). CONCLUSION: Despite the underlying improper vaccination issue undermined public trust, healthcare professionals and institutional channels maintained their role as trusted sources of information. Educational patterns emerged among doubtful parents should be considered by public health policies to effectively tackle vaccine hesitancy.

Efficacy of captopril in hypertensive diabetic patients.

Twenty hypertensive diabetic patients (10 with type I and 10 with type II) were treated with captopril, 50 mg twice a day, for three months. The drug was effective as monotherapy in 16 patients. An additional nine months of follow-up was obtained in 12 of these patients (four with type I and eight with type II) who did not need the addition of diuretics to achieve normal blood pressure. For these patients with long-term treatment, since there was no substantial difference between those with type I and those with type II, the data were pooled. Mean arterial pressure significantly decreased shortly after treatment was begun and the reduction was maintained. No significant change was induced by captopril in urine volume, osmolar clearance, and serum and urinary values of sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium, whereas significant reduction was found in fractional excretion of potassium and phosphate. The baseline levels of proteinuria were only slightly elevated, yet they fell in all patients during treatment. All patients maintained satisfactory control of carbohydrate metabolism, and none of them required substantial changes in hypoglycemic treatment. The administration of captopril as monotherapy appears to be an effective and safe way of lowering blood pressure in diabetic hypertensive patients, even in the long term, without effects on renal function and in carbohydrate metabolism.

Exogenous calcitonin protects against renal bone disease in rats with early renal failure.

Chronic renal failure was induced in four groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats by unilateral nephrectomy followed by removal of the outer poles and cautery of the remnant kidney. The four groups of animals received isocaloric diets with normal (groups 1 and 4) or low (groups 2 and 3) phosphate contents and variable amounts of calcium. In addition, rats in group 4 were given salmon calcitonin. After 90-160 days the 4 groups of rats had developed comparable levels of chronic renal failure. The serum phosphate values were significantly lower in rats on low phosphate intake than in those on normal phosphate diet. Bone histology was evaluated on tibiae, lumbar vertebrae and ribs. The rats kept on low phosphate diet (groups 2 and 3) had significantly lower frequency of osteomalacia and bone resorption than those fed a normal phosphate diet. Rats treated with calcitonin (group 4) had the lowest frequency of osteomalacia and virtually no association with bone resorption, despite normal phosphate intake. The serum levels of parathyroid hormone were not significantly different in rats in groups 1 and 4 as compared to controls. Serum 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol levels were significantly lower in group 1 than in controls and were significantly higher in group 4 than in group 1. These data show that calcitonin effectively prevents bone lesions in rats with early chronic renal failure.

Captopril in the treatment of hypertension in type I and type II diabetic patients.

This investigation was performed in two groups of adult patients, 10 with type I and 10 with type II diabetes mellitus, all with arterial hypertension (160 to 200 mm Hg systolic and 95 to 120 mm Hg diastolic). Captopril, 50 mg twice a day, was administered for 12 weeks and was effective as monotherapy in 16 patients. Mean arterial pressure (+/- s.d.) in type I patients changed from 121.4 +/- 9.6 to 100.2 +/- 10.1 after 4 weeks and to 102.0 +/- 3.8 mm Hg after 12 weeks; in type II patients it changed from 132.8 +/- 5.7 to 123.9 +/- 13.5 after 4 weeks and to 109.1 +/- 11.1 mm Hg after 12 weeks. The differences were statistically significant. In only 4 patients was it necessary to add a thiazide after the first month of therapy. No significant change was induced by captopril in urine output, osmolar clearance, free water clearance inulin, and PAH clearances. No significant change was observed in serum and urine Na+, Cl-, Ca++ and Mg++, whereas a statistically significant reduction was found in the renal clearances of K+ and PO4-. No important change in serum aldosterone was found, while plasma renin activity was increased, as expected. No alterations in urine protein, glucosaminoglycans, gamma GT, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase were observed during follow-up. All patients maintained good metabolic control of their disease. No neutropenia and orthostatic hypotension were seen. Captopril appears to be an effective and safe drug for lowering blood pressure in diabetic patients, without affecting renal function, electrolyte balance and the metabolic control of diabetes.