Are Italian Newly Licensed Nurses Ready? A Study on Self-Perceived Clinical Autonomy in Critical Care Scenarios.

The experience and self-confidence of healthcare professionals play critical roles in reducing anxiety levels during emergencies. It is important to recognize the potential impact of anxiety on performance. To enhance preparedness and confidence in managing emergencies, healthcare professionals benefit from regular training and simulations. Additionally, repeated exposure to emergency scenarios can help modulate physiological responses. Managing anxiety effectively is key, as heightened sympathetic stimulation associated with anxiety can adversely affect performance. This study aimed to investigate nurses' self-assessed ability to manage emergency guidelines and their self-confidence in performing tasks in critical care settings. A questionnaire was provided to 1097 nurses. We compared the self-confidence of experienced nurses (ENs) and newly licensed nurses (NLNs) in managing emergency department shifts or critical patients, and found that ENs are more confident in these scenarios. This phenomenon was also observed in subjects who had taken simulation courses, although they were still a low percentage. Most NLNs feel sufficiently ready to work in medium-intensity wards. Attending advanced training courses enhances nurses' self-confidence and may improve patient safety management., improving patient recovery, and minimizing errors. Attending courses improves the perception of autonomy of nurses in different scenarios.

Autoimmune pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer? A dilemma in a pregnant woman.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune pancreatitis is now a defined entity and it could mimic a pancreatic malignancy. True oncological emergencies in pregnant patients are rare. CASE REPORT: A 39 years-old pregnant woman was admitted to our emergency unit due to right upper quadrant abdominal pain and evidence of obstructive jaundice. Since computed tomography-scan and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are contraindicated in pregnant woman, a cholangio-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance was performed, confirming the biliary tract dilatation with stenosis of the intrapancreatic portion of the common bile duct and a shaded image of a mass in the pancreatic head. An endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration biopsy were performed. US-guided external percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage was successfully performed. The cytological examination showed the presence of erythrocytes, granulocytes, histiocytes and rare lymphocytes; a diagnosis of AIP was supposed, and steroid therapy with metilprednisolone was started. Laboratory tests and jaundice were normalized within 15 days, and the fetus was born in very good health, 22 weeks after. The follow-up was uneventful and a CT-scan confirmed the complete normalization of the pancreatic gland, 12 months after hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: Autoimmune pancreatitis should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of a not well defined pancreatic mass; in the event of pancreatic mass-forming disease in pregnancy, the differential diagnosis should be early and accurate, because destructive surgery involves an high rate of morbidity and may interrupt pregnancy. A US-guided FNAB and the response to the corticosteroid therapy should lead to a correct diagnosis.

Hypercalcaemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism - a systematic literature review and case report.

Hypercalcaemic crisis is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism, and it is associated with rapid deterioration of the central nervous system, and cardiac, gastrointestinal, and renal function. We present the case of a 76 year-old man in a sudden coma due to hypercalcaemic crisis as a first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism. At first, the patient was treated conservatively, his mental status gradually improved in the next three days. On the ninth day after the initiation of therapy, a minimally invasive radio-guided parathyroidectomy was performed. Histologically, the tumour consisted of densely arranged chief cells immunohistochemically positive for PTH antigens, suggesting adenoma. Calcaemia level and PTH were normalised in the immediate postoperative period. A systematic review was performed by consulting PubMed MEDLINE for publications from 1958 to 2011. This review found a total of 499 reported cases of hypercalcaemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism. Manifestations are neurological alterations, and cardiac, renal and gastrointestinal dysfunctions associated with markedly elevated serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels. The most frequent histology is the parathyroid adenoma. In untreated cases, mortality is 100%. Despite advances in its management, the mortality rate is still 93.5% in patients treated only conservatively. Medical therapy followed by expeditious parathyroidectomy should be considered as the treatment of choice for patients affected by hypercalcaemic crisis due to a primary hyperparathyroidism.