Hospitalization rate due to measles in an area of the South East of Italy during an outbreak in the years 2002-2003.

AIM: Usually measles is not severe, but serious complications can occur and thus hospitalization is needed. The aim of this study was to assess the reasons of hospitalizations of the persons affected by measles and the severity of disease as a result of measles infection. METHODS: During an outbreak from 2002 to 2003 in the province of Taranto, 73 hospitalized persons affected by measles were evaluated. RESULTS: The age of the 73 hospitalized patients ranged between 1 and 42 years old (median age 14.5 years). An hospitalizations rate of 63% was reported in the first 4 months of 2003. Measles-related complications were observed in 35.6% of cases. In 14 cases (19%) we observed a pneumonia with a concomitant myocardititis and pancreatitis in 2 cases. Postmeasles encephalitis was diagnosed in 7 cases (9.5%). In 2 cases a concomitant myelitis occurred, with the presence of sequelae at the time of discharge but none permanent. Measles related appendicitis was observed in 5 males (6.8%) and appendectomy was performed in all cases. Data analysis showed that the patients with an age <15 years old had a higher risk of complications than patients with an age > or =15 years. None death was reported. CONCLUSIONS: At present, measles and its related complications continue to be a serious illness even in industrialized countries, only a complete immunization vaccine strategy could permit measles' eradication.

[The use of HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Their effects on AIDS-correlated outpatient and hospitalization activities. A catchment area study]. / Impiego degli inibitori della HIV-1 proteasi. Effetti sull'attività ambulatoriale e sull'ospedalizzazione correlate all'AIDS. Una indagine nell'area jonica.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the use of protease inhibitors (IP) on the out-patient department's activities and hospitalizations of HIV-1 infected subjects. METHODS: From the December 1996 IP was available in our hospital, so the years 1996 and 1997 were studied. RESULTS: In the year 1997, 336 patients were visited with an increase of the 41% compared with the year 1996. In the 1997 the 45.2% of hospitalizations were related to AIDS, while in the year 1996 the 65.4% of them were related to AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The use of IP had increased the activities of the out-patient department and certainly had a role in reducing the hospitalizations related to AIDS.

Hepatitis C virus infection in anti-HBe-positive HBsAg carriers with chronic liver disease.

In the present study, sera from chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers positive for antibody to hepatitis B 'e' antigen (anti-HBe) with evolutive liver disease as correlated with anti-HBe-positive healthy carriers, were examined for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 32/124 (25.8%) anti-HBe-positive carriers with chronic liver disease and in none of the 46 healthy carriers. When anti-HCV positivity was evaluated in relationship to the degree of severity of liver disease and possible confounding factors such as hepatitis B virus replication or other potential hepatolesive factors were eliminated by using logistic regression, the odds ratio of liver cirrhosis versus chronic persistent hepatitis was 18 (95%, CI 3.5-92.5). Therefore, our results indicate that HCV may be implicated in the determinism and severity of liver damage in a significant proportion of anti-HBe-positive chronic HBsAg carriers.