Levels of anti-HBs antibody in HBV-vaccinated students enrolled in the faculty of medicine, dentistry and health professions of a large Italian University.

BACKGROUND: Prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus (HBV) addressed to students of the faculties of health professions has received great attention. Objectives. The present study aims to assess vaccination coverage against hepatitis B in healthcare professionals in training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out using data from the students of medicine, dentistry, and health professions. RESULTS: 4180 vaccination certifications were examined through the internal database. Significant differences (<0.0001) emerge between the number of doses applied and the antibody level. 50.4% of the students have nonprotective antibody levels (<10 IU). The age of the first dose significantly influences the level of coverage, resulting in more coverage in those vaccinated with earlier onset (1-10 years). Antibody levels are not significantly different by type of course; the levels of noncoverage are present in 44.4% of the students of medicine and dentistry and in 50.6% among those belonging to the health professions. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents one of the first experiences in Italy on vaccination against HBV and the relationship between doses of vaccination and antibody titer in the biomedical students that can configure a step forward in the real-time monitoring in order to establish a register of vaccination.

What is the impact of reporting guidelines on Public Health journals in Europe? The case of STROBE, CONSORT and PRISMA.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to evaluate the use of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses), CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) and STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) methods in reviews, clinical trials and observational studies, respectively, which were published in European journals within the field of Public Health (PH). METHODS: Papers published between 2010 and 2013 in seven PH journals were evaluated. The presence of the words PRISMA, STROBE and CONSORT was considered in the search criteria. RESULTS: In total, 2355 of 3456 retrieved articles were included: 1.5% appeared to follow the guidelines. The boundaries within which the criteria were applied are 0-100% for CONSORT, 0-0.6% for STROBE and 0-37% for PRISMA. CONCLUSIONS: A strong heterogeneity in the application of guideline statements was observed. A common agreement among journals regarding research-reporting methodologies could improve the quality of PH research publishing.