[Vaccine coverage survey of the elderly in 11 Italian regions]. / Indagine sulle coperture vaccinali nella popolazione anziana di undici regioni Italiane.

In 2002, a sample survey of the population > or =65 years of age was conducted in 11 Italian regions that included information on the influenza, pneumococcal, and tetanus vaccination status. In each region, cluster sampling was used to select 210 individuals. In the Campania region, a separate random sample of 100 individuals was selected for Naples. Information on vaccination status was collected via an interview conducted in the participants' homes. A total of 2299 persons participated in the survey. During the 2001--2002 influenza season, 61% of the population reported that they had been vaccinated (regional range 39%-70%). The proportion of the population that had received an influenza vaccine increased with age and was higher than those with underlying diseases and conditions (70% of those > or =75 years of age with underlying problems). The percentage of those who reported having been vaccinated against tetanus was 54% (regional range 11% to 79%); coverage was higher among males and decreased with age. Only 24% of the sample reported having been adequately vaccinated (at least 3 doses, of which the last was administered during the last 10 years). Five percent had been vaccinated against pneumococcus, and none of the regions had a coverage higher than 15%. The elderly represent a segment of the population that is especially vulnerable to infectious diseases and often have problems with access to health services. These findings underline the need to improve vaccine coverage using strategies specifically targeted for this age group.

[Coarctation of he abdominal aorta]. / Coarctation of the abdominal aorta.

The Authors report a 49-year-old woman complaining of slight nocturnal lower limb pain in whom an uncommon type IV coarctation of the infrarenal aorta associated with multiple renal arteries, slight hypoplasia of iliac and femoral arteries bilaterally, and a retroaortic left vein were found. She underwent an aorto-aortic prosthetic repair. The correction of this vascular condition was followed by partial improvement of her symptoms. The suspicion of an associated ischaemic spinal origin of these painful symptoms may be suggested by the typical and often complex presence of multiple vascular malformations described in patients with coarctation of the abdominal aorta.