[Epidemiology of unintentional drowning in children younger than 5 years in Italy]. / Epidemiologia dell'annegamento accidentale in Italia nei bambini di età inferiore a 5 anni.

The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology of unintentional drowning in Italy in the period 1983-1997, in the age-group 0-4 years. We used mortality data from the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT), and calculated the potential years of life lost (PYLL), for the single age-group and for all the children aged 0-4 years, following the CDC method (age limit 65 years). Only in 1983 the rate of mortality due to accidental drowning in the age-group 0-4 years was over 1.00 per 100,000 inhabitants (1.27). In the male sex the rate was over 1/100,000 in 1983 (1.93), 1984 (1.18) and 1989 (1.03). In the females the higher rate reached was 0.66/100,000 (1984). Considering both genders, the lower rate was reached in 1997 (0.33/100,000), and it was 0.42 for males (1992) and 0.07 for females (1988). Considering all ages, statistically significant differences in the mean death rates were found by sex (0.8/100,000 for males and 0.31/100,000 for females; t = 4.504; p < 0.0001). Considering the single age-groups, statistically significant differences in the mean death rates were found by sex only for 2, 3 and 4 years (respectively, p = 0.005; p = 0.001 e p < 0.0001). Considering all children, we estimated a PYLL of 15,750 years (PYLL for males representing 72.2%). The mean death rate for unintentional drowning in the age-group 0-4 years in Italy is lower than the mean vaues in other countries, but there is a clear need to lower this kind of death, that accounted for almost 16,000 PYLL in the period 1983-1997.

Thomas Berdmore, dentist of His Majesty, George III, and dental calculus.

Thomas Berdmore's book, Disorders of Deformities of the Teeth and Gums, presents examples of early concepts of preventive dentistry and treatment of periodontal diseases. Various aspects of dental calculus formation and composition are analyzed. Also the effects of periodontal disease as seen by Berdmore are discussed, and ways of treatment in 1770 summarized.