SARS-CoV-2 transmission by asymptomatic healthcare workers positive to screening swab: an Italian study.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets of symptomatic individuals. With respect to asymptomatic individuals, there are conflicting results in the literature and a lack of studies specifically examining transmission in healthcare settings. METHODS: The aim of this retrospective study, conducted in a northeastern Italian region, was to estimate the contagiousness of asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Asymptomatic HCWs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) at a regular screening nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab between 1 February 2020 and 15 September 2020 were considered index cases. Contacts who were at high risk of infection and had follow-up swabs were included. Contacts were considered infected if they had a positive follow-up swab and/or symptoms associated with COVID-19 confirmed by a positive test within 14 days of exposure. Information was taken from records previously collected to identify contacts. Infectivity was estimated using the attack rate (AR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Thirty-eight asymptomatic HCWs who were positive at the screening swab and 778 contacts were identified. Contacts included 63.8% of colleagues, 25.6% of patients, 7.7% of family members and 3.0% of other contacts. Seven contacts tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (AR: 0.91%, 95% CI: 0.89-0.93). Five of them were family members (AR: 8.3%), one was a colleague (0.2%) and one was a contact of other type (4.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Viral spread by asymptomatic HCWs was less than in other settings. Identification of risk factors for transmission and reliable indicators of infectivity would be important to prioritize preventive measures.

[Emerging ethical issues in clinical practice: a regional survey]. / Questioni etiche emergenti nella pratica clinica: risultati di un'indagine regionale.

. Emerging ethical issues in clinical practice: a regional survey. INTRODUCTION: In 2016, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region established the Clinical Ethics Committees in every health agency of the Region. To initiate a proactive way of "doing ethics" giving voice to those who face clinical-ethical problems, a survey was carried out in six health agencies. AIM: To identify the most relevant ethical issues. METHODS: Survey through self-administered questionnaires, which explore: a) the ethical dimension of work in health care; b) situations of potential moral conflict; c) death and dying; (d) how ethical issues are handled and the role of ethic committees. RESULTS: 2.774 questionnaires were collected. Almost all respondents (97%) consider ethics an integral dimension of the health profession; 35% report a lack of education on bioethic issues. Behaviors that generated moral suffering (lack of respect of patients as persons 43%; aggressive medical treatment 29%). End-of-life ethical issues were the most controversial wellas the discharge of not self-sufficient patients without a social network. Restraints use was a source of conflict; receive education on; 60% of health professionals did receive education on death and dying death and dying; 51% felt inadequate in dealing with these issues. Only 8% referred to use ethical advice. CONCLUSIONS: Ethical Committees could play a role in fostering debate, proposing methods for detecting, describing and analysing ethical dilemmas, to supporting professionals in difficult clinical choices.

A case-crossover study of sleep, fatigue, and other transient exposures at workplace and the risk of non-fatal occupational injuries among the employees of an Italian academic hospital.

OBJECTIVES: Transient exposure with acute effect has been shown to affect the risk of occupational injuries in various industrial settings and at the healthcare workplace. The objective of this study has been to identify transient exposures related to occupational injury risk in an Italian teaching hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-crossover study was conducted among the employees of the University Hospital of Udine who reported an occupational injury, commuting accident, or incident involving biological risk in a 15-month period in the years 2013 and 2014. The matched-pair interval approach was used to assess the role of acute sleep deprivation whereas the usual frequency approach was used for other 13 transient exposures. RESULTS: Sleep hours were not associated with the risk of injuries whereas a significant risk increase was associated with fatigue, rush, distraction, emergency situations, teaching to or being taught by someone, non-compliant patients, bloody operative/work field, excess noise, complex procedures, and anger. CONCLUSIONS: We identified transient exposures that increased the risk of occupational injuries in an Italian teaching hospital, providing indications for interventions to increase workers' safety at the healthcare workplace. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):1001-1009.