Platelet Function Testing in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The measurement of platelet reactivity in patients with stroke undergoing antiplatelet therapies is not commonly performed in clinical practice. We assessed the prevalence of therapy responsiveness in patients with stroke and further investigated differences between patients on prevention therapy at stroke onset and patients naive to antiplatelet medications. We also sought differences in responsiveness between etiological subtypes and correlations between Clopidogrel responsiveness and genetic polymorphisms. METHODS: A total of 624 stroke patients on antiplatelet therapy were included. Two different groups were identified: "non-naive patients", and "naive patients". Platelet function was measured with multiple electrode aggregometry, and genotyping assays were used to determine CYP2C19 polymorphisms. RESULTS: Aspirin (ASA) responsiveness was significantly more frequent in naive patients compared with non-naive patients (94.9% versus 82.6%, P < .0010). A better responsiveness to ASA compared with Clopidogrel or combination therapy was found in the entire population (P < .0010), in non-naive patients (P < .0253), and in naive patients (P < .0010). Multivariate analysis revealed a strong effect of Clopidogrel as a possible "risk factor" for unresponsiveness (odds ratio 3.652, P < .0001). No difference between etiological subgroups and no correlations between responsiveness and CYP2C19 polymorphisms were found. CONCLUSION: In our opinion, platelet function testing could be potentially useful in monitoring the biological effect of antiplatelet agents. A substantial proportion of patients with stroke on ASA were "resistant", and the treatment with Clopidogrel was accompanied by even higher rates of unresponsiveness. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether aggregometry might supply individualized prognostic information and whether it can be considered a valid tool for future prevention strategies.

Clinical Validation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Standards of Fetal Abdominal Circumference for the Prediction of Small-for-Gestational-Age Neonates in Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the accuracy of the INTERGROWTH-21st (IG-21) with the Italian Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (SIEOG) abdominal circumference (AC) standards in the detection of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses in a high-risk population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study included all pregnant patients with an increased risk of placental insufficiency that were seen in two Italian university hospitals between 2014 and 2015. The accuracy of IG-21 and SIEOG AC standards in the detection of SGA neonates was analyzed by means of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) at 4 gestational age intervals (24-27, 28-31, 32-35, >35 weeks). RESULTS: We enrolled 428 patients (278 Italians). There was no significant difference between the ROC-AUC of AC according to IG-21 and SIEOG standards for all birthweight thresholds and gestational intervals that were considered. The diagnostic performance was similar in Italian and non-Italian patients. The accuracy was, however, limited, with values of ROC-AUC ranging between 0.80 and 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: The IG-21 and SIEOG AC standards are interchangeable for the diagnosis of SGA fetuses. The diagnostic accuracy is, however, limited. We provide figures that can be used to stratify the probability that an infant will be SGA in an obstetric population at increased risk of growth restriction.

Continuity of care from child and adolescent to adult mental health services: evidence from a regional survey in Northern Italy.

To examine clinical and demographic factors associated with continuity of care from child-adolescent (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS), we undertook a record-linkage study to the Adult Mental Health Information System including all those 16 years old and over who were listed between 2010 and 2013 in the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Information System in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region of nearly 4.5 million residents. From a cohort of 8239 adolescents attending CAMHS (population at risk about 144,000), 821 (19.4 %) moved to AMHS, excluding cases with specific developmental disorders, whose conditions were not managed by adult psychiatrists, and those with mental retardation who attended usually social services. Young people referred for treatment to AMHS were more likely to receive a discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.92; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.17-7.08), personality disorders (OR 2.69; 95 % CI 1.89-3.83), and pervasive developmental disorders (OR 2.13; 95 % CI 1.51-2.99). Further factors predicting transfer to AMHS were not living with parents, inpatient psychiatric admission, and being on medication in the previous 24 months. These findings suggest that a relatively small number of adolescents moved to AMHS and are likely to reflect the configuration of local mental health services and alternative care available, mainly for those with less-severe mental disorders.

Understanding psychopathology in migrants: a mixed categorical-dimensional approach.

BACKGROUND: Literature on mental disorders in migrants is constantly increasing. Only a few studies describe psychopathological dimensions in migrants over their nosographic diagnoses; however, there is a growing literature about the greater utility of a categorical-dimensional approach, rather than a solely categorical approach, in the understanding of mental disorders. The aim of this paper is to describe the phenomenology of mental disorders in migrants referred to the Transcultural Psychiatric Team of Bologna (BoTPT), by analysing the psychopathological dimensions that underlie their clinical diagnoses. METHODS: We recruited all migrants who attended the BoTPT between May 1999 and July 2009. The psychopathological assessment was conducted with the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP) and clinical diagnoses were formulated according to ICD-10. We proceeded through a two-step analysis: (1) comparing the prevalence rates of psychopathological symptoms across diagnoses; then (2) conducting a factor analysis to assess how those symptoms configure psychopathological dimensions and how these dimensions underlie clinical diagnoses. RESULTS: As expected, we found significant associations between diagnoses and the prevalence of their core psychopathological symptoms. Factor analysis revealed a strong polymorphism of the psychopathological presentation of mental disorders and unexpectedly showed that in each diagnostic cluster, the first extracted factor was not composed of core symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A mixed categorical-dimensional approach seems to improve the description of the psychopathology among migrants, as it adds relevant information regarding psychopathological dimensions useful to the understanding of the peculiar clinical expressivity of our patients.

Hospitalization rates and post-operative mortality for abdominal aortic aneurysm in Italy over the period 2000-2011.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported declines in incidence, prevalence and mortality for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in various countries, but evidence from Mediterranean countries is lacking. The aim of this study is to examine the trend of hospitalization and post-operative mortality rates for AAAs in Italy during the period 2000-2011, taking into account the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in 1990s. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was carried out in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region with 4.5 million inhabitants. A total of 19,673 patients hospitalized for AAAs between 2000 and 2011, were identified from the hospital discharge records (HDR) database. Hospitalization rates, percentage of OSR and EVAR and 30-day mortality rates were calculated for unruptured (uAAAs) and ruptured AAAs (rAAAs). RESULTS: Adjusted hospitalization rates decreased on average by 2.9% per year for uAAAs and 3.2% for rAAAs (p<0.001). The temporal trend of 30-day mortality rates remained stable for both groups. The percentage of EVAR for uAAAs increased significantly from 2006 to 2011 (42.7 versus 60.9% respectively, mean change of 3.9% per year, p<0.001). No significant difference in mortality was found between OSR and EVAR for uAAAs and rAAAs. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and trend of hospitalization rates for rAAAs and uAAAs decreased significantly in the last decade, while 30-day mortality rates in operated patients remained stable. OSR continued to be the most common surgery in rAAAs, although the gap between OSR and EVAR recently declined. The EVAR technique became the preferred surgery for uAAAs since 2008.

30-day in-hospital mortality after acute myocardial infarction in Tuscany (Italy): an observational study using hospital discharge data.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world. One of the outcome indicators recently used to measure hospital performance is 30-day mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This indicator has proven to be a valid and reproducible indicator of the appropriateness and effectiveness of the diagnostic and therapeutic process for AMI patients after hospital admission. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of inter-hospital variability on 30-day in-hospital mortality after AMI in Tuscany. This indicator is a proxy of 30-day mortality that includes only deaths occurred during the index or subsequent hospitalizations. METHODS: The study population was identified from hospital discharge records (HDRs) and included all patients with primary or secondary ICD-9-CM codes of AMI (ICD-9 codes 410.xx) that were discharged between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009 from any hospital in Tuscany. The outcome of interest was 30-day all-cause in-hospital mortality, defined as a death occurring for any reason in the hospital within 30 days of the admission date. Because of the hierarchical structure of the data, with patients clustered into hospitals, random-effects (multilevel) logistic regression models were used. The models included patient risk factors and random intercepts for each hospital. RESULTS: The study included 5,832 patients, 61.90% male, with a mean age of 72.38 years. During the study period, 7.99% of patients died within 30 days of admission. The 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher among patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared with those with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The multilevel analysis which included only the hospital variance showed a significant inter-hospital variation in 30-day in-hospital mortality. When patient characteristics were added to the model, the hospital variance decreased. The multilevel analysis was then carried out separately in the two strata of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI. In the STEMI group, after adjusting for patient characteristics, some residual inter-hospital variation was found, and was related to the presence of a cardiac catheterisation laboratory. CONCLUSION: We have shown that it is possible to use routinely collected administrative data to predict mortality risk and to highlight inter-hospital differences. The distinction between STEMI and NSTEMI proved to be useful to detect organisational characteristics, which affected only the STEMI subgroup.

Integration between Primary Care and Mental Health Services in Italy: Determinants of Referral and Stepped Care.

This study, carried out in the context of a collaborative care program for common mental disorders, is aimed at identifying the predictors of Primary Care Physician (PCP) referral to Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) and patterns of care. Patients with depression or anxiety disorders who had a first contact with CMHCs between January 1, 2007-December 31, 2009 were extracted from Bologna Local Health Authority database. A classification and regression tree procedure was used to determine which combination of demographic and diagnostic variables best distinguished patients referred by PCPs and to identify predictors of patterns of care (consultation, shared care, and treatment at the CMHC) for patients referred by PCPs. Of the 8570 patients, 57.4% were referred by PCPs. Those less likely to be referred by PCPs were living in the urban area, suffered from depressive disorder, and were young. As to the pattern of care, patients living in the urban area were more likely to receive shared care compared with those living in the nonurban area, while the reverse was true for consultation. Predictors of CMHC treatment were depression and young age. Prospective studies are needed to assess length, quantity, and quality of collaborative treatment for common mental disorder delivered at any step of care.

Physical restraints in an Italian psychiatric ward: clinical reasons and staff organization problems.

PURPOSE: To analyze physical restraint use in an Italian acute psychiatric ward, where mechanical restraint by belt is highly discouraged but allowed. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected from medical and nursing charts, from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2008. Physical restraint rate and relationships between restraints and selected variables were statistically analyzed. FINDINGS: Restraints were statistically significantly more frequent in compulsory or voluntary admissions of patients with an altered state of consciousness, at night, to control aggressive behavior, and in patients with "Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders" during the first 72 hr of hospitalization. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Analysis of clinical and organizational factors conditioning restraints may limit its use.

General practitioners' adherence to evidence-based guidelines: a multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: The growing burden of chronic diseases encourages health care systems to shift services and resources toward primary care. In this sector, general practitioners (GPs) play a key role, and several collaborative organizational models have been implemented in the attempt to improve the clinical effectiveness of GPs, their adherence to evidence-based guidelines, and their capacity to work in multiprofessional teams. However, evidence of the impact of different organizational models is sparse, and little is known about the contribution of these models to the good management of chronic diseases. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of individual sociodemographic characteristics of GPs and collaborative organizational models with the adherence of physicians to evidence-based guidelines for four major chronic diseases (diabetes, heart failure, stroke, and post-acute myocardial infarction). METHODOLOGY: Evidence-based indicators for the management of the selected chronic diseases were identified on the basis of the most recent international guidelines. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify the correlates of adherence to guidelines, taking into account patient characteristics and comorbidities. FINDINGS: Participation in group practice was associated with different indicators of adherence to guidelines for the management of diabetes and one indicator of post-acute myocardial infarction, whereas other organizational arrangements were linked to GPs' clinical behavior to a lesser degree. Female gender and younger age of GPs were associated with good management of diabetes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The relative impact of efforts at organizational design in primary care should be evaluated in more detail before further investments are made in this direction. Our findings suggest that the professional attitude of GPs (of which gender and age can be considered proxies) is equally, if not more, important than their organizational arrangement. Hence, attention should be paid to how organizations and managerial tools can support the consolidation and spread of this attitude.

Migrant pathways to community mental health centres in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Many studies indicate that migrants in western countries have limited access to and low utilization of community mental health centres (CMHCs) despite the high prevalence of mental disorders. AIMS: We aimed to compare migrant pathways to care across four CMHCs located in different Italian provinces and to identify pathway to care predictors. METHODS: Migrants attending the four CMHCs between 1 July 1999 and 31 December 2007 were included in the study. Data were gathered retrospectively from clinical data sets and chart review. RESULTS: Five hundred and eleven (511) migrants attended the four CMHCs, 61% were referred by GPs or other health services and 39% followed non-medical pathways to care (self-referral or through social and voluntary organizations), with important site variations. Younger age and being married were predictors of medical pathways to care; lacking a residence permit and having a diagnosis of substance abuse were related to non-medical pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Pathways to CMHCs are complex and influenced by many factors. Non-medical pathways to care seem to be frequent among migrants in Italy. More attention should be paid to developing psychiatric consultation liaison models that also encompass the social services and voluntary organizations.