Evidence-based medicine and radiology: how to build a guideline. An attempt in minor head injury.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) to build radiological Guidelines, with the aim to have a better compliance by users. It has been decided to work on minor head injury, where we have found, in our institution, a wide and unjustified use of conventional skull x-ray. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Workgroup, that reunites the main figures that enter in the management of the patient with minor head injury, has been created within our Hospital. The bibliography relative to the problem has been selected, employing criteria that held account of the methodological correctness, and in particular the existing Guidelines have been carefully analysed. It is therefore proceeded drawing up a Guideline that adhered to the principles of the EBM, adapting it to the hospital environment. Subsequently it has been passed to the phase of its implementation, with reunions in small groups of the involved professional figures, the distribution of informative material and the use of poster that reassumed the diagnostic flow-chart. Moreover a survey of the relative data to the number of skull x-ray and brain TC, executed in the patients with head trauma, has been completed. RESULTS: The analysis of the data relative to the variation of the number of demands for skull Rx after introduction of the Guideline has demonstrated a great reduction (-83,8%), with little variation of the number of brain TC (+17,0%); such reduction has naturally implicated an important reduction of costs (-25,2%) and of the x-ray dose to population, measured to the crystalline (34,5%) and to thyroid (-71,0%). CONCLUSIONS: The employ of the EBM in the Guideline creation, beyond representing the more correct methodology, concurs to obtain a greater adhesion from the users involved in management of the patient; in particular this happens if the Guideline is a product of a vast contribution and if it is supported from all additional procedures that can be useful for its implementation.

[Vertical transmission of hepatitis virus infections]. / Trasmissione verticale di infezioni da virus epatitici.

The Authors report the results of a piece of research carried out on 95 pregnant women between 19 and 35, about the problem of mother-foetus transmission of infections caused by hepatitis viruses. The infection prevalence in the group of 95 mothers has resulted equal to the one reported in other surveys carried out in Italy. The results concerning the babies are incomplete because the lack of collaboration of their families. The Authors consider these data from an epidemiological point of view and they report the latest hypotheses as to the problem faced out and the possibilities of prophylactic interventions.