Healthcare students and their knowledge of healthcare-associated infections.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of medical (MS) and nursing (NS) students about prevention of the HCAIs and to detect differences between these two groups. It was the pilot study of a national investigation and was performed administering a questionnaire including 6 multiple choice questions concerning 3 areas: standard precautions (SP), hand hygiene (HH) and nosocomial infections (NI). One hundred and seventeen students, 89 MS and 28 NS, were included in the study. Mean overall score (+/- SD) was 17.63 (+/- 3.8), on an overall perfect score achievable of 25. Mean score obtained by NS (18.5 +/- 3.3) was better than the one achieved by MS (17.4 +/- 3.9), even if the difference wasn't statistically significant. Stratifying the score in the three specific areas, healthcare students obtained weighed scores (+/- SD) of 6.74 (+/- 1.61) for SP, 4.7 (+/- 1.5) for HH and 4.51 (+/- 1.71) for NI. Knowledge level concerning HH area was different between medical students and nursing students (p = 0.013), in favour of the latter. According to correct answers rate, healthcare students properly know how and what kind of personal medical devices are to be used, while they show a lack of knowledge about hand hygiene. This pilot-study underlines the importance of the assessment of teaching effectiveness, and it stresses the need to critically review some specific contents of healthcare university courses.

[Climate change and Kyoto protocol]. / Le conseguenze dei cambiamenti climatici sulla salute e sull'am- biente. Il protocollo di Kyoto.

Due to industrial revolution and the heavy use of fossil fuels, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased dramatically during the last hundred years, and this has lead to an increase in mean global temperature. The environmental consequences of this are: the melting of the ice caps, an increase in mean sea-levels, catastrophic events such as floodings, hurricanes and earthquakes, changes to the animal and vegetable kingdoms, a growth in vectors and bacteria in water thus increasing the risk of infectious diseases and damage to agriculture. The toxic effects of the pollution on human health are both acute and chronic. The Kyoto Protocol is an important step in the campaign against climatic changes but it is not sufficient. A possible solution might be for the States which produce the most of pollution to adopt a better political stance for the environment and to use renewable resources for the production of energy.

[The control of infectious diseases: obligatory or optional vaccination? Poliomyelitis: towards eradication?]. / Il controllo delle malattie infettive attraverso l'obbligo o la libera scelta delle vaccinazioni. La poliomielite: verso l'eradicazione?

The change from obligatory to optional or recommended vaccination seems to be inevitable. With obligatory vaccination more than 90% of children are adequately vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis and hepatitis B. In contrast, with an optional or recommended vaccination strategy, it is difficult to obtain control and eradication. At the present time, polio eradication is about 99% but to achieve total eradication will require a considerable organizational and economic investment. Surveillance of AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) indicates the state of polio eradication. Only by monitoring and prevention can we be sure that there is no circulation of wild poliovirus.