The Impact of Oxidative Stress on Pregnancy. The Neglected Role of Alcohol Misuse.

Abstract: Oxygen is essential for human life. However, it could cause damaging effects on biological systems causing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress defined as "an alteration in the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance in favor of the former that leads to potential damage" is characterized by the release of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Oxidative stress is now recognized to play a central role in the pathophysiology of many different disorders, including complications of pregnancy such as placental pathology, PreEclampsia (PE), Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), gestational diabetes, and miscarriage. This narrative review aims to summarize pieces of evidence about the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of the main obstetric complications with par-ticular interest in the neglected role of alcohol abuse.

Use of telemedicine in the postoperative assessment of proctological patients: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is emerging as an easy way to communicate between patients and surgeons. Use of telemedicine increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WhatsApp is one of the most common smartphone applications for user-friendly telemedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient perception of health quality and positive outcomes using a diary sent by the patient to the surgeon via WhatsApp during the first post-discharge week after proctologic surgery. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients discharged after proctologic surgery at the Israelite Hospital of Rome and the AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome in 1 January-31 December 2019 were divided into two groups: the WhatsApp group (group A), (n = 36) and the no WhatsApp group (group B) (n = 62). Group A patients received a protocol to follow for the day-by-day diary during the first post-discharge week and sending it by WhatsApp to the surgeon. Group B patients only received recommendations at discharge. The tool's usefulness was assessed by a questionnaire one month after the intervention. RESULTS: The two groups were homogeneous for age, sex, schooling, employment, and proctologic pathology. Group A patients had less difficulty keeping a diary (p < 0.0001). Group A patients had the perception of better follow-up post-discharge (p = 0.002). The use of the diary sent by WhatsApp significantly improved the perception of positive post-intervention outcomes (p = 0.007). WhatsApp was the only independent predictor of perception of post-surgical positive outcomes (odds ratio = 4.06; 95% CI 1.35-12.24; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The use of WhatsApp in the post-discharge period improves the lifestyle quality of the patients and their perception of the safety and quality of care received.