First COVID-19 wave in the province of Bergamo, Italy: epidemiological and clinical characteristics, outcome and management of the first hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND: Northern Italy was the first European country affected by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, with the epicenter in the province of Bergamo. AIM: This study aims to analyze the characteristics of patients who experienced more severe symptoms during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected epidemiological and clinical data on patients with laboratory-confirmed wild-type SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to the "ASST Bergamo Ovest" hospital between February 21 and May 31, 2020. RESULTS: A total of seven hundred twenty-three inpatients met the eligible criteria and were included in the study cohort. Among the inpatients who survived, the average hospital length of stay was more than two weeks, with some lasting up to three months. Among the 281 non-survivors, death occurred in 50% within five days. Survivors were those whose first aid operators recorded higher oxygen saturation levels at home. The request for first aid assistance came more than one week after symptom onset, within three days in 10% of cases. CONCLUSION: In similar future scenarios, based on our data, if we aim to enhance the survival rate, we need to improve the territorial healthcare assistance and admit to hospitals only those patients who are at risk of severe illness requiring specialized and urgent interventions within two, three, or, at most, five days from the onset of symptoms. This implies that the crucial factor is, has been, and will be the ability of a healthcare system to react promptly in its entirety within a few days.

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorodibenzofurans, and polychlorobiphenyls in women of reproductive age in Italy: A human biomonitoring study.

BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that represent a major concern for women of reproductive age because of the neurodevelopmental effects associated to perinatal exposure. OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at characterizing exposure of women of reproductive age to PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs as a function of residence in different Italian Regions, in areas at presumable different environmental contamination and human exposure to these pollutants. METHODS: Study participants were enrolled in 2011-2012 in 6 Italian Regions representative of Northern, Central and Southern Italy; in each region, areas at presumed different exposure (rural, urban and industrial) were selected for enrolment. Each participant provided a serum sample for the analysis of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs. RESULTS: Median concentrations of PCDDs+PCDFs, DL-PCBs, NDL6-PCBs and NDL9-PCBs in serum samples were respectively 6.0 and 3.5 pgWHO-TE05/g fat, and 75 and 93ng/g fat. Age was the variable that most affected median serum concentrations. Age adjusted concentrations were found significantly different between geographical zones: women from Northern Italy showed the highest values, followed by Central and Southern Italy. PCDDs+PCDFs concentrations were significantly higher in the group of women residing in industrial areas compared to the group residing in rural areas. A clear diminishing temporal trend was observed compared to levels reported in previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study produced the largest dataset on serum concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in women of childbearing age in Italy. RESULTS: confirmed that environmental and lifestyle factors may influence exposure to these contaminants and thereby the body burden. The observed marked temporal decline in body burden during three decades is in agreement with the general trend observed worldwide.

Current exposure of Italian women of reproductive age to PFOS and PFOA: A human biomonitoring study.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were determined in serum samples collected in 2011-2012 from 549 nulliparous Italian women of reproductive age who resided in six different Italian Regions. Assessment of exposure to perfluorinated compounds was part of a large human biomonitoring study (Project Life Plus "Womenbiopop") that aimed at examining the exposure of women of reproductive age to priority organic pollutants. The median concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were 2.43, and 1.55 ng g(-1), respectively. Significant differences in the concentrations of both compounds were observed among the six Regions. Women from central Italy had the highest levels of both compounds, followed by women from northern Italy, and southern Italy. No differences in the PFOS concentrations were found between women from urban/industrial areas and women from rural areas, whereas the levels of PFOA were significantly higher in women residing in urban/industrial areas than in women residing in rural areas. Taken together, the observed concentrations confirm that the overall exposure of the Italian population is among the lowest observed in industrialized countries. A downward temporal trend in exposure was observed for both compounds when comparing the results from the present study with those assessed in a study conducted in 2008.

O efeito da radiofrequência em fi brosepós-lipoaspiração abdominal / The effects of radiofrequency in fi brosis after abdominal liposuction

A lipoaspiração (LP) é indicada para remoção de gordura localizadade uma determinada área, onde não se obtém a redução damesma num processo de emagrecimento; porém, podem aconteceralguns eventos clínicos como edema, hematomas, fi brose, dor, entreoutros por agredir demasiadamente os tecidos locais. Na FisioterapiaDermato-Funcional, há recursos que tratam e melhoram sintomaspós-LP como a Radiofrequência (RF), uma corrente eletromagnéticaque, em contato com o tecido, gera aumento térmico que leva atixotropia da fi brose e ao reparo do contorno pós-LP. Assim estetrabalho teve como objetivo analisar através da biofotogrametriacomputadorizada os efeitos da terapia por RF em fi brose póslipoaspiraçãoabdominal. A amostra de conveniência constituiu-sede um indivíduo do sexo feminino, em pós-operatório (PO) tardio(60 dias) de lipoaspiração abdominal, não fumante, que fez usode cinta compressiva e sessões de drenagem linfática manual noPO. Na avaliação constatou-se a presença de 6 pontos fi bróticosno local lipoaspirado como queixa principal. A paciente foi submetidaa 6 atendimentos de RF, com sessões quinzenais e duraçãode 30 minutos. Para os dados da biofotogrametria, foram obtidasimagens digitais com as bordas das fi broses demarcadas para seremanalisadas pelo software Alcimage, e realizou-se a análise estatística,por meio do teste t de Student. Os dados apresentaram signifi cânciaestatística para a medida linear da fi brose com correlação entre área eimportante redução da área, devido à vasodilatação com consequenteaumento do fl uxo sanguíneo e linfático no local da aplicação, sendoassim ocorre uma drenagem de líquidos retidos e produtos catabólicos,rompimento das traves fi bróticas e neocolagênese...

Liposuction (LS) is indicated for removal of localized fatty deposits,which you do not get the same reduction in weight loss process.However, a few clinical events such as edema, hematoma, fi brosis,pain and others may occur due to damage of local tissues. Th ere aremany devices used by the Functional Physical Th erapy in Dermatologywhich treat and relieve symptoms and the Radiofrequency (RF)is one of them. It is an electromagnetic current which, in contactwith tissue, generates high temperature and leads to thixotropy offi brosis and repair contour irregularities after LS. Th is study aimedat analyzing by computerized photogrammetry the eff ects of RFtherapy in fi brosis after abdominal liposuction. Th e conveniencesample consisted of a female individual in late postoperative (PO)(60 days) of abdominal liposuction, non-smoker, who used surgicalsupport and performed manual lymphatic drainage sessions in thePO. During evaluation, six fi brotic sites were verifi ed in the areawhere LS was performed. Th e patient underwent 6 biweekly 30 minRF treatment sessions. For the photogrammetry data, digital imageswith demarcated edges of the fi brosis were obtained and analyzed bythe software Alcimage, and for the statistical analysis, the t Studenttest was used...