Risultati per: Report aggiornato sulla qualità dell’aria in Europa (2015)

Objectives
To evaluate variability in life expectancy at birth in small areas, describe the spatial pattern of life expectancy, and examine associations between small-area socioeconomic characteristics and life expectancy in a mid-sized city of a middle-income country.

Design
Cross-sectional, using data from death registries (2015–2018) and socioeconomic characteristics data from the 2010 national population census.

Participants/setting
40 898 death records in 99 small areas of the city of Córdoba, Argentina. We summarised variability in life expectancy at birth by using the difference between the 90th and 10th percentile of the distribution of life expectancy across small areas (P90-P10 gap) and evaluated associations with small-area socioeconomic characteristics by calculating a Slope Index of Inequality in linear regression.

Primary outcome
Life expectancy at birth.

Results
The median life expectancy at birth was 80.3 years in women (P90-P10 gap=3.2 years) and 75.1 years in men (P90-P10 gap=4.6 years). We found higher life expectancies in the core and northwest parts of the city, especially among women. We found positive associations between life expectancy and better small-area socioeconomic characteristics, especially among men. Mean differences in life expectancy between the highest versus the lowest decile of area characteristics in men (women) were 3.03 (2.58), 3.52 (2.56) and 2.97 (2.31) years for % adults with high school education or above, % persons aged 15–17 attending school, and % households with water inside the dwelling, respectively. Lower values of % overcrowded households and unemployment rate were associated with longer life expectancy: mean differences comparing the lowest versus the highest decile were 3.03 and 2.73 in men and 2.57 and 2.34 years in women, respectively.

Conclusion
Life expectancy is substantially heterogeneous and patterned by socioeconomic characteristics in a mid-sized city of a middle-income country, suggesting that small-area inequities in life expectancy are not limited to large cities or high-income countries.

Objectives
To describe the relationships between axial length and intraoperative complications in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Design
Cohort analysis of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ National Ophthalmology Database (RCOphth NOD).

Setting
110 National Health Service Trusts in England, Health Boards in Wales, Independent Sector Treatment Centres and Guernsey.

Participants
820 354 patients, aged 18 years or older, undergoing cataract surgery. Eligible operations were those from centres with at least 50 operations with a recorded axial length measurement and age at surgery between 1 April 2010 and 31 August 2019.

Interventions
Phacoemulsification where the primary intention was cataract surgery alone.

Outcome measures
Posterior capsule rupture (PCR) and other recorded intraoperative complications.

Results
1 211 520 eligible operations were performed by 3210 surgeons. The baseline axial length was 28 mm (long eyes) for 11 837 (1.0%) eyes. The median age at surgery was younger for patients with long eyes than those with short or medium eyes. The rate of any intraoperative complication was higher for short eyes than medium or long with complication rates of 4.5%, 2.9% and 3.3%, respectively (p

Annals of Internal Medicine, Ahead of Print.

Helicobacter pylori
Infection is formally recognised as an infectious disease, an entity that is now included in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision. This in principle leads to the recommendation that all infected patients should receive treatment. In the context of the wide clinical spectrum associated with Helicobacter pylori gastritis, specific issues persist and require regular updates for optimised management.
The identification of distinct clinical scenarios, proper testing and adoption of effective strategies for prevention of gastric cancer and other complications are addressed. H. pylori treatment is challenged by the continuously rising antibiotic resistance and demands for susceptibility testing with consideration of novel molecular technologies and careful selection of first line and rescue therapies. The role of H. pylori and antibiotic therapies and their impact on the gut microbiota are also considered.
Progress made in the management of H. pylori infection is covered in the present sixth edition of the Maastricht/Florence 2021 Consensus Report, key aspects related to the clinical role of H. pylori infection were re-evaluated and updated. Forty-one experts from 29 countries representing a global community, examined the new data related to H. pylori infection in five working groups: (1) indications/associations, (2) diagnosis, (3) treatment, (4) prevention/gastric cancer and (5) H. pylori and the gut microbiota. The results of the individual working groups were presented for a final consensus voting that included all participants. Recommendations are provided on the basis of the best available evidence and relevance to the management of H. pylori infection in various clinical fields.

Question: A 37-year-old Chinese woman was presented with a 1-day history of colicky central abdominal pain associated with 5 episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. It was the third day of her menstrual cycle. On examination, the abdomen had generalized distension without tenderness. There were no significant constitutional symptoms or family history of bowel malignancy, or personal history of inflammatory bowel disease.

Objectives
We verified subnational (state/union territory (UT)/district) claims of achievements in reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence in 2020 compared with 2015, in India.

Design
A community-based survey, analysis of programme data and anti-TB drug sales and utilisation data.

Setting
National TB Elimination Program and private TB treatment settings in 73 districts that had filed a claim to the Central TB Division of India for progress towards TB-free status.

Participants
Each district was divided into survey units (SU) and one village/ward was randomly selected from each SU. All household members in the selected village were interviewed. Sputum from participants with a history of anti-TB therapy (ATT), those currently experiencing chest symptoms or on ATT were tested using Xpert/Rif/TrueNat. The survey continued until 30 Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases were identified in a district.

Outcome measures
We calculated a direct estimate of TB incidence based on incident cases identified in the survey. We calculated an under-reporting factor by matching these cases within the TB notification system. The TB notification adjusted for this factor was the estimate by the indirect method. We also calculated TB incidence from drug sale data in the private sector and drug utilisation data in the public sector. We compared the three estimates of TB incidence in 2020 with TB incidence in 2015.

Results
The estimated direct incidence ranged from 19 (Purba Medinipur, West Bengal) to 1457 (Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya) per 100 000 population. Indirect estimates of incidence ranged between 19 (Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli) and 788 (Dumka, Jharkhand) per 100 000 population. The incidence using drug sale data ranged from 19 per 100 000 population in Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to 651 per 100 000 population in Centenary, Maharashtra.

Conclusion
TB incidence in 1 state, 2 UTs and 35 districts had declined by at least 20% since 2015. Two districts in India were declared TB free in 2020.

Objectives
To analyse associations between living in social housing and smoking in England and to evaluate progress towards reducing disparities in smoking prevalence among residents of social housing compared with other housing types.

Design
Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative data collected between January 2015 and February 2020.

Setting
England.

Participants
105 562 adults (≥16 years).

Primary and secondary outcome measures
Linear and logistic regression were used to analyse associations between living in social housing (vs other housing types) and smoking status, cigarettes per day, time to first cigarette, exposure to others’ smoking, motivation to stop smoking, quit attempts and use of cessation support. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, social grade, region and year.

Results
Adults living in social housing had two times the odds of being a smoker (ORadj=2.17, 95% CI 2.08 to 2.27), and the decline in smoking prevalence between 2015 and 2020 was less pronounced in this high-risk group (–7%; ORadj=0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.01) than among adults living in other housing types (–24%; ORadj=0.95, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.96; housing tenure–survey year interaction p=0.020). Smokers living in social housing were more addicted than those in other housing types (smoking within 30 min of waking: ORadj=1.50, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.61), but were no less motivated to stop smoking (ORadj=1.06, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.17) and had higher odds of having made a serious attempt to quit in the past year (ORadj=1.16, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.25). Among smokers who had tried to quit, those living in social housing had higher odds of using evidence-based cessation support (ORadj=1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.39) but lower odds of remaining abstinent (ORadj=0.63, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.76).

Conclusions
There remain stark inequalities in smoking and quitting behaviour by housing tenure in England, with declines in prevalence stalling between 2015 and 2020 despite progress in the rest of the population. In the absence of targeted interventions to boost quitting among social housing residents, inequalities in health are likely to worsen.

Objectives
Despite significant progress in childhood vaccination coverage globally, substantial inequality remains. Remote rural populations are recognised as a priority group for immunisation service equity. We aimed to link facility and individual data to examine the relationship between distance to services and immunisation coverage empirically, specifically using a rural population.

Design and setting
Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of facility data from the 2013–2014 Malawi Service Provision Assessment and individual data from the 2015–2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, linking children to facilities within a 5 km radius. We examined associations between proximity to health facilities and vaccination receipt via bivariate comparisons and logistic regression models.

Participants
2740 children aged 12–23 months living in rural areas.

Outcome measures
Immunisation coverage for the six vaccines included in the Malawi Expanded Programme on Immunization schedule for children under 1 year at time of study, as well as two composite vaccination indicators (receipt of basic vaccines and receipt of all recommended vaccines), zero-dose pentavalent coverage, and pentavalent dropout.

Findings
72% (706/977) of facilities offered childhood vaccination services. Among children in rural areas, 61% were proximal to (within 5 km of) a vaccine-providing facility. Proximity to a vaccine-providing health facility was associated with increased likelihood of having received the rotavirus vaccine (93% vs 88%, p=0.004) and measles vaccine (93% vs 89%, p=0.01) in bivariate tests. In adjusted comparisons, how close a child was to a health facility remained meaningfully associated with how likely they were to have received rotavirus vaccine (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.63, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.33) and measles vaccine (AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.37).

Conclusion
Proximity to health facilities was significantly associated with likelihood of receipt for some, but not all, vaccines. Our findings reiterate the vulnerability of children residing far from static vaccination services; efforts that specifically target remote rural populations living far from health facilities are warranted to ensure equitable vaccination coverage.

Objective
To provide a comprehensive review of registered COVID-19-related randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in mainland China and evaluate the transparency of reporting through comparison of registrations, protocols and full reports.

Design
Systematic review of trial registrations and publications.

Data sources
International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, the ISRCTN registry and EU Clinical Trial Register were accessed on 1 February 2022. Publications were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, CNKI.net and Wanfangdata from 10 February 2022 to 12 February 2022.

Eligibility criteria
Eligible trials were COVID-19 related RCTs carried out in mainland China. Observational studies, non-randomised trials and single-arm trials were excluded.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two reviewers independently extracted data from registrations, publications and performed risk of bias assessment for trial reports. Information provided by registrations and publications was compared. The findings were summarised with descriptive statistics.

Results
The number of eligible studies was 415. From these studies 20 protocols and 77 RCT reports were published. Seven trials published both protocol and RCT full report. Between registrations and publications, discrepancy or omission was found in sample size (7, 35.0% for protocols and 47, 61.0% for reports, same below), trial setting (13, 65.0% and 43, 55.8%), inclusion criteria (12, 60.0% and 57, 74.0%), exclusion criteria (10, 50.0% and 54, 70.1%), masking method (9, 45.0% and 35, 45.5%) and primary outcome or time frame of primary outcome measurement (14, 70.0% and 51, 66.2%). Between protocols and full reports, 5 (71.4%) reports had discrepancy in primary outcome or time frame of primary outcome measurement.

Conclusions
Discrepancy among registrations, protocols and reports revealed compromised transparency in reporting of COVID-19-related RCTs in mainland China. The importance of trial registration should be further emphasised to enhance transparent RCT reporting.

Objective
Develop a comprehensive socially inclusive measure to assess child resilience factors.

Design
A socioecological model of resilience, community-based participatory research methods and two rounds of psychometric testing created the Child Resilience Questionnaire (parent/caregiver report, child report, school report). The parent/caregiver report (CRQ-P/C) is the focus of this paper.

Setting
Australia.

Participants
Culturally and socially diverse parents/caregivers of children aged 5–12 years completed the CRQ-P/C in the pilot (n=489) and validation study (n=1114). Recruitment via a large tertiary hospital’s outpatient clinics, Aboriginal and refugee background communities (Aboriginal and bicultural researchers networks) and nested follow-up of mothers in a pregnancy cohort and a cohort of Aboriginal families.

Analysis
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted to assess the structure and construct validity of CRQ-P/C subscales. Cronbach’s alpha used to assess internal consistency of subscales. Criterion validity assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) parent report.

Results
Conceptually developed CRQ comprised 169 items in 19 subscales across five socioecological domains (self, family, friends, school and community). Two rounds of psychometric revision and community consultations created a CRQ-P/C with 43 items in 11 scales: self (positive self, positive future, managing emotions), family (connectedness, guidance, basic needs), school (teacher support, engagement, friends) and culture (connectedness, language). Excellent scale reliability (α=0.7–0.9), except basic needs scale (α=0.61) (where a highly endorsed item was retained for conceptual integrity). Criterion validity was supported: scales had low to moderate negative correlations with SDQ total difficulty score (Rs= -0.2/–0.5. p

Proprio ieri, l’Oms ha annunciato che la prossima settimana convocherà un Comitato di Emergenza per valutare se l’attuale diffusione del Monkeypox nei paesi non endemici costituisca un’emergenza sanitaria pubblica di interesse internazionale

Lo scopo è creare un cordone immunitario attorno ai malati, per spegnere il focolaio prima che si espanda. La diffusione sembra avvenire via droplets

Objective
High use of CT scanning has raised concern due to the potential ionising radiation exposure. This study examined trends of CT during admission to tertiary hospitals and its associations with length of stay (LOS), readmission and mortality.

Design
Retrospective observational study from 2003 to 2015.

Setting
West Australian linked administrative records at individual level.

Participants
2 375 787 episodes of tertiary hospital admission in adults aged 18+ years.

Main outcome measures
LOS, 30-day readmissions and mortality stratified by CT use status (any, multiple (CTs to multiple areas during episode), and repeat (repeated CT to the same area)).

Methods
Multivariable regression models were used to calculate adjusted rate of CT use status. The significance of changes since 2003 in the outcomes (LOS, 30-day readmission and mortality) was compared among patients with specific CT imaging status relative to those without.

Results
Between 2003 and 2015, while the rate of CT increased 3.4% annually, the rate of repeat CTs significantly decreased –1.8% annually and multiple CT showed no change. Compared with 2003 while LOS had a greater decrease in those with any CT, 30-day readmissions had a greater increase among those with any CT, while the probability of mortality remained unchanged between the any CT/no CT groups. A similar result was observed in patients with multiple and repeat CT scanning, except for a significant increase in mortality in the recent years in the repeat CT group.

Conclusion
The observed pattern of increase in CT utilisation is likely to be activity-based funding policy-driven based on the discordance between LOS and readmissions. Meanwhile, the repeat CT reduction aligns with a more selective strategy of use based on clinical severity. Future research should incorporate in-hospital and out-of-hospital CT to better understand overall CT trends and potential shifts between settings over time.

Objectives
The aim of this study was to conduct a nationwide all comer description of incidence, contemporary management and outcome in Swedish spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) patients. The incidence of SCAD as well as the management and outcome of these patients is not well described.

Design
A nationwide observational study.

Participants and setting
All patients with SCAD registered in the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Register from 2015 to 2017 were included. The index angiographies of patients with registered SCAD were re-evaluated at each centre to confirm the diagnosis. Patients with non-SCAD myocardial infarction (MI) (n=32 601) were used for comparison.

Outcome measures
Outcomes included all-cause mortality, reinfarction or acute coronary reangiography.

Results
This study found 147 SCAD patients, rendering an incidence of 0.74 per 100 000 per year and a prevalence of 0.43% of all MIs. The average age was 52.9 years, 75.5% were women and 47.6% presented with ST-segment elevation MI. Median follow-up time for major adverse cardiac event was 17.3 months. Percutaneous coronary intervention was attempted in 40.1% of SCAD patients and 30.6% received stent. The use of antithrombotic agents was similar between the groups and there was no difference regarding outcomes, 10.9% vs 13.4%, p=0.75. Mortality was lower in SCAD patients, 2.7% vs 8.0%, p=0.03, whereas SCAD patients more often underwent acute reangiography, 9.5% vs 4.6%, p

BackgroundThe COVID-19 Ambulance Response Assessment (CARA) study was a prospective, longitudinal survey of UK ambulance staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. CARA aimed to evaluate perceptions of preparedness and wellbeing, and to collect staff suggestions to benefit working practices and conditions.MethodThree online questionnaires were presented, coinciding with the acceleration, peak and deceleration phases of the first COVID-19 wave in 2020. Inductive thematic analysis was employed to represent 14,237 free text responses from 3,717 participants to 18 free-text questions overall. This report focuses on experiences of IPC practices.ResultsMany participants lacked confidence in using PPE because of low familiarity, an inadequate evidence-base and changing policy. Some experienced insufficient supply, items of poor quality and suboptimal fit-testing procedure. PPE use was further influenced by discomfort, urgency, and perceptions of risk. Various suggestions were made to improve IPC practices, including decontamination personnel, staff ‘bubbles’ and limiting exposure through public education and remote triage improvements.ConclusionRepeated poor experiences of implementing IPC practices1 2 demand that lessons are learnt from this pandemic. PPE developed with specific regard for ambulance staff’s unique working environment and for them to receive regular familiarization training in its use would likely benefit performance and confidence. Overall, ambulance staff emphasised the need for IPC policies to be pragmatic, evidence-based and communicated with clarity.ReferencesBillings J, Ching B C F, Gkofa V, Greene T, & Bloomfield M. (2020). Healthcare workers experiences of working on the frontline and views about support during COVID-19 and comparable pandemics: A rapid review and meta-synthesis. MedRxiv. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.21.20136705v1.full-textHoughton C, Meskell P, Delaney H, Smalle M, Glenton C, Booth A, Chan XHS, Devane D. & Biesty L M. (2020). Barriers and facilitators to healthcare workers’ adherence with infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines for respiratory infectious diseases: a rapid qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4).Conflict of interestNone.FundingCollege of Paramedics.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 Ambulance Response Assessment (CARA) study was a prospective, longitudinal survey of UK ambulance staff providing both direct and remote patient care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. CARA aimed to evaluate perceptions of preparedness and wellbeing, and to collect staff suggestions to benefit working practices and conditions.MethodThree online questionnaires were presented, coinciding with the acceleration, peak and deceleration phases of the first COVID-19 wave. Inductive thematic analysis was employed to represent 14,237 free text responses from 3,717 participants to 18 free-text questions overall.ResultsA thematic framework was constructed from across the variety of questions that demonstrated participants’ objectives to minimise infection risks, maintain service delivery and support their own wellbeing. Additionally, the following requirements of national and organisational leadership were identified as enablers to achieving those objectives.Evidence-based policies, that are consistently applied, clearly communicated and accompanied by adequate training improve confidence and allay anxiety. Demonstrating learning, planning, and astute use of resources will further benefit trust in leadership and to support staff wellbeing there must also be meaningful dialogue and demonstrable empathy with further appropriate preventative and therapeutic interventions enabled.ConclusionInclusive, compassionate leadership will support both ambulance staff wellbeing and service delivery whilst working within pandemic conditions. New working practices should be introduced with transparency and staff experiences of implementing changes should be heeded by leadership to enable further policy development.Conflict of interestNone.FundingCollege of Paramedics.