Taking care of inpatients with fragility hip fractures: the hip-padua osteosarcopenia (Hip-POS) fracture liaison service model.

PURPOSE: Osteoporotic fragility fractures (FF), particularly those affecting the hip, represent a major clinical and socio-economic concern. These fractures can lead to various adverse outcomes, which may be exacerbated by the presence of sarcopenia, especially among older and frail patients. Early identification of patients with FF is crucial for implementing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent subsequent fractures and their associated consequences. METHODS: The Hip-POS program, implemented at Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, is a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) program to evaluate patients aged > 50 years old admitted with fragility hip fractures, involving an interdisciplinary team. After the identification of patients with hip fractures in the Emergency Department, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted to identify risk factors for further fractures, and to assess the main domains of multidimensional geriatric assessment, including muscle status. Patients are then prescribed with anti-fracture therapy, finally undergoing periodic follow-up visits. RESULTS: During the first five months, a total of 250 patients were evaluated (70.4% women, median age 85 years). Following assessment by the Hip-POS team, compared to pre-hospitalization, the proportion of patients not receiving antifracture therapy decreased significantly from 60 to 21%. The prescription rates of vitamin D and calcium increased markedly from 29.6% to 81%. CONCLUSIONS: We introduced the Hip-POS program for the care of older adults with hip fractures. We aspire that our model will represent a promising approach to enhancing post-fracture care by addressing the multifactorial nature of osteoporosis and its consequences, bridging the gap in secondary fracture prevention, and improving patient outcomes.

Successful treatment of severe recalcitrant vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis associated with elevated IgE levels with omalizumab.

We report the clinical case of an atopic patient with important manifestations impacting the quality of life at the cutaneous and ocular site. The condition resisted conventional treatments, and omalizumab had to be used to treat the disease successfully.

Terebratulide brachiopod shell biomineralization by mantle epithelial cells.

To understand mineral transport pathways for shell secretion and to assess differences in cellular activity during mineralization, we imaged with TEM and FE-SEM ultrastructural characteristics of outer mantle epithelium (OME) cells. Imaging was carried out on Magellania venosa shells embedded/etched, chemically fixed/decalcified and high-pressure frozen/freeze-substituted samples from the commissure, central shell portions and from puncta. Imaging results are complemented with morphometric evaluations of volume fractions of membrane-bound organelles. At the commissure the OME consists of several layers of cells. These cells form oblique extensions that, in cross-section, are round below the primary layer and flat underneath fibres. At the commissure the OME is multi-cell layered, in central shell regions it is single-cell layered. When actively secreting shell carbonate extrapallial space is lacking, because OME cells are in direct contact with the calcite of the forming fibres. Upon termination of secretion, OME cells attach via apical hemidesmosomes to extracellular matrix membranes that line the proximal surface of fibres. At the commissure volume fractions for vesicles, mitochondria and lysosomes are higher relative to single-cell layered regions, whereas for endoplasmic-reticulum and Golgi apparatus there is no difference. FE-SEM, TEM imaging reveals the lack of extrapallial space between OME cells and developing fibres. In addition, there is no indication for an amorphous precursor within fibres when these are in active secretion mode. Accordingly, our results do not support transport of minerals by vesicles from cells to sites of mineralization, rather by transfer of carbonate ions via transport mechanisms associated with OME cell membranes.

Benzyloxycarbonyl-proline-prolinal (ZPP): Dual complementary roles for neutrophil inhibition.

Neutrophil influx and activation contributes to organ damage in several major lung diseases. This inflammatory influx is initiated and propagated by both classical chemokines such as interleukin-8 and by downstream mediators such as the collagen fragment cum neutrophil chemokine Pro-Gly-Pro (PGP), which share use of the ELR + CXC receptor family. Benzyloxycarbonyl-proline-prolinal (ZPP) is known to suppress the PGP pathway via inhibition of prolyl endopeptidase (PE), the terminal enzyme in the generation of PGP from collagen. However, the structural homology of ZPP and PGP suggests that ZPP might also directly affect classical glutamate-leucine-arginine positive (ELR+) CXC chemokine signaling. In this investigation, we confirm that ZPP inhibits PE in vitro, demonstrate that ZPP inhibits both ELR + CXC and PGP-mediated chemotaxis in human and murine neutrophils, abrogates neutrophil influx induced by murine intratracheal challenge with LPS, and attenuates human neutrophil chemotaxis to sputum samples of human subjects with cystic fibrosis. Cumulatively, these data demonstrate that ZPP has dual, complementary inhibitory effects upon neutrophil chemokine/matrikine signaling which make it an attractive compound for clinical study of neutrophil inhibition in conditions (such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which evidence concurrent harmful increases of both chemokine and matrikine signaling.

[Evaluation of the experience of children and parents in a Pediatric service]. / Evaluación de la experiencia de niños y padres en un servicio de Pediatría.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pediatric patient care implies a duplication of user, the children who receive assistance and their parents. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the perception and compared experience between children seen in pediatric observation and their parents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study using a survey prior to discharge, to children aged 4-13 years admitted between April 2017 and November 2018 and their parents. A random sample of 125 child-parent pairs was taken. Both groups were compared with the Chi-square test and the child-father agreement with the Kappa index (KI), using SPSS v.25. RESULTS: Overall satisfaction was 99.2% in children and 100% in adults, with no significant differences between the two (p=0.314). There were also no significant differences between children and parents in the best valued aspects: staff interest (100% and 100%; p=not calculable); treatment of staff (100% and 99.2%; p=0.318); space (99.2% and 99.2%; p=1); information (98.4% and 100%; p=0.993); time with relatives (98.4% and 98.4%; p=0.993); cleaning (98.4% and 97.6%; p=0.651). The worst valued aspects in children: food (83.2% and 93.2%; p=0.016) and entertainment (89.5% and 94.2%; p=0.179); in adults: comfort (96.8% and 90.2%; p=0.036). There was moderate child-parent concordance in speed of attention (IK 0.561; p<0.001), time with relatives (0.492; p<0.001) and entertainment (0.489; p<0.001). In four questions, the IK could not be calculated because there were no dissatisfied adults and / or children. CONCLUSIONS: The global satisfaction of children and adults was high and consistent in most items. Parent surveys reflect the views of children.

[Personal self-regulation and perceived maladjusted school behaviors]. / Autorregulación personal y percepción de los comportamientos escolares desadaptativos.

The purpose of this study is to confirm the extent to which subjects' ability to self-regulate, during mid-adolescence, influences their perception of maladjustment problems. The sample comprised 888 adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age. The study followed an inferential methodology, using two instruments, a Spanish version of the Personal Self-regulation Questionnaire (2003, 2007) and the Cuestionario de Problemas de Desadaptación Escolar [Questionnaire for the Assessment of School Maladjustment Problems] (2007) to measure the variables of interest. Results from the inferential analyses (ANOVAS) suggest that the degree of personal self-regulation is interdependent with respect to perceived maladjustment and relational problems at school. Results and implications for future research are discussed.

Atrial natriuretic factor in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The aim of this study was to compare the levels of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and the renin system in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). We studied three groups. The CAPD group comprised 10 patients (25-66 years); the HD group: 10 patients (35-69 years), before (pre-HD) and after (post-HD) a HD session. The control group comprised 10 subjects with normal renal function (29-65 years), matched for age, height, weight, and diastolic pressure with the CAPD group. Blood pressure (BP) and blood samples for plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA), and ANF were taken. The BP and levels of ANF, PRA and PA were: in the control group, 121 +/- 15/75 +/- 4 mmHg, 7.3 +/- 5.6 pmol/L, 1.1 +/- 0.8 ng/mL/hour, 0.4 +/- 0.3 nmol/L. In the CAPD group, 132 +/- 26/76 +/- 12 mmHg (NS), 8.3 +/- 3.5 pmol/L (NS), 5.6 +/- 4.4 ng/mL/hour (p < 0.001), 4.9 +/- 4.0 nmol/L (p < 0.001). In the pre-HD, 159 +/- 25/95 +/- 12 mmHg (p < 0.001), 16.0 +/- 8.5 pmol/L (p < 0.005), 11.99 +/- 9.0 ng/mL/hour (p < 0.001), 2.6 +/- 2.3 nmol/L (p < 0.001). In the post-HD, 145 +/- 29/84 +/- 15 mmHg (p < 0.05 vs CG), 13.4 +/- 6.9 pmol/L (p < 0.05 vs control), 14.9 +/- 10.3 ng/mL/hour (p < 0.001 vs control), 3.8 +/- 2.9 nmol/L (p < 0.001 vs control).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Endoprosthetic replacement for malignant bone tumours of the proximal femur.

Limb salvage procedures are considered the gold standard in the treatment of bone tumours. The use of modular prostheses is one of the options for reconstruction after bone resection in primary tumours and in very restricted cases also in bone metastases. The authors report the results of 27 consecutive cases of proximal femur bone resections and reconstructions with modular prostheses, using the Mutars system. Soft tissue reconstruction and anchorage to the implant was performed using the Trevira tube. The system stem used showed good mechanical resistance, and implant removal was required for infection in only two cases. Functional results were related to the degree of bone resection and muscular sacrifice. (Hip International 2005; 15: 218-22).

Pharmacokinetics of fosfomycin during hemodialysis.

A study was made of the elimination of fosfomycin by the membrane of the artificial kidney in 10 patients with hemodialysis and a creatinine clearance of less than 5 ml/min. To do so we determined the half-life, the dialysance, the percentage of total loss and the percentage of loss by the artificial kidney. We reached the conclusion that fosfomycin is heavily dialyzed (D = 64 ml/min), it is entirely eliminated by the kidneys and its half-life is therefore affected very little (an increase of only about 30 min is produced). All of this leads to a practical schema by which the entire initial dose should be replenished at the end of each dialysis.

Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein abnormalities in CAPD-treated patients.

In the present study intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL) and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) composition, structure, and mass were analysed in fasting uraemic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n = 12) and on haemodialysis (HD) (n = 15), and in 15 healthy volunteers. All the groups were matched for sex, age, and time on dialysis. Both groups of patients had elevated very-low-density lipoprotein levels, CAPD patients four and HD group three times that of control. We found a fourfold and a twofold increase in the concentration of IDL cholesterol in the CAPD and HD group respectively when they were compared with the control group. Both groups of patients present an increased VLDL mass. The CAPD group showed a four-fold increase in IDL mass compared with the control group, which indicated a preponderance of large size and suggested that defective IDL clearance was involved. The IDL composition of the CAPD patients was significantly different from that of the HD patients: a twofold increase in IDL mass was observed in the CAPD patients if compared with HD patients. We report new data concerning the metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in CAPD treated patients, which confirm the adverse effect of CAPD on serum lipids.