RESUMO
This is the synthesis of a study on admissions of migrants to hospitals in Sicily, from January 2011 to June 2014. Migrants arrived in Lampedusa were 49,000 in 2011; 4,000 in 2012; 15,000 in 2013; 6,000 in 2014; 378 patients requiring hospitalization were transported exclusively by the 118 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in 6 Sicilian hospitals: 203 in 2011, 62 in 2012, 95 in 2013, 18 in 2014. The mean age was 25 years; more frequent areas of provenance were Horn of Africa, North Africa, Syria, and Nigeria. Women were hospitalised almost exclusively for obstetric-gynaecological problems, with a high prevalence of abortions (17/140 pregnancies) secondary to the long journey; men were hospitalised especially for bone fractures, burns, dehydration, infectious diseases, suicide attempts, and, recently, for CO poisoning of people locked in the holds of boats. Infectious diseases were mainly due to respiratory and intestinal distress, 20 people had tuberculosis (TB), 3 had HIV and 1 had malaria. No suspicious of Ebola virus infection was registered. The causes of hospitalisation do not depend on the nationality of patients and are constant over the years. Infectious diffusible diseases, mainly TB, are more common than in the Italian population, and consequently the best surveillance systems, aimed at identifying and treating patients immediately, should be activated. Mare Nostrum Operation helped migrants while they are in sea and allowed the reduction of serious health problems, mainly related to the hardships and duration of the journey, and also anticipating arrivals directly in Lampedusa, permitting a more efficient organisation of the relief in the sea.