Oral health status and caries trend among 12-year old Palestine refugee students: results from the UNRWA's oral health surveys 2011 and 2016.

BACKGROUND: In 2016 the United Nation Relief and Work Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) commissioned a survey on oral health among 12-year-old students at UNRWA schools in five fields of operation (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza Strip and West Bank), following World Health Organization guidelines. The survey aimed to determine the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal diseases among Palestine students attending UNRWA schools and how this has changed over time. METHODS: A two-stage stratified cluster sample design was used. For each Field of operation, the sample size was calculated based on 95% confidence level, 80% power and margin of error of 4%. Clinical examination was carried out by trained Field Oral Health services Officers (FOHSOs) from the 5 fields. Teeth presence and condition, gingival bleeding and calculus and the presence of dental sealants in occlusal surfaces of permanent molars were recorded. Behavior information of students/parents were collected using a questionnaire that was self-completed by the child/parent under supervision. Results were compared with those from a previous survey carried out in 2011 with the same methodology. RESULTS: In the two surveys the distributions of students who had caries experience in their permanent teeth were similar (73.1% in 2011 vs 72.8% in 2016, p = 0.83). In 2016 a significant increase of missing teeth (p < 0.01) and sealants (p < 0.01) was observed. Both surveys have identified behavioral determinants for dental caries, particularly dietary habits such as soft drinks consumption. Gingival health also showed statistical differences among the fields. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of caries experience was very high in all fields and, with regard to main oral health indices, no trend of improvement was observed through 2011 and 2016. Surveys' results advocates the need of a large-scale integrated preventive approach toward oral health and the emerging growth of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), in line with the WHO recommendations.

Training in pediatric palliative care in Italy: still much to do.

AIM: This survey investigated the availability of training programs in pediatric palliative care (PPC) for Italian postgraduates specializing in pediatric medicine. METHODS: Two questionnaires were developed: (i) a questionnaire addressed to the Directors of Italian postgraduate pediatric medicine programs (n = 37); and (ii) a survey to the postgraduate students in pediatric medicine at the University Hospitals of Padua and Udine (n = 127). RESULTS: 14 directors participated (response rate: 37.8%). In 85.7% of cases (n = 12), lectures on PPC were offered, for a supposed maximum of 90 minutes/year. 116 students responded (response rate: 91%): they stated that, approximately 40 min/year of training on PPC was provided. In total, 37% of responders stated they attended a PPC Service during their training. The majority of responders (68.1%, n = 79) did not feel ready to care for a pediatric patient with life-limiting disease. CONCLUSIONS: Although PPC is well-recognized as part of a pediatrician's training, it receives poor attention.

A one-day census of acute psychiatric inpatient facilities in Italy: findings from the PROGRES-Acute Project.

On May 8, 2003, a survey was conducted of all inpatients at 369 psychiatric facilities for adult acute patients in all Italian regions except Sicily. The estimated point prevalence rate of admissions was 18.3 per 100,000 adult population. There were 305 involuntarily admitted patients (3.8%, or .70 per 100,000 population). Large differences between public and private facilities were found in age and gender distribution: the proportion of men age under age 35 was larger in public facilities, and the proportion of women age 65 and older was larger in private facilities. In Italy, monitoring and evaluation of community services, at both the local and national levels, is essential for policy development, implementation, and evaluation.

Transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review.

According to the current European Association for the Study of Liver guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the recommended first-line therapy for patients with intermediate-stage (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer-B class) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The efficacy of this therapy is supported by robust evidence; however, there is still a lack of standardization in treatment methodology, and TACE protocols are widely variable. Moreover, TACE can be associated with a number of contraindications. Despite these limitations, research on TACE is still ongoing with the aim of optimizing the use of this methodology in the current management of HCC. In particular, TACE represents a control in comparative studies, and it is currently being investigated in combination schemes, for example, with sorafenib. In this review, we briefly describe the current scenario and the clinical innovations regarding TACE for the treatment of HCC.

[Hospitalisation for schizophrenia in acute psychiatric wards of the Lazio region: a 4-year follow-up study]. / La schizofrenia e il ricorso al ricovero nei reparti psichiatrici per acuti del lazio: studio di follow-up a quattro anni.

AIM: To determine the rates of psychiatric hospitalisation and to evaluate the predictors of readmissions in a cohort of 887 schizophrenic patients at their "first" psychiatric admission. METHODS: Data were collected using the hospital discharge database of the Lazio region, Italy. The cohort included patients admitted to a psychiatric ward in 1999, with a main diagnosis of schizophrenia and no prior psychiatric hospitalisation during the 5 years preceding the index admission. Psychiatric readmissions were considered up to year 2004. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and logistic procedures were performed to estimate the cumulative readmission incidence and ORs of readmissions for potential confounders. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up, 44.3% of the patients were readmitted at least once. An active treatment among community psychiatric facilities at the time of index admission predicted a higher readmission risk. However, for those who experienced their first admission in a private ward readmission risk was consistently higher, whether or not having had such a treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of readmission in a psychiatric ward appears to be related to the level of integration with mental health community facilities, while length of stay is strongly affected by service system variables. Possible uses of medical information systems in this field are described.