ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The high diffusion of endoscopes worldwide and the need for effective reprocessing methods requested the development of guidelines and implementation of surveillance procedures at local level. STUDY DESIGN: In order to collect data on everyday's practice and adherence to available guidelines, endoscopy units from different public institutions were surveyed using a dedicated questionnaire. METHODS: Between July and November 2015 a survey was carried in 12 main hospitals from 10 different Italian regions, involving 22 endoscopy units. The state of the art of national and international guidelines was investigated to compare the protocols adopted at local level. RESULTS: In all the surveyed hospitals, the reprocessing activity is based on pre-established protocols in adherence with principal guidelines. Enzymatic detergents, which are recommended by the international guidelines, are used in 55.6% of units and peracetic acid is currently the most widely used chemical disinfectant. Discrepancies were observed in the application of periodic quality controls. CONCLUSION: Updated guidelines are generally applied in reprocessing practice. Quality controls may represent a critical issue to improve effectiveness and surveillance. The whole of acquired data can promote a positive trend towards the application of best practices.
Subject(s)
Disinfection/standards , Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal/standards , Equipment Reuse/standards , Guideline Adherence/standards , Health Care Surveys/statistics & numerical data , Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards , Acetic Acid , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Cross Infection/transmission , Detergents , Disinfectants , Disinfection/methods , Duodenoscopes/microbiology , Duodenoscopes/standards , Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal/microbiology , Equipment Contamination , Guideline Adherence/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Italy , Quality Control , Societies, Medical/standardsABSTRACT
The prolactin (PRL) response to 20 mg of domperidone, a peripheral dopamine (DA) blocking agent, was evaluated in a group of 16 drug-free, acute, young schizophreniform and schizophrenic males and in a group of age-matched normal males. Although basal plasma PRL levels were normal, the PRL responses following domperidone were blunted in both patient groups. The PRL response was more blunted in the schizophreniform patients than in the schizophrenic patients. Possible explanations for these results include pharmacokinetic factors or abnormalities of the pituitary D2 DA receptors.
Subject(s)
Domperidone , Military Personnel/psychology , Prolactin/blood , Psychotic Disorders/diagnosis , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Schizophrenic Psychology , Acute Disease , Adult , Brain/drug effects , Humans , Male , Psychotic Disorders/blood , Psychotic Disorders/psychology , Receptors, Dopamine/drug effects , Receptors, Dopamine D1 , Receptors, Dopamine D2 , Schizophrenia/bloodABSTRACT
Growth hormone (GH), and prolactin (PRL) responses to the administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (1 microgram/kg) were evaluated in a group of 18 drug-free, acute, young male schizophrenics and in a group of age-matched normal controls. Cortisol responses were also evaluated. No difference in mean plasma GH, PRL and cortisol plasma basal values or in GH and PRL responses to GHRH between schizophrenics and controls was observed. Our failure to demonstrate a difference in GH response to GHRH between schizophrenics and controls would seem to indicate that GH secretory pituitary reserve is intact in young acute male schizophrenics. Cortisol values did discriminate between schizophrenics and controls (p less than 0.05). In our sample, both schizophrenics and normal controls showed a slight but significant (p less than 0.03) and transitory increase in plasma PRL response to GHRH.
