Predictive Power of Dependence and Clinical-Social Fragility Index and Risk of Fall in Hospitalized Adult Patients: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVES: Accidental falls are among the leading hospitals' adverse events, with incidence ranging from 2 to 20 events per 1.000 days/patients. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between in-hospital falls and the score of 3 DEPendence and Clinical-Social Fragility indexes. METHODS: A monocentric case-control study was conducted by retrieving data of in-hospital patients from the electronic health records. RESULTS: Significant differences between the mean scores at the hospital admission and discharge were found. The BRASS scale mean (SD) values at the admission and at the discharge were also significantly higher in cases of in-hospital falls: at the admission 10.2 (±7.7) in cases versus 7.0 (±8.0) in controls (P = 0.003); at the discharge 10.0 (±6.4) versus 6.7 (±7.5) (P = 0.001). Barthel index mean (SD) scores also presented statistically significant differences: at the admission 60.3 (±40.6) in cases versus 76.0 (±34.8) in controls (P = 0.003); at discharge 51.3 (±34.9) versus 73.3 (±35.2) (P = 0.000).Odds ratios were as follows: for Barthel index 2.37 (95% CI, 1.28-4.39; P = 0.003); for Index of Caring Complexity 1.45 (95% CI, 0.72-2.91, P = 0. 255); for BRASS index 1.95 (95% CI, 1.03-3.70, P = 0.026). With BRASS index, the area under the curve was 0.667 (95% CI, 0.595-0.740), thus indicating a moderate predictive power of the scale. CONCLUSIONS: The use of only Conley scale-despite its sensitivity and specificity-is not enough to fully address this need because of the multiple and heterogeneous factors that predispose to in-hospital falls. Therefore, the combination of multiple tools should be recommended.

Sudden cardiac death among workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a rare and yet unexplained condition. The most frequent cause is myocardial infarction, while a small proportion is due to arrhythmogenic syndromes (e.g., channelopathies). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the prevalence and risk factors associated with SCD in workers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search for eligible studies was performed utilizing three databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus). The inclusion criteria were fulfilled if sudden cardiac death due to channelopathy in workers was mentioned. RESULTS: Out of the 1408 articles found across three databases, 6 articles were included in the systematic review but the meta-analysis was conducted on 3 studies The total sample included was 23,450 participants. The pooled prevalence of channelopathies in employees was 0.3% (95% CI 0.07-0.43%), of sudden cardiac death in employees was 2.8% (95% CI 0.37-5.20%), and of sudden cardiac death in employees with a diagnosis of cardiac channelopathies was 0.2% (95% CI 0.02- 0.30%). CONCLUSIONS: SCD is a serious and potentially preventable condition that can occur among workers. By identifying and addressing work-related risk factors, providing appropriate screening and interventions, and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, we can work to reduce the incidence of SCD and improve the cardiovascular health and well-being of workers.

Vaccine-preventable diseases: Immune response in a large population of healthcare students.

BACKGROUND: Students in medicine and other health professions are exposed to numerous occupational hazards, primarily biological hazards, during their academic careers at university. The aim of the present study was to investigate the seroprevalence characteristics of anti-HBsAg, anti-Measles, anti-Mumps, anti-Rubella and anti-Varicella IgG antibodies in healthcare students of a large teaching hospital in Rome. METHODS: To accomplish the study's aims, antibody serology data were gathered from students of Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and Health Professions at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Rome Campus) during their first Health Surveillance visit, that took place from 2013 to 2023. RESULTS: Our study sample included 2523 students, 44.4 % were protected against Hepatitis B, 87.3 % against measles, 85.5 % against mumps, 94.6 % rubella and 95.2 % against varicella. Differences in antibody coverage between age groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001), except for mumps. It found a lower probability of having seronegative anti-HBVs with an older date since the presumed primary vaccination. CONCLUSION: In our sample, seropositivity rate against vaccine-preventable diseases, especially for Hepatitis B, was often inadequate to prevent possible biological risks connected with the activities carried out on the ward.

Workplace Ethical Climate and Workers' Burnout: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Workplace ethics is a central theme in occupational health; an ethical climate aims to implement and uphold standards of integrity and fairness. Furthermore, the correlation between ethical climate and burnout has been highlighted in several studies, and the impact of a negative ethical climate in the workplace has been reported to affect workers' mental health and job performances, resulting in increased burnout incidence. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationship between ethical climate and burnout in the workplace. Method: This review was conducted following the PRISMA statements. Three databases were screened, including research articles written in the English language during the last 10 years, investigating the relationship between burnout and ethics in the workplace. The quality of articles was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: 1153 records were found across three databases; after duplicate removal and screening for title and abstract, 46 manuscripts were screened by full text, resulting in 13 included studies. The majority of the included studies were performed on healthcare workers (n=7, 53.8%), and with a majority of female participants (n=9, 69.2%). Most of the included studies (n=9, 69.2%) evaluated the correlation between ethical climate and burnout, while the other four (n=4, 30.8%) evaluated ethical leadership. Four studies reported a positive correlation between ethics and work engagement. Two studies highlighted that an ethical workplace climate reduced turnover intention. Conclusions: Ethical climate plays an important role in burnout mitigation in workers and in improving work engagement, thus helping to reduce turnover intentions. Since all of these variables have been reported to be present in clusters of workers, these aforementioned factors could impact entire workplace organizations and their improvement could lead to a better work environment overall, in addition to improving the single factors considered. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of ethical climate in the workplace.

Coping with burnout and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers' mental health: A systematic review.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of workers worldwide. Certain coping styles may increase burnout risk. To investigate the relationship between burnout and coping styles, a systematic review was performed. Methods: Following the PRISMA statements, three databases were screened up until October 2022, including research articles written in English language and investigating the relationship between burnout and coping strategies in workers. The quality of articles was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: The initial search resulted in 3,413 records, 15 of which were included in this review. Most studies were performed on healthcare workers (n = 13, 86.6%) and included a majority of female workers (n = 13, 86.7%). The most used burnout assessment questionnaire was the Maslach Burnout Inventory (n = 8, 53.3%), and the most used coping assessment tool was the Brief-COPE (n = 6, 40.0%). Task-related coping was a protective factor for burnout in all four studies investigating its correlation with burnout dimensions. Two of the four studies investigating emotion-oriented coping found that it was protective while the other two found that it was predictive of burnout. All five studies investigating avoidance-oriented coping and burnout dimensions found that this coping style was predictive of burnout. Discussion: Task-oriented and adaptive coping were protective for burnout, avoidance-oriented, and maladaptive coping were predictive factors of burnout. Mixed results were highlighted concerning emotion-oriented coping, suggesting that different outcomes of this coping style may depend on gender, with women relying more on it than men. In conclusion, further research is needed to investigate the effect of coping styles in individuals, and how these correlates with their unique characteristics. Training workers about appropriate coping styles to adopt may be essential to enact prevention strategies to reduce burnout incidence in workers.

The impact of education on patients' psycho-emotional status during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a multicenter prospective study by thes Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo.

PURPOSE: Depressive disorders are the most common manifestation of psychological distress in allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Few studies have yet investigated the relationship between therapeutic educational interventions and outcomes in these patients with specific attention to those related to mental health. Aim of this study was to understand how much educational intervention can represent a protective factor in preventing psycho-emotional distress-related issues in this setting. DESIGN: A prospective observational study of a multicenter cohort was conducted. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS: A pre-transplant therapeutic educational programme was offered to a cohort of adult patients undergoing allo-HSCT recruited in ten transplant centers of the GITMO network between May 2018 and January 2019. Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale was used to collect data on psycho-emotional distress at admission (T0), at the day of transplant (T1) and at discharge (T2). Descriptive data were collected and reported, and comparative analyses were done among patients who were compliant with the pre-transplant educational intervention and those who did not (for any reason). FINDINGS: A cohort of 133 allo-HSCT patients was observed. In patients who did not receive pre-transplant educational intervention, higher levels of depression at admission (p = 0.01) and at the day of transplant (p = 0.03), higher levels of anxiety (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01 respectively) as well as higher levels of stress (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01) were observed. Problem solving and "face to face" interview were the best methods to provide education to patients. Those who received pre-transplant education through "face-to-face" interview reported significant low levels of depression during the whole hospital stay period (p < 0.01; p = 0.01; p = 0.01) and less anxiety and stress at admission (p < 0.05 and p = 0.01 respectively). Depression was more represented in female than male participants at T0 (16.5% vs 9.0%; p = 0.01), while among T0 and T2 the males had a significant higher increasing of depression than females (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that pretreatment therapeutic educational programs with specific learning modalities can be effective in limiting the potential risk of developing moderate-to-severe anxiety-depressive states and stress symptoms related to allo-HSCT. IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL PROVIDERS: Further studies are needed to confirm our results and to understand whether containing psycho-emotional distress can have any relationship with medium- and long-term post-transplant complications.

HPV Vaccination Adherence in Working-Age Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the world. HPV vaccination adherence rates in men are generally lower than in women. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess adherence to HPV vaccination in young working-age males (18-30 years old). METHODS: A systematic review was performed using three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS: After duplicate removal, the initial search resulted in 478 eligible papers. With the exclusion of 425 papers after screening the abstracts, full texts of 53 articles were reviewed. Subsequently, 45 were excluded. Among the eight studies included, four (50%) examined the vaccination adherence in young adults through data registered in nationwide insurance or private companies' databases, three (37.5%) in young adults in different settings through data collected from surveys and questionnaires, and one (12.5%) an HPV vaccination campaign in a family medicine residency practice. CONCLUSION: Adherence to HPV vaccination in men of working age (18-30 years) does not appear to be adequate (pooled prevalence 11%). In order to achieve a higher level of compliance, it is important to place an emphasis on vaccination campaigns in schools as well as in the workplace, after consultation with and approval from local, regional, and federal public health agencies.

Impact of COVID-19 on Uro-Oncological Patients: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Background: The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on patients with urological malignancies (prostate cancer, bladder and upper tract urothelial cancer, kidney cancer, penile and testicular cancer) and to review the available recommendations reported in the literature. Methods: A review was performed, through the PubMed database, regarding available recommendations reported in the literature, to identify studies examining the impact of COVID-19 on treatment and clinical outcomes (including upstaging, recurrence, and mortality) for uro-oncological patients. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the urological guidelines and patients' access to screening programs and follow-up visits. Great efforts were undertaken to guarantee treatments to high-risk patients although follow up was not always possible due to recurrent surges, and patients with lower risk cancers had to wait for therapies. Conclusions: Physically and mentally, uro-oncological patients paid a heavy price during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long term data on the "costs" of clinical decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic are still to be revealed and analyzed.

TElewoRk-RelAted Stress (TERRA), Psychological and Physical Strain of Working From Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Many workers shifted to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review aims to investigate if this sudden change caused an increase in TElewoRk-RelAted stress (TERRA) which is defined as physical and mental stress caused by telework. METHODS: A systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed of three scientific databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus), which also included a quality assessment. Articles measuring stress, psychological or physical, in remote workers, published from December 2019 through August 2021 were included in the review. Results were extracted by reporting: authors, country, study design, type of workers, sample, questionnaires and measurements, and outcomes. Data were synthesized quantitatively for country, type of workers, and outcomes. RESULTS: Out of the 518 articles found in the three databases, 19 articles were included in the systematic review (10,012 participants overall), and 78.9% of these highlighted an increase in TERRA levels in remote workers. Among 85.7% of the studies considering gender as a variable, TERRA levels were higher in female workers. Twelve (63.2%) of the studies investigated psychological well-being, two (10.5%) focused on the physical well-being of remote workers, three (15.8%) investigated both, and two studies had other outcomes (10.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the redefinition of workplaces dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this review highlights the emerging issue of remote work and the use of technology in working from home, emphasizing a rapidly growing occupational health problem. Remote workers need to be provided with emotional and technical support to prevent TERRA in remote workers.

Alcohol Consumption in the Workplace: A Comparison between European Union Countries' Policies.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is an ever-growing phenomenon in the population, consumption data indicate that 5-20% of the European working population have serious problems related to alcohol. The use of alcohol constitutes a risk to the health and safety of workers as well as to the safety of the general population. The present work aims to address the problem of alcohol intake in occupational settings by comparatively analyzing alcohol consumption behavior within the 27 countries of the European Union. METHODS: The purpose of this research is to analyze the differences between the 27 countries of the European Union in the application of measures to assess and manage the risk of alcohol intake in occupational settings. RESULTS: An examination of the legislation and guidelines of the different countries reveals profound differences in the management of the problem of alcohol in the workplace. The discrepancy is very wide that it ranges from the complete absence of legislative restrictions on a national level in some countries to highly restrictive measures with severe sanctions in others. CONCLUSIONS: It would be appropriate-also for the purpose of ease of movement of workers within the European Community-to find shared management models useful for protecting the health and safety of workers and the general population.

Urological Safety and COVID-19 Vaccinations.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the urological field and to review the available data in the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All the related reports and original articles discussing COVID-19 vaccines and their impact on the urological field were searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. RESULTS: There are few published articles discussing the COVID-19 vaccine impact on urology. Vaccine safety was confirmed in this field as no major side effects were described. AKI (Acute Kidney Injury) was reported in selected populations. However, about 1% of the side effects was urological. Rare genital complications, low urinary tract symptoms, and occasional gross hematuria were reported. Fertility seems to be not impaired after vaccination. A potential misinterpretation of radiological findings in the oncological field has been reported. CONCLUSIONS: In the literature, there are few studies regarding COVID-19 vaccines and their impact on the urological and andrological fields. We need more studies and extended follow-ups after repeated vaccinations in order to have more corroborating data particularly in selected populations, such as kidney transplant recipients and oncological patients.

Employee Participation in Workplace Vaccination Campaigns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To reduce vaccine-preventable diseases in workers, workplace vaccination campaigns can be implemented on-site. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate adherence to workplace vaccination campaigns. Three databases, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus, were screened systematically for articles in English or Italian addressing participation in an on-site vaccination program by employees. The following data was extracted: authors, year, country, type of vaccine, type of workplace, sample size, vaccination rate. Data on the prevalence of flu vaccination were calculated and pooled using a random-effects model. Thirteen articles were included in the review, ten in the meta-analysis. Most studies were conducted in the USA (30.7%) and most vaccination campaigns were against influenza (69.2%), with a pooled estimate of 42% (95% CI: 0.25-0.60%); participation rate was highly variable, ranging from 88.9% for an influenza vaccination campaign to 5.7% for a Lyme disease vaccination campaign. Offering free on-site vaccination can be a successful tool to ensure adherence to vaccination campaigns and administration of all required doses according to the vaccine administration scheme. The occupational physician can play a key role in implementing workplace campaigns for employee mandatory vaccinations.

Post-Acute COVID-19 Sequelae in a Working Population at One Year Follow-Up: A Wide Range of Impacts from an Italian Sample.

Long COVID-19 is a term used to describe the symptomatic sequelae that develop after suffering from COVID-19. Very few studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 sequelae on employment status. The aim of this research was to characterise sequelae of COVID-19 in a population of workers who tested positive for COVID-19, with a follow-up within one year of the acute illness, and to analyse the possible association between this and changes in the workers' occupational status. In this retrospective cohort study, a questionnaire was administered to 155 workers; descriptive, univariate (chi-square tests), and multivariate (logistic regression model) analyses were carried out. The mean age was 46.48 years (SD ± 7.302); 76 participants were males (49.7%), and 33 participants reported being current smokers (21.3%). Overall, 19.0% of patients reported not feeling fully recovered at follow-up, and 13.7% reported a change in their job status after COVID-19. A change in occupational status was associated with being a smoker (OR 4.106, CI [1.406-11.990], p = 0.010); hospital stay was associated with age > 46 years in a statistically significant way (p = 0.025) and with not feeling fully recovered at follow-up (p = 0.003). A persistent worsening in anxiety was more common in women (p = 0.028). This study identifies smoking as a risk factor for workers not able to resume their job; furthermore, occupational physicians should monitor mental health more closely after COVID-19, particularly in female workers.

Returning to work and the impact of post COVID-19 condition: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, with rapidly increasing cases all over the world, and the emerging issue of post COVID-19 (or Long COVID-19) condition is impacting the occupational world. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of lasting COVID-19 symptoms or disability on the working population upon their return to employment. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statements we performed a systematic review in December 2021, screening three databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus), for articles investigating return to work in patients that were previously hospitalized due to COVID-19. A hand-searched was then performed through the references of the included systematic review. A quality assessment was performed on the included studies. RESULTS: Out of the 263 articles found through the initial search, 11 studies were included in this systematic review. The selected studies were divided based on follow-up time, in two months follow-up, follow-up between two and six months, and six months follow-up. All the studies highlighted an important impact of post COVID-19 condition in returning to work after being hospitalized, with differences based on follow-up time, home Country and mean/median age of the sample considered. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlighted post COVID-19 condition as a rising problem in occupational medicine, with consequences on workers' quality of life and productivity. The role of occupational physicians could be essential in applying limitations to work duties or hours and facilitating the return to employment in workers with a post COVID-19 condition.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Medical Liability: An International Perspective in 18 Countries.

The COVID-19 vaccination has proven to be the most effective prevention measure, reducing deaths and hospitalizations and allowing, in combination with non-pharmacological interventions, the pandemic to be tackled. Although most of the adverse reactions to vaccination present mild symptoms and serious effects are very rare, they can be the cause of legal action against the healthcare workers (HCWs) who administered it. To highlight differences in the medical liability systems, we performed a search for the three most populous countries in each continent on vaccine injury compensation programs, new laws or policies to protect HCWs administering vaccinations introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and policies on mandatory vaccinations, on literature databases and institutional sites. We found that in seven countries the medical liability system is based on Common Law, while in eleven it is mainly based on Civil Law. Considering the application of specific laws to protect HCWs who vaccinate during the pandemic, only the USA and Canada provided immunity from liability. Among the countries we analyzed, fourteen have adopted compensation funds. From an international perspective, our results highlight that in eleven (61.1%) countries medical liability is mainly based on Civil Law, whilst in seven (38.9%) it is based on Common Law.

Buffering the Effects of Burnout on Healthcare Professionals' Health-The Mediating Role of Compassionate Relationships at Work in the COVID Era.

Managing the COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges for healthcare professionals, which likely heightened their risk of burnout (Amanullah and Ramesh Shankar, 2020) and, consequently, their general physical and mental health. Although it may not be possible to address and eliminate the causes of burnout, current research informs healthcare organizations about protective strategies to reduce its detrimental consequences. The promotion of compassionate interactions among healthcare professionals may play such a role. Compassion within healthcare organizations positively affects individual performance and well-being. Building on these considerations and within the framework of the Conservation of Resources theory, this study explores the relationships among burnout dimensions, received compassion at work, and general health in 711 Italian healthcare professionals (68.5% female), aged between 21 and 73 years (Mage = 36.4, SD = 11.2). Analyses were conducted to investigate the association between burnout and general well-being (H1) and between burnout symptoms and perceived compassion at work (H2); and the mediational role of compassion in the relationship between burnout symptoms and general well-being. H1 and H2 were confirmed (r < 0.01 for both), and a SEM model showed the mediating role of compassion at work in the association between burnout symptoms and general well-being (RMSEA < 0.08, SRMR < 0.08, CFI and TLI > 0.90). Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the paper.

Medical Liability of the Vaccinating Doctor: Comparing Policies in European Union Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exhausted healthcare systems around the world, including European Union countries, with healthcare workers at the frontline. Therefore, new health laws and policies have been introduced at the national level in order to offer greater legal protection for health workers. Since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination, it has led to the development of specific laws to define the compulsoriness for particular categories. This review aimed to evaluate the system of medical liability, focusing on the ten countries of the European Union with the highest rate of vaccination coverage against SARS-CoV-2. A country-by-country analysis was conducted on the different medical liability systems of individual professionals, in general, and with specific focus on the vaccinating doctors. Additional search was conducted to investigate which European states have introduced specific policies in this field, to identify the implementation of any new laws alongside the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, and to assess which countries have adopted the European Digital COVID Certificate and funded specific compensation programs for COVID-19 vaccination. Our results highlight an extremely fragmented European scenario; therefore, this work could be a starting point to define a common approach for medical liability and related policies in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nutritional status and quality of life in adults undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Although the effects of malnutrition on morbidity and mortality in adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are clear, the relationship with quality of life (QOL) is less clear. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between malnutrition and QOL. A prospective observational study was conducted in 36 adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Adapted criteria of the Global Leadership Initiative on malnutrition have been used for the diagnosis of malnutrition in clinical settings. A cancer linear analog scale was used to assess QOL. Overall QOL at 14 days after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was 37.1 (95% CI 2.9-45.39) in patients without severe malnutrition, versus 16.0 (95% CI - 6.6 to 38.6) in patients with severe malnutrition (p = 0.05). At discharge, it was 48.0 (95% CI 38.4-57.6) versus 34.0 (95% CI 4.1-63.9) (p = 0.27). The results of our study suggest that patients with severe malnutrition at discharge tend to have worse QOL. A larger cohort of patients is required to confirm this hypothesis.

Adverse skin reactions to personal protective equipment during COVID-19 pandemic in Italian health care workers.

To avoid exposure to SARS-COV-2, healthcare professionals must use personal protective equipment (PPE). Their use has been related to a series of adverse effects; the most frequent adverse events were headache, dyspnoea, and pressure injuries. Skin adverse effects are very common, including contact dermatitis, itching, erythema, and acneiform eruptions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the skin problems caused by personal protection equipment (PPE) in health care workers (HCWs) and to individuate eventual risk factors. From May to June 2020 a retrospective observational multi-centric study conducted by an online survey sent by email, involving 10 hospital centers, was performed. We considered as independent variables gender and age, occupational group and sector, time of utilization, type and material of PPE. We tested 3 types of PPE: gloves, bonnet, and mask for different time of utilization (<1, 1-3, 3-6, >6 h). We performed a multiple logistic regression model to correlate them with skin adverse events occurrence. Among all the 1184 participants, 292 workers reported a dermatological pathology: 45 (15.41%) had psoriasis, 54 (18.49%) eczema, 38 (13.01%) acne, 48 (16.44%) seborrheic dermatitis, and 107 (36.64%) other. In our sample previous inflammatory dermatological conditions, female sex, prolonged use of PPE were significant risk factors for developing skin related adverse events considering all the PPE considered. The use of PPE is still mandatory in the hospital setting and skin adverse reactions still represent a global problem. Although data from Europe are limited, our study highlighted the importance of the problem of PPE skin reactions in a large sample of Italian healthcare professionals.

A new tool to evaluate burnout: the Italian version of the BAT for Italian healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) represents one of the highest-risk population to develop burnout symptoms. Recently, a new tool has been designed to measure several dimensions that capture an exhaustive expression of burnout symptoms by six dimensions (i.e., exhaustion; mental distance; cognitive impairment; emotional impairment; psychological distress; psychosomatic complaints). METHODS: The current study aims to adapt the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) to an Italian Healthcare workers' sample confirming the original second-order factorial structure. Furthermore, we expected to find good indexes of reliability and validity tests. Participants were 697 Italian Health Care Workers (Female = 68.44%; mean age = 36.47; SD = 11.20). Data were collected by self-report questionnaires submitted by the snowball method. RESULTS: Findings show a good fit of the BAT's structure, confirming the hypothesized second-order factorial model. Furthermore, good reliability has been established with the study's measures. CONCLUSIONS: The BAT for HCWs is eligible as a new tool to evaluate burnout in the at-risk HCWs as a multi-facet constellation of symptoms.