Do We Know the True Burden of Tick-Borne Encephalitis? A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an acute human arboviral infection of the central nervous system caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans mainly by tick bites. TBE is endemic in Europe and has become an increasingly important public health concern in recent years. Cases of TBE in Italy have occurred mainly in the north-east and central parts of the country. Vaccination is recommended for people who live in or visit areas at higher risk of tick bites. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to ascertain the burden of TBE in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy). METHODS: Cases of TBE occurring in the region from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2018, were extracted from the database of the mandatory notification system (MNS) and from hospital discharge records (HDRs) of admissions relating to a diagnostic code 063 according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Capture-recapture methods were used to estimate the completeness of each data source (as a percentage of cases). Records including diagnostic codes 322.9 (Meningitis, unspecified) and 323.9 (Unspecified cause of encephalitis, myelitis, and encephalomyelitis) were also extracted from the HDR database. Municipalities were grouped by location, based on their elevation above sea level, as "mountains," "hills," or "lowlands". After selecting only the municipalities where cases of TBE had occurred, the proportion of cases of TBE out of the total cases of encephalitis and meningitis identified was calculated and used to estimate the number of cases of TBE potentially occurring in the municipalities that reported none. Then the observed and adjusted TBE rates per 100,000 population were calculated. RESULTS: During the 12 years considered, a total of 281 cases of TBE were identified; 155 emerged from the HDRs and the MNS, 89 only from the MNS database, and 37 only from the HDRs. The degree of completeness of the data was 93.0% for the MNS and HDRs combined, 80.8% for the MNS alone, and 63.6% for the HDRs alone. The observed annual rate of TBE in the Veneto in recent years was calculated at 0.48 per 100,000 population, with the highest standardized rate in the province of Belluno (5.95 per 100,000 population). A significant rising trend in the number of cases observed in the latest period (2015-2018) was apparent for the mountainous areas in the region (average annual percent changes: 43.7 [95% CI 19.0-73.5]). The number of cases peaked in the mountains in the month of June (0.89 per 100,000), in hilly areas in July (0.23 per 100,000) and in the lowlands in October (0.04 per 100,000). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings seem to confirm an underreporting of the cases of TBE and inadequate TBE surveillance in the Veneto, despite the clinical severity of the disease and the fact that it is mandatory to report all cases. The routine integration of different databases is crucial to the successful implementation and assessment of targeted prevention strategies and fundamental to public health decision-making on this issue.

The importance of sex as a risk factor for hospital readmissions due to pulmonary diseases.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary diseases are a common and costly cause of 30-day readmissions. Few studies have focused on the difference in risk for rehospitalization between men and women in older patients. In this study we analyzed the association between sex and the risk of readmission in a cohort of patients admitted to the hospital for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation and other major pulmonary diseases. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study based on administrative data collected in the Veneto Region in 2016. We included 14,869 hospital admissions among residents aged ≥65 years for diagnosis related groups (DRGs) of the most common disorders of the respiratory system: bronchitis and asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, and COPD. Multilevel logistic regressions were performed to test the association between 30-day hospital readmission and sex, adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: For bronchitis and asthma, male patients had significantly higher odds of 30-day readmission than female patients (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11-3.87). The odds of readmission for men were also significantly higher for pneumonia (aOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.13-1.72), for pulmonary edema and respiratory failure (aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.05-1.55), and for COPD (aOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.00-1.81). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that male sex is a major risk factors for readmission in patients aged more than 65 years with a primary pulmonary diagnosis. More studies are needed to understand the underlying determinants of this phenomena and to provide targets for future interventions.

Education level and hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: an education approach is required.

BACKGROUND: Studies in several different countries and settings suggest that ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs)-related hospitalizations could be associated more with socioeconomic variables than with the quality of primary healthcare services. The aim of the present study was to analyze the potential links between education levels or other social determinants and ACSC-related hospitalization rates. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 467 504 records of ordinary discharges after acute hospitalization in 2015-16 for patients 20-74 years old residing in the Veneto Region. We calculated the prevention quality indicators (PQIs) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated with a set of Poisson regressions to measure the relative risk by sociodemographic level. RESULTS: Hospitalizations for ACSCs accounted for 3.9% of all hospital admissions (18 436 discharges), and the crude hospitalization rate for ACSCs among 20- to 74-year-olds was 26.6 per 10 000 inhabitants (95% CI, 25.8-27.4). For all conditions, we found a significant association with formal education. In the case of the overall composite PQI#90, e.g. poorly educated people (primary school or no schooling) were at significantly higher risk of hospitalization for ACSCs than the better educated (RR, 4.50; 95% CI, 4.13-4.91). CONCLUSIONS: Currently available administrative data regarding ACSCs may be used effectively for reveal equity issues in the provision of health care. Our results indicate that an educational approach inside Primary Health Care could address the extra risk for preventable healthcare demands associated with poorly educated patients.

Is depression a real risk factor for acute myocardial infarction mortality? A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depression has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events and a higher mortality in patients with one or more comorbidities. This study investigated whether continuative use of antidepressants (ADs), considered as a proxy of a state of depression, prior to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with a higher mortality afterwards. The outcome to assess was mortality by AD use. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Veneto Region on hospital discharge records with a primary diagnosis of AMI in 2002-2015. Subsequent deaths were ascertained from mortality records. Drug purchases were used to identify AD users. A descriptive analysis was conducted on patients' demographics and clinical data. Survival after discharge was assessed with a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox's multiple regression model. RESULTS: Among 3985 hospital discharge records considered, 349 (8.8%) patients were classified as 'AD users'. The mean AMI-related hospitalization rate was 164.8/100,000 population/year, and declined significantly from 204.9 in 2002 to 130.0 in 2015, but only for AD users (- 40.4%). The mean overall follow-up was 4.6 ± 4.1 years. Overall, 523 patients (13.1%) died within 30 days of their AMI. The remainder survived a mean 5.3 ± 4.0 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, use of antidepressants was independently associated with mortality (adj OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.40-2.19). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that AD users hospitalized for AMI have a worse prognosis in terms of mortality. The use of routinely-available records can prove an efficient way to monitor trends in the state of health of specific subpopulations, enabling the early identification of AMI survivors with a history of antidepressant use.

Cross-sectional study on hospitalizations related to herpes zoster in an Italian region, 2008-2016.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the burden of herpes zoster (HZ) by analyzing HZ-related hospital admissions. METHODS: We conducted a population-based descriptive cross-sectional study on all hospitalizations for HZ among the resident population admitted to all public and accredited private hospitals in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy) during the years 2008-2016. HZ hospitalizations were identified from the International Classification of Diseases codes in the hospital discharge records. RESULTS: During the period considered, we identified 3566 HZ-associated admissions, 194 (5.4%) of which were readmissions within 30 days. A complicated HZ diagnosis was mentioned for 44.4% of the patients admitted once and for 65.9% of those admitted twice. In the sample as a whole, 27.0% of patients had at least one comorbidity. Overall, our analysis revealed a gradual increase in hospitalizations with age for both genders, reaching a hospitalization rate for the population over 80 years old of 51.2 × 100,000 for males and 52.8 × 100,000 for females. The average hospitalization rate for HZ-related conditions during the years 2008-2016 was 7.7 per 100,000 population. Postherpetic neuralgia was diagnosed in 8.2% of hospitalizations, with no difference between the genders. The estimated overall cost of HZ-related conditions was approximately €2.7 million a year. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the burden of HZ and its impact on quality of life are of critical relevance to public health decision-making.

Decline in hospitalization for genital warts in the Veneto region after an HPV vaccination program: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted pathogens. This observational study was conducted to estimate the trend of hospitalization for genital warts (GWs) in the Veneto region (Italy) from 2004 to 2015. METHODS: All patients with GWs were identified in the hospital discharge records of all public and accredited private hospitals that related to Veneto residents and contained the ICD9-CM code 078.11 associated with a genital surgical procedure (vulval/vaginal warts, penile warts and anal warts). Annual total and sex- and age-specific hospitalization rates and trends were calculated and correlated with the different HPV vaccine coverage over the study period. RESULTS: An annual rate of 11.8 per 100,000 population (8.6 per 100,000 males, and 14.8 per 100,000 females) was found, corresponding to 6076 hospitalizations for condyloma (53.3% vulval/vaginal, 35.8% anal, 8.3% penile, and 2.6% both penile or vulval/vaginal and anal). Among females, the rate of overall GWs remained stable to 2007 (19.1 per 100,000), then dropped significantly, reaching a rate of 11.3 per 100,000 in 2015 (average annual percent changes [AAPC]: -6.1%; 95% CI: -8.4; -3.7). For males, the overall rate increased over the study period (from 6.4 per 100,000 in 2004 to 10.8 per 100,000 in 2015; AAPC: 3.8%; 95% CI: 1.2; 6.4). Among the potentially vaccinated females (12- to 20-year-olds) there was a 62.1% decrease in the number of vulval/vaginal warts from the years 2010-2012 to the years 2013-2015 due to an increase in the HPV coverage rate. A similar reduction among males was observed in the same period and the same age group for penile warts (-68.2%). CONCLUSION: GWs have an important impact on the health services and data suggest that GW-related hospitalization rates rapidly decline in a population with a high HPV vaccination coverage (about 75%). Further efforts should be made to better clarify the epidemiological picture regarding HPV-related diseases, with particular regard to sexual behavior.

Are hospital process quality indicators influenced by socio-demographic health determinants.

BACKGROUND: This population-level health service study aimed to address whether hospitals assure the same quality of care to people in equal need, i.e. to see if any associations exist between social determinants and adherence to four hospital process indicators clearly identified as being linked to better health outcomes for patients. PARTICIPANTS: This was a retrospective cohort study based on administrative data collected in the Veneto Region (northeast Italy). We included residents of the Veneto Region hospitalized for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), hip fracture, or cholecystitis, and women giving birth, who were discharged from any hospital operating under the Veneto Regional Health Service between January 2012 and December 2012. METHOD: The following quality indicator rates were calculated: patients with STEMI-AMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, elderly patients with hip fractures who underwent surgery within 48 h of admission, laparoscopic cholecystectomies and women who underwent cesarean section. A multilevel, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between age, gender, formal education or citizenship and the quality of hospital care processes. RESULTS: All the inpatient hospital care process quality indicators measured were associated with an undesirable number of disparities concerning the social determinants. CONCLUSION: Monitoring the evidence-based hospital health care process indicators reveals undesirable disparities. Administrative data sets are of considerable practical value in broad-based quality assessments and as a screening tool, also in the health disparities domain.

A population-based study on the impact of hospitalization for pneumonia in different age groups.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is an important cause of illness and death, particularly in elderly adults. This retrospective study was conducted to estimate the trend of hospitalization for pneumonia in the Veneto from the records of all hospitals in the region (serving a population of 4.81 million) during the years 2004 through 2012. METHODS: The cases of pneumonia identified in the hospital discharge records were all cases in which the first-listed diagnosis was pneumonia, or meningitis, septicemia or empyema associated with pneumonia. The annual total and age-specific hospitalization rates and trends were calculated and correlated with vaccine coverage. Total related costs were also calculated. RESULTS: There were 110,927 hospitalizations for pneumonia, meaning an annual rate of 256.3/100,000 population, with peaks in children and elderly people. The overall pneumonia-related hospitalization rate did not change significantly during the study period (AAPC: 1.3% [95% CI: -0.5, 3.1]). The rate dropped significantly among the 0- to 4-year-olds, however, from 617.3/100,000 in 2004 to 451.8/100,000 in 2012 (AAPC: -2.5% [95% CI: -4.5; -0.5]), while it increased slightly in adults aged 80+ (AAPC: 1.2% [95% CI: -0.9; 3.4]). The overall pneumonia-related mortality rate was 10.7%. The estimated cost per hospitalized patient was €3,090. CONCLUSION: This study shows that hospitalization for pneumonia has a considerable impact on the health services, especially for children and the elderly. No decline in hospitalization rates was seen for the very elderly after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination for children.

Intimate partner femicide (IPF): Medico-legal investigation at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy).

Violence against women is a significant public health concern, with femicide as its most extreme manifestation. This crime is often perpetrated by current or former intimate partners, thus taking the name of intimate partner femicide (IPF). Although international comparisons are essential for prevention policies, cross-country comparative studies are scarce in this context. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare clinical, epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of IPF autopsy cases investigated at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of two Western European cities, in order to identify a potential medico-legal pattern of IPF. Autopsy and police reports of IPF cases occurred in the judicial district of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy) from 2000 to 2022 were analyzed. Data relating to victims, perpetrators, relationship context, and circumstantial and pathological-forensic characteristics of the homicide were collected. Statistical analyses were performed to explore potential relationships between the data collected. Additionally, a review of the literature dealing with autopsy-based studies on IPF was performed. Overall, 82 cases of IPF were analyzed, 39 from Freiburg and 43 from Padova. A total of 6 papers fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. Our study identified a medico-legal pattern of IPF and demonstrated that it did not vary substantially between the two European Countries considered, suggesting that certain IPF characteristics are shared at the European level. However, a significant finding emerged regarding the higher prevalence of firearm-related IPFs in Italy compared to Germany. Forensic pathology research might contribute to developing targeted prevention policies to protect women from this lethal form of violence.

Hospitalization for diseases attributable to human papillomavirus in the Veneto Region (North-East Italy).

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually-transmitted pathogens. A number of studies in the literature have estimated the burden of HPV-related diseases by collecting data at primary care level, while a comprehensive assessment of the global burden of HPV-related diseases on hospital resources is still lacking. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study based on hospital discharge data collected from 2000 to 2010 in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy). All hospitalizations for diseases potentially associated with HPV were identified by searching the hospital discharge records, then the proportion of these hospitalizations relating to diseases attributable to the HPV infection was calculated. RESULTS: Overall, the annual hospitalization rate for HPV-related diseases was 21.3 per 100,000 individuals in the general population, 15.8 per 100,000 males, and 27.6 per 100,000 females. Hospitalizations were due mainly to genital warts, and peak among 15- to 44-year-olds in both genders. Taking both sexes together, the hospitalizations attributable to HPV dropped from 24.5/100,000 in 2000 to 17.5/100,000 in 2011, showing a significant decline during this period, with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of -1.9% (CI 95%: -2.8, -0.9;). On the other hand, the hospitalization rate for genital warts tended to increase significantly (AAPC 3.0% [CI 95%: 1.4;4.7]), whilst there was a significantly declining trend in the hospitalization rate for anal cancer (AAPC - 5.0% [CI 95%: -7.7;-2.2]), genital cancer (AAPC -6.2% [CI 95%: -7.8;-4.6]) and oropharyngeal cancer (AAPC -4.3% [CI 95%: -4.8;-3,8]). CONCLUSION: Data derived from the hospital records indicate that HPV-related diseases are an important public health issue.

Organ procurement requiring the authorization of the judicial authority. An epidemiological investigation in the Veneto region (Italy).

BACKGROUND: When death occurs through a mechanism requiring a forensic investigation, consent for organ harvesting must be sought from the Judicial Authority (JA). AIM: To perform a retrospective study of potential organ donors in the Veneto region over a six-year period (2012-2017), analysing any differences between cases in which the JA approved or denied organ harvesting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Both non-heart beating (NHB) and heart beating (HB) donors were included. For HB cases, personal and clinical data were collected. To evaluate the correlation between the JA response and the circumstantial and clinical data a logistic multivariate analysis was performed, estimating the adjusted odds ratios (adjORs). RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2017, 17,662 organ and/or tissue donors were included, of which 16,418 were NHB donors and 1,244 HB-donors. Among the 1,244 HB-donors, JA authorization was asked in 200 cases (16.1%), approved in 154 cases (77.0%), limited in 7 cases (3.5%) and denied in 39 cases (19.5%). The JA denied the authorization for organ harvesting in 53,3% of cases with hospitalizations of less than 1 day and in 9,4% of cases with hospitalization exceeding one week [adjOR(95%CI) = 10.67 (1.92-59.22)]. The performance of an autopsy was linked to a higher chance of denied outcome from the JA [adjOR(95%CI): 3.45 (1.42-8.39)]. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in the communication between organ procurement organizations and the JA through efficient protocols furnishing detailed information on the cause of death might lead to a better procurement process with an increase in the number of transplanted organs.

Is SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination of Subjects with a Prior History of Allergies Dangerous? Experiences in the Veneto Region of Italy.

Adverse events after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations have caused alarm to some individuals with previously diagnosed allergies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the risk of adverse reactions was actually higher in this subgroup. To this end, we carried out an observational descriptive analysis of vaccines administered in a "protected setting" in the Veneto region of Italy between December 2020 and December 2022. Reactions were classified using systemic organic classification (SOC), and their severity was assessed using the criteria of the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA). A total of 421 subjects were vaccinated with 1050 doses, 95.0% of which were administered without adverse events. In all, 53 subjects reported 87 SOC reactions (1.6 reactions/person), and 18.3% of these reactions were severe. One person was hospitalized, but all subjects enjoyed complete remission. Reporting rates were 9.0%, 3.1%, and 1.2% for first, second, and third doses, respectively. The most frequent reactions involved the respiratory system (2.3%), the cutaneous and subcutaneous systems (2.1%), and the nervous system (1.7%). Multivariate analyses (adjOR (95% CI)) revealed that the probability of experiencing at least one reaction significantly declined with increases in age [0.95 (0.94-0.97)] and in the number of doses received, i.e., 75% [0.25 (0.13-0.49)] for second doses and 88% [0.12 (0.04-0.39)] for third doses. These results indicated that vaccinations could be safely administered; few reactions were reported, and there were no permanent adverse outcomes.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Veneto Region: Analysis of Hospital Discharge Records from 2007 to 2021.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a known cause of acute lower respiratory infections in infants and young children. The present study aims to analyze the temporal trends and characteristics of hospitalization related to RSV in the Veneto region (Italy) in the period between 2007 and 2021. The analysis is performed on all the hospital discharge records (HDRs) of public and accredited private hospitals corresponding to hospitalizations occurring in the Veneto region (Italy). HDRs are considered if they included at least one of the following ICD9-CM codes: 079.6-Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV); 466.11-acute bronchiolitis due to RSV; and 480.1-pneumonia due to RSV. Total annual cases, sex, and age-specific rates and trends are evaluated. Overall, an increasing trend in the number of hospitalizations due to RSV was observed between 2007 and 2019, with a slight drop in RSV seasons 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. From March 2020 to September 2021, almost no hospitalization was registered, but in the last quarter of 2021, the number of hospitalizations reached its highest value in the series. Our data confirm the preponderance of RSV hospitalizations in infants and young children, the seasonality of RSV hospitalizations, and acute bronchiolitis as the most frequent diagnosis. Interestingly, the data also show the existence of a significant burden of disease and a non-negligible number of deaths also in older adults. The present study confirms RSV is associated with high rates of hospitalization in infants and sheds light on the burden in the 70+ age group in which a considerable number of deaths was observed, as well as the parallelism with other countries, which is consistent with a wide underdiagnoses issue.

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on healthcare workers of a large University Hospital in the Veneto Region: risk of infection and clinical presentation in relation to different pandemic phases and some relevant determinants.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prevalence of COVID-19-related symptoms in relation to pandemic phases and some relevant variables in a cohort of 8,029 HCWs from one of the largest Italian University Hospitals. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was performed on data collected during SARS-CoV-2 infection surveillance of HCWs. Cox's multiple regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Logistic multivariate regression was used to assess the risk of asymptomatic infections and the onset of the most frequent symptoms. All analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and occupational factors, pandemic phases, vaccination status, and previous infections. Results: A total of 3,760 HCWs resulted positive (2.0%-18.6% across five study phases). The total incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 7.31 cases per 10,000 person-days, significantly lower in phase 1 and higher in phases 4 and 5, compared to phase 3. Younger HCWs, healthcare personnel, and unvaccinated subjects showed a higher risk of infection. Overall, 24.5% were asymptomatic infections, with a higher probability for men, physicians, and HCWs tested for screening, fully vaccinated, and those with previous infection. The clinical presentation changed over the phases in relation to vaccination status and the emergence of new variants. Conclusion: The screening activities of HCWs allowed for the early detection of asymptomatic cases, limiting the epidemic clusters inside the hospital wards. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reduced infections and symptomatic cases, demonstrating again its paramount value as a preventive tool for occupational and public health.

The Effectiveness of a Diverse COVID-19 Vaccine Portfolio and Its Impact on the Persistence of Positivity and Length of Hospital Stays: The Veneto Region's Experience.

The vaccination campaign for the Veneto region (northeastern Italy) started on 27 December 2020. As of early December 2021, 75.1% of the whole Veneto population has been fully vaccinated. Vaccine efficacy has been demonstrated in many clinical trials, but reports on real-world contexts are still necessary. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 2,233,399 residents in the Veneto region to assess the reduction in the COVID-19 burden, taking different outcomes into consideration. First, we adopted a non-brand-specific approach borrowed from survival analysis to estimate the effectiveness of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in preventing infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. We used t-tests and multivariate regressions to examine vaccine impact on breakthrough infections, in terms of the persistence of positivity and the length of hospital stays. Evidence emerging from this study suggests that unvaccinated individuals are significantly more likely to become infected, need hospitalization, and are at a higher risk of death from COVID-19 than those given at least one dose of vaccine. Cox models indicate that the effectiveness of full vaccination is 88% against infection, 94% against hospitalization, and 95% against death. Multivariate regressions suggest that vaccination is significantly correlated with a shorter period of positivity and shorter hospital stays, with each step toward completion of the vaccination cycle coinciding with a reduction of 3.3 days in the persistence of positivity and 2.3 days in the length of hospital stay.

"Would You Get Vaccinated against COVID-19?" The Picture Emerging from a Study on the Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the General Population of the Veneto Region.

COVID-19 disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, continues to cause high hospitalization and death rates. Vaccination campaigns have been key to controlling the pandemic, but vaccine hesitancy is on the rise. This study investigated the general population's attitude to vaccination in Veneto (northeast Italy) in January 2021 as part of a study on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. An ad hoc questionnaire collected 4467 respondents' sociodemographic data and propensity to be vaccinated, and findings were analyzed using logistic multivariable regression. The 48.9% of respondents were male, and the mean age was 46.8 ± 16.0 years. Asked whether they would get vaccinated against COVID-19, 84.3% said yes, 5.0% were uncertain, and 10.7% said no. Vaccine acceptance was higher in males than in females (85.8% vs. 82.8%), in people 70+ years old (92.3%), and among people with more than 14 years of schooling (89.6%). Multivariable analysis with adjOR (95% CI) showed a significantly greater vaccine reluctance in females (0.68 (0.57−0.81)), people 30−49 or 50−69 years old (0.69 (0.54−0.87)), and (0.76 (0.58−0.99)); and those with <9 or 9−13 years of schooling (0.62 (0.46−0.82)), and (0.72 (0.57−0.91)). As people refusing vaccination undeniably hinder efforts to control the pandemic, specific strategies are needed to overcome their doubts.

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic outbreak on the vascular access team operations after conversion to COVID-19 dedicated hospital.

BACKGROUND: On February 21 2020, in Schiavonia Hospital occurred the first death by COVID-19 in Italy and since this date SARS-CoV-2 caused more than 100,000 deaths in our country. Our hospital was immediately closed and re-opened after 15 days as a reference Covid Hospital. Among services involved in a process of destruction and rebirth there was also the Vascular Access Team. METHODS: We analyzed our Vascular Access Team activity comparing data from the first month (March) in which basically it did not work and data from the following month (April) in which we began to re-build the Team adapting it to the new reality. RESULTS: In all patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit a Centrally Inserted Central Catheter multilumen was placed, but in March only 5.5% of patients admitted to Medicine-Sub-intensive Unit had a catheter different from the short peripheral cannula while in April it was possible to guarantee a more suitable catheter 31.7% of patients admitted to Medicine-Sub-intensive Unit (p < 0.000). In April, compared to March, a significant higher number of Midline were implanted in Medicine-Sub-intensive Unit (36/139 vs 12/238 p < 0.000) where also a higher number of Centrally Inserted Central Catheter and Femoral Inserted Central Catheter were implanted (8/139 vs 1/238 p = 0.003). This change allowed us to implant more vascular accesses in Medicine-Sub-intensive Unit favoring Midline with a longer average duration. Only one patient with Midline developed a catheter vein thrombosis, and in only one patient the device was removed for suspected infection. CONCLUSIONS: The experience we gained will allow us to be more prepared in the future and our experience has highlighted that a structured Vascular Access Team is necessary to respond adequately to COVID-19 patients' needs, to ensure the effectiveness of the maneuver, to reduce complications and to avoid the waste of resources, always working in safe condition.

Prevalence of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the General Population of the Veneto Region: Results of a Screening Campaign with Third-Generation Rapid Antigen Tests in the Pre-Vaccine Era.

The aim of our study was to ascertain the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population during a period of moderate risk, just before Italy started to implement its vaccination campaign. A third-generation antigenic nasal swab sample was collected by a healthcare provider, and all individuals testing positive subsequently had a nasopharyngeal swab for molecular testing; the result was used to calculate the positive predictive value. The population consisted of 4467 asymptomatic adults with a mean age of 46.8 ± 16.00 years. The 62.2% tested for the first time, while 37.8% had previously undergone a mean 2.2 tests for SARS-CoV-2. With 77 of our overall sample reporting they had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and 14 found positive on our screening test, the overall estimated prevalence of the infection was 0.31%. Nine of the 14 cases were confirmed on molecular testing with a PPV of 64.3%. The mean age of the individuals testing positive was 38.1 ± 17.4. Based on the timing of symptom onset, six of the above cases were classified as false negatives, and the adjusted estimated prevalence was 0.34%. Describing levels of infection in a general population seems to be very difficult to achieve, and the universal screening proved hugely expensive particularly in a low-prevalence situation. Anyway, it is only thanks to mass screening efforts that epidemiological data have been collected. This would support the idea that routine screening may have an impact on mitigating the spread of the virus in higher-risk environments, where people come into contact more frequently, as in the workplace.

Persistence of Anti-Hbs after up to 30 Years in Health Care Workers Vaccinated against Hepatitis B Virus.

The burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem all over the world. Vaccination remains the most effective prevention measure, and safe and effective HBV vaccines have been available since 1982. Health care workers (HCWs) vaccinated against HBV and prospectively followed up for at least 14 years were classified by their antibody titers after primary vaccination as: poor responders (10-99 mIU/mL); moderate responders (100-999 mIU/mL); and good responders (≥1000 mIU/mL). The incidence of antibody loss was calculated for 1000 person-years and the anti-HBs persistence was calculated. The analysis concerned 539 HCWs: 494 good responders (91.7%); 37 moderate responders (6.9%); and eight poor responders (1.5%). The incidence of anti-HBs loss was 52.1 per 1000 person-years for the poor responders, 11.3 per 1000 person-years for the moderate responders, and 1.4 per 1000 person-years for the good responders. The mean persistence of anti-HBs differed significantly between the three groups, being: 19.2 years (95% CI: 15.6-22.8), 25.4 years (95% CI: 23.0-27.9), and 31.0 years (95% CI: 30.5-31.5) for the poor, moderate and good responders, respectively. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a good persistence of protective anti-HBs titers in HCWs exposed to occupational risk for up to 30 years after a primary vaccination cycle (even without a booster dose) if their titer was initially higher than 100 mIU/mL.

Influenza coverage rates in subjects with chronic heart diseases: results obtained in four consecutive immunisation seasons in the Local Health Unit of Ferrara (North Italy)".

BACKGROUND: Seasonal influenza epidemics yearly affects 5-15% of the world's population, resulting in 3-5 million serious cases and up to 650,000 deaths. According to the 2017-2019 Italian National Immunisation Plan, free immunisation is offered to the categories at increased risk of experience the complications of the infection (over 65 years old subjects, pregnant women and individuals with underlying conditions, including chronic heart diseases). Rising evidence suggests that influenza can trigger adverse cardiovascular events therefore the vaccination is recommended for secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, the influenza coverage rate in subjects with chronic heart disease is underestimated. METHODS: The study investigated the coverage rate in four consecutive influenza seasons (from 2011/2012 to 2014/2015) in subjects that benefit from exemption from paying healthcare costs for chronic heart disease living in Local Health Unit (LHU) of Ferrara (Italy), comparing the databases of exemptions and immunisations. RESULTS: The levels of influenza vaccine uptake were unstable, reaching the 50.3% in 2011/2012 immunisation season and falling to 42.2% in the following year. Coverage rates increased with increasing age, without achieving the 75% target, neither in over 65 years old subjects. The logistic regression analysis showed that influenza coverage rates were statistically significant different (p < 0.0001, 0.003 only for category of disease in 2011/2012 immunisation season) according to age, district of residence, category of chronic heart disease and length of exemption, but not influenced by gender. CONCLUSIONS: The recommendation of influenza immunisation was weakly followed in individuals with chronic heart diseases. A collaboration between cardiologists, GPs, scientific societies and patient associations could successfully support influenza vaccine uptake.