Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Marcolongo.
A very rare case of mesenteric teratoma, detected by routine ultrasound screening at 20 weeks' gestation, is reported. The patient, a male newborn delivered at 40 weeks' gestation in good condition, was successfully operated on at birth. The post-operative course was regular and the baby is currently doing well.
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Bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling can cure thalassaemia. The risk of chemotherapy-induced sterility, however, represents a deterrent for many patients already at risk of gonadal insufficiency and reduced fertility because of the effects of transfusional iron overload. We report here the first patient transplanted for thalassaemia, after ablative therapy with busulfan and cyclophosphamide, who, despite late pubertal maturation, became pregnant and delivered a full-term, normal infant.
The authors present the findings of a study in three stages (1989-1991) on the appropriateness of human albumin use at the hospital of Padova, Italy. In the first stage, guidelines for appropriate use were defined and a monitoring system was set up. In the second stage, compliance of the hospital departments with the new guidelines was assessed in a sample of human albumin prescription charts and related medical records. This revealed a reduction in consumption of 25%. Sixty-eight per cent of all albumin was given for indications that are only occasionally appropriate. The information given in the prescription chart agreed with the diagnosis contained in the medical records in 78% of cases. At the end of this stage new regulating mechanisms were introduced. The third stage consisted of a medium-term assessment and produced basically the same results as the previous stage. Crucial steps in the implementation of effective actions in quality improvement processes have been discussed.
We report a case of an unusual prenatal presentation of polycystic kidneys associated with multiple skeletal limb defects, including polydactyly, syndactyly, bilateral agenesis of the tibia, and club foot. The ultrasonographic picture was consistent with a diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease, either the adult onset autosomal dominant type (ADPKD) or the early onset autosomal recessive form (ARPKD). However, there was a positive family history for ADPKD. Linkage analysis was performed in 10 family members, of whom four were affected, using six flanking DNA markers tightly linked to the PKD1 locus on chromosome 16p, and one marker linked to the putative PKD2 locus on chromosome 2p. Lod score determinations indicated that the affected gene in the family is most likely PKD1. The patient inherited the disease linked haplotype from his affected mother.
In this study we treated a group of women during pregnancy by moxibustion on point 67 B (Zhiyin), to obtain inversion of fetuses in breech presentation. Comparison is made with a control group drawn retrospectively from clinical files at a regional hospital. The aim of the study is to identify the ideal population (in terms of parity and gestational age) to be included in a randomized controlled trial.
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The perceived level of competence of nurses working in the emergency services of the regione Veneto was evaluated with a questionnaire, distributed to the 906 nurses working in First aid and Emergency Departments. 490 questionnaires were returned (54%). The aim of the survey was to identify the educational needs of the nurses. The panel of experts that devised the questionnaire identified the main skills required by emergency nurses and set the standard level of performance to be achieved: 4.5 on a scale from 0 to 5. The mean level of performance for skills such as the identification of vital signs, ambu ventilation, cardiac massage, and oxygen delivery is never lower than 4. The areas of management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias, drowning syndrome, metabolic disorders, require specific reinforcement with ad hoc courses. The pattern of perceived competence is similar for the nurses that work in ambulances, in Emergency services and in First Aid Departments. While a better level of performance has been found in nurses working in emergency services.