PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Amico

Publications and source records attributed to L Amico.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

[Videophone assistance and home hospitalization: the ViSaDom program].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to study the clinical feasibility of videophone-based communication between patients in their homes, and the care teams who work in the Home Hospitalization department (HH). METHODS: This pilot study of videophone users compared them with a group of control patients also in HH. They came from either the adult, maternity or pediatric departments. Patients who met the inclusion criteria and consented to participate in the study were randomly assigned to one of two groups: those who had a videophone installed in their homes (telemedicine group), and those who received the standard HH care (control group). Sixteen patients in the telemedicine group were matched with 16 from the control group, according to age, Karnofsky Index score, and the reason for HH admission. RESULTS: The mean videophone call lasted six minutes, and patients averaged 23 calls each over the study period (0.7 calls per patient per working day). The videophone enabled better follow-up of wounds: for example, the nurse could transmit photos from the patient's home for real-time coordination. It was also useful for following patients suffering from pain, for technical nursing care, and for educating patients and their caregivers. Anxiety (measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) diminished during the study period for the telemedicine patients, compared with the control group (p=0.048). Within the telemedicine group, all patients and their families were very satisfied or satisfied with their care and with the communication (15/15), although the staff's level of satisfaction was slightly lower (14/16); there were no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSION: The ViSaDom program indicates that videophone communication is feasible and acceptable and could be a useful tool for improving the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of care.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Integrable model for interacting electrons in metallic grains.

We find an integrable generalization of the BCS model with nonuniform Coulomb and pairing interaction. The Hamiltonian is integrable by construction since it is a functional of commuting operators; these operators, which therefore are constants of motion of the model, contain the anisotropic Gaudin Hamiltonians. The exact solution is obtained diagonalizing them by means of Bethe ansatz. Uniform pairing and Coulomb interaction are obtained as the "isotropic limit" of the Gaudin Hamiltonians. We discuss possible applications of this model to a single grain and to a system of few interacting grains.

Journal Article↗

Cerebrovascular complications of mucinous cancers.

Six patients with mucinous cancer (2 colonic, 2 pancreatic, and 2 pulmonary origin) had necropsy evidence of thrombosis of large and small systemic, extracranial, and intracranial arteries and veins, and multiple cerebral infarcts and small hemorrhages. On microscopic examination, we found small infarcts and hemorrhages within the brain and mucin within vessels, macrophages, and in areas of infarction. The clinical picture included strokes and encephalopathy. Mucin-producing cancers can be associated with a coagulopathy that causes extensive occlusive vascular disease.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Intraluminal clot of the carotid artery detected radiographically.

Nine patients had intraluminal filling defects identifiable as clot within the internal carotid artery at angiography. Thrombus was unilateral in eight, bilateral in one. Eight of the 10 clots were attached to atheromatous plaques. Three patients had serious concurrent illness: pancreatic cancer, rheumatoid arthritis with arteritis, and chronic pulmonary disease with polycythemia. In three patients, the clot was related to severe atherosclerosis. In three other patients, all young, the carotid thrombi remained unexplained though two of these patients had coagulation abnormalities. No patient had a new stroke after surgical or anticoagulant treatment.

Adult↗

Evoked potential study and radiological findings in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We performed clinical, radiological (MRI) and neurophysiological (NCV, SEPs, and BAEPs) investigations in 36 unselected patients affected by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Fifteen patients (42%) presented clear neurological events and were considered as definite neuropsychiatric lupus (NPLE); 21 (58%) presented minor subjective complaints or no neurological problems referable to SLE and were considered as no-NPLE. Twenty-three patients (64%) showed neurophysiological abnormalities: 21 (58%) presented central abnormal neurophysiological measurements (including SEP and BAEP values), while 17 (47%) has slowed peripheral nerve conduction. Twenty-six out of 36 patients executed brain MRI examination. High intensity spots (HIS) in deep or subcortical white matter were the most common abnormalities and were present in 19 of the 26 patients (73%). We found that the incidence of neurophysiological and radiological abnormalities did not significantly differ in neurologically symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Central nervous system impairment evidenced by abnormal N13-20 interpeak intervals (p = 0.05) and HIS (p = 0.01) findings was significantly associated with the presence of cutaneous vasculitis; while peripheral nerve involvement was significantly more frequent in patients with renal failure (p = 0.006).

Acute Kidney Injury↗