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Biomedical subjects

L Lauria

Publications and source records attributed to L Lauria.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Patterns of contraceptive use in 5 European countries. European Study Group on Infertility and Subfecundity.

OBJECTIVES: The use of contraception in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Spain is described. METHODS: Data were drawn from a population-based cross-sectional study, the European Study of Infertility and Subfecundity. Interviews were conducted with 6630 women aged 25 to 44 years. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of factors associated with contraceptive use. RESULTS: Residents of Northern European countries tended to use more effective methods of contraception than residents of Southern European countries. The use of contraception was generally more common among single women, the more highly educated, those with children, and those with a previous induced abortion. These characteristics were also the main determinants of the use of more effective methods. Periodic abstinence and withdrawal were more common among older women. CONCLUSIONS: The European countries are in different phases of contraceptive practice: in Northern and Western Europe, use of more modern methods has been stable over the past 10 years, whereas these methods are less common in Southern and Eastern Europe. The results suggest the need for information, education, and provision of contraceptive services in Eastern and Southern Europe.

Abortion, Induced↗

[Incidence of measles in Italy in the 1985-1994 period].

Measles notifications in Italy underestimate the actual incidence by a factor of ten, as it is ascertained by seroepidemiological investigation. In the decade 1980-89, 45,000 measles cases were notified, on average, per year. Since 1988 mass vaccination campaigns were implemented in several Italian regions. The strategy aimed to offer the prophylaxis actively to all children aged 13 months to 8-12 year for whom a sure recollection of measles was absent. The study has aimed to evaluate the impact of the strategy that worked in the period 1989-91, on the standardised average annual incidence of measles notification, comparing the periods 1985-89 and 1990-94. A reduction of 45% resulted all over Italy. On the contrary the incidence of chickenpox notifications has increased, indicating that the notification system did not worse.

Adolescent↗

[Pilot study on compulsory vaccination coverage].

The disappearance of diphtheria and poliomyelitis is the best evidence of the efficacy of the vaccination strategies adopted in Italy. The active offer of the prophylaxis, reinforced by law, has characterised the operational aspects of the strategy. The active surveillance system is the main tool to take under control the effectiveness of health services responsible for vaccination. This system could be more easily implemented if the health services will be given a specific software aiming to handle and evaluate vaccination registers. The present pilot study, performed in the regions Marche and Sardegna, is an example of active surveillance and it is based on the ARVA software produced by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The results show a good level of coverage (> 95%) within the second year of life. Unsatisfactory results were obtained on the timing of vaccinations, as recommended by the vaccination schedule, mostly for the third doses.

Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine↗

Ultrasonography evaluation of bone lesions of the jaw.

The ultrasonographic aspects of 72 intraosseous lesions of the jaws were evaluated to identify the usefulness of this type of examination. The principal aim of ultrasonography was to recognize the lesion's content before surgical treatment. Four groups of lesions were classified after the definitive histopathologic examination: lesions with solid, liquid, dense liquid, and mixed contents. The initial ultrasonography examination was in agreement with the histopathologic findings in 24 (92.3%) cases with solid content, 17 (73.9%) cases with liquid content, 7 (7.7%) cases with dense liquid content, and 13 (92.8%) cases with mixed content. On the basis of the results of this study, we propose the use of ultrasonography as a complementary examination for intraosseous lesions of the jaws. If a liquid component is identified in ultrasonography, a surgical procedure should be performed immediately. Otherwise, if a lesion with solid component is identified, it should be biopsied for histopathologic examination and final diagnosis before definitive surgery.

Diagnosis, Differential↗