PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Paci

Publications and source records attributed to P Paci.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prevalence of HIV-1 infection in 18 year old men in Tuscany. The Toscana Collaborative Group.

BACKGROUND: The main route of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is sexual contact. A high proportion of young adults is exposed to this mode of transmission. Therefore it is important to assess the level of HIV-1 prevalence among 18 year olds in Italy. METHODS: Available blood samples taken at the physical examination of the military draft visit in Tuscany, Italy, have been tested in an anonymous unlinked fashion for HIV-1 infection in 1990 and 1991. RESULTS: In the 2 years, 4478 and 4959 men were tested, respectively, representing 91.7% of all subjects included in the draft lists. Prevalence of HIV-1 infection was 1.12 per 1000 (95%CI: 0.36-2.61 per 1000) in 1990 and 0.20 per 1000 (95% CI: 0.01-1.12) in 1991. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of HIV-1 infection in the 18 year old male population in Tuscany is close to or below 1/1000. Evidence of the presence of HIV-1 infection in this population should prompt the implementation of adequate prevention programmes among adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Equity and efficiency in Italian health care.

Health care finance and provision in Italy is unusual by international standards: public financing relies heavily on both general taxation and social insurance, and although the vast majority of expenditure is publicly financed, the majority of care is provided by the private sector. The system suffers, however, from a chronic failure to control expenditures and its record on perinatal and infant mortality is poor. Hospitals in Italy have a low bed-occupancy rate by international standards and the per diem system of reimbursing private hospitals encourages unduly long stays. Costs per inpatient day are high by international standards, but costs per admission are close to the OECD average. Ambulatory care costs are extremely low, but this appears to be due to the fact that GPs see so many patients that their role is inevitably mainly administrative. Consumption of medicines is extremely high, but because the cost per item is low, expenditure per capita is not unduly high. Despite the emphasis on social insurance, the financing system appears to be progressive. There is evidence of inequalities in health in Italy, and some evidence that health care is not provided equally to those in the same degree of need.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1991

On the measurement of inequalities in health.

This paper offers a critical appraisal of the various methods employed to date to measure inequalities in health. It suggests that only two of these--the slope index of inequality and the concentration index--are likely to present an accurate picture of socioeconomic inequalities in health. The paper also presents several empirical examples to illustrate of the dangers of using other measures such as the range, the Lorenz curve and the index of dissimilarity.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1991

Central nervous system involvement during infection by Phlebovirus toscana of residents in natural foci in central Italy (1977-1988).

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was detected during infection caused by the sand fly-transmitted Phlebovirus Toscana. One hundred fifty-five cases of Toscana virus-associated meningitis or meningoencephalitis were identified in a survey that lasted ten years, conducted in two regions of central Italy. Diagnosis was performed by different serologic tests. A combination of hemagglutination-inhibition and plaque-reduction neutralization or indirect immunofluorescence for IgM, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for IgM were considered the most suitable tests for the diagnosis of Toscana virus infection. A few strains of Toscana virus were isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of seropositive patients. Toscana virus-associated CNS disease occurred during the summer, reaching a peak value in August, when the maximum activity of the sand fly vector occurs and virus isolates are obtained in their natural foci. The results suggest that Toscana virus should be considered as a possible cause of CNS disease in Mediterranean countries where sand flies of the genus Phlebotomus are known to be present.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Neurological involvement in group iv HIV-positive patients. Neurophysiological and clinical data.

Spinal and cortical SEP responses were recorded during tibial and median nerve stimulation in 58 HIV+ subjects (8 IV/C1, 24 IV/C2 & IV/A, 11 III and 15 II), all asymptomatic from a neurological point of view. The electrophysiological features were compared with clinical assessment and serum HIV markers for purposes of prognosis and therapy. In group IV we observed a slowing of conduction along the afferent pathway in the spinal tracts and afferent ways to the cortex. The major part of the delay occurred in the mid and lower medullary tract. These results agree with neuropathological finding from post-mortem examination in AIDS pts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1983

[Acute viral hepatitis in the Florence area: I. Epidemiologic study].

The sera of 401 patients admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases [U.S.L. (Unità Sanitaria Locale) 10 D] in Florence in one year were screened for the presence of markers of hepatitis A and B viruses. On the basis of clinical and serological data, the diagnosis of viral hepatitis was confirmed for 302 patients. Among the se, 73 (24.18%) were affected by hepatitis A, 182 (60.26%) by hepatitis B and 47 (15.56%) by nonA nonB hepatitis. The prevalence of B nonA nonB hepatitis in 133 drug addicts was 69.37% and 25.51% respectively. A previous infection with hepatitis A virus, as demonstrated by the presence of anti A antibodies of the IgG idiotype in the sera, was demonstrated in 201 of 328 patients (62.03%) not affected by hepatitis A. Only 14% of them reported data related to a possible former acute hepatitis. Markers of B virus were found in 62 of 167 sera of patients (37.12%) not affected by acute B hepatitis or chronic HBsAg positive hepatitis. However the prevalence of virus B markers increases up to 50% in the sera of drug addicts. According to our data the spreading of virus hepatitis in the area of Florence is similar to that observed in other Regions of Central and Northern Italy with fairly good social and hygienic conditions. High prevalence of nonA nonB hepatitis and of HBsAg carriers among the drug addicts are noteworthy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

[Acute viral hepatitis in the Florence area: II. Immunologic study].

Sera obtained from 302 patients with acute viral hepatitis were studied for the presence of organ and non organ specific autoantibodies and of circulating immune complexes (CIC). Autoantibodies were determined by indirect immunofluorescence techniques and CICs were detected by 125 J - C1q assay (C1qBA according to Zubler et al., 1976). A high prevalence of anti smooth muscle autoantibodies (SMA) was found in the sera of the patients. In particular, SMA were found in the sera from 44/73 (60.2%), 92/182 (50.55%) and 10/47 (21.3%) of A, B and nonA nonB hepatitis, respectively. The highest prevalence of SMA was observed within 10 days after the clinical onset of the disease in hepatitis A patients and within 10-15 days in nonA nonB hepatitis. The prevalence of SMA in hepatitis B is persistently high during the first two weeks of illness, then decreases and, about the 3rd week, increases again. CIC were detected in 156 sera from 302 patients (51.65%) affected by acute viral hepatitis. The prevalence of CIC was significantly higher in hepatitis A (78.08%) than in B and nonA nonB hepatitis (45.6% and 34.03% respectively). CIC were demonstrated in almost all the sera of hepatitis A patients admitted between the 6th and the 15th day after the onset of the disease. A strict connection was observed between SMA and CIC and, although to a lesser extent, between CIC and markers of A and B viruses. No significant connection between CIC and serum aminotransferase or bilirubin levels was noted. CIC screening was performed weekly for 1 month after admission in 225 patients with acute viral hepatitis. According to our data, the clearance of immune complexes from serum seems to occur more quickly in B and nonA nonB hepatitis than in virus A hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗