scholarly journals A Network Approach for the Study of Drug Prescriptions: Analysis of Administrative Records from a Local Health Unit (ASL TO4, Regione Piemonte, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4859
Author(s):  
Gianluca Miglio ◽  
Lara Basso ◽  
Lucrezia G. Armando ◽  
Sara Traina ◽  
Elisa Benetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Administrative Data ◽  
Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ◽  
Drug Prescription ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Prescription Data ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Administrative Records ◽  
Edge Linking ◽  
Novel Approach

In a Drug Prescription Network (DPN), each drug is represented as a node and two drugs co-prescribed to the same patient are represented as an edge linking the nodes. The use of DPNs is a novel approach that has been proposed as a means to study the complexity of drug prescription. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the analytical power of the DPN-based approach when it is applied to the analysis of administrative data. Drug prescription data that were collected at a local health unit (ASL TO4, Regione Piemonte, Italy), over a 12-month period (July 2018–June 2019), were used to create several DPNs that correspond to the five levels of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system. A total of 5,431,335 drugs prescribed to 361,574 patients (age 0–100 years; 54.7% females) were analysed. As indicated by our results, the DPNs were dense networks, with giant components that contain all nodes. The disassortative mixing of node degrees was observed, which implies that non-random connectivity exists in the networks. Network-based methods have proven to be a flexible and efficient approach to the analysis of administrative data on drug prescription.

Evaluation of the prescription and utilization patterns of statins in an Italian local health unit during the period 1994–2003

2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Deambrosis ◽  
Cristina Saramin ◽  
Gianni Terrazzani ◽  
Luca Scaldaferri ◽  
Patrizia Debetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Utilization Patterns

scholarly journals Prevalence of L. monocytogenes in environmental samples collected in dairy plants of Sassari Province, Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Terrosu ◽  
Antonio Fadda ◽  
Giorgio Frongia ◽  
Antonietta Sanna ◽  
Rita Melillo
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Competent Authority ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Production Environment ◽  
Alert System ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Rapid Alert System

<em>Listeria</em> (<em>L.</em>) <em>monocytogenes</em> is frequently isolated from food production environment and often persists in dairy plants despite vigorous sanitation regimes. In recent years several alert notifications were sent to <em>Rapid Alert System for Food Products</em> system as a consequence of <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> contamination of ricotta cheese. After the alert of 2012, competent authority (Local Health Unit of Sassari Province) organised an environmental monitoring plan with the partnership of the Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Sardinia to verify analysis of dairy plants own-check according to Regulation (EC) N° 2073/05 and further modifications. In 2014 n. 665 processing areas samples of n. 50 dairy plants of Sassari Province were examined. UNI EN ISO 11290-1:2005 for detection of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> was used. Non-compliance in n. 5 diary plants are observed (n. 8 positive samples). Post-non-compliance environmental sanitisation was efficient and own-check plans included appropriate corrective actions.

scholarly journals Spirometry monitoring in asthmatic children in Lombardy Region, Italy

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e000334
Author(s):  
Pietro Casartelli ◽  
Antonio Clavenna ◽  
Massimo Cartabia ◽  
Angela Bortolotti ◽  
Ida Fortino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Therapy ◽  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Drug Prescription ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Function Evaluation ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Asthmatic Children ◽  
Antiasthmatic Drug

ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in a cohort of asthmatic children before and after starting drug therapy.MethodsData were retrieved from administrative databases of the Lombardy Region. The study population was composed of 78 184 children born in the Lombardy Region in 2002 and followed until their 10th birthday.Children with at least one antiasthmatic drug prescription per year (with the exclusion of nebulised suspension/solution formulations) in 2 consecutive years and at least one antiasthmatic drug prescription after the fifth birthday were identified as potential asthmatics (PA).Each PA was monitored for a period starting from 12 months before and ending 24 months after the first prescription (index prescription, IP). During the monitoring period antiasthmatic drug prescriptions were analysed, as well as spirometry and/or specialist visits.ResultsA total of 59 975 children (76.7%) received ≥1 prescription of antiasthmatic drugs in their first 10 years of life, and 4475 (5.7%) were identified as PAs. In all, 24% of PAs started with short-acting β2-agonists (SABA), 23% with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and 20% with SABA+ICS.A total of 33% of PAs had at least one prescription for specialist visit/spirometry: 11% before and 28% after the IP. The factors associated with a greater likelihood of receiving visit/spirometry prescriptions were local health unit of residence, age and high use of asthma drugs.ConclusionsDespite international guideline recommendations, spirometry monitoring is still underused in asthmatic children, even in subjects who initiated pharmacological treatment and therefore need an airway function evaluation. Moreover, the choice of drug therapy appears not always rational, since one out of four children were commenced on ICS as monotherapy.

scholarly journals Council Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009: state of the art and its application in a local health unit in Piedmont, Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginevra Paolucci ◽  
Daniela Cagnasso ◽  
Francesco Cassani ◽  
Daniele Pattono
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Local Health ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Council Regulation ◽  
Economic Nature

In the last decade, the European Union has reinforced the concept of animal welfare throughout the food chain, from breeding to slaughtering. Studies and assessments of economic nature led to the adoption of Regulation EC 1099/2009 and at the end of 2014 this regulation will be applied to all the members involved in the food chain. For this reason several local health units organized different initiatives. The local health unit of Turin no. 4 (ASLTO4) has developed a project aimed to train food business operators (FBO) to fulfill all the criteria developed in this Regulation. This initiative was divided into four steps: i) communication to the companies about the criteria of the new regulation; ii) a training course for official veterinarians; iii) slaughterhouse audits in order to get information about animal welfare; iv) and a training course for the personnel involved in slaughterhouses. The purpose of this paper was to report the results of the audits in order to identify critical points of structural, instrumental and documentary facilities. Then, the results can be compared with similar studies in order to develop common strategies and intervention areas.

scholarly journals EP1.01-87 Cutaneous Metastasis in Lung Cancer – A Retrospective Study in a Local Health Unit in Guarda, Portugal

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. S945-S946
Author(s):  
R. Natal ◽  
J. Costa ◽  
M. Oliveira ◽  
A. Amaral ◽  
F. Cabral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Cutaneous Metastasis ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Local Health Unit

scholarly journals Twenty Years of Hepatitis C in the Treviso District (Local Health Unit 2): Treatments, Clinical Management and Cost Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 228424031983586
Author(s):  
Annachiara Bellin ◽  
Giulia Franchin ◽  
Jenny Bolcato ◽  
Alessandra Bettiol ◽  
Roberta Pirolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Clinical Management ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Local Health Unit

scholarly journals Measles Outbreak Among Healthcare Professionals: Operational Response and Remedial Measures

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Dari ◽  
Anna Maria Cassano ◽  
Sabrina Di Lorenzo ◽  
Raffaela Napoli ◽  
Elisabetta Manini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Close Monitoring ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Mmr Vaccine ◽  
Information Campaign ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Measles Outbreak ◽  
First Time

Given the numerous cases recorded in 2017, a descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in the Viterbo Local Health Unit (LHU) area, Italy. Hospital Discharge Sheets (HDSs) and the notifications of infectious diseases (NOIDs) were used.We were able to trace the distribution of the disease both in the general population and, in particular, among the staff of Belcolle Hospital in Viterbo. In 2017, 50 cases of measles were detected among the population in the area of Viterbo. Of these, 10 concerned healthcare professionals and 3 employees of the Viterbo LHU.Due to the education and information campaign on the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the close monitoring of the vaccination coverage among the employees of the hospital (performed for the first time), only 4 cases were registered from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 in the same area, and no healthcare workers were involved.

The Profile of the Mentally Incompetent Patient of the Local Health Unit of Guarda, Portugal

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
P. Batista ◽  
J. Nunes ◽  
P. Da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Medical Science ◽  
Psychiatric Disease ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Incompetent Patient ◽  
Local Health Unit ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
Retrospective Nature ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Legal Concepts

Forensic psychiatry, as a specific branch of psychiatry, is the medical science that approaches mental illness and its relation with law enforcement. In this regard, medicine and justice converge in the contact with individuals that, due to the alleged assumption of acting under the effects of a psychiatric disease, have a disturbing behaviour and infringe the laws of Society. The objective of this research project, which has a retrospective nature, is to delineate the profile of the mentally incompetent patients of the Local Health Unit of Guarda, Portugal, resorting to the reports of mental faculty's examinations of, at least, 30 individuals. With this methodology, we will be able to study the characteristics of selected individuals who have committed some sort of criminal offences but are not subject to prosecution, namely with regard to the specific personal and family data, psychiatric background, diagnostic formulations, applied legal concepts, among others. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Microsoft Excel tool. The main goal of the study is to provide to the Psychiatry Department of the Local Health Unit of Guarda an analytical instrument that characterizes the respective mentally incompetent population and may, essentially, contribute positively to the contextualization and accomplishment of the future assessments on mental faculties of the individuals who are involved in judicial proceedings.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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