BackgroundInformed consent (IC) is an essential step in helping patients be aware of consequences of their treatment decisions. With surgery, it is vitally important for patients to understand the risks and benefits of the procedure and decide accordingly. We explored whether a written IC form was provided to patients; whether they read and signed it; whether they communicated orally with the physician; whether these communications influenced patient decisions.MethodsAdult postsurgical patients in nine general hospitals of Italy’s Campania Region were interviewed via a structured questionnaire between the second and seventh day after the surgery at the end of the first surgical follow up visit. Physicians who were independent from the surgical team administered the questionnaire.ResultsThe written IC form was given to 84.5% of those interviewed. All recipients of the form signed it, either personally or through a delegate; however, 13.9% did not know/remember having done so; 51.8% said that they read it thoroughly. Of those who reported to have read it, 90.9% judged it to be clear. Of those receiving the written consent form, 52.0% had gotten it the day before the surgery at the earliest 41.1% received it some hours or immediately before the procedure. The written IC form was explained to 65.6% of the patients, and 93.9% of them received further oral information that deemed understandable. Most attention was given to the diagnosis and the type of surgical procedure, which was communicated respectively to 92.8 and 88.2% of the patients. Almost one in two patients believed that the information provided some emotional relief, while 23.2% experienced increased anxiety. Younger patients (age ≤ 60) and patients with higher levels of education were more likely to read the written IC form.ConclusionsThe written IC form is not sufficient in assuring patients and making them fully aware of choices they made for their health; pre-operative information that was delivered orally better served the patients’ needs. To improve the quality of communication we suggest enhancing physicians’ communication skills and for them to use structured conversation to ensure that individuals are completely informed before undergoing their procedures.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12910-018-0340-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Biases can distort, limit or inhibit the value of mortality data as an epidemiological re source. From 9500 deaths occurring in Naples (Italy during 1994, a random sample of 372 death certificates reporting ill-defined causes and multiple causes of death was extracted. The code for the underlying cause on the death certificate (assigned code) was compared with the cause reattributed with the aid of interview of the certifying physician or clinical records (modified code). The aim was to investigate the extent of misclassification of 'underlying cause' in deaths attributed to ill-defined and/or multiple causes and the shortcomings in the ICD-IX. Ill-defined underlying causes of death (7.0% of death certificates) were cardiovascular diseases, tumours with no specified site or nature, symptoms, signs, ill-defined conditions and senility. There was disagreement between the initially assigned code and the modified code in 53.8% of ill-defined underlying causes; discordance was high for the certificates filled in by the family physician. Multiple causes of death were observed in 23.6% of certificates; of these 59.2% concerned subjects aged 75 years and over at death. Diabetes was always listed in association with other pathologies but neoplasms and traumas were generally listed alone. Disagreement between codes occurred in 48 (54.5%) certificates indicating multiple causes. In 10 of them, death was established as due to a concurrence of causes. As regards ill-defined causes of death, the authors concluded that specific training on certifying procedures would be insufficient on their own; the physician should be made aware that certification is a fundamental requirement for building up epidemiological data. Evidence-based educational interventions are needed. As regards multiple causes of death, multicausal analysis may be indicated for deaths due to a concurrence of causes.

The urinary benzene metabolite trans,trans-muconic acid (MA) was determined in 144 children living in Campania (Italy): 92 from Naples (1,300,000 inhabitants), designated as an urban source, and compared to 52 from Pollica (300 inhabitants), considered a rural, background exposure for benzene. The children participating in the study were tested by an anonymous questionnaire about the possible sources of exposure to benzene. Quantifiable levels of MA were found in 63% of the urine samples analyzed. Setting the value of nondetectable urinary samples at 7 microg/L MA, a value that is one-half of the instrument detection limit of 14 microg/L, the mean urinary concentration levels were 98.7+/-81.0 microg/L and 48.4+/-71.7 microg/L in Naples and Pollica, respectively; adjustment of these values to creatinine clearance resulted in MA levels of 141.2+/-145.4 microg/L in Naples and 109.8+/-133.2 microg/L in Pollica. Passive smoke exposure did not significantly affect urinary MA levels, but proximity of the home to traffic increased urine MA content. Data show that MA can be utilized as a biomarker for exposure; however, a clear-cut association to benzene requires personal monitoring and control of dietary sorbic acid.

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Background: To evaluate the quality of medical record (MR) compilation in the Teaching Hospital of the Second University of Naples, Italy, after a controlled intervention for quality improvement. Methods:From the 66 wards of the Teaching Hospital, we selected eight homogeneous pairs of wards, matched for similar typology. For each pair, we randomized a ward to undergo a training course about correct compilation of MRs (treated group) and considered the remaining ward as a control (untreated group). For each section of MR we evaluated completeness and clarity of handwriting and presence and clarity of signature. Results:In general, the worst result in both groups was the absence of signature in the daily diary (76.6% in the treated group and 94.4% in the untreated group). The greatest differences between the two groups were detected in the compilation of the daily diary (absent/incomplete in 1.9% of the treated group compared with 21.9% of the untreated group; relative risk [RR] = 11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.1-26.4) and the physical examination section (absent/incomplete in 2.8% of the treated group compared with 21.3% of the untreated group; RR = 7.5; 95% CI = 3.8-14.8). Conclusions:Comparison between the treated and untreated groups shows that there is a significant improvement in compilation of several sections of the MRs in the treated group. However, the results obtained were only partially satisfactory because of the poor quality of MR compilation in both groups.

The prevalence of asthma was studied in 3065 male 18 year-olds, examined in a southern Italy (Basilicata) military recruitment office. The disease was evaluated by questionnaires, pulmonary function tests and specialist diagnosis. The point prevalence of asthma was 1.4%. The disturbance was more frequent in high versus a low level of maternal education (OR: 3.70; 95% CI: 2.00-6.88), in high versus a low level of paternal education (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.48-4.98), in urban residence versus rural residence (OR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.61-5.75), in first-borns versus nonfirst-borns (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.33-4.53). Home environment (dampness, heating, crowding) was not significantly correlated to asthma. This reported prevalence of asthma is low, compared with overall European and Italian data. The higher risk in urban areas and high level of education has been confirmed. The association between asthma and first-borns is interesting and needs further investigation, focusing on maternal issues like the low maternal age and the mother-child interaction.

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