ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2004 December;163(6):273-8

Copyright © 2004 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Clinical-epidemiologic remarks on admissions of non-UE citizens in the Infectious Diseases o.u. in the Calabria region (2000-2003)

Pellicanò S. ¹, Calzone R. ², Bertuccio S. N. ³, Foti G. ⁴

¹ U. O. di Malattie Infettive, P. O. “S. Giovanni di Dio”, A.S.L. n. 5, Regione Calabria, Crotone; ² Dietista; ³ U. O. di Malattie Infettive, P. O. “G. Jazzolino” A.S.L. n. 8, Regione Calabria, Vibo Valentia; ⁴ U. O. di Malattie Infettive, P. O. “Riuniti” Azienda Ospedaliera “Bianchi-Melacrinò-Morelli”, Regione Calabria, Reggio Calabria

Aim. In the period 2000-2003 the number of non-EU citizens hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases O. U. of Calabria Region grew from 4% in 2000 to 7% in 2003. The objective of our work is the evaluation of proceeding of admissions of these patients, at regional level, considering their general characteristics, most frequent diseases, their nationality and the provinces most interested.
Methods. In the period 2000-2003 an epidemiological research of statistical type on patients coming from extra-Community nations, hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases O. U. of Calabria Region has been conducted. We examined age, sex, provenance, diseases, stay’s during and the monthly and annual course of admission. All patients received medical therapy and adequate dietetic treatment.
Results. In the considered period were hospitalized 617 non-UE citizens (5%) on 12 155, 400 male (65%) and 217 female (35%). The largest group of these hospitalized patients (58%) aged 20 to 39 years. Patients mostly come from Morocco (153 cases, 25%), Ukraine (45 patients, 8%), Poland (34 cases, 6%), Senegal (32 patients, 5%), Albania (28 patients, 4%) and Burkina Faso with 26 patients (4%) while, as continent of provenance, from Africa with 293 cases (48%). The main reasons of admission were in the 18% of cases (n=111) digestive apparatus and biliar-liver infections and in the 14% (n=87) infections of respiratory apparatus and HIV infection. The latter showed a trend in continuous growth, moving from 20% cases in 2000 to 30% in 2003 and, as provenance, mostly from Burkina Faso (17%). Viral acute hepatitis was in 19 cases while tuberculosis in 23 patients (4% ).
Conclusion. In our study, considering diseases for province, we show as, in the same region but at distance of few kilometers from a province to another, the scenario can change radically. The authors emphasize the importance of further clinic-epidemiologic deepings for the individuation of areas at risk in the Region. The annual course of admissions in the Infectious Diseases O.U. of Calabria Region showed an increasing value, from 4% in 2000 to 7% in 2003. This has to be considered when cuts in the number of bed-places are programmed.