Critically ill patients are at risk of skin wounds, which reduce their quality of life, complicate their pharmacological regimens, and prolong their hospital stays in intensive care units (ICUs), while also increasing overall mortality and morbidity rates. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been proposed as a viable option for many biological and medical applications, given its capacity to reduce wound bacterial contamination and promote wound healing. The aim of this narrative review is to describe how CAP works and its operating mechanisms, as well as reporting its possible applications in critical care settings. The success of CAP in the treatment of wounds, in particular, bedsores or pressure sores, presents an innovative path in the prevention of nosocomial infections and an opportunity of reducing the negative implications of these diseases for the NHS. This narrative review of the literature was conducted following the ‘Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles’ (SANRA) methodology. Previous literature highlights three biological effects of plasma: inactivation of a wide range of microorganisms, including those that are multi-drug-resistant; increased cell proliferation and angiogenesis with a shorter period of plasma treatment; and apoptosis stimulation with a longer and more intensive treatment. CAP is effective in many areas of the medical field, with no significant adverse effects on healthy cells. However, its use can produce potentially serious side effects and should, therefore, be used under expert supervision and in appropriate doses.

Objectives: La Peyronie's disease tends to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. In Italy it affects about 7% of the population aged between 50 and 70 years old. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life of patients undergoing iontophoretic therapy with verapamil and treatment outcomes at a two-year interval. Materials and methods: This study evaluated 128 patients subjected to treatment cycles over a period of two years. Questionnaires were administered to the patients at the beginning and end of each cycle of iontophoretic therapy in order to monitor the degree of presumed anxiety, depression, pain and the associated quality of life. Result: This prospective descriptive observational study included 128 patients aged between 42 and 74 years presenting pain during erection and/or coital intercourse, which ceased in 108 cases, diminished in 12 and remained present in 4. Concerning the penile deviation, which was present in all patients (128 cases), it disappeared in 6 cases, regressed in 90 cases, while it remained unchanged in 32 cases. As for the plaque consistency on palpation, in 42 patients the plaque was no longer present, in 50 cases the consistency diminished, while in 36 patients it remained unchanged. None of the cases evidenced an aggravation of the clinical condition. 57% of the evaluated patients had high levels of anxiety in the first cycle of iontophoretic sessions and low levels of depression. Anxiety decreased in 32% of cases. Depression was not related to pain but to sexual dysfunction. About 80 % of the patients assessed had an increase in quality of life at the end of the two-year follow-up. Conclusions: In conclusion, it can be claimed that iontophoresis combined with verapamil therapy can improve patients' quality of life and offer them psychophysical well-being and an acceptable sexual relationship, thus decreasing anxiety and depression levels.

Background: the European Federation of Immunogenetics excellence accreditation awarded to the Transfusion Medicine Complex Structure of the “SS. Antonio and Biagio e Cesare Arrigo” Hospital in the year 2000, requires all laboratories working in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to meet specific standards for guaranteeing a good level of service quality. Objectives: to evaluate the performance of the new Applied Biosystems™ SeqStudio™ Genetic Analyzer by validating the PowerPlex® 16 HS System kit (Promega Italia Srl, Milan, Italy), at the Transfusion Medicine Laboratory of the “SS. Antonio e Biagio and Cesare Arrigo” Hospital of Alessandria. Materials and Methods: three different studies were conducted: sensitivity, mixture, reproducibility, using DNA from hematology patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and DNA from blood donors. Results: the sensitivity studies using the AB SeqStudio genetic analyzer proved to be more sensitive than those used previously (AB 3130), while the values obtained in the mixture studies overlapped with the expected values and the results obtained in the reproducibility studies were replicable and the same correlation exists in the tests performed on both instruments. Conclusions: the AB SeqStudio genetic analyzer through the PowerPlex® 16 HS System kit demonstrates excellent performance in accuracy and reproducibility of results and is a better performing instrument in sensitivity than the previous analyzer.

Objectives: To analyze and describe a new organizational method at a Rehabilitation Unit in the COVID-19 period, useful for monitoring and subsequent reduction of critical issues emerging during the professional activities. Reduce the inconvenience of patients and propose an adequate microclimate. Methodology: The aim of this work is to present an organizational model of emergency management during the Coronavirus pandemic in the rehabilitation setting, summarizing in a descriptive way the choices and changes made to be able to cope with the emergency, with the final objective of free the ward from cases affected by infection, keeping the health of the COVID+ patient as a priority, the health of patients who had not contracted the infection and hospital staff engaged in the management of these patients. All organizational changes and subsequent results achieved will be presented in chronological order. On the basis of the objectives to be achieved and the results achieved, 4 phases will be distinguished: Phase I: onset and control; (Monday 2nd March - Tuesday 10th March) Phase II: reorganization and surveillance; (Wednesday 11 March - Wednesday 18 March). Phase III: treatment, resignation and transfers; (Thursday 19 March - Sunday 29 March). Phase IV: follow-up; (Sunday 29 March - Wednesday 29 April). Results: The actions that took place in these phases concerned several areas: therapeutic, psychological, social, family. The rehabilitation treatments were carried out in the patient rooms, identifying dedicated physiotherapists in rotation, precautions widely shared in rehabilitation settings similar to ours. tampons within 24 hours and with a functional impairment such as not to allow discharge to the home. This will allow to maintain the rehabilitation specificity characteristic of the center and to fully exploit the multidisciplinarity that characterizes the healthcare personnel within the rehabilitation setting. Conclusions: The health emergency from COVID-19 has severely tested the Italian health system by drastically subverting the organizational models present in it. To the best of our knowledge this article reports both the interventions undertaken to deal with the emergency, and the consequent outcomes within a rehabilitation setting during the pandemic from COVID-19.