RESUMEN
This is the synthesis of a study on admissions of migrants to hospitals in Sicily, from January 2011 to June 2014. Migrants arrived in Lampedusa were 49,000 in 2011; 4,000 in 2012; 15,000 in 2013; 6,000 in 2014; 378 patients requiring hospitalization were transported exclusively by the 118 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in 6 Sicilian hospitals: 203 in 2011, 62 in 2012, 95 in 2013, 18 in 2014. The mean age was 25 years; more frequent areas of provenance were Horn of Africa, North Africa, Syria, and Nigeria. Women were hospitalised almost exclusively for obstetric-gynaecological problems, with a high prevalence of abortions (17/140 pregnancies) secondary to the long journey; men were hospitalised especially for bone fractures, burns, dehydration, infectious diseases, suicide attempts, and, recently, for CO poisoning of people locked in the holds of boats. Infectious diseases were mainly due to respiratory and intestinal distress, 20 people had tuberculosis (TB), 3 had HIV and 1 had malaria. No suspicious of Ebola virus infection was registered. The causes of hospitalisation do not depend on the nationality of patients and are constant over the years. Infectious diffusible diseases, mainly TB, are more common than in the Italian population, and consequently the best surveillance systems, aimed at identifying and treating patients immediately, should be activated. Mare Nostrum Operation helped migrants while they are in sea and allowed the reduction of serious health problems, mainly related to the hardships and duration of the journey, and also anticipating arrivals directly in Lampedusa, permitting a more efficient organisation of the relief in the sea.
Asunto(s)
Emigrantes e Inmigrantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Refugiados/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , África/etnología , Ambulancias Aéreas/estadística & datos numéricos , Intoxicación por Monóxido de Carbono/epidemiología , Enfermedades Transmisibles/epidemiología , Grupos Diagnósticos Relacionados , Femenino , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Italia , Masculino , Embarazo , Complicaciones del Embarazo/epidemiología , Sistemas de Socorro , Estudios Retrospectivos , Siria/etnología , Heridas y Lesiones/epidemiología , Adulto JovenAsunto(s)
Morbilidad , Refugiados , Adolescente , Adulto , África/etnología , Grupos Diagnósticos Relacionados , Femenino , Estado de Salud , Hospitalización , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Refugiados/estadística & datos numéricos , Navíos , Sicilia , Adulto JovenAsunto(s)
Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Admisión del Paciente/estadística & datos numéricos , Refugiados/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , África del Norte , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Sicilia , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Personal exposure to airborne benzene is influenced by various outdoor and indoor sources. The first aim of this study was to assess the benzene exposure of a sample of urban inhabitants living in an inner-city neighborhood of Florence, Italy, excluding exposure from active smoking. The secondary objective was to differentiate the personal exposures according to personal usage patterns of the vehicles. METHODS: A sample of 67 healthy non-smokers was monitored by passive samplers during two 4-weekday campaigns in winter and late spring. Simultaneously, benzene measurements were also taken for a subset of participants, inside and outside their houses. A 4-day time microenvironment activity diary was completed by each subject during each sampling period. Other relevant exposure data were collected by a questionnaire before the sampling. Additional data on urban ambient air benzene levels were also available from the public air quality network. The passive samplers, after automated thermal desorption, were analyzed by GC-FID. RESULTS: Benzene personal exposure levels averaged 6.9 (SD=2.1) and 2.3 (SD=0.7) microg/m(3) in winter and spring, respectively. Outdoor and indoor levels showed high correlation in winter and poor in spring. In winter the highest benzene personal exposure levels were for people traveling by more public transport, followed by users of only car and by users of only bus respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The time spent in-transport for work or leisure makes a major contribution to benzene exposure among Florentine non-smoking citizens. Indoor pollution and transportation means contribute significantly to individual exposure levels especially in winter season.