Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology最新文献

Since the development of the artificial intelligence (AI), several applications have been proposed. Among these, the intersection of AI and medicine has sparked a wave of innovation, revolutionizing various aspects of healthcare delivery, diagnosis, and treatment. A review of the current literature was performed to evaluate the possible applications of ChatGPT (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA) in the dermatological field. A total of 20 manuscripts were collected in the present review, reporting several potential applications of ChatGPT in dermatology, ranging from clinical practice to patients' support. The convergence of ChatGPT and dermatology represents a compelling synergy that transcends traditional boundaries of healthcare delivery. As AI continues to evolve and permeate every facet of medicine, ChatGPT stands at the forefront of innovation, empowering patients and clinicians alike with its conversational prowess and knowledge dissemination capabilities.

Background: Healthcare workers have a fundamental role in providing care and education on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, their knowledge is often worryingly limited. This study aimed to assess the real knowledge and attitude regarding STIs among healthcare workers of the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.

Methods: The recruited subjects were asked to complete a 31-item questionnaire, divided into 3 sections: socio-demographic context, knowledge about STIs, and personal sexual behavior.

Results: We enrolled 140 subjects, employed as nurses (52.9%), physicians (12.9%), laboratory technicians (7.1%), or other workers (27.1%). Despite the generalized erroneous belief of having a good level of knowledge on the matter, only one-third of the subjects could correctly identify STIs among a list of diseases, and less than one-third correctly recognize all possible ways of transmission. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was the most frequently recognized STI (97%), but only 39.2% of healthcare workers were correctly informed about the body fluids that can transmit the virus. Most participants (93.5%) correctly identified condoms as effective in preventing STIs but did not indicate complete abstinence as the only way to guarantee protection against STIs. Most participants were informed on the oncogenic potential of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections (82%), the usefulness of the Pap test (85.7%), and the existence of vaccines against some STIs (63.5%).

Conclusions: Overall, healthcare workers have limited knowledge about STIs. Creating specific educational programs aimed at healthcare providers should become a priority.

Background: Infection at the surgical site is a frequent complication of office skin procedures, such as electrodesiccation, laser therapy, superficial peelings, curettage, cryotherapy, and incisional or shave biopsies. The use of antibiotic therapy in their prevention is highly controversial due to the raising phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. Italy ranks fifth among high-income countries for resistance to antibiotics, with a rate seven times higher than Scandinavia. In order to raise awareness on this alarming issue, a survey was planned to disclose the misuse of topical antibiotics in the dermatologic practice.

Methods: A specifically designed questionnaire aimed at analyzing the topical management of skin lesions following common office skin procedures was distributed nationwide to physicians engaged in the management of small surgical wounds and then collected for statistical data processing and evaluation.

Results: A total of 1500 forms were distributed nationwide, 1340 (89.3%) of which were completed by dermatologists. Analysis of the collected data showed that more than 70% of the respondents always use topical antibiotics in the attempt of preventing possible post-procedure superinfections.

Conclusions: This survey confirms not only an antibiotic misuse by a large part of the respondents, but above all the widespread erroneous belief that such therapeutic approach can be useful in averting the risk of infections postoperatively. These findings may obviously explain the spread of antibiotic resistance in Italy and confirm that there is an absolute need to raise awareness among dermatologists about the damage caused by the misuse of antibiotics in the management of small wounds.