Search

IntroductionThere are no clear guidelines as yet for the selection of patients affected by COVID-19 who can be treated in intermediate RICU, neither shared criteria for their intubation and transfer in ICU.In the present study we described the clinical course and risk factors for transfer to ICU and mortality of SARS-Cov-2 positive patients affected by acute respiratory failure, hospitalized in a Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit in the south of Italy.MethodsIn this retrospective, observational single centre study we evaluated 96 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients affected by acute respiratory failure (ARF). We compared demographic data, laboratory data and clinical outcomes between deceased and survived patients, aiming to identify risk factors for transfer to ICU and mortality, and possible gender-related differences.ResultsOf 96 patients, 51 (53.1%) survived and 45 (46.9 %) died. Among those who died, 23 (51.1%) deceased in RICU. Twenty-nine (30.2%) were transferred to ICU, of whom 22 (75.9%) died in ICU. Patients affected by COPD have a higher mortality compared to patients without this comorbidity (p = 0.002). Lower baseline P/F ratio (p = 0,014) and neurologic comorbidities (p = 0,008) emerged as risk factors for death.Male were younger than female patients (66 vs 80 y.o.; p = 0.042). In female patients, lower peripheral blood lymphocyte count (p = 0.007) is a risk factor for death, characteristic gender-related in our sample.Female sex was a protective parameter against transfer to ICU (p = 0,036) and P/F ratio wasn’t a significant predictor of transfer to ICU (p = 0,227).Only higher baseline CRP (p = 0,034) has shown a predictive role for transfer to ICU in our sample. Patients deceased after a transfer to ICU had younger age (p = 0,000), lower median comorbidity number (p = 0,000), lower D-dimer (p = 0,029) and lower prevalence of female sex (p = 0,029).DiscussionMortality in our study was similar to that found in other studies involving patients in non-invasive ventilation. In our study older age and comorbidities play as predictors of death in COVID-19 patients. COPD, despite presenting low prevalence, is a risk factor for death, both in men and women. In female patients chronic ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure are death predictors. High CRP and lymphopenia, linked to inflammatory status, are predictors of transfer to ICU. Patients transferred to ICU higher mortality than the others, and patients who die in ICU are mostly men, younger and have less comorbidities. Baseline P/F ratio is not a good predictor of transfer to ICU, while in our sample is a sensible predictor of death. More studies need to be performed on COVID-19 patients, in the urgency of COVID-19 pandemic persistence.

Using a picture–auditory word recognition task, we examined how early child bilinguals access their languages and how the languages affect one another. Accuracy and response times in “false friends” (i.e., words with similar form but unrelated meanings) and semantically related words were compared with control conditions within and across languages and grades. Study 1 tested the performance of school-age children with balanced versus unbalanced knowledge of first-language (L1) Italian and second-language (L2) German. Study 2 compared unbalanced bilingual children with L1 Italian and L2 French or German to investigate the effect of lexical similarity in the children’s languages. Children were found to activate both languages on receiving an auditory stimulus; performance in each language was affected by proficiency in the other language, degree of between-language similarity, and length of experience with each language. The BLINCS (Bilingual Language Interactive Network for Comprehension of Speech) model was invoked as a plausible framework for conceptualizing the nature of bilingual phonolexical representation and its effect on word recognition.

The present study investigates the appearance of certain phonetic, phonological, and prosodic aspects of Italian in the early language of native speakers; a longitudinal analysis of babbling and word production in 11 Italian children ranging in age from 0;10 to 2;0 is reported. It focuses in particular on the syllabic frequency of babbling utterances and the distribution of consonant sounds in relation to their place of articulation in babbling and first words. It analyzes also the role of phonotactic characteristics and accentual patterns of word targets in production correctness and word shape constraints. Results show that the relationships with the frequency characteristics of the Italian lexicon become increasingly evident in language production from age 0;11 on. The data also provide substantiation for the role of phonotactic characteristics and accentual patterns in influencing correct word production. Finally, a continuity between babbling and words emerged from an analysis of individual differences. The discussion focuses on the role of ambient characteristics of language versus universal articulatory constraints in early phonological development.

This study analysed the early linguistic development of Italian pre-term children. Samples of spontaneous pre-linguistic and verbal production were recorded at 12 and 18 months of age from two groups of children: 24 pre-term children and 15 full-term children. The Italian version of the MacArthur-Bates Questionnaire was administered at 24 months of age. Comparisons between these two groups reveal differences in many aspects of phonetic and phonological development, such as consonantal inventory at 12 and 18 months of age and syllabic babbling complexity at 18 months of age. Results evidenced that birth weight was related with phonological skills exhibited at 18 months of age, and these skills in turn are related with vocabulary size at 24 months of age. Data are discussed within a theoretical framework that hypothesizes that early phonetic abilities have long-lasting effects on the process of language acquisition. © 2010 Informa UK, Ltd.

The purpose of the present study is to study early vocal production in order to assess whether it is possible to individuate predictors of vocabulary development prior to the age point at which lexical delay is usually identified. Characteristics of babbling and first words in 12 Italian children with slow expressive development (Late Talkers - LT) are compared with those of 12 Typically Developing (TD) peers. The syllable structure and phonetic characteristics of babbling and first words produced by both groups of children at 20 months were analyzed during mother-child play sessions. The results indicate that phonetic complexity and number of consonantal types are lower in the LT group. The two groups also differed in their use of sound classes and their syllable structure. Overall, it can be said that LTs develop in a similar but slower rate than TDs, as opposed to having an atypical pattern of phonological development.