Medicinski glasnik : official publication of the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Aim Children with congenital heart diseases are at the greater risk of respiratory tract infection such as pneumonia. Recurrent pneumonia is one of the most major challenge for paediatric physicians. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors of congenital heart diseases to recurrent pneumonia children. ⋯ Ventricular septal defect had a possibility for recurrent pneumonia by 1.551 times, and malnutrition 2.591 times. Conclusion Ventricular septal defect and malnutrition were identified as risk factors for recurrent pneumonia. Those patients require multidisciplinary approach to prevent respiratory complications.
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Aim To investigate the impact of pre-treatment serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level on prevalence of prostate carcinoma detection in prostate core needle biopsy, and its correlation with established prognostic factors. Methods Prostate needle biopsy samples of 115 patients with available pre-treatment serum total PSA (tPSA) level were analysed. For all cases where morphology alone was insufficient, immunohistochemistry was performed using p63, CKHMW and AMACR antibody panel in order to confirm or exclude the existence of prostate carcinoma. ⋯ Sensitivity of the screening test by using 4 ng/mL as cut off value for tPSA was 94.12% (CI: 80.32-99.28%), specificity 8.64% (CI: 3.55-17.00%), positive predictive value 30.19% (CI: 21.65-39.87%) and negative predictive value 77.78% (CI: 39.99-97.19%). Conclusion The increase of serum tPSA value increases the likelihood of finding prostate cancer on needle biopsy specimens. Due to such findings and its positive correlation with a grade of prostate cancer, our study indicates that tPSA can still be considered as a useful tool both in detecting and predicting aggressiveness of prostate cancer.
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Aim To illustrate the surgical treatment of bilateral post-traumatic scaphoid fracture. Methods We came across a young student, who sustained bilateral, undisplaced scaphoid waist fractures following a fall during a football match. Despite careful clinical and radiographic evaluation by four views at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, we initially performed only the diagnosis of the left scaphoid fracture treating it with a percutaneous Acutrack headless screw. ⋯ Comprehensive imaging should be done in case of suspected scaphoid fractures, especially after a trauma, even in the presence of modest symptoms, as failure to do so may lead to missed fracture. Considering what was exposed, the radiographic check on the right wrist repeated about two weeks after the trauma would have avoided a missed diagnosis, even in the absence of reported clinical symptoms. We therefore recommend to repeat the radiographic examination in all situations like these.
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Aim Postmortem sperm retrieval with consequent artificial insemination has become a technically possible option for future use in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The authors have set out to discuss the social and ethical significance of posthumous sperm retrieval, and the laws currently in force in Italy, the United States and elsewhere. Methods International literature from 1997 to 2020 has been reviewed from Pubmed database, Google Scholar and Scopus, drawn upon American, Italian and international sources (an ethically acceptable solution can only be achieved through an overhaul of the laws currently in effect). ⋯ However, no official standardized protocols, guidelines or targeted legislation exist at the national level to regulate medical activity in that realm, whereas established laws often set implicit limitations. Conclusion Current legal frameworks appear to be inadequate, because in most cases they were conceived under conditions that have radically changed. The need for newly-updated regulatory frameworks to promptly bridge that gap is increasingly clear, if current social needs related to reproductive rights are to be met in the foreseeable future.
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Aim To investigate the effect of intermittent traction therapy (ITT) on pain in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods A total of 81 patients with CLBP were included: experimental group received ITT (n=40) and control group received conservative physical treatment (n=41) 10 times for two weeks. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for measuring low back pain. ⋯ Females from the experimental group had a significantly greater decrease of VAS compared with females from the control group. Patients in the ITT group with L5/S1 level of hernia had lower estimated marginal mean of VAS scale compared to the control group, as well the patients with left side of leg pain. Conclusion: Intermittent traction therapy is an effective treatment for pain reduction in patients with chronic low back pain.