Croatian medical journal
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2020
Coronavirus epidemic in Croatia: case fatality decline during summer?
To describe the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic pattern in Croatia during February-September 2020 and compare the case fatality ratio (CFR) between spring and summer. ⋯ The epidemic dynamics suggests summer decline in case fatality, except in ventilated patients. While the effect of comorbidity also decreased, cardiovascular comorbidity remained an important risk factor for death even during summer. A plethora of possible confounders and an ever-changing landscape of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Croatia require constant monitoring and evaluation, with an aim to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the virus and a disruption of health care functioning.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2020
FasL (rs763110) gene polymorphism is not associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Croatian population.
To investigate the association of FasL gene polymorphism (rs763110) with rheumatoid arthritis occurrence, disease activity, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plasma concentration in Croatian patients, and to conduct an updated meta-analysis. ⋯ Our data suggest that the association between FasL rs763110 polymorphism and RA susceptibility in Western Eurasians observed in previous studies might be overestimated and should be limited to the population of Southwestern Asia until further investigations are performed.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2020
Case ReportsUnusual pattern of inferior vena cava thrombosis after veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a report of two cases.
We report two cases of inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis after the retrieval of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulas. In both patients, the venous cannula tips were placed in the upper half of the right atrium, enabling adequate blood drainage. ⋯ After decannulation, thrombotic formations resembling a mold of the venous cannula were detected in both patients. Whether the IVC collapse caused IVC thrombosis during VA-ECMO support remains to be determined in further trials.