Acta clinica Croatica
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Acta clinica Croatica · Dec 2012
Historical ArticleHistorical survey of ophthalmic echography in Croatia.
The first beginnings of ophthalmic echography in Croatia started at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. When the two largest medical institutions in Croatia, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital (former Dr. Mladen Stojanović General Hospital) and Zagreb University Hospital Center, both in Zagreb, were supplied with ultrasonic diagnostic devices, Krautkrimer/ Siemens Echoophthalmograph and Echoophtalmograph 7200 MA Kretz, they had to start using the instruments. ⋯ The first course in ophthalmic echography as continuing medical education at the Zagreb School of Medicine was held in 1992. Ultrasound Division of the Croatian Ophthalmologic Society was organized in 1994 and 1998. The references accompanying this survey includes all papers on ophthalmic ultrasound published in Croatia and some abroad, thus representing Croatian echographic bibliography.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Dec 2012
Stereological survey of the ameliorative effects of sulforaphane and quercetin on renal tissue in unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats.
Hydrostatic pressure, which is the result of urinary tract blockage, initiates renal injuries. The injuries are characterized by tubular dilatation and/or atrophy, tubular cell death, inflammatory process and progressive interstitial fibrosis with loss of renal parenchyma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effects of sulforaphane and quercetin, the two natural compounds that can be found in vegetables, in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). ⋯ Changes in the length of Henle's loop and collecting ducts were not significant. In conclusion, quercetin and sulforaphane were found to be effective in preventing some structural renal damage in the direct obstruction model. Quercetin had a more ameliorative role on renal structures.
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Management of difficult airway is one of the most challenging tasks for anesthesiologists, and failure of securing it could have fatal consequences. We must be prepared to deal with problems in management of difficult airway at any time. ⋯ An anesthesiologist must be aware of the possibility of both situations to arise and preparations must be taken to deal with such cases and improve the safety of our patients. Practice guidelines are systematically developed recommendations that help anesthesiologists in the management of difficult airway.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Sep 2012
Review Case ReportsPostintubation tracheal injuries--case series and literature review.
SUMMARY - Post-intubation tracheal injury is a rare and potentially fatal complication. The most common causes are overinflation ofendotracheal tube cuffs and multiple intubation attempts in emergency cases. The diagnosis is based on clinical and radiological suspicion of tracheal injury confirmed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. ⋯ We present three cases ofpost-intubation tracheal injury. In two cases, the patients were treated conservatively; in the third case, the patient died from asphyxia caused by thrombus occlusion of the trachea after a longitudinal tracheal lesion. Pre-anesthetic examination did not indicate any possibility of difficult intubation in any of the patients; however, in one of the patients admitted through the emergency department, emergency intubation was performed.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Sep 2012
ReviewNeuroplasticity mechanisms in the pathophysiology of chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a widespread healthcare problem with great impact on mental health, professional and family life of the patient. It can be a consequence of many disorders; however, its pathogenesis has not yet been fully understood. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the nervous system to adapt to different changes and it is present throughout life, not only in prenatal period, infancy and childhood. ⋯ These changes occur at the level of brain cortex as well at peripheral nerves and receptors. This review summarizes a significant portion of literature dealing with neuroplasticity processes in well known chronic pain conditions such as migraine, chronic posttraumatic headache, low back pain, fibromyalgia, and others. The relevance of this topic lies in providing a new insight in the pathophysiology of chronic pain, while also offering a possibility of new therapeutic approaches including not only pharmacological agents.