Acta clinica Croatica
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Acta clinica Croatica · Apr 2023
DO THE GUIDELINES GUIDE THE BELGRADE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PHYSICIANS THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION?
The aim of the study was to assess whether current guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in daily clinical practice are adequately applied in the Belgrade Emergency Medical Service (EMS). A retrospective research included 2,982 STEMI patients who were cared for by EMS teams. Therapy consisting of morphine, oxygen, nitroglycerin and aspirin (MONA) was applied. ⋯ A rapid increase in the use of dual antiaggregation therapy (MONA and clopidogrel or MONA and ticagrelor) was reported from year to year, as well as a dramatic increase in the use of ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel. The time from receiving the call to the arrival on the scene was 13.72 minutes, and the time from receiving the call to hospital arrival was 52.83 minutes. Our physicians care for STEMI patients in accordance with the current international and local recommendations.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Apr 2023
Comparative StudyCOMPARISON OF TRACHEAL ASPIRATES IN THE PERIOD BEFORE AND AFTER THE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL.
Changes in working methods and diagnostics using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) diagnostics that occurred after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic could show differences in the prevalence of positive microbiological samples. In a retrospective study, a total of 442 tracheal aspirates in the pre-pandemic period (Period A, 2018, 198 patients, age median 69 (57-78)) and 277 samples in the pandemic period (Period B, 2021, 147 patients, age 68 (56-77) (p=0.585) obtained after the start of the pandemic were analyzed. A total of 176 patients had at least 1 positive result. ⋯ The most frequently isolated pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii in 86 patients from Period A and 32 patients from Period B, i.e., 43% vs. 21.7% of all positive isolates (p=0.247), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 29 patients in Period A (14.6%) vs. 7 (3%) (p=0.112) in Period B. A statistically significant increase was observed in the incidence of Enterobacterales (16.6% vs. 32.6%, p=0.002), especially Klebsiellae spp. Although overall mortality decreased in Period B, changes in the working methods and diagnostics did not result in changes in the mortality of patients whose tracheal aspirates were sampled.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Apr 2023
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF FEMORAL CARTILAGE THICKNESS IN PARTICIPANTS WITH ASYMPTOMATIC HYPERURICEMIA: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY.
The aim was to evaluate the effect, if any, of asymptomatic hyperuricemia on distal femoral cartilage thickness through musculoskeletal ultrasonography. A total of 66 participants were evaluated in this prospective, controlled study, including 33 asymptomatic hyperuricemic patients who presented at our outpatient clinic between January and April 2020, and 33 normouricemic subjects matched for age, gender and body mass index. Participants with systemic diseases affecting uric acid level such as chronic renal failure, psoriasis, gout, etc., participants using drugs that can affect uric acid level, and those with knee complaints were excluded from the study. ⋯ No correlation was noted between uric acid levels and cartilage thickness in all measurement areas in either the asymptomatic hyperuricemic or normouricemic group (p>0.05 all). We think that distal femoral cartilages seem to be thinner in participants with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether asymptomatic hyperuricemia will lead to knee osteoarthritis in individuals, although we believe that people with asymptomatic hyperuricemia should be informed accordingly in order to prevent development of potential knee osteoarthritis.
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Acute optic neuritis is often associated with multiple sclerosis. It is considered to be the most common ocular symptom of multiple sclerosis. In addition to acute optic neuritis, in patients with multiple sclerosis, subclinical optic neuritis is also described. ⋯ The most common defects of visual fields were retinal sensitivity depression in peripheral zone and nerve fiber bundle defect. Reduced contrast sensitivity was found in 30 (86%) patients. Study results indicated multiple sclerosis patients free from signs of optic neuritis to suffer vision function impairment, as demonstrated by Octopus perimetry and contrast sensitivity testing with Pelli Robson charts.
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In this study, we evaluated the relation between the presence of lymphopenia and the need of intensive care unit (ICU) or mortality. A total of 1670 COVID-19 patients were divided according to the severity of lymphopenia developing at the time of COVID-19 infection. According to the symptoms and need of ICU, the infection was classified as mild or severe. ⋯ In conclusion, we found a strong correlation between lymphopenia and COVID-19 outcomes. Lymphopenia in patients with COVID-19 was a prognostic factor in the course of the disease. Lymphopenia is an easy and inexpensive prognostic factor that can be used in the management of COVID-19 patients.