Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (mHE) is characterized by some minimal unspecific alterations of cerebral functions that can only be detected by neuropsychological or neurophysiological diagnostic ...tests, which dysfunctions nevertheless interfere with the patient's daily living. Early recognition of these impairments may prevent the progression or delay the development of the disease to overt hepatic encephalopathy. The aim of this study was to diagnose mHE in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. The study was conducted in 60 patients aged 40-65, divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. Patients in the experimental group were divided into Child-Pugh groups A, B or C: 53% were classified as Child-Pugh B and 47% as Child-Pugh C. Patients were tested using three neuropsychological tests: Mini Mental Score for quick assessment of cognitive status and two tests specific for mHE changes, Trail Making Test - Part A (TMT-A) and Symbol Digit Test (SDT). Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed in all patients. Limits for completing the test were set by using the formula X(control group) + 2 SD for TMT-A and X(control group) - 2 SD for SDT. All the three tests disclosed statistically significantly different results between the two groups. All patients with cirrhosis had some changes in EEG. Study results showed 80% of cirrhosis patients to have signs of mHE. The Child-Pugh score influenced performance on the neuropsychological tests. SDT more readily identified patients with mHE. Our findings pointed to the frequency of mHE and the importance of early diagnosis in the prevention of mHE progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy.
Hepatitis C Virus infection represents not just a medical, but also a socio-economic problem. It is estimated that among 170 million infected, 60% belongs to the category of intravenous drug users ...(IDUs).
The aim of this paper was to compare the response to the combined therapy of pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin, in the group of patients with HCV infection who were intravenous drug users (IDUs) and in patients who were identified in the other way of transmission of HCV. Also to identify the influence of the therapy on diseases of addiction, during the course of HCV infection and on the effects of the combined therapy of pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin.
We conducted a retrospective-prospective study, on 60 patients, treated with combined antiviral therapy--pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin. 30 patients were from the group of IDUs, and 30 patients from other epidemiological groups.
There were significant differences between the age of the patients (30.2 +/- 7.1 vs. 39.3 +/- 11.2 years; p = 0.002), but no significant difference in the duration of the HCV infection between the two groups of patients (8.9 +/- 7.4 vs. 13.1 +/- 7.0 years; p > 0.05). A large number of the patients in the group of IDUs had a problem with the abstinence of the drug abuse. In this group, there was the influence of alcohol (30%) and other substances with potential hepatotoxicity: marihuana (23.3%) and psychoactive drugs (73.6%). Staging of the liver fibrosis was not influenced by those two parameters and was similar in both groups (p > 0.05). The genotype 3a was dominant in intravenous drug users (50.0%) and genotype 1b in the control group of the patients (76.6%). In both groups, SVR was achieved at a higher percentage (86% vs. 70.00%; p > 0.05), but among the intravenous drug users the relapses of HCV infection were at a lower percentage (3.3% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.044). Side effects were noticed in solitary cases in both of the examined groups, but severe side effects were found only in the control group of the patients. Relapse of drug abuse was noticed in 6.66% of cases.
We have registered that the group of intravenous drug users has the same or even better response to the antiviral therapy than other epidemiological groups and that the use of drugs does not change the course of HCV infection.
Infectious diseases are a part of the history of this region. Devastating epidemics of plague, smallpox, and cholera were frequent during the 18th and the 19th centuries. Other infectious diseases ...were a serious problem as well: alimentary tract infections, scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough. Geographic position, climate, migrations, as well as the tradition and lack of medical staff and medications, affected the frequency and outcome of infections.
Patients with infectious diseases were first treated at home. Later, a hospital in Visarion street was opened as an isolation facility and a hospital for homeless patients. The development of science and the education of medical personnel exerted the greatest influence on the control and later treatment of infectious diseases. These measures resulted in the establishment of the first specialized medical institutions in Novi Sad during the cholera outbreak in 1884. After that, temporary pediatric units were organized for the treatment of scarlet fever, diphtheria and smallpox. A ward for infectious diseases was founded in the The Great City Hospital in the second half of the 19th century (1892). The 20th century was a period of control and eradication of infectious diseases in Vojvodina (smallpox, malaria, diphtheria, polio).
Nowdays, major infectious deseases include respiratory, alimentary and parasitic infections. However, new diseases are being registered as well - hemorrhagic fevers, Lyme disease, HIV infection. The Infectologic Service in Novi Sad was developed from an Infectology Departement as part of the Departement of Internal Diseases in the new Provincial Hospital (1909) to the independent Departement for Infectious Diseases (1945). Today, Clinic of lnfectious Diseases is an integral part of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina.
The Department of Infectious Diseases of the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad was founded in 1960. Undergraduate studies started in 1963/64 for students of medicine and in 1978/79 jor dentistry students. Today. the faculty of the Department takes part in undergraduate studies of medicine, dentistry, health care, as well as in graduate programs. The faculty members are also taking part in specialization programs at the Faculty of Medicine. Infectious disease physicians are involved in the activities of the Infectology Section (founded in 1979) of the Society of Physicians of Vojvodine of the Medical Society of Serbia. The first president of the Infectology Section was Dr. Vera Mudrić, professor, infectologists, whereas Dr. Grozdana Canak, professor, was the vice-president from 2000-2004. The Infectology Section collaborates with various national and international societies for infectious diseases.
Minimalna jetrena encefalopatija (mHE ) obilježena je minimalnim nespecifičnim promjenama u moždanim funkcijama, koje se mogu otkriti samo neuropsihološkim ili neurofiziološkim testovima, ali koje ...ipak remete svakodnevni život bolesnika. Ranim prepoznavanjem ovih poremećaja mogla bi se spriječiti njihova progresija ili pak odgoditi razvoj bolesti u pravu jetrenu encefalopatiju. Cilj ove studije bio je dijagnosticirati mHE u bolesnika s dekompenziranom jetrenom cirozom. U studiju je bilo uključeno 60 bolesnika u dobi od 40-65 godina koji su podijeljeni u dvije skupine: eksperimentalnu i kontrolnu skupinu. Bolesnici u eksperimentalnoj skupini dalje su podijeljeni u Child-Pughove skupine A, B ili C: Child- Pugh B 53% i Child-Pugh C 47%. Bolesnici su ispitani pomoću tri neuropsihološka testa: Mini Mental Score za brzu procjenu kognitivnog statusa i dva specifična testa za promjene u mHE : Trail Making Test – Part A (TMT-A) i Symbol Digit Test (SDT ). Elektroencefalogram je napravljen kod svih bolesnika. Granice za završetak testa postavljene su pomoću formule Xcontrol group + 2 SD za TMT-A i Xcontrol group - 2 SD za SDT . Sva tri testa iskazala su statistički značajno različite rezultate između dviju skupina. Svi bolesnici s cirozom imali su stanovite promjene u EEG. Studija je pokazala kako 80% bolesnika s cirozom ima znakove mHE . Child-Pughov zbir utjecao je na uspjeh u neuropsihološkim testovima. DST je bio brži u otkrivanju bolesnika s mHE . Naši rezultati ukazuju na učestalost mHE , kao i na važnost rane dijagnoze u prevenciji progresije mHE u pravu jetrenu encefalopatiju.
The sawdust of deciduous softwood–poplar, and coniferous softwood–fir, have been found to possess some adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions. Their adsorption capacities can be increased by ...previous treatment with a sodium hydroxide solution. Adsorption capacities of alkali modified adsorbents were higher than for unmodified ones from 2.5 to 5 times for copper ions, and about 15 times for zinc ions. Also, for modification can be used solution of sodium carbonate, but that alkaline solution is less efficient than sodium hydroxide solution. The 1% sodium hydroxide solution is suggested for modification of softwood sawdust. It was established that the ion exchange is not only adsorption mechanism, than microprecipitation of metal-hydroxide in the pore liquid was happened, too. At the same time, the leaching of organic matters from modified softwood sawdust were less than from unmodified ones for about 7% for poplar and 23% for fir.
The ability of seed extracts of several species of chestnut and acorn to act as natural coagulants was tested using a synthetic turbid water. Active components were extracted from ground seeds of ...Horse chestnut and acorns of some species of family
Fagaceae: Common oak, Turkey oak, Northern red oak and European chestnut. All investigated extracts had coagulation capabilities and their amounts depended on pH values and initial turbidities. The seed extracts from European chestnut and Common oak acorn were the most efficient expressing the highest coagulation activities, about 80% and 70%, respectively, in both low and medium investigated water turbidities at the lowest coagulant dose 0.5
ml/L.
Introduction:
The present study aimed to establish the role of lipid abnormalities and inflammatory markers for developing cardiovascular risk, as well as to address the importance of obesity as a ...common comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Methods:
The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study including 120 patients with newly diagnosed OSA between 2019 and 2020, at University Clinical Hospital Center “Bezanijska kosa”, Belgrade, Serbia. The diagnosis was established by polysomnography. In all patients, sociodemographic data, respiratory, lipid, and inflammatory parameters were collected and complete echocardiographic study and 24-h blood pressure monitoring were performed.
Results:
The mean patient age was 55.7 ± 13.8 years. Study population was mostly male (70.0%) and obese (56.7%). At least 30 apneas or hypopneas per hour were present in 39.0% of patients. A strong positive correlation was found between OSA severity and BMI (r = 0.562,
p
< 0.001), both associated with lipid, inflammatory and respiratory parameters, and cardiovascular profile of patients with OSA (
p
< 0.05 for all). Echocardiographic study and 24-h blood pressure monitoring parameters were in turn correlated with lipid and inflammatory markers (
p
< 0.05 for all).
Conclusion:
The results of this study support the important role of dyslipidemia and inflammation, as well as coexistence of obesity in the pathogenesis of numerous conditions linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with OSA.
The sawdust of oak and black locust hardwood was found to have good adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions. The leaching of coloured organic matters during the adsorption can be prevented by each ...of the following pre-treatments of adsorbents: with formaldehyde in acidic medium, with sodium hydroxide solution after formaldehyde treatment, or with sodium hydroxide only. The studies indicated that the leaching of coloured matters from modified hardwood sawdust was less than that from unmodified hardwood sawdust, namely between 70 and 94%, dependent on wood species and the method of modification. At the same time, adsorption capacities of modified adsorbents were higher than unmodified adsorbents when sodium hydroxide was applied for modification. When formaldehyde was applied for modification, the adsorption capacities of adsorbents remained unchanged. Only the application of sodium hydroxide was recommended for modification of hardwood sawdust.
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