We conducted a multicentre hospital-based test-negative case-control study to measure vaccine effectiveness (VE) against PCR-confirmed influenza in adult patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) during the 2022/2023 influenza season in Europe. Among 5547 SARI patients ≥18 years, 2963 (53%) were vaccinated against influenza. Overall VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 11% (95% CI: -23-36); 20% (95% CI: -4-39) against A(H3N2) and 56% (95% CI: 22-75) against B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWithin the last decade, childhood obesity has become a serious problem, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper aimed to examine whether body mass index (BMI) was higher during the pandemic (2020-2022) than in the pre-pandemic period (2012/2013-2019) using trends related to sex, urban-rural area, and physical activity (PA). This study included data from physical examinations of an entire population of primary school children from Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia) over a period of 10 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroductionTwo large multicentre European hospital networks have estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 since 2021.AimWe aimed to measure VE against PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalised severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) patients ≥ 20 years, combining data from these networks during Alpha (March-June)- and Delta (June-December)-dominant periods, 2021.MethodsForty-six participating hospitals across 14 countries follow a similar generic protocol using the test-negative case-control design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroductionThe I-MOVE-COVID-19 and VEBIS hospital networks have been measuring COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) in participating European countries since early 2021.AimWe aimed to measure VE against PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in patients ≥ 20 years hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) from December 2021 to July 2022 (Omicron-dominant period).MethodsIn both networks, 46 hospitals (13 countries) follow a similar test-negative case-control protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackgroundThe World Health Organization European Action Plan 2020 targets for the elimination of viral hepatitis are that > 75% of eligible individuals with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C (HCV) are treated, of whom > 90% achieve viral suppression.AimTo report the results from a pilot sentinel surveillance to monitor chronic HBV and HCV treatment uptake and outcomes in 2019.MethodsWe undertook retrospective enhanced data collection on patients with a confirmed chronic HBV or HCV infection presenting at one of seven clinics in three countries (Croatia, Romania and Spain) for the first time between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Measles elimination was accomplished in Croatia in 2016. Split-Dalmatia County, with population of ca. 425 000 inhabitants, is among the most important Croatian tourist areas with numerous seasonal workers coming during summer months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe undertook the first study systematically evaluating the risk of Anisakis-sensitization in Croatian fish-processing workers and potential genetic susceptibility to anisakiasis. Anti-Anisakis IgE seroprevalence and risk factors for 600 employees of Croatian fish processing facilities and 466 blood donor controls, were assessed by indirect ELISA targeted with: recombinant Ani s 1 and Ani s 7 allergens, an Anisakis crude extract, the commercial ImmunoCAP kit, and questionnaires. Genetic susceptibility to anisakiasis was evaluated by genotypisation of human leukocytes alleles (HLA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying high-risk patients for transfusion after cardiac operations would alter postoperative management. The aim of this study was to investigate closure time (CT) measured by platelet function analyzer (PFA) for prediction of bleeding and transfusions.
Methods: 66 patients were scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and 30 patients for valve repair and replacement (non-CABG).