Health care and community-based interventions for war-traumatized people in Croatia: community-based study of service use and mental health.

Aim: To explore the use of health care and community-based services in war-affected regions of Croatia and its relation to mental health.

Methods: A sample of 719 adults exposed to at least one war-related traumatic event were selected by random-walk technique from three Croatian counties and interviewed for socio-demographic data, mental health status (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), and service use (Matrix for the Assessment of Community and Healthcare Services) in the period from 1991 to 2006. Descriptive analysis of service use was performed.

[Professor Dr. Abraham Horwitz Barak (1910-2000)].

Abraham Horwitz, MD, was a prominent leader in Public Health in the Americans. His career started as a clinician and researcher in infectious diseases, then as a teacher in two Chilean Universities, one of the organizers of the Public Health Service in Chile and, subsequently, a prominent staff member in the Pan American Health Organization, becoming its Director during four consecutive terms. His outstanding career was recognized worldwide with several honorary awards and distinctions.

[Changes in relevant attitudes of nurses after one year of working with Balint groups].

The present study was carried out in the Popovaca Psychiatric Hospital and the examinees were nurses (N = 44) allocated to educative work in Balint groups. Authors discuss if any change may occur in the attitude towards some relevant notions during the one-year educative work in Balint groups. A graphic form of semantic differential was used as the measuring instrument.

[Classification of septicemias. A clinical and pathogenic approach].

Classic sepsis is characterized by the presence of bacteria in blood originating from a primary infection site with secondary location at other sites. Some infectious diseases like typhoid and paratyphoid fever, brucellosis an others share this pathogenetic mechanism but have a characteristic clinical course and usually a good prognosis. After analyzing the differences between the 2 types the author proposes the terms "non specific" and "specific" for each type of sepsis, respectively.

[Septicemia?, Bacteremia?, Sepsis?, Septicopyemia?: the importance of conceptual unity and language in teaching].

Elaborating on the use of the terms sepsis, septicemia, bacteremia and septicopyemia, the author stresses the importance of precise concepts and correct terminology to describe clinico-pathological entities with different pathogenesis. The significance of this attitude for medical teaching is discussed.