Efficacy of Antimicrobial Dry Fog in Improving the Environmental Microbial Burden in an Inpatient Ward.

In healthcare environments with high microbial loads, effective infection control measures are critical for reducing airborne and surface contamination. One of the novel modalities in the achievement of these goals is the use of antimicrobial mists, such as droplets, in the form of dry fog. Although the usage of dry fog in the disinfection of contained healthcare microenvironments is well known, the effect of such a system in terms of a meaningful reduction in the microbial burden in an open inpatient ward is unclear.

Association of trabecular bone score corrected for tissue thickness with glucose metabolism in acromegaly.

Introduction: Acromegaly is associated with increased vertebral fracture (VF) risk regardless of bone mineral density (BMD). However, the vertebral trabecular compartment is still low; a possible contributor to this may be impaired glucose metabolism (GM) which frequently complicates acromegaly. Additionally, soft tissue thickness may confound bone imaging in acromegaly patients.

High Doses of Vitamin D and Specific Metabolic Parameters in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Systematic Review.

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is recognized as a condition of mild chronic inflammation, marked by increased levels of acute-phase proteins and various inflammatory indicators. These inflammatory substances, along with inflammation of adipose tissue and the secretion of adipocytokines, can contribute to insulin resistance and β cell dysfunction. By influencing both innate and adaptive immunity, vitamin D can inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines and help mitigate the low-grade chronic inflammation associated with T2DM.

Comparison of Causes of Mortality Between Hospitalized Unsheltered Homeless Patients and Non-Homeless Sex and Age-Matched Controls: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Objectives: Roofless individuals represent the most severe category of homelessness. Their clinical characteristics and mortality patterns in Central and Eastern Europe are little known.

Methods: A single-center retrospective case-control study at the internal medicine department in Bratislava, Slovakia was conducted.

MAMAS (mastopexy-augmentation made applicable and safer): A standardized template of pre-operative marking and step-by-step surgical procedure.

Simultaneous breast augmentation with mastopexy is growing in popularity. It is a complex procedure that can lead to post-operative complications, patient dissatisfaction, and increased risk of litigation. The aim of this study is to describe an approach for the inverted-T augmentation-mastopexy technique, which limits intraoperative modifications, minimizes errors, and decreases post-operative complications and patient dissatisfaction.

Moving toward Extensively Drug-Resistant: Four-Year Antimicrobial Resistance Trends of from the Largest Department of Internal Medicine in Slovakia.

imposes a great burden on medical systems worldwide. Surveillance of trends of antibiotic resistance provides a great deal of information needed for antimicrobial stewardship programmes nationwide. Clinical data from long-term, continuous surveillance on trends of antibiotic resistance of in Slovakia is missing.

[Initial use of subcutaneous plasma-derived C1 inhibitor in prophylaxis of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema in pregnant patients in Slovakia].

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, inborn disease manifested with recurrent attacks of angioedema. They can affect the skin and subcutaneous tissue, mucous membranes (gastrointestinal, respiratory, and uropoietic tracts), and submucous tissue. Women in reproductive age require specific management of the disease regarding both the course of the disease and treatment options.

Update on the clinical use of trabecular bone score (TBS) in the management of osteoporosis: results of an expert group meeting organized by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO), and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) under the auspices of WHO Collaborating Center for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging.

Purpose: Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a grey-level textural measurement acquired from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry lumbar spine images and is a validated index of bone microarchitecture. In 2015, a Working Group of the European Society on Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) published a review of the TBS literature, concluding that TBS predicts hip and major osteoporotic fracture, at least partly independent of bone mineral density (BMD) and clinical risk factors. It was also concluded that TBS is potentially amenable to change as a result of pharmacological therapy.

Predictive value of infliximab trough levels in maintenance therapy for 5-year sustained clinical remission in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Despite long-term use of infliximab (IFX) in IBD treatment, its optimized use is unclear due to its complicated pharmacokinetics/dynamics. Hence, the predictive value of IFX trough levels (TL) is important in treatment management.

Methods: We performed a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study with 74 IBD patients treated with IFX (mean 9.

Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalence in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Significantly Decreased during the Pandemic in Slovakia from 2020 to 2022 Which Was Associated with Decreasing Mortality.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to changes in lifestyle, which could influence vitamin D status on a population level. The purpose of our study was to compare 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels in patients hospitalized because of severe COVID-19 during two waves of the pandemic (2020/21 vs. 2021/22).

Supplementation with myo-inositol and Selenium improves the clinical conditions and biochemical features of women with or at risk for subclinical hypothyroidism.

Purpose: The present study aims to evaluate the effect of myo-Inositol plus Selenium supplementation in patients affected by subclinical hypothyroidism.

Methods: One hundred and forty-eight patients were included in the study from 8 different centers of Slovakia, and treated for 6 months with a daily dose of 600 mg myo-Ins plus 83 mcg Se. The patients included at the enrollment were women of reproductive age (18-50), who exhibit values of TSH in the range 2.

[Pegvisomant in the treatment of acromegaly].

Despite improvements in surgical techniques, current radiotherapy options and development of long-acting somatostatin analogues, biochemical control of acromegaly is not achieved in some patients. The failure to achieve optimal serum growth hormone (RH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels means increased morbidity and mortality of acromegaly patients. The RH receptor antagonist pegvisomant (PEG) is a genetically engineered RH analog that prevents of RH receptor dimerization, i.

First report of nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infection among COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a non-intensive care unit ward in Slovakia.

Background: Enterococcus species account for most of the human enterococcal HAI and multidrug-resistant infections and have become a major threat to modern public health. We examine the rise in the number of vancomycin resistant E. faecium blood stream and urinary tract infections in a COVID-19 department during an epidemiologic outbreak investigation to detect and eliminate nosocomial clusters of the bacteria.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Significantly Decreases in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia during the First 48 Hours after Hospital Admission.

It is unclear how ongoing inflammation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration. The objective of our study was to examine serum 25(OH)D levels during COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients were admitted between 1 November and 31 December 2021.

3D Echocardiography - A Useful Method for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of premature mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular causes. The association between hemodialysis and accelerated atherosclerosis has long been described. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and recent studies indicate its utility as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Treatment With Cholecalciferol Leads to Increase Of Selected Semen Parameters in Young Infertile Males: Results of a 6-month Interventional Study.

High incidence of infertility along with low vitamin D levels was detected in otherwise healthy young men. The aim is to observe the effect of vitamin D supplementation on semen parameters as assessed by semen analysis in infertile men. In total, 45 men (mean age 36.

The Severity of Muscle Performance Deterioration in Sarcopenia Correlates With Circulating Muscle Tissue-Specific miRNAs.

Sarcopenia is defined as an age-associated loss of skeletal muscle function and muscle mass and is common in older adults. Sarcopenia as a disease is currently of interest not only to orthopedists and surgeons but also to internists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, gynaecologists, geriatricians and paediatricians. In cooperation with the 5th Internal Medicine Clinic, we, as a unit of clinical research, aimed to describe a sarcopenic specific miRNA expression profile for disease diagnostics and classification of the severity of muscle performance deterioration.

Biomarkers of the Physical Function Mobility Domains Among Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine.

Hospitalized patients in internal medicine have an increased risk of low physical reserve which further declines during the hospital stay. The diagnosis requires bed-side testing of functional domains or more complex investigations of the muscle mass. Clinically useful biomarkers of functional status are needed, thus we aimed to explore the potential of microRNAs.

Ovarian Reserve Assessed by the Anti-Mullerian Hormone and Reproductive Health Parameters in Women With Crohn´s Disease, a Case-Control Study.

According to several studies, women with Crohn's disease (CD) had reduced fertility, which is mostly due to voluntary decisions and reduced ovarian reserve. In our study, we aimed to compare reproductive health parameters (RHP), previous pregnancy complications and outcomes, and ovarian reserve (OR) assessed by the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in CD patients with healthy controls. In CD patients, we also compared OR according to disease phenotypes.

The Long-Term Effects of Growth Hormone Replacement on Bone Mineral Density and Trabecular Bone Score: Results of the 10-Year Prospective Follow-up.

There are only few studies concerning about long-term effect of growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy on bone mineral density and bone microstructure. To assess effect of GH replacement therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in adult GH deficient (AGHD) subjects over period of 10 years. From 2005 to 2018, a prospective study of AGHD patients was conducted in national referral center for treatment of GHD.

Prediction of Vertebral Fractures by Trabecular Bone Score in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylarthritis (AS) is associated falsely increased lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD). New tool for discrimination of subjects at fracture risk is needed. Vertebral fracture (VF) prediction of routine methods for osteoporosis assessment, BMD and trabecular bone score (TBS), in patients with AS.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and Klotho Are Associated With Trabecular Bone Score but Not Bone Mineral Density in the Early Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease: Results of the Cross-Sectional Study.

This study evaluates bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in relationship with new markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and klotho. The patients in this cross-sectional study were divided as follows: group A -patients in stages G1-3; group B -patients in stages G4 - 5 according to KDIGO. Plasma levels of soluble klotho and FGF23 were determined by ELISA.

Parathyroid Hormone-Related Changes of Bone Structure.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) increases the release of serum calcium through osteoclasts, which leads to bone resorption. Primary, PTH stimulates osteoblasts leading to increase RANKL (receptor activator for nuclear factor kappa-B ligand) expression and thus differentiation of osteoclasts. In kidneys, PTH increases calcium and decrease phosphate reabsorption.