Understanding clinical outcomes and factors influencing mortality in intensive care unit patients with COVID-19-associated candidemia.

Background: During the COVID pandemic, research has shown an increase in candidemia cases following severe COVID infection and the identification of risk factors associated with candidemia. However, there is a lack of studies that specifically explore clinical outcomes and mortality rates related to candidemia after COVID infection.

Objectives: The aim of this international study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and identify factors influencing mortality in patients who developed candidemia during their COVID infection.

Morphometric Study of Lumbar Spinal Canal Dimensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina Population.

Background: The lumbar spinal canal consists of 5 interconnected lumbar vertebrae through which the final part of the spinal cord passes and the lumbar and sacral spinal nerves that form the cauda equina. The lumbar canal stenosis can directly affect neurological symptoms and pain in the lumbar region and lower extremities. Due to the frequency of such symptoms, lumbar stenosis has been the subject of research around the world.

Biomarkers and their combination in a prediction of decompensation after an index hospitalization for acute heart failure.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) still remains as one of the most common causes of hospital admission with a high mortality rate.

Aim: To investigate the possible prognostic role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponin (cTn) I, cystatin C, and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) in the prediction of decompensation after an index hospitalization and to investigate their possible additive prognostic value.

Patients And Methods: Two hundred twenty-two patients hospitalized with acute HF were monitored and followed for 18 months.

Expansion of hantavirus infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2021.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B and H) has been recognized for decades as a country with a high risk of diseases caused by hantaviruses. The severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has diverted attention from many pathogens, including hantavirus. To provide a socio-demographic, temporal, geographical and clinical laboratory overview of the expansion of hantavirus infection cases during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in B and H in 2021.

Classical fever of unknown origin in 21 countries with different economic development: an international ID-IRI study.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a serious challenge for physicians. The aim of the present study was to consider epidemiology and dynamics of FUO in countries with different economic development. The data of FUO patients hospitalized/followed between 1st July 2016 and 1st July 2021 were collected retrospectively and submitted from referral centers in 21 countries through ID-IRI clinical research platform.

Pericardial Effusion in Postcoronavirus Disease Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction of the Left Ventricle and Normal Values of N-Terminal-Pro B-Type Natriuretic Peptide-Link with C-Reactive Protein and D-Dimer.

Aim: The aim of this study was to link the values of D-dimer and C-reactive protein (CRP), with the occurrence of pericardial effusion in patients who had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and have preserved systolic function of the left ventricle (LV).

Methods: This was a prospective study and included 146 patients who underwent echocardiographic examination 30 days after the acute phase of COVID-19. Patients who were placed on mechanical ventilation, patients who had pulmonary thromboembolism or acute coronary syndrome during the acute period of the disease, patients who had an ejection fraction of the LV <50%, patients who were diagnosed with pericarditis during acute illness or clinical signs of heart failure (or had elevated N-terminal-pro hormone B-type natriuretic peptide value), with verified renal or hepatic dysfunction were excluded from the study, including patients with diabetes mellitus Type 1, patients with cancer, connective tissue disease, or pregnant women.

Self-reported antibiotic stewardship and infection control measures from 57 intensive care units: An international ID-IRI survey.

We explored the self-reported antibiotic stewardship (AS), and infection prevention and control (IPC) activities in intensive care units (ICUs) of different income settings. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to collect data about IPC and AS measures in participating ICUs. The study participants were Infectious Diseases-International Research Initiative (IDI-IR) members, committed as per their institutional agreement form.

Managing adult patients with infectious diseases in emergency departments: international ID-IRI study.

We aimed to explore factors for optimizing antimicrobial treatment in emergency departments. A single-day point prevalence survey was conducted on January 18, 2020, in 53 referral/tertiary hospitals in 22 countries. 1957 (17%) of 11557 patients presenting to EDs had infections.

Predictive Role of Electroencephalography in Regard to Neurological and Cognitive Sequelae After Acute Central Nervous System Infection.

Introduction: Electroencephalography can also be used to monitor long-term recovery of the patient after acute phase of the disease. Impaired neurocognitive function after infection, similar to brain injury, may present a transient but also prolonged problem for the functioning of an individual. Some studies have shown that importance of EEG may not be significant in sequel monitoring, because the extensive changes in EEG seen with severe forms of CNS infection do not necessarily imply a longer-term poor outcome.

CD4/CD8 Ratio as a Predictor for the Occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome in HIV / AIDS Patients During 6 Months of cART Therapy.

Background: HIV infection is characterized by progressive depletion of CD4 T cells due to their reduced synthesis and increased destruction followed by marked activation and expansion of CD8 T lymphocytes. CD4/CD8 ratio was traditionally described as a marker of immune system ageing in the general population, but it increasingly appears as a marker of different outcomes in the HIV-infected population. The main objective of this study is to examine the power of CD4/CD8 ratio in predicting the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in HIV-positive patients receiving cART therapy.

Comparison of Conventional Ultrasound and Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance (MR) Enterography in Evaluation Patients with Crohn's Disease.

Introduction: The small intestine is a challenging organ for clinical and radiological evaluation, and by introducing imaging radiological techniques, not significantly disturbing the comfort and safety of patients, it attempts to obtain adequate diagnosis and valuable information.

Aim: The research was conducted with the aim of checking the comparability and potential of diagnostic modality of ultrasound and dynamic contrast enhanced MR Enterography (DCE-MR) in patients with Crohn's disease.

Methods: 55 patients were examined prospectively, and ultrasound examination of the abdomen was performed for all patients before the MR enterography.

T-lymphocyte Subsets as a Prognostic Factor in a Clinical Course of Chickenpox.

Objective: To investigate possible prognostic values of CD4+, CD8+ T-lymphocytes, CD4/CD8 ratio to clinical course of chickenpox in immunocompetent hosts.

Materials And Methods: We performed a prospective study which included 69 immunocompetent patients with chickenpox who were addmited to Clinic for infectious disease, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, in a 18 month period. All patients were divided into two groups depending on clinical presentation on admission.

Distribution of Malassezia Species in Patients with Different Dermatological Disorders and Healthy Individuals.

There are differences with respect to the commonly isolated Malassezia species, not only between healthy individuals and the patients with various skin diseases, but also between different countries. We investigated the species composition of Malassezia microflora on the skin of patients with Malassezia-associated diseases and of healthy subjects (HS). Two hundred and fifty skin scrapings from patients with pityriasis versicolor (PV), seborrheic dermatitis (SD), atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis (PS), and healthy subjects (HS), fifty each, were inoculated into Sabouraud dextrose agar and into modified Dixon agar and identified using conventional culture-based methods.

Health Effects of the Programmed Physical Activities on Lipid Profile in Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Lower Extremities.

Aims: Determine health effects of programmed physical activities on blood fats in peripheral arterial disease of lower limbs or in examinees on medication therapy and examinees performing programmed physical activities along with the medication therapy.

Methods: Overall research has been carried out at the Clinic for Vascular Disease CCUS. Before involvement into the study, examinees had to meet the inclusion criteria.

Epidemiological Features of Bronchiolitis in the Pediatric Clinic of Clinical center of Sarajevo University.

Objective: To present the epidemiological features of bronchiolitis in a one-year period in patients of Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University.

Introduction: Bronchiolitis is the most common respiratory infection of early infant age. The disease is one the most common reason for hospitalization of children under the age of six months.

The importance of serum procalcitonin in diagnosis and treatment of serious bacterial infections and sepsis.

The clinical utility of serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels continues to evolve. PCT is regarded as a promising candidate marker for making a diagnosis and antibiotic stewardship in patients with systemic infections. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence for PCT in different infections and clinical settings, and to discuss the reliability of this marker when used with validated diagnostic algorithms.

Significance of copper level in serum and routine laboratory parameters in estimation of outspreading of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: The degree of spreading of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is usually estimated according to An Arbor classification system and its modifications. Some laboratory parameters are routinely determined at diagnosis and their abnormal values tries to correlate with disease activity or extension. OBJECTIVES of the research were to identify relationship between common laboratory parameters used in patients with HL, with focus on Serum copper level (SCL) and the degree of spreading of disease expressed through clinical stage (CS).

Staphylococcal bacteraemia/sepsis-characteristics of laboratory parameters.

Introduction: While determining a diagnosis and during a disease follow-up, laboratory, or non-specific inflammatory parameters in particular, platelets reference values, nitrogen matters, and liver enzymes play a significant role because their values may indicate multiple organ failures.

Goals: To analyse laboratory parameters in patients diagnosed with the staphylococcal bacteraemia/sepsis.

Patients And Methods: Analysed patients have been treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases through the period often years.

Frequency of in-hospital acquired staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis within ten-year period.

Unlabelled: Analyzing data in the literature, it is noted that in-hospital acquired infections are an increasing problem even in more developed countries. This increasing trend is related to the progress of medical science and introduction of new invasive diagnostic-therapeutic methods, as well as increase of multiresistant types of bacteria, including staphylococci in big percentages.

Goals: To analyze frequency of in-hospital acquired staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis.

Staphylococcal sepsis and frequency of metastatic foci.

Introduction: Staphylococcal sepsis is one of the most serious bacterial infections in the world, in most cases accompanied by metastatic foci in various organ systems.

Objective: analyze the metastatic foci patients suffering from staphylococcal sepsis.

Patients And Methods: we analyzed the patients treated for staphylococcal sepsis during the ten year period.

Osteoarticular manifestations of brucellosis.

Introduction: Osteoarticular manifestations of human brucellosis occur in 20-40% of patients while spondylodiscitis is the most severe form of the bone and joint structures involvements.

Aim: The aim of this paper is tho show clinical and radiological caracteristics of osteoarticular forms of brucellosis, with special reference to spondylodiscitis.

Material And Methods: The medical histories of 120 hospitalized patients at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, diagnosed with brucellosis, were analyzed.

Therapeutic approach to chickenpox in children and adults--our experience.

Introduction: Chickenpox is highly contagious childhood disease which occurs as a result of varicella-zoster virus primary infection. Symptomatic therapy is usually adequate for chickenpox, but in some cases it requires combinations of antiviral drugs and antibiotics.

Objectives: To present our expirience with chickenpox therapy in children and adult patients.