A Prospective, Multicenter European Study on the Effects of Anatolian Propolis and Hypertonic Saline Combination Nasal Spray on Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms.

The current study examined the effectiveness of Rhinapi, a hypertonic saline nasal spray with Anatolian propolis added, on allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms in a European population. Four hundred and forty AR patients (251 males and 189 females) from various European centers were enrolled. Nasal examination, overall symptom scores, individual AR symptoms (nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction), and quality of life (QoL) were assessed before and after 3 weeks of treatment with Rhinapi, the nasal spray made of hypertonic saline with Anatolian propolis added (Bee&You, Istanbul, Turkey).

Grandiose narcissism, unfounded beliefs, and behavioral reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A theoretical perspective on grandiose narcissism suggests four forms of it (sanctity, admiration, heroism, rivalry) and states that these forms conduce to different ways of thinking and acting. Guided by this perspective, we examined in a multinational and multicultural study (61 countries; N = 15,039) how narcissism forms are linked to cognitions and behaviors prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, differences in cognitions and behaviors across narcissism forms emerged.

Recommendations for asthma monitoring in children: A PeARL document endorsed by APAPARI, EAACI, INTERASMA, REG, and WAO.

Monitoring is a major component of asthma management in children. Regular monitoring allows for diagnosis confirmation, treatment optimization, and natural history review. Numerous factors that may affect disease activity and patient well-being need to be monitored: response and adherence to treatment, disease control, disease progression, comorbidities, quality of life, medication side-effects, allergen and irritant exposures, diet and more.

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.

COVID-19 and diabetes: What do we know so far?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management has been challenging for patients with comorbidities. Patients with diabetes and COVID-19, in particular, have shown severe symptoms and rapid progression of the disease. They also have a high mortality rate compared to the non-diabetic population.

Position Paper on the Management of Pregnancy-Associated Superficial Venous Thrombosis. Balkan Working Group for Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial disease that can possibly affect any part of venous circulation. The risk of VTE increases by about 2 fold in pregnant women and VTE is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. For decades superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) has been considered as benign, self-limiting condition, primarily local event consequently being out of scope of well conducted epidemiological and clinical studies.

Adherence to the 4S-AF Scheme in the Balkan region: Insights from the BALKAN-AF survey.

Background: The 4S-AF scheme includes stroke risk, symptoms, severity of burden, and substrate severity domain.

Aim: We aimed to assess the adherence to the 4S-AF scheme in patients classified according to stroke risk in post hoc analysis of the BALKAN-AF dataset.

Methods: A 14-week prospective enrolment of consecutive patients with electrocardiographically documented atrial fibrillation (AF) was performed in seven Balkan countries from 2014 to 2015.

The importance of computed tomography (CT) scans in the early diagnosis of Gorham-Stout Disease - A case report.

Gorham Stout disease (GSD) or vanishing bone disease is an infrequent entity in clinical practice characterized by gross and progressive bone loss along with excessive growth of vascular and lymphatic tissue. Very little is known about the pathogenesis of GSD, which makes the diagnosis challenging. Due to the rarity of the disease, no treatment guidelines have been created yet.

Dangerous liaisons: Bacteria, antimicrobial therapies, and allergic diseases.

Microbiota composition and associated metabolic activities are essential for the education and development of a healthy immune system. Microbial dysbiosis, caused by risk factors such as diet, birth mode, or early infant antimicrobial therapy, is associated with the inception of allergic diseases. In turn, allergic diseases increase the risk for irrational use of antimicrobial therapy.

Reperfusion therapies and in-hospital outcomes for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Europe: the ACVC-EAPCI EORP STEMI Registry of the European Society of Cardiology.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the contemporary use of reperfusion therapy in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member and affiliated countries and adherence to ESC clinical practice guidelines in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods And Results: Prospective cohort (EURObservational Research Programme STEMI Registry) of hospitalized STEMI patients with symptom onset <24 h in 196 centres across 29 countries. A total of 11 462 patients were enrolled, for whom primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (total cohort frequency: 72.

COVID-19 related mental health issues: a narrative review of psychometric properties of scales and methodological concerns in scale development.

Objectives: The global crisis of COVID-19 and its consequential strict public health measures placed around the world have impacted mental health. New scales and tools have been developed to measure these mental health effects. This narrative review assesses the psychometric properties of these scales and tools and methodological aspects of their development.

Quality indicators in the management of atrial fibrillation: the BALKAN-AF survey.

Background: The implementation of quality indicators in the atrial fibrillation (AF) care should be considered to improve quality of management and patient outcome.

Methods: In the post-hoc analysis of the BALKAN-AF dataset, we assessed concordance with quality indicators for AF management. Available domains for AF management [patient assessment (baseline), anticoagulation, rate control strategy, rhythm control strategy and risk factor management] were identified and assessed at baseline visit.

European women in neurosurgery: II - Historical characters and living legends.

A collaborative global working group of women neurosurgeons in multiple countries at different stages of their neurosurgical careers undertook the task of researching the history of European women in neurosurgery. While doing so, we happened upon many remarkable female neurosurgeons who overcame great adversity, made tremendous contributions to society and institutional neurosurgery, and displayed numerous talents beyond the operating room. In the first part of this paper, we recounted a chronology of female neurosurgeons in Europe, highlighting the most remarkable achievements of women in every decade, from the 1920's to 2020.

European women in neurosurgery: I - A chronology of trailblazers.

Neurosurgery as a distinct speciality has been around for 100 years. Some of the earliest women neurosurgeons were European, emerging from the 1920's onwards. Here we detail the rise of women in neurosurgery across Europe with a decade by decade account of big events and firsts across the continent.

Symptom management strategies: Rhythm vs rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation in the Balkan region: Data from the BALKAN-AF survey.

Background: Symptom-focused management is one of the cornerstones of optimal atrial fibrillation (AF) therapy.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of rhythm control and rate control strategy. Second, to identify predictors of the use of amiodarone in patients with rhythm control and of the use of rhythm control strategy in patients with paroxysmal AF in the Balkans.

Psychiatry Trainees' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Training in Addiction Psychiatry-A European Survey.

Although psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUDs) are a domain of mental health, addiction psychiatry is only formally recognized as a subspecialty in a few European countries, and there is no standardized training curriculum. A 76-item questionnaire was developed and disseminated through an online anonymous data-collecting system and hand-to-hand amongst psychiatric trainees from the 47 European countries of the Council of Europe plus Israel and Belarus. 1,049/1,118 psychiatric trainees from 30 European countries completed the questionnaire.

Which medical disciplines diagnose and treat melanoma in Europe in 2019? A survey of experts from melanoma centres in 27 European countries.

Background And Objectives: The incidence of melanoma is increasing. This places significant burden on societies to provide efficient cancer care. The European Cancer Organisation recently published the essential requirements for quality melanoma care.

Treatment implications of renal disease in patients with atrial fibrillation: The BALKAN-AF survey.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) often co-exists with renal function (RF) impairment. We investigated the characteristics and management of AF patients across creatinine clearance strata and potential changes in the use of nonvitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) according to different equations for estimation of RF.

Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the BALKAN-AF survey, patients were classified according to RF (Cockcroft-Gault formula) as: preserved/mildly depressed RF (P-RF) ≥50 mL/min, moderately depressed RF (MD-RF) 30-49 mL/min, and severely depressed RF (SD-RF) <30 mL/min.

Travel burden and clinical presentation of retinoblastoma: analysis of 1024 patients from 43 African countries and 518 patients from 40 European countries.

Background: The travel distance from home to a treatment centre, which may impact the stage at diagnosis, has not been investigated for retinoblastoma, the most common childhood eye cancer. We aimed to investigate the travel burden and its impact on clinical presentation in a large sample of patients with retinoblastoma from Africa and Europe.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis including 518 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 40 European countries and 1024 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 43 African countries.

Impact of multimorbidity and polypharmacy on the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from the BALKAN-AF survey.

Objective: We investigated the impact of multimorbidity and polypharmacy on the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in clinical practice and assessed factors associated with polypharmacy and oral anticoagulation (OAC) use in AF patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy.

Methods: A 14-week prospective study of consecutive non-valvular AF patients was performed in seven Balkan countries.

Results: Of 2712 consecutive patients, 2263 patients (83.