Moxifloxacin in the Outpatient Treatment of Moderate Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Bacterial infections are involved in more than a half of the exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin in the outpatient treatment of moderate exacerbations of bacterial origin in the COPD patients.

Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study including 64 COPD patients with moderate exacerbation of bacterial origin empirically treated with moxifloxacin.

Eosinophil Cationic Protein Concentrations among Crop and Dairy Farmers with Asthma.

Objective: To assess the mean serum eosinophil cationic protein (s-ECP) concentrations among crop and dairy farmers and office controls, and further examine its relation to exposure duration, smoking habit, as well as presence or absence of asthma.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed including examined group (EG), composed by agricultural workers (87 crop - EG1 and 83 dairy farmers - EG2), and control group (CG) composed by 80 office workers within the same enterprise. We have used a questionnaire to record the chronic respiratory symptoms, detailed work history, specific farming activities and tasks performed and smoking history.

C-Reactive Protein Concentrations Among Crop and Dairy Farmers with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Aim: To assess the mean serum C-reactive protein concentrations among farmers and office controls, and further examined its relation to exposure duration, smoking habit, as well as presence or absence of COPD.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed including examined group (EG), composed of agricultural workers (87 crop - EG1 and 83 dairy farmers - EG2), and control group (CG) composed by 80 office workers. Evaluation of subjects included a questionnaire on chronic respiratory symptoms, lung function tests, COPD diagnostics, and measurement of CRP serum concentrations.

Indicators of Moderate and Severe Preeclampsia in Correlation with Maternal IL10.

Aim: The purpose of the actual study was to evaluate the relationship between the formation of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 and several indicators of moderate and severe preeclampsia in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Material And Methods: Examination of the indicators of preeclampsia and maternal IL10 levels was conducted in 50 women with pregnancies complicated by varying degrees of preeclampsia in the third trimester of gestation as well as in 50 normotensive patients, hospitalized at the University Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The levels of IL10 were determined with a commercial test developed by Orgenium Laboratories (Finland), using reagents from AviBion ELISA research kits.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in never-smoking dairy farmers.

Introduction: Work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a considerable part of the disease burden globally.

Objective: To assess the COPD prevalence and characteristics in never-smoking dairy farmers.

Materials And Methodology: We have conducted a cross-sectional study with 75 male dairy farmers aged 26 to 59 years, and compared them with equivalent number of male office workers similar by age, and duration of employment.

Assessment of the Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Severity: The FACED Score vs the Bronchiectasis Severity Index.

Introduction: Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is a multidimensional disease, and no single isolated parameter is proved to have sufficient power for any overall determination of its severity and prognosis.

Objective: To compare the results of the assessment of the NCFB severity with respect to its prognosis in the same patients by two different validated scores, i.e.

Work Demands-Burnout and Job Engagement-Job Satisfaction Relationships: Teamwork as a Mediator and Moderator.

Background: Few studies have examined teamwork as mediator and moderator of work demands-burnout and job engagement-job satisfaction relationships in healthcare workers (HCWs) in South-East Europe.

Aim: To assess mediation and moderation effect of teamwork on the relationship between independent (work demands or job engagement) and dependent (burnout or job satisfaction) variables.

Methods: Work demands, burnout, job engagement, and job satisfaction were measured with Hospital Experience Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Job Satisfaction Survey, respectively.

Burnout and Work Demands Predict Reduced Job Satisfaction in Health Professionals Working In a Surgery Clinic.

Background: Burnout syndrome develops in health professionals (HPs) as a result of exposure to chronic emotional and interpersonal workplace stressors. Research demonstrates the links between burnout, work demands, and job satisfaction in hospital HPs.

Aims: To examine the associations between burnout, work demands and job satisfaction, and to demonstrate the mediation effect of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between work demands and job satisfaction in surgery clinic HPs.

Chronic Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function in Agricultural Workers - Influence of Exposure Duration and Smoking.

Introduction: Job exposure in agricultural workers often leads to respiratory impairment.

Aim: To assess the influence of exposure duration and smoking on chronic respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity in agricultural workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study covered 75 agricultural workers, compared with an equal number of office workers matched by age, exposure duration and smoking status.

Smoking among Macedonian workers five years after the anti-smoking campaign.

To assess the efficacy of nationwide anti-smoking campaign, we compared the findings of a study on worker smoking performed in 2005 with our latest cross-sectional study completed in 2010. It included 753 randomly selected workers, of whom 126 office, 108 construction, 93 agricultural, 97 petroleum refinery, 114 textile, 117 food processing workers, and 98 cleaners. Information was collected with a self-administered questionnaire.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and exercise-induced respiratory symptoms in nurses.

In order to assess prevalence and characteristics of exercise-induced respiratory symptoms (EIRSs) and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in health care workers, we performed a cross-sectional study including 48 female nurses from primary care settings and an equal number of female office workers studied as a control group. The evaluation of examined groups included completion of a questionnaire, skin prick tests to common inhalant allergens, spirometry, and exercise and histamine challenge. We found a similar prevalence of EIRSs and EIB in both groups.

Effects of passive smoking at work on respiratory symptoms, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness in never-smoking office cleaning women.

This cross-sectional study compares respiratory symptoms, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness between 27 office cleaning women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at work and 57 unexposed controls. The age range of both groups was 24 to 56 years, and none of the women had ever smoked. Information on respiratory symptoms, cleaning work history, and passive smoking in the workplace were obtained with a questionnaire.

Work-related asthma in automobile spray painters: two case reports.

This report describes two patients who had developed asthma after working as automobile painters with isocyanate-based aerosol paint for two years or over. In both patients asthma was confirmed using the standard diagnostic procedure. One of the subjects was atopic.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace in Macedonia: where are we now?

To assess the prevalence and the level of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the workplace after the enactment of the law restricting indoor smoking in Macedonia, we performed a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study including 372 never-smoking workers recruited from six workplaces. We found a high prevalence of workers exposed to ETS in the workplace (27.4 %) with no significant difference between particular occupation groups.