Frequency of COPD in health care workers who smoke.

Objective: COPD is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Health care providers should counsel their smoking patients with COPD to quit smoking as the first treatment step. However, in countries with high prevalences of smoking, health care workers may also be smokers.

The Differences in Spirometry Predictive Equations in Classifying Presence and Degree of Lung Function Impairment: Which Suit Fits the Best?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the differences between three most commonly used predictive equations (PE): ECCS (European Community of Coal and Steel), the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), and GLI (Global Lung Initiative) in healthy individuals and when grading severity of lung function impairment in patients with obstructive lung diseases.

Methods: The study included 200 healthy volunteers and 200 patients with obstructive lung diseases at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina. In all subjects, we calculated the absolute and relative (percent) predicted values using ECCS, NHANES III, and GLI reference equations.

Candida bloodstream infections in Serbia: First multicentre report of a national prospective observational survey in intensive care units.

Candida bloodstream infections (BSI) are a significant cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICU), hereof the prospective 12-months (2014-2015) hospital- and laboratory-based survey was performed at the Serbian National Reference Medical Mycology Laboratory (NRMML). Candida identification was done by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a susceptibility test, according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methodology. Among nine centres (265 beds; 10 820 patient admissions), four neonatal/paediatric (NICU/PICUs) and five adult centres (ICUs) participated, representing 89 beds and 3446 patient admissions, 166 beds and 7347 patient admissions respectively.

Lymphatic vessel density and VEGF-C expression as independent predictors of melanoma metastases.

Introduction: In many patients, the clinical behaviour of cutaneous melanoma is very difficult to predict by traditional histologic and clinical parameters. This study aimed to examine the role of quantitative parameters of tumour lymphangiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C in predicting metastatic risk in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Methods: One hundred melanoma specimens were stained with lymphatic-specific antibody D2-40 and with anti-VEGF-C antibody.

Lymphatic invasion and the Shields index in predicting melanoma metastases.

Introduction: Findings of the prognostic significance of lymphatic invasion are contradictory. To determine an as efficient cutaneous melanoma metastasis predictor as possible, Shields et al. created a new prognostic index.

Biomarker Testing for Personalized Therapy in Lung Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

There have been many important advances in personalized therapy for patients with lung cancer, particularly for those with advanced disease. Molecular testing is crucial for implementation of personalized therapy. Although the United States and many Western countries have come far in the implementation of personalized therapy for lung cancer, there are substantial challenges for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Association Between the Inflammatory Biomarkers and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Patients with Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. The increased inflammatory biomarker levels predict exacerbations and are associated with cardiovascular diseases in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients but their role in the settings of acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations has not been determined.

Aims: To analyse the association between inflammatory biomarkers and heart failure and also to determine the predictors of mortality in patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Surgical Technique: Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Resection in Super-Obese Patients.

Laparoscopic gastric sleeve (LGS) resection in super-obese patients (BMI > 50 kg/m) is a challenging procedure. We have developed a unique approach and technique for LGS with no buttress stapling and without oversewing. After 102 operations there have been no leaks and late complications.

Molecular Epidemiology of Colistin-Resistant, Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Serbia from 2013 to 2016.

Twenty-seven colistin-resistant, carbapenemase-producing isolates were identified from hospitals in Serbia. All isolates were positive; ST101, ST888, ST437, ST336, and ST307 were positive; and ST340 was positive. ST307 had an insertion, and ST336 had a premature stop codon in the gene.

Clinicopathological features and relation between anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation and histological subtype of lung adenocarcinoma in Eastern European Caucasian population.

: The incidence of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) mutation among surgically treated patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung of the Eastern European ethnicity is underreported. The aim of this trial was the determination of EML4-ALK mutation frequency in investigated population, and the evaluation of correlations between lung adenocarcinoma subtype and clinical characteristics with mutation status. : This was a prospective trial which included 195 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung who underwent surgical treatment.

Comorbidities and the risk of mortality in patients with bronchiectasis: an international multicentre cohort study.

Background: Patients with bronchiectasis often have concurrent comorbidities, but the nature, prevalence, and impact of these comorbidities on disease severity and outcome are poorly understood. We aimed to investigate comorbidities in patients with bronchiectasis and establish their prognostic value on disease severity and mortality rate.

Methods: An international multicentre cohort analysis of outpatients with bronchiectasis from four European centres followed up for 5 years was done for score derivation.

Correlation between the Wells score and the Quanadli index in patients with pulmonary embolism.

Background And Aims: Determining clinical probability of pulmonary embolism (PE) with Wells scoring system is the first step towards diagnosis of PE. Definitive diagnosis of PE is confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).

Methods: This was a prospective study on 80 patients referred to the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina with suspected PE between April 2010 and August 2012.

Influence of inhaler technique on asthma and COPD control: a multicenter experience.

Background: The successful management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mostly depends on adherence to inhalation drug therapy, the usage of which is commonly associated with many difficulties in real life. Improvement of patients' adherence to inhalation technique could lead to a better outcome in the treatment of asthma and COPD.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the utility of inhalation technique in clinical and functional control of asthma and COPD during a 3-month follow-up.

Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN): evolution of a content management system for point-of-care clinical decision support.

Background: The Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN) is an international collaborative project with the overall objective of standardizing the approach to the evaluation and treatment of critically ill patients world-wide, in accordance with best-practice principles. One of CERTAIN's key features is clinical decision support providing point-of-care information about common acute illness syndromes, procedures, and medications in an index card format.

Methods: This paper describes 1) the process of developing and validating the content for point-of-care decision support, and 2) the content management system that facilitates frequent peer-review and allows rapid updates of content across different platforms (CERTAIN software, mobile apps, pdf-booklet) and different languages.

Characterization of bronchiectasis in the elderly.

Introduction: Although bronchiectasis particularly affects people ≥65 years of age, data describing clinical characteristics of the disease in this population are lacking. This study aimed at evaluating bronchiectasis features in older adults and elderly, along with their clinical outcomes.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of six European databases of prospectively enrolled adult outpatients with bronchiectasis.

Pneumonia: Features registered in autopsy material.

Background: Despite improvements in clinical practice, pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Pathologic findings from autopsy reports could provide more precise and valid data on characteristics of pneumonia patients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed autopsy reports of deceased patients admitted to the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica, Serbia, between 1994 and 2003.

The Effect of Body Mass Index on Spirometric Parameters in Children with Asthma.

Aim: Asthma and obesity represent one of the most crucial public and health problems of modern society that frequently begin in childhood and have some mutual elements of risk. Abdominal distribution of connective tissue is important determinant which brings to decrease of lungs function. Multiple influence of overweight on function of the lungs would clearly manifest over reduction of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC).

Multidimensional severity assessment in bronchiectasis: an analysis of seven European cohorts.

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is a multidimensional disease associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Two disease-specific clinical prediction tools have been developed, the Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) and the FACED score, both of which stratify patients into severity risk categories to predict the probability of mortality.

Methods: We aimed to compare the predictive utility of BSI and FACED in assessing clinically relevant disease outcomes across seven European cohorts independent of their original validation studies.

Significantly high lymphatic vessel density in cutaneous metastasizing melanoma.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma has the propensity to early metastatic spread via the lymphatic vessels. Recent studies have found a positive correlation between an increased number of tumor-associated lymphatics and lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in the lymphatic vessel density (LVD) when cutaneous metastasizing melanomas were compared with nonmetastasizing melanomas and nevi.

Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in patients with COPD and asthma.

Introduction: Nocturnal symptoms are common and important in both asthma and COPD but the relationship between sleep quality and diseases' characteristics has not been fully studied.

Objective: To compare sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in asthma and COPD patients and to explore its relation to diseases' characteristics.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we examined 217 consecutive asthma and COPD patients who underwent pulmonary function tests at The Center for Pathophysiology of Breathing and Sleep Medicine of The Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia between July 2014 and January 2015.