Antibiotic prescription rate for upper respiratory tract infections in general practice - a Croatian study.

Aim Acute upper respiratory tract infections are the most common indication for antibiotic prescribing in primary care. The frequency of antibiotics prescribed to patients with upper respiratory tract infections has been studied. Methods A cross-sectional survey has been conducted from October to December 2017 with participation of 17 General Practices in Croatia.

Clustering of Multiple Energy Balance-Related Behaviors in School Children and its Association with Overweight and Obesity-WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI 2015⁻2017).

It is unclear how dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviors co-occur in school-aged children. We investigated the clustering of energy balance-related behaviors and whether the identified clusters were associated with weight status. Participants were 6- to 9-year-old children ( = 63,215, 49.

Tentorial alignment and its relationship to cisternal dimensions of the pineal region: MRI anatomical study with surgical implications using the new clivotentorial method.

Objectives: Tentorial alignment and dimensions of posterior fossa cisterns are measurements whose variability can decrease surgical freedom if not taken into account when choosing the approach to the pineal region. The aim is to provide quantitative anatomical information regarding these dimensions, and to discuss their relevance in two most commonly used approaches to this region: the occipital transtentorial and supracerebellar-infratentorial approach.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective study of midsagittal T1-weighted MRI images of 410 randomly selected healthy subjects was performed.

Quantification of coronary atherosclerotic burden with coronary computed tomography angiography: adapted Leaman score in Croatian patients.

The aim of the study was to quantify the total coronary atherosclerotic burden in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) defined by coronary computed tomography adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc) and to estimate its cut-off level for high coronary atherosclerotic burden. We enrolled 434 consecutive patients referred to coronary computed tomography angiography, of which 261 patients fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as CAD risk factors were obtained.

Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau as a biomarker in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Background: The diagnosis of either Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia (VaD) is still largely based on clinical guidelines and exclusion of other diseases that may lead to dementia.

Aims: In this study, we assessed whether the use of sensitive and specific biomarkers such as phosphorylated tau proteins could contribute to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of AD and VaD, as well as to their differentiation.

Material And Methods: A total of 198 patients, of which 152 had AD, 28 VaD, and 18 were healthy controls (HC), were included in the analyses.

Central nervous system tumours among adolescents and young adults (15-39 years) in Southern and Eastern Europe: Registration improvements reveal higher incidence rates compared to the US.

Aim: To present incidence of central nervous system (CNS) tumours among adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 15-39 years) derived from registries of Southern and Eastern Europe (SEE) in comparison to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), US and explore changes due to etiological parameters or registration improvement via evaluating time trends.

Methods: Diagnoses of 11,438 incident malignant CNS tumours in AYAs (1990-2014) were retrieved from 14 collaborating SEE cancer registries and 13,573 from the publicly available SEER database (1990-2012). Age-adjusted incidence rates (AIRs) were calculated; Poisson and joinpoint regression analyses were performed for temporal trends.

Do spirituality and religiousness differ with regard to personality and recovery from depression? A follow-up study.

Background: The studies show that both spirituality and religiousness are protective for mental health. Personality is related with course and outcome of depression, as well as spirituality and religiousness, and their relations toward to recovery from depression are underresearched. This study followed influence of spirituality and religiousness on course and outcome of depression in patients with depressive episode, controlled for personality dimensions.

A thin line between Meniere's disease and spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome.

Aim: To point out the similarity of Meniere disease and spontaneous intracranial hypotension and difference of their treatment.

Methods: A case of a 54-year-old male patient with previously diagnosed Meniere's disease and newly diagnosed spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome is presented. Additional neuroradiological examination, Brain contrast-enhanced MRI and MR myelography were used for diagnosis.

Implementing the Surgical Apgar Score in patients with trauma hip fracture.

Background: Trauma hip fractures in elderly patients are associated with high postoperative long-term morbidity and mortality and premature death. The high mortality in these patients can be explained by various factors, including the fracture itself; the preoperative poor condition and comorbidities of these patients; the influence of stressors, such as surgery and type of anaesthesia, on the patient's condition; and the postoperative development of major complications, such as cardiac failure, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, deep venous thrombosis and acute renal failure. Thus, the Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) could be a valuable tool for objective risk stratification of patients immediately after surgery, and to enable patients with higher risk to receive postoperative ICU care and good management both during and after the hospital stay.

Knowledge and attitudes towards evidence-based medicine of mentors in general practice can be influenced by using medical students as academic detailers.

Background: Regular use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) among general practitioners (GP) is insufficient.

Objective: To analyse whether knowledge and attitudes about EBM can be improved among mentors in general practice by involving sixth-year medical students as academic detailers.

Methods: An interventional non-randomized before-and-after study included 98 GPs (49 in the intervention group of mentors and 49 controls) and 174 medical students attending family medicine clinical rotations.

Recipe from the past for the future: public health intervention represent a process for century.

In the poor Bosnia, in the early 20(th) century endemic syphilis was widespread. Combating this disease entailed the necessity of etiology research, diagnosis and clinical nature of the disease, as well as the insight into the epidemiological image of this unresolved health problem. Thanks to the visionary, the enthusiasm and persistence of the expert team of doctors from that time in Croatia, School of Public Health and the Rockefeller Foundation as financial support, conditions were created to conduct population monitoring and research called "survey".

Croatian dentists' knowledge, experience, and attitudes in regard to child abuse and neglect.

Background: Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is a widespread social phenomenon encompassing all forms of maltreatment with serious lifelong consequences. Dentists and dental team members are in the unique position to identify the symptoms of CAN often visible in craniofacial region.

Aim: To evaluate Croatian dentists' level of knowledge, experience, and attitude towards CAN issue.

Physicians' interpersonal relationships and professional standing seen through the eyes of the general public in Croatia.

Purpose: Medical professionalism, as a cornerstone of medicine's social contract with society, demands physicians adhere to high professional standards while placing public interest ahead of self-interest. This study's objective was to investigate perceptions of the basic elements of medical professionalism related to physicians' interpersonal relationships and their professional standing in the view of the broader public.

Methods: A field survey was conducted using an independently created questionnaire on a nationally representative three-stage probabilistic sample of 1,008 Croatian citizens.

Issues around household pharmaceutical waste disposal through community pharmacies in Croatia.

Background: Croatian regulations mandate pharmacies to receive unused medicines from households. Pharmacies are considered as producers and holders of pharmaceutical waste and are obliged to finance this service. Model where pharmacies are responsible for financing disposal of unused medicines without reimbursement is not common in Europe.

Antibiotic prescription rate for upper respiratory tract infections and risks for unnecessary prescription in Croatia.

Overprescribing of antibiotics in primary care has been recognized as public health problem. We investigated visits prescription rate of antibiotics to patients with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and unnecessary prescription for tonsillopharyngitis, in Croatia. In prospective observational study in November 2007.

Undergraduate grade point average is a poor predictor of scientific productivity later in career.

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the undergraduate grade point average in prediction of scientific production of research trainees during their fellowship and later in career. The study was performed in 1320 research trainees whose fellowships from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports were terminated between 1999 and 2005. The data were analyzed using logistic regression.

Treatment of hypertension by general practitioners and antihypertensive drugs expenditure in an urban environment.

Aim of our study was to determine the treatment habits of hypertension by general practitioners (GPs) as well as the monthly costs of prescribed antihypertensive drugs and their share in the total prescription drug expenditure approved by the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance (CIHI), the compulsory health insurance system. The study was performed in six GPs offices in Zagreb, serving 8,866 patients, in December 2005. The monthly costs of antihypertensive drugs prescribed by the GPs was obtained by summarizing the prices of all antihypertensive drugs prescribed in one month and then comparing the sum with total monthly prescription drug expenditure approved by the CIHI.

Patterns of sexual behaviour and reported symptoms of STI/RTIs among young people in Croatia--implications for interventions' planning.

This paper describes some of the results of the first national-level survey on sexual behaviour and the distribution of risks to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), among youth in Croatia, and the nature and the extent of their vulnerability to these adverse health outcomes. The study was a cross-sectional, probability-based household survey conducted in 2005, and included 1093 respondents aged 18-24. This paper aims to describe the findings related to the knowledge of HIV transmission, key behavioural outcomes relevant for potential transmission of HIV and STIs, and correlates of genital discharge in young men and young women.

Dietary habits and folate status in women of childbearing age in Croatia.

Folic acid and folates have an important role in prevention of neural tube defect that appears in the first weeks of pregnancy, when women are still not aware of their pregnancy, especially when pregnancy is not planned. Since ensuring sufficient quantities of folates and folic acid in this period is essential, dietary habits of childbearing age women are very important. In line with that the intake of folates and folic acid in nutrition of women age group 20-30 years is examined, as well as the frequency of consumption of foodstuffs rich in vitamins and folic acid supplements.

Counties selecting public health priorities--a "bottom-up" approach (Croatian experience).

The subject of this paper is how to incorporate a multi-disciplinary and inter-sectored approach into development of public health policy and plans at the local (county) level in Croatia by educational program. Method used was the public health capacity building program "Health--Plan for it", which was developed with the aim to assist the counties to overcome recognized weaknesses and introduce more effective and efficient local public health practices. Two main instruments were used: Local Public Health Practice Performance Measures Instrument, and Basic Priority Rating System.

Five reasons why inbreeding may have considerable effect on post-reproductive human health.

As the genetic architecture of common complex diseases of late onset is emerging through intensive research, it is intriguing to assess the predicted effect of inbreeding on those diseases. In this paper, we propose five reasons why we believe inbreeding may have a considerable effect on post-reproductive human health. (i) The joint effect of inbreeding depression on all polygenic quantitative phenotypes that confer risk for late-onset diseases is predicted to be multiplicative rather than additive.

Inbreeding and susceptibility to osteoporosis in Croatian island isolates.

The aim of this study was to investigate a recessive genetic component in susceptibility to osteoporosis (OP) by comparing its prevalence in isolated villages of three Croatian islands: Brac, Hvar and Korcula with different levels of inbreeding. A random sample of 20-30% adults from 14 villages was obtained, including a total of 1,389 examinees. The average inbreeding coefficient (F) of examinees from each village population was estimated using Wright's path method (based on genealogical information).