The Influence of Occlusion Type on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Complete Dentures-Lingualized vs. Bilaterally Balanced Occlusion.

Objective: This randomized, single-blind controlled study aimed to investigate the QoL and satisfaction of patients wearing complete dentures with lingualized (LO) and bilaterally balanced occlusion (BBO). Participants were stratified based on their prior experience with complete dentures.

Methods: The study involved 131 complete denture wearers who were categorized into four groups: G1-first-time prosthesis wearers treated with LO (n = 33); G2-first-time prosthesis wearers treated with BBO (n = 31); G3-participants with prior prosthesis experience treated with LO (n = 34); G4-participants with prior prosthesis experience treated with BBO (n = 33).

COMBINED FIRST TRIMESTER SCREENING FOR FETAL DOWN SYNDROME AT THE SPLIT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CENTER: A SEVEN-YEAR EXPERIENCE.

The aim of this study was to present the results and to explore the success of combined screening at the Split University Hospital Center. A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed, including all pregnant women who underwent combined screening at the Split University Hospital Center from 2011 to 2017. Data were collected from the hospital archives.

Combination of SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in PTDM Treatment in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Synergistic Effect With Added Value in Terms of Nephroprotection.

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic syndrome are common complications after kidney transplantation. Data on using novel agents, including SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists, in kidney transplant recipients are scarce and practice guidelines are lacking. According to available data, GLP-1 receptor agonists are efficient in terms of weight loss and glycemia control.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Renal and Endothelium Dysfunction Markers Fourteen Years after Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Contraction.

While the pathology of acute hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has been widely researched, details on the chronic HFRS sequelae remain mainly unexplored. In this study, we analyzed the clinical and laboratory characteristics of 30 convalescent HFRS patients 14 years after the disease contraction, mainly emphasizing several endothelial dysfunction parameters. Convalescent HFRS patients exhibited significantly higher serum levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, von Willebrand factor, uric acid, C-reactive protein and immunoglobulin A when compared to healthy individuals.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HEARING RECOVERY IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION AFTER VENTILATION TUBE INSERTION.

The objective was to determine the range of hearing improvement (in dB) post ventilation tube insertion in children with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME), and whether there was a difference in hearing improvement between age groups and genders. This study also investigated whether there was a difference in the mean hearing improvement between the left and right ear, how many months passed before recovery of eustachian tube function, and how long the aeration of the middle ear lasted. The children included in the study were between six and twelve years of age, diagnosed with COME by audiological processing (type B tympanometric recording and conductive hearing loss up to 40 dB on pure tone audiometry) and underwent surgical insertion of ventilation tubes in both ears.

DOES AUDIOVESTIBULAR POST-COVID SYNDROME EXIST?

The purpose of this study was to present and analyze patients with audiovestibular post COVID-19 syndrome, and highlight the most characteristic and most common findings. We analyzed 87 patients aged between 20 and 86 years who presented to the Audiology Division between February 1, 2021 and July 1, 2021 after having been isolated due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Study patients presented with complaints of persistent hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo, lasting for more than 3 months.

DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE ARE DUE TO OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.

To our knowledge, there is no study investigating whether fatigue and depression as the most commonly reported symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients have arisen from primary mechanisms of MS or from secondary associated conditions such as OSA in MS patients. The aim of our survey study was to determine whether depression and fatigue in MS patients were associated with clinical features of OSA or with MS. We conducted a self-administered survey using four validated questionnaires (STOP-BANG, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale and The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised) in 28 consecutive outpatients with proven MS.

COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on the cardiac implantable electronic devices' implantation rates in Croatia.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has influenced health-care organization worldwide, including management of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac implantable electronic devices' (CIEDs) implantation rates in Croatia.

Methods: A retrospective, observational, national study was conducted.

LEFT LATERAL VIEW FOR PCI TREATMENT OF INFERIOR STEMI IN A PATIENT WITH DEXTROCARDIA.

Rapid recognition of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and electrocardiogram interpretation in patients with dextrocardia could be a challenging situation. This case report discusses presentation in a patient with dextrocardia and who was found to have acute inferior myocardial infarction. Percutaneous coronary intervention in cases of dextrocardia can be technically challenging considering coronary origin and orientation, and difficulty in appropriate catheter selection.

A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS WAITING TIMES TO FIRST TREATMENT IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN TUMOR.

The aim was to investigate and determine waiting intervals from diagnosis to first treatment in brain tumor patients. A prospective observational study was performed at the Department of Neurology, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia, from February 21, 2016 until April 10, 2017. The inclusion criterion was the diagnosis of brain tumor confirmed by standard neuroimaging methods.

LEFT-SIDED INFERIOR VENA CAVA ASSOCIATED WITH PROXIMAL DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS OF THE LEFT LOWER EXTREMITY.

Left-sided inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare congenital venous anomaly that is most frequently detected incidentally during abdominal computer tomography scanning. However, as in the case presented, the first clinical manifestation of this anomaly may be deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremities. Therefore, left-sided IVC should be kept in mind in case of inferior DVT, especially in young patients with no predisposing thrombotic risk factors.

A RARE PRESENTATION OF GENITOURINARY TUBERCULOSIS MIMICKING ABDOMINAL TUMOR.

Genital tuberculosis is a rare and unexpected disease in European countries including Croatia. Diagnosis of female genital tract tuberculosis is challenging and is rarely pin-pointed by clinical symptoms because of their low specificity. The authors decided to present a case of genitourinary tuberculosis in a young, immunocompetent fertile woman with high clinical suspicion of abdominal tumor mass.

Testing the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations on maternal reproductive health and associated neonatal characteristics in a transitional, Mediterranean population.

Background: High pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are significant risk factors for maternal and neonatal health.

Aim: To assess pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG during pregnancy and their association with different maternal and neonatal characteristics in the transitional Mediterranean population from the Eastern Adriatic islands.

Subjects And Methods: Two hundred and sixty-two mother-child dyads from the CRoatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS) were included in the study.

OPPORTUNISTIC SCREENING FOR COLORECTAL CANCER IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS IN FAMILY MEDICINE PRACTICES IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA.

Colorectal cancer is a malignant neoplasm which has an increasing incidence and represents a global public health problem. The majority of patients are diagnosed after the age of 50, and the risk of developing it over lifetime is 5%. Development of preventive, diagnostic and treatment methods has resulted in a significant reduction in mortality and other negative clinical outcomes.

CROATIAN GUIDELINES FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a term describing excessive accumulation of fat in hepatocytes, and is associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. NAFLD prevalence is on increase and goes in parallel with the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components. That is why Croatian guidelines have been developed, which cover the screening protocol for patients with NAFLD risk factors, and the recommended diagnostic work-up and treatment of NAFLD patients.

ADENOID SIZE IN CHILDREN WITH OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION.

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is amongst the most common pediatric diseases and the most common cause of hearing loss in children. It is accepted that adenoid hypertrophy (AH) is related to OME incidence. Better understanding of the correlation between the relative size of AH and the incidence of persistent OME may provide evidence to support a more standardized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of OME.

CONCURRENT DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS AND PULMONARY EMBOLISM ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM: A CASE REPORT.

Numerous disorders of coagulation and fibrinolysis have been reported in patients with thyroid diseases, especially with hyperthyroidism. Most articles are focused on deep vein thrombosis risk, however, few of them describe association between hyperthyroidism and pulmonary embolism. We report a case of a 43-year-old woman with long-term uncontrolled hyperthyroidism complicated by venous thromboembolism.

BUILDING THE COVID-19 TESTING CAPACITIES IN CROATIA: ESTABLISHING THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COVID-19 UNIT AT THE SPLIT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CENTRE.

This paper presents the chronology, experiences, and challenges in introducing COVID-19 RT-PCR testing in Split, Croatia. We describe the processes from March 12, 2020 to May 26, 2020, starting from the initial knowledge transfer, expert team formation and management, testing implementation, and concluding with the standalone testing facilities, which used automated processes sufficient to meet testing requirements at that time. In the case presented, the COVID-19 unit was organized by joining human and laboratory resources from five clinical departments at the Split University Hospital Centre.

IS IT TIME TO REDEFINE COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY? THE IMPORTANCE OF METHODOLOGICAL CONSISTENCY.

High incidence and significance of repercussions on patient health and healthcare system make postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) a major problem following cardiac surgery. POCD frequency drops over time since surgery and its occurrence are related to different aspects of cognitive deterioration that markedly impair the patient quality of life. Therefore, a substantial number of papers have focused on this complex postoperative complication, however, with limited achievement in clarifying it.

Treatment Approach to Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma Tumor Thrombus in the Internal Jugular Vein and Brachiocephalic Vein.

Thyroid gland carcinoma causing tumor thrombus in the great veins of the neck and mediastinum is a rare condition with poor prognosis. Invasion of the internal jugular vein by thyroid gland carcinoma has been occasionally reported, but tumor thrombi extending to the great veins of the mediastinum are reported extremely rarely. We present a treatment approach in a case of follicular thyroid carcinoma intravascular tumor thrombus in the left internal jugular and left brachiocephalic vein.

Surgical Treatment of Recurrent Metastatic Parathyroid Gland Carcinoma.

Aim: We present the case of a 48-year-old male patient who underwent surgery for a recurrent metastatic parathyroid gland carcinoma in the patient's right paratracheal space of the neck. The patient had undergone surgery for lower right parathyroid gland carcinoma 28 months earlier.

Results: The metastases were resected with an ipsilateral central neck dissection and with the removal of the enlarged lower left parathyroid gland.