Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: A Narrative Literature Review.

Both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are important global health issues. The pathophysiological links between OSA and LRTIs include altered immune responses due to chronic intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, increased aspiration risk, and a high burden of comorbidities. In this narrative review, we evaluated the current evidence on the association between OSA and the incidence and outcomes of acute LRTIs in adults, specifically community-acquired pneumonia and viral pneumonia caused by influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The Association of Asthma and Metabolic Dysfunction With Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.

Background: There have been conflicting results on the association of asthma with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Poor metabolic health has been previously associated with both severe COVID-19 and inflammation in asthma.

Objectives: To examine the association between asthma and COVID-19 outcomes and whether these associations are modified by metabolic syndrome.

Comorbidity Profile and Predictors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity and Mortality in Non-Obese Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. OSA is an independent risk factor for many different conditions, especially cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the comorbidity profile of non-obese patients with newly diagnosed OSA and evaluate the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Diagnosis and treatment of adult asthma patients in Serbia: a 2022 experts group position statement.

Introduction: Asthma is the most common non-communicable chronic lung condition across all ages. Epidemiological data indicate that many asthma patients in Serbia remain undiagnosed and untreated. The implementation of recent global advances in asthma management is limited due to the lack of a systematic approach, drug availability and regulatory affairs.

The Importance of Correlation between Aldosterone and Parathyroid Hormone in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

In primary hyperparathyroidism, an increased risk of developing the cardiovascular disease may exist due to increased activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parathyroid hormone and aldosterone in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. The study included 48 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and 30 healthy subjects who matched age and gender to the study group.

Recommendations for COPD management in Central and Eastern Europe.

Introduction: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy report provides guidance on effective management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to local healthcare systems. However, COPD is a heterogenous disease and certain aspects, including prevalence, disease-time course and phenotype distribution, can differ between countries. Moreover, features of clinical practice and healthcare systems for patients with COPD can vary widely, even in geographically close and economically similar countries.

Characteristics of COPD Phenotypes in Serbia.

Background: Establishing a regional/national/international registry of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential for both research and healthcare, because it enables collection of comprehensive real-life data from a large number of individuals.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of COPD patients from the Serbian patient registry, and to investigate actual differences of those characteristics among the COPD phenotypes.

Methods: The Serbian registry of patients with COPD was established in 2018 at University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Medical Sciences, based on an online platform.

Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury: An Exploratory Multicenter International Quality-Improvement Study in the ICUs With Variable Resources.

Objectives: To determine whether the "Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury" decision support tool during ICU admission and rounding is associated with improvements in nonadherence to evidence-based daily care processes and outcomes in variably resourced ICUs.

Design, Settings, Patients: This before-after study was performed in 34 ICUs (15 countries) from 2013 to 2017. Data were collected for 3 months before and 6 months after Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury implementation.

Diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Serbia: an expert group position statement.

In recent years, several national chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines have been issued. In Serbia, the burden of COPD is high and most of the patients are diagnosed at late stages. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy is poorly implemented in real-life practice, as many patients are still prescribed inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)-containing regimens and slow-release theophylline.

Critical care outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Purpose Of Review: The burden of critical illness in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is substantial. A better understanding of critical care outcomes is essential for improving critical care delivery in resource-limited settings. In this review, we provide an overview of recent literature reporting on critical care outcomes in LMICs.

Comparison of lung diffusing capacity in young elite athletes and their counterparts.

Background: The influence of exercise on the pulmonary function is controverse, some studies have reported no sports influence, while the others have found positive correlation.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the sports influence on pulmonary function: spirometry (VC, FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), lung diffusing capacity (DLCO) and coefficient of the CO gas transfer (KCO) in two elite athletes groups and healthy sedentary controls.

Method: Equally divided into aerobic and anaerobic group, 60 elite athletes were recruited, as well as 43 age-matched, healthy sedentary controls.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Confidence level in venipuncture and knowledge on causes of in vitro hemolysis among healthcare professionals.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess confidence level of healthcare professionals in venipuncture and their knowledge on the possible causes of in vitro hemolysis.

Materials And Methods: A sample of 94 healthcare professionals (nurses and laboratory technicians) participated in this survey study. A four-section questionnaire was used as a research instrument comprising general information for research participants, knowledge on possible causes of in vitro hemolysis due to type of material used and venipuncture technique and specimen handling, as well as assessment of healthcare professionals' confidence level in their own ability to perform first and last venipuncture.

Pneumothorax as a complication of central venous catheter insertion.

The central venous catheter (CVC) is a catheter placed into a large vein in the neck [internal jugular vein (IJV)], chest (subclavian vein or axillary vein) or groin (femoral vein). There are several situations that require the insertion of a CVC mainly to administer medications or fluids, obtain blood tests (specifically the "central venous oxygen saturation"), and measure central venous pressure. CVC usually remain in place for a longer period of time than other venous access devices.

Semi-Fowler vs. lateral decubitus position for thoracoscopic sympathectomy in treatment of primary focal hyperhidrosis.

Background And Objective: The aim of this study is to compare usefulness of Semi-Fowler position vs. lateral decubitus position for thoracoscopic sympathectomy in treatment of primary focal hyperhidrosis.

Materials And Methods: From January 2009 to January 2010, 263 consecutive patients with palmar and axillar hyperhidrosis underwent thoracoscopic sympathectomy Th2-Th4.

Checklist for early recognition and treatment of acute illness: International collaboration to improve critical care practice.

Processes to ensure world-wide best-practice for critical care delivery are likely to minimize preventable death, disability and costly complications for any healthcare system's sickest patients, but no large-scale efforts have so far been undertaken towards these goals. The advances in medical informatics and human factors engineering have provided possibility for novel and user-friendly clinical decision support tools that can be applied in a complex and busy hospital setting. To facilitate timely and accurate best-practice delivery in critically ill patients international group of intensive care unit (ICU) physicians and researchers developed a simple decision support tool: Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness (CERTAIN).

Characteristics and outcome of mechanically ventilated patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia: impact of newly established multidisciplinary intensive care units.

Aim: To describe characteristics and outcome of mechanically ventilated patients admitted to three newly established intensive care units (ICU) in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia for 2009 H1N1 influenza infection.

Methods: The retrospective observational study included all mechanically ventilated adult patients of three university-affiliated hospitals between November 1, 2009 and March 1 2010 who had 2009 H1N1 influenza infection confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal swab specimens and respiratory secretions.

Results: The study included 50 patients, 31 male (62%), aged 43±13 years.

The Serbian version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Purpose: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is extensively used for evaluating daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS). The aim of this study was to translate and validate the ESS in the Serbian language.

Methods: The Serbian version of the ESS (ESSs) was administered to 112 patients with symptoms of sleep disorder breathing referred to Sleep Center of the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia and 111 healthy controls.