Knowledge and Attitudes of Students of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Organ Donation and Transplantation - Challenges of Education and Promotion.

Background: Transplantation of cells, tissues, and organs enables many patients to regain impaired organ function, promoting healing or prolonging life and improving overall quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of students in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding organ donation and transplantation of organs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 255 students from four different faculties in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the majority enrolled in either the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Health Sciences.

MULTICOMPONENT EDUCATIONAL-REHABILITATION TREATMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN STROKE SURVIVORS.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a multicomponent educational-rehabilitation intervention in mitigating the occurrence and intensity of depressive symptoms among stroke patients. A prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Clinic for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Clinical Center Tuzla. Seventy stroke patients were divided into two groups: the first group (N=40) underwent a multicomponent educational-rehabilitation treatment tailored to individual plans and programs, consisting of 45 minutes daily for five working days a week, totaling 20 sessions.

Analysis of excessive corticosteroid use as an indicator of poor quality of care in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical impact of corticosteroids (CS) overuse in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Excessive use of CS could delay more efficacious treatment and may indicate poor quality of care.

Method: This is a two-phase study that used Steroid Assessment Tool (SAT) to measure corticosteroid exposure in IBD patients.

The influence of anthropometric parameters on the concentration of globulin that binds sex hormones during the menopausal transition.

Aim: To determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) on the concentration of circulating sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) throughout the menopausal transition.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 150 women divided into three groups: premenopausal (n=50), perimenopausal (n=50), and postmenopausal (n=50). The processing of the test women consisted of three phases: interview, blood sampling and determination of BMI and WHR.

Is there any difference in Lactobacillus abundance between age groups during ovarian stimulation in fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles?

Aim: To investigate an influence of age and body mass index (BMI) as determinants of infertility treatment success in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures confirmed so far, on the amount of Lactobacilus spp. (LS) and Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) in the endometrium in fresh IVF cycles at the time of embryo transfer.

Methods: This a prospective single-centre study included patients who underwent fresh embryo transfer (ET) in a private IVF Centre.

Ultrasonographic parameters of the liver, spleen and kidney in a healthy paediatric population in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a prospective study.

Aim: To determine the normative range of ultrasound dimensions for the liver, spleen and kidneys in healthy children according to gender, age, body measurements, body surface area (BSA), and the influence of ethnicity on organ size.

Methods: The prospective study included children, ranging from full-term neonates to children aged 15, with normal ultrasonographic (US) findings of the liver, spleen and kidney and no clinical evidence of a disease. Gender, age, as well as body measurements and BSA, were determined for each child along with US measurements, and normative ranges were established.

Postoperative recovery after suspension suture placement at the site of esophagojejunal anastomosis after total gastrectomy: Comparison of two surgical techniques.

Background: Despite improvements, survival rates for gastric cancer remain low, even in developed countries, confirming the role of primary and secondary prevention.

Objective: This study aims to demonstrate the role of additional suspension sutures on the esophagojejunal anastomosis (EJA) to strengthen the anastomosis, i.e.

When time does not heal all wounds: three decades' experience of immigrants living in Sweden.

Aim: To investigate how immigrants from the Balkan region experienced their current life situation after living in Sweden for 30 years or more.

Materials: The study was designed as a qualitative study using data from interviews with informants from five Balkan countries. The inclusion criteria were informants who were immigrants to Sweden and had lived in Sweden for more than 30 years.

Ongoing measles outbreak, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 2023 to February 2024.

We report on an ongoing measles outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 141 cases notified between week 52 2023 and week 6 2024. Among those with known vaccination status, 97% were unvaccinated and the most affected group is children under the age of 5 years (n = 87) who were not vaccinated during the pandemic years. Sixty-eight cases were hospitalised, the most common complications were measles-related pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Histopathological spectrum of lumbar disc changes in obesity: analysis of intervertebral discs in lumbar hernia patients in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim To investigate the correlation of body mass index (BMI) with severity of intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods The study enrolled patients who had undergone surgical intervention for a herniated disc at the Department of Neurosurgery of the Cantonal Hospital Zenica. Patients underwent thorough preoperative evaluation, including medical history, neurological and physical assessments, and radiological analysis.

Prediction of pulmonary embolism and its complication in diabetes mellitus type 2: a 5-year retrospective study.

Aim To investigate the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pulmonary embolism, as well as to determine the prognostic value of troponin, D-dimer, prothrombotic, and proinflammatory markers in patients with T2DM. Methods The retrospective cohort study included 305 patients with pulmonary embolism, divided into two groups: the first group with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=165) and the control group without type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=140). Data were collected from May 2018 to May 2023.

Breaking habits: safety and efficacy of elective electrocardioversion of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in the setting of day hospital.

Aim To examine safety and efficiency of electrocardioversion (EC) in elective treatment of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in the setting of Day Hospital by determining success rate, frequency of adverse events and possible cost benefit compared to admitting a patient into hospital. Methods This prospective observational cohort study was performed in Day Hospital and in Intensive Care Department of Internal Medicine Clinic, University Clinical Centre Tuzla from January 2019 to December 2022 and included 98 patients with a persistent form of atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter. The patients who were divided in two groups, 56 hospitalized and 42 patients accessed in Day Hospital.

Morphometric and Ki-67 proliferative index-related characteristics of meningiomas and their correlation with demographic, clinical, histopathological, and postoperative features.

Aim To investigate the correlations between tumour characteristics, symptoms, intraoperative findings, and outcomes in patient with meningioma. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 86 surgically treated patients at Department of Neurosurgery of Cantonal Hospital Zenica from 2010 to 2020. Patients with intracranial meningiomas underwent neurological evaluation and MRI scans to analyse tumour characteristics, including volume (TV), peritumoral brain oedema (PTBE) and oedema index (EI).

Correlation of localization and size of the parathyroid glands by ultrasound and intraoperative findings in hyperparathyroidism.

Aim To determine a correlation between the localization of the parathyroid gland (PTG), based on ultrasound (US) examination and the operative findings, as well as the correlation between the size of the parathyroid glands measured by ultrasonography (USG) with pathological findings+, and prevalence of enlarged parathyroid glands in various forms of hyperparathyroidism. Methods A total of 83 patients with hyperparathyroidism who had undergone parathyroidectomy over a period of seven years were included in the study. US examinations of the neck and scintigraphy were performed before surgery in 83 and 42 patients, respectively.

The assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society Health Index (ASAS HI) in patients with spondyloarthritis - a single centre experience.

Aim The Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society Health Index (ASAS HI) Croatian version was used to assess health and functioning of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) covering aspects of physical, emotional and social functioning. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted at the Clinic for Internal Diseases Tuzla from January to June 2021. Inclusion criteria: fulfilled the ASAS diagnostic criteria for SpA.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders in children: a single centre experience.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders in childhood (FGIDs) constitute a significant time-consuming clinical problem for healthcare practitioners, and they carry an important psychosocial burden for patients and their families. The aim of this study was to characterize etiology, clinical features, and interventions in a paediatric cohort of patients with FGIDs, who were referred to a tertiary care university-affiliated centre. Methods A retrospective study of children aged 1-15 years old referred to the Clinic for Children's Diseases, University Clinical Center Tuzla, from January 2022 to December 2022, who fulfilled criteria for FGIDs (n=209), were divided in three groups: 0-3, 4-10 and 11-15 years old.

Single-centre experience with the treatment of high-prevalence metabolic syndrome in kidney transplant patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aim To analyse prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in kidney transplant recipients at the University Clinical Centre Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), and determine effects of a modern drug therapy in achieving target metabolic control in kidney transplant patients. Methods A single-centre prospective study that included 142 kidney transplant patients over one year follow-up period was conducted. Patient data were collected during post-transplant periodical controls every 3 months including data from medical records, clinical examinations and laboratory analyses.

Capabilities of perinatal healthcare institutions in primary and tertiary care of low birth weight infants in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: a cross-sectional multicentric study.

Introduction: Providing adequate healthcare for premature infants is an important issue in perinatal medicine. The aim of this study is to assess the level of the perinatal healthcare institution (PHI) where the newborns were delivered and the possibilities of transporting them to the cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The authors also aimed to examine the overall survival of low birth-weight infants (LBWI) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to compare the survival of newborns according to the PHI where they were born and the PHI where they were treated.

The 'peptide for life' initiative in the emergency department study.

Aims: Natriuretic peptide (NP) uptake varies in Emergency Departments (EDs) across Europe. The 'Peptide for Life' (P4L) initiative, led by Heart Failure Association, aims to enhance NP utilization for early diagnosis of heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that implementing an educational campaign in Western Balkan countries would significantly increase NP adoption rates in the ED.

Gender- and Age-Related Differences of Ocular Biometric Parameters in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to determine the distribution and mutual relationship of ocular biometric parameters, as well as to evaluate gender- and age-related differences in patients undergoing cataract surgery in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Materials And Methods: It was a retrospective cross-sectional study of consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery between January 2017 and December 2021 in a tertiary care clinic. All biometric measurements were performed using the optical biometer OA-2000 (Tomey, Nagoya, Japan).

Accuracy of biomicroscopy, ultrasonography and spectral-domain OCT in detection of complete posterior vitreous detachment.

Background: To evaluate the accuracy of preoperative biomicroscopy (BM), ultrasonography (US), and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to determine complete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) confirmed by intraoperative findings of triamcinolone acetonide-assisted pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Methods: This prospective study included all consecutive patients admitted for surgical treatment of the epiretinal membrane (ERM) and macular hole (MH). The presence of complete PVD was determined one day before PPV using BM, US, SD-OCT.

Prognostic value of a predictive score based on functional parameters for clinical outcome in patients with decompensated cirrhosis of the liver.

Aim To create a predictive score based on functional parameters of the liver and determine its prognostic value in survival of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Methods Retrospective observational study included 91 consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Functional parameters (bilirubin, AST - aspartate aminotransferase, ALT - alanine aminotransferase, ALP - alkaline phosphatase, GGT - gammaglutamyltranferase, albumin, prothrombin time, platelet count, haematocrit and creatinine), Child-Pugh (CP) and Model of EndStage Liver Disease (MELD) scores have been measured at first hospitalization and at every exacerbation episode over follow-up period of 24 months.

Does SarsCoV-2 infection really cause damage to retinal microcirculation in mild cases of COVID-19?

Aim To evaluate changes of retinal microcirculation in mild cases of recovered COVID-19 patients at least three months after the infection by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) non-invasive method. Methods In this prospective cross-sectional study, 50 right eyes of 50 recovered COVID-19 patients were compared with 50 right eyes of age and gender-matched healthy controls. After the complete ophthalmological examination, all participants underwent OCTA measurements (RTVue XR Avanti, Optovue, Fremont, CA, USA).

Influence of immigrant background on the outcome of total hip arthroplasty: better outcome in 280 native patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina than in 449 immigrants living in Sweden.

Background: Despite the overall success of THA, between 5 and 20% report unsatisfactory results. Several factors may cause this variable outcome. 1 of them might be ethnicity which, because of its potential social impact on living conditions, may influence quality of life too.