Stroke prevention in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the BALKAN-AF survey.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common amongst the elderly, but this group tends to be suboptimally treated. Limited data are available on the stroke prevention strategies in the elderly, especially in the Balkan region.

Aim: We investigated the use of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC) amongst elderly AF patients in clinical practice in the Balkan region.

Deep coma in a child treated with propranolol for infantile hemangioma.

Background: Propranolol hydrochloride is the first-line agent recommended for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas (IH). Serious adverse effects of propranolol therapy for hemangiomas are infrequent.

Case Presentation: We report a case presented in deep hypoglycemic coma during his treatment with propranolol for IH.

The Use of Psychoactive Substances and Illegal Drugs in the Albanian Society.

Background: To create a representative picture of the prevalence and the total number of drug users in Albania from 2012 to 2016, and compare those numbers to previous years with other available data.

Methods: The required data for the conductance of this study was collected from three different fronts, namely The Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM), Clinical Toxicology and Addictions Service, University Hospital "Mother Theresa" Tirana (CTS) and Methadone Maintenance Treatment Centers. The study targets all individuals who have consumed at least once abusive drugs and psychotropic substances during the period 2012-2016 in the Republic of Albania.

Surgery Resection of a Massive Thymic Carcinoma during Urgent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background: Thymic carcinoma is a very rare tumour. It is classified as thymoma type C according to World Health Organization classification. There are not many publications of simultaneous surgical treatment of thymoma during cardiac surgery interventions.

Transfusion of Fresh Frozen Plasma in Critically Ill Patients: Effective or Useless?

Background: Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is widely used in critically ill patients to correct the deficiency of coagulation factors or increased INR.

Aim: In the present study we aimed to evaluate the outcome of the freshly frozen plasma use as prophylaxis in ICU patients before an invasive procedure.

Methods: The study was conducted at Central Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Service UHCT "Mother Theresa", Tirana.

Serum S100B Levels Can Predict Computed Tomography Findings in Paediatric Patients with Mild Head Injury.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are very common in paediatric populations, in which they are also a leading cause of death. Computed tomography (CT) overuse in these populations results in ionization radiation exposure, which can lead to lethal malignancies. The aims of this study were to investigate the accuracy of serum S100B levels with respect to the detection of cranial injury in children with mild TBI and to determine whether decisions regarding the performance of CT can be made based on biomarker levels alone.

A YOUNG ADULT WITH GENERALIZED LIPODYSTROPHY AND DIABETES MELLITUS (CASE REPORT).

Lipodystrophies are a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by varying degrees of body fat loss and predisposition to insulin resistance and its metabolic complications. Lipodystrophy associated metabolic abnormalities include insulin resistance, that often lead to diabetes mellitus and its complications, hypertriglyceridemia that may be severe enough to cause acute pancreatitis, and hepatic steatosis that may lead to cirrhosis. We present the case of an 18-year-old female who was hospitalized as an inaugural Diabetes Mellitus.

CT/MRI accuracy in detecting and determining preoperative stage of gastric adenocarcinoma in Albania.

Aim Of The Study: Gastric adenocarcinoma is among most frequent among cancers in Albania. Early detection and staging is helped by imaging methods, including CT and MRI. This study provides evidence on the CT and MRI accuracy in detecting and pre-operative staging of gastric adenocarcinoma in 62 patients in a diagnostic clinic in Albania.

Genetic Diagnosis of Chromosomal Congenital Anomalies in Albanian Pediatric Patients by Array CGH.

Aim: The aim of our study was to identify chromosomal imbalances by whole-genome microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) in DNA samples of children in which karyotype results cannot be obtained. The present paper describes the first Albanian experience of an array CGH application.

Material And Methods: The cohort included seven children with developmental delay or intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism and congenital anomalies according to clinical criteria, suggestive of chromosomal anomalies.

RESULTS FROM A NEW METHOD TO ASSESS THE OCCUPATIONAL LENS DOSE IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY.

Interventional radiology procedures have always been of particular concern because of the potential high dose to the workers. Special attention has recently been given to the lens dose: in 2011 the ICRP issued the recommendation 'Statement on Tissue Reactions' where a new limit of 20 mSv in a year, averaged over defined periods of 5 years, is given. Due to the impossibility of measuring the dose directly on the eye, there is not still a general consensus on a standardized methodology to assess the lens dose, which should be at the same time reliable, robust and simple to implement in practice.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Albania. Focus on predictors of acute kidney injury in HFRS.

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent borne zoonosis, caused by the members of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus. The main clinical features of the infection by this virus family are fever, thrombocytopenia and acute kidney injury.

Objective: The aim of our study was to identify, for the first time, characteristic features of HFRS in the Albanian population.

Emergency decompressive craniectomy after removal of convexity meningiomas.

Background: Convexity meningiomas are benign brain tumors that are amenable to complete surgical resection and are associated with a low complication rate. The aim of this study was to identify factors that result in acute postoperative neurological worsening after the removal of convexity meningiomas.

Methods: Clinical evaluation and neuroradiological analysis of patients who underwent removal of a supratentorial convexity meningioma were reviewed.

Aortic Annular Enlargement during Aortic Valve Replacement.

In the surgery of aortic valve replacement is always attempted, as much as possible, to implant the larger prosthesis with the mains goals to enhance the potential benefits, to minimise transvalvular gradient, decrease left ventricular size and avoid the phenomenon of patient-prosthesis mismatch. Implantation of an ideal prosthesis often it is not possible, due to a small aortic annulus. A variety of aortic annulus enlargement techniques is reported to avoid patient-prosthesis mismatch.

Incidence and Impact of Patient-Prosthesis Mismatch in Isolated Aortic Valve Surgery.

Aim: The mains topics of this work are the incidence of patient-prosthesis mismatch and the influence in the early results of isolated aortic valve surgery.

Methods: In 193 patients isolated aortic valve surgery was performed. The study population was divided in three subgroups: 20 patients with severe, 131 patients with moderate and 42 patients without patient-prosthesis mismatch.

Cost-Effectiveness of Thrombolytic Therapy, Compared with Anticoagulants Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Albania.

Aim: The study aim is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of thrombolytic treatment in acute MI comparing with anticoagulants therapy and between each other thrombolytic (SK, r-Pa).

Material And Methods: We used a prospective registry of all patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction in intensive care units in Tirana. The average drugs cost was calculated for the hospitalization period in Albanian money (ALL).

Sleep-disordered breathing and stroke: A relation to be considered.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. Despite expensive and elaborative research in finding out mechanisms of interrelation between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and stroke, there is yet much attention to be given in stroke units worldwide to the prompt diagnosis and treatment of SDB in order to improve morbidity and mortality rates related with stroke. The preventive diagnosis and treatment of SDB reduce stroke rate and improves penumbra area in case of ischemic stroke.

Autologous Skull Bone Flap Sterilization After Decompressive Craniectomy: An Update.

Objective: To report new results with ethylene oxide sterilization and new experiences with autogenous bone flaps autoclaved at a high or low temperature for preservation of a bone flap after decompressive craniectomy.

Methods: In 45 patients who underwent a decompressive craniectomy, we determined bone flap preservation with ethylene oxide and with high- or low-temperature autoclave sterilization.

Results: The bone flap was repositioned after a mean of 10 weeks in the ethylene oxide group and after 6 weeks in the other sterilization groups.

Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of cerebral malaria imported in Albania.

This is a case-report of two patients with cerebral malaria (CM) imported from West-African countries. Notably, this form of malaria was developed as a second disease episode, while the first episode was experienced in West Africa. These findings suggest that the second episode of malaria was caused by a different strain of Plasmodium falciparum as compared to the first one.

Differences Among Body Mass Index (BMI) Groups in Patients Undergoing First Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background And Purpose: Body Mass Index (BMI) is known to be an independent risk factor for hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and various cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to investigate the differences among BMI groups in patients undergoing first elective PCI.

Methods: 781 consecutive patients who underwent their first-time elective PCI from September 2011 to December 2013 in the Department of Cardiology were enrolled in the study.

Adherence to a predominantly Mediterranean diet decreases the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a cross-sectional study in a South Eastern European population.

Our aim was to assess the association of a Mediterranean diet and gastroesophageal reflux disease among adult men and women in Albania, a former communist country in South Eastern Europe with a predominantly Muslim population. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012, which included a population-based sample of 817 individuals (≥18 years) residing in Tirana, the Albanian capital (333 men; overall mean age: 50.2 ± 18.

Kinetic evaluation of low-grade gliomas in adults before and after treatment with CCNU alone.

Object: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of CCNU chemotherapy alone on low-grade glioma (LGG) growth dynamics.

Methods: The authors measured the evolution of the mean tumor diameter (MTD) in adult patients with LGG before (n=28 patients) and after (n=38 patients) CCNU administration.

Results: Natural (spontaneous) growth of LGG in the present study was 4.