Single stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty - 10 years of experience

© 2020 Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved. Background/Aim. Coxarthrosis is a chronic degenerative joint disorder which occurs in approximately 4% of population, and bilateral occurrence is estimated at 42%. Patients with bilateral coxarthrosis can undergo bilateral hip replacement in one or two stage procedure. Aim of this article was to present our experience in simultaneous bilateral hip arthroplasty, and to recommend it in patients with adequate indications. Methods. We processed data for 113 patients of both genders, operated at the Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, Serbia from 2005 until 2015 where single stage bilateral hip arthroplasty was performed. Identical operative technique was applied in all patients as well as standard antibiotic and thromboprophylactic treatment. Follow-up period was 30 days postoperatively. Results. Mean age of patients was 56 ± 10.2 years, whereby 45 (39.8%) of them were males and 68 (60.2%) females. Primary coxarthrosis was etiologic factor for the majority of patients, 69 (61.1%). Postoperative hospitalization duration was 10.3 days on average (range from 3 to 34 days). We noticed the following complications: one luxation of the endoprosthesis, one deep infection and one thrombosis of the leg. There was no mortality. Majority of operated patients were grouped as the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores 1-3. Mean blood transfusion was 1,275 mL (range from 300 to 2,830 mL). Conclusion. One stage bilateral hip arthroplasty can be performed routinely and safely in facilities with possibility for interdisciplinary approach and adequate selection of patients. Data from our study which indicate significantly increased need for blood substitution, emphasize the need to introduce contemporary perioperative blood loss management principles. The rate of complications observed in our study was within rates published in the literature concerning hip arthroplasty

Content of NO reactive -SH and Superoxide dismutase activity in CSF of ALS patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the content of -SU groups and SOD activity m cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) both in ALS patients and control group, as well as to perform an in vitro lest for CSF NO binding capacity, in same examines. Nitric oxide for in vitro testing was provided by adding 40% sodium nitrite solution in the solution of 10% ferrous sulfate in 50% sulfuric acid. Our results showed significant increase -SH content in CSF of ALS patients in comparison with control group (114 ± 29 nmol -SH/mg proteins in CSF of ALS patients compared with 37 ± 12 nmol - SI Lmg proteins in CSF of controls)(p<0.05). After in vitro saturation of CSF with NO, we noted (he significant decrease of -SH content which was not found in control group. We also found that SOD activity in CSF of ALS patients was higher than in control group (16.1 ±2.8 U7 mg CSF proteins of ALS patients compared to 10.2 ± 2 U/ mg CSF proteins of control group). These results may confirm an increased ROS production in ALS patients without increased NO production

Reconfiguring the template: representations of powerful women in historical fiction—the case of Anna Komnene

Based on the research hypothesis that fiction portraying powerful historical women can help to open up imaginative spaces that transcend phallocentric models and propose new templates for re-thinking the powerful woman, I explore representations of twelfth-century Byzantine historian and princess Anna Komnene in historical novels by Vera Mutafchieva (1991) and Maro Douka (1995). Komnene’s double authority as a writer and political player was resented by historians, who saw her as a “power-hungry,” masculine and emasculating woman; yet the fictional (re)constructions set up a much more complex and nuanced picture, suggesting alternative configurations of female authority. Writing outside the Anglophone canon, Bulgarian Mutafchieva and Greek Douka challenge patriarchal and exceptionalist concepts of power. These writers locate Komnene’s agency not only in her position, education and gift for writing, but also in the collective actions of the women who nurtured and supported her, adopting an intersectional perspective on the construction of female authority

A comparison of mood and quality of life among people with progressive neurological illnesses and their caregivers

The current study was designed to investigate differences in mood and a range of QOL domains among 423 patients and 335 caregivers of people with motor neurone disease (MND), Huntington&rsquo;s disease (HD), Parkinson&rsquo;s, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients and caregivers completed an anonymous questionnaire that evaluated their mood (anxiety, depression, fatigue, confusion) and QOL (physical, psychological, social, environment). The results demonstrated that caregivers of people with MND and HD experienced most problems with their mood and QOL compared to caregivers of people in the other illness groups. There were few differences in mood or QOL between patients and caregivers. Patients generally showed greater confusion, physical impairment, and psychological maladjustment. The findings suggest that educational and intervention programs need to be developed to help both patients and their caregivers to adjust and cope with these illnesses, particularly caregivers of people with MND and HD. <br /