30 research outputs found
KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES ON MANDATORY VACCINATION AMONG STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF HEALTH STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MOSTAR
Introduction: Vaccination against infectious diseases is the most effective, cost-effective, often unavoidable,
or the only possible way to protect individuals and the population from infectious diseases. In the last ten
years, a lack of understanding and knowledge about the benefits of vaccination has led to a decline in the
number of vaccinated children and the danger of the reappearance of already eradicated infectious diseases.
Objective: To examine the knowledge and attitudes about mandatory vaccination of children among
students of the Faculty of Health Studies and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Mostar.
Respondents and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, which included 150 respondents in the
third and fourth year of study, 50 respondents from the Faculty of Medicine, and 100 respondents from the
Nursing and Sanitary Engineering study tracks at the Faculty of Health Studies. Data were collected through
a self-assessment questionnaire. Results: Over 90% of respondents have a positive attitude towards
vaccination and would vaccinate their children. The results show that respondents form their attitudes about
vaccination based on academic activities. Students with a positive attitude about vaccination also showed
greater knowledge about it. Nursing students have the weakest knowledge, followed by showing a greater
aversion to vaccines than other respondents. More than a quarter of respondents are convinced of the
connection between autism and vaccines, and this is also the case for autoimmune diseases.
Conclusion: Although students of biomedical studies have positive attitudes about vaccination, the level of
knowledge was more significant among students of the Faculty of Medicine compared to the study tracks
of the Faculty of Health Studies
Detection of voluntary blood donor with previous hepatitis B infection ā a case report
Introduction: Hepatitis B is liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis B virus, with more than 250
million documented cases worldwide in the chronic form of infection. Markers of hepatitis B infection can
be measured in the blood during or after infection and may be present in the form of specific hepatitis B
surface antigen (HBsAg) or antibodies to hepatitis B surface (HBs), core (HBc), or envelope (HBe)
antigens.
Case report: A 42-year-old female, who successfully donated blood for the first time, underwent
mandatory serological and molecular testing along with additional testing for other hepatitis B markers.
Standard screening showed the absence of HBsAg in the blood, but additional serological testing confirmed
the presence of total antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Upon repeated reactive results, the
sample was sent for confirmatory testing to a reference center. After obtaining all the results, it was
determined that the voluntary blood donor had the presence of anti-HB cand HBs antibodies, indicating a
prior contact with the hepatitis B virus. While serological tests suggested a resolved hepatitis B infection,
the possibility of a persistent liver infection could not be ruled out, despite the absence of detectable
hepatitis B virus DNA in the blood. Therefore, the individual has been permanently excluded from the list
of potential blood donors.
Conclusion: Mandatory serological and molecular testing of blood donors for the hepatitis B virus
successfully detects potentially infected individuals and carriers of hepatitis B markers. However,
additional testing further enhances the safety of both recipients and blood donors. This case study highlights
the importance of comprehensive screening for hepatitis B markers, as relying solely on HBsAg screening
would not have identified the voluntary blood donor as a resolved hepatitis B case. Thus, comprehensive
screening ensures a higher level of safety in blood transfusion and contributes to overall healthcare
protection
The 2019 measles epidemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What is wrong with the mandatory vaccination program?
Measles are a highly contagious and communicable viral disease which may be prevented by a sustained vaccination program. Due to missed vaccination, two major epidemics of measles (1997ā1999 and 2014ā2015) have been recorded after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) with over 10,000 patients registered. According to the World Health Organization, BH is categorized as a country with endemic transmission of measles. The last measles epidemic was between 2014 and 2015, with 5,083 documented patients in the Federation of BH. In the first four months of 2019, more than 700 measles cases were registered in the same region. Significant transmission rate has been observed in Sarajevo Canton (SC) with 570 documented measles cases. Out of 570 measles cases in SC, 92.5% were unvaccinated. The most affected were children up to 6 years of age (62.8%), with one documented case of death (7-month old infant). In addition to this report, we discussed key stakeholders and possible circumstances responsible for the epidemic. The measles epidemic is still ongoing
Conservative treatment of lumbar brucellar spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess ā a case report
Bruceloza je bolest koja se može manifestirati brojnim kliniÄkih simptoma i zahvaÄenoÅ”Äu u gotovo svih organa. U zadnjih 15-ak godina bruceloza je poprimila karakteristike endemske bolesti u Bosni i Hercegovini. U ovom radu je prikazana pedesetosmogodiÅ”njakinja koja je primljena u Kliniku za infektivne bolesti SveuÄiliÅ”ne kliniÄke bolnice Mostar zbog bolova koji su se Å”irili iz podruÄja lumbalne kralježnice u noge unatrag dva mjeseca te vruÄice koja se pojavila dva dana prije prijama u bolnicu. Prikupljanjem epidemioloÅ”kih podataka doznalo se kako je bolesnica u izravnom svakodnevnom kontaktu s ovcama, a dijagnostiÄko promiÅ”ljanje u smjeru bruceloze je potvrÄeno seroloÅ”kom pretragom reakcije vezanja komplementa (RVK). Zbog neuroloÅ”kih tegoba uÄinjena je magnetna rezonanca (MRI) lumbalne kralježnice i scintigrafija kostiju, koje su ukazivale na postojanost spondilodiscitisa s epiduralnim apscesom u podruÄju kraljeÅ”ka L5, a konzervativno lijeÄenje je nastavljeno ukupno 18 mjeseci. Ovim prikazom smo htjeli ukazati na složenost dijagnostiÄkih pretraga i lijeÄenja težih koÅ”tanih komplikacija bruceloze.Brucellosis is a disease which manifests through a wide range of clinical symptoms, possibly affecting any organ. In the last 15 years, brucellosis has been characterized as an endemic disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This case report presents a 58-year-old female who was admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases of the University Hospital Mostar due to back pain spreading down through legs lasting for two months and fever that appeared two days prior to admission. Epidemiological history revealed that the patient had everyday direct contact with sheep. Diagnostic consideration of brucellosis was confirmed by complement fixation test (CFT). Due to verified neurological deficit, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bone scintigraphy were performed, confirming spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess on spinal level L5, therefore conservative treatment was prolonged up to a total of 18 months. In this case report, we emphasized the complexity of diagnostic procedures and treatment of severe bone complications of brucellosis
Ishod bolesti u COVID-19 bolesnika lijeÄenih remdesivirom u OpÄoj bolnici Zadar u razdoblju od 1. kolovoza 2020. do 1. kolovoza 2021. godine
Bolest uzrokovana SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) izrazito je zarazna bolest, koja zadnje tri godine ima
izuzetno loÅ” utjecaj na svjetsku demografiju, rezultirajuÄi s gotovo 6,5 milijuna umrlih diljem svijeta. U
ovom trenutku joÅ” uvijek ne postoji uÄinkoviti ciljani lijek, a lijeÄenje odreÄuje težina bolesti. Terapija
remdesivirom pokazala je odreÄeno kliniÄko poboljÅ”anje, zbog Äega ga je Food and Drug Administration
odobrio kao prvi ispitivani lijek u lijeÄenju COVID-19. Ovo retrospektvno opservacijsko istraživanje
ukljuÄilo je bolesnike lijeÄene remdesivirom u OpÄoj bolnici Zadar u razdoblju od 1. kolovoza 2020. do 1.
kolovoza 2021. godine. Primarni cilj bio je utvrditi komorbiditete i kliniÄki ishod bolesnika lijeÄenih
remdesivirom. NajÄeÅ”Äe kroniÄne bolesti bile su arterijska hipertenzija (80; 58,4%), dijabetes (44; 32,1%)
i maligne bolesti (14; 10,2%). Ukupno je 86 bolesnika (62,7%) pripadalo skupinama teÅ”ko i kritiÄno
bolesnih, a preostalih 51 (37,2%) bili su umjereno bolesni. Smrtnost je bila znaÄajno veÄa u skupini teÅ”ko
bolesnih i iznosila je 23,4%, dok je u skupini umjereno bolesnih bila 5, 9% ( p=0,0287)
Excretion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in feces has no prognostic benefit in the outcome of COVID-19: A clinical and immunological study
This study explores the correlation between immunological and clinical characteristics in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with detectable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in feces, analyzing data from 251 patients admitted to Mostar University Clinical Hospital (UCH) from December 2021 to January 2022. Methods involved reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) from nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and feces, alongside serological tests for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgGs. Demographic and clinical data were collected through questionnaires and medical records. The data analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software. Death occurred in 53 patients (21.1%, P < 0.001), mostly in the elderly (47/53, 88.7%, P = 0.001) and immunocompromised (19/53, 35.8%, P = 0.05), particularly those developing acute respiratory insufficiency (ARI) (46/53, 86.8%, P = 0.004), and severe/critical disease (46/53, 86.8%, P = 0.002). Among the patients with positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies (86/251, 34.3%, P < 0.001), 41 (47.7%) were vaccinated and 45 (52.3%) unvaccinated (P = 0.666), showing no significant differences in clinical outcomes or mortality. Unvaccinated patients with a negative antibody titer had a higher incidence of ARI (96/123, 78%, P = 0.029) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (22/123, 17.9%, P = 0.026), than those with a positive antibody titer. Forty-seven (62.7%) patients, out of the 75 hospitalized who provided a feces sample, were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (P = 0.028), without statistical differences between fecal SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative groups regarding vaccination status (15/47, 31.9%, P = 0.493), antibody status (18/47, 38.3%, P = 0.628), or death outcome (5/47, 10.6%, P = 0.706). In conclusion, unvaccinated hospitalized patients with a severe COVID-19 presentation and a negative anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer had adverse outcomes more frequently. This suggests cautious consideration for the diagnostic use of fecal samples compared to NP swabs
Neurological Complications of COVID-19
Koronavirusna bolest u 2019. godini (COVID-19) uzrokovana je novootkrivenim korona virusom tipa 2 koji uzrokuje teÅ”ki akutni respiratorni sindrom (SARS-CoV-2). Virus je otkriven u prosincu 2019. godine, a od strane Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije je, zbog broja oboljelih i proÅ”irenosti Å”irom svijeta, proglaÅ”ena pandemija. KliniÄka prezentacija COVID-19 varira od asimptomatskog do teÅ”kog oblika i smrtnog ishoda. Iako kliniÄkom slikom dominiraju respiratorne smetnje, mnogobrojne studije ukazuju na pojavu akutnih i kroniÄnih neuroloÅ”kih komplikacija u skoro treÄine oboljelih. NajÄeÅ”Äi neuroloÅ”ki simptomi akutne faze COVID-19 su glavobolja, gubitak njuha i okusa, poremeÄaji stanja svijesti, encefalopatije, encefalitisi, moždani udar, bolovi u miÅ”iÄima, epileptiÄki napadaji, poliradikulopatije (GBS) te pojaÄan umor i netolerancija napora, poremeÄaji vegetativnih funkcija, kognitivne i psihiÄke smetnje u postinfekcijskoj fazi oboljenja. Potencijalni patofizioloÅ”ki mehanizam nastanka neuroloÅ”kih poremeÄaja u akutnoj fazi ukljuÄuje koagulopatije s udruženim hipoksiÄno-ishemijskim oÅ”teÄenjima, poremeÄajem krvno-moždane barijere, endoteliopatijama i neuroinvazijom virusa, udruženom s neuro-imunim odgovorom.
Cilj ovog Älanka je prikazati najÄeÅ”Äe akutne i kroniÄne neuroloÅ”ke poremeÄaje vezane uz COVID-19 kod odraslih bolesnika kao i potencijalni patofizioloÅ”ki mehanizam nastanka neuroloÅ”kih poremeÄaja, a buduÄe epidemioloÅ”ke studije o bolesnicima s COVID-19 bi trebali utvrditi pravu incidenciju neuroloÅ”kih komplikacija COVID-19, razgraniÄiti specifiÄne neuroloÅ”ke sindrome, postaviti dijagnostiÄke i terapijske protokole ta razjasniti mehanizam nastanka poremeÄaja.Coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the newly discovered coronavirus type 2 which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was discovered in December 2019, and the World Health Organization has declared a pandemic due to the number of cases and the spread around the world. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 varies from asymptomatic to severe and lethal outcome. Although the clinical picture is dominated by respiratory disorders, numerous studies indicate the occurrence of acute and chronic neurological complications in almost a third of patients. The most common neurological symptoms of the acute phase of COVID-19 are headache, loss of smell and taste, disturbances of consciousness, encephalopathies, encephalitis, stroke, muscle pain, epileptic seizures, polyradiculopathy (GBS) and increased fatigue and intolerance to stressful and mental disorders in the postinfectious phase of the disease. Potential pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of neurological disorders in the acute phase include coagulopathies with associated hypoxic-ischemic damage, blood-brain barrier disorder, endotheliopathies and neuroinvasion of viruses with associated neuro-immune response.
The objective of this paper is to present the most common acute and chronic neurological disorders related to COVID-19 in adult patients as well as the potential pathophysiological mechanism of neurological disorders, and future epidemiological studies on patients with COVID-19 should determine the true incidence of specific neurological syndromes, to establish diagnostic and therapeutic protocols and to clarify the mechanism of disorder development
Short epidemiological overview of the current situation on COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast European (SEE) countries
We are living in times where a viral disease has brought normal life in much of the world to a halt. The novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China initially and in a short time crossed the European borders. After mitigating the epidemic in China, Italy became one of the most COVID-19 affected countries worldwide. International travelers are important sources of infectious diseases and a possible source of epidemic. Due to its political, geographic, and cultural similarities, Italy is one of the main economic partners of Southeast European (SEE) countries. Our data show that infection in index cases in all 11 SEE countries was travel-related with Italy being a source country for 8/11 countries. After the first case identifications on February 25, the number of cases in SEE countries is continually rising reaching the total number of 15,612 with 565 fatal cases and overall case fatality ratio (CFR) of 3.6 (median 3.8, range 0.8ā5.5) by April 10, 2020. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching its peak, apart from the problems with treatment of the disease and care for critically ill patients, there are other equally important problems, such as organization of outbreak response, provision of health care, lack of hospital personnel, disruption of personal protective equipment supply chains and health care workers (HCWs) protection. But what is more important is the heroic behavior of the HCWs who are showing their humanity by disregarding their lives