Smoking prevalence among the adult population of Kosovo: Results of STEPS survey 2019

Aim: Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths occur in low – and middle-income countries, and the gap is expected to widen further in the coming decades. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of smoking among Kosovo adults by gender, age group and type of smoking.Methods: A population-based survey was conducted among people aged 18-69 years from April 2018 to June 2019 using the WHO STEPs instrument. 2800 randomly selected households were approached using multistage cluster sampling, and 2695 agreed to participate in the survey (response rate 96.2%).Results: According to the findings of our study, 25.7% of the population aged 18-69 years was a current smoker (men 35.3% vs. women 15.9%) and 90.1% of them smoked tobacco products on a daily basis (Men 91.5% current smokers on daily basis vs. Women 87.1% on daily basis). Smokers started smoking at an average age of 19.3 years. Women started smoking significantly later than men, at the age of 20.9 years, compared to 18.6 years for men, and the younger age group started smoking earlier. The average smoking duration is 19.3 years, with no gender differences (Men 19.5 years vs. Women 19.0 years average smoking duration). On average, 97.4% of daily smokers smoke manufactured cigarettes.Conclusion: Smoking prevalence was high among Kosovo adults, especially men and the majority of them smoke on daily basis

Smoking behaviors in Kosova: results of Steps survey

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. Most of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, and this trend is expected to widen further over the next several decades. The overall objective of the study is to describe and analyse the smoking behaviours of adults in Kosova. ----- METHODS: According to the STEPs methodology, 6,400 respondents, aged 15 - 64 years, are selected randomly within each sex and 10-year age-group. Out of 6,400 participants, 6,117 were selected, which is approximately 95.6%. ----- RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking was higher among males (37.4%) compared with females (19.7%). In all age groups, the prevalence of smoking was higher among males compared with females. Regarding the age group of 15 - 24 years, the prevalence of smoking was 16.0%, but in the age group of 25 - 34 years, it nearly doubled to the rate of 31.9%. We have a smaller increase in the age group of 35 - 44 years, and after the age of 45, it falls gradually. ----- CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of smoking in Kosova is high compared with other countries in Eastern Europe. In future decades, Kosova will face a high probability of an increased burden of smoking-related diseases

Intravenous lidocaine suppresses fentanyl-induced cough in Children

OBJECTIVE: Fentanyl-induced cough is usually mild and transitory, but it can be undesirable in patients with increased intracranial pressure, open wounds of the eye, dissecting aortic aneurism, pneumothorax, and reactive airway disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of lidocaine in suppressing fentanyl-induced cough in children during induction in general anesthesia. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-six children of both sexes, aged between 4–10 years, ASA physical status I and II, and scheduled for elective surgery, were recruited for the study. Patients with a history of bronchial asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, or infections of the respiratory tract were excluded. Patients were randomly allocated to three equal groups (n = 62) to receive 1.0 mg/kg lidocaine (Group I), 0.5 mg/kg lidocaine (Group II), or placebo (equal volume of 0.9% saline; Group III). Each was administered over 5 s one minute before intravenous (IV) administration of fentanyl 2−3 μg/kg during induction in general anesthesia. The severity of coughing was graded by counting the number of episodes of cough: mild (1−2), moderate (3−4) or severe (5 or more). RESULTS: Demographic information was comparable between groups. The most frequent coughing was observed in the placebo group (Group III; 43.5%), of whom 4.8% (three patients) were graded with severe cough. In Group II, 22.6% patients had cough, of which 1.6% (one patient) was graded as severe. In Group I, 16.1% patients had cough, none of whom were graded as severe. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that IV lidocaine can markedly suppress fentanyl-induced cough in children, even in doses as low as 0.5 mg/kg

Korelacije u bolničkoj smrtnosti bolesnika s akutnim koronarnim sindromom na Kosovu

It has been demonstrated that pre-hospital emergency care reduces in-hospital mortality in patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between pre-hospital emergency care and in-hospital mortality in ACS patients treated at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo Emergency Department (UCCK ED). This observational clinical study included 1498 ACS patients treated at UCCK ED and followed-up by phone call for one year after discharge from the hospital. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, age (HR=2.37, 95% CI 1.67-3.52), pre-hospital emergency care (HR=3.92, 95% CI 2.35-6.54), STEMI (HR=6.17, 95% CI 3.22-15.31), diabetes mellitus (HR=3.01, 95% CI 1.98-3.78), left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (HR=17.63, 95% CI 11.2-30.54) and ex-smoking (HR=2.34, 95% CI 1.57-3.85) were significant predictors of mortality in ACS patients. In-hospital mortality of patients admitted with ACS remains high in Kosovo as compared with developed countries. A better strategy for pre-hospital emergency care in Kosovo is recommended to save lives in these high-risk patients.Pokazano je da predbolnička hitna skrb smanjuje bolničku smrtnost u bolesnika s akutnim koronarnim sindromom (AKS). Cilj ove studije bio je analizirati odnos između predbolničke hitne skrbi i bolničke smrtnosti bolesnika s AKS-om liječenih na Odjelu za hitne slučajeve Univerzitetskog kliničkog centra Kosova (UKCK). Ovo opservacijsko kliničko istraživanje obuhvaćalo je 1498 bolesnika s AKS-om liječenih na Odjelu za hitne slučajeve UKCK, koji su praćeni godinu dana nakon otpusta telefonskim pozivom. Multivarijatna Coxova regresijska analiza pokazala je da su dob (HR=2,37, 95% CI 1,67-3,52), predbolnička hitna skrb (HR=3,92, 95% CI 2,35-6,54), STEMI (HR=6,17, 95% CI 3,22-15,31), šećerna bolest (HR=3,01, 95% CI 1,98-3,78), istisna frakcija lijeve klijetke <40% (HR=17,63, 95% CI 11,2-30,54) i pušenje (HR=2,34, 95% CI 1,57-3,85) značajni prediktori smrtnosti u bolesnika s AKS-om. Bolnička smrtnost bolesnika primljenih s AKS-om i dalje je visoka na Kosovu u usporedbi s razvijenim zemljama. Preporuča se bolja strategija za predbolničku hitnu skrb na Kosovu radi spašavanja života ovih bolesnika visokog rizika

Smoking behaviors in Kosova: Results of steps survey

Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. Most of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, and this trend is expected to widen further over the next several decades. The overall objective of the study is to describe and analyse the smoking behaviours of adults in Kosova