Burden of hospitalizations for pandemic influenza in Slovenia

Aim To analyze the 2009/2010 epidemiological data of patients hospitalized for confirmed pandemic influenza in Slovenia. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of health statistical data collected in an electronic data set Diagnosis-related Group system. Data on age, sex, primary and secondary diagnoses, duration of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit, disease outcome, and the week of the admission to the hospital were extracted for patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection. Results A total of 748 (hospitalization rate 37.4/100,000) patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection were admitted to 19 public hospitals and 7 private acute care providers during the period from September 28, 2009 to April 11, 2010. The highest admission rate was recorded for mid-November 2009. Out of 748 hospitalized patients, 411 (55%) were children younger than 15 years. Influenza was coded as the primary diagnosis in 536 patients. In 35% of the patients, influenza caused viral pneumonia. Fewer than one third of patients (28%) had a preexisting chronic disease and/or condition predisposing them to complicated or adverse outcomes of influenza, most frequently chronic lung diseases, mainly asthma. A median hospital stay was 2 days for children and 5 days for adult patients. Longer hospitalization was required in patients who had a secondary diagnosis of influenza. Older male individuals suffering from pneumonia and chronic diseases were overrepresented among cases admitted to the intensive care units. Conclusions The epidemiological data extracted from the Diagnosis-related Group system in Slovenia were comparable with the data on pandemic patients published elsewhere

The role of interpersonal relationships with peers and with teachers in students\u27 academic achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between social and academic variables in different school periods and to investigate, whether affective and motivational factors can be regarded as mediating variables in the relation between social and academic variables in school. 1159 students from three different periods of schooling, covering the age range from late childhood through early to middle adolescence, participated in the study. Different models of relations between social and academic variables were tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that the included mediating variables (well-being in school and academic engagement) do not explain the relation between social relations and academic achievement. In younger students, peer relations are related to students’ academic achievement, which does not hold true for both older age groups. Relations to teachers are related to students’ academic outcomes in all periods of schooling. The results also suggest that the method of data assessment is a very important factor in establishing the relations between variables

Raspiratory system in health and disesase and nurse's duties in care for patient with asthma

Dišni sustav je kompleksan sustav koji snažno reagira na različite činitelje, a prevalencija bolesti pluća je u porastu. Kao jedna od najčešćih bolesti pluća modernog doba je astma, koja je sa svojom rastućom prevalencijom velik zdravstveni, socijalni i ekonomski problem. Obilježena je upalom dišnih putova koja je praćena akutnom bronhokonstrikcijom i bronhoopstrukcijom koju potiču razni čimbenici. Potrebna je rana dijagnoza, kvalitetno i odgovarajuće liječenje te praćenje bolesti. Potreban je timski rad kako bi kvaliteta zdravstvene njege bila na najvećoj razini. Uloga medicinske sestre je višestruka, od prikupljanja podataka i zdravstvene njege pa sve do dijagnostike bolesti te edukacije o bolesti, terapiji, rizičnim čimbenicima, vježbama disanja i načinu života sa astmom

Perceived Efficacy of Virtual Leadership in the Crisis of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Received 12 April 2021. Accepted 11 September 2021. Published online 11 October 2021.As a crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies quickly established virtual leadership systems and enabled employees to continue their work from home. This cross-sectional research addresses virtual leadership efficacy assessed by the leaders and by their employees. The findings suggest that leaders evaluate themselves significantly better than their employees, and their leadership efficacy mainly depends on their previous experience of working from home and ability to use communication technologies. This research contributes to the understanding of the factors that have the biggest influence on the belief in leadership efficacy in the context of a rapidly evolving system of remote work

Omjer limfnih čvorova kod karcinoma usne šupljine – naša iskustva

Kao jedan od značajnijih prognostičkih čimbenikaa u kirurškom liječenju karcinoma glave i vrata, pogotovo karcinoma usne šupljine, u posljednje se vrijeme pojavljuje omjer između patoloških limfnih čvorova na vratu i ukupnog broja limfnih čvorova na vratu (lymph node ratio) odstranjenih tijekom disekcije vrata. Istraživanja govore da, što je omjer manji (tj. što je veći ukupni broj čvorova u odnosu na patološke limfne čvorove), to je preživljenje bolje. U Hrvatskoj, prema našim saznanjima, istraživanja o omjeru čvorova kod bolesnika s karcinomima usne šupljine još nisu provedena. U našem istraživanju analizirali smo bolesnike operirane između 2017. i 2021. godine s karcinomom usne šupljine kod kojih je provedena ili elektivna ili selektivna/funkcionalna disekcija vrata s ili bez rekonstrukcije slobodnim režnjevima s minimalnim dvogodišnjim praćenjem, uz naglasak na poveznicu između preživljenja, omjera čvorova, ukupnog broja čvorova, te postojanja negativnih prognostičkih čimbenika (dubina invazije, limfovaskularna invazija, ekstranodalna ekstenzija)

Varicella susceptibility and transmission dynamics in Slovenia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A cross-sectional, age-stratified study was conducted to determine varicella-zoster seroprevalence and force of infection in Slovenia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>3689 serum samples were tested for VZV IgG antibodies with an enzyme immunoassay. Semiparametric and parametric modelling were used to estimate the force of infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 85.6% of serum samples were seropositive. Age-specific prevalence rose rapidly in preschool children and over 90% of 8 years old tested positive for VZV. However, 2.8% of serum samples among women of childbearing age were seronegative. Semiparametric modelling yielded force of infection estimates of 0.182 (95% CI 0.158-0.206), 0.367 (95% CI 0.285-0.448) and 0.008 (95% CI 0.0-0.032) for age groups 0.5- < 6, 6-11 and ≥12 years, respectively, and 0.175 (95% CI 0.147-0.202), 0.391 (95% CI 0.303-0.480) and 0.025 (95% CI 0.003-0.046) for age groups 0.5- < 5, 5-9 and ≥10 years, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Regardless of the age grouping used, the highest transmission occurred in children in their first years of school.</p

Radiooznačeni peptidi v nuklearni medicini

Nuklearna medicina pri obravnavi onkoloških bolnikov omogoča slikovni prikaz oziroma lokalizacijo tumorjev, ciljano zdravljenje ter spremljanje uspešnosti zdravljenja. Visoko specifične radiooznačene peptidne učinkovine lahko izkoristimo za ciljanje tumorskih celic, ki imajo na svoji površini prekomerno izražene receptorje za te učinkovine. Enako peptidno učinkovino lahko radiooznačimo tako z diagnostičnimi kot terapevtskimi radionuklidi, kar nam omogoča personaliziran pristop pri obravnavi bolnikov. V preglednem članku opisujemo dva sistema teranostičnih parov, ki jih v nuklearni medicini uporabljamo za diagnosticiranje ter zdravljenje tumorjev. Klasičen primer takšnih teranostičnih parov so radiooznačeni analogi somatostatina, ki se rutinsko uporabljajo v diagnostiki ter zdravljenju nevroendokrinih tumorjev (NET) s prekomerno izraženimi receptorji za somatostatin. Po drugi strani pa so radiooznačeni analogi minigastrina, ki se vežejo na receptorje za holecistokinin-2, primerni za diagnostiko medularnega raka ščitnice (MTC), za njihovo varno zdravljenje pa še potekajo klinična preskušanja