Human Milk Bank in Croatia: initial experiences

Darovano humano mlijeko je najbolja zamjena za majčino mlijeko u okolnostima kad ona ne može hraniti svoje dijete. Sigurno i kvalitetno darovano humano mlijeko osiguravaju banke humanog mlijeka. S tim ciljem u Hrvatskoj banci tkiva i stanica Kliničkog bolničkog centra Zagreb osnovana je Banka humanog mlijeka u siječnju 2020. Rad Banke u skladu je sa Zakonom o primjeni ljudskih tkiva i stanica. U ovom radu prikazujemo rezultate njenog rada od otvaranja do lipnja 2020. godine. Iz logističkih razloga uzrokovanih epidemijom COVID-19 i potresom u Zagrebu Banka humanog mlijeka nije prikupljala mlijeko 43 dana. Mlijeko je darovala 31 majka. Medijan dobi bio je 31 godina a 81% ih je bilo visokoobrazovanih. U 52% slučajeva majke su počele darivati mlijeko tri mjeseca nakon porođaja. Najviše darivateljica darovalo je mlijeko samo jedan put (45%). Medijan razdoblja darivanja bio je 46 dana. Većina (52%) darivateljica rodilo je prvi put, u očekivanom terminu porođaja (94%), djecu porođajne mase >2 500 gr. Samo troje od njihove djece (9%) bilo je na intenzivnom liječenju. Ukupno je prikupljeno 175,5 L mlijeka (prosječno 5,7 L/darivateljici), od kojih je 151,5 L zadovoljilo zahtjeve ulazne kontrole kakvoće, a 141 L je bila i pasterizirana. Kritičan broj vijabilnih, aerobnih i fakultativnih bakterija imalo je 32,6% mješavina mlijeka pripremljenih za pasterizaciju, a nakon nje 8,9%. Za kliničku primjenu izdano je 78,7 L u tri jedinice intenzivnog liječenja novorođenčadi. Već u prvim mjesecima rada Banka humanog mlijeka pokazala je važnost svog djelovanja. Kako bi mogli zadovoljiti potrebe za darovanim humanim mlijekom na nacionalnoj razini, potrebno je trajno podučavati/educirati majke o važnosti humanog mlijeka i promicati njegovo darivanje.Donated human milk is the best substitute for breast milk in the case when the mother cannot feed her baby. Human milk banks provide safe and high quality donated human milk. That was the reason why the Human Milk Bank was established in the Croatian Tissue and Cell Bank at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre in January 2020. The Bank works in accordance with the Law on the Application of Human Tissues and Cells. In this paper, we present the results of the Bank work since from its opening until June 2020. Due to logistic reasons caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and the earthquake in Zagreb, the Human Milk Bank did not collect milk for 43 days. Milk was donated by 31 mothers. Their median age was 31 years and 81% of them had high education level. In 52% of cases, mothers started donating milk three months after giving birth. Most donors donated milk only once (45%). The median period of donation was 46 days. The majority (52%) of donors gave birth for the fi rst time, in the expected term of childbirth (94%), birth weight was >2500 g. Only three of donors’ children (9%) were in intensive care. A total of 175.5 L of milk were collected (mean 5.7 L per donor), of which 151.5 L met the requirements of input quality control, and 141 L were pasteurized. A critical number of viable aerobic and facultative bacteria were identifi ed in 32.6% of milk pools prepared for pasteurization, and 8.9% after pasteurization. For clinical use, 78.7 L were dispensed in three neonatal intensive care units. The Human Milk Bank has already shown the importance of its activities during the fi rst months of operation. In order to be able to meet the needs for donated human milk at the national level, it is necessary to constantly inform mothers about the importance of human milk and to promote its donation

Smjernice Hrvatskog društva za hematologiju i transfuzijsku medicinu u dijagnostičko-terapijskom postupku za trombocitopeniju izazvanu heparinom (HIT) [Croatian Society for Haematology and Transfusion Medicine Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)]

Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious complication of heparin administration. In the last decade, this clinical syndrome has come into the focus of interest, primarily because of the severe thromboembolic complications that may lead to lethal outcome. In addition, great improvements have been made in the treatment with direct thrombin inhibitors and in laboratory diagnosis of HIT. As guidelines for diagnostic and management of HIT upgrade the quality of patient treatment, activities for their development have been launched in the Republic of Croatia. Based on British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) recommendations on diagnostic and treatment of HIT from 2006, activities for the introduction of new assays for anti-heparin antibodies were launched in 2008 and 2009, including algorithm of laboratory testing for HIT, sheet for clinical assessment of HIT (4T score), and education oftransfusiologists and clinicians. Upon evaluation of the results collected during one-year period, the Croatian Society of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine nominated a task force for the development of guidelines for HIT in January 2010. Following wide-ranging discussion, the guidelines were adopted in May 2011

Influence of flavonoids’ lipophilicity on platelet aggregation

Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds present in a wide spectrum of plants that have a beneficial effect on human health. In the context of cardiovascular diseases related to plaque and thrombus formation, flavonoids exhibit an antiaggregatory effect. Previously, it has been reported that all tested flavonoids exhibit an antiaggregatory effect on platelet aggregation when measured by impedance aggregometry on whole blood, in the test of aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP). As not all flavonoids have the same targets within signaling pathways, an assumption of a common non-specific mechanism related to lipophilicity is to be considered. To test this hypothesis, reverse-phase thin layer chromatography was used to assess the lipophilicity of flavonoids; impedance aggregometry was used for testing of platelet aggregation and flow cytometry to monitor the influence of flavonoids on platelet activation. Lipophilicity analysis showed a highly negative correlation of logP and MINaAC for groups of flavones and flavanones. As determined by flow cytometry, the exposition of receptors necessary for the promotion of platelet activation and primary clot formation was diminished, i.e., lowered expression of the activated form of integrin αIIbβ3 was observed in the presence of flavanones. Platelet membrane stabilization by flavonoids as a mechanism of antiaggregatory effect has been supported by impedance aggregometry experiments when specific inhibitors of platelet aggregation signaling pathways (U73122, indomethacin, verapamil) were used in the presence of a weak (ADP) and a strong (TRAP-6) agonist of aggregation. While individual flavonoids can have specific targets within aggregation signaling pathways, all flavonoids share a common non-specific mechanism of platelet aggregation inhibition related to their lipophilicity and membrane stabilization that, to some extent, contributes to their antiaggregatory effect

Croatian Society for Haematology and Transfusion Medicine Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)

Trombocitopenija izazvana heparinom (HIT) teška je nuspojava heparinske terapije. U posljednjih desetak godina ovaj kliničkopatološki sindrom u središtu je interesa primarno zbog teških tromboembolijskih komplikacija, koje mogu imati i smrtni ishod. Znatno poboljšanje u liječenju HIT-a, postignuto je primjenom direktnih inhibitora trombina u zamjenu za heparin, a laboratorijsko ispitivanje antiheparinskih protutijela znatno je unaprijedilo dijagnostiku HIT-a. Uvođenje smjernica za dijagnostičko-terapijski postupak za HIT ima znatan učinak na kvalitetu liječenja bolesnika. Godine 2008. u Republici Hrvatskoj (RH) pokrenut je niz aktivnosti u cilju uspostavljanja smjernica za HIT, temeljenih na britanskim preporukama za dijagnostiku i liječenje trombocitopenije izazvane heparinom iz 2006. godine. Tijekom 2008/09. godine uvedeni su novi testovi za antiheparinska protutijela, algoritam laboratorijskog ispitivanja i obrazac za kliničku procjenu HIT-a te izobrazba transfuziologa i kliničara. U siječnju 2010. godine na stručnom sastanku Hrvatskog društva za hematologiju i transfuzijsku medicinu (HDHTM), nakon evaluacije rezultata jednogodišnje primjene preporuka osnovana je radna skupina za donošenje smjernica HDHTM-a za HIT. Nakon usuglašavanja i javne rasprave smjernice su prihvaćene u svibnju 2011. godine.Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious complication of heparin administration. In the last decade, this clinical syndrome has come into the focus of interest, primarily because of the severe thromboembolic complications that may lead to lethal outcome. In addition, great improvements have been made in the treatment with direct thrombin inhibitors and in laboratory diagnosis of HIT. As guidelines for diagnostic and management of HIT upgrade the quality of patient treatment, activities for their development have been launched in the Republic of Croatia. Based on British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) recommendations on diagnostic and treatment of HIT from 2006, activities for the introduction of new assays for anti-heparin antibodies were launched in 2008 and 2009, including algorithm of laboratory testing for HIT, sheet for clinical assessment of HIT (4T score), and education of transfusiologists and clinicians. Upon evaluation of the results collected during one-year period, the Croatian Society of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine nominated a task force for the development of guidelines for HIT in January 2010. Following wide-ranging discussion, the guidelines were adopted in May 2011