Croatian medical journal
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Croatian medical journal · Aug 2024
Possible drug-drug interactions among elderly patients receiving antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B.
To identify possible drug-drug interactions in patients taking medications for other comorbidities while on antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B. ⋯ Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications should be used cautiously in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate due to the increased risk of renal toxicity.
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Croatian medical journal · Aug 2024
Review Case ReportsChallenging pharmacotherapy management of a psychotic disorder due to a delicate pharmacogenetic profile and drug-drug interactions: a case report and literature review.
This report presents challenging psychopharmacotherapy management of a psychotic disorder in a patient with a delicate pharmacogenetic profile and drug-drug interactions. A 31-year old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2017 was referred by her psychiatrist to a clinical pharmacologist for interpretation of a pharmacogenetic test and advice regarding optimal psychopharmacotherapy. In spite of adherence to aripiprazole, olanzapine, risperidone, and levomepromazine, and rational anxiolytic therapy, she still experienced anxiety, anhedonia, loss of appetite, sleeping problems, and auditory hallucinations with commands to harm herself. ⋯ These changes led to an optimal therapeutic drug concentration and improved clinical status. At the last follow-up, the patient was without severe auditory hallucinations, became more engaged in daily life, had more interaction with others, had found a job, and even had started an emotional relationship. In psychiatry, pharmacogenetic testing is an important tool for guiding pharmacological therapy, particularly in patients with an unsatisfactory clinical response and a lack of alternative therapeutic steps for pharmacotherapy unresponsiveness.
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Croatian medical journal · Aug 2024
Multicenter StudyLimitations of life-sustaining treatments in intensive care units in Croatia: a multicenter retrospective study.
In order to gain insight into the current prevailing practices regarding the limitation of life-sustaining treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) in Croatia, we assessed the frequency of limitation and provision of certain treatment modalities, as well as the associated patient and ICU-related factors. ⋯ Older patients and those diagnosed with stroke and intracranial hemorrhage received fewer therapeutic modalities. All the observed treatment modalities were more frequently discontinued in patients who were hospitalized in the ICU for a prolonged time.
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Croatian medical journal · Aug 2024
Biomarker changes in suspected idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus patients undergoing external lumbar drainage: a pilot study.
To examine whether changes in biomarker concentrations in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) during 72 h of external lumbar drainage (ELD) can differentiate between responders and non-responders. ⋯ A gradual increase in Aβ 1-42 concentration during three-day ELD represents a possible positive prognostic factor for the placement of permanent CSF drainage in patients with iNPH.
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Croatian medical journal · Aug 2024
Regulator of calcineurin 3 as a novel predictor of diagnosis and prognosis in pan-cancer.
To assess diagnostic and prognostic value of regulator of calcineurin 3 (RCAN3) in various malignancies. ⋯ In general, RCAN3 can serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis in pan-cancer, especially in CESC. It may represent a promising molecular target for developing new treatments. However, our analysis is limited to bioinformatic predictions, and further biological experiments are necessary to verify our results.