Medicina
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Background and Objectives: Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is a disease characterized by cartilage-capped bony protuberances at the site of growth plates of long bones. Functional mutations in the exostosin genes (EXT1 and EXT2) are reported to affect the hedgehog signalling pathways leading to multiple enchondromatosis. However, the exact role of each EXT protein in the regulation of heparan sulphate (HS) chain elongation is still an enigma. ⋯ Interestingly, an alternative open reading frame 3 (ORF3) caused by the frame shift is predicted to encode a protein sequence, identical to the wild type and containing the catalytic domain, but lacking the first 100 amino acids of the wild-type EXT1 protein. Conclusion: Consequently, haploinsufficiency could be the cause of HME in the investigated family as the mutated copy of EXT1 is ineffective for EXT-1/2 complex formation. The predicted ORF3 protein could be of great significance in understanding several aspects of HME pathogenesis.
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Background and Objectives: Patient satisfaction with health care can influence health care-seeking behavior in relation to both minor or major health problems or influence communication and compliance with medical advice, which is especially important in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to continually monitor patient satisfaction with provided care and their dynamics. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the adult population of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) and compare it with levels of satisfaction in the same population before the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Conclusions: The rate of satisfaction with health care services in the FB&H was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2011 and 2017. Furthermore, while an increasing trend in satisfaction with health care was observed in the FB&H during the years prior to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the reversal of this trend. It is important to further monitor the dynamics of patient satisfaction with health care, which could serve as a basis for planning, delivering, and maintaining quality services during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.
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We present a case of a pregnant woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was diagnosed with asymptomatic complete heart block (CHB) during pregnancy. To evaluate possible risks and benefits of pacemaker (PM) implantation, a multidisciplinary counselling board was held. Its recommendation was to perform PM implantation to prevent intra-uterine growth restriction from insufficient cardiac output using a fluoroscopic protective shield. ⋯ Above that, pregnant women with SLE who develop hypertension are commonly treated with methyldopa, which may cause conduction abnormalities. Clinical recommendations for young female patients expecting pregnancy are lacking in this area. Careful diagnostic and treatment approaches should be used in the management of possible SLE-related complications in women of child-bearing age, focusing on preventable events.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought infectious and contagious diseases back to the forefront of medical concerns worldwide [...].
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Background and objectives: Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) prostheses are considered the gold standard for the replacement of missing teeth, however, these have several drawbacks. Therefore, lithium disilicate (LDS) prostheses have been introduced for the construction of fixed crowns and bridges. The aim of this systematic review was to ascertain the long-term survival of LDS fixed prostheses in comparison to other materials. ⋯ Overall, the risk of bias in the included studies was moderate. Conclusions: The LDS-based complete coverage prostheses have a survival rate ranging between 48.6% and 100%. Furthermore, due to the lack of comparative studies, the long-term function and survival of LDS prostheses compared to other material prosthesis (PFM and ZrO) is debatable.