Acta clinica Croatica
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Acta clinica Croatica · Aug 2022
LENS CARE COMPLIANCE RATES AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG RIGID GAS PERMEABLE CONTACT LENS WEARERS - A PILOT STUDY.
The aim was to estimate compliance rate among rigid gas permeable lens wearers (RGPLW) in lens system care, identify procedures in lens care process with poorest compliance levels, and assess concordance between participant reported practices and their subjectively perceived compliance. The study included outpatient RGPLW managed at Zagreb University Hospital Center in Zagreb, Croatia. They filled out a questionnaire that included demographic data, duration of lens wear, self-evaluation compliance grade, and 14 lens care procedures and wearing habits indicative of compliance. ⋯ RGPLW were aware of their inappropriate lens care only when achieved non-compliance in almost 50% of the procedures. In conclusion, lens wearers were not aware of their extremely low compliance rate in several aspects of lens and lens case maintenance. Study results indicated the key procedures the practitioners should focus on when evaluating subjective and objective compliance and reinforcing care and hygiene education of RGPLW.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Aug 2022
Observational StudyOUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST OUTCOMES - BYSTANDER CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION RATE IMPROVEMENT.
Approximately 8000 people suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the Republic of Croatia every year. OHCA survival rates generally remain low despite major advances in resuscitation. Its incidence and survival rate are well known in many European countries, but reliable data on OHCA in Croatia are lacking. ⋯ There was no significant difference in correlation with day or night shift, etiology of cardiac arrest and bystander CPR variables. Survival rate of OHCA patients who received CPR until emergency department admission in Croatia was 17%. A higher survival rate post-OHCA was more likely among patients who received bystander CPR and had shockable rhythm.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Aug 2022
PENTRAXIN 3 LEVELS CORRELATE WELL WITH DISEASE SEVERITY AT ADMISSION IN COVID-19 PATIENTS.
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a long pentraxin, is not only released from dendritic cells and neutrophils but also from epithelial and endothelial cells such as alveolar epithelium. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) initially activates the innate immune system, causing a complex immune response. Clinical and experimental studies suggest that PTX3, a locally and systemically secreted marker, can be used as a predictor of the severity and mortality in respiratory infections. In the current study, serum PTX3 levels in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were found to be significantly increased at admission and showed significant association with the disease severity.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Aug 2022
THE INCIDENCE OF COMORBID MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IN PATIENTS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
There is a small body of research about mental and physical comorbidity in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients despite the fact that some psychiatric disorders and physical conditions are commonly comorbid with PTSD. In this study, we researched the relationship between PTSD and its mental and physical comorbidities by comparing the number of patient hospitalizations across two ten-year periods. Our sample consisted of 2761 patients with warfare PTSD hospitalized during the 20-year period (1999-2018). ⋯ Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the number of hospitalizations between the two ten-year periods for the group of PTSD patients with mental comorbidity. We argued that both mental and physical comorbidities along with PTSD are needed to induce a significantly higher level of distress in patients, resulting in a higher number of hospitalizations after a longer period of time. Patients with the most severe conditions and comorbidity have a greater need to seek help from mental health professionals as their mental and physical state deteriorates to a higher degree when not in the treatment of any kind.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Aug 2022
THE ANATOMICAL AND MEASUREMENT STUDY OF ROSENMÜLLER FOSSA AND OROPHARYNGEAL STRUCTURES USING CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY.
The objective of this study was to assess Rosenmüller fossa (RF) anatomy and neighboring structures using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). A total of 1000 patients were analyzed using CBCT. The reference points were based on the spina nasalis posterior (Snp) and basion. ⋯ RF, also described as the lateral pharyngeal recess, is a source location of nasopharyngeal carcinoma development. Its location is on the lateral pharyngeal wall posterior to the cartilaginous part of the eustachian tube, the torus tubarius. The knowledge of RF is important to diagnose and perform treatment planning of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.