Vojnosanit Pregl
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Benzodiazepines are among the most frequently ingested drugs in self-poisonings. Elderly may be at greater risk compared with younger individuals due to impaired metabolism and increased sensitivity to benzodiazepines. The aim of this study was to assess toxicity of benzodiazepines in elderly attempted suicide. ⋯ Massive benzodiazepines overdose in elderly may be associated with a significant morbidity, including deep coma with aspiration pneumonia, respiratory failure, and even death. Flumazenil is indicated more often to reduce CNS depression and prevent complications of prolonged unconsciousness, but supportive treatment and proper airway management of comatose patients is the mainstay of the treatment of acute benzodiazepine poisoning.
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Hip fracture remains the leading cause of death in trauma among elderly population and is a great burden to national health services. In-patient death analysis is important to evaluate risk factors, make appropriate selection and perform adequate treatment of infections for patients to be operated. The aim of this study was to analyze in-hospital mortality in proximal femoral fracture patients operatively treated with hip arthroplasty procedure. ⋯ Adequate preoperative selection, risk evaluation and adequate treatment of infections are of the key importance for lowering the risk of death in patients operated due to proximal femoral fracture and treated by hip arthroplasty procedures. Special attention is to be paid for the presence of preoperative and postoperative infections in patients operatively treated due to the risk for increased in-hospital mortality.
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The obtained results show that not all children test blood glucose levels at school (50% of children in the 6-10-year-old age group and 67.3% in the age group over 11 years) and that not all children receive insulin at school (81.1% vs. 18.9%, and 57.7% vs. 42.3%, respectively). The frequency of severe hypoglycemia was 2.7% in children and 3.3% in adolescents. A high proportion of teachers did not have diabetes training. ⋯ This cross-sectional survey was carried out at nine public hospitals in Serbia with a cohort of 6-18-year old children/adolescents. The parents were personally informed about the objectives of the survey and the necessity to involve their children. The self-reporting questionnaire included demographic information as well as some questions that helped to evaluate the general situation of children with type 1 diabetes at school.
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Flumazenil is benzodiazepine receptor antagonist. It has been studied for a various indications, including reversal of sedation after surgery or diagnostic procedures, awakening of comatose patients in benzodiazepine overdose, or for symptomatic treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Some drugs, like theophylline, may prolong its elimination half-life. Considering the long half-life of diazepam and its metabolites, concomitant use of theophylline may reduce the need for repeated dosing of flumazenil in patients with acute diazepam poisoning. The aim of this study was to introduce a reliable and accurate method for determining the concentration of flumazenil after therapeutic application in patients with acute poisoning, and using that method to assess whether the kinetics of flumazenil change in the presence of aminophylline (combination of theophylline and ethylenediamine in a 2:1 ratio) applied as concomitant therapy. ⋯ The applied LC-MS method for the determination of flumazenil in serum samples of patients with acute diazepam poisoning is rapid, sensitive, precise and specific. Concomitant use with theophylline significantly prolonged elimination of flumazenil during the treatment of acute poisonings with diazepam.
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BACKGROUNG/AIM: Since combining conventional drugs with herbal medicinal products is in current research focus and possible of great interest as therapy improvement way, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of well-established antiatherosclerotic drug atorvastatin (CAS number 134523-00-5) and commercially available artichoke leaf tincture (ALTINC), used as combined therapy, as well as to compare effects of these two treatments separately. ⋯ Separate treatments comparison showed that artichoke leaf tincture is very potent antioxidant with beneficial effects in early stages of atherosclerosis. Since atorvastatin and constituents of ALTINC probably have different mechanisms of action, simultaneous use of both therapies could be beneficial but should be further investigated since our results showed that ALTINC is less effective when used in combination with atorvastatin.