Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION: In October 2022, after almost two years, tuberculosis reclaimed its first place as the world's deadliest infectious disease, replacing COVID-19. Since knowledge is the most powerful tool to combat any disease, the primary goal of our study was to assess patients' knowledge of tuberculosis and its relationship to their socio-demographic status. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study included 1,067 respiratory patients who were surveyed between November 2021 and June 2022 at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina (Serbia). They completed a questionnaire designed for this study. RESULTS: The majority of patients (53.7%) were female; over two-thirds (70.8%) were ≥ 60 years; every fifth (23.2%) was either with or without primary school; every third (33.3%) was financially poor. Although the majority of patients (97.8%) were aware that tuberculosis is an infectious disease, only 44.2% knew the etiology. Around 3/4 (72.6%) were aware of a tuberculosis vaccine. Hospitalized patients had better knowledge that the vaccine helps prevent tuberculosis than ambulatory patients (p = 0.047). Only 16% of patients in both groups knew that tuberculosis incidence is decreasing in Serbia (p = 0.074). Good knowledge about tuberculosis was reported by 71.5%. Hospitalized patients showed better knowledge than ambulatory patients (p = 0.032). Patients with a higher level of education and higher monthly income were independent predictors of better knowledge of tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: The study underlines the need to promote knowledge about tuberculosis, particularly among chronic patients, socially vulnerable and refugees, especially in light of the pandemic and emerging economic problems in the region.

Home-Based Spirometry in Patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Real-Life Pilot "FACT" Study from Serbia.

(1) Background: home-based spirometry, as a form of telemedicine in pulmonology, was previously successfully implemented in clinical practice in developed countries. However, experiences from developing countries are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and feasibility of home-based spirometry in patients with interstitial lung diseases from Serbia. (2) Methods: 10 patients were given a personal hand-held spirometer with operating instructions and asked to perform daily domiciliary spirometry for the next 24 weeks. The K-BILD questionnaire was used to assess patients' quality of life, while the questionnaire designed specifically for this study was used to assess their attitudes toward and satisfaction with domiciliary spirometry. (3) Results: there was a significant positive correlation between office- and home-based spirometry at the beginning (r = 0.946; p < 0.001) and end of the study (r = 0.719; p = 0.019). The compliance rate was nearly 70%. The domiciliary spirometry did not affect patients' overall quality of life or anxiety levels, as measured via different domains of the K-BILD. Patients expressed positive experiences and high satisfaction with the home spirometry program. (4) Conclusions: home-based spirometry may represent a reliable form of spirometry, exploited in routine clinical practice; however, additional research in developing countries with a larger sample size is required.

[Survival of patients with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in relation to smoking habits].

INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is estimated to become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The mortality and morbidity from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is getting higher and higher as a result of the epidemics in tobacco consumption all over the world, especially in developing countries. The study objectives were to determine the correlation between the smoking habits and mortality in the patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases, to evaluate the two-year and five-year survival depending on the smoking habits, to compare and correlate the smoking habits and a decrease in the lung function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This observational, retrospective-prospective study was carried out from 2001 to 2007 to monitor the two-year and five-year survival in respect to the smoking habits. During the study, both groups of smokers and non-smokers underwent spirometry, and the pulmonary function was measured at least once a year and the values were compared. The average values were calculated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The study revealed a statistically significant difference in the two-year and five-year survival in end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease depending on the smoking habits. In addition, it pointed to a higher relative decrease in the pulmonary function in smokers suffering from very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in non-smokers and former smokers suffering from end-stage of this disease. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to this study, the progression to the end stage of this disease is faster in smokers suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in the non-smokers and the former smokers who suffer from this disease.