RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Although chronic subjective tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms, the background of its pathophysiological mechanism and etiology is not fully understood. No studies are exploring various affective temperaments in persons with chronic tinnitus. METHODS: We included in this study 57 patients with tinnitus who filled out the Serbian 41-item version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A) and a short sociodemographic questionnaire. Patients were assessed using audiometry (measuring the hearing threshold for frequencies of 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz) and tympanometry. RESULTS: Our research showed that patients with chronic tinnitus predominantly had anxious affective temperament [anxious-cognitive (AnxC): 26.23 %, anxious-somatic (AnxS): 25.6 %). AnxS was dominant in people without hearing loss (46 %) and males (37.39 %). AnxC was dominant in people with a significant hearing loss and females (30.3 %). Both AnxS and AnxC temperaments correlated with hearing loss in the right ear more than in the left one. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that anxious temperaments (AnxC and AnxS) were predominant in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. Affective temperaments could play a significant role in explaining this disorder's currently unclear pathophysiology of, but further research is needed. HIPPOKRATIA 2020, 24(2): 77-83.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To determine the severity of injuries in drunk and sober drivers in traffic accidents, by using the Injury Severity Score (ISS), as well as the most vulnerable body region of those involved. METHODS: This was an observational case-control study covering a 1-year period of patients treated in the emergency department of the Health Center in Kraljevo, Serbia. Seventy-five patients were identified as drunken drivers [blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >0.03 %] (group of cases), while 70 patients were found to be sober drivers (group of controls). Injuries were categorized by body region according to the ISS. RESULTS: Half of all drivers (51.7 %) injured in traffic accidents were under the influence of alcohol. Males represented a substantial majority of both groups. In both categories of drivers, the greatest incidence of traffic accidents was in the age group 19-35 years. Injuries of drunken drivers were more frequently present in all body regions except in the areas of limbs with shoulder and pelvic bones. Drivers under the influence of alcohol have a 3.80 times greater risk of suffering deadly injuries in traffic accidents. The average ISS in drunken drivers was higher in comparison to sober drivers (p < 0.05). The greatest ISS was in the drunk group with BAC level over 0.051 % (the ISS range was 15-20). A strong correlation was found between the BAC level and the degree of injury (r = 0.63). CONCLUSION: The severity of injuries and, especially, the 3.80 times greater risk of suffering deadly injuries in traffic accidents for drunken drivers obliges us to pay attention to prevention strategies.
RESUMEN
Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders in individuals seeking psychiatric treatment, and a frequent psychological disorder among patients who seek primary healthcare. Therefore, it is vitally important to employ reliable and valid diagnostic instruments and norms, both in clinical and research work to investigate this problem. This article is part of a larger study which has been conducted for ten years now with the aim to create a clearer picture about the level of depression which may be expected in the nonclinical population in Serbia, and in that way provide a basis for comparisons when diagnosing the clinical population. The subsidiary aims were to monitor potential changes in level of depressive reactions within the set time and to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale. The sample consisted of 782 students (40% male, 60% female), mean age = 23.10 years, SD = 1.782. Mean score on the BDI-IA scale was 6.69; SD = 6.412. The study showed no significant relationships between the BDI scores and sociodemographic variables such as age, economic status, and educational profile, but showed significant differences within gender (t (780) = 3.222, p = 0.001). There was also a relatively stable level of depressive reactions in this population over the previous ten years. The Cronbach's coefficient of the BDI scale was alpha = 0.860, with the majority of item-total correlations above 0.37. The three-factor structure represents cognitive aspect, affective component of depression, and somatic problems attached to depression. The cognitive factor prevails in the entire sample, which is in accordance with the Beck theory about dysfunctional attitudes, ie cognitive vulnerability is a psychological predisposition to depression.
