A Complex Relationship between Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depression among General Population during Second Year of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-Based Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy and public health, disrupting various aspects of daily life. Apart from its direct effects on physical health, it has also significantly affected the overall quality of life and mental health. This study employed a path analysis to explore the complex association among multiple factors associated with quality of life, anxiety, and depression in the general population of the Republic of Srpska during the pandemic's second year. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a nationally representative sample (n = 1382) of the general population (adults aged 20+) during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. Assessment tools included the DASS-21 scale for depression, anxiety, and stress, along with the Brief COPE scale, Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), and Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3). Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities were also assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the direct and indirect links of various characteristics to quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Results: This study revealed a considerable prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms (27.5% and 20.9%, respectively), with quality of life playing a significant mediating role. The constructed path model accounted for 33.1% of moderate to severe depression and 79.5% of anxiety. Negative coping was directly linked to anxiety and indirectly to depression via anxiety, while the absence of positive coping had both direct and indirect paths (through quality of life) on depression. Among variables that directly affected depression, anxiety had the highest effect. However, the bidirectional paths between anxiety and depression were also suggested by the model. Conclusions: Pandemic response strategies should be modified to effectively reduce the adverse effects on public mental health. Further research is necessary to assess the long-term effects of the pandemic on mental health and to analyze the contributing factors of anxiety and depression in the post-COVID period.

Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in Eastern Region of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The constant worsening of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) imposes the need for an urgent response. Use of antibiotics (AB), both due to irrational prescribing by doctors and irrational use by patients, is recognized as one of the leading causes of this problem. This study aimed to identify knowledge, attitudes, and practices about AB use and AMR within the general population, stratified by age, gender, and urban/rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2022 among patients who visited three health centers in the eastern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A high frequency of AB use was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic (64.2% of respondents were treated with AB). Age and place of residence have not been shown to be factors associated with AB use practices that pose a risk for AMR. However, female gender (ß = 0.063; p = 0.041), better knowledge (ß = 0.226; p < 0.001), and positive attitudes (ß = 0.170; p < 0.001) about use of AB and towards to AMR proved to be factors associated with better practice by respondents. Women, younger respondents, and respondents from urban areas showed better knowledge, attitudes, and behavior about the use of AB and AMR during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumption of Antibiotics in Primary Care Setting before and during COVID-19 Pandemic in Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has brought many changes in health care systems at all levels of health care. The increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 has led to overuse and misuse of antibiotics.The aim of this study was to compare the consumption of antibiotics for systemic use in outpatients in the Republic of Srpska (RS), before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the association between antibiotic consumption and the rate of incidence and mortality of COVID-19. The total consumption of the antibiotics for systemic use (J01) in outpatients in the Republic of Srpska during 2019 was 19.40 DDD/TID, with an increase to 30.80 DDD/TID in 2020.Significantly higher use of penicillin (10.58 ± 11.01 DDD/TID in 2019 vs. 17.10 ± 13.63 DDD/TID in 2020), cephalosporins (2.68 ± 1.90 DDD/TID in 2019 vs. 5.93 ± 2.77 DDD/TID in 2020) and macrolides (2.14 ± 2.22 DDD/TID in 2019 vs. 3.40 ± 3.44 DDD/TID in 2020) was observed during the pandemic period. It is necessary to improve the prescribing practice of antibiotics at the primary health care level, public awareness about rational use of antibiotics, as well as the current antibiotic stewardship programs and control their implementation.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Parents and Pediatricians Regarding Antibiotic Use among Children: Differences in Relation to the Level of Education of the Parents in the Republic of Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Antibiotics are often misused, especially for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in children, where their use is unnecessary and leads to antimicrobial resistance. This study sought to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of parents and pediatricians on the use of antibiotics among children and whether the level of education of parents has an impact on their KAP. The research was carried out among 1459 parents of children under 6 years of age and among 18 pediatricians. Sixty percent of pediatricians (61.1%) were prescribed antibiotics daily in their practice. Most of the surveyed parents (98.4%) state that doctors are their main source of information when deciding on the use of antibiotics in the treatment of their children. Parents with a higher level of education use television less often as a source of information when making this decision compared to parents with a lower level of education (p = 0.039, i.e., p = 0.003). The majority of parents (80.7%) knew that Panklav (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) is an antibiotic, while 52.5% identified Pancef (cefixime) as an antibiotic. Parents with a higher level of education correctly identified antibiotics significantly more often (p < 0.001). This study shows that in the Republic of Srpska, parents have adequate knowledge about antibiotics, especially those with a higher level of education, who show better KAP when it comes to antibiotic use.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among primary healthcare workers in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina: A cross-sectional study.

Healthcare workers (HCW) in primary healthcare centres in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, are on the first combat line with COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among HCW at the primary healthcare centres and to analyse the risk exposure to COVID-19, clinical signs and vaccination status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCW at the selected primary healthcare centres between 19 March and 30 April 2021. Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 1,023 HCW (mean age 45 years; 71% female) were included in the study. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 69.5% of all participants. There was a significant difference in seropositivity among primary healthcare centres from different geographical regions. As many as 432 (42%) of all participants had confirmed COVID-19 symptoms before the study and, 84.8% of them were seropositive. This study showed that 702 primary HCW were vaccinated with any of these vaccines: Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Pfizer/Biontech. High titre of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was found amongst those who received one (92.6%) or both (97.2%) doses of vaccines. In this study, we report high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among HCW in primary healthcare in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the third pandemic wave.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 in the Republic of Srpska-Bosnia & Herzegovina: A population-based study.

The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to analyse the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the population toward COVID-19. This population-based study was conducted in a group of 1,855 randomly selected individuals from all municipalities from 1 December 2020 to 15 January 2021. All individuals were asked to sign a consent form and to fill in a questionnaire, following which a blood samples were collected. Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were determined in serum specimens using the total Ab ELISA assay. The overall seroprevalence rate was 40.3%. Subjects aged <65 years were 2.06 times more likely to be seropositive than those aged ≥65, and 30% of seropositive individuals presented no COVID-19 symptoms. The household members of seropositive individuals were 2.24 times more likely to develop COVID-19 symptoms than the household members of seronegative individuals. More than 95% of respondents believe that preventive measures are very important to control the infection transmission. Majority of respondents wear the masks properly, maintain the required physical distance whenever possible and wash hands with soap. Nearly 50% of individuals were of the opinion that the vaccine could prevent the infection. This study showed that an overall SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate by the middle of January 2021 was very high. Attitudes and practices regarding the COVID-19 indicate that additional efforts should be taken in order to improve the health education with a focus on preventive measures and vaccination.

A nationwide assessment of the burden of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use among surgical patients: results from Serbian point prevalence survey, 2017.

BACKGROUND: As the only non-European Union (EU) country, Serbia participated in a second point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use (AMU) organized by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in the EU countries. Here, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of HAI and AMU in patients who had recently undergone a surgery and to compare risk profile, HAI rates, and AMU among surgical patients and non-surgical patients. METHODS: A national PPS was performed in 65 Serbian acute-care hospitals, in November 2017. In this paper, the data of 61 hospitals for adult acute-care were analyzed. To ensure the comparability of study design we used the Serbian translation of ECDC case definitions and ECDC PPS protocol. The trained infection control staff, led by a hospital coordinator, reviewed medical records to identify HAI active at the time of the survey and AMU. Only inpatients admitted to the ward before 8 a.m. on the day if the survey were included. RESULTS: A total of 12,478 patients from 61 hospitals for adult acute-care were eligible for inclusion in this study. Significantly higher proportions of surgical patients were female, belonged to the 60-to-79 age group, and were less severely ill. Also, extrinsic factors (invasive devices, hospitalization at the ICU, and prior antibiotics therapy) were more frequent in surgical patients. Prevalence of HAIs was higher among surgical patients (261/3626; 7.2%) than among non-surgical patients (258/8852; 2.9%) (p < 0.0001). The highest prevalence of all HAIs was noted in patients who had kidney transplantation (4/11; 36.4%), while SSIs were the most prevalent among patients who had peripheral vascular bypass surgery (3/15; 20.0%). Non-surgical patients received treatment for community-acquired infections in significantly higher proportion (2664/8852; 64.3) (p < 0.001). Surgical prophylaxis for more than 1 day was applied in 71.4% of surgical patients. CONCLUSION: We have provided an insight into the burden of HAIs and AMU among Serbia acute-care hospitals, and highlighted several priority areas and targets for quality improvement.

Challenges of using blooms of Microcystis spp. in animal feeds: A comprehensive review of nutritional, toxicological and microbial health evaluation.

Microcystis spp., are Gram-negative, oxygenic, photosynthetic prokaryotes which use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and minerals into organic compounds and biomass. Eutrophication, rising CO2 concentrations and global warming are increasing Microcystis blooms globally. Due to its high availability and protein content, Microcystis biomass has been suggested as a protein source for animal feeds. This would reduce dependency on soybean and other agricultural crops and could make use of "waste" biomass when Microcystis scums and blooms are harvested. Besides proteins, Microcystis contain further nutrients including lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. However, Microcystis produce cyanobacterial toxins, including microcystins (MCs) and other bioactive metabolites, which present health hazards. In this review, challenges of using Microcystis blooms in feeds are identified. First, nutritional and toxicological (nutri-toxicogical) data, including toxicity of Microcystis to mollusks, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, mammals and birds, is reviewed. Inclusion of Microcystis in diets caused greater mortality, lesser growth, cachexia, histopathological changes and oxidative stress in liver, kidney, gill, intestine and spleen of several fish species. Estimated daily intake (EDI) of MCs in muscle of fish fed Microcystis might exceed the provisional tolerable daily intake (TDI) for humans, 0.04 µg/kg body mass (bm)/day, as established by the World Health Organization (WHO), and is thus not safe. Muscle of fish fed M. aeruginosa is of low nutritional value and exhibits poor palatability/taste. Microcystis also causes hepatotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity to mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians, mammals and birds. Microbial pathogens can also occur in blooms of Microcystis. Thus, cyanotoxins/xenobiotics/pathogens in Microcystis biomass should be removed/degraded/inactivated sufficiently to assure safety for use of the biomass as a primary/main/supplemental ingredient in animal feed. As an ameliorative measure, antidotes/detoxicants can be used to avoid/reduce the toxic effects. Before using Microcystis in feed ingredients/supplements, further screening for health protection and cost control is required.

Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among family physicians in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aims. The aim of this study was to examine self-perceived compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among family physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and describe potential contributing factors. Methods. The cross-sectional study enrolled 120 family physicians. Professional quality of life compassion satisfaction and fatigue version 5 (ProQOL5) was used to assess compassion satisfaction and two components of compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. The symptoms of chronic fatigue were evaluated using the Chalder fatigue scale. Results. The majority of family physicians had moderate levels of compassion satisfaction (70%), burnout (75%) and secondary traumatic stress (55.8%). Family physicians with higher levels of secondary traumatic stress reported chronic fatigue (p = 0.001), longer length of service (p = 0.024) and residency training (p = 0.041). Chronic fatigue (p = 0.001), living in a rural environment (p = 0.033), larger size of practice (p = 0.006) and high number of patients with chronic disease (p = 0.001) were associated with a higher risk of burnout. Conclusion. Family physicians with large practices, long years of experience, a high number of chronically ill patients and experiencing chronic fatigue are at risk of developing compassion fatigue. A systematic exploration of compassion fatigue in relation to working conditions might provide an appropriate starting point for the development of preventive interventions.

Outcomes of intrahospital antimicrobial stewardship programs related to prevention of Clostridium difficile infection outbreaks.

Aim To synthesize evidence about the influence of individual antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) related to the prevention of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection on primary and secondary outcomes. Methods Relevant databases such as Medline, PUBMED, COCHRANE library and EBSCO were searched from 1 April to 27 April 2017. Additional studies were reached by the manual search for original articles in relevant journals. We included all randomized controlled, quasi-experimental and observational studies, published in the English language from 2007 onward, that evaluated effectiveness of ASP in preventing and controlling C. difficile associated disease (CDAD) among adult inpatients. Results Implementation of ASP interventions was associated with CDAD incidence reduction in 62.5% studies, but no significant differences were reported for the duration of hospitalization, readmission and mortality rate. Improvements in prescribing patterns (decreased antimicrobial use or increased rational use) and microbial outcomes (decreased rates of selected antimicrobial-resistant bacteria) were reported. Evidence on the effects of ASP is mainly limited to the results of studies low in methodological quality with great heterogeneity of outcomes, interventions, and units in which CDAD incidence data were reported. Conclusion Despite the low strength of evidence of reviewed studies, consistency of findings suggest the positive impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs on the prevention and control of nosocomial CDAD. The significance of this problem imposes randomized control trial use as the best instrument to provide highquality evidence. Further studies need to systematically analyse changes in all antibiotic use and its outcomes.

Examination of Risk Factors for the Development of Surgical Site Infections.

INTRODUCTION: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and surgical site infections (SSI) are a global public health problem. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of SSIs at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka and to identify risk factors for the development of SSIs. METHODS: In order to determine the frequency of SSIs through the incidence compared to the patients operated at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka, we conducted a prospective cohort study which encompassed 11.216 operated patients, in the period from November 11th, 2014 to September 30th, 2015. In order to identify risk factors for the development of SSIs, a nested case-control study of risk factors for SSIs was conducted. The study group consisted of patients who were diagnosed with SSIs in the period of monitoring, while the control group was consisted of patients without SSIs who corresponded with the study group in age and sex. RESULTS: The highest values of incidence of SSIs were observed at the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (2.65%), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (2.48%) and the Department of Vascular Surgery (2.15%), and the lowest ones at the Department of Urology (0.59%). Among the cases of SSIs, deep infections of the surgical site were the most represented (82.7%). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the following independent risk factors: length of pore-operative stay in hospital (p=0.000; OR=1.062; 95% CI=1.037-1.087), reintervention (p=0.000; OR=22.409; 95% CI=6.361-79.071) and cotrticosteroids (p=0.023; OR=4.141; 95%CI=1.221-14.047). CONCLUSION: The incidence of SSIs at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka is at the level of hospitals in developed countries. There are a number of risk factors for SSIs, which may be prevented.

Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Belgrade, Serbia: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate independent risk factors (RFs) connected with healthcare-associated (HA) Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in surgical patients, its frequency per surgical wards and in-hospital-mortality at a single hospital. METHODS: Risk factors for the infection were prospectively assessed among surgical patients with laboratory confirmed HA CDI and compared with a control group without HA CDI. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of HA CDI was 2.6 per 10000 patient-days. Significant independent RFs for HA CDI were the use of carbapenems (P = 0.007, OR: 10.62, 95% CI: 1.93-58.4), the admission to intensive care unit (P = 0.004, OR:3.00, 95% CI:1.41-6.40), and the administration of 3rd generation cephalosporins (P = 0.014, OR:2.27, 95% CI:1.18-4.39). Patients with HA CDI had significantly higher in-hospital mortality compared to controls (P: 0.007; OR: 8.95; 95% CI: 1.84-43.43). CONCLUSIONS: CDI is an important HA infection in population of surgical patients and this study emphasizes the importance of the wise use of antibiotics, and other infection control strategies in order to prevent HA CDI, and to decrease the incidence and in-hospital mortality rate.

Toxicology of microcystins with reference to cases of human intoxications and epidemiological investigations of exposures to cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins.

Blooms of cyanobacteria have been documented throughout history, all over the world. Mass populations of these organisms typically present hazards to human health and are known for the production of a wide range of highly toxic metabolites-cyanotoxins, of which among the most common and most investigated are the microcystins. The toxicity of the family of microcystin congeners to animal and cell models has received much attention; however, less is known about their negative effects on human health, whether via acute or chronic exposure. Useful information may be acquired through epidemiological studies since they can contribute to knowledge of the relationships between cyanotoxins and human health in environmental settings. The aim of this review is to compile and evaluate the available published reports and epidemiological investigations of human health incidents associated with exposure to mass populations of cyanobacteria from throughout the world and to identify the occurrence and likely role of microcystins in these events. After an initial screening of 134 publications, 42 publications (25 on the chronic and 17 on the acute effects of cyanotoxins) describing 33 cases of poisonings by cyanobacterial toxins in 11 countries were reviewed. The countries were Australia, China, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Serbia, Sweden, UK, Portugal, Brazil, USA, and Canada. At least 36 publications link cyanobacteria/cyanotoxins including microcystins to adverse human health effects. The studies were published between 1960 and 2016. Although the scattered epidemiological evidence does not provide a definitive conclusion, it can serve as additional information for the medical assessment of the role of microcystins in cancer development and other human health problems. This paper discusses the major cases of cyanotoxin poisonings as well as the strengths, weaknesses, and importance of the performed epidemiological research. This study also proposes some recommendations for future epidemiological work.

The effects of interprofessional diabetes education on the knowledge of medical, dentistry and nursing students.

OBJECTIVES: Interprofessional teamwork is best attained through education that promotes mutual trust and effective communication. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of interprofessional learning on knowledge about diabetes. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included students of medicine, dentistry and nursing at the Faculty of Medicine Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The students were randomly allocated into one of two groups. Group 1 attended an interprofessional course on diabetes while group 2 was divided into three subgroups and each of the subgroups attended an uniprofessional diabetes course. The measuring instrument used in the course in order to assess the participants' knowledge about diabetic care was a test containing multiple-choice questions about diabetes. The Interprofessional Questionnaire was used to explore the attitudes, views, values and beliefs of students regarding interprofessional education (IPE). RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in total score on the test was found between the groups at baseline, but at follow-up the difference was highly statistically significant (F=10.87; p=0.002). The students from Group 1 had better results (21.82 points), compared to Group 2 (18.77 points). The statistically significant difference was observed in mean values (t=-3.997; p=0.001), between Groups 1 and 2; the students from Group 1 obtained 20.42 points, which is considered to indicate a respectively positive self-assessment of communication and teamwork skills. However, Group 2 indicated a negative self-assessment of communication and teamwork skills. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that IPE activities may provide health profession students with valuable collaborative learning opportunities.

Surgical site infection surveillance in orthopedic patients in the Military Medical Academy, Belgrade.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Active surveillance is an important component of surgical site infection (SSI) reduction strategy. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare SSI surveillance data in orthopedic patients in the Military Medical Academy (MMA), Belgrade. METHODS: A 4-year prospective cohort study was performed to identify the incidence rate and risk factors for SSI in orthopedic patients in the MMA, Belgrade. We collected data regarding patients characteristics, health care and micro-organisms isolated in SSI. The National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) risk index was subsequently calculated for each patient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were used for the diagnosis of SSI. RESULTS: Assessment of 3,867 patients after different orthopedic operations revealed SSI in 109 patients. The overall incidence rate of SSI was 2.8% with the decrease from 4.6% in 2007 to 1.6% in 2010. Using NNIS risk index for surgical procedures there were: 53.7% (2,077) patients with risk 0--the incidence rate of 1.4%; 38.9% (1,506) patients with risk 1--the incidence rate of 3.1%; 7.3% (281) patients with risk 2--the incidence rate of 11.7%; 0.1% (3) patients with risk 3--without infection within the risk. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified 6 independent risk factors associated with SSI: contaninated or dirty wounds, smoking, preoperative infection, NNIS risk index, body mass index and the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: The results of our study are valuable confirmation of relations between risk factors and SSI in orthopedic patients. A decreasing incidence rate of SSI (from 4.6% to 1.6%) during a 4-year active surveillance approved its implementation as an important component of SSI reduction strategy.

Evaluation of the quality of life in adolescents with acne.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Acne is well recognized condition that adversely affects quality of life (QoL) of the patients. The aim of this study was to determine the self-reported prevalence of acne and its main characteristics in high school pupils, and to assess their QoL. METHODS: The cross-sectional study conducted in May 2011 comprised 440 pupils from Serbia (281 from Belgrade and 159 from Uzice). Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. Two questionnaires were administered: a short demographic questionnaire, and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). Internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha while item-total score correlations were assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: The majority of the study population (84.3%) were girls, and 15.7% were boys. The total mean age of the pupils was 16.48 +/- 0.55 years. A total of 228 (51.8%) pupils self-reported their acne with significantly higher prevalence in Uzice (73.6%) than in Belgrade (39.5%). The mean CDLQI score was 3.55 with the similar quality of life impairment in adolescents from the two cities. The mean Cronbach's alpha was 0.83. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the mean overall CDLQI score and CDLQI subscale scores that ranged from 0.401 to 0.841. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed that acne is associated with impairment in QoL that is in accordance with previous studies performed on teenagers. The CDLQI is a reliable and valid measure, and can be used as a practical tool for measuring the impact of acne on patients' QoL.

Prevalence and quality of life in high school pupils with acne in Serbia.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Acne is a common problem in adolescent children with considerable emotional and psychological effects. The aim of this study was to determine the self-reported prevalence of acne and to assess its impact on the quality of life in high school pupils in Serbia. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2011 in two medical high schools in Serbia. Only pupils who gave a written informed consent to participate in the study (n = 440) were asked to fill in two questionnaires: short demographic questionnaire and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), a disease-specific questionnaire measuring disability induced by acne. Internal consistency (tested by Cronbach's alpha) and item-total score correlations (Spearman's correlation analysis) were used for reliability analyses. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 440 pupils, 281 from Belgrade and 159 from Uzice. Among them 371 (84.3%) were girls and 69 (15.7%) boys, with similar sex distribution in Belgrade and Uzice. The total mean age of pupils was 16.48 years (SD = 0.55). Out of 440 pupils 228 (51.8%) self-reported their acne. The acne prevalence was significantly higher in pupils from Uzice (73.6%) than in those from Belgrade (39.6%). The overall mean CADI score for the whole sample was 2.87 +/- 2.74, with the similar quality of life impairment in adolescents from Belgrade and from Uzice. The mean Cronbach's alpha was 0.82. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the quality of life impairment due to acne is mild for the majority of the affected pupils. The Serbian version of the CADI is a reliable, valid, and valuable tool for assessing the impact of acne on the quality of life.

[Epidemiological characteristics of nosocomial diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile in a tertiary level hospital in Serbia].

INTRODUCTION: Among the most important causes of diarrhea in modern hospitals is Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). A wide spectrum of diseases caused by this bacterium is now known as C. difficile associated disease (CDAD). The development of CDAD is usually preceded by the administration of antimicrobial therapy and fecal-oral infections with C. difficile. Over the last years epidemiology of CDAD has significantly changed. Recently, a hypervirulent BI/NAP1/027 strain, the cause of severe epidemics in North America and Western Europe, has been identified. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for CDAD in patients operated on at the Military Medical Academy (MMA). METHODS: The study included all patients who underwent surgery at the MMA during 2010. Nested case-control study design was used. The subjects were divided into groups of operated patients with and without CDAD. The patients were under prospective follow-up, while their data were collected using a questionnaire during a routine epidemiological control. RESULTS: During 2010 the incidence rate of CDAD was 3.3 per 10,000 hospital days. Univariate regression analysis showed that the length of administration of one or two antibiotics, as well as concurrent administration of two antibiotics, were far more frequently observed in the patients with than in the patients without CDAD. Independent risk factor for the development of CDAD was the length of the administration of one antibiotic. CONCLUSION: Reduction in the incidence rate of CDAD can be achieved by using reliable measures of prevention and control; the rational use of antibiotics, early diagnosis and therapy of infected patients, contact isolation of infected persons, proper disinfection, and continued education of medical and nonmedical personnel.

Risk factors for hospital-acquired urinary tract infection: a case-control study.

The objective is to assess risk factors and microbiological aspects of hospital-acquired urinary tract infection (HAUTI) on six wards of a general regional hospital in Serbia. A case-control study was nested within prospective cohort HAUTIs study conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2007. Three controls were identified for each patient with HAUTI, being chronologically the next three patients surveyed who did not develop HAUTI. The patients and controls were matched by sex and age (±5 years). Assessment of 8,467 patients during the study period revealed HAUTI in 125 (116 symptomatic and 9 asymptomatic). The overall incidence rate of HAUTI was 14.8 cases/1,000 admissions. The mean age (range) of cases and controls was 64.9 (18-85) and 65.2 (17-86), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that duration of catheterization >5 days (OR = 51.91; 95% CI = 23.46-114.82) and the ASA score (OR = 13.42; 95% CI = 2.14-84.30) were independently associated with increased risk of HAUTIs. The most frequently isolated Gram-negative bacteria were Enterobacter, Klebsiella sp., Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli. Enterococcus sp. was the most frequent Gram-positive bacteria.