A feasibility study of realtime telemedicine in Croatia using Internet videoconferencing.

We explored the feasibility of realtime telemedicine in Croatia using Internet videoconferencing. A 33 kbit/s link was established between a team of specialists in the General Hospital 'Sveti Duh' in Zagreb and a general practitioner's clinic in Selca, on the island of Brac. During a two-week study, 16 patients (median age 51 years) were studied. Twenty-one teleconsultations (seven initial and 14 follow-up visits) were conducted, 13 with a specialist in internal medicine, six with a surgeon and two with a neurologist. In 18 cases (86%) telemedicine successfully replaced hands-on examination. The mean duration of the teleconsultations was 7.2 min (initial visits 7.4 min, follow-up visits 7.1 min). Each computer system cost about US$700. The total connection cost for the study was US$4.95. The teleconsultations saved the patients US$272 in travel costs. We suggest forming a permanent on-line specialist service connected to networked clinics via the Internet to improve access to health-care in Croatia.

Characterization and partial purification of the Croatian national standard Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen extract.

Lyophilized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) allergen extract (AE) and partially purified Der p extract (PAE) were prepared and characterized. Partial purification of AE was performed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and Sephacryl S-300. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) disclosed the same precipitating lines in AE and PAE preparations. The relative potencies of AE and PAE were determined and compared with the WHO International Standard for Der p by the RAST inhibition method. The potencies were 6.5 x 10(5) IU and 1.5 x 10(6) IU, respectively. Biologic standardization by quantitative skin testing was performed with AE (20 selected patients) and PAE (12 patients). Median Ch was calculated by linear regression analysis (log-log model). One ampoule of AE contained 65,300 BU and 1 ml (vial) of PAE contained 166,000 BU. Der p AE could serve as a croatian national standard for further production of Der p allergenic extracts.

[Procollagen type 111 peptide levels in patients with bronchial asthma and COPD]. / Koncentracija prokolagen 111 peptida u bolesnika s bronhalnom astmom i KOPB.

The aim of these study was to evaluate if the inflammatory injury of parenchymal cells can lead to proliferation of fibroblasts and deposition of increased amounts of collagen, measured by the increased concentration of procollagen in blood, in patients with asthma and COPD. We evaluated 22 patients with asthma that has lasted more than 5 years, 18 patients with COPD and 20 healthy subjects. RIA-gnost method (Behring) was used to measure the procollagen peptide concentrations in blood. Our results showed that the concentration of procollagen peptide in blood samples from patients with asthma was 5.8 +/- 2.4, 4.9 +/- 1.8 in patients with COPD and 11.1 +/- 3.6 in healthy subjects. There was no significant difference between patients with asthma, COPD and healthy subjects (p less than 0.01). It can be concluded that there is no increased deposition of collagen in patients with long lasting asthma and COPD. Further studies of active collagen deposition in the early acute forms of these diseases are in progress.