Quantitative and qualitative evaluation tool in planning stroke treatment strategies: the "Safe implementation of treatments in stroke Monitoring Study (SITS MOST)" registry.

A decade ago, stroke was the first leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Croatia. Nowadays, we record reduction in stroke incidence, as well as stroke consequences-invalidity and mortality. These are due to long-term planned actions in the field of public health as well as actions performed by professional organizations. Today, we can be satisfied with improvement in that field, but there are still things we can improve, at the first place improvement of the emergency medicine network due to Croatian-specific topographical characteristics to reduce onset-to-door time. In this paper, we evaluated results from 11 Croatian hospitals in the period 11/2005-11/2012. To find out about the past and present state in applying thrombolytic therapy in Croatia and to plan further actions in light of new studies and efforts in Europe and in the world, all with the aim of improvement in stroke prevention and acute treatment resulting in reduction of stroke morbidity, mortality and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage as well as better functional outcome. Our results have shown that we improved stroke treatment in the last decade, but further actions should be performed to raise public stroke awareness and to improve emergency medicine network as well as in hospital protocols.

Comorbidity psychiatric disorders in epilepsy: a review of literature.

While reviewing the available literature, we noticed comorbidity of epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders were observed more frequently in patients with high seizure frequency. There is significant prevalence of epilepsy comorbidity with depression, anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent with bipolar disorders and other forms of psychosis. Suicidal risk factors, ideation and attempts in these patients as correlates of depression or as psychopathological features were associated to epileptic disease. This is confirmed by additional burden of epilepsy patients with psychic disorders (Ref. 70). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Suicide in the elderly 60 years of age and over in the south-east part of Serbia.

Some previous investigations indicated that economic crisis (inflation in Serbia 1993/94) have great influence on increasing suicide rates in Serbia. After that suicide decreased, despite the war and bombing in 1999, specially among the elderly people. A total of 453 suicides were registered on the territory of south-eastern Serbia during 1995-2001 years. Of them 295 (65.1%) were aged over 60 years. Generally linear trends of suicide among both genders from 1995 to 2001 decreased, but the slope of decreasing was grater among males than among females. The highest rates among the both genders were registered in the years with the maximum number of suicides, but the linear trends of rates have statistically important correlation with time (r>0.5). Average annual suicide rate among males was 42.5, and among women it was 18.7. The highest average annual suicide rate among men was observed in the age group 75 years and over (93.3), and the lowest in the age group 65-69 (20.6). Among males, in the all age group linear trends of suicide rates decreased, with the highest slope among 75 years and over and the lowest among 65-69 years. The highest suicide rate among females was registered in age group 75 years and over (25.6), the lowest in the age group 65-69 (13.5). The linear trends are similar as among males: downward trend was observed among all aged groups, with the highest slope among women 75 years and over. The most common way of suicide among men was hanging up (63%), poisoning and by firearms. There were no statistical differences between way of suicide and age groups. The most frequent way of suicide among females was hanging up (55%), poisoning (25%) and drowning (12%). There were statistically significant differences in drowning between age groups, 70-74 and 75 and over (p<0.05), and between poisoning and age groups 60-64 years and 75 years and over. Poisoning and drowning are statistically more frequent among women than among men.

[Development and organization of the Education Center at the Institute of Emergency Medical Services in Sarajevo]. / Razvoj i organizacija Edukacionog centra Zavoda za hitnu medicinsku pomoc Sarajevo.

This paper presents an experience of the Educational Centre of EMSC Sarajevo in the postgraduate training of the various profiles of medical personnel (medical doctors and medical technicians) that are employed in the emergency services of the pre-hospital and hospital type in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A period of the last four years (1996-2000) when the Educational Centre was restructured, becoming a one of the most active services in the medical sector of the EMSC Sarajevo has been emphasised in particular. Educational Centre of EMSC was participating in a number of international projects related to the education. Forty-five (45) courses of the various levels and with different programs: BLS, ALS, ACLS, ACLS-instructor course, ATLS, EMT-course, EMT-advanced, EMT-instructor and EMT-dispatcher course were carried out in the mentioned period. Seven thousand eight hundred and twelve (7812) hours of theoretical teaching and practical training were provided for the 570 candidates who successfully completed training in various programs. First aid training for civilian population was also conducted. Twenty one first.aid courses were carried out and successfully achieved by 324 candidates. On this way, 196 hours of theoretical teaching and practical training were realised. In order to make first aid training popular, 160 children from pre-school institutions (kindergartens) of Sarajevo Canton were also introduced to first aid principles. It has been pointed out that well equipped and trained team for the urgent medical intervention with a necessary team work is a crucial factor for the successful treatment of emergency that means a patient in life threatening situation.

Amperometric sensor for L-ascorbic acid determination based on MnO2 bulk modified screen printed electrode.

A simple biosensor constructed by bulk-modification of carbon ink with manganese dioxide as a mediator was investigated for its ability to serve as amperometric detector for L-ascorbic acid in hydrodynamic mode. The sensor could be operated at pH 5.0 (0.05 M phosphate buffer) and exhibited excellent reproducibility and stability. Optimization of measurement parameters such as applied working potential and pH value were studied in detail. The screen printed electrode exhibited a linear amperometric increase with the concentration of L-ascorbic acid from 50 mg L(-1) to 250 mg L(-1) and gave a (LOD = 3sigma) detection limit of 0.2 mg L(-1) (1.172 micromol L(-1)). The manganese dioxide modified screen printed electrode shows long term stability.