Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Potentilla reptans L.

Potentilla species have been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of different ailment, disease or malady. Potentilla reptans (P. reptans) has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to test antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of P. reptans aerial part and rhizome. DPPH assay was used to measure antioxidant activity of aqueous plant extracts. Anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by experimental animal model of phenol-in-acetone induced mice ear edema. DPPH radical-scavenging activity of both tested extracts was concentration dependent with IC50 values 12.11 µg/mL (aerial part) and 2.57 µg/mL (rhizome). Maximum anti-inflammatory effect (61.37%) was observed after administration of 10 mg/ear of the rhizome extract and it was 89.24% of effect induced by dexamethasone as a standard. In conclusion, P. reptans rhizome aqueous extract possesses anti-inflammatory effect and higher antioxidant activity than aerial part.

Evaluation of quality of life in patients with schizophrenia: An inpatient social welfare institution-based cross-sectional study.

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness with a poor quality of life (QoL). The main aim of this study was to measure the QoL and factors that affect the QoL of patients with schizophrenia placed in a social welfare institution. This cross-sectional study included 287 patients with schizophrenia who were treated in a long-stay social care institution in which QoL was assessed using five different instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale, the EuroQoL Five-Dimension-Five-Level scale (including the visual analog scale), the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. To determine the impact of patients' characteristics on score values, multiple linear regression using backward elimination was employed. Due to non-normality in the distribution of the dependent variables, a Box-Cox power transformation was applied to each dependent variable prior to conducting multiple linear regression analysis. Results revealed that patients with schizophrenia have lower QoL. Our study revealed that age, level of education, type of accommodation, type of pavilion, age of onset of the disease, number of prescribed antipsychotics, number of psychiatric comorbidities, duration of therapy, and the number of daily doses of antipsychotics are dominant contributors to the QoL in patients with schizophrenia who were treated in social welfare institution.

Mirtazapine-induced Acute Pancreatitis in Patients With Depression: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Antidepressant-induced pancreatitis is a rare, albeit serious, adverse effect, with a frequency of occurrence that is not equally distributed among antidepressant drugs. The goal of this study was to investigate the association and causal relationship between mirtazapine treatment of patients with depression and pancreatitis. METHODS: The study was designed as a systematic review of the literature, accompanied by the description of a new case of mirtazapine-associated acute pancreatitis. RESULTS: Nine cases of mirtazapine-associated pancreatitis have been reported, involving 7 female patients and 2 male patients with a mean age of 46.4 years (range: 26 to 83 y of age). All of the patients were hospitalized, with an average length of stay of 16.2 days (range: 3 to 34 d). In 6 cases, "de-challenge" followed by improvement was reported. The patients for whom the outcome was reported (7 of 9) recovered completely. CONCLUSION: Although a rare adverse effect, mirtazapine-induced pancreatitis should be considered when patients taking mirtazapine report abdominal discomfort.

Pharmacoeconomic Aspects of Low Back Pain Treatment: Cost of Illness Study in the Republic of Serbia.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic diseases with disabilities have a huge pharmacoeconomic impact on the health budget, especially in countries with recent history of social and economic transition. The aim of this study was to identify total costs of treating patients with lumbar pain in medical facilities in the central part of the Republic of Serbia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was designed as a cost of illness study, using a bottom-up approach and it was conducted from a societal perspective. This study included 97 patients with lumbar syndrome who were treated in outpatient facilities in the Central part of Serbia. RESULTS: Total costs of treating lumbar pain were about €200.40 ± €86.65 per patient per year, where the largest volume of direct costs were costs due to visits to specialists in primary health care institutions (€9.39 ± €6.66). Total indirect costs were €182.00 ± €78.66. DISCUSSION: Our findings highlight the need to estimate the total costs of treating lumbar pain and evaluate the correlation between costs and other variables for larger population of these patients. CONCLUSION: This study distinguished two important pharmacoeconomic aspects of treating lumbar pain. Firstly, indirect costs represent major part of total costs of treating lumbar syndrome. Secondly, differences in valuing medical services between countries with recent history of social and economic transition and countries within European Union are one of crucial reasons for difference in total costs of treating low back pain among patients in neighboring regions.

Introdução: As doenças crónicas incapacitantes têm um grande impacto fármaco-económico no orçamento da saúde, especialmente em países com alterações recentes a nível dos aspetos sociais e económicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os custos do tratamento da dor lombar em unidades de saúde na região central da República da Sérvia. Material e Métodos: Este estudo foi realizado de forma a avaliar os custos da doença, com uma abordagem de baixo para cima e conduzido a partir de uma perspetiva social. O estudo incluiu 97 doentes com síndrome lombar tratados em ambulatório na região central da Sérvia. Resultados: O custo total do tratamento da dor lombar foi de €200.40 ± €86.65 por doente por ano, tendo os custos diretos de maior volume associados às consultas de especialidade em unidades de saúde de cuidados primários sido de €9,39 ± €6,66. O custo total indireto foi de €182,00 ± €78,66. Discussão: Do nosso estudo destaca-se a necessidade de estimar os custos totais do tratamento da dor lombar e de avaliar a correlação entre os custos e outras variáveis para maiores grupos de doentes. Conclusão: Este estudo faz a distinção entre dois importantes aspetos farmacoeconómicos no tratamento da dor lombar. Primeiro, os custos indiretos representam a maior parte dos custos totais no tratamento da síndrome lombar. Em segundo lugar, as diferenças na avaliação realizada nas unidades de saúde entre os países com alterações recente a nível dos aspetos sociais e económicos e os países da União Europeia são uma das principais razões para a diferença nos custos totais do tratamento da lombalgia entre doentes de regiões próximas.

Antimicrobial treatment of Kocuria kristinae invasive infections: Systematic review.

Objective of this systematic review was to establish whether and what invasive infections in humans were caused by Kocuria kristinae, and to evaluate outcomes of administered antibiotic treatment. MEDLINE, EBSCO, SCOPUS, SCINDEKS and GOOGLE SCHOLAR were systematically searched for primary case reports or case series describing invasive infections with K. kristinae. K. kristinae is a pathogen microorganism that could cause invasive infections of various tissues in patients of any age. Majority of the patients had K. kristinae isolated from blood. It was also found in peritoneal fluid, pus, sputum, synovial fluid, bile, fluid from abdominal abscess, throat swab, urine catheter tip and mid-stream urine. Antibiotic treatment was almost universally effective, with only one death reported. Susceptibility was highest to vancomycin, linezolid, rifampicin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, cefotaxime, ampicillin/sulbactam, minocycline and meropenem. Initial treatment of Kocuria kristinae infections should involve parenteral vancomycin in combination with some other antibiotic to which it is susceptible.

Antimicrobial treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia invasive infections: Systematic review.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this systematic review was to establish what invasive infections in humans are caused by S. maltophilia and to evaluate the optimal choice of antibiotics for their treatment. MEDLINE, EBSCO, SCOPUS, SCINDEKS and GOOGLE SCHOLAR were systematically searched for clinical trials, observational studies, case reports or case series describing invasive infections with S. maltophilia in patients of any age. S. maltophilia may cause invasive infections of various tissues in hospitalized patients. In the great majority of cases it was susceptible to co-trimoxazole, levofloxacin and ceftazidime. In about three fourths of the cases, the treatment was successful, while less than 20% of the patients died. S. maltophilia is increasingly associated with serious invasive infections in hospitalized patients and due to growing trend of resistance to almost all antibiotics requires a careful approach to patients who is harboring this bacterium.