Background: Colonization is the presence of bacteria in the intestines, skin, nose, throat or anywhere in the human body without any signs of infection but with increased risk for spreading bacteria to other patients and the emergence of new infections. Screening of colonized patients is used as part of the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections caused by agents such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Material and methods: Data from 169 screened respondents hospitalized at the University Clinical Center Tuzla, between October 1, 2018, and May 1, 2019, were analyzed. Swabs were taken from nostrils, throat, axilla and groin area for all patients, and also from the anorectal area for 157 of them. Identification of MDR bacteria was done by phenotypical methods, according to the recommendations of EUCAST Clinical Breakpoint Table v.8.0, 2018. Results: Out of 169 patients, negative screening test results were found in 93 examinees (55.02%), and positive in 76 (44.97%). The largest number of patients undergoing screening was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (Surgical Block), 73/169 (43.19%). The average screening time was 2.2 days or 53 hours. In 18/76 (23.68%) of patients with positive screening, prior to screening regular microbiological testing was done, and in the remaining 58/76 (76.3%) screening was performed first. Analyzing respondents with positive screening, 27 (35.53%) had negative findings during regular microbiological testing of different biological samples and for 49 (64.47%) different/same strains of MDR bacteria were isolated.Conclusion: Knowing the phenotypic profile of bacteria colonizing patients in intensive care units is a very useful tool in preventing their spread intra- and inter-hospitals.

The study was designed to determine pre-, intra-and postoperative serum cortisol and prolactin (PRL) concentrations in patients subjected to low abdominal surgery under total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol-fentanyl, and under general balanced anesthesia with isoflurane-fentanyl. The prospective study included 50 patients of both sexes, aged between 35 and 60 years, subjected to elective low abdominal surgery. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group, consisting of 25 ASA I/II (American Society of Anesthesiologists I/II classification) patients treated under TIVA with propofol-fentanyl, and a control group consisting of 25 ASA I/II patients treated under balanced anesthesia with isoflurane-fentanyl. The length of the surgery and the degree of the surgical trauma did not differ significantly between the two anesthesia groups. Blood samples for cortisol and PRL measurements were drawn at exact time points: 30 minutes before the beginning of the surgery (T0), 30 minutes after the beginning of the surgery (T1), at the end of the surgery (T2), 2 hours after the surgery (T3), and 24 hours after the surgery (T4). Serum levels of cortisol and PRL were measured using commercially available kits. The results were evaluated with the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. The serum concentration of cortisol measured at T1 time point in patients treated under TIVA was significantly lower (p=0.04) than that in patients treated under general balanced anesthesia. The average circulating levels of PRL measured at T1, T2 and T3 time points in patients treated under TIVA were significantly lower (p=0.003; p=0.002; p<0.05; respectively) than those in patients treated under balanced anesthesia. The results obtained suggest that the endocrine stress response developed in response to surgery is probably attenuated in patients treated under TIVA with propofol-fentanyl and, thus, that these patients are less stressed in comparison to patients treated under general balanced anesthesia with isoflurane-fentanyl.

The goal of our research was to determine the presence of bacterial vaginosis in sexually active women in Tuzla Canton area. Diagnosis determination for bacterial vaginosis was conducted on the basis of three out of four internationally accepted criteria according to Amsel and isolation and identification of Gardnerella vaginalis (G. vaginalis) by standard microbiological procedures. Bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed in 20,5 % (41/200) women who asked for gynaecologist's help due to their personal discomfort, since significantly higher percentage of diagnosed bacterial vaginosis of 48,80% (41/84) was determined in women with personal discomfort typical for this disease. All relevant factors, according to available literature, for genesis of bacterial vaginosis were processed in this research. In respect to the obtained outputs, bacterial vaginosis is significantly more frequent occurrence in women who are not married, since the number of sexual partners, the time of the first sexual intercourse, the use of intrauterine contraceptive device and smoking do not cause the genesis of bacterial vaginosis. According to Nugent, an increased vaginal discharge with unpleasant odour after sexual discourse, its pH>4,5, a positive amino odour test, an occurrence of clue cells in a direct microscopic concoction of vaginal discharge and assessment of the state of vaginal flora for bacterial vaginosis are significantly more frequent occurrences in women with individual discomforts. It was proved that G. vaginalis is a dominant micro organism in 95% of women with clinical signs of vaginosis although it was isolated from vaginal discharge in 40 to 50% of healthy women. In our research, G. vaginalis was isolated in 63,41% of examined women with all signs of bacterial vaginosis, in 36,59% of examined women with one or more clinical signs of bacterial vaginosis and in 2,58% of examined women of control group without clinical signs.