ABSTRACT Introduction: Lung cancer is most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is disease with very low 5-year relative survival rate. For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, roles of current treatments are to prolong survival time and to improve quality of life. Aim: The aim of the work was to compare values of Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) before application of the chemotherapy medication with response to chemotherapy and toxic side effects associated with chemotherapy in patients treated with cisplatin-etopozid (PE) and cisplatin-gemcitabin (PG) in stages IIIb and IV of NSCLC. Testing role of Glasgow Prognostic Score as a possible predictor of response to therapy and toxic side effects of chemotherapeutic protocol was another aim of this work. Patients and methods: This prospective study included 60 patients in stages IIIb or IV of NSCLC, with ECOG ≤ 2. The patients were divided in two groups. First group contained 30 patients treated with chemotherapeutic protocol using cisplatin-etopozid (PE), and the same number of patients in the second group were treated with cisplatin-gemcitabin (PG). Results: Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) evaluation before the chemotherapy inclusion showed values of 1 (43.30:53.30), then 2 (40.00:36.70) and the lowest 0 (16.70:10.00) which supports the pathological values of GPS in developed lung cancer, i.e. most patients had pathological GPS value in both protocols (83.30:90.00). Monitoring of toxic side effects and response to chemotherapy was done after each cycle of treatment. Discussion: Results of this study revealed importance of GPS in selection of patients for treatment with chemotherapy. Patients with lower values of GPS treated using PE chemotherapeutic protocol had weaker response to therapy. Conclusion: Coefficient of correlation for therapy response in both chemotherapeutic protocol, compared with values of GPS before treatment, were not statistically significant, therefore GPS cannot be considered as a predictor of therapeutic on chemotherapy.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the incidence and clinical presentation of hypertensive crises in the Emergency medical services of the Community Health Centre “Dr. Mustafa Šehović” Tuzla in relation to age, sex, duration and severity of hypertension, as well as the prevalence of accompanying symptoms and clinical manifestations. Methods: The study was conducted between November 2009 and April 2010 and included 180 subjects of both sexes, aged 30-80 with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension. All subjects were divided into two groups: a control group, which consisted of subjects without hypertensive crisis (95 subjects) and an experimental group that consisted of subjects with hypertensive crisis (85 subjects). Results: The study results indicate that female subjects were significantly over- represented compared to men (60% vs. 40 %, p=0.007). The average age of the male subjects was 55.83±11.06 years, while the female subjects’ average age was 59.41±11.97 years. The incidence of hypertensive crisis was 47.22%, with hypertensive urgency significantly more represented than emergency (16.47% vs. 83.53%, p<0.0001). The majority of subjects in the experimental group (28.23%) belonged to the age group of 60-69 years of age: 26.76% urgency and 35.71% emergency. The most common accompanying symptoms in hypertensive subjects were headache (75%), chest pain (48.33%), vertigo (44.44%), shortness of breath (38.88%) and nausea (33.89%). The most common symptoms in subjects with hypertensive crisis were headache (74.11%), chest pain and shortness of breath (62.35%), vertigo (49.41%), and nausea and vomiting (41.17%). Conclusions: Chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting were significantly over-represented in subjects with hypertensive crisis (p<0.005). Clinical manifestations of hypertensive emergencies in almost all subjects included acute coronary syndrome, and only one subject had acute pulmonary edema.

ABSTRACT Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a frequency and clinical presentation of hypertension crises due to age, gender, duration and seriousness at Emergency Medical Service Department of the “Dr Mustafa Šehovic” Health Care Center Tuzla. Methods: The research was conducted in the period between November 2009 and April 2010 and involved 180 examinees of both genders, aging between 30 and 80 years of age with the diagnosis of arterial hypertension. The examinees were divided into two groups: control group consisting of examinees without hypertension crisis (95 examinees) and experimental group consisting of examinees with hypertensive crisis (85 examinees). Descriptive statistical methods were used in the statistical data processing. Results: The research results showed that there had been significantly more female examinees than the male ones (60% vs. 40%; p=0.007). The average age of male examinees was 55.83±11.06 years of age, and the average age of female examinees was 59.41±11.97 years of age. The hypertension crisis frequency was 47.22%, where the hypertensive urgencies were statistically significantly more present than the hypertensive emergencies (16.47%vs.83.53%; p<0.0001). The largest number of experimental group examinees (28.23%) belonged to the age group of 60 to 69 years of age; urgency 26.76% and emergency 35.71%. The largest number of examinees with hypertensive crisis (49.41%) appeared in the period between 6.00 p.m. and 11.59 p.m. The largest number of emergency group examinees (69.01%) had been treated for arterial hypertension for ten years, and the examinees from the emergency group (42.86%) had been treated for 10, 11 and 20 years. The average blood pressure value at the hypertensive crisis examinees was 204.82/126.58 mmHg. Conclusions: The frequency of hypertensive crises in the Emergency Medical Service Department is high and it reaches 47.22%. Hypertensive urgencies were significantly more present in terms of statistics than the hypertensive emergencies (83.53% vs. 16.47%; p<0.0001).

Background. Disorder of hemostasis in hemodialysis patients is focused in two directions, towards the development of thrombosis and bleeding. Both complications make it difficult to treat and are life-threatening for the patient.  Monitoring of hemostatic parameters, it is possible to detect the first changes in the coagulation system and correct the factors that lead to changes and thus prevent or stop the further development of complications. Aim. To determine the hemostatic and dialysis parameters and their influence on the occurrence and development of complications. Patients and methods. From a total of 175 patients, 46 had signs of hemorrhagic syndrome and 16 of them had thrombosis. Parameters of primary and secondary hemostasis were determined and vascular access of ultrasound was examined. Results. In the patients with thrombosis D-dimer level was significantly higher and amounted to 4.18 mg / l, while AT III levels were decreased for 54%. Elevated level of APTT was significant for the patients who had bleeding. In 86% of patients with thrombosis, ultrasound findings correlated with findings of D-dimer. Both complications were more pronounced in the older age group above 46 years. Conclusion. Hemorrhagic syndrome is a frequent complication of thrombosis. The level of D-dimer is directly correlated with ultrasound detection of thrombotic formation. Elevated levels of APTT was in direct correlation with bleeding. The development of complica-tions are affected by other factors, such as: age, access type, type of dialysis membrane, the blood flow. Frequent control of hemostatic parameters is essential for early detection of complications. In the event of changes in coagulation system, type and dose of anticoagulant should be corrected and introducing additional oral anticoagulants should be considered.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate serum concentration of alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT) in patients undergoing surgery of head and neck malignant tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty patients undergoing surgery because of head and neck tumors in the years 2007-2008 were analyzed. Serial determinations were performed in all patients in three times: preoperative day--A1AT1; first postoperative day--A1AT2, and thirtieth postoperative day--A1AT3. Concentrations of A1AT were determined by nephelometry method. RESULTS The patients' age varied from 39 to 86 years, 46 male and 4 females. Serum values of A1AT in patients with stage III and IV are statistically significant elevated after operation (and after one month), but in patients with lower stages (I and II) there were not. In patients with laryngeal malignancies recorded statistical significant elevation of serum values of A1AT postoperatively (and after one month). Other tumor locations did not recorded the same results. CONCLUSION The above results suggest that measurements of A1AT may have an ancillary role in the diagnosis and monitoring of head and neck tumors.

The aim of this study was to analyze (i) ratios between pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable angina pectoris (ii) as well as correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 in AMI and (iii) correlation between IL-6 and lipoproteins in AMI.The total of 71 patients were enrolled in this study, 41 of them with AMI (study group) and 30 with stable angina pectoris (control group). The concentrations of cytokines and lipoproteins were measured from blood samples. Pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios were calculated by dividing concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines with IL-10. In statistical analyses we used descriptive statistics, normality tests and analysis of correlation.IL-6: IL-10 ratio is significantly higher in AMI than in stable angina (P < 0,001), TNF-alpha: IL-10 is also higher in study group but the difference is not significant. We found positive linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 (r =0,43; p = 0,015) and negative linear correlation between IL-6 and high density lipoprotein HDL (r = -0,47; p= 0,008) in AMI.IL-6: IL-10 ratio is higher in AMI than in stable angina. There is linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 and IL-6 and HDL in AMI.

Introduction: Syndrome of difficulties in breathing has an important position in pathology of childhood. It is manifested as in diseases of respiratory tract so in series of diseases and pathological conditions linked to other organs and systems. Patients and Methods: Patient with difficulties in breathing develops clinical presentation of respiratory distress, which is characterized with many different clinical symptoms and signs. Acute respiratory failure with discrepancy between utility of oxygen and produces of carbon dioxide is the last point of respiratory distress, so the primary care of clinician is quickly recognition of abnormal blood gasses values. Early identification and appropriate treatment of incoming respiratory failure is essential for good prognosis and decreasing long term complications. The aim of this paper was to analyze retrospectively histories of diseases of children treated at the Department of Intensive care Pediatrics clinic in Tuzla and to establish type and frequency of diseases characterized with syndrome of difficult breathing, frequency of non-respiratory diseases in etiology of this syndrome, and to estimate correlation of clinical findings in admission with pulse oximetry and blood gases findings. Analysis was based on population of patients treated at the Department of Intensive care unit Pediatrics clinic in Tuzla with recorded, clinically manifested syndrome of difficult breathing. Patient selection was performed consecutively from January 1st till 31st December 2006. All selected patients were from Tuzla Canton. Source of data for this investigation was Admission protocol for Pediatric Clinics and Intensive care unit protocol and personal histories of children treated at the Intensive care unit of Pediatric Clinics January 1st till 31st December 2006. Method of work was retrospective study which analyzed anamnestic data, clinical and laboratory findings, therapeutical procedures and length of hospitalization at the Intensive care unit and outcome of the treatment. Results: The results of investigation demonstrated that in anlized period (from January 1st till 31st December 2006) in Pediatric Clinic, Tuzla a total number of 3932 children were treated, out of them 767 (19.5%) children were treated at the Department of Intensive care unit. Syndrome of difficulties in breathing was recorded in 608 patients (79.3%). The biggest number of children in this group were treated for syndrome of broncho-obstruction, total of 332 children (54.6%). Other large group was neurological disorders: convulsions and epilepsy, total number of 125 patients (20.6%). Out of total number of patients 11 (1.8%) suffered from complete failure of breathing and required mechanical ventilation support. Out of this number 10 of them were chronic ill patients. The most common causal factor for respiratory insufficiency in strict meaning of this word and endangering respiratory arrest was epileptic attack and recidivated pneumonia. Discussion: Clinical findings, pulse oximetry and blood gases analysis were in correlation and in favor of hypoxemic type of respiratory insufficiency. Results of gas analysis for group of neurological disorders and poisoning spoke in favor of acute hypercapnic respiratory insufficiency. Clinical parameters for dyspnea were absent and finding of pulse oximetry monitored isolated for these disorders demonstrated partly unreliable.