BACKGROUND/AIM Acne is well recognized condition that adversely affects quality of life (QoL) of the patients. The aim of this study was to determine the self-reported prevalence of acne and its main characteristics in high school pupils, and to assess their QoL. METHODS The cross-sectional study conducted in May 2011 comprised 440 pupils from Serbia (281 from Belgrade and 159 from Uzice). Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. Two questionnaires were administered: a short demographic questionnaire, and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). Internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha while item-total score correlations were assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS The majority of the study population (84.3%) were girls, and 15.7% were boys. The total mean age of the pupils was 16.48 +/- 0.55 years. A total of 228 (51.8%) pupils self-reported their acne with significantly higher prevalence in Uzice (73.6%) than in Belgrade (39.5%). The mean CDLQI score was 3.55 with the similar quality of life impairment in adolescents from the two cities. The mean Cronbach's alpha was 0.83. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the mean overall CDLQI score and CDLQI subscale scores that ranged from 0.401 to 0.841. CONCLUSION Our study confirmed that acne is associated with impairment in QoL that is in accordance with previous studies performed on teenagers. The CDLQI is a reliable and valid measure, and can be used as a practical tool for measuring the impact of acne on patients' QoL.

BACKGROUND/AIM Acne is a common problem in adolescent children with considerable emotional and psychological effects. The aim of this study was to determine the self-reported prevalence of acne and to assess its impact on the quality of life in high school pupils in Serbia. METHODS The cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2011 in two medical high schools in Serbia. Only pupils who gave a written informed consent to participate in the study (n = 440) were asked to fill in two questionnaires: short demographic questionnaire and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), a disease-specific questionnaire measuring disability induced by acne. Internal consistency (tested by Cronbach's alpha) and item-total score correlations (Spearman's correlation analysis) were used for reliability analyses. RESULTS The study population consisted of 440 pupils, 281 from Belgrade and 159 from Uzice. Among them 371 (84.3%) were girls and 69 (15.7%) boys, with similar sex distribution in Belgrade and Uzice. The total mean age of pupils was 16.48 years (SD = 0.55). Out of 440 pupils 228 (51.8%) self-reported their acne. The acne prevalence was significantly higher in pupils from Uzice (73.6%) than in those from Belgrade (39.6%). The overall mean CADI score for the whole sample was 2.87 +/- 2.74, with the similar quality of life impairment in adolescents from Belgrade and from Uzice. The mean Cronbach's alpha was 0.82. CONCLUSION This study shows that the quality of life impairment due to acne is mild for the majority of the affected pupils. The Serbian version of the CADI is a reliable, valid, and valuable tool for assessing the impact of acne on the quality of life.

INTRODUCTION Among the most important causes of diarrhea in modern hospitals is Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). A wide spectrum of diseases caused by this bacterium is now known as C. difficile associated disease (CDAD). The development of CDAD is usually preceded by the administration of antimicrobial therapy and fecal-oral infections with C. difficile. Over the last years epidemiology of CDAD has significantly changed. Recently, a hypervirulent BI/NAP1/027 strain, the cause of severe epidemics in North America and Western Europe, has been identified. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for CDAD in patients operated on at the Military Medical Academy (MMA). METHODS The study included all patients who underwent surgery at the MMA during 2010. Nested case-control study design was used. The subjects were divided into groups of operated patients with and without CDAD. The patients were under prospective follow-up, while their data were collected using a questionnaire during a routine epidemiological control. RESULTS During 2010 the incidence rate of CDAD was 3.3 per 10,000 hospital days. Univariate regression analysis showed that the length of administration of one or two antibiotics, as well as concurrent administration of two antibiotics, were far more frequently observed in the patients with than in the patients without CDAD. Independent risk factor for the development of CDAD was the length of the administration of one antibiotic. CONCLUSION Reduction in the incidence rate of CDAD can be achieved by using reliable measures of prevention and control; the rational use of antibiotics, early diagnosis and therapy of infected patients, contact isolation of infected persons, proper disinfection, and continued education of medical and nonmedical personnel.

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacterium which produces spores that can survive for a long time in the environment. The disease spectrum caused by Clostridium difficile ranges from diarrhea to toxic megacolon and collectively they are all called Clostridium difficileassociated disease (CDAD). Since 2000, this pathogen has demonstrated an increased propensity to cause more frequent and virulent illness that is often refractory to treatment. Clostridium difficile-associated disease is usually diagnosed following the demonstration of toxins A and/or B in stool samples. The most important risk factors are: age over 65 years, broad-spectrum antibiotics, severe underlying illness, nasogastric intubation, gastrointestinal surgery, and longer hospital stay. The measures of prevention and control of Clostridium difficile in the health care settings include the appropriate use of isolation precautions, hand hygiene, protective clothing, environmental cleaning and cleaning of medical equipment, good antibiotic stewardship, and specific measures during outbreaks.

<p><strong>Introduction. </strong>Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. WHO estimates that more than 2 billion persons have been infected with HBV (including 350 million chronically infected). The aim of this study was to investigate the students&rsquo; knowledge and attitudes about HBV infection at the Medical Faculty Foca. <strong>Methods.</strong> The study was conducted among 37 students of the third year, 22 of the fifth year and 18 of sixth year at the Medical Faculty in Foca from November to December 2007. The students were interviewed by the anonymous survey. <strong>Results.</strong> Most of the examined students (96.1%) know that hepatitis B virus can be passed through sexual contact. Only 17% of the students have been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The main reason for not getting vaccinated for 75.4% medical students was the unavailability of the vaccine. Almost all participants (92.2%) believe that all medical students should be vaccinated against hepatitis B. <strong>Conclusion.</strong> Our results suggest that the students&rsquo; knowledge about HBV infection is on average level. Only 17% of students have been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The main reason for that is the unavailability of the hepatitis B vaccine.</p>