Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a form of acute life threatening respiratory failure. In daily practice there is difficulty in diagnostic and therapeutic management of Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We observed delay in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with clinical signs for the presence of severe respiratory disorders. Finding timely evidence of the presence the clinical signs of threatening ARDS and underlying diseases like influenza A/H1N1 during prehospital period in early stage of disease it is possible introduce early adequate treatment: high flow oxygen, fluid replacement and pharmacological and antiviral therapy. This measure can reduce high mortality in patients who develop ARDS. It is important to improve diagnostic criteria for a precise definition of ARDS and transfer it in practice of emergency and family medicine, microbiology, intensive care units, hospital departments of infectious and respiratory diseases. In this article we underlined the key elements of the new definition of ARDS, diagnostic criteria and the importance of early diagnosis in prehospital period following clinical feature and course (a presence of severe dyspnea) by adding chest x-ray and laboratory investigations.

Goal: The goal of the research was to determine the efficacy of a fixed combination of tramadol and paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the treatment of pain of patients with the advanced stage of cancer. Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted at the Center for Palliative Care, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from January 1st to December 31st 2013. A total of 353 patients who were treated with a fixed combination of tramadol and acetaminophen (37.5 mg and 325 mg) at the initial dosage 3x1 tablet (112.5 mg tramadol and 975 mg acetaminophen) for pain intensity 4, up to 4x2 tablets (300 mg of tramadol and 2600 mg paracetamol) for pain intensity 7 and 8. If the patient during previous day has two or more pain episodes that required a “rescue dose” of tramadol, increased was the dose of fixed combination tramadol and acetaminophen to a maximum of 8 tablets daily (300 mg of tramadol and 2600 mg paracetamol). Statistical analysis was performed by biomedical software MedCalc for Windows version 9.4.2.0. The difference was considered significant for P<0.05. Results: The average duration of treatment with a fixed combination tramadol and acetaminophen was 57 days (13-330 days). Already after 24 hours of treatment the average pain score was significantly lower (p<0.0001) compared to the admission day [5.00 (4:00 to 8:00) during the first days versus 2.00 (1:00 to 7:00) during the second day of treatment]. The average dose of the fixed combination tramadol and acetaminophen tablets was 4.8 ± 1.8 (180 mg of tramadol and 1560 mg paracetamol). Side effects, in the treatment of pain with a fixed combination tramadol and acetaminophen, were found in 29.18% of patients, with a predominance of nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: Fixed combination of tramadol and acetaminophen can be used as an effective combination in the treatment of chronic cancer pain, with frequent dose evaluation and mild side effects.

Introduction: More than three decades after recognition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States, the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has dramatically changed the global burden of disease. Aim: The main goal of this research is retrospective analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 28 HIV infected patients, who were diagnosed and treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period from 1996 until the end of 2013. Subjects and Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed using the medical records of 28 HIV-infected persons. Two rapid tests were used for HIV testing: OraQuick Advance test, Vikia HIV1/2, Elisa combo test, HIV RNA test. AIDS disease was determined by using the criteria from WHO. Results: Among a total of 28 HIV-infected persons, 23 (82.14%) were males and 5 (17.86%) were females, with the male: female ratio of 4,6:1. In terms of the transmission route, a large proportion of cases were infected through heterosexual contact 19 (67.86%). At the time of the first visit, 16 (57.15%) patients showed asymptomatic HIV infection, 4 (14.28%) HIV infection with symptoms other than the AIDS defining diseases, and 8 (28.57) had AIDS. At the time of first hospital visit, the CD4 + cells count ranged from 40 to 1795/µl (conducted in 19 patients), and mean value of CD4 + cells was 365,31/µl, and mean HIV RNA titer was 287 118 copies/ml³. Of 28 HIV-infected persons 39 cases of opportunistic diseases developed in 12 patients (42.9%). In terms of the frequency of opportunistic diseases, tuberculosis (12 cases, 42.9%). Among a total of 28 HIV-infected patients, 6 (21.4%) of them died. Conclusion: This study characterizes the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV–infected patients in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accurately understand HIV infection/AIDS in our region, in the hope to contribute in the establishment of effective HIV guidelines in the Tuzla region of B&H in the future.

Introduction: The aortic valve replacement is a standard operating procedure in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Structure of patients undergoing surgery ranges from young population with isolated mitral valvular disease to the elderly population, which is in addition to the underlying disease additionally burdened with comorbidity. One of the most commonly present factors that further complicate the surgery is coronary heart disease that occurs in, almost, one third of patients with aortic stenosis. The aim is to compare the results of surgery for aortic valve replacement with or without coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Patients and Methods: From August 2008 to January 2013 in our center operated on 120 patients for aortic stenosis. Of this number, 75 were men and 45 women. The average age was 63.37 years (16-78). Isolated aortic valve replacement was performed in 89 patients and in 31 patients underwent aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery. Implanted 89 biological and 31 mechanical valves. Results: Patients with associated aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease were more expressed symptomatic symptoms preoperatively to patients with isolated aortic stenosis who were on average younger age. Intra-hospital morbidity and mortality was more pronounced in the group of patients with concomitant aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery. Morbidity was recorded in 17 patients (14.3%) in both groups, while the mortality rate in both groups was 12 patients (10.1%). Conclusion: Evaluation of preoperative risk factors and comorbidity in patients with aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease contributes to a significant reduction in intraoperative and postoperative complications. Also, early diagnosis of associated coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis contributes to timely decision for surgery thus avoiding subsequent ischaemic changes and myocardial damage.

Introduction: This study evaluated the frequency of domination of the coronary arteries types in patients treated by surgical myocardial revascularization. The aim of the study was to determine whether the left coronary circulation dominance is a prognostic factor for poorer outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Material and methods: A total sample consisted of 100 patients with coronary artery disease that were treated with coronary artery bypass grafting at the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. To all patients on the basis of preoperative coronary angiography was determined the dominance of the coronary arteries. Patients included in the study were divided into two groups, with the left and right with coronary dominance. Results: Left coronary dominance in a sample of patients was present in 21/100 (21%), right in 69/100 (69%) and balanced in 10/100 (10%) cases. Female gender was significantly more frequent in patients with left coronary dominance and proved to be a stronger predictor of poorer outcome, especially in combination with left main stenosis of the left coronary artery and left coronary dominance. Inability of revascularization of the r. interventricularis posterior (RIVP) was statistically significantly higher in case of left dominance 9/21 (42.9%), compared to the right 16/79 (20.3%), p=0.033. Lethal outcome was more common in case of left dominance in relation to the right (9.4% vs 0.9%). The incidence of surgical complications, respiratory, neurological and renal complications was not significantly different between groups, while the length of hospital stay was significantly higher in the group of patients with left dominance, p = 0.003. Conclusion: Left coronary dominance is an important risk factor for patients undergoing surgical myocardial revascularization.

BACKGROUND Infiltrating UC represents the second most common genitourinary malignancy. Advanced UC has a poor prognosis and new treatments are needed. Molecular profiling of UC might identify biomarkers associated with targeted therapies or chemotherapeutics, providing physicians with new treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five hundred thirty-seven cases of locally advanced or metastatic UC of the bladder, 74 nonbladder, and 55 nonurothelial bladder cancers were profiled using mutation analysis, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry assays for biomarkers predictive of therapy response. RESULTS Molecular profiling of UC showed high overexpression of topoisomerase 2α, common phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha and/or phosophatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) alterations in nonbladder (27%) and bladder UC (21%), and rare gene mutations across subtypes. Compared with nonbladder, bladder UC consistently exhibited more frequent abnormal protein expression, including HER2 (10% vs. 3%; P = .04), tyrosine protein c-Kit receptor kinases (11% vs. 5%), c-Met proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinases (25% vs. 8%), androgen receptor (16% vs. 6%), O(6)-methylguanine-methyltransferase (63% vs. 43%), ribonucleotide reductase M1 (32% vs. 11%), Serum protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) (69% vs. 33%), and topoisomerase 1 (63% vs. 39%). Bladder UC also exhibited increased amplification of HER2 (12% vs. 2%; P = .06). CONCLUSION Comprehensive molecular profiling of UC identified a large number of biomarkers aberrations that might direct treatment in conventional chemotherapies and targeted therapies, not currently recommended in this population. As a group, bladder UC exhibited higher levels of actionable biomarkers, suggesting that UC from different primary sites and non-UC are driven by different molecular pathways. These differences could have clinical implications resulting in different treatment regimens depending on the site of origin of UC.