Advances in medicine in recent decades are in significant correlation with the advances in the information technology. Modern information technologies (IT) have enabled faster, more reliable and comprehensive data collection. These technologies have started to create a large number of irrelevant information, which represents a limiting factor and a real growing gap, between the medical knowledge on one hand, and the ability of doctors to follow its growth on the other. Furthermore, in our environment, the term technology is generally reserved for its technical component. Education means, learning, teaching, or the process of acquiring skills or behavior modification through various exercises. Traditionally, medical education meant the oral, practical and more passive transferring of knowledge and skills from the educators to students and health professionals. For the clinical disciplines, of special importance are the principles, such as, “learning at bedside,” aided by the medical literature. In doing so, these techniques enable students to contact with their teachers, and to refer to the appropriate literature. The disadvantage of these educational methods is in the fact, that teachers often do not have enough time. Additionally they are not very convenient to the horizontal and vertical integration of teaching, create weak or almost no self education, as well as, low skill levels and poor integration of education with a real social environment. In this paper authors describe application of modern IT in medical education – their advantages and disadvantages comparing with traditional ways of education.

Ultrasound device, essentially, consists of a transducer, transmitter pulse generator, compensating amplifiers, the control unit for focusing, digital processors and systems for display. It is used in cases of: abdominal, cardiac, maternity, gynecological, urological and cerebrovascular examination, breast examination, and small pieces of tissue as well as in pediatric and operational review.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) defined as TB caused by strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. The aim of this paper was to describe the resistance patterns of MDR-TB in FB&H. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of the reported cases with MDR-TB in FB&H during ten years (2000-2009) notified through drug susceptibility testing (DST) in 5 laboratories according to the recommendation of the WHO and IUATLD in Europe. Results: Total cases with DST results: 1034 (never treated 913; previously treated 121) in 2000;1184 (1054;129) in 2001; 1036 (936;100) in 2002; 1042 (951;91) in 2003; 1125 (1048; 77) in 2004; 769 (692;77) in 2005; 908 (827;81) in 2006; 951 (847;104) in 2007; 518 (471;47) in 2008; 581 (529;52) in 2009. MDR-TB among never-treated cases: 1 (0.11%) in 2000; 2 (0.19%) in 2001; 4 (0.42%) in 2002; 1 (0.10%) in 2003; 4 (0.38%) in 2004; 4 (0.57%) in 2005; 2 (0.24%) in 2006; 7 (0.82%) in 2007; 3 (0.63%) in 2008; 0 (0.0%) in 2009. MDR-TB among previously-treated cases: 2 (1.65%) in 2000; 7 (5.42%) in 2001; 9 (9.0%) in 2002; 1 (1.09%) in 2003; 6 (7.79%) in 2004; 5 (6.49%) in 2005; 3 (3.70%) in 2006; 10 (9.61%) in 2007; 9 (19.14%) in 2008; 1 (1.92%) in 2009. Conclusion: Data from FB&H show relatively low prevalences of MDR-TB during ten years.The prevalence of MDR-TB remains low at 0.57% - 0.82% among newly detected cases and 9.61% - 19.14% among previously detected cases.Recent data also indicate a further desrease in MDR-TB. This decrease may likely be the result of well implemented DOTS.Establishing reference laboratory facilities with adequate capacity to supervise DST and surveillance activities in the country is a critical step in MDR-TB control and care.

Background: The association of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is very common. Aims and objectives: To find out whether there is difference in presentation of radiological images of PTB in diabetic patients comparing to non-diabetic patients affected by PTB. Methods: We screened 97 diabetic patients with established diagnosis of PTB and 97 patients affected by PTB without diabetes mellitus. Chest radiography of both groups were reviewed and compared in the time of establishing PTB diagnosis. Then a partial tuberculous (TB) infiltrate regression on chest radiography after the antituberculous treatment initiation, defined as obvious reducing of infiltrate size, was observed. The time of radiological regression was estimated as the number of days needed for partial radiological regression. Results: On the chest radiography upper lung lobe is involved by TB lesions in 42.2% diabetic and 62.5% non-diabetic patients (p<0.01); lower lung lobe in 14.5% diabetic, and in 4.5% non-diabetic patients (p<0.05). Chest radiography TB infiltrate regression is achieved in 98.9% TB patients without DM compared to diabetic patients (87.5%) (p<0.05). The difference in the average number of days needed for partial radiological regression after the onset of antituberculous treatment is statistically high significant (p<0.001) between two examined groups (57.75 days in diabetic patients and 33.68 days in non-diabetic group). Conclusions: PTB in diabetic patients is more likely to present with atypical radiological images and radiological TB infiltrate regression is prolonged in diabetic patients.

Aim: To study correlation of IgE level and C-reactive protein (CRP) for exacerbation of the disease in asthmatic patients. Methods: Asthmatic subject were examined for achieving of asthma control according to GINA recommendation. Numbers of exacerbation of asthma during one month were analyzed. The patients were followed in six month period (since first January to 30th of Jun. Average monthly days of exacerbations was calculated. IgE level in the blood was measured using Enzyme-linked Immunoassay (ELISA), and CRP was measured by immunotubidimetry. Assessment of asthma control was considered using Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Results: The study includes 63 patients with asthma. Average level of IgE was 674 IU/mL (SD 167), range 56-3785 IU/mL, 1 IU=3,2 ng; average level of CRP was 16,4 mg/mL (SD 6,3), range 5-48; Average number of days in exacerbation during one month was 3,6 (SD 2,4), and varied from zero, patients with no exacerbation, to 21. Using test of multiple correlation it was shown statistical significant correlation (level p<0,05) between IgE and CRP from one side, and number of days with exacerbation from the other. Patients with higher level of CRP were most likely to have exacerbation, than those with higher level of IgE. AQLQ was worse in those with higher level of CRP, than in those with higher level of IgE. Conclusion: In this study CRP was shown as stronger predictor of asthma exacerbation and worse quality of life than total IgE level in asthmatic subjects.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common form of localized, nonscarring hair loss. It is characterized by the loss of hair in patches, total loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis, AT), or total loss of body hair (alopecia universalis, AU). The cause of AA is unknown, although most evidence supports the hypothesis that AA is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the hair follicle and that cytokines play an important role. Aims: The aim of the study was to compare the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in patients with AA and the healthy subjects and also to investigate the difference between the localized form of the disease with the extensive forms like AT and AU. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with AA and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Forty-six patients had localized AA (LAA), and 14 patients had AT, AU, or AT/AU. The serum levels of TNF-α were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassay techniques. Results: Serum levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in AA patients than in controls (10.31 ± 1.20 pg ml vs 9.59 ± 0.75 pg/ml, respectively). There was no significant difference in serum levels of TNF-α between patients with LAA and those with extensive forms of the disease. Conclusion: Our findings support the evidence that elevation of serum TNF-α is associated with AA. The exact role of serum TNF-α in AA should be additionally investigated in future studies.