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Objective: Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common problem in developing and developed countries. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in two major towns in Serbia, comprised 3225 subjects over 18 years old, enrolled in the survey consecutively by general practitioners (GPs) within their normal framework. Diagnosis of CVD was made by GPs on the basis of symptoms and visual examination. Data on potential risk factors were collected by the use of a questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of CVD was significantly higher in women (73.7%) than in men (70.1%), although severe forms of CVD were significantly more frequent in men. Risk factors for CVD were age, body mass index ≥25.00 kg/m², family history of CVD, history of blood clots in veins and ever-smoking in both sexes, and menopause, increased number of child births and physical inactivity in women. Conclusion: The results obtained suggest the possibility of CVD prevention by modification of some behavioural risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper is presented the first original document of the delivery of conjoined twins on the territory of the present-day Vojvodina. The document number 1224 consists of two handwritten quires. On the first page of the first quire are a description and a drawing of the delivered twins. The delivery was described and drawn by Dr. Ernest Furjaković, a shire physician in Ruma and the secondary physicus of the Srem County, who attended and handled the delivery. The conjoined twins were delivered in the night between 2 and 3 April 1852 in Mali Radinci, a small village in the Srem County nearby Ruma, in the far south of the Habsburg Monarchy. The twins, preserved in alcohol, were sent to Budapest to the professor of anatomy "for the purposes of medical science", as he wrote in the report. The second quire of the same document refers to the proof that the Commissariat in Ruma forwarded the doctor's report to the High Land Government in Timisoara. In the introduction, the authors displayed the known facts on the occurrence of conjoined twins in the world, which were used to compare with the described case. The data refer to the incidence of conjoined twins in the population, theory of its embryonic origin, their classification, treatment in cases of diagnosed pregnancy and the manner of their delivery. They also refer to the procedures of modern diagnostics, the possibilities of their surgical disjoin and related ethical questions. After that comes a part of the work dedicated to the analysis of the shown document, and the comparison of the several cases of the most significant conjoined twins in the world with these from Srem, as the authors named them. The authors showed short biography of the physician who delivered them, as well. At the end, they conclude that this work gives the first description of document of the delivery of the first known conjoined twins on the territory of the present-day Vojvodina.

Introduction: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is present in 10.6% patients after operative treatment for ovarian malignancy. We undertook the present study to find the risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) after surgical treatment for ovarian cancer and to clarify the prognostic value of D-dimer and a positive PTP test (Wells score) in these patients., Material and Methods: A total of 31 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed ovarian cancer after surgery, clinically suspicious for DVT were followed from January 2006 to December 2008. All patients were operatively treated at the Clinical Center of Serbia. Study variables included age, cardiovascular disease, FIGO stage, histology, BMI, presence of massive ascites and tumor size, D-dimer level and Wells score. All patients were postoperatively administered anticoagulant therapy., Results: DVT was found in nine of 31 patients (29.0%). High BMI and presence of massive ascites were significantly associated with DVT. D-dimer (DD) levels were high in 27 of out 31 patients (87.1%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 100, 18.2, 33.3 and 100%. Results of the PTP test (according to Wells score) was positive in 20 out of 31 patients (64.5%). PTP score was not significantly different in patients with or without VTE (p = 0.606). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 66.7, 36.4, 30.0 and 72.7%, respectively., Conclusion: Incidence of VTE after gynecological operations for ovarian cancer in our study was similar to other investigators. Obesity and the massive ascites are statistically significant risk factors. Measurement of DD level and ultrasonography could become the standard in predicting VTE in ovarian cancer surgery. The use of Wells score is not satisfying in these patients. Prediction of VTE after gynecological surgery needs further confirmation in randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in the urology wards as well as the SSI incidence in relation to the ASA score and surgical site contamination class., Materials and Methods: One-year prospective cohort study was conducted in the Urologic department, General hospital, Sabac. The patients were daily examined and their diagnoses were made according to the definition of hospital infections using concurrently the ASA score and surgical site contamination class., Results: Out of 241 operated patients, 32 patients were diagnosed with 33 SSI. The overall incidence rate of patients with SSI was 5.9% while incidence rate of SSI was 6.1%. There were not the differences in the incidence rates according to the ASA score of patients (p > 0.05). The incidence of SSI was 5.0% in the clan wounds, 11.2% in the clean-contaminated, and 20.7% in the contaminated wounds (Chi2 = 8.2 DF = 2 p < 0.016). The patients with SSIs were hospitalized approximately 2 times longer than the patients without SSI (t = -6.28; df = 239; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: This study suggests that it is necessary to maintain continuous surveillance of surgicical site infections and to implement the preventive measures, especially for clean and clean-contaminated surgery.

Introduction: At departments of urology, as well as other hospital departments, hospital infections represent an important problem. The objective of this work was to determine the frequency and the most common localizations of hospital infections at the Department of urology., Material and Methods: All the patients hospitalized for longer than 48 hours at the Department of Urology, General hospital, Sabac were included in a prospective study of incidence in the period of 12 months. The everyday epidemiological surveillance was carried out, as well as the inspection of the existing medical files. The diagnosis of hospital infections was made on the basis of known definitions., Results: Ninety-four out of 554 hospitalized patients included in the research had 122 hospital infections. One hospital infection was recorded in 64 of those included in the research, whereas two and three infections were recorded in 26 and 2 patients, respectively. The incidence rate of the patients with hospital infections was 17.3%, and the rate of the incidence of the infections 22.4%. The incidence rate by 1,000 patients-hospitalization days was 12.4. Out of the total number of infections, 69.7% were urinary tract infections, 27% surgical site infections and 3.3% sepses. The incidence rate of the patients with urinary infections was 14.7% and the incidence rate of urinary infections 15.6%. The rate of urinary infections in the patients with urinary catheter (19.6%) was significantly higher than in those patients without urinary catheter (p < 0.001). The rate of incidence of surgical site infections was 6.1% and the incidence rate of blood infections was 0.7%., Conclusion: The most common hospital infections in our work were urinary infections and surgical site infections. The rates recorded in our study are similar to those in the hospitals that have only started the surveillance of hospital infections.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to show the differences in the knowledge level about hospital infections between medical students having studied according to the old and new education programs., Material and Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Serbia. The anonymous self-administrated questionnaires were distributed to all third year students. In 2000, the students followed the "old" system of education, and in 2007 they followed the new curriculum according to the Bologna Process., Results: The questionnaires were answered and returned by 79.8% of students who had the "old" education program and by 71.9% of students having a "new" curriculum. The latter students knew more about the definition of hospital infections (p < 0.001), their reservoirs (p < 0.05), the importance of endogenous reservoirs (p < 0.001), etiology (p < 0.001), transmission (p < 0.001) and prevention (p < 0.001). A greater number of students studying according to the new program recognized that the contact was the most frequent mode of transmission (p < 0.001)., Discussion: The students with the new program of studies knew more about hospital infections. This difference may be attributed to the previous course in epidemiology and earlier clinical practice that covered these topics. Although all of the students stated they knew which mode of transmission was the most frequent, when asked in specific terms about the hand hygiene, the "new" curriculum students stated to have intermediate knowledge, and the "old" curriculum students showed a substantial lack of knowledge. It is important to increase their knowledge level and compliance with the hand hygiene., Conclusion: The knowledge about hospital infections seems to have been improved by theoretical and practical sessions during early clinical training by the Bologna curriculum.