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BACKGROUND: There are controversies regarding the treatment of mild-to-moderate pancreatitis, especially when comparing the efficacy of nil per os regime versus the nasogastric feeding. While some sources suggest the benefits of the nasogastric feeding, there are meager data available toward the impact of the selected treatment vis-à-vis the length of hospital stay, and as of the final outcome. AIM: Authors collected data from two subgroups (treated with nil per os regime or nasogastric feeding, respectively) with the aim to define a safe and more efficacious regime. METHODS: This case series collection was carried out in the University Hospital Center in Tirana (UHC) at the Service of Gastroenterology. The period of the study was January 1, 2018–December 31, 2019. The patients were divided into two subgroups (the control group had a nil per os regime and patients in the intervention group received a nasogastric feeding) according to approved inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Twenty subjects were allocated to the control group and 21 subjects were allocated to the intervention group. The length of hospital stay in the control group was 10.2 days compared with 8.4 days in the intervention group (p < 0.05). The days’ average spent with pain was 4.5 in the control group and 3.14 in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Oral feeding begun approximately 5.45 days since the admission in the control group and 3.14 days in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Oral food intolerance occurred in 6 patients (30%) in the control group and in one patient in the intervention group (4.8%) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nasogastric feeding seems to have significant benefits in the treatment of mild to moderate acute pancreatitis, when compared with the nil per os regime. Nasogastric feeding reduces length of stay in hospital and improves early the clinical outcomes.

Albania is a small country on the Balkan Peninsula that recently implemented an innovative primary healthcare program called “Si Je?” (How are you?) which allowed all Albanians aged 40–65 years to receive a free, yearly basic health examination at their local health center. Access to basic primary care is a critical component of a nationwide culture of prevention particularly for the non-communicable diseases that comprise 89% of total deaths in the country. Yet, as in many middle-income countries, a culture of prevention in Albania is often secondary to ensuring basic health infrastructure and healthcare access for those critically in need. Using the social-ecological model as our conceptual framework, this paper provides new insights into the culture of prevention in Albania by analyzing the need for, and implementation of, the Si Je? program using (1) findings from a critical literature review, (2) quantitative data from the database created from this program, and (3) qualitative data from key informant interviews from 15 health center directors. Positive developments towards a culture of prevention include the fact that the Si Je? program has been expanded to those 35–70 years, strengthened links between community and primary care, and participation among rural communities who traditionally have limited primary care access. Challenges include continued urgent health infrastructure needs, politicization of the Si Je? effort, limited participation by some groups (particularly urban men), and regional variations. Despite challenges, Albania appears to be building new infrastructure for a sustainable culture of prevention, particularly around chronic disease.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide epidemic and a major public health problem and the mortality of diabetic patients is twice higher than that of with non-diabetic patients. The inhospital outcomes in diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are less known in Albania. Aim: To compare in-hospital outcomes of AMI in diabetic vs non-diabetic patients in Albania. Methods: A prospective, observational study. Patients with AMI between September 2012 and October 2014 were involved in the current study. Traditional risk factors for CAD, serum creatinine levels, and coronary angiographic results were recorded. In-hospital mortality of patients with and without DM was compared. P value of

Introduction: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in many developing and developed countries. An association between ABO blood groups (BGs) and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been known for many years, although there have not been enough surveys to prove it. However, it is not yet known how significant the association between the ABO BGs and CAD is in the clinical practice. Aim: The aim was to investigate a possible association of ABO (BGs) and CV risk factors among the patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Durres population. Materials and Methods: This transversal prospective study included 239 patients with AMI admitted to in the Cardiology Department, Regional Hospital of Durres, Albania between January 2012 and August 2013. In patients with AMI were collected data on risk factors such as smoking, age, gender, hypertension (HTN) and blood lipids, diabetes, obesity, family history and previous myocardial infarction(MI). Participants provided blood samples for cholesterol, glucose (fasting blood sugar) and BGs. Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms were obtained immediately after admission. The location and complication of AMI were assessed. Data was analyzed on SPSS version 16 and a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the present study of 239 patients, 32.6% (78) had BG O, 38,1% (91) had BG A, 17.2%(41) had BG B and 12.1%(29) had BG AB. Of the total of 239, 52,3% (125) were smoker, 66,9% (160) were hypertensive, 51.4% (123) were obese, 30.5% (73) had diabetes mellitus (DM), 71,1% (170) had high serum cholesterol level, 37.6% (90) had positive family history and mean age was 66.1 ΁ 21 years. In individuals the incidence of AMI was higher in those with BG A than in those with other BG P 0.001. AMI was less frequent in BG AB. The frequency of CV risk factors was similar in patients with different BGs. However, the patients with BG A had a higher incidence of high serum cholesterol level, diabetes and HTN than those with the other BGs but not a statistically significant difference P > 0.05. There were no significant differences between BGs in location of AMI. No significant differences were found between BGs and complications in acute myocardial infarction. Conclusions: Blood group A is related to the higher incidence of AMI, high serum cholesterol level, HTN and DM, while the results did not provide convincing evidence that any BGs were strongly associated with HTN, diabetes and location of MI. Association of ABO BGs distribution with CV risk factors, CAD and MI needs to be clarified with multicenter, prospective and large-scale studies.

The European Commission (EC) regulation no. 854/2004 requires a systematic monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in live bivalve molluscs, live echinoderms, live tunicates and live marine gastropods for human consumption through surveillance plans to be implemented in all European Union (EU) countries.A consortium of five Adriatic countries was set up in the framework of the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme (IPA Adriatic CBC) 2007- 2013 with the aim of collecting data and distribute information on harvesting and production in mollusc areas. A web-based geographical information system (GIS) application was developed to support the partners to manage data and to make these data available to final users, policy makers and to risk assessors. The GIS for the Strengthening of Centres for Aquaculture Production and Safety surveillance in the Adriatic countries (CAPS2) is divided into two levels, the national and the supranational one, and it distributes spatial and epidemiological information coming from various data acquisition and management sites. The great innovation is the possibility for each country to use online drawing, modifying and change of the geographic areas according to national surveillance needs. Currently it hosts data coming from about 230 production and relay areas with more than 29,478 laboratory tests performed on collected samples since August 2014. Data collected are used by each national competent authority to classify production or relay areas according to the EC regulation mentioned and to conduct risk assessment studies to evaluate the level of consumers’ exposure to contaminants in the consumption of bivalve mollusc products.

Background Inappropriate feeding practice increases risk of under nutrition, illness, and mortality among children less than 2 years of age. The study aims to assess how the socio demographic determinants affect the feeding practice (introduction of complementary food in age 6-8 months, minimum dietary diversity and intake of foods rich in iron) among young children aged 6–23 months in a periurban area of Tirana, Albania. Methods A community based cross sectional study was conducted, in …

Enteric protozoa are associated with diarrhoeal illnesses in humans, particularly in children, and represent a significant threat to public health that often was neglected. Several enteric protozoa cause severe morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals worldwide. Therefore, the study aims were to estimate the prevalence of enteric protozoa in children, comparison of the efficiency of microscopy and ELISA procedure in diagnose of protozoa, and in addition to shed light on risk behaviour for enteric protozoa. During September 2013-August 2014 we have examined 115 hospitalized patients in “Mother Theresa” hospital center in Tirana Albania, for Entamoeba histolytica; Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia. Two methods, classic microscopy and ELISA were used for examination of enteric parasites in our study. The average year was 6.66 and the minimum age was 3 months old and maximum 15 years old. Based to the data 53.04% were female and 46.95% male. The prevalence of E histolytica; C parvum and G lamblia resulted 4.34%, 2.6% and 12.17% respectively by microscopy. By ELISA method the prevalence resulted 7.82%, 4.34% and 20.87% respectively. Also about 18; 44; 44 samples respectively are considered as equivocal by ELISA test. This high result of equivocal test to patients maybe were as result of the cross reaction between protozoa parasites. Depended of the methods that we have used the male were the most contaminated sex. In our study ELISA methods resulted to be more sensitive compared to classic microscopic, but other tests like PCR-based tests need to be used for understanding the actual prevalence and epidemiology of these protozoan parasites.

Introduction: Maternal nutritional status of pre pregnancy and gestational weight gain affects the preterm birth. The association between maternal nutritional status of pre pregnancy and preterm birth appears to be complex and varied by studies from different countries, thus this association between the gestational weight gain and preterm birth is more consolidated. Objective: The study aims to determine any association between the pre pregnancy maternal nutritional status, gestational weight gain and the preterm birth rate in the Albanian context. Method and materials: In case control study, we analyzed women who have delivered in obstetric institutions in Tirana during the year 2012. Body mass index and gestational weight gain of 150 women who had a preterm delivery were compared with those of 150 matched control women who had a normal delivery regarding the gestation age. The self-reported pre pregnancy weight, height, gestational weight gain, age, education and parity are collected through a structured questioner. The body mass index and gestational weight gain are categorized based on the Institute of Medicine recommendation. The multiple logistic regression is used to measure the association between the nutritional status of pre pregnancy and gestational weight gain and the preterm birth rate. Results: The women which have a underweight status or obese of pre pregnancy are more likely to have a preterm birth compared to the women of a normal pre-pregnancy nutritional status (respectively OR =2.7 and 4.3 p

Various studies show that a low economic level of pregnant women is a risk factor for preterm birth. This can be explained by the fact that low economic level is associated with lack of access to health care, malnutrition, a low level of education and other factors that are so viciously related to the fact of lack of financial resources. Aim To identify the impact of the low economic …

Albania’s hydroelectric power system has many large dams of concrete and/or rock fill with central clay core. Albania also has about 600 dams which control the reservoirs of the irrigation system. It is now necessary to reassess the condition of the dams. Geophysical data are important in determining the stability of the materials and rocks.

Results of seismic and geoelectric tomography in two big dams of hydropower plants in Albania are presented in the paper.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) contamination of animal products, may pose a threat to human health. Among ruminants, sheep appear to be more resistant to PAs poisoning and consequently comparatively higher concentrations of the PAs into their milk might be expected. To investigate the PAs transfer into sheep's milk following multiple intakes, three lactating sheep were submitted to the administration of 14C-seneciphylline in daily amounts of 32.4 mg, for a 5 days period. The appearance of radioactivity, derived from this compound was monitored in blood and milk and was calculated as seneciphylline, Alkaloid levels in blood during the first hour following the first dose administration, were 167 ng/ml and reached a maximum of 518 ng/ml at the 5th day of multiple treatment, before falling below the detection limit at the second day of the post treatment period. The Milk levels were respectively 62.3 ng/ml at the 3rd hour following the first dose administration, reaching a maximum of 987 ng/ml at the 5th day and falling below the detection limit at the fourth day of the postreatment period. The Seneciphylline levels in liver at the end of the 5 d multiple administration period averaged at 85 ng/g corresponding to 0.22% of the daily intake.