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Diabetes and its complications causes up to 9% of total mortality worldwide. Peripheral arterial disease is, in addition to cardiovascular diseases, the most common complication of diabetes with a prevalence that increases with age and the duration of diabetes. The specificity of peripheral artery disease in diabetics is the diffuse involvement of the arterial system, especially the popliteal arteries. Consequently, diabetes is still the main cause of small and large limb amputations, which, in addition to a reduction in the quality of life, significantly affects the survival of patients. Since the developed of atherosclerotic disease involves a number of complications from the professional domain of various subspecialties, such as diabetic foot, it is necessary to organize multidisciplinary teams for the diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. For this purpose, the General Hospital “Dr. Josip Benčević” in Slavonski Brod organized a multidisciplinary team with the goal of early recognition of peripheral artery disease and application of timely treatment. Experience from everyday clinical practice indicates that proper functioning of the team requires an accurate diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm to avoid long waiting lists for imaging, which includes Color Doppler and multislice computed tomography. The diagnostic algorithm was based on the ankle-brachial index, and its value and clinical picture guided and determined the degree of urgency and the type of image processing. By integrating the algorithm into the online database registry, we were able to more easily monitor the incidence rate, treatment success, and dependence on the entered variables. We hope that this approach will result in earlier detection of symptomatic disease and thus a significant reduction in lower limb amputations and, ultimately, mortality., Šećerna bolest sa svojim komplikacijama uzrokuje 9 % ukupne smrtnosti diljem svijeta. Periferna arterijska bolest, uz kardiovaskularne bolesti, najčešća je komplikacija šećerne bolesti, čija prevalencija raste s dobi i duljinom trajanja dijabetesa. Specifičnost periferne arterijske bolesti u dijabetičara jest difuzno zahvaćanje arterijskog sustava, poglavito potkoljeničnih arterija. Posljedično tomu, dijabetes je i dalje glavni uzrok malih i velikih amputacija ekstremiteta, što, uz smanjenje kvalitete života, znatno utječe i na preživljenje bolesnika. Budući da razvijena aterosklerotska bolest uključuje niz komplikacija iz stručne domene različitih užih specijalnosti, poput dijabetičkog stopala, u dijagnostici i liječenju nužno je organizirati multidisciplinarne timove. U tu svrhu u Općoj bolnici „Dr. Josip Benčević“ u Slavonskom Brodu organiziran je multidisciplinarni tim sa svrhom ranog prepoznavanja periferne arterijske bolesti te pravodobnog liječenja. Dosadašnje iskustvo iz svakodnevne kliničke prakse pokazuje da je za pravilno funkcioniranje tima nužno imati precizan dijagnostičko-terapijski algoritam kako bi se izbjegle duge liste čekanja za slikovnu obradu koja uključuje dupleks ultrazvuk i višeslojnu kompjutoriziranu tomografiju. Dijagnostički algoritam temeljio se na vrijednostima gležanjskog indeksa, a njegova vrijednost i klinička slika usmjeruju i određuju stupanj hitnosti i tip slikovne obrade. Integriranjem algoritma u on-line registar baze podataka dobili smo mogućnost lakšeg praćenja stope učestalosti, uspješnosti liječenja i ovisnosti o unesenim varijablama. Nadamo se da će takav način rada rezultirati ranijim otkrivanjem simptomatske bolesti, a time i znatnim smanjenjem amputacija donjih ekstremiteta te naposljetku i smrtnosti.

Aim: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a transient dysfunction of the heart muscle that occurs in response to a stressful event. A working diagnosis is mostly made for acute ischemic heart disease due to similar clinical presentation and differential diagnostic doubts. Although it is a reversible disorder of cardiac contractility, mortality rate is similar to that of an acute coronary syndrome due to the development of complications. We report the case of a patient with chronic kidney disease and the consequent development of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a possible pathophysiological link that has not been reported in the significant number in literature so far. Case report: An 83-year-old patient on a chronic hemodialysis program, due to the development of anginal symptoms specific for the acute coronary syndrome and with a significant increase in cardiospecific enzymes, was transferred to the Coronary care unit for the necessary invasive cardiac treatment. Echocardiographic and coronarographic findings confirmed the diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which was the first case in a patient on chronic hemodialysis program in our institution. Conslusions: According to available data, about 30 cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy have been reported so far, indicating that transient myocardial dysfunction is a rare cardiomyopathy in patients with chronic kidney disease. A small number of literature-recorded cases do not support the similar pathophysiological basis of increased sympathetic activity present in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney disease., Sažetak. Cilj: Takotsubo kardiomiopatija prolazna je disfunkcija srčanog mišića koja nastaje kao odgovor organizma na stresorni događaj. Radna se dijagnoza većinom postavlja za akutnu ishemijsku bolest srca radi slične kliničke prezentacije i diferencijalnih dijagnostičkih dvojbi. Iako se radi o reverzibilnom poremećaju srčane kontraktilnosti, smrtnost je slična akutnom koronarnom sindromu uslijed razvoja komplikacija. Izvještavamo slučaj pacijentice s kroničnom bubrežnom bolesti i posljedičnim razvojem Takotsubo kardiomiopatije, moguće patofiziološke poveznice koja do sada literaturno nije zabilježena u značajnom broju. Prikaz slučaja: 83-godišnja pacijentica na programu kronične hemodijalize, uslijed razvoja anginoznih tegoba specifičnih za akutni koronarni sindrom te uz značajan porast kardiospecifičnih enzima, premještena je u koronarnu jedinicu radi potrebne invazivne kardiološke obrade. Ehokardiografski i koronarografski nalaz potvrdio je dijagnozu Takotsubo kardiomiopatije, što je ujedno prvi zabilježen slučaj u pacijenta na programu kronične hemodijalize u našoj ustanovi. Zaključci: Prema dostupnim podatcima, do sada je zabilježeno oko 30 slučajeva Takotsubo kardiomiopatije kod bubrežnih bolesnika, što pokazuje da je prolazna disfunkcija miokarda rijetka kardiomiopatija u pacijenata s kroničnom bubrežnom bolesti. Mali broj literaturno zabilježenih slučajeva ne ide u prilog sličnoj patofiziološkoj osnovi povećane simpatičke aktivnosti prisutne kod Takotsubo kardiomiopatije i kronične bubrežne bolesti.

Razvoj Koronarne jedinice u Slavonskom Brodu bilježi se od 1960. godine. Sve do tada, bolesnici s prepoznatim stenokardijama strogo su mirovali na odjelu pet do šest tjedana i tek tada bili upućivani na daljnju dijagnostiku u bolničke centre u Zagrebu, kako bi im se obradom dijagnosticirala postojeća koronarna bolest srca. Tadašnjim nastojanjima prema poboljšanju kvalitete liječenja i razvoja dijagnostičkih i terapijskih mogućnosti, sedamdesetih godina Koronarna jedinica dobiva novi prostor i osoblje posebno educirano za liječenje koronarnih bolesnika. Tijekom Domovinskog rata Koronarna se jedinica privremeno premješta na sjevernu stranu Internog odjela kako bi se zaštitila od ratnih stradanja. Početkom 2002. godine, izgradnjom nove interpolacije u staru zgradu bolnice, Odjel kardiologije dobiva novu koronarnu jedinicu sa sedam bolesničkih kreveta, opremljenu centralnim monitoringom i potrebnom aparaturom za intenzivno liječenje. Povećan je i broj medicinskog osoblja educiranog za provođenje intenzivne njege. Zamahu u liječenju doprinosi uvođenje interventne kardiologije koja poboljšava kvalitetu liječenja, smanjuje morbiditet i duljinu boravka u bolnici. Otvaranjem jedinice za aritmologiju, zatvara se ciklus svih interventnih kardioloških metoda koje se trenutačno primjenjuju u Republici Hrvatskoj, a posebno u bolnicama ovog ranga., The development of the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in Slavonski Brod started in 1960. Until then, patients diagnosed with stenocardia would be prescribed strict bed rest at the department over five to six weeks and would then be sent for further diagnostic processing to hospital centers in Zagreb in order to diagnose their existing coronary artery disease. Due to the efforts to improve quality of treatment and the development of diagnostic and treatment options, in the 1970s the CCU received a new space and staff that was specially educated for the treatment of coronary patients. During the Homeland War, the CCU was temporarily transferred to the north side of the Internal Medicine Department to protect it from the ravages of war. At the start of 2002, the construction of an addition to the old hospital building provided the Cardiology Department with a new CCU with seven hospital beds and equipped with central monitoring and the necessary medical devices for intensive treatment. The number of medical staff educated in administering intensive care was also increased. Treatment quality was also improved by the introduction of interventional cardiology that improved the quality of treatment and reduced morbidity and hospitalization. The opening of the arrhythmology unit completed the cycle of introducing all the interventional cardiology methods currently applied in the Republic of Croatia, especially in hospitals of this level of quality.

Sažetak Background: Provisional stenting is a favorable option for most bifurcation lesions, while two stent techniques show benefits in true bifurcation performed by experts. Using one stent and DCB in true bifurcation lesions still remains questionable.1, 2 Case report: 76-year-old male presented with persisting chest pain. ECG showed no specific ischemic changes, while hsTnI was highly elevated. He had gone PCI LAD 14 years ago. Diagnosis: right coronary angiography revealed occlusion of RCA, while left coronary angiography revealed LLS of 20% in proximal LAD stent, 70% stenosis of mid LAD, and acute occlusion of secondary OM branch on bifurcation level, while CxA was stenosed 70-80%. Management: PCI CxA-OM2 was performed with DES Xience expedition 2, 75/33mm in CxA-OM2 with POT 3, 25/12mm proximally, then after rewiring and adequate lesion preparation a DEB Sequent please 2, 5/25mm in CxA distally was performed. After two months we performed an elective PCI LAD and checked out the result of CxA bifurcation which was optimal. Conclusion: Using one stent and DCB in true bifurcation lesions still remains questionable. There are no data from a prospective study, while there are data from the observational study which enrolled 130 patients. DCB-only strategy was performed in 54% patients, 34.6% had at least one stent in the main branch, 8.5% had at least one stent in the side branch and 3.1% at least one stent in the main branch and side branch. Study follow up lasted for 9.8 months. The TLR rate was 4.5%, MACE was 6.1%, and no stent thrombosis was detected. This study suggested that the DCB+one stent, and DCB-only strategy was safe and effective in selected bifurcations, possibly allowing for an abbreviated antiplatelet regimen.

Introduction: There are limited study data available of the effects of peripheral artery disease (PAD) on patients undergoing chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). According to the PROGRESS-CTO Registry results patients with PAD undergoing CTO PCI have more comorbidities, more complex lesions and lower procedural success.1-3 We present the case of successful opening in stent CTO lesion of right coronary artery (RCA) in patient with PAD. Case report: 59-year-old man with a known history of a coronary vessel disease and PAD presented to our department due to frequent episodes of chest pain under minimal exercise and claudication and pain in the buttocks. The coronary angiography showed unchanged exam in left coronary basin. The RCA was completely occluded in segment two right in the area of the stent that was implanted eight years before. We found collaterals from the left coronary artery system and signs of calcification and autocollaterals for the distal segment of RCA, so the diagnostically criteria of a CTO were fulfilled. Because of the present symptoms of the patient and evidence for vital myocardium by echocardiography and myocardial scintigraphy revascularization of the CTO was performed. An AL 0.75 6F guidance catheter was used and the standard antegrade wire escalation technique attempted. A Turnpike Spiral catheter was inserted with the help of a ASAHI Fielder XT-A wire which was exchanged to an ASAHI Gaia Second which allowed the successful recanalization. Balloon angioplasty was performed with Abbot Traveler 1.5/15mm, Medtronic Euphora 2.57/15mm. Two sirolimus eluting stents (Terumo Ultimaster 3.0/38 mm and Ultimaster 3.0/30 mm) were successfully implanted with very good angiographic result. Three months later, chronic total occlusion of the left external iliac artery was treated successfully by percutaneous intervention and control coronary angiography showed unchanged exam in RCA. Conclusion: Our experience in this case demonstrates the feasibility of recanalization of an in-stent CTO in the patient with PAD and three months follow up showed improved of angina and quality of life. There is a definite and strong correlation between PAD and CAD. A concurrent PAD diagnosis is associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes following CTO PCI which requires additional monitoring.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine serum concentration of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to assess the prognostic role of serum vitamin D level in ACS patients during 3-year follow up. Methods: The study included 60 ACS patients hospitalized at cardiology department for ACS between March 2012 and October 2012, and 60 age- and sex-matched control patients without ACS. Standard laboratory testing and vitamin D determination were performed in all study patients. In addition, ACS patients underwent coronarography and were followed-up for 36 months of ACS for major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results: Patients with ACS had a statistically significantly lower mean 25(OH)D level as compared with control group (35.19 nmol/L vs. 58.08 nmol/L, p < 0.001). The lowest mean level of 25(OH)D was recorded in diabetic patients with ACS (30.45 nmol/L). ACS patients were divided into three subgroups according to coronarography findings: single vessel, double vessel and triple vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) with respective serum levels of 25(OH)D of 36.44 nmol/L, 33.65 nmol/L and 31.70 nmol/L. During 36-month follow up, the event-free survival rate was 60% in the ACS group. The ACS patients having sustained MACE during follow up had low serum level of 25(OH)D in the acute phase; however, the difference from ACS patients without MACE during follow up did not reach statistical significance (32.64 nmol/L vs. 37.01 nmol/L). Conclusions: Patients with ACS have low vitamin D level, which is lowest in diabetic patients with ACS. However, during 3-year follow up, vitamin D failed to prove useful as a prognostic biomarker in ACS patients.

The aim of the study was to determine whether serum vitamin D level is lower in female patients with glaucoma as compared with control group. The mechanism by which vitamin D reduces intraocular pressure is not fully clarified. Almost all tissues possess vitamin D receptor (VDR). The mice lacking VDR (VDR knockout mice) have greatly contributed to the understanding of the general vitamin D physiologic function. VDR has been found in some ganglion layer cells, external and internal nuclear layers of retina, and in retinal pigment epithelium, while VDR epitopes have also been found in the ciliary body epithelium, pointing to the role of this protein in eye physiology. The 1,25(OH)2D3 modulates expression of the genes involved in the regulation of intraocular pressure in non-human primates. Extracellular matrix can be remodeled by 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Actin disruption can lead to cell morphology alteration, trabecular meshwork relaxation and intraocular pressure reduction. This observational cross-sectional study included 90 female glaucoma subjects aged 45-55 and 50 glaucoma free female subjects as control group. Results of a pilot study conducted in 20 glaucoma subjects and 20 control subjects are presented below. All study subjects underwent history taking, complete ophthalmologic examination and serum vitamin D determination. The mean serum vitamin D level was 32.31 nmol/L in glaucoma patients and 64.17 nmol/L in control subjects. Serum vitamin D level was statistically significantly lower in glaucoma patients as compared with control group (p, Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi je li kod ispitanica oboljelih od glaukoma snižena serumska koncentracija vitamina D u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Mehanizam kojim vitamin D snižava očni tlak nije jasno poznat. Gotovo sva tkiva posjeduju receptor za vitamin D (VDR). Velik doprinos razumijevanju globalne fiziološke funkcije vitamina D dobiven je od miša kojemu nedostaje VDR (engl. knockout mice for VDR). VDR je pronađen u nekim stanicama ganglijskog sloja, u vanjskom i unutarnjem nuklearnom sloju mrežnice i u retinalnom pigmentnom epitelu. Epitopi za VDR su pronađeni i u epitelu cilijarnog tijela. To sve govori o važnosti tog proteina u fiziologiji oka. 1,25 (OH)2D3 modulira ekspresiju gena koji su uključeni u regulaciju očnog tlaka u nehumanih primata. Nakon liječenja pomoću 1,25(OH)2D3 može se remodelirati ekstracelularni matriks. Disrupcija aktina može dovesti do promjene stanične morfologije, relaksacije trabekularne mreže i sniženja očnog tlaka. Provedeno je opažajno presječno istraživanje s kontrolnom skupinom. U istraživanje je bilo uključeno 90 ispitanica oboljelih od glaukoma u dobi od 45-55 godina i 50 ispitanica u kontrolnoj skupini. Prikazuju se rezultati probnog ispitivanja u 20 ispitanica oboljelih od glaukoma i isto toliko u kontrolnoj skupini. Ispitanicama je uzeta anamneza i kompletan oftalmološki status te je određen vitamin D u serumu. Koncentracija vitamina D u serumu ispitanica s glaukomom bila je 32,31 nmol/L u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu gdje je bila 64,17 nmol/L. U zaključku, kod ispitanica oboljelih od glaukoma bila je snižena serumska koncentracija vitamina D u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu na statistički značajnoj razini od p

The acute coronary syndrome (ACS) network is a complex system of concern for patients with acute coronary syndrome. In order to provide adequate patient care, reduce total mortality and irrational costs of treatment, we need varied algorithms and a patient concern protocols. Outhospital emergency medical services, intrahospital emergency rooms, and coronary care units in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and nonPCI centers participate in the care of ACS patients. Therefore, only algorithms adapted to each of these levels can improve the protocol for patient care. By standardized protocol implementation since January 2016, we compared the results with respect to the total number of patients before the protocol was applied. We analyzed the total number of patients, the relationship between the number of transferred and non-transferred patients, the intra-hospital mortality as well as the total mortality for ST- elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients (NSTEMI). The results show that the standardized protocol increases the total number of PCIs in patients with ACS, namely 36% for STEMI and 20% for NSTEMI. However, the total mortality of STEMI patients has increased from 5.2% to 6.9%, which is a consequence of an increased number of patients with cardiogenic shock (2.5% to 7.8%), as well as inappropriately high rates of transfer time from nonPCI hospitals (average time was 160 min). In patients with NSTEMI we recorded an increase in the total number of patients by 20%, while total mortality rate has not been changed. However, we should point out a favorable trend in the increase of PCI within 72 hours in NSTEMI patients. The standardized protocol, along with other organizational improvements, has led to the primary goal of increasing the number of primary PCIs in STEMI and PCI at ACS-NSTEMI at an early stage. It has also revealed the need for additional effort to increase the quality of treatment in terms of reducing patient delay time, proper recognition of STEMI by the outhospital emergency services, as well as the need to reduce transport time for transferred patients. If a transfer within 120 minutes cannot be provided we recommend pharmacoinvasive approach to be applied.

Acute pericarditis is a well-recognized but rare complication of numerous viral infections. We report a case of a 50-year-old woman with novel influenza A (H1N1) infection complicated by pericardial effusion. Resolution of both symptoms and pericardial effusion occurred after a treatment with oseltamivirin and ibuprofen. There were no signs of acute left or right ventricle dysfunction. Pericarditis and pericardial effusion are occasionally associated with influenza A infections. To our knowledge, this is a rare case of pericardial effusion associated with influenza A (H1N1) reported during the current novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic that responded well to conservative management.

Introduction and goal: The latest 2011 non-ST- segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE- ACS) management guidelines indicated that all patients should receive anticoagulation drugs irrespective of the treatment strategy. In this report, 2-year data on anticoagulation therapies for NSTE-ACS are presented, in relation to invasive management selection and treatment outcomes in a clinical setting without registered bivalirudin. Patients and Methods: Data for 374 patients with NSTEACS treated in the Coronary Care Unit in General Hospital Slavonski Brod, Croatia were analyzed from January 2012 to December 2013. Treatment strategies, outcomes and complications among patients treated with different anticoagulation agents (enoxaparine, fondaparinux or unfractionated heparin) were analyzed and compared. Results: In all, 72% of all NSTE-ACS patients were treated invasively, out of which 66% underwent angiography within 72 hours. Urgent and early angiography was performed in 44% of all invasively treated patients. Generally, 58% and 5% of patients received enoxaparine and unfractionated heparin (UFH), respectively, whereas fondaparinux was administered in 37% of patients. Median age of patients treated with enoxaparine was 66, compared to 76 in the fondaparinux group. There were significantly more patients treated with enoxaparine and UFH than with fondaparinux in the invasive strategy group. We observed that the number of patients treated with fondaparinux in the invasive group increased together with the period between symptom onset and angiography. The number of patients treated conservatively with either fondaparinux or enoxaparine was almost equal. There were no patients treated conservatively with UFH. In general, in-hospital mortality was low, 2.6% with no significant differences in bleeding events regarding the selection of anticoagulation therapy. Conclusions: Although the guidelines gave preference to fondaparinux, everyday practice in our hospital showed that enoxaparine was a preferred agent, particularly in younger patients selected for early invasive strategy, most probably because of the risk/benefit ratio and opportunity of avoiding the mixing of anticoagulation agents. Only 5% of patients were selected for urgent invasive approach with UFH, which should probably increase in the future. Considering a higher cost of bivalirudin, the introduction of this agent for non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction management does not seem to be mandatory in our clinical setting, since this small group of patients was adequately managed with UFH.