Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Josipa Kern

Publications and source records attributed to Josipa Kern.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

[New biochemical markers in the assessment of minor myocardial damage in critically ill patients].

UNLABELLED: The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina is based on typical clinical signs, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and serial measurements of characteristic serum enzymes, especially troponins. Today, newer biochemical markers are used in assessing these conditions, as well as minor myocardial damage (MMD). AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the existence of MMD by the analysis of new biochemical markers including cardiac troponin T (c-TnT), troponin I (c-TnI), CK-MB activity (CK-MBact), CK-MB mass (CK-MBmass), a conventional marker of total creatine kinase (CK), and 12-lead ECG monitoring in two groups of critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Group 1 (n=52) consisted of the patients with heart failure, unexplainable hypotension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in acute exacerbation, acute severe pancreatitis, sepsis, pulmonary embolism, diabetes with complications, liver cirrhosis, and tachycardia >120/min who suffered chest discomfort without evident ECG signs of AMI. Group 2 consisted of patients (n=73) with acute gastrointestinal bleeding, poisoning, and miscellaneous conditions without chest discomfort or ECG signs of AMI. RESULTS: Of the 52 critically ill patients, 21.2% were positive for troponin T and 11.5% for troponin I. Group 1 patients showed a prevalence of elevated total CK (28.8%), CK-MBact (7.7%), and CK-MBmass (32.7%). In group 2, positive troponin I was found in 19.7% of patients, troponin T was negative (0.00%), with elevated total CK (23.9%), CKMBact (7.0%), and CK-MBmass (2.3%). The mean concentrations of c-TnT, c-TnI, total CK, CK-MBact, CK-MBmass were higher in group 1 than in group 2, however, without statistical significance. The best positive correlation was recorded between CK-MBact and CK-MBmass (r=0.63). The c-TnI showed best discrimination and accuracy in the assessment of MMD under the ROC curves surface (0.84), while the accuracy was low for all other markers analyzed. Discrimination and accuracy were moderate for all markers analyzed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: CK-MBact (92.3%) showed the highest specificity, followed by c-TnI (88.5%) and c-TnT (75.6%). The sensitivity was low for all markers analyzed. Concerning specificity, CK-MBact proved to be the best biologic marker for the assessment of MMD, followed by c-TnI and c-TnT. Correct clinical assessment according to marker accuracy and discrimination can be achieved by use of c-TnI, however, with a moderate degree of accuracy and discrimination for the detection of MMD in critically ill patients admitted to ICU.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Respiratory findings in tobacco workers.

OBJECTIVES: To screen for respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment in workers occupationally exposed to tobacco dust in a tobacco-processing plant. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-one tobacco workers (97 women and 24 men) were included in the study. In addition, a group of 98 control workers (73 women and 25 men) were studied. METHODS: Acute and chronic respiratory symptoms were recorded in all tobacco workers. Lung function was measured by recording the maximum expiratory flow-volume curves on which FVC, FEV(1), and flow rates at 50% of FVC (FEF(50)) and the last 25% of FVC (FEF(25)) were read. RESULTS: There was a high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among these workers, and this prevalence was significantly higher in exposed female workers than in female or male control workers (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Occupational asthma was recorded in 6 female tobacco workers (6.2%) and in none of the control subjects (p < 0.05). None of the male workers were found to have occupational asthma. There was also a high prevalence of acute symptoms that were noted during the work shift (particularly for nose and throat dryness, as well as eye irritation). Among these tobacco workers, the odds ratios for respiratory symptoms were frequently significant for employment and smoking among male tobacco workers but were not significant in general for female tobacco workers. The ventilatory capacity data in tobacco workers showed statistically significant reductions in FEV(1), FEF(50), and FEF(25) in relation to predicted values. These reductions were demonstrated in smokers as well as in nonsmokers. Regression analysis suggested that there were significant changes according to employment status for FVC, FEV(1), and FEF(25) in female tobacco workers. Measurements of ventilatory capacity during the course of the work shift in 38 female tobacco workers demonstrated significant mean acute reductions in FEV(1) (-5.7%), in FEF(50) (-15.7%), and in FEF(25) (-23.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that tobacco workers may develop respiratory disorders related to tobacco dust in their work environment.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Fatality risk factors for bicyclists in Croatia.

AIM: To present the epidemiology of fatal bicyclist injuries in traffic accidents in Croatia. METHODS: Between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2000, there were 253 bicyclist fatalities in Croatia. The data were collected from the police reports of the Department of Traffic Police, Ministry of the Interior, written at the place of the accident. The data were processed by descriptive epidemiology and compared by tests of significance. RESULTS: The percentage of bicyclist fatalities among total road fatalities showed a decreasing trend over the years, from 11.6% in 1998 to 8.2% in 2000. The most frequent type of accident involving bicyclist fatalities were accidents in car-bicycle collisions (lowest: 74.7% in 1998; and highest: 81.3% in 1997). Most accidents occurred at the beginning and at the end of the bicycle season--months of April and October. Elderly people were involved in accidents occurring mainly in the morning hours--from 6 to 12 a.m., whereas the youngest and the middle-aged got injured or killed mainly in the evening - 6 to 9 p.m. This association between the age and the part of day when the accident happened was statistically significant (chi square=36.51, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Bicycle-related fatal injuries as a part of total road fatalities showed a gradual decrease. Regulation of bicycle traffic, more stringent protection measures and their implementation, as well as preventive measures regarding the time of day are needed to further decrease bicyclist fatalities in traffic.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

Ventilatory functions in Croatian population in comparison with European reference values.

AIM: To compare ventilatory capacity of Croatian population with the ventilatory function values predicted by conventional equations based on measurements among European populations. METHODS: Ventilatory capacity and respiratory symptoms were determined in a group of 2,482 healthy non-smokers (1,162 men and 1,320 women). The measurements were performed with a pneumotach spirometer. Maximum expiratory flow volume curves (MEFV) were registered, and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and flow rates at 50% (MEF50) and the last 25% of the vital capacity (MEF25) were recorded. Anthropometric data were also noted. Reference values were calculated using multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: Comparisons of our values with the prediction summary equations issued by the European Community for Steel and Coal (ECSC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) showed that healthy Croatians had consistently lower values of FVC (92.1-/+14.0% of the predicted volume for men and 86.2-/+11.7% for women) and FEV1 (93.7-/+14.8% of the predicted values for men and 95.3-/+13.1% for women), but higher values of MEF50 (107.8-/+30.1% of the predicted values for men and 103.4-/+22.8% for women) and MEF25 (117.3-/+41.0% of the predicted values for men and 117.9-/+34.0% for women) than the ECSC/ERS recommendations. The comparison was also made with the most commonly used North American reference standards based on populations of European origin, with similar findings. On the basis of the results of multiple linear regressions, we constructed prediction equations for ventilatory function in Croatian population. CONCLUSION: The ECSC/ERS recommendations are not satisfactory for the Croatian population.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

How to find out burning problem of telemedicine?

Sample of 177 cited papers from Current Contents in year 2001 containing word 'telemedicine' as a keyword, and/or in title and/or in abstract. Most of papers were coming from Journal of Telemedicine & Telecare, International Journal of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine Journal & E-Health. Titles and abstracts were analysed statistically by using Sphinx Lexica as a tool and lexical statistics and lexical analysis as methods. Environment/neighbourhood of words potentially reflecting evaluation in telemedicine, enabled to make synthesis: evaluation or similar words were mentioned in connections with programs and plans of telemedicine application in the whole, with economic issue (minimizing, low-cost, reducing cost), with ICT evaluation, quality, and scarcely with methodology and criteria for evaluation.

Medical Informatics↗
PubMed2002

Consistency and reproducibility of attribute extraction by different machine learning systems.

Machine learning systems as tools for intelligent data analysis are used for extracting attributes relevant for prediction of defined outcomes. The aim of the paper was to compare two machine learning (ML) systems and propose method for intra- and inter-testing of consistency and reproducibility in attributes extracted from real dataset. See5 and FMLS extracted relevant attributes from real medical dataset. Comparison of results of both systems shows that: accuracy and sensitivity are nearly the same for both FMLS and See5 when FMLS was forced by attributes extracted by See5, and little bit lower when FMLS used its own extracted attributes; specificity is nearly the same for both FMLS and See5 when FMLS was forced by attributes extracted by See5, and much more higher when FMLS used its own extracted attributes; both of ML systems show intra-testing consistency and does not show any inter-testing consistency.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed2002

Data mining server--on-line knowledge induction tool.

The aim of this paper is to present an on-line data mining tool and illustrate its use on example of real medical data. Data from the Laboratory for in-vitro Thyroid diagnostics at the Sisters of Charity University Hospital in Zagreb were used. Preparation of the data set and one session of knowledge induction is described.

Croatia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of organic aerosols on the respiratory system in occupational exposure].

The effects of organic dusts on the respiratory system of workers employed in food processing, in textile workers, as well as in agricultural and livestock farmers are reported. Deposition and elimination of particles from the lung as well as the possible mechanisms of the organic dust effects on respiratory system are described. Separately are presented results of our investigations on the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases as well as lung function tests as indicators of the condition of the respiratory system. Data on the experimental studies with aqueous extracts of organic dusts on smooth muscle of isolated guinea pig trachea suggest that the bronchoconstrictive effects in humans can be reproduced in nonsensitized guinea pigs. The preventive measures in the development of respiratory impairments in subjects occupationally exposed to organic dusts are described.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗