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Biomedical subjects

Z Radovanovic

Publications and source records attributed to Z Radovanovic.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Blue dye versus combined blue dye-radioactive tracer technique in detection of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer can be used to select patients in which axillary lymph node dissection could be avoided. In this study we compared the value of two methods for identification of sentinel node (SN) using either only blue dye or combination of blue dye and radioactive tracer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients were women with clinically T(1-2)N(0)M(0) breast cancer. They were randomized into two groups. In Group A (50 patients) SN marking was performed only with blue dye and in Group B (100 patients) combined SN marking with blue dye and radiotracer was done. We used 2 ml of blue dye Patentblau V (Byk Gulden). Radiotracer was Antimony sulfide marked with Tc 99m and of 0.3 mCy (11.1 MBq) activity. Application method of both contrasts was peritumoral. After SN biopsy all patients underwent mastectomy or conservative surgery with axillary lymph node dissection of levels I and II. RESULTS: In Group A mean of 1.7 SNs were identified (median 1, range 1-4). False-negative rate in this group was 3/17 (17.6%) with negative-predictive value 20/23 (86.9%), sensitivity 14/17 (82%), specificity 20/33 (60%) and accuracy 34/50 (68%). In Group B mean number of SNs excised per case was 1.6 (median 1, range 1-5). False-negative rate was 2/44 (4.5%), negative-predictive value 41/43 (95.3%), sensitivity 42/44 (95%), specificity 41/56 (73%) and accuracy 83/100 (83%). The combination technique was significantly superior to blue-dye alone technique for negative-predictive value (p=0.033) and overall accuracy (p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The prediction of axillary lymph node status in breast cancer patients using combined technique has significantly higher accuracy than marking of SN with blue dye alone and therefore should be preferred.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Over-the-counter use of oral contraceptives in Kuwait.

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are available over-the-counter (OTC) in Kuwait, and constitute a leading method for spacing and limiting children. Data from a nationally representative survey of Kuwaiti women are used to examine OTC use of OCPs. One-fourth of the women initiated use without consulting a doctor, and 50% bought OCPs from the pharmacy. No socioeconomic or demographic differences were found between those who consulted a physician, implying that women of different background have similar accessibility to the physician. Using multivariate analysis, the odds of consulting a physician were found to be significantly lower for women who first bought OCPs directly from the commercial pharmacy. The duration of first time OCP use did not differ according to physician consultation. It is concluded that OTC availability of OCPs has many advantages and prevents unwanted pregnancy. However, there is a need for better packaging and instructions that would enable high-risk women to identify themselves and to use OCPs under physician supervision.

Contraceptives, Oral↗
PubMed2000

On substance abuse in Kuwait (1992-1997). Evidence from toxicological screening of patients.

PURPOSE: To assess preference for different psychoactive substances and time trends in Kuwait. METHODS: Analysis of urine and blood samples of specimens sent by attending physicians to the only public health reference laboratory for toxicological screening in the country. RESULTS: A total of 28,548 tests were performed on 3781 samples. Cannabinoids were positive in 40% of the tested samples, opiates in 24%, ethanol in 10%, and amphetamines in 5%. Elevated concentrations of methadone, cocaine, and phencyclidine did not exceed 0.1%. About 40% of samples was positive for benzodiazepines, but their therapeutic use obscures the informativeness of this finding. There was a significant increase in the proportion of positive results for ethanol, amphetamines, and benzodiazepines. IMPLICATIONS: It is high time to implement a modern and comprehensive preventive and control program. The tendency to blame the Iraqi invasion for drug addiction has hampered efforts to recognise and address the problem in its entirety.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of smoking among currently married Kuwaiti males and females.

A structured questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 608 Kuwaiti couples through a household face-to-face interview. Both spouses were non-smokers in more than half (50.8%) of all the couples, and there was a single couple (0.2%) with both spouses currently smoking. Only 0.5% of the wives reported current smoking. The prevalence of smoking was 3.2% among divorced/widowed women from the same households. The difference between the two groups of women remained significant upon controlling for the confounding effect of age. Among the husbands, frequencies of current and ex-smokers were 37% and 11%, respectively. Younger respondents consumed more tobacco and were initiated to smoking at an earlier age. Logistic regression showed that people with one to 11 years of formal education were more likely to be current smokers as compared to the rest of the respondents (adjusted relative risk: 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46-2.93). Reasons for the observed findings have been discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Attitude of involved epidemiologists toward the first European outbreak of rhinosporidiosis.

Rhinosporidiosis occurs extremely seldom in Europe. Until recently, the disease was unknown in Serbia (Yugoslavia). An outbreak that began in January 1992, affected 21 individuals. All of them had been exposed to the same source of stagnant water. The purpose of this study was to assess which control measures would be selected by epidemiologists potentially involved in the control of the disease. Most respondents (20 of 32 or 62.5%) opted only for an information release as the most appropriate control measure. The reasons listed by the epidemiologists to justify their choice of optimal control measures showed that the political and economic hardships, including an embargo imposed upon rump Yugoslavia, did not hamper their judgment. The turmoil associated with the disintegration of Yugoslavia, however, appears to have significantly affected the information level of the participants.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1996

On the origin of mass casualty incidents in Kosovo, Yugoslavia, in 1990.

In March 1990, a mysterious outbreak of illness spread suddenly among thousands of ethnic Albanian high school students in Kosovo (Yugoslavia). It was an unprecedented event on the worldwide scale both in terms of the number of cases and in terms of controversies concerning the aetiology. A retrospective analysis indicated that the epidemic consisted mainly of cases who felt ill in the absence of exposure to any physical agent. It is suggested that in an atmosphere of severe tension between the two ethnic groups living in Kosovo an increased frequency of respiratory infections may have triggered mass sociogenic illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

An epidemiological investigation of the first outbreak of rhinosporidiosis in Europe.

Until January 1992 rhinosporidiosis was unknown in the Balkans. The outbreak which took place at that time in northern Serbia (Yugoslavia) affected 17 people over a period of less than two years. The number of patients in this epidemic exceeded the total number of autochthonous cases of rhinosporidiosis ever recorded in Europe. The male-to-female ratio was 10:7 and, except for a middle-aged man, all patients were in the age range 6-16 years. Preponderance of ocular (12) over nasal (5) localization of the disease in this epidemic indicates that the real number of cases may be much higher. The only experience all patients had in common was that they spent their holiday preceding the onset of symptoms bathing in the same accumulation of stagnant water (the Silver Lake). A case-control study showed that the odds of being exposed to that particular environment by chance were extremely remote.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Brick mortar exposure and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

A case-control study of 130 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and 130 controls matched with respect to sex, age (2 years), type of residence (urban-rural) and area of residence (according to the national per capita income) was carried out. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that, apart of four risk factors already described in the literature (work in a hazardous industry, hair dye use, family history of leukemia and exposure to electromagnetic radiation), brick mortar exposure was also significantly related to CLL.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1994

Mortality patterns in Kuwait: inferences from death certificate data.

Two main features of the mortality pattern in Kuwait are very low crude death rates, not exceeding 2.3 per 1,000, and a high frequency of traffic accidents, ranking as the second leading cause of death. In quantitative terms, mortality statistics in Kuwait have reached their objectives in that coverage approaches 100%. However, quality of data still suffers from apparent shortcomings, as exemplified by senility (without mention of psychosis) as the sixth leading cause of death. Huge oscillations in the frequency of some conditions from one year to the next one are even more indicative of the dubious reliability of the information on the death certificate. These variations occur across the board and do not characterize only a pre-war/post-war comparison. Coding inconsistencies are not restricted to the same group of diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disorders) but appear to comprise shifts in coding between different groups of diseases (e.g., pneumonia and disorders related to short gestation). Socially undesirable causes of death are, in particular, an area where reliability of data may be easily challenged on logical grounds. If raw mortality data were taken for granted, they could be very misleading. Providing for a cautious interpretation, however, these data may still be fairly informative.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1994

Cancer mortality of family members of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

A case-control study comprised 130 cases affected by chronic lymphocytic leukemia and the same number of individually matched controls, with accidental injuries as a cause of hospitalization. Matching criteria were: sex, age, type of settlement, and area of residence. Both leukemias and all cancers were more frequent among family members of cases, as compared to controls.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Institute "Jakes"--an experiment which ceased to exist.

Institute "Jakes", which sheltered psychiatric patients, was apparently the most unorthodox part of the health care delivery system in the former Yugoslavia. Bosnian war led to severe destruction of the Institute and to death of many of its patients. The "Jakes" experience deserves attention and description.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

History of tonsillectomy and appendectomy in Hodgkin's disease.

The study comprised all 113 clinically and histologically confirmed cases of Hodgkin's disease aged 15-39 years who were treated at the Department of Hematology of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade from January, 1 to June, 30, 1987. For each patient, two individually matched controls were selected. Neighbourhood controls were the first neighbours of the same sex, age, and residence history. Hospital controls consisted of accidentally injured individuals, and they were matched in terms of sex, age, place of residence, and educational level. Comparison of cases and controls revealed that removal of the lymphoid tissue (either tonsils or appendix) did not affect the risk of developing Hodgkin's disease in any way. An association found by some previous studies has been explained by the confounding effect of socioeconomic status.

Adolescent↗