Contents
01.12.2021.
Professional paper
Anatomical and morphological characteristics of the appendix in acute appendicitis
Introduction: Echosonography of the appendix is the primary method in the diagnostic algorithm of acute appendicitis, after clinical and laboratory examination. Non-invasiveness, availability and easy performance are the advantages of this method in detecting acute appendicitis. Aim: The research aimed to determine the morphological characteristics of the appendix, as well as to evaluate the role of echo sonography in the exploration and visualization of pathological changes in the appendix in acute appendicitis. Material and methods: The cross-sectional study included 59 people who underwent appendectomy and echosonographic examination of the abdomen and pelvis within the Department of Radiological Diagnostics of UHC "Dr Dragisa Misovic-Dedinje" in Belgrade. Results: In 48 out of a total of 59 people (81.4%), there were echosonographic signs of acute appendicitis, of which incompressibility of the wall was present in 40 people (83%), diameter of the appendix over 6mm in 38 (79%), wall thickness over 3mm in 45 (94%), target sign in 33 (69%), hypervascularization of the wall in 28 (58%), as well as the presence of fecoliths with nonhomogeneous content intraluminally in 15 (31.2%) persons. The sensitivity of echosonographic examination for obtaining positive results in persons with acute appendicitis was 86.5%. The specificity of the echosonographic examination to obtain negative results in persons who do not have acute inflammation of the appendix was 57.1%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 93.7%. The negative predictive value (NPV) was 36.4%. The accuracy of the method was 83.1%. Conclusion: Based on the high sensitivity values of the tests tested in this cross-sectional study, we estimate that echosonographic examination has a primary role in the diagnostic algorithm of a person with suspected acute appendicitis.
Milica Perić, Sava Stajić, Tatjana Filipović, Sanja Gašić, Teodora Jorgaćević, Marko Stalević
01.12.2021.
Professional paper
Students' attitudes about the quality and effectiveness of online compared to traditional teaching of histology and embryology during the COVID-19 pandemic
INTRODUCTION: The corona virus desease has led to numerous changes in all aspects of our lives. The educational system through numerous innovative learning methods managed the smooth conduct of distance learning. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to examine the attitudes of medical and dental students about quality and effectiveness of online versus traditional teaching, in the course of Hystology and Embriology during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The research was conducted online, with the help of a questionnaire designed on the Google Forms platform. The cross-sectional study included second-year students of medicine and dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine in Priština -Kosovska Mitrovica, who during the 2020/21 academic year followed online and classical classes in the subject Histology and Embryology. The results were processed using descriptive statistical methods and appropriate tests for testing the hypothesis about the significance of the difference between two, three or more samples. RESULTS: Out of the total number of surveyed students (n=60), 95% of students attended traditional classes, 88.3% of students attended classes via Zoom platform, while 85% of respondents used Moodle platform. The highest percentage of very satisfied (38.3%) and satisfied (51.6%) students was with traditional teaching. The percentage of available lecturers during online classes is 73.3%, and 76.7% during tradicional teaching. 75% of students believe that tradicional teaching can not be replaced by online teaching method. 68% of students used the literature and available presentations on the Moodle platform to prepare for the exam. A significant correlation was found in the case of satisfaction with the grade and the achieved success in the exam (p=0,001). CONCLUSION: The results of our research show that students preferred traditional over online teaching, which makes traditional teaching a primary and irreplaceable form of education.
Teodora Jorgaćević, Slađana Savić, Jelena Tomašević, Erdin Mehmedi, Milica Perić, Sanja Gašić
01.12.2021.
Professional paper
Assessment of neutrophil-lymphocyte and platelet-lymphocyte ratio in patients with hashimoto's thyroiditis
INTRODUCTION: The ratio of neutrophils-lymphocytes (NLR) and platelet-lymphocytes (PLR) is a new parameter in the assessment of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of NLR and PLR in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, subjects were subjected to tests of thyroid gland function, antithyroid antibodies, as well as laboratory analyzes of blood count with determination of NLR and PLR. The respondents were grouped into two groups. The first group was patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), while the second group consisted of healthy individuals who represented the control group. RESULTS: NLR was statistically significantly higher in patients with HT compared to the control group (2.62±0.8 and 2.43±0.8, respectively; p=0.02), while PLR was higher in people with HT compared to the control group, but without statistical significance significance (169±42.5; 159±40.3; p=0.08). Among the examined patients with HT, the group with hypothyroidism showed statistically higher NLR values compared to the group of patients with euthyroid status (2.7±0.9 ; 2.31±0.7 p=0.03). Among the examined patients with HT, the group with hypothyroidism showed statistically higher PLR values compared to the group of patients with euthyroid status, as well as the group with subclinical hypothyroidism (177.8±48.2; 148.3±39.3; 155.5±42.5 p=0.04). NLR and PLR show a statistically significant positive correlation with the level of TSH, Anti TPO and TG At in the group with HT. CONCLUSION: NLR and PLR can serve as practical and valuable markers of the clinical course of the disease, but also markers of autoimmune diseases that progress with chronic inflammation.
Sanja Gašić, Milica Perić, Tamara Matić, Teodora Jorgaćević, Slađana Ilić
