Browsing by Author "Jankovic, S. (7101906319)"

Background: Two generic bioequivalent copies of the same drug sometimes do not achieve therapeutic equivalence. This may produce adverse events in clinical practice if the therapeutic index of that drug is narrow. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of two generic copies of nimesulide Nimulid (N) and Tenaprost (T). Methods: 60 out-patients with symptomatic low back pain or knee osteoarthritis were randomized to take T or N (100 mg 2 x/day for 20 days) in a prospective double-blinded randomized phase four clinical trial conducted at the Institute of Rheumatology, Belgrade, Serbia. Pain was evaluated by VAS. Paravertebral muscle spasm (PVM), sagittal mobility, and the Lasegue's test (LT) were estimated in low back pain. In knee osteoarthritis, knee circumference, motion, and knee tendons sensitivity (KTS) to palpation were assessed. Adverse events reported by the patients, or observed by the investigators were recorded. Results: T and N significantly reduced pain levels in patients with low back pain and knee osteoarthritis (p<0.001) as well as knee circumference and KTS to palpation (p<0.05). Compared to N, T showed slightly better effects on the Lequesne functional index (p<0.05) and PVM spasm in patients with lower back pain, but that was not of clinical relevance. Tolerability of T and N was good. Conclusion: T and N are equally effective and safe forms of nimesulide for pain management in low back pain and knee osteoarthritis. Price per daily dose is a relevant parameter for making a choice. However, regulations regarding drug bioequivalence criteria should be met for drug marketing authorization submission.

Purpose: SCI are one of the leading causes of disabilities around the world. Length of stay in patients with spinal cord injury depends on many medical and non-medical factors, especially of health-care system and social environment. Material and Method: The study included 529 patients with spinal cord injuries admitted in Clinic for rehabilitation Dr M. Zotovic, Belgrade, Serbia, from January 2000 to December 2009. The factors influencing length of stay in our study were: age, gender, neurological level and completeness of injury, etiology of injury, methods of treatment, secondary complications and associated injuries. Length of stay in this study was defined from the date of admission to the date of discharge from rehabilitation. Results: Median length of rehabilitation is 134 days (range, 28.0-533.0). The average age of survey respondents was 46.1±16.8 years. In this study 382 (72.2%) of patients were male and 147 (27.8%) were female. There were 180 (34.0%) tetraplegic and 349 (66%) paraplegic patients. In the multivariate Cox regression model, statistically significant predictors of length of stay were: neurological level of injury (p=0.014), completeness of the lesion (p=0.048), ASIA scale (p<0.001), age (p=0.043), urinary tract infection (p<0.001) and spasticity (p=0.042) as complications during rehabilitation. Conclusion: Reducing the length of stay would significantly decrease the overall financial costs for patients with spinal cord injury. Construction of the specialized centers for rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury and better coordination between primary care and rehabilitation centers would contribute to it. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York 2015.

Purpose: SCI are one of the leading causes of disabilities around the world. Length of stay in patients with spinal cord injury depends on many medical and non-medical factors, especially of health-care system and social environment. Material and Method: The study included 529 patients with spinal cord injuries admitted in Clinic for rehabilitation Dr M. Zotovic, Belgrade, Serbia, from January 2000 to December 2009. The factors influencing length of stay in our study were: age, gender, neurological level and completeness of injury, etiology of injury, methods of treatment, secondary complications and associated injuries. Length of stay in this study was defined from the date of admission to the date of discharge from rehabilitation. Results: Median length of rehabilitation is 134 days (range, 28.0-533.0). The average age of survey respondents was 46.1±16.8 years. In this study 382 (72.2%) of patients were male and 147 (27.8%) were female. There were 180 (34.0%) tetraplegic and 349 (66%) paraplegic patients. In the multivariate Cox regression model, statistically significant predictors of length of stay were: neurological level of injury (p=0.014), completeness of the lesion (p=0.048), ASIA scale (p<0.001), age (p=0.043), urinary tract infection (p<0.001) and spasticity (p=0.042) as complications during rehabilitation. Conclusion: Reducing the length of stay would significantly decrease the overall financial costs for patients with spinal cord injury. Construction of the specialized centers for rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury and better coordination between primary care and rehabilitation centers would contribute to it. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York 2015.