Browsing by Author "Marinkovic, Milan (56160715300)"

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (PPR) on preoperative clinical status changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and net effects of PPR and cancer resection on residual pulmonary function and functional capacity. Material and methods: This prospective single group study included 83 COPD patients (62 ±8 years, 85% males, FEV1 = 1844 ±618 ml, Tiffeneau index = 54 ±9%) with NSCLC, on 2-4-week PPR, before resection. Pulmonary function, and functional and symptom status were evaluated by spirometry, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and Borg scale, on admission, after PPR and after surgery. Results: Following PPR significant improvement was registered in the majority of spirometry parameters (FEV1 by 374 ml, p < 0.001; VLC by 407 ml, p < 0.001; FEF50 by 3%, p = 0.003), 6MWD (for 56 m, p < 0.001) and dyspnoeal symptoms (by 1.0 Borg unit, p < 0.001). A positive correlation was identified between preoperative increments of FEV1 and 6MWD (rs = 0.503, p = 0.001). Negative correlations were found between basal FEV1 and its percentage increment (rs = -0.479, p = 0.001) and between basal 6MWD and its percentage change (rs = -0.603, p < 0.001) during PPR. Compared to basal values, after resection a significant reduction of most spirometry parameters and 6MWD were recorded, while Tiffeneau index, FEF25 and dyspnoea severity remained stable (p = NS). Conclusions: Preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation significantly enhances clinical status of COPD patients before NSCLC resection. Preoperative increase of exercise tolerance was the result of pulmonary function improvement during PPR. The beneficial effects of PPR were most emphasized in patients with initially the worst pulmonary function and the weakest functional capacity.

Aims Treatment burden (TB) refers to self-perceived cumulative work patients do to manage their health. Using validated tools, TB has been documented in several chronic conditions, but not atrial fibrillation (AF). We measured TB and analysed its determinants and impact on quality of life (QoL) in an AF cohort. Methods A single-centre study prospectively included consecutive adult AF patients and non-AF controls managed from 1 and results April to 21 June 2019, who voluntarily and anonymously answered the TB questionnaire (TBQ) and 5-item EQ-5D QoL questionnaire; TB was calculated as a sum of TBQ points (maximum 170) and expressed as proportion of the maximum value. Of 514 participants, 331 (64.4%) had AF. The mean self-reported TB was 27.6% among AF patients and 24.3% among controls, P = 0.011. The mean TB was significantly higher in patients taking vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) vs. those taking non-VKA antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC; 29.5% vs. 24.7%, P = 0.006). The highest item-specific TB was reported for healthcare system organization-related items (e.g. visit appointment), diet, and physical activity modifications. On multivariable analyses, female sex, younger age, and permanent AF were associated with a higher TB, whereas NOACs and electrical AF cardioversion exhibited an inverse association; TB was an independent predictor of decreased QoL (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Our study provided clinically relevant insights into self-perceived TB among AF patients. Approximately one in four patients with AF have a high TB. Specific AF treatments and optimization of healthcare system-required patient activities may reduce the self-perceived TB in AF patients. © The Author(s) 2020.

Background: Treatment burden (TB) is defined as the patient’s workload of healthcare and its impact on patient functioning and wellbeing. High TB can lead to non-adherence, a higher risk of adverse outcomes and lower quality of life (QoL). We have previously reported a higher TB in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) vs. those with other chronic conditions. In this analysis, we explored sex-related differences in self-reported TB in AF patients. Materials and methods: A single-center, prospective study included consecutive patients with AF under drug treatment for at least 6 months before enrollment from April to June 2019. Patients were asked to voluntarily and anonymously answer the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ). All patients signed the written consent for participation. Results: Of 331 patients (mean age 65.4 ± 10.3 years, mean total AF history 6.41 ± 6.62 years), 127 (38.4%) were females. The mean TB was significantly higher in females compared to males (53.7 vs. 42.6 out of 170 points, p < 0.001), and females more frequently reported TB ≥ 59 points than males (37.8% vs. 20.6%, p = 0.001). In females, on multivariable analysis of the highest TB quartile (TB ≥ 59), non-vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant (NOAC) use [Odds Ratio (OR) 0.319; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.12–0.83, P = 0.019], while in males, catheter ablation and/or ECV of AF (OR 0.383; 95% CI 0.18–0.81, P = 0.012) were negatively associated with the highest TB quartile. Conclusion: Our study was the first to explore the sex-specific determinants of TB in AF patients. Females had significantly higher TB compared with males. Approximately 2 in 5 females and 1 in 5 males reported TB ≥ 59 points, previously shown to be an unacceptable burden of treatment for patients. Using a NOAC rather than vitamin K antagonist (VKA) in females and a rhythm control strategy in males could decrease TB to acceptable values. Copyright © 2022 Mihajlovic, Simic, Marinkovic, Kovacevic, Kocijancic, Mujovic and Potpara.

Introduction: Sertoli cell tumors are rare sex cord-stromal tumors, accounting for less than 1% of primary testicular tumors. They typically arise in the testes and ovaries, with other localizations being uncommon. We present the case of a Sertoli cell tumor in the adrenal gland, which, to our knowledge, is the first reported in the literature. Case Presentation: A 44-year-old male patient was admitted to the clinic for endocrine surgery for laparoscopic surgery of a right adrenal gland incidentaloma measuring 57 × 47 × 59 mm, discovered during a routine abdominal ultrasonography. The patient had a history of hypertension but no other comorbidities. Biochemical and physical examinations revealed no signs of hypercortisolism. Urinary metanephrine and normetanephrine levels were within normal limits. A right laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed, and a 5 cm tumor was identified without evidence of locoregional invasion. Pathological examination confirmed a Sertoli cell tumor of the adrenal gland. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed positive staining for vimentin, steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1), and beta-catenin, while chromogranin A, hCG, PSA, and TTF1 were negative. The Ki-67 index was 3%. The patient was subsequently referred to a urologist, where testicular ultrasonography showed no abnormalities. There were no signs of recurrence during a 15-month follow-up period. Additionally, the patient’s biannual antihypertensive treatment was discontinued by a cardiologist 1.5 months post-surgery. Conclusions: Sertoli cell tumors are an exceptionally rare entity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a primary Sertoli cell tumor originating in the adrenal gland. Given their potential for malignancy, regular follow-up and additional diagnostic evaluations may be necessary. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy appears to be a suitable definitive treatment for this condition. © 2024, Ivanis et al.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely related. These diseases share common risk factors and are associated with increased risk of thromboembolic events. Choosing the appropriate oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC) in patients with AF and CKD is challenging. Deterioration of renal function is common in patients with AF treated with OACs, although not all OACs affect the kidneys equally. Areas covered: In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge of the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with AF and CKD, focusing on the impact of specific OAC agents on renal function. Expert opinion: Consideration of OAC use is mandatory in patients with AF and CKD who are at increased risk of stroke or systemic embolism. Available evidence suggests that the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) is associated with slower deterioration of renal function in comparison to Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Hence, a NOAC should be used in preference to VKAs in all NOAC-eligible patients with AF and CKD. Regarding patients with end-stage renal dysfunction and those on dialysis or renal replacement therapy, the use of NOAC should be considered in line with locally relevant formal recommendations. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Objective: To investigate the impact of atrial flutter (Afl) in the atrial arrhythmias classification task. We additionally advocate the use of a subject-based split for future studies in the field in order to avoid within-subject correlation which may lead to over-optimistic inferences. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the classifiers outside of the initially studied circumstances, by performing an inter-dataset model evaluation of the classifiers in data from different sources. Methods: ECG signals of two private and three public (two MIT-BIH and Chapman ecgdb) databases were preprocessed and divided into 10s segments which were then subject to feature extraction. The created datasets were divided into a training and test set in two ways, based on a random split and a patient split. Classification was performed using the XGBoost classifier, as well as two benchmark classification models using both data splits. The trained models were then used to make predictions on the test data of the remaining datasets. Results: The XGBoost model yielded the best performance across all datasets compared to the remaining benchmark models, however variability in model performance was seen across datasets, with accuracy ranging from 70.6% to 89.4%, sensitivity ranging from 61.4% to 76.8%, and specificity ranging from 87.3% to 95.5%. When comparing the results between the patient and the random split, no significant difference was seen in the two private datasets and the Chapman dataset, where the number of samples per patient is low. Nonetheless, in the MIT-BIH dataset, where the average number of samples per patient is approximately 1300, a noticeable disparity was identified. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the random split in this dataset of 93.6%, 86.4%, and 95.9% respectively, were decreased to 88%, 61.4%, and 89.8% in the patient split, with the largest drop being in Afl sensitivity, from 71% to 5.4%. The inter-dataset scores were also significantly lower than their intra-dataset counterparts across all datasets. Conclusions: CAD systems have great potential in the assistance of physicians in reliable, precise and efficient detection of arrhythmias. However, although compelling research has been done in the field, yielding models with excellent performances on their datasets, we show that these results may be over-optimistic. In our study, we give insight into the difficulty of detection of Afl on several datasets and show the need for a higher representation of Afl in public datasets. Furthermore, we show the necessity of a more structured evaluation of model performance through the use of a patient-based split and inter-dataset testing scheme to avoid the problem of within-subject correlation which may lead to misleadingly high scores. Finally, we stress the need for the creation and use of datasets with a higher number of patients and a more balanced representation of classes if we are to progress in this mission. © 2022

Objective: To investigate the impact of atrial flutter (Afl) in the atrial arrhythmias classification task. We additionally advocate the use of a subject-based split for future studies in the field in order to avoid within-subject correlation which may lead to over-optimistic inferences. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the classifiers outside of the initially studied circumstances, by performing an inter-dataset model evaluation of the classifiers in data from different sources. Methods: ECG signals of two private and three public (two MIT-BIH and Chapman ecgdb) databases were preprocessed and divided into 10s segments which were then subject to feature extraction. The created datasets were divided into a training and test set in two ways, based on a random split and a patient split. Classification was performed using the XGBoost classifier, as well as two benchmark classification models using both data splits. The trained models were then used to make predictions on the test data of the remaining datasets. Results: The XGBoost model yielded the best performance across all datasets compared to the remaining benchmark models, however variability in model performance was seen across datasets, with accuracy ranging from 70.6% to 89.4%, sensitivity ranging from 61.4% to 76.8%, and specificity ranging from 87.3% to 95.5%. When comparing the results between the patient and the random split, no significant difference was seen in the two private datasets and the Chapman dataset, where the number of samples per patient is low. Nonetheless, in the MIT-BIH dataset, where the average number of samples per patient is approximately 1300, a noticeable disparity was identified. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the random split in this dataset of 93.6%, 86.4%, and 95.9% respectively, were decreased to 88%, 61.4%, and 89.8% in the patient split, with the largest drop being in Afl sensitivity, from 71% to 5.4%. The inter-dataset scores were also significantly lower than their intra-dataset counterparts across all datasets. Conclusions: CAD systems have great potential in the assistance of physicians in reliable, precise and efficient detection of arrhythmias. However, although compelling research has been done in the field, yielding models with excellent performances on their datasets, we show that these results may be over-optimistic. In our study, we give insight into the difficulty of detection of Afl on several datasets and show the need for a higher representation of Afl in public datasets. Furthermore, we show the necessity of a more structured evaluation of model performance through the use of a patient-based split and inter-dataset testing scheme to avoid the problem of within-subject correlation which may lead to misleadingly high scores. Finally, we stress the need for the creation and use of datasets with a higher number of patients and a more balanced representation of classes if we are to progress in this mission. © 2022

BACKGROUND: Aortic graft infection is one of the most serious complications of vascular reconstruction with the incidence of 1%. The clinical presentation can vary, which delays the diagnosis. CASE REPORTS: Infections in our patients affected iliac, inguinal region, and retroperitoneum, which are not relatively common sites of graft infection. We present clinical presentation, imaging procedures, and surgical treatment of three patients with unknown cause of late graft infection after 6, 7, and 9 years. CONCLUSION: In our presentations, the etiological factors of the infection are not known, but they suggest that events in the gastrointestinal tract may be related to them. Aggressive surgery should be taken into consideration as a first choice in the similar cases. © 2021 Srdjan Babic, Vuk Jovanovic, Milan Marinkovic, Slobodan Tanaskovic, Predrag Gajin, Nenad Ilijevski.

Background: Reliable identification of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients more likely to be AF-free long-term post-single catheter ablation (CA) would facilitate appropriate risk communication to patients. We validated the recently proposed MB-LATER score for prediction of late recurrences of AF (LRAF) post-CA. Methods: Patients who underwent CA for symptomatic AF refractory to ≥1 antiarrhythmic drugs at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, between March 2003 and December 2015, for whom ≥1-year post-CA follow-up data were available, were enrolled. Results: Of 226 patients (median age 58.5 years [IQR: 52.0–65.0], 163 males [72.1%], 142 [62.8%] with paroxysmal AF), LRAF occurred in 133 patients (58.8%) during a median 2-year follow-up (IQR: 1.1–4.1). The mean MB-LATER score was significantly higher in patients with versus those without LRAF (2.4 ± 1.2 vs. 1.9 ± 1.3, p = 0.002) and showed modest but significant predictive ability for LRAF (AUC: 0.62 [95% CI: 0.54–0.69], p = 0.003). A score cut-off value of >2 showed the best predictive ability for LRAF (70.4% [61.5–77.9]), with modest sensitivity (42.9% [34.3–51.7]) and specificity (74.2% [64.1–82.7]). Kaplan-Meyer survival free from AF was significantly better for patients with a MB-LATER score of ≤2 than for those with a score of >2 (log-rank p = 0.005). Conclusion: In our study, the MB-LATER score showed a significant but modest predictive ability for LRAF post-AF ablation. Further prospective validation is needed to better define the potential role of the MB-LATER score in patient selection and treatment decision-making post-AF ablation. © 2018