Browsing by Author "Vukomanovic, Goran (8252832300)"

In this paper, we introduce an approach for Electromyogram (EMG) noise level approximation in Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The stationary wavelet transform (SWT) is used to find efficient translation-invariant approximation of EMG noise. This is accomplished in the form of reference signal extracted as an estimation of the signal quality vs. EMG noise. The reference signal is built and then normalized after considering different heart rates and rhythms which increases its robustness and reliability to give accurate results regardless of input signal rhythm. Additionally, four applications of the extracted reference signal are suggested in this paper. For evaluation purposes both real EMG and artificial noises were used. The tested ECG signals are from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database Directory. The correlation coefficient between the added noise and the reference signal were computed for moving windows over the signal. Finally, the correlation between beats detection and reference signal was computed and presented. Reference signal gave high correlation with false positive values. Most false positives caused by EMG noise occur in intervals of greater amplitude reference signal and vice versa. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

In this paper, we introduce an approach for Electromyogram (EMG) noise level approximation in Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The stationary wavelet transform (SWT) is used to find efficient translation-invariant approximation of EMG noise. This is accomplished in the form of reference signal extracted as an estimation of the signal quality vs. EMG noise. The reference signal is built and then normalized after considering different heart rates and rhythms which increases its robustness and reliability to give accurate results regardless of input signal rhythm. Additionally, four applications of the extracted reference signal are suggested in this paper. For evaluation purposes both real EMG and artificial noises were used. The tested ECG signals are from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database Directory. The correlation coefficient between the added noise and the reference signal were computed for moving windows over the signal. Finally, the correlation between beats detection and reference signal was computed and presented. Reference signal gave high correlation with false positive values. Most false positives caused by EMG noise occur in intervals of greater amplitude reference signal and vice versa. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Background: It is unclear whether the heart is affected in pediatric patients with milder forms of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Therefore, we aimed to determine the presence of any cardiac abnormalities in these patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of children and adolescents with SMA types 2 and 3 between July 2018 and July 2019. All patients underwent a comprehensive cardiac evaluation, including history-taking, physical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, measurement of cardiac biomarkers (cardiac troponin T [cTnT] and N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]), and 24-hour Holter monitoring. Results: In total, 42 patients were enrolled (27 and 15 with SMA type 2 and 3, respectively). No patient had structural heart disease, except for one with mitral valve prolapse. None had signs of ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography. Both cTnT and NT-proBNP levels were normal in all patients. Electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia in seven patients (16.7%), and prolonged P-R interval in one (2.4%). Holter monitoring detected benign ventricular arrhythmias in two patients (4.8%), and rare supraventricular premature beats in one. The mean 24-hour heart rate was elevated in six patients (14.3%), whereas both the minimum 24-hour heart rate and the maximum R-R interval were increased in 23 (54.8%). Discussion: The prevalence of cardiac disease in pediatric patients with SMA types 2 and 3 is low; however, these patients may have increased resting heart rates. A complete cardiac history and physical examination are a useful screen. Additional cardiac investigations may be performed as needed. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC

Background: It is unclear whether the heart is affected in pediatric patients with milder forms of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Therefore, we aimed to determine the presence of any cardiac abnormalities in these patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of children and adolescents with SMA types 2 and 3 between July 2018 and July 2019. All patients underwent a comprehensive cardiac evaluation, including history-taking, physical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, measurement of cardiac biomarkers (cardiac troponin T [cTnT] and N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]), and 24-hour Holter monitoring. Results: In total, 42 patients were enrolled (27 and 15 with SMA type 2 and 3, respectively). No patient had structural heart disease, except for one with mitral valve prolapse. None had signs of ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography. Both cTnT and NT-proBNP levels were normal in all patients. Electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia in seven patients (16.7%), and prolonged P-R interval in one (2.4%). Holter monitoring detected benign ventricular arrhythmias in two patients (4.8%), and rare supraventricular premature beats in one. The mean 24-hour heart rate was elevated in six patients (14.3%), whereas both the minimum 24-hour heart rate and the maximum R-R interval were increased in 23 (54.8%). Discussion: The prevalence of cardiac disease in pediatric patients with SMA types 2 and 3 is low; however, these patients may have increased resting heart rates. A complete cardiac history and physical examination are a useful screen. Additional cardiac investigations may be performed as needed. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC

A National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) is a multi-disciplinary body of national experts that provide evidence-based recommendations to policy-makers to assist them in making informed immunization policy and programme decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NITAGs faced many challenges in making evidence-based recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines due to the rapidly evolving situation with new vaccine products available in a short time period and limited data on vaccine effectiveness. The authors reviewed the process used by Serbia's NITAG, which is called the Serbian Expert Committee on Immunization, to develop COVID-19 vaccine recommendations during the pandemic. The article examines the challenges and successes faced by the committee. Serbia's expert committee used the best available evidence to develop over forty recommendations on all aspects of COVID-19 vaccination. These expert committee recommendations facilitated the early procurement and successful roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, guidance for vaccination of individuals at the highest risk, and high COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the country. The availability of five COVID-19 vaccines in Serbia was an advantage for the successful roll-out but posed challenges for the expert committee. Serbia's expert committee plans to use the experience and best practices developed during the pandemic to improve and expand its work moving forward. Copyright © 2022 Markovic-Denic, Popadic, Jovanovic, Bonaci-Nikolic, Samardzic, Tomic Spiric, Rancic, Sankar Datta, Mosina, Jancic, Vukomanovic, Jovanovic, Vukomanovic, Antic, Veljkovic, Saponjic and Jacques-Carroll.

Purpose: Oral propranolol has been recently approved for infantile hemangiomas (IHs), but potential side effects stay a challenge. We sought to make an additional assessment on oral propranolol safety for this indication. Materials and methods: Prospective study included 108 infants consecutively treated for IHs at the University Children’s Hospital Tirsova, Belgrade from January 2010 to December 2013. Propranolol was administered orally at a daily dose of 0.5 mg/kg and doubled every 48 hours in the absence of side effects until reaching the maximum dose of 2 mg/kg daily. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured every 48 hours with clinical observation. Heart rate was monitored by standard electrocardiogram (ECG) and 48-hour Holter ECG. Results: Statistically significant, but asymptomatic decreases in systolic blood pressure and heart rate recorded by Holter ECG were observed during the first doubling of dose and then remained stable. Arrhythmias were not detected. Despite mild sleep disturbance observed in 31% of infants in the hospital milieu, Holter monitoring indicated circadian rhythm maintenance. Conclusions: Oral propranolol for IHs does not remarkably affect heart rhythm including circadian variations throughout hospital initiation. Therefore, there is no necessity for Holter monitoring in additional safety assessment. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.