BackgroundPegylated interferon alfa plus ribavirin protocol is currently considered the most efficient hepatitis C treatment. However, no evidence of costs comparison among common viral genotypes has been published.ObjectivesWe aimed to assess core drivers of hepatitis C medical care costs and compare cost effectiveness of this treatment among patients infected by hepatitis C virus with genotypes 1 or 4 (group I), and 2 or 3 (group II).Patients and MaterialsProspective bottom-up cost-effectiveness analysis from societal perspective was conducted at Infectious Diseases Clinic, University Clinic Kragujevac, Serbia, from 2007 to 2010. There were 81 participants with hepatitis C infection, treated with peg alpha-2a interferon plus ribavirin for 48 or 24 weeks. Economic data acquired were direct inpatient medical costs, outpatient drug acquisition costs, and indirect costs calculated through human capital approach.ResultsTotal costs were significantly higher (P = 0.035) in group I (mean ± SD: 12,751.54 ± 5,588.06) compared to group II (mean ± SD: 10,580.57 ± 3,973.02). In addition, both direct (P = 0.039) and indirect (P < 0.001) costs separately were significantly higher in group I compared to group II. Separate comparison within direct costs revealed higher total cost of medical care (P = 0.024) in first compared to second genotype group, while the similar tendency was observed for total drug acquisition (P = 0.072).ConclusionHCV genotypes 1 and 4 cause more severe clinical course require more care and thus incur higher expenses compared to HCV 2 and 3 genotypes. Policy makers should consider willingness to pay threshold differentially depending upon HCV viral genotype detected.

The primary purpose of this paper is to present a system intended for student education based on a microcontroller platform and a cloud system where data will be stored. Obtained research results will be based on the application of The NodeMcu platform for data collection with sensor systems. MatLab, ThingSpeak cloud system, and the Virtuino platform will be used for data presentation. Quantitative data are applied to determine conditions for agriculture system performance management. By analyzing the literature and the current situation in monitoring and managing in the agriculture and ecology field, it can be concluded that there are no special education courses regarding these issues. This knowledge was a good starting point for the research presented in this paper. Accordingly, the findings include developing a monitoring and management system intended for student education in mentioned fields. In addition, the practical implications of this research includes the acquisition of information related to student satisfaction with this method of education in the courses of engineering, agriculture, and ecology. The presented system may enable benchmarking, simulation, and verification of different scenarios to improve students’ knowledge regarding sensors’ application in natural conditions. The originality of the research lies in the presented software solution that can be made available to educational institutions and other scientific institutions to serve as a basis in the overall monitoring and management of agricultural and ecology parameters.

Both our patients confirmed that they previously used different antibiotics. In the first case, diarrhea appeared during the antibiotic therapy, and in the second case, after finishing it. After antibiotic use, diarrhea appears in 5.30% cases, but fortunately pseudomembranous colitis is rare. However, taking into consideration that pseudomembranous colitis has a severe course and requires urgent treatment, one has to consider the possibility of pseudomembranous colitis when diarrhea appears during and after antibiotic use in order to initiate adequate therapy.

Two patients with Reiter's syndrome, after Salmonella infection were treated on the Infections disease ward at Clinical hospital center in Kragujevac. In the first patient, ten days after the onset of Salmonella infection, signs of edema and pain in the right ankle occurred, accompanied by expressed conjunctivitis. Within next two months consecutive metatarsophalanges changes joint of the right foot have appeared. In the second patient, two weeks after the onset of Salmonella infection, edema of the left hand joints and a week later edema of the right hand and right ankle joints appeared. In both patients inflammatory syndrome was expressed (high erythrocyte sedimentation rates, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein) along with negative rheumatoid factors and positive antigen HLA-B27. Outcome of the disease in both cases was favourable upon receiving nonsteroid antirheumatic therapy. Signs of arthritis disappeared after three months. No signs of recurrent arthritis have been seen during the next four years in the first and next two years in the second patient.

No abstract