Summary Fear of needles can significantly limit professional and social functioning of a person, and is highly prevalent in general population (4%). The aim of our study was to reveal risk factors that are associated with fear of needles among healthy university students of medicine and pharmacy. The study was of a cross-sectional type. In total, 301 students of medicine or pharmacy (82% female and 18% male) attending from 1st to 5th year of study were surveyed at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. The students were surveyed using a questionnaires (scales) for assessing the fear of needless, a visual analog scale for self-assessment intensity of the fear of needless, and a general questionnaire with questions about socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Using a score on the scales as out-come variables, multiple regressions were employed to reveal factors that may influence the fear of needles. Average values of Blood/Injection Fear Scale, Injection Phobia Scale-Anxiety and Medical Avoidance Survey scores were 7.89 ± 9.48, 4.46 ± 5.18 and 89.95 ± 12.73, respectively. The following factors affected significantly the score of the scales: course of study, chronic disease in the family, fear of a dentist, smell of the room phobia, sound phobia, score on the Beck’s anxiety scale and fear of a situation when medical staff give an injection. The presence of chronic disease in the family was a protective factor, while the other six factors were contributing to the fear of needles. Fear of needles is more prevalent among the students of pharmacy than among the students of medicine. It is less frequent among students with chronic disease in their family, while fear of dentist, smell of the room phobia, sound phobia, general anxiety and fear from the situation when medical staff give an injection are all factors that predispose students of medicine or pharmacy to develop fear of needles.

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Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is an idiopathic inflammatory hyperproliferative chronic dermatosis characterized by: perifollicular coalescing papules with central keratotic acuminate plugs gradually submerged in sheets of erythema; perifollicular erythema with islands of unaffected skin; palmoplantar keratoderma; diffuse desquamation which typically spreads from the head down to the feet. The cause of the condition is unknown, but possible etiological factors include: vitamin A deficiency, trauma, infections, autoimmune mechanisms, and malignancies. Taking into account different age of onset, clinical course, morphology and prognosis, there are six different types of the disease: two in adults (classical and atypical); three in children (classical, circumscribed and atypical); one in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus. This paper presents two male patients with clinical symptoms of classical PRP, 53 and 69 years of age at the onset of the disease, with rapid generalized involvement, typical erythematous perifollicular papules, islands of unaffected skin, palmoplantar hyperkeratosis with a waxy appearance and nail changes. The diagnosis was based on clinical findings and histopathologic analysis. Apart from topical therapy with emollients, corticosteroids and keratolytics, they received systemic retinoids and corticosteroids, which resulted in improvement of skin lesions. It is extremely important to consider the possible triggering factors, establish the diagnosis as soon as possible and begin proper treatment.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulans and anticardiolipine antibodies) are freqent cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion in patients with secondary sterility. Our aim was to evaluate the freqency of lupus anticoagulans antibodies in patients with recurrent abortions and to analyze their coagulation status relative to health (control) patients. We got the statistical significances (p < 0.05) in number of lupus anticoagulans positive women between the groups. Activated partial tromboplastin time and protrombin time are statistical significans (p < 0.05) higher in analyzed patients with recurrent abortion, which is in agreement of existing lupus anticoagulans activity. Detecting by the time, antiphospholipid antibodies and giving the anticoagulant therapy to the patients, the risk for abortion will be decreased.