RESULTSFrom the multivariate logistic regression analysis the risk factors for PD were: a history of genital and/or perineal injuries, transurethral prostatectomy, cystoscopy, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lipoma, propranolol in therapy, Dupuytren's contracture in the medical history, ever having smoked, alcohol consumption, fibromatous lesions of the genital tract of the partner, and surgical intervention on the genital tract of the partner. CONCLUSIONThe results of the present study are in line with the hypothesis that, in addition to genetic predisposition, trauma of the penis and systemic vascular diseases are risk factors for PD. Smoking and alcohol consumption also seem to have some role in the development of the disease.

A case-control study of 110 consecutive psoriatic outpatients and 200 unmatched controls was carried out in order to analyze the association of psoriasis with smoking habits, alcohol consumption, family history of psoriasis and stressful life events. Stressful life events were assessed with Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events, a semi-structured interview covering 63 life events. According to our results, the risk of psoriasis is higher in urban dwellers (odds ratio [OR] = 3.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99-13.18), patients who were divorced (OR = 5.69; 95% CI = 2.26-14.34) and those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at home (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.12-4.67). Alcohol consumption (OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.26-5.17), family history of psoriasis (OR = 33.96; 95% CI = 14.14-81.57) and change in work conditions (OR = 8.34; 95% CI = 1.86-37.43) are also risk factors for psoriasis. Separate analyses for men and women showed that the risk of developing psoriasis was stronger in men with a family history of psoriasis (OR = 30.39; 95% CI = 6.72-137.42) than in women (OR = 16.99; 95% CI = 7.21-40.07). The effect of environmental tobacco smoke at home was found only in women (OR = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.26-4.73). Future well-designed epidemiological studies need to be performed in order to determine whether lifestyle factors and stress could be risk factors triggering or aggravating psoriasis.

Aim To estimate the incidence rate and risk factors of surgical site infections in the orthopedic wards in a major teaching hospital in Serbia.Methods A 6-month prospective cohort study, with 30 days of patient follow-up after surgery, was conducted at the teaching hospital in Belgrade. We collected patients' basic demographic data and data on underlying disease status, surgical procedures, preoperative preparation of patients, and antibiotic prophylaxis. The National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) risk index was computed for each patient. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine risk factors for surgical site infections.Results Assessment of 277 patients after operation revealed surgical site infection in 63 patients. In 3 (4.8%) of them, surgical site infections were detected after hospital discharge. The overall incidence rate of surgical site infections was 22.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 17.5-29.1). The incidence increased from 13.2% in clean wounds to 70.0% in dirty wounds. The rates of surgical site infection for the NNIS risk index classes 0 to 3 were 8.1% (13 of 161), 36.4% (32 of 88), 63.0% (17 of 27), and 100% (1 of 1) (P<0.001; χ 2 test). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following independent risk factors for surgical site infections: greater number of persons in the operating room (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02-1.60), contaminated or dirty wounds (OR, 12.09; 95% CI, 5.56-26.28), and American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) score >2 (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.51-7.95). In patients who were shaved with a razor, the period of 12 or more hours between shaving and intervention was also an independent risk factor (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.22-6.28).Conclusion There is a high incidence of surgical site infections in orthopedic patients in Serbia in comparison with developed countries and some developing countries. Points for intervention could be reduction of personnel during surgery, better treatment of wounds, decreasing ASA score, and reduction of the time between surgical site shaving and the intervention.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of caffeine consumption during pregnancy on birth weight and its possible interaction with smoking. The sample included 1,011 women who were interviewed during their first 3 days after delivery in one of the hospitals of Belgrade, Yugoslavia. A significant reduction in birth weight was found to be associated with an average caffeine intake of > or = 71 mg per day, after adjustment for gestational age, infant sex, parity, and maternal height and weight, but only in infants born to nonsmoking mothers.

This study has been carried out to examine whether the Suchey-Brooks (S&B) methods could be successfully applied in age assessment of populations from the Balkans. The known-age sample consists of 33 females and 52 males pairs of pubic bones collected from the autopsy cases. Age estimation by S&B method showed an accuracy of 89.74% in males and 72.0% in females. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation between the actual age of the investigated individuals and age phases obtained by the S&B method, although the mean values of the sixth age category differed significantly compared with the original model. The most reliable indicators in both sexes were the relief of the symphyseal surface, lipping, symphyseal rim, and dorsal margin. The discriminating power of these indicators was the least reliable in distinguishing S&B phases 2 and 3. Based on these results, the appropriate recommendations for aging Serbian populations are made. There was a good agreement between two observers (kappa=0.726).

New-onset AF after pPCI is associated with adverse 30-day outcomes. Accurate prediction of AF after pPCI might help deciding a more aggressive treatment approach aimed at preventing the adverse prognosis of these patients.

A case-control study was conducted in order to assess possible relationships between life events and Graves' disease. The study included 100 newly diagnosed patients with Graves' disease and 100 controls matched with respect to sex, age ( +/- 2 years) and type of residence (rural, urban). Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events (a semistructured research interview covering 61 life events) was administered to each subject. In comparison with controls, the patients claimed to have had significantly more life events in the 12 months preceding the diagnosis (p = 0.0001). The following eight life events were significantly more prevalent among patients than controls: change in time spent on work (much overtime work, second job, much less work than usual) (McNemar = 12.04; RR = 7.00; 95%CI = 2.35-20.80; p = 0.0001), unemployment for at least 1 month (McNemar = 4.00; RR = 8.00; 95%CI = 1.04-61.39; p = 0.039), arguments with one's superior at work or a co-worker (McNemar = 4.50; RR = 3.50; 95%CI = 1.10-11.08; p = 0.031). change in the work conditions (new company division, new chief, large reorganization) (McNemar = 4.26; RR = 4.00; 95%CI = 1.07-14.92; p = 0.035), increased arguments with spouse (McNemar = 6.75; RR = 11.00; 95%CI = 1.82-66.44; p = 0.006), increased arguments with fiancé/fiancée or a steady date (McNemar = 4.00; RR = 8.00; 95%CI = 1.04-61.39; p = 0.039), hospitalization of a family member for serious illness (McNemar = 3.76; RR = 3.25; 95%CI = 1.01-10.68; p = 0.049) and moderate financial difficulties (McNemar = 8.50; RR = 3.25; 95%CI = 1.47-7.16; p = 0.003). Our findings indicate that life events may be a risk factor for Graves' disease.

The final results of the study have shown that the national health priority areas should cover cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and mental health.