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Objective. To determine reasons and their actual role in occurrence of complications in users of soft contact lenses. Methods. This was a qualitative study in which a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze obtained data. The study population consisted of two groups of subjects: 10 students who were identified as users of soft contact lenses and 4 ophthalmologists. Each of the respondents participated ina single interview. Based on audio recordings of these interviews appropriate transcripts of conversations were made and analyzed. After elimination of waste words 11 key categories were crystallized. Results. Recommendations of the ophthalmologists perhaps have the decisive role in the formation of attitude that users will have regarding the adequate hygiene of soft contact lenses: hand hygiene, proper cleanliness of storage for soft contact lenses and using the solution in the allotted time are imperative for users of soft contact lenses. Sleeping with soft contact lenses for a long period and more frequently than it was specified in the recommendation of an ophthalmologist is one of the greatest reasons for development of dry eye symptoms, while swimming with soft contact lenses increases the risk for occurrence of eye infections. Conclusion. The main reasons for the occurrence of complications in soft contact lenses users are inadequate hygiene and weakening of compliance of soft contact lenses users over time.

Introduction: The clinical significance of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), especially in the intensive care unit (ICU) manifested mostly as adverse drug reactions. Aim: The goal of this research was to conduct a focus group, in which the participants were decisionmakers in acute ischemic stroke patient treatment. Also, the aim was to reach a consensus, due to the Delphi process, between neurologists and clinical pharmacologists regarding this highly vulnerable group of patients. Material and Methods: In this academic research, so-called applied focus group (the goal was to reach practical decisions) and clinical focus group (determining motives, predeterminations, bias, prejudice and analyzing the behavior leading to a certain outcome) was done. Results: Continuing medical education of neurologists is needed regarding pDDIs and the use of an online pDDIs checker. Certain groups of patients with AIS are at particular risk of exposure to pDDIs. Certain drug groups are more likely to interact with other drugs. Conclusions: Defining medical recommendations/guidelines on evidence base medicine about pDDIs in patients with AIS would significantly contribute to reducing their frequency in this vulnerable patient population.

Background/Aim. The two-part questionnaire called Injection Phobia Scale (IPS)-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance represents one of the most commonly used questionnaires for assessing the fear of injections. The aim of the present study was to translate and culturally adapt this questionnaire from English into Serbian as well as to assess reliability and validity of the translation. Methods. The translation and cultural adaptation of the IPS–Anxiety and IPS–Avoidance was performed in accordance with the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines. Reliability testing, factor analysis and validation of Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance were carried out on a sample of 485 students of pharmacy, or medicine at the University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Results. Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPSAvoidance demonstrated high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.934 for IPS-Anxiety and 0.911 for IPS-Avoidance. Factor analysis of IPS-Anxiety showed that there are two domains, which we have called as Direct Experience (9 items) and Indirect Experience (9 items); factor analysis of IPS-Avoidance also pointed out on two domains referring to direct and indirect fear of injections. Female students scored higher on the scale showing more extensive injection phobia than male students. It is also interesting that students of pharmacy have higher level of injection phobia than students of medicine, and those students of the fifth year of study feel more fear of injections than students from the first four years. Conclusion. Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance showed good psychometric properties on population consisted of students medicine and pharmacy. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175007]

Recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are exposed to numerous drugs in both pre- and post-transplantation period, which creates an opportunity for drug-drug interactions (DDIs); if clinically relevant DDIs happen, the risk of adverse treatment outcomes is increased. Areas covered: This review is focused on DDIs in recipients of HSCT that were observed and published as clinical trials, case series or case reports. Relevant publications were found by the systematic search of the following online databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, and SCINDEX. Expert opinion: The most important DDIs involve cytostatic or immunosuppressant drug on one side, and antimicrobial drugs on the other. The majority of clinically relevant interactions have pharmacokinetic character, involving drug metabolizing enzymes in the liver. Antifungal azoles inhibit metabolism of many cytostatic and immunosuppressant drugs at cytochromes and increase their plasma concentrations. Macrolide antibiotics and fluoroqunolones should be avoided in HSCT recipients, as they have much larger potential for DDIs than other antibiotic groups. HSCT recipients increasingly receive new immunomodulating drugs, and further observational studies are needed to reveal unsuspected DDIs with clinical relevance.

In recent years, the prevalence of hookah smoking has increased worldwide, particularly in young people, which may have potentially serious consequences for their health. The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with the consumption of hookah by high school students. The present study was conducted in the city of Novi Pazar, and students aged 17-19 years attending the following high schools were included: Medical School, Grammar School, Economic-Commerce School and Catering School. The study was designed as a case-control study. The cases were students who consumed nargile, while the control group consisted of students who had never smoked nargile. A special questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of this research, which was used to evaluate the opinions of adolescents on the consumption of nargile. Our research included a total of 270 seniors in high schools in Novi Pazar. The average age of the students was 18 years. The most important factors that may contribute to start using nargile were: previous consumption of nargile by older family members, divorced parents, and active smoking of cigarettes by other family members. Most students emphasized that hookah smoking is socially unacceptable form of behavior. Also, hookah smoker were neither more attractive nor popular. Nargile consumption is more common by adolescents whose parents are divorced, as well as by adolescents whose family members are smoking nargile or tobacco. The most common reason for nargile consumption among adolescents is a desire for relaxation.

Background/Aim. Reslizumab is humanized monoclonal antibody produced by recombinant DNA technology which binds to circulating interleukin-5 (IL-5) and down-regulates the IL-5 signaling pathway. Reslizumab is indicated for the add-on maintenance treatment of patients 18 years and older with severe eosinophilic asthma phenotype whose symptoms were inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of reslizumab compared to placebo in patients suffering from inadequately controlled, moderateto- severe asthma with elevated blood eosinophil counts. Methods. Our meta-analysis was based on systematic search of literature and selection of high-quality evidence according to pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria. The effects of reslizumab and placebo were summarized using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3.5 and heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochrane Q test and I² values. Several types of bias were assessed and publication bias shown by Funnel plot and Egger’s regression. Results. The meta-analysis included 5 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Reslizumab 3.0 mg/kg produced substantial improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1. second (FEV 1) (mean difference 0.15 [0.10, 0.21]) and in forced vital capacity (FVC) (mean difference 0.21 [0.09, 0.32]) over the 15 or 16-week treatment period, substantial decrease versus placebo in Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score (mean difference -0.28 [-0.41, -0.16]), and substantial increase vs. placebo from baseline in Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) total score (mean difference 0.24 [0.06, 0.43]). Also, reslizumab 3.0 mg/kg caused less adverse events versus placebo (OR 0.67 [0.51, 0.88]), especially asthma worsening (OR 0.53 [0.36, 0.77]) or bronchitis (OR 0.42 [0.24, 0.74]). Conclusion. On the basis of published clinical trials reslizumab could be considered as an effective and safe therapeutic option for severe, poorly controlled eosinophilic asthma for the time being. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175007]

Carvacrol is a monoterpenic phenol and an active ingredient of the plant essential oils of the family Lamiaceae. We have investigated the analgesic effect of carvacrol, the possible dependence of the effect in relation to animal sex, and the impact of carvacrol on motor coordination in rats. Hyperalgesia was induced by formalin (1.5%), which was administered SC in the upper lip of rat. Hyperalgesia and effects of carvacrol and indomethacin were measured by using the orofacial formalin test. The influence on motor coordination in animals treated with carvacrol was investigated by using the rota-rod test. Carvacrol administered PO in pre-treatment (45 min. prior to formalin) at a single dose of 50, 75 and 100 mg /kg BW, in the male, 50 and 100 mg /kg BW, in female rats caused a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect. This effect of carvacrol was significantly higher (P lt 0.01, P lt 0.001) in male rats. Compared with indomethacin administered during pre-treatment (2 mg/kg, PO), carvacrol (100 mg/kg) exhibits significantly higher (P lt 0.05 and P lt 0.001) antinociceptive effect on formalininduced hyperalgesia in male rats. In the rota-rod test carvacrol did not disturb the motor coordination in male rats, nor the dose of carvacrol with clear antinociceptive properties exhibited depressive effect on the CNS of treated rats. Keeping in mind that the monoterpene carvacrol is of plant origin, with potentially less side effects and without residues, it is realistic to expect the possibility of its therapeutic use in the treatment of inflammatory pain in animals. Karvakrol je monoterpenski fenol i sastavni je deo esencijalnih ulja biljaka iz familije Lamiaceae. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se ispita analgetičko dejstvo karvakrola, moguće razlike u farmakološkom odgovoru između polova, i uticaj karvakrola na koordinaciju kretanja kod pacova. Hiperalgezija je izazvana formalinom (1,5%) koji je aplikovan s.c. u gornju usnu pacova. Hiperalgezija i efekti karvakrola i indometacina mereni su orofacijalnim formalinskim testom. Uticaj na motornu koordinaciju kod životinja tretiranih karvakrolom ispitali smo rota-rod testom. Karvakrol primenjen p.o. u pretretmanu (45 min. pre aplikacije formalina) u dozi od 50, 75 i 100 mg/kg t.m. kod mužjaka i dozi od 50 i 100 mg/kg t.m. kod ženki pacova, prouzrokuje dozno zavisan antinociceptivni efekat. Ovaj efekat karvakrola je značajno veći (P lt 0,01, P lt 0,001) kod pacova muškog pola. U poređenju sa indometacinom aplikovanim u pretretmanu (2 mg/kg, p.o.), karvakrol (100 mg/kg) ispoljava značajno veći (P lt 0,05 i P lt 0,001) antinociceptivni efekat na formalinom izazvanu hiperalgeziju kod mužjaka pacova. U rota-rod testu karvakrol nije narušio motornu koordinaciju kod mužjka pacova, niti doza karvakrol sa jasnim antinociceptivnim svojstvima deluje depresivno na CNS tretiranih pacova. Imajući u vidu da je karvakrol monoterpen biljnog porekla sa malo potencijalnih neželjenih dejstava i bez rezidua, realno je očekivati mogućnost njegove primenu u terapiji inflamatornog bola kod životinja.

High prevalence of therapy-resistant epilepsy demands development of anticonvulsants with new mechanisms of action. Brivaracetam is an analogue of levetiracetam which binds to the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) and decreases release of excitatory neurotransmitters. Areas covered: Relevant published studies were searched for by predefined strategy in MEDLINE, EBSCO and SCINDEKS electronic databases. Brivaracetam is effective as adjunctive therapy for uncontrolled partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization in patients 16 years and older with epilepsy. It reduces baseline-adjusted focal seizure frequency per week from 7.3 to 12.8% over placebo. Adverse events rate in patients with brivaracetam is not higher than in patients with placebo. Expert opinion: Brivaracetam is an important step forward in the treatment of therapy-resistant partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. Its development was systematic and targeted. Due to its efficacy and excellent safety profile, it is likely that brivaracetam will be often prescribed. In future, efficacy and safety of brivaracetam should be tested in monotherapy settings and also in the first-line therapy of partial-onset seizures.