Victor Babes Research Articles

Foodborne botulism in southwest Romania during the post-communism period 1990–2007

This study was a retrospective investigation of botulism cases over a period of 18 years following major political and economic changes, addressing the question of whether this disease is still an important health concern in southwest Romania. The medical records of botulism cases were used as the source of data. Patients from five southwest Romanian counties were hospitalized at Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Timisoara during the period 1990-2007. The median annual incidence of botulism cases in southwest Romania decreased from 0.1 per 100 000 persons during 1990-1998, to 0.05 per 100 000 persons during 1999-2007. Most of the cases (18.6%) were diagnosed in 1990, immediately following the communism period. The median age of the patients was 38 years (range 16-73 years); 24 (55.8%) were male; the case fatality rate was 2.3%. A significantly higher incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 000 persons occurred in rural areas, even though most of the cases (53.5%) were inhabitants of urban areas. The clinical pattern included: difficulty swallowing (79.1%), double and/or blurred vision (69.8%), dry mouth (60.5%), drooping eyelids (51.2%), vomiting (39.5%), mydriasis (37.2%), constipation (27.9%), abdominal pain (23.3%), and slurred speech (18.6%). All cases were attributed to contaminated food sources, mainly home-prepared traditional pork products. Although the botulism cases decreased over the study period in southwest Romania, this life-threatening disease continues to be an important concern. A strategy addressing individual behaviors in the home is needed to improve food safety.

Private Microsurgical Training - The Pius Branzeu Centre for Laparoscopic Surgery & Microsurgery, Victor Babes University, Timisoara, Romania

Private Microsurgical Training - The Pius Branzeu Centre for Laparoscopic Surgery & Microsurgery, Victor Babes University, Timisoara, Romania

Morphological Aspects of the Domestic Pig Articular Cartilage

The present paper tries to outline some data about the morphology of the domestic pig articular cartilage, as a starting point for further studies. The study was carried out on articular cartilage samples from domestic pig femoral head and condyles, 1 - 12 years old, from the COMTIM Freidorf slaughterhouse (abattoir). The samples were processed with the usual histological techniques and stained with hematoxilin–eosin, the Masson’s trichrome and Mallory’s trichrome methods. The samples were processed in the Histology laboratories of both the Veterinary Medicine Faculty and the Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Timisoara. The study revealed that the cartilage has different thickness, depending on the age and the place where from it has been taken. Both the variability of the matrix organization and the phenotype of the chondrocytes form the basis for the 4 zones. The superficial zone has a few cells and is rich in collagen fibres. The chondrocytes were prolonged, discoidal, with the long axis parallel to the surface. The transition zone has a reduced collagen network and has more cells as compared with the superficial zone. The chondrocytes are round or spherical, dispersed heterogeneously, and often grouped. In this zone the chondrocytes are relatively isolated from one another by a huge amount of extracellular matrix. In comparison to the superficial zone, a significant increase of the collagen content in the extra cellular matrix is observed. At the young domestic pig, cells in division can often be observed in the transition zone. The deep zone consists of hypertrophic chondocytes organized in chondrons. In the depth of the radial zone there is a second layer of cells in division, which is persistent both at the young and the adult animal. In the calcification zone the disposal of the collagen fibres is radial - perpendicular to the surface, or circular - around the chondrocyte lacunae, like a muff. The chondocytes are small, or in a necrotizing process, rare, disposed at random, closed in nonmineralized lacunae or in those in course of mineralization. In the adult the calcification zone is final and avascular. In young animals this zone is difficult to define because the cartilage is in growth. The tidemark between the mineralization zone and the radial one is slim and irregular. In young animals the tidemark is less evident because of the existent chondrogenic activity as the formation of the articular cartilage is not closed. The 4 zone description is according to the data found in the specialized literature for other species. In conclusion, the normal morphological aspects of the domestic pig articular cartilage were the four layers organization, that is analogous with the morphological aspects found in the specialized literature for the other species.

Epidemiological and diagnostic findings during a 16-year-long trichinellosis surveillance in Timis County, Romania

The main source of trichinellosis in Romania is insufficiently cooked pork infected with Trichinella spiralis. Timis, the largest Romanian county, is located in the western part of the country where pork and traditional food prepared from pork are extensively consumed. The objective of the present study was to conduct a retrospective investigation of the incidence of human trichinellosis in Timis County over a period of 16 years (1990–2005). The medical records of 521 patients were used as the source of data. Patients were hospitalized at “Victor Babes” Hospital of Infectious Diseases from Timisoara during the period 1990–2005. The highest number of cases was recorded in 1994 (16.90%) and most of the patients were in the age group of 20–29 (23.22%). Males and females were almost equally affected by trichinellosis. The clinical pattern was mainly characterised by myalgia (72.55%) and edema (54.12%). Laboratory investigations included mainly elevated eosinophil and leucocyte values. In 52.02% of the patients, the hospitalization period ranged between 8 and 14 days. Most of the patients were from urban areas, but often the source of infection was found in rural areas. Hospitalization of the affected patients required considerable health care resources. The decreasing incidence of trichinellosis in Romania over the last decade has been due to sanitary education programmes for both swine breeders and consumers.

A case report of pulmonary amoebiasis with Entamoeba histolytica diagnosed in western Romania

Among parasitic diseases, amoebiasis is the third most frequent cause of mortality after malaria and schistosomiasis. Pulmonary amoebiasis, the second most common extraintestinal manifestation of infection, occurs in 2%-3% of patients with invasive amoebiasis. The present clinical report aims to present a single case of a rare diagnosed parasitic disease in Romania and to emphasize the difficulties encounted while attempting to establish the correct diagnosis and to completely cure the patient. Retrospective analysis of all medical records of a patient hospitalized at Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Timisoara, Romania, and diagnosed with pulmonary amoebiasis. The disease debuted in 1996 with intestinal symptomatology and was not diagnosed at that time. Thus evolution continued for another five years ending with the invasion of the lung. Differential diagnosis with a bacterial abscess, tuberculous abscess, and neoplastic disease were considered. A routine microscopic examination of the sputum finally clarified the diagnosis during a second hospitalization pointing out the importance of collaboration between the infectious disease clinicians and parasitologists.

Babesiosis: Recent insights into an ancient disease

Ever since the discovery of parasitic inclusions in erythrocytes of cattle in Romania by Victor Babes at the end of the 19th century, newly recognised babesial pathogens continue to emerge around the world and the substantial public health impact of babesiosis on livestock and man is ongoing. Babesia are transmitted by ixodid ticks and infection of the host causes a host-mediated pathology and erythrocyte lysis, resulting in anemia, hyperbilirubinuria, hemoglobinuria, and possibly organ failure. Recently obtained molecular data, particularly for the 18S rRNA gene, has contributed significantly to a better understanding of the sometimes puzzling phylogenetic situation of the genus Babesia and new information has been added to help determine the taxonomic position of many species. Moreover, it seems that owing to higher medical awareness the number of reported cases in humans is rising steadily. Hitherto unknown zoonotic babesias are now being reported from geographical areas where babesiosis was not known to occur and the growing numbers of immunocompromised individuals suggest that the frequency of cases will continue to rise. This review covers recent insights into human babesiosis with regard to phylogeny, diagnostics and treatment in order to provide new information on well known as well as recently discovered parasites with zoonotic potential.

Import of malaria in a Romanian Western County

Malaria is not a serious concern in Romania nowadays although 30-60 imported cases are diagnosed yearly, especially in travellers from Africa. Timis, the most extensive of the Romanian counties, is the western gate of the country from where a lot of people travel abroad. The aim of this study is to overview all the imported cases of malaria diagnosed in our county and to describe two recent severe cases. We retrospectively analyzed both the medical records of 28 malaria patients treated between 1974 and 2007 at Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious Disease from Timisoara, Romania, and the results of 6 blood examinations performed in the last decade in the parasitological laboratory of Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Timisoara. A comparison between the two recent severe cases was made, emphasizing on the clinical aspects, complications and the laboratory test results. Most of the patients (55.38%) were in the age group of 20-29 years; 85.71% of the patients were males; Plasmodium falciparum was found in 75% of the cases. Findings of our study have shown that P. falciparum is the main malaria species in Timis County, outlining the difficulties in the diagnosis and management of the imported cases.

Particular aspects of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection: single center's 7-year experience in Romania

Methods Retrospective study on 67 infants born to 62 HIV-1 infected mothers admitted in Victor Babes Hospital Bucharest between January 2000 and June 2008. Factors examined were: epidemiological aspects, antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy, maternal CD4 cell count, HIV-RNA level, mode of delivery, gestational age and type of feeding. Statistical analysis was performed using linear regression and chi-squared test.

P.339 Dental pulp-derived neurospheres for peripheral nerve reconstruction

This study was a retrospective investigation of botulism cases over a period of 18 years following major political and economic changes, addressing the question of whether this disease is still an important health concern in southwest Romania.The medical records of botulism cases were used as the source of data. Patients from five southwest Romanian counties were hospitalized at Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Timisoara during the period 1990–2007.The median annual incidence of botulism cases in southwest Romania decreased from 0.1 per 100 000 persons during 1990–1998, to 0.05 per 100 000 persons during 1999–2007. Most of the cases (18.6%) were diagnosed in 1990, immediately following the communism period. The median age of the patients was 38 years (range 16–73 years); 24 (55.8%) were male; the case fatality rate was 2.3%. A significantly higher incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 000 persons occurred in rural areas, even though most of the cases (53.5%) were inhabitants of urban areas. The clinical pattern included: difficulty swallowing (79.1%), double and/or blurred vision (69.8%), dry mouth (60.5%), drooping eyelids (51.2%), vomiting (39.5%), mydriasis (37.2%), constipation (27.9%), abdominal pain (23.3%), and slurred speech (18.6%). All cases were attributed to contaminated food sources, mainly home-prepared traditional pork products.Although the botulism cases decreased over the study period in southwest Romania, this life-threatening disease continues to be an important concern. A strategy addressing individual behaviors in the home is needed to improve food safety.

Romanian Medical Informatics and Professor Jan H. van Bemmel’s Support

The development of medical informatics education in Romania, starting from Timisoara, was strongly influenced by the support offered generously by Professor Jan H. van Bemmel, in a period when the imposed political conditions limited contacts between Western and Eastern countries. We tried to present here some of the most significant actions and events related to this long lasting collaboration. The evolution of the relations between the Departments of Medical Informatics from Medical University in Timisoara and Erasmus University in Rotterdam is described in chronological order. Professor van Bemmel found appropriate ways to offer his support, adapted to each historical period. He started by sending books, journals and software, continued with support for attending conferences and then extended to more active collaborations. In 2006 professor van Bemmel was the keynote speaker of the EFMI Special Topic Conference held in Timisoara and was awarded the title of 'Doctor Honoris Causa' of the Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Claude E Dolman and Richard J Wolfe, Suppressing the diseases of animals and man: Theobald Smith, microbiologist, London, Harvard University Press, 2003, pp. xii, 691, illus., £29.95 (hardback 0-674-01220-8).

Claude E Dolman and Richard J Wolfe, Suppressing the diseases of animals and man: Theobald Smith, microbiologist, London, Harvard University Press, 2003, pp. xii, 691, illus., £29.95 (hardback 0-674-01220-8). - Volume 49 Issue 2

Spinal anesthesia for ambulatory urologic surgery: mini-dose lidocaine versus mini-dose bupivacaine versus conventional dose bupivacaine

Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, “Victor babes” University of Medicine and Pharma, Timisoara, Romania