Objective of this systematic review was to establish whether and what invasive infections in humans were caused by Kocuria kristinae, and to evaluate outcomes of administered antibiotic treatment. MEDLINE, EBSCO, SCOPUS, SCINDEKS and GOOGLE SCHOLAR were systematically searched for primary case reports or case series describing invasive infections with K. kristinae. K. kristinae is a pathogen microorganism that could cause invasive infections of various tissues in patients of any age. Majority of the patients had K. kristinae isolated from blood. It was also found in peritoneal fluid, pus, sputum, synovial fluid, bile, fluid from abdominal abscess, throat swab, urine catheter tip and mid-stream urine. Antibiotic treatment was almost universally effective, with only one death reported. Susceptibility was highest to vancomycin, linezolid, rifampicin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, cefotaxime, ampicillin/sulbactam, minocycline and meropenem. Initial treatment of Kocuria kristinae infections should involve parenteral vancomycin in combination with some other antibiotic to which it is susceptible.

Anticonvulsants that belong to the third generation are considered as 'newer' antiepileptic drugs, including: eslicarbazepine acetate, lacosamide, perampanel, brivaracetam, rufinamide and stiripentol. Areas covered: This article reviews pharmacodynamics (i.e. mechanisms of action) and clinically relevant drug-drug interactions of the third-generation antiepileptic drugs. Expert opinion: Newer antiepileptic drugs have mechanisms of action which are not shared with the first and the second generation anticonvulsants, like inhibition of neurotransmitters release, blocking receptors for excitatory amino acids and new ways of sodium channel inactivation. New mechanisms of action increase chances of controlling forms of epilepsy resistant to older anticonvulsants. Important advantage of the third-generation anticonvulsants could be their little propensity for interactions with both antiepileptic and other drugs observed until now, making prescribing much easier and safer. However, this may change with new studies specifically designed to discover drug-drug interactions. Although the third-generation antiepileptic drugs enlarged therapeutic palette against epilepsy, 20-30% of patients with epilepsy is still treatment-resistant and need new pharmacological approach. There is great need to explore all molecular targets that may directly or indirectly be involved in generation of seizures, so a number of candidate compounds for even newer anticonvulsants could be generated.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this systematic review was to establish what invasive infections in humans are caused by S. maltophilia and to evaluate the optimal choice of antibiotics for their treatment. MEDLINE, EBSCO, SCOPUS, SCINDEKS and GOOGLE SCHOLAR were systematically searched for clinical trials, observational studies, case reports or case series describing invasive infections with S. maltophilia in patients of any age. S. maltophilia may cause invasive infections of various tissues in hospitalized patients. In the great majority of cases it was susceptible to co-trimoxazole, levofloxacin and ceftazidime. In about three fourths of the cases, the treatment was successful, while less than 20% of the patients died. S. maltophilia is increasingly associated with serious invasive infections in hospitalized patients and due to growing trend of resistance to almost all antibiotics requires a careful approach to patients who is harboring this bacterium.

Background and Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of dental fear among schoolchildren in Bosnia and Herzegovina, analyze the distribution of dental anxiety by gender, age, and place of residence in relation to perceived sources of fear, and evaluate its association with oral health status. Materials and Methods: The sample included 355 schoolchildren between the ages of 12 and 15. Data were gathered using a self-assessment questionnaire, a brief clinical oral examination, and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule–Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Results: Clinical examinations showed that 87.61% of the children had dental caries, with a mean DMFT score of 3.75 (SD = 2.93). The prevalence of dental caries was significantly higher in the older group compared to the younger group (p < 0.01). Dental fear was present in 21.7% of the children, with a mean total CFSS-DS score of 27.50 (SD = 13.85). The most feared aspect among the children was “Choking” (73.8%), followed by “Injections” (63.7%) and “The noise of the dentist drilling” (52.1%). Children with dental fear had a significantly greater number of decayed and missing teeth, higher DMFT scores, and poorer gingival health and oral hygiene compared to those without dental fear (p < 0.01), even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Conclusions: The study found a moderate level of dental fear among Bosnian schoolchildren, with younger children and those from urban areas showing more fear of injections. It also showed a consistent link between dental anxiety and clinical factors such as caries, gum disease, and oral hygiene, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Background/Aim. Promotion of oral health in military population is not only a significant component of general health, but also of the military readiness and represents the strategic orientation of each country. The basic task of military dentistry is to provide oral health of military personnel and to enable their operational readiness at the optimal level. The aim of the study was to assess the periodontal condition in Serbian military population using the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), and the influence of general life habits and local risk factors on periodontal health. Methods. This prospective cross-sectional pilot study was conducted on 101 examinees at the mean age of 38.94 ? 11.63 years who had dental check-ups at the Dental Clinic of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. All the categories of military personnel aged 20-64 years were divided into five groups. The frequency distribution of general and local factors on periodontal health, oral hygiene index, and the assessment of the mean number of sextants by CPITN compared to age were examined. Results. The examinees at the age of 51-60 years had the best oral hygiene index (0.95 ? 0.65), whereas the oldest population had the worst (1.63 ? 0.42). Only one person (5.6%) at the age group of 51-60 years had a completely healthy periodontium. Observed in relation to the age groups, the mean values of sextants increased linearly, but in general population, the most frequent CPITN categories were in sextant with the periodontal pockets 4-5 mm (score 3). Conclusions. Compared to the results from other countries shown by the World Health Organization, the periodontal condition in our examinees is below the average. The appropriate preventive program preparation and its implementation are needed, including primarily the appropriate training on oral hygiene, as well as education based on periodontal disease prevention and treatment.

Background: Dental care presents affordability issues in Central & Eastern European transitional economies due to lack of insurance coverage in most countries of the region and almost complete out-of-pocket payments by citizens.Objective: Real world estimates on cost differentials across clinical dentistry branches, ICD-10 diagnostic groups and groups of dental services.Methods: Prospective case-series cost analysis was conducted from the patient perspective. A six months time horizon was adopted. Sample size was 752 complete episodes of treatment in 250 patients, selected in 2012/2013 throughout several specialist state- and private-owned dental clinics in Serbia. All direct costs of dental care were taken into account and expressed in Euros (€).Results: Mean total costs of dental care were € 46 ± 156 per single dentist visit while total costs incurred by this population sample were € 34,424. Highest unit utilization of services belongs to conservative dentistry (31.9%), oral surgery (19.5%) and radiology (17.4%), while the resource with the highest monetary value belongs to implantology € 828 ± 392, orthodontics € 706 ± 667 and prosthetics € 555 ± 244. The most frequently treated diagnosis was tooth decay (33.8% unit services provided), pulpitis (11.2%) and impacted teeth (8.5%), while most expensive to treat were anomalies of tooth position (€ 648 ± 667), abnormalities of size and form of teeth (€ 508 ± 705) and loss of teeth due to accident, extraction or local periodontal disease (€ 336 ± 339).Conclusion: Although the range of dental costs currently falls behind EU average, Serbia’s emerging economy is likely to expand in the long run while market demand for dental services will grow. Due to threatened financial sustainability of current health insurance patterns in Western Balkans, getting acquainted with true size and structure of dental care costs could essentially support informed decision making in future.