BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between neuroticism, pain catastrophizing, and experimentally induced pain threshold and pain tolerance in a healthy adult sample from two regions of the country of Croatia: the island of Korcula and city of Split. METHODS: A total of 1,322 participants were enrolled from the Island of Korcula (n = 824) and the city of Split (n = 498). Participants completed a self-reported personality measure Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and pain catastrophizing questionnaire Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), followed by a mechanical pain pressure threshold and tolerance test. We have explored the mediating role of catastrophizing in the relationship between neuroticism and pain intensity. RESULTS: The results showed that pain catastrophizing partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and pain intensity, suggesting the importance of pain catastrophizing in increasing vulnerability to pain. The results also indicated gender-related differences, marked by the higher pain threshold and tolerance in men. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the understanding of the complex interplay between personality and pain, by providing a better understanding of such mechanisms in healthy adults.
Adult ; Catastrophization ; Croatia ; Humans ; Male ; Negotiating ; Pain Measurement ; Pain Threshold

To examine whether tattooed patients, treated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by war at the Ward for Psycho-trauma of the Clinical Hospital Osijek, differ from non-tattooed patients by certain personality traits. The study was conducted on one hundred Croatian veterans who were divided into two groups with respect to the presence/ absence of tattoo. To assess the symptoms of PTSD, the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-2) was used for all subjects. To assess personality traits the following psychology tests were applied: Purdue non-verbal IQ test, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-1), and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (EPQ/A and EPQ/IVE). With respect to the examined pre-traumatic variables and PTSD symptoms, the two groups manifested no differences. The non-tattooed group achieved higher scores on the IQ test (IQ=100) than the tattooed group (IQ=95). EPQ test showed results either above or below the norms on all scales that were applied. The tattooed group demonstrated significantly higher levels of impulsiveness, adventurism, empathy and neuroticism than the non-tattooed one (p < 0.05). In the group of 100 Croatian veterans treated for PTSD, 33 had tattoos and 67 did not. The results indicated more impulsiveness, adventurism / risk behavior, empathy and neuroticism in the tattooed group than in the non-tattooed group, while there was no significant difference in the intensity of the PTSD symptoms.
Adult ; Combat Disorders/*psychology ; Croatia ; Human ; Male ; *Personality ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*psychology ; Tattooing/*psychology ; Veterans/*psychology

The aim of this study was to assess eventual differences in serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), triglycerides, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio between veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) only or comorbid with major depressive disorder (MDD), veterans with combat experiences with MDD, and healthy control group. PTSD and/ or MDD were diagnose according to structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV criteria. Additional criteria to diagnose PTSD were Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and to diagnose MDD Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRAS). Serum lipid concentrations were determined by using the enzyme-assay method. Veterans with combat-related PTSD as well as veterans with combat-related PTSD comorbid with MDD showed significantly higher concentrations of cholesterol (F=9.858, p<0.01), triglycerides (F=10.112, p<0.01), LDL-C (F=11.145, p<0.01), and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (F=8.346, p<0.01) vs. veterans with MDD or healthy control group. Contrary healthy control group and veterans with MDD showed significantly higher concentrations of HDL-C (F=8.421, p<0.01), vs. veterans with PTSD or PTSD comorbid with MDD. In conclusion, there are no differences in serum lipid concentrations between veterans with combat-related PTSD and PTSD comorbid with MDD, but they have higher lipid concentrations than veterans with MDD or healthy control subjects.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol/blood ; Combat Disorders ; Croatia ; Depression/*blood/*complications ; Human ; Lipids/*metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*blood/*complications ; Veterans

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of an earthquake during COVID-19 lockdown on fracture admission at a tertiary trauma centre in Croatia. METHODS: A case-control study was performed at the tertiary trauma centre registry. Two different periods were studied. The case group included a period during COVID-19 lockdown right after the earthquakes until the end of the confinement period in Croatia. And the control group corresponded to the equivalent period in 2019. We identified all consecutive patients who were admitted due to urgent care requirements for the musculoskeletal trauma. Patient's demographic data and admitting diagnoses were assessed. Data were analyzed by statistical procedures using the program MedCalc statistical software version 16.4.3. RESULTS: We identified 178 emergency admissions due to musculoskeletal trauma. During the COVID-19 lockdown and post-earthquake period, there was a drastic reduction in total admissions (359 vs. 662; p < 0.0001) with an increased proportion of trauma admissions within the emergency admissions (34.9% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.02926, Z = -2.1825). Furthermore, in the case group there was a significant increase in hospital admissions due to ankle/foot trauma (11 vs. 2, p = 0.0126) and a trend towards a decrease in the admissions due to tibia fractures (5 vs. 12, p = 0.0896), however without statistical significance. Also, an increased proportion of women within the group of femoral fractures in both case group (81.6% vs. 52.6%, p = 0.00194, Z = 3.1033) and the control group (82.3% vs. 60.5%, p = 0.0232, Z = 2.2742) was observed. In both analyzed periods, the osteoporotic hip fracture was the most common independent admitting diagnosis. CONCLUSION It is crucial to understand how natural disasters like earthquakes influence the pattern of trauma admissions during a coexisting pandemic. Accordingly, healthcare systems have to be prepared for an increased influx of certain pathology, like foot and ankle trauma.
COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Communicable Disease Control ; Croatia/epidemiology* ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Trauma Centers

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess perinatal outcome of pregnancy burdened with maternal addiction in comparison with an unselected population from a European transition country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on pregnancies complicated by illicit drug abuse (n = 85) managed during a 10-year period (1997-2007) at Split University Hospital were analyzed. Data on the type of drug, course of gestation and labor, and on perinatal outcome were considered. Data on all non-dependence pregnancies recorded during the study period were used as a control group. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 85 dependence-complicated pregnancies (0.2%). Use of heroin alone during pregnancy was recorded in 51 women (50%), methadone alone in 6 (7%), and a combination of heroin and methadone in 9 (11%). Premature delivery was significantly more common in the group of pregnant addicts (21% vs. 6%); 49% of pregnant addicts were carriers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 14% of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Neonatal abstinence syndrome developed in 61 infants (7%) born to addicted mothers. There were 4 cases (4.6%) of early neonatal death; 7 neonates had 5-minute Apgar score < or = 7 (8%); 29 neonates had low birth weight for age (33%); and 7 neonates had congenital anomalies (8%). The risk of various congenital anomalies was 3-fold in the group of children born to addicted mothers. CONCLUSION: Addiction pregnancies present a small but high-risk group according to perinatal outcome. Appropriate obstetric and neonatal care can reduce the rate of complications in these pregnancies and improve perinatal outcome.
Adult ; Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Croatia/epidemiology ; Female ; Heroin/adverse effects ; Heroin Dependence/*complications/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant Mortality ; Infant, Newborn ; *Maternal Exposure ; Methadone/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome/epidemiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/*chemically induced/epidemiology ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology ; *Pregnancy Outcome