Medical Sciences
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The Medical Sciences community showcases scholarly publications and research outputs authored by faculty and researchers in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. This collection includes journal articles, working papers, conference proceedings, and other academic works that contribute to the understanding of theory, policy, and practice. It aims to promote open access to high-quality economic research conducted within the institution.
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Item Electrical burn injuries of 246 patients treated at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo during the period 2005–2010(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, VioletaBackground In the developing world, the incidence of electrical injuries has increased in the past few years. Electrical injuries represent approximately 5 % of all burn admissions to burn units in the United States. Objective The objective of this study is to understand the causes of electrical burns in our population, sex, age, duration of treatment, distribution of electrical burns by season, accompanying other traumatic injuries with electrical burns, entry lesions of high-voltage electrocution, location of injuries, the methods of treatment, duration of treatment, and mortality. Materials and methods This is a retrospective study that included 246 patients with electrical burns treated in the 2005–2010 period at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Kosovo. The data were collected and analyzed from the archives and protocols of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Data processing was done with the statistical package InStat 3. From the statistical parameters the structural index, arithmetic median, and standard deviation were calculated. Data testing was done with the v 2 test and the differences were considered significant if p\0.05. Conclusion The high mortality, 9.1 %, and 7 patients (10.6 %) transferred out of our country for treatment is a reflection of the lack of a burn center in our department.Item Epidemiology of pediatric burn injuries in Kosovo(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, VioletaBackground Burns are the third most common cause of mortality in children and adolescents. Many burns that occur in the first two decades of life are accidental and preventable. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burn-related injuries in children up to 15 years old in Kosovo. Methods This was a retrospective study that included 628 patients with burns, younger than 15 years old who were admitted to the Clinic of Plastic Surgery, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2015. The patients were categorized into three age groups: 0–3, 4–7, and 8–15 years old. Data on the gender, age, cause, burn size and depth, duration of hospitalization, and treatment were collected and analyzed. Results During the study period, in our population, burns in children were predominantly in boys with 374 cases (59.6 %), while 254 patients were girls (40.4 %). Scalding was the most common type of burn with 566 cases or 90.2%.The median TBSA burned was 18.8% with a range of 1–70%. Duration of treatment ranged from 0 to 81 days. The mean hospitalization was 32.2 days. Conclusions A high rate of childhood burns in Kosovo requires hospital admissions and prolonged hospital stays. To reduce pediatric burns in Kosovo, a burn-prevention strategy and program should be developed. Level of Evidence: Level IV, risk / prognostic studyItem EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BURN INJURIES IN KOSOVO: A 10-YEAR REVIEW(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, VioletaBurns are the most devastating form of trauma. They are among the most devastating injuries a child can sustain, and coupled with prolonged aggressive and non-aggressive medical and nursing therapies, can result in long-term physical and psychological concerns. Data were obtained from medical records of burned patients treated in our clinic from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015. Subsequent details are examined, such as age, gender, etiologic factor, surface of the affected area, depth of burn, localization of injury by region, season when they happened the most, methods of treatment and duration of hospitalization. A total of 1268 patients with burns were admitted to the Clinic of Plastic Surgery Kosovo for treatment between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2015. During the period of our research, male patients were predominant, accounting for 835 cases (65.85%) of burns while 433 (34.14%) patients were female. The average age in this study was 23 years. Our findings, even with the caveats known to this study, suggest that there is still a high number of patients with burn injury requiring hospital admission.Item PEDIATRIC BURNS IN UNIVERSITY CLINICAL CENTRE OF KOSOVO FROM 2011-2015(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, VioletaThe objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burn-related injuries in children <15 years in Kosovo, and compare incidence and cause of burns with our previous study conducted over the period 2005-2010 on children with burn injuries of the same age group. This was a retrospective study of pediatric patients (n=277) admitted to the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015. We analyzed data on gender, age, cause, location, burn size (TBSA), depth of injury, seasonality, duration of hospitalization and treatment of burn-related injuries, collected from the medical records available in the archives of the University Clinical Centre of Pristina. The patients were categorized into three age groups: infants and toddlers (0-2 years), early childhood (3-6 years) and late childhood (7-15 years). Data were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. During the study period 2011-2015, in our population, burns in children were predominant in boys, with 166 cases (59.9%), while 111 patients were girls (40.1%). The incidence of extensive burns in childhood remains high, although we have seen a slight decrease compared to the previous 5-year study period.Item Paradoxi i kontrollit të cilësisë në kujdesin kirurgjik: Strategjitë për të kapërcyer variabilitetin dhe përmirësuar rezultatet e pacientëve.(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, Skender; Beqiri, Lirije; Zatriqi, VioletaIntroduction: The quality control paradox in surgical care arises from the tension between the need for standardized practices and the inherent variability in surgical procedures and patient outcomes. This study explores potential strategies to address this paradox, including quality improvement initiatives, clinical audits, and the integration of palliative care into surgical practices.Results and Review of Presence in Practice Across Countries: In the United States, initiatives such as the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) have been central in improving quality and reducing variability in surgical care. In Australia, regular audits like the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality have led to significant improvements in surgical practices. Several countries are also beginning to integrate palliative care into surgical settings to better address the needs of seriously ill patients, which improves patient satisfaction and overall care. Discussion: Quality improvement programs and clinical audits have proven effective in reducing surgical errors and variability. However, challenges remain in terms of resource availability and training, especially in low-resource settings. Additionally, integrating palliative care into surgical practices can be difficult due to limited resources and lack of standardization across different countries. Conclusion: Addressing the quality control paradox in surgical care requires a coordinated, international effort that includes the implementation of structured quality improvement initiatives, regular clinical audits, and the integration of palliative care. These strategies collectively contribute to improving patient outcomes and providing high-quality care. Adoption of these initiatives globally is crucial for reducing variability and improving the overall patient experience in surgical care.Item Tissue expansion in reconstructive surgery: A 10‑year experience in Kosovo. International Journal of Biomedicine(AAB College, 2025-07-16) Zatriqi, Skender; Zatriqi, VioletaBackground: Tissue expansion (TE) is one of the major developments in reconstructive surgery. The objective of this research was a retrospective analysis of our 10-year experience in correcting burn sequelae, traumas, and scars by the method of TE. Methods and Results: A retrospective study was conducted at the Clinic of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK, Prishtina) from January 2009 to December 2019. The sample included 67 patients (43[64.2%] females and 24[35.8%] males) treated with tissue expanders for reconstructive purposes. The most common indication for TE was burn sequelae, trauma, and scars from previous surgery. One hundred and thirty-five expanders were placed on 67 patients, and 128 operative interventions were performed. Burn sequelae (55.2%) were the main reason for TE. The age of patients was in the range of 0-50 years (mean age of 20.5 years). The predominant age groups were 11-20 years (49.2%) and 21-30 (40.3%). The most common anatomical region for TE was the head, including the face and neck (47.8%), followed by the trunk (22.4%), the lower extremities (16.4%), and the upper extremities (13.4%). Most patients underwent only one (61.2%) or two surgical interventions (31.3%); three surgical interventions were performed in 7.5% of cases. One expander was placed in the vast majority of our patients (83.6%), two expanders in 13.4% of cases, and three expanders in 3.0% Patients with expanders on the head and neck experienced more major complications (12.5%), which ended with the removal of the expander, than those with expanders on the trunk (6.7%) and lower extremities (9.1%). Minor complications most often (18.2%) occurred on the lower extremities. These complications were evidenced by pain and transient ischemia, which did not preclude the attainment of reconstructive goals. Patients of 0 to 10 years of age had only minor complications. Occurrences of major complications were the most frequent in the age groups of 11-20 (9.1%), 21-30 (11.1%), and 31-40 (33.3%) years. Conclusion: The results of our retrospective study on the efficacy of cutaneous expansion procedures are broadly in line with other research reported in the literature. Attention to different aspects of TE, including careful patient selection and meticulous attention to intervention detail, are the main conditions for the success of this reconstructive surgery.