: Bulgaria had the highest mortality rate of COVID-19 in Europe and the second highest in the world based on statistical data. This study aimed to determine the mortality predictors in 306 adult patients with COVID-19 infection, treated at the COVID-19 Ward of St. George University Hospital in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in the period of August 2021-April 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFolia Med (Plovdiv)
February 2024
Severe and critical forms of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Numerous research studies have been conducted around the world to investigate various variables (demographic, clinical, laboratory, etc.) in an attempt to understand the relationships between them and the course and outcome of patients with COVID-19 infection and pneumonia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsthma is a major non-communicable disease. It affects both children and adults, but is the most common chronic condition among the former. While inhaled controller drugs stabilize the disease in most asthma patients, there are a certain number of people who suffer from severe asthma, which requires treatment escalation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExercise-induced desaturation is common in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It provides additional information about physical capacity and disease evolution, and it is an important predictor of mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulm Pharmacol Ther
December 2022
Background: The beneficial effects of application of a fixed dose beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and formoterol fumarate (F) for the treatment of severe chronic obstructive disease (COPD) has been amply proven in well controlled clinical trials. Whether this also holds for real-world conditions and in such a heterogeneous patient population as is encountered in Bulgaria remained to be investigated.
Methods: In an observational, non-interventional study, 441 Bulgarian patients with severe COPD who were enrolled at 36 sites across the country received extrafine BDP/FF-combination therapy using the NEXThaler® DPI or the Foster® pMDI over a period of 16 weeks.
Folia Med (Plovdiv)
June 2022
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a common worldwide disease in adults over 50 years of age. The clinical diagnosis at the beginning of the disease is very difficult, even impossible, without typical symptoms and image changes. Mathematical models for searching risk factors include analysing medical history data, comorbidities, biochemical and instrumental results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF