Esteemed colleagues, dear friends,
Almost two years of great challenges are behind us. Doctors, as well as all other health workers, belong to the part of society that has shown uncompromising preparedness, devotion, and perseverance in the fight for human lives. In such circumstances, the establishment of a medical journal, such as the Serbian Journal of the Medical Chamber, was not only the collective desire, but also a particular sign of vitality of our honorable profession.
Thus far, we have, indeed, achieved a lot. The Serbian Journal of the Medical Chamber has been, from its inception, designed in such a way as to meet, in structure and content, as well as in its editing and publishing policy, all the criteria of a high-quality scientific and professional journal. The Journal has also met all the requirements for being catalogued by the National Library of Serbia, and, hopefully very soon, for being successfully categorized. The Journal’s contents are present and available on digital platforms, from Internet presentations to social media. Not only has the number of manuscripts we receive been constantly rising, but the number of reviewers willing to help in our joint effort has risen as well. We have created a motivated and team-oriented core editorial collegium, comprised of eminent doctors and experts, university lecturers, and associates from different fields of expertise, with the aim of disseminating modern medical ideas and knowledge, through an approach, which, we believe, guarantees continuous progress.
All of this, of course, is not enough, unless this form of quality information exchange (including professional debate, which is a key part of such exchange) essentially influences better and richer everyday professional practice. This is why the most important role of the Journal is, first and foremost, educational. It is our wish that the Serbian Journal of the Medical Chamber should become an eminent and internationally recognized journal representing Serbian medical thought, a publication representative of Serbian medical practice, and a place where professionals and researchers will be able to present their authentic opinions and experiences that will improve healthcare and patient treatment (this being the basic mission of our profession), with these opinions and experiences being available and applicable in every segment of the healthcare system.
In this issue of the Journal, we are again publishing papers covering a wide array of professional and research topics and profiles. We feel that it is a great success that this is already the second issue where attention is given to the most current experiences and discoveries related to COVID-19 and its impact on the healthcare system, the health of individuals and society. We also feel that we have achieved great success by attracting an increasing number of young doctors to share their results and achievements within the wider medical circle, through our Journal.
We single out the study by Marija Zdravković et al. where the golden standard of noninvasive diagnostics of the syndrome of post-COVID myopericarditis is described.
Nađa Marić et al. have presented preliminary data on depression in Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The original paper by Ivana Damnjanović et al. is the result of a retrospective five-year long study dealing with the clinical, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic characteristics of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as with achieving remission, the presence of resistant forms, and the rates of relapse.
In their paper, Milica Milošević et al. evaluated the development of infection after autologous stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), in a cohort of patients with lymphoma.
Dejan Dudok and Marijana Virijević noticed that high levels of serum ferritin in acute myeloid leukemia, at the time of diagnosis, correlated with the development of sepsis in the induction phase of treatment, as well as with a higher incidence of early death.
In their paper, Jelena Aritonović Pribaković et al. have demonstrated that continued and prolonged monitoring of COVID-19 patients is necessary, as pleural effusion may occur, even in younger patients without comorbidities and with a mild form of COVID-19.
Ana Sekulić et al. described the complications of anticoagulant therapy in a COVID-19 patient who had developed retroperitoneal hematoma.
In their review article, Milan Latas et al. stress the necessity of forming specialized services that would provide support and assistance to patients with mental health problems during COVID-19.
In a literature review article, Marija Branković et al. have presented clinically significant data related to the treatment of COVID-19 patients experiencing gastrointestinal complaints, which may be the first and only symptom of the disease.
A systematic literature overview by Jovica Milovanović et al. shows that, globally, the application of antibiotics in treating COVID-19 patients is disproportionately high, which will significantly affect global antimicrobial resistance in the future.
Slaviša Zagorac offers a literature review on the significance of starting methylprednisolone treatment within the first eight hours of spinal cord injury.
The final paper in this issue of the Journal was written by Radmila Sparić et al., and it provides a detailed description of the PALM-COEIN classification of abnormal uterine bleeding.
We believe that, together, we will continue to promote the highest professional values with even greater success.
On behalf of the editorial staff, allow us to wish you a healthier, even more successful and more peaceful New Year 2022, and a joyous Christmas!
