Prevalence and factors leading to unemployment in MS (multiple sclerosis) patients undergoing immunomodulatory treatment in Poland.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common, primary neurogenic cause of disability among young adults. We investigated demographic and clinical factors associated with unemployment on the example of 150 MS patients receiving immunomodulatory treatment in Poland. This study was based on clinical evaluation and collection of self-reported questionnaires, with an attention to self-motivation, severe fatigue and moderate disability. Patients who were unemployed (40% of all patients) had a mean disease duration of almost 5 years. Older (p<0.001), less educated (p = 0.007) and more severely disabled patients (p<0,001) were most likely to be unemployed. Moderate disability (OR = 11.089 95% CI: 4.11-34.201, p<0,001), severe fatigue (OR = 2.625 95% CI: 1.02-6.901, p = 0,046) and lower level of self-motivation (KNS) (OR = 0.947, 95% CI: 0.896-0.006, p = 0.042) were independently associated with unemployment.

Patients' and bystanders' awareness of stroke and pre-hospital delay after stroke onset: perspectives for thrombolysis in West Pomerania Province, Poland.

OBJECTIVE: Thrombolysis is a time-dependent therapy. It is therefore very important how fast stroke patients can reach hospital. The present study was designed to assess which proportion of patients with stroke (from the population of Szczecin, the capital of West Pomerania Province, Poland) reaches hospital within the recommended time from the thrombolytic therapy point of view. The purpose of our study was also to elucidate which factors can influence the time before the ambulance service is called. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 1,015 patients with stroke admitted to the Emergency Department of the University Hospital, Szczecin. RESULTS: 235 patients (23.1%) were admitted to the hospital within the appropriate period for thrombolytic therapy. Hospital arrival time was significantly earlier in older patients and in patients with severer neurological deficits. We also observed a tendency for faster hospitalization of women, the highly educated, and patients regularly using antiplatelet drugs for cardiovascular disease prevention. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of stroke patients hospitalized within 2 h after stroke onset should be increased. The most susceptible subpopulations in our country seem to be older patients, the highly educated and patients regularly using antiplatelet drugs for cardiovascular disease prevention.