Capacitance of Membrane As a Prognostic Indicator of Survival in Head and Neck Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of prognostic value of capacitance of membrane (Cm), parameter measured by bioelectrical impedance (BIA) as an alternative to known clinical factors in patients with Head and Neck Cancer (HNC). METHODS: A cohort of 75 stage IIIB and IV HNC patients treated in Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, Poland were prospectively evaluated. Cm measurements were performed in all patients using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer that was set on a frequency of 50 kHz. Results of Cm measurements were presented in nF. Survival differences were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Significantly higher Cm median was noted in well-nourished(n = 45) compared to malnourished (n = 30) patients (1.41 vs 1.01 respectively; p = 0.0009). Established in ROC curves analysis cut-off value (0.743) was characterized by 98% specificity and 37% sensitivity in the detection of malnutrition. Median overall survival (mOS) in the cohort was 32months. At the time of analysis deaths were recorded in 47 cases (62.7%). In patients who had Cm below the level of 0.743 risk of OS shortening was significantly higher than in other patients (12.1 and 43.4 months respectively; HR = 8.47, 95%CI: 2.91-24.66; χ2 = 15.38, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Cm is a strong, independent prognostic factor in head and neck cancer.

Telemedical systems for home monitoring of patients with chronic conditions in rural environment.

This paper describes the requirements and possible implementations of a telemedical system. The idea of remote patient monitoring is a point of interest for researchers in Poland, and is also in high demand in fields such as diabetology, cardiology, and geriatrics, among others. Aging society, medical care costs and many other factors make remote patient care a promising idea for the future. For each and every condition, a specialized type of sensor must be used to allow specific measurements to be performed. Moreover, a local data storage and communication device must be provided for the sensor to be able to relay data to the station. A smart phone can be used perform such tasks. By implementing such remote diagnostic systems it is possible to collect, process, store and present vital medical data that can be used immediately to perform diagnosis, or later as reference for expert systems. The 'Borboleta' and 'SaguiSaúde' systems already implemented can serve as a base for system analysis. The systems provide necessary functions and can be used as reference. Many factors contribute to the success of the telemedical system, such as ease of access, scalability, safety, platform independence, and many others. For easier implementation and clarity, the system should be divided into independent layers, which will also make it easier to modify and integrate into other medical systems. Making the system easy to use for patients, medical staff, administrators and data managers makes the task of system design especially challenging. One must decide which information is necessary for each type of user and provide them clearly and in an orderly fashion.

Stress, coping styles and personality tendencies of medical students of urban and rural origin.

INTRODUCTION: The problem of high levels of stress among medical students is a real problem and its prevalence and mechanisms have not yet been fully explored. It was found that there are only a few publications concerning the influence of urban and rural settings of the medical students in relation to stress, coping styles and personality tendencies. AIM: Analysis of the coping mechanisms and personality types of medical students of rural and urban origin based on the survey of the students of the Medical University in Lublin (MUL), south-east Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted with a group of 570 medical students from MUL, aged 19-35. Average medical student age: 22. Two questionnaires were used: CISS and SCID II for the evaluation of the coping styles and the personality tendency structures. RESULTS: The place of origin significantly influenced tendencies to the occurrence of specific personality types. The schizotypal, borderline and narcissistic personality tendencies mostly presented in big cities, less in small cities, and the least among students of rural origin. Dependent personality tendencies were significantly more common among females. The coping styles based on avoidance and on looking for the social contacts were significantly more common among females than males. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students of urban and rural origin were differentiated in terms of personality structure tendencies, concerning personalities: schizotypal, narcissistic and borderline. The tendencies to the dependent personality were also significantly more common among females than males. Two types of coping styles, based on avoidance and looking for social contacts, were significantly more common among females than males.

Bioimpedance vector pattern in Taiwanese and Polish college students detected by bioelectric impedance vector analysis: preliminary observations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to evaluate soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students. METHODS: Whole-body measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia) in 16 Taiwanese and Polish men and 16 Taiwanese and Polish women. RESULTS: Mean vectors of Taiwanese men and women groups versus the Polish men and women groups were characterized by almost the same normalized resistance component with reactance component (separate 95% confidence limits, P < 0.05) indicating that there were no differences of soft tissue hydration and mass. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: The evaluation of soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students did not differ between these two diverse ethnic groups. Further observational research investigating these properties in larger groups would be welcomed to elucidate and/or confirm these findings.