Implementation of the Patient Counselling Service at the Cancer Hospital in Radom, Poland.

Background: Non-adherence occurs in various groups of patients, including those with chronic diseases. One strategy to increase adherence among oncological patients is to individualise treatment and expand pharmaceutical care. Pharmaceutical labels that remind patients how they should take their medications are of great importance in this respect. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate medication adherence in oncological patients, and to gather their opinions on the individual medication labelling system as an element of effective treatment. Methods: The study was conducted in 2021 among 82 patients of the oncological department of the Centre of Oncology in Radom. The research tool was a questionnaire consisting of personal data and two parts relating to the patient's disease and the medication labelling system. Results: Nearly half of the respondents reported that they forget to take medications and how they should take them. These problems increased with the age of the patient and the number of administered medications. Of the respondents, 89% stated that the labels with dosing information are helpful. Over 67% agreed that these labels should be affixed to all medications. Nearly 90% of the respondents believed the labels should be available in all pharmacies. Conclusions: Non-adherence is a common phenomenon among oncological patients. Pharmacists providing a labelling service for medicinal products can play a significant role in reducing this phenomenon.

Utilisation of lipid-lowering therapies in outpatient settings in Poland: epidemiological survey Economedica Dyslipidaemia 2015.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidaemia, especially elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. Treatment of dyslipidaemia and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with lipid-lowering drugs is one of the key issues in reducing cardiovascular mortality. Nevertheless, underutilisation of statins and lipid-lowering drugs is still a problem globally. AIM: The present study aimed to describe the utilisation of lipid-lowering drugs in groups of patients with indications for statin treatment and elevated LDL-C. METHODS: The study included adult patients with an indication for the use of a lipid-lowering therapy, currently using or not using such therapy because of contraindications or statin intolerance, in whom LDL-C concentration was > 70 mg/dL, treated in outpatient settings. All patients were screened for CVD and had blood cholesterol concentration assessed. Patients were also divided into: (1) patients with vascular disease; (2) patients with diabetes mellitus; (3) aged ≥ 65 years; and (4) patients without the three mentioned risk factors. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 2812 (51.4% male) patients. Major cardiovascular risk factors including arterial hyper-tension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and smoking were highly prevalent in the study population (86.2%, 44.1%, and 23.3%, respectively). Out of the prespecified risk factors (vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, age ≥ 65 years) the study population was divided into patients without any of the mentioned risk factors (n = 520), those with all the three risk factors (n = 368), two out of three risk factors (n = 934), and one risk factor (n = 990). The study showed that 89.6% of patients were treated with statins (47.8% with atorvastatin, 27.8% with rosuvastatin, and 13.8% with simvastatin). Fenofibrate was used in 5.8% of the population and ezetimibe in 2.7%. In the whole group, 7.1% of patients did not receive any type of lipid-lowering therapy. Atorvastatin was more often used in patients with all the three prespecified risk factors, while rosuvastatin was used in patients without any of the risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The most often-used lipid-lowering drugs in Poland are statins, with atorvastatin and rosuvastatin being used the most common of these. The present study shows that some patients with LDL-C concentration > 70 mg/dL and indications for lipid-lowering are not treated accordingly.

Evaluation of the prevalence of periodontal disease as a non-classical risk factor in the group of patients undergoing hip and/or knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is a chronic disease causing an inflammatory process that affects various organs and is as-sociated with an increased risk of many diseases, including bone and cardiovascular disease. AIM: The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of periodontal disease in continuous patients scheduled for hip or knee replacement surgery. METHODS: The study was a prospective, epidemiological analysis performed in consecutive patients scheduled for total joint (hip or knee) replacement surgery. Patients enrolled into the study were screened for classical risk factors and had a dental evaluation performed for the diagnosis of periodontal disease. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 228 patients. A total of 137 (60.1%) patients were scheduled for a hip replace-ment surgery, while 91 (39.9%) had a knee replacement. The mean age of the study population was 66.8 ± 12.2 years, and 83 (36.4%) patients were male. A clinically significant disease was present in 65 (28.5%) cases, while all (100%) of the patients had at least minimal signs of periodontal disease. In patients with periodontal disease the percentage of tartar involvement of the teeth was 33.1 ± 26.8%, mean dental plaque coverage was 48.1 ± 29.8%, and bleeding occurred at a rate of 35.4 ± 29%. As for the hygiene level, it was generally poor in the majority of patients with periodontal disease. No differences in terms of baseline risk factors were present between patients with and without periodontal disease. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, periodontal diseases are highly prevalent in patients undergoing hip and/or knee replacement surgery. The presence of the periodontal disease is possibly associated with a worse prognosis and should be treated.

Peripheral ARtery Atherosclerotic DIsease and SlEep disordered breathing (PARADISE) trial - protocol for an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is in fact a group of disease entities with different symptoms and course but a common underlying cause, i.e. atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is known to be aggravated by several cardiovascular risk factors, including obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). AIM: Following paper is a protocol for the Peripheral ARtery Atherosclerotic DIsease and SlEep disordered breathing (PARADISE) trial, which aims to describe the prevalence of OSA in PAD patients scheduled for revascularisation, and to determine the effect of OSA on the procedure outcomes. METHODS: The PARADISE study is an observational cohort trial. It plans to include 200 consecutive patients hospitalised for revascularisation due to PAD. In every patient an overnight sleep study will be performed to diagnose sleep disorders. Accord¬ing to the results of the test, patients will be divided into two groups: group A - patients with OSA, and group B - patients without OSA (control group). All patients will also be screened for classical and non-classical cardiovascular risk factors. In some of the patients, during surgery, a fragment of atherosclerotic plaque will be collected for further testing. Patients will be followed for one year for adverse events and end-points. Primary end-point of the study will be the failure of revascularisa¬tion defined as recurrence or new onset of the symptoms of ischaemia from the treated region, a need for re-operation or procedure revision, or recurrence of ischaemia signs on the imaging tests. DISCUSSION: The data obtained will help determine the incidence of OSA in the population of patients with PAD. The au¬thors expect to show that, as with other cardiovascular diseases associated with atherosclerosis, also in patients with PAD the incidence of undiagnosed OSA is high and its presence is associated with elevated cholesterol, inflammatory markers, and higher prevalence of arterial hypertension and poor control of other cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, due to increased oxidative stress and vascular endothelial injury associated with OSA, patients afflicted with this condition will not only have more advanced atherosclerotic lesions, but also in their histopathological examination their atherosclerotic plaque will exhibit evidence of greater instability and adverse morphology. We also expect to show that in patients with OSA, achieving cor¬rect control of cardiovascular risk factors will be more difficult. The study may improve PAD control through assuring better multispecialty care in PAD patients.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk in patients undergoing total joint alloplasty: the CRASH-JOINT study.

BACKGROUND: Risk assessment is of particular importance for patients undergoing surgical interventions. Orthopaedic procedures, especially total joint alloplasty, are major procedures associated with high perioperative risk, as well as one of the highest rates of complications. AIM: The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence of classical and non-classical cardiovascular risk factors in patients undergoing total hip or knee alloplasty. METHODS: The CRASH-JOINT (Cardiovascular Risk Assessment ScHeme in JOINT alloplasty) was a prospective, epidemiological study performed in consecutive patients scheduled for total joint (hip or knee) replacement surgery. Patients enrolled into the study were screened for cardiovascular risk factors and had ambulatory blood pressure performed for the diagnosis of hypertension. RESULTS: The present study enrolled 98 patients. During initial screening eight patients were disqualified from the study and the surgery, in the majority due to the cardiac causes. Sixty-five patients had a hip joint replacement and 25 had knee joint replacement (mean age 63.7 ± 12.2 years, 62.2% female). Fifty (55.6%) patients were diagnosed with arterial hypertension in the past, ten (11.1%) patients had diabetes mellitus, two (2.2%) had a history of myocardial infarction, and family history of cardiovascular disease was present in 24 (26.7%) cases. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.0 ± 5.1 kg/m² and 39 (43.3%) patients were overweight, while 28 (31.1%) were obese. Patients undergoing hip replacement were significantly younger (61.8 ± 12.6 vs. 68.5 ± 10.0 years; p = 0.02), were more often current smokers (24.6% vs. 4.0%; p = 0.03), had significantly lower BMI (26.8 ± 4.5 vs. 31.2 ± 5.3 kg/m²; p < 0.0001), and were less often obese (18.5% vs. 64.0%; p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between patients scheduled for primary surgery and reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that classical cardiovascular risk factors in patients undergoing total hip or knee alloplasty have a higher prevalent than in the general population, which can potentially contribute to the higher risk of development of perioperative complications.

A study to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of stress coping strategies in heart failure patients in Poland (CAPS-LOCK-HF sub-study).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of different stress coping strategies in Polish patients suffering from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF). METHODS: This manuscript is a sub-study of the CAPS-LOCK-HF multicentre psychological status assessment of patients with HFREF. Patients with > six-month history of HFREF and clinical stability for ≥ three months and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 45% were enrolled in the study. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained from medical records, while a standardised Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) was applied to all subjects. RESULTS: The study comprised 758 patients (599 men; 79%) with a median age of 64 years (IQR 58-71). Median LVEF was 33% (25-40). Subjects most commonly used task-oriented coping strategies (median CISS score 55 points; IQR 49-61), followed by avoidance (45 points; 39-50) and emotion-oriented coping strategies (41 points; 34-48). Distraction-based avoidance coping strategies (20 points; 16-23) were more pronounced than social diversion strategies (16 points; 14-19). Multiple regression analysis showed that higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and lower systolic blood pressure were independent predictors of task-oriented style. Emotion-oriented coping was more common among females and higher NYHA classes, and in patients who did not take angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Patients who used avoidance-oriented strategies were more frequently those in sinus rhythm on assessment and those who had less history of neoplastic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HFREF most commonly use favourable task-oriented coping strategies. However, female patients and those with higher NYHA classes tend to use potentially detrimental emotion-oriented coping strategies.

Clinical characteristics, aetiology and occurrence of type 2 acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. One of the most important diseases in this group is myocardial infarction (MI). According to the universal definition developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), MI is divided into five main types based on its cause. Type 2 MI is secondary to ischaemia due to either increased demand or decreased supply of oxygen (for example due to coronary artery spasm, anaemia, arrhythmia, coronary embolism, hypertension, or hypotension). AIM: To assess the occurrence and aetiology of type 2 acute MI (AMI), and to describe the clinical characteristics and prognosis of study patients. METHODS: Into a retrospective study, we enrolled 2,882 patients in the Cardiology Department with an initial diagnosis of AMI between 2009 and 2012. Diagnosis of AMI was made based on ESC criteria. In all patients, coronary angiography was performed in order to exclude haemodynamically significant coronary lesions. RESULTS: Among 2,882 patients hospitalised in the described time period, 58 (2%) patients were diagnosed with type 2 AMI.The mean age of the study group was 67.3 ± 13.2 years; and the majority of the study group, 60.3%, were women. Out of them, 23 (39.6%) patients experienced AMI due to coronary artery spasm, 15 (25.9%) due to arrhythmias, 11 (19%) due to severe anaemia, and nine (15.5%) due to hypertension, without significant coronary artery disease. 42 (72.4%) patients, were diagnosed as non-ST-segment elevation MI, 14 (24.1%) as ST-segment elevation MI, and two (3.5%) as AMI in the presence of ventricular paced rhythm. History of classical cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, family history of heart diseases, and smoking was reported in 42 (72.4%), 14 (24.1%), 23 (39.7%), 24 (41.4%), and 16 (27.6%) cases, respectively. All-cause 30-day mortality rate was 5.2%, and six-month was 6.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 AMI patients were more often female, and they were more often diagnosed as non-ST-segment elevation MI. The prevalence of classical cardiovascular risk factors in this subgroup of patients was very high. The leading cause of AMI was coronary artery spasm.

Atrial fibrillation as a first clinical manifestation of right atrial cavernous haemangioma.

Primary heart tumours are rare with an incidence of 0.02% in reported autopsy series. One of the most uncommon is haemangioma. We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman, who presented with a giant cavernous haemangioma, but with no clinical manifestations other than atrial fibrillation. Performed echocardiography showed a giant (6.5 x 7.5 cm) tumour located in the right atrium, modelling other heart chambers. In order to improve atrial haemodynamics, a large portion of the tumour was removed via sternotomy. Examination after 12 months showed no further growth of the unremoved part of the tumour.

Resistant hypertension in an obese patient with obvious obstructive sleep apnea and occult pheochromocytoma.

We report the case of a 34-year-old male patient who presented with generalized weakness, poorly controlled hypertension, nocturnal hypertension spikes, and morning headaches. The history of resistant hypertension, obesity, enlarged neck size, and loud irregular snoring strongly suggested obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To exclude other possible causes of resistant hypertension, the patient underwent an abdominal ultrasound examination, which revealed a lesion in the left adrenal gland area. A pheochromocytoma was successfully removed via laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and both his hypertension and OSA responded dramatically. This case highlights the importance of excluding all causes of resistant hypertension regardless of the initial diagnosis.

[Exudative pericarditis due to secondary kidney amyloidosis--a case report]. / Wysiekowe zapalenie osierdzia w przebiegu wtórnej amyloidozy nerek--opis przypadku.

Non-infective pericarditis in some cases may be caused by secondary amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is a metabolic disorder in which amyloid protein is deposited in various organs and destroys them. The most frequent location of systemic amyloidosis are the kidneys. In this case study we report a 74-year-old man who was admitted to hospital due to very poor condition, generalised oedema and severe dyspnoea. Since 2003 the patient had been hospitalised many times due to pericarditis of unknown aetiology. In this case we diagnosed exudative pericarditis due to nephrotic syndrome caused by secondary kidney amyloidosis which occurs very rarely.