[Health survey of ambulance workers with a generic questionnaire (SF-36)]. / A mentodolgozók egészségi állapotának vizsgálata generikus kérdoívvel (SF-36).

INTRODUCTION: The high work-related stress among ambulance workers is a widely known a phenomenon. AIM: The aim of the authors was to asses self-reported health status of ambulance workers. METHOD: An anonym self-fill-in questionnaire applying SF-36 was used among workers from the northern and western regions of Hungarian National Ambulance Service. RESULTS: Based on the dimensions of the SF-36 questionnaire the responders considered their "Physical Functioning" the best, while "Vitality" was regarded the worst. The more time an employee have been worked at the Ambulance Service the worse his health was in the first four dimensions including "Physical Functioning", "Role-Physical", "Bodily Pain" and "General Health": p<0.001. Those working in part-time jobs considered their health in all dimensions worse. The respondents who did some kind of sports hold their health in all dimensions better (p<0.001). The workers with higher body mass index regarded their health status worse, in four dimensions: "Physical Functioning" (p = 0.001), "Role-Physical" (p = 0.013), "General Health" (p<0.001) and "Role-Emotional" (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to the subjective perception of health and measurable parameters of health status of workers proved to be insufficient. Poor physical health can lead indirectly to psychological problems, which may lower the quality of the work and can lead to high turn-over. .

[Basic consideration on the security checking of sick travelers at airports]. / A beteg utazók repülotéri biztonsági vizsgálatának alapelvei.

The authorities guarantee the safety of passengers during air travel by strict ground security measures. All of these measures are restrictive and can affect the health status of both healthy and ill travelers. Patients who are in critical condition or confined to a stretcher and have to be repatriated by stretcher on a regular flight, must pass the airport security check as well. But the developers of security system should take into account the medical safety of patients during the procedure. The relevant medical principles are painfully missing not only in Hungary, but unfortunately also at most international airports. On the basis of principles reviewed in the present publication, an unambiguous, professionally reconciled regulation is necessary that would serve as a guideline for airport management and authorities, as well as for the involved medical personnel. Although setting principles into practice requires a different solution at each airport, yet, passenger safety and patient safety have to be harmonized as soon as possible.

Significance of off-hours in centralized primary percutaneous coronary intervention network.

AIM: To analyze the efficacy of a regionally organized primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) network at the Heart Center, Semmelweis University Budapest, part of the "Budapest model," and the factors that influence it. METHODS: In order to investigate the differences between regular and off-hours patient care in a 24-hour myocardial infarction primary care system, we included 1890 consecutive, unselected patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and followed them until at least one year. The follow-up was complete for all participants. RESULTS: The difference between regular hours and off-hours mortality was not significant either after 30 days (8.6% vs 8.8%, respectively) or after 1 year (15.3% vs 14.7%, respectively). The rate of patients with re-infarction, frequency of re-intervention, and major adverse cardiac events, including death, re-infarction, re-intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, were similar in both patient groups. The time delay between the onset of chest pain and arrival to the clinic was 5.9+/-5.8 hours (mean+/- standard deviation) during regular hours and 5.2+/-4.6 hours during off-hours (P=0.235). Direct transport caused significant decrease in the 30-day and 1-year mortality independent of duty time (7.2% vs 9.9%, P=0.027; 12.6% vs 16.7%, P=0.028; respectively). CONCLUSION: Centralized primary PCI network of the "Budapest model" achieved the same level of patient care during both off-hours and regular hours.