Automatic external defibrillator (AED) location - seconds that save lifes.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a significant cause of adult mortality, categorized into in-hospital (IHCA) and out-of-hospital (OHCA). Survival in OHCA depends on early diagnosis, alerting Emergency Medical Service (EMS), high-quality bystander resuscitation, and prompt Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) use. Accelerating technological progress supports faster AED retrieval and use, but there are barriers in real-life OHCA situations. The study assesses 6th-year medical students' ability to locate AEDs using smartphones, revealing challenges and proposing solutions. MATERIAL & METHODS: The study was conducted in 2022-2023 at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland. Respondents completed a survey on AED knowledge and characteristics, followed by a task to find the nearest AED using their own smartphones. As common sources did not list the University AEDs, respondents were instructed to locate the nearest AED outside the research site. RESULTS: A total of 300 6th-year medical students took part in the study. Only 3.3% had an AED locating app. Only 32% of students claimed to know where the AED nearest to their home is. All 300 had received AED training, and almost half had been witness to a resuscitation. Out of the 291 medical students who completed the AED location task, the median time to locate the nearest AED was 58 s. Most participants (86.6%) found the AED within 100 s, and over half (53%) did so in under 1 min. CONCLUSIONS: National registration of AEDs should be mandatory. A unified source of all AEDs mapped should be created or added to existing ones. With a median of under one minute, searching for AED by a bystander should be considered as a point in the chain of survival.

Influence of ethnicity on aesthetic preferences for lip characteristics in Caucasian male and female faces.

BACKGROUND: In an era where globalization and social media significantly reshape beauty standards, it is imperative to delve into the subjectivity of beauty and attractiveness. The lips, a key element in facial aesthetics, contribute significantly to the perception of attractiveness, and also have a profound impact on an individual's self-esteem. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of ethnicity on the aesthetic preferences for lip characteristics, among male and female faces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study encompassed a sample of 231 study participants (153 women and 78 men) with an average age of 23.2 ±â€¯2.8 years, representing ethnicities such as African, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, and South Asian. Participants were asked to rate a series of images showcasing various lip variants, providing insights into their aesthetic preferences. RESULTS: Demographic analysis revealed gender and ethnic variations in aesthetic preferences for all the investigated lip parameters. Women were 2.42 times more likely than men to prefer no Cupid's indentation on a female model (p = 0.0019). CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the importance of understanding cultural influences on beauty standards and challenges the notion of a universal beauty ideal. The evolving role of social media trends, such as Cupid's bow indentation elimination, raises questions about the dynamic nature of aesthetic preferences among different ethnicities.

The "Central Tendency Bias" in the assessment of facial attractiveness in group-based and individual ratings-A survey-based study in 727 volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of esthetic procedures emphasizes the need for effective evaluation methods of outcomes. Current practices include the individual practitioners' judgment in conjunction with standardized scales, often relying on the comparison of before and after photographs. This study investigates whether comparative evaluations influence the perception of beauty and aims to enhance the accuracy of esthetic assessments in clinical and research settings. OBJECTIVE: To compare the evaluation of attractiveness and gender characteristics of faces in group-based versus individual ratings. METHODS: A sample of 727 volunteers (average age of 29.5 years) assessed 40 facial photographs (20 male, 20 female) for attractiveness, masculinity, and femininity using a 5-point Likert scale. Each face was digitally edited to display varying ratios in four lip-related proportions: vertical lip position, lip width, upper lip esthetics, and lower lip esthetics. Participants rated these images both in an image series (group-based) and individually. RESULTS: Differences in the perception of the most attractive/masculine/feminine ratios for each lip proportion were found in both the group-based and individual ratings. Group ratings exhibited a significant central tendency bias, with a preference for more average outcomes compared with individual ratings, with an average difference of 0.50 versus 1.00. (p = 0.033) CONCLUSION: A central tendency bias was noted in evaluations of attractiveness, masculinity, and femininity in group-based image presentation, indicating a bias toward more "average" features. Conversely, individual assessments displayed a preference for more pronounced, "non-average" appearances, thereby possibly pointing toward a malleable "intrinsic esthetic blueprint" shaped by comparative context.

Public Attitude towards Implementing DNAR and a Stance on Pediatric DNAR in Poland-A Prospective Survey Study.

Background: Do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) is a document signed by a patient, which states that they do not want to be resuscitated. In Poland, DNAR is not regulated by law. We aimed to assess people's perceptions on DNAR and pediatric DNAR in Poland. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed via the snowball sampling method in different voivodeships in Poland in the years 2014-2018. The survey consisted of questions regarding knowledge and attitudes towards DNAR and pediatric DNAR. Results: A total of 1049 responses were collected. Moreover, 82% support introducing DNAR in Poland, but 78% believe that this is not a pressing issue. In a general question, 46% of respondents believe that DNAR should be obtainable only for adults. However, in a specific question, this number drops to 17%, with people agreeing for pediatric DNAR if it contains a boundary-23% agree if both parents agree to the solution and 45% if both parents and the child's doctor agree to it. Conclusions: Even though someone supports DNAR, it does not mean that they support pediatric DNAR. People outside the medical community are more likely to be against DNAR. Giving a boundary in using pediatric DNAR may lead to the ease of its implementation in a legislative manner.

The perception of lip aesthetics in the context of facial proportions-An eye-tracking-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive lip volumizing and contouring soft tissue filler procedures are frequently requested by both female and male aesthetic patients. Guidance on how to achieve the most beautiful outcome is inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: To investigate what the most beautiful proportions are in relation to vermillion thickness, the distance of the upper and lower lip in relation to nose and chin, and relation to the bigonial distance. METHODS: This study included a total of n = 101 volunteers (52 females, 49 males, 100% Caucasian) who inspected frontal images of modified facial proportions and answered a related questionnaire showcasing the same images. Image presentation followed a randomized sequence both for the eye tracking and for the survey component of this study but was equal for all observers. RESULTS: The most attractive vertical position of lips was the 1:2 ratio in which the distance between lips and chin is double the length as the distance between lips and nose. For the ratio between the width of the lips and the bigonial distance, it was the 1:2.5 ratio, whereas for the thickness of the upper lip vermilion in relation to the upper lip ergotrid it was the 1:3/1:2 (male/female) ratio and for the lower lip vermilion and lower lip ergotrid it was the 1:4 ratio for both genders. CONCLUSION: The results of this eye tracking and survey-based investigation revealed that instead of one single universal ratio, multiple facial proportions exist that are perceived as most attractive/masculine/feminine. Regarding the perception of facial aesthetics, it appears there is a distinction between attractiveness and masculinity/femininity: the most attractive male/female face is not necessarily the most masculine or feminine.

Proadrenomedullin in Patients with Preserved Left Ventricular Systolic Function Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

INTRODUCTION: A potentially new marker of cardiovascular diseases - proadrenomedullin is the precursor of adrenomedullin, which is a multifunctional peptide hormone, produced in most of the tissues in response to cellular stress, ischemia, and hypoxia. METHODS: Ninety-three people, aged 51-79 years, were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were severe or corrected valvular disease, acute coronary syndrome, age ≥ 80 years, glomerular filtration rate < 45 ml/min, active infectious diseases, and cancer. The subjects were observed for adverse events, including reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by ≥ 10%, first incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the necessity of using dopamine during hospitalization. RESULTS: Use of pressure amines, occurrence of the first AF episode, and left ventricular dysfunction defined by a decrease in LVEF by at least 10% compared to the value before surgery were reported in the perioperative period. No death, sudden cardiac arrest with effective resuscitation, non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or heart failure were observed. Significantly higher proadrenomedullin concentration was observed in the group with reduced postoperative LVEF (1.68 vs. 0.77 nmol/l, P=0.005). The relative risk of a decrease in ejection fraction in the group of patients with proadrenomedullin concentration ≥ 0.77 nmol/l was more than twelve-fold higher (95% confidence interval 1.69-888.33; P=0.013) than in the group of patients with a concentration of proadrenomedullin < 0.77 nmol/l. CONCLUSION: The higher baseline concentration of proadrenomedullin has a predominantly predictive value of postoperative left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Proadrenomedullin in Patients with Preserved Left Ventricular Systolic Function Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract Introduction: A potentially new marker of cardiovascular diseases — proadrenomedullin is the precursor of adrenomedullin, which is a multifunctional peptide hormone, produced in most of the tissues in response to cellular stress, ischemia, and hypoxia. Methods: Ninety-three people, aged 51-79 years, were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were severe or corrected valvular disease, acute coronary syndrome, age ≥ 80 years, glomerular filtration rate < 45 ml/min, active infectious diseases, and cancer. The subjects were observed for adverse events, including reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by ≥ 10%, first incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the necessity of using dopamine during hospitalization. Results: Use of pressure amines, occurrence of the first AF episode, and left ventricular dysfunction defined by a decrease in LVEF by at least 10% compared to the value before surgery were reported in the perioperative period. No death, sudden cardiac arrest with effective resuscitation, non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or heart failure were observed. Significantly higher proadrenomedullin concentration was observed in the group with reduced postoperative LVEF (1.68 vs. 0.77 nmol/l, P=0.005). The relative risk of a decrease in ejection fraction in the group of patients with proadrenomedullin concentration ≥ 0.77 nmol/l was more than twelve-fold higher (95% confidence interval 1.69-888.33; P=0.013) than in the group of patients with a concentration of proadrenomedullin < 0.77 nmol/l. Conclusion: The higher baseline concentration of proadrenomedullin has a predominantly predictive value of postoperative left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Prognostic assessment of selected clinical and ultrasonographic indices in patients with non-critical lesions in coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of mortality, especially in industrialised countries. In the case of detection of significant lesions narrowing the vessel lumen, management is guided by recommendations of international cardiac societies, while in the case of non-critical lesions there are some doubts as to the further prognosis and identification of patients in whom accelerated progression of disease can be expected. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of selected clinical and ultrasonographic indices in patients with non-critical lesions in coronary angiography. METHODS: In 100 symptomatic patients with non-critical stenosis in coronary arteries, cardiovascular events after one and three years of follow-up were assessed and analysed compared to a control group. RESULTS: During the follow-up period there were no deaths. In univariate analysis, factors associated with need for revascularisation in 4% of patients after one year and 7% at three years were: age (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, confidence interval [CI] 0.98-1.35; p = 0.04), fibrinogen concentration (OR 1.01, CI 1.00-1.02; p = 0.05), isovolumetric relaxation time [ms] (OR 1.07, CI 0.79-0.98; p = 0.04), and transmitral flow propagation velocity [cm/s] (OR 0.88, CI 1.01-1.12; p = 0.01). Nearly one third of patients with non-critical lesions despite optimal pharmacotherapy reported symptoms deteriorating quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Factors predisposing to the occurrence of cardiovascular events in the 12 months of follow-up were: older age, higher plasma fibrinogen concentration, and impaired left ventricular filling pattern.