RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Threatening and aggressive behaviors in healthcare settings constitute a significant problem that can affect not only the physical and mental integrity of staff but also patient safety and the quality of healthcare. Literature highlights verbal abuse as the most common form of non-physical violence and is estimated from 51.8% to 63.4% worldwide. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was the investigation of verbal abuse incidence toward physicians and nurses and the differences noted between them in a regional hospital. METHODS: The study took place in a public regional hospital in southern Greece. A number of 185 nurses and 60 physicians completed the verbal abuse scale (VAS) for assessing verbal violence in the work environment; selected socio-demographic and occupational characteristics were also recorded. RESULTS: Physicians have undergone verbal abuse once a week at a percentage of 38.3%, while at the same frequency; nurses record a percentage of 12.4%. Regarding the relationship between the victim of verbal abuse and the abuser, 26.7% of the physicians answered that the abuser was another senior member of the staff, while the percentage for nurses is higher and reaches 31.9%. According to VAS items, accusing and blaming (mean±SD=3.00±0.96) is noted as the most common form of verbal abuse for physicians, judging and criticizing stands out as the most frequent (3.17±1.11) and the most stressful action (3.25±1.11) form for nurses. The most frequent behavior by the physicians is to put the verbal abuse situation in a humorous context (2.78±1.14). In contrast, nurses are trying to clarify any misunderstanding that may occur (3.10±1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Verbal abuse incidents are experienced by both physicians and nurses. They are stressful for the victims and can significantly affect work relationships and job satisfaction.
RESUMEN
Lenalidomide and dexamethasone (RD) is a standard of care for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but there is limited published data on its efficacy and safety in the "real world" (RW), according to the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research definition. We studied 212 RRMM patients who received RD in RW. Objective response (≥PR (partial response)) rate was 77.4 % (complete response (CR), 20.2 %). Median time to first and best response was 2 and 5 months, respectively. Median time to CR when RD was given as 2nd or >2(nd)-line treatment at 4 and 11 months, respectively. Quality of response was independent of previous lines of therapies or previous exposure to thalidomide or bortezomib. Median duration of response was 34.4 months, and it was higher in patients who received RD until progression (not reached versus 19 months, p < 0.001). Improvement of humoral immunity occurred in 60 % of responders (p < 0.001) and in the majority of patients who achieved stable disease. Adverse events were reported in 68.9 % of patients (myelosuppression in 49.4 %) and 12.7 % of patients needed hospitalization. Peripheral neuropathy was observed only in 2.5 % of patients and deep vein thrombosis in 5.7 %. Dose reductions were needed in 31 % of patients and permanent discontinuation in 38.9 %. Median time to treatment discontinuation was 16.8 months. Performance status (PS) and initial lenalidomide dose predicted for treatment discontinuation. Extra-medullary relapses occurred in 3.8 % of patients. Our study confirms that RD is effective and safe in RRMM in the RW; it produces durable responses especially in patients who continue on treatment till progression and improves humoral immunity even in patients with stable disease.
