Cardiovascular testing of seasickness in healthy volunteers on life rafts.

OBJECTIVES: The role of the cardiovascular system in the development of seasickness remains uncertain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Overall, 18 healthy students (10 males and 8 females) aged 18-24 years volunteered in the project, spending 2-7 h on life rafts. The cardiovascular system was examined with impedance cardiography. Susceptibility and symptoms of seasickness were evaluated by the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire Shortform (MSSQ-Short) and the Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ranging 0-10, was used to assess nausea, dizziness and mood. The parameters were assessed at 2 time points. RESULTS: Differences in the heart rate (HR), the thoracic fluid content index (TFCI), the stroke index (SI) and the Heather index (HI) before launching the life rafts and after leaving them were observed (78.6, 20.8, 55.6 and 15.9 vs. 70.1, 19.7, 60.5 and 17.9, with p-values of 0.002, <0.001, 0.003 and 0.004, respectively). Females reacted with changes in SI and HR more vividly, whereas males regulated more HI and TFCI. In addition, HR correlated significantly with the central and peripheral symptoms in MSAQ, stroke volume (SV) with peripheral and sopite-related ones, SI with overall ones, and pulse pressure with overall, gastrointestinal and central ones (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [ρ] was -0.478, -0.711, 0.476, 0.472, 0.525, -0.476, -0.579 and -0.584, respectively). As regards MSSQ-Short, it correlated negatively with sopite-related symptoms in MSAQ (ρ= -0.486). Mood in VAS correlated significantly with gastrointestinal symptoms, SI and the cardiac index (CI) (ρ = -0.752, -0.492 and -0.489, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: It was found that HR correlated negatively, and SV/SI correlated positively, with the severity of seasickness symptoms measured with MSAQ. Gender is probably an independent factor influencing reactions to motion. Women react with SI increase whereas men react with increased heart contractility (HI rise). Negative mood in seasickness evaluated with VAS seems to be mostly determined by gastrointestinal symptoms assessed with MSAQ and diminished cardiovascular indices (both CI and SI). Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(4):467-77.

Ultrasound imaging in the general practitioner's office - a literature review.

UNLABELLED: Ultrasound, which is a safe and non-invasive diagnostic modality that uses more and more advanced imaging techniques, has become the first-choice examination in various diseases. It is more and more often used in the general practitioner's office to supplement physical examination and interview. AIM: The aim of this paper is to review the Polish medical literature pertaining to the usage of ultrasound imaging in general practice as well as to present advantages, disadvantages and utility associated with conducting ultrasound examinations by general practitioners based on selected publications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis involved 15 articles found in Polish medical literature published in 1994-2013 in 9 medical journals. These publications were obtained using various data bases, such as Polish Medical Bibliography, Google Scholar as well as websites of "Lekarz Rodzinny" and "Ultrasonografia." RESULTS: Of 15 available publications, 5 papers present the usage of ultrasound imaging by a primary care physician for general purposes, 4 discuss the usage of abdominal scans, 3 - imaging of the neck and lymph nodes, 1 - lungs, and 2 discuss its usage for specific disease entities. In over 70% of the papers, the financial aspect associated with the usage of this modality in general practice is mentioned. More than a half of the publications draw attention to the possibility of using point-of-care ultrasound examinations. Advantages of ultrasonography most often mentioned by the authors include: good effects of screening, safety, short duration and low cost. The authors of eight publications also indicate disadvantages associated with ultrasound imaging used by a general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS: In the Polish literature, there are relatively few papers on the role of ultrasonography in the office of a primary care physician. This modality is more and more often becoming a tool that helps primary care physicians to establish diagnoses, accelerates the initiation of treatment and directs the further diagnostic process.