Temporary Trends Concerning the Extent and Efficacy of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Using Radiofrequency Energy in a Polish Single-Center Experience.

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia. Currently, catheter ablation is a preferred treatment strategy. The main objective of our study was a temporary trends analysis of patients' data undergoing a single AF ablation procedure using radiofrequency energy (RF). The efficacy of the procedure underwent assessment during a 12-month follow-up. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 585 consecutive patients with symptomatic, recurrent, and drug-refractory AF hospitalized in our department between 2013 and 2018 who underwent RF ablation supported by a 3D electroanatomical system. The baseline characteristics, periprocedural parameters, and efficacy of the procedure at 6-, 9- and 12-month follow-ups were analyzed over the years. Results: The number of patients undergoing ablation increased. Patients with paroxysmal AF predominated (71.5%). However, the number of patients with the persistent type of arrhythmia increased over the years. The percentage of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) increased to 27.5% in 2018, and patients presented with increasingly larger left atria (LA). In all patients, circumferential pulmonary vein isolation was performed. The percentage of patients who underwent arrhythmogenic substrate modification and cavotricuspid isthmus ablation increased. Over the years, the efficacy of a single procedure at the 12-month follow-up remained without significant differences between the years (72.0%, 69.6%, 75.5%, 74.8%, 71.7%, 71.7%). Conclusions: The rate of patients with CHF and advanced LA disease undergoing more extensive ablation increased over the years. The efficacy of a single procedure remained without significant differences between the years.

Newborn Infant Parasympathetic Evaluation Index for the Assessment of Procedural Pain in Nonanesthetized Infants: A Multicenter Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the Newborn Infant Parasympathetic Evaluation (NIPE) index to detect the response to nociceptive stimuli in nonanesthetized infants and to compare these results to simultaneous scoring by behavioral scales. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-six nonanesthetized infants admitted to neonatal/pediatric intensive care unit (N/PICUs) were enrolled to the study. Due to faulty records of the data, three patients had to be excluded. To detect pain caused by noxious stimuli, the heart-rate-variability-derived NIPE index and behavioral pain scales designed for measuring procedural pain in nonverbal children were used. RESULTS: Forty-one painful events were available for analysis. We observed in the whole group a statistically significant decrease in NIPE values at 1, 2, and 3 minutes after a painful stimulus, in comparison to the NIPE value at rest and the statistically significant differences between the minimum NIPE value within 3 minutes after the stimulus in comparison to NIPE value at rest in the whole group, as well as in the subgroups of moderate and severe pain. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis has shown the strong sensitivity and specificity of the NIPE in detecting the noxious stimuli (ROC AUC: 0.767). We also found that the stronger the sensation of pain was, the more rapidly NIPE reached its lowest value. DISCUSSION: Our study indicates that the painful procedures are associated with a significant decrease in the NIPE value within 3 minutes after a noxious stimulus. Based on our observation, the minimum value within 3 minutes from the painful procedure seems to be the most distinctive value.

Oxidative Stress Markers in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background and Objectives: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) depends on the primary impairment of sarcomeres, but it can also be associated with secondary alterations in the heart related to oxidative stress. The present study aimed to examine oxidative-antioxidant disturbances in patients with HCM compared with control individuals. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 52 consecutive HCM patients and 97 controls without HCM. The groups were matched for age, body mass index, and sex. Peripheral blood was collected from all patients to determine the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), lipid hydroperoxide (LPH), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The oxidative stress index (OSI) was defined as the ratio of the TOS level to the TAC level. Results: The median age was 52 years, and 58.4% were female. The area under the curve (AUC) indicated good predictive power for the TAC and TOS [AUC 0.77 (0.69-0.84) and 0.83 (0.76-0.90), respectively], as well as excellent predictive power for the OSI [AUC 0.87 (0.81-0.93)] for HCM detection. Lipid peroxidation markers also demonstrated good predictive power to detect HCM patients [AUCLPH = 0.73, AUCMDA = 0.79]. Conclusions: The TOS, the TAC, LPH levels, and MDA levels have good predictive power for HCM detection. The holistic assessment of oxidative stress by the OSI had excellent power and could identify patients with HCM.

Visfatin serum concentration is associated with cardiac allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) still is one of the most important limiting factors of long-term survival following heart transplant (HT). This study aimed to investigate the association between proinflammatory adipokine-visfatin and the incidence of CAV in HT recipients. After HT, 182 patients who had a follow-up visit at the Transplantation Clinic between 2016 and 2017 were analyzed. The median age was 60.5 years, and 76.4% were men. The incidence of CAV was 54.9%. According to the multivariable proportional hazard regression analysis, visfatin level (1.795 [1.539-2.094]; P < .001) was significantly associated with CAV, and statin use was protective against CAV (0.504 [0.32-0.793]; P = .003). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated an excellent discriminatory power of visfatin (0.9548 [0.9281-0.9816]) for CAV detection. The cutoff value of 5.42 ng/mL for visfatin yielded a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 91%. This is the first study to demonstrate that visfatin serum concentrations are independently associated with the incidence of CAV in HT recipients. Visfatin allows for simple and cheap detection of CAV given its excellent discriminatory ability and high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, we have found an independent association between the statin use and a lower risk of CAV.

Early graft function and intrarenal resistant index after kidney transplantation using Biolasol-A new solid organ preservation fluid.

Biolasol is a newly developed preserving solution for cold organ storage prior to transplantation. To date, only animal model experiments results are available. The aim of this single-center analysis was to summarize the clinical experience concerning the early post-transplant course of kidney grafts preserved with Biolasol in comparison with other preservation solutions. Before transplantation, 173 kidney grafts were preserved using Biolasol and 240 organs with other solutions (University of Wisconsin-UW, Institute Georges Lopez-IGL-1, or StoreProtect Plus solutions). Early graft function was defined based on serum creatinine concentration at day 3 (<3 mg/dL-immediate graft function, IGF or >3 mg/dL-slow graft function, SGF) or the need of dialysis therapy during first post-operative week (delayed graft function, DGF). The analysis included intrarenal resistive indices measured by Doppler sonography early after transplantation and before discharge from the hospital. IGF was more frequent in patients with organs preserved with IGL-1 (33.5%) and StoreProtect Plus (38.8%) than Biolasol (18.5%), whereas there was no difference in the occurrence of DGF. Both initial and discharge median resistance index values were significantly higher in the Biolasol subgroup (0.77 and 0.75) than in all three other subgroups (P values for all comparisons <.001), also after 1:1 propensity score matching for baseline characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analysis based on the propensity score-matched cohort revealed that the use of Biolasol solution [OR 0.59 (0.35-0.98); P < .05] independently decreased the occurrence of IGF. In our single-center clinical experience, kidney preservation using Biolasol solution was associated with significantly higher intrarenal resistant index in comparison with other preservation fluids, as well as worse early graft function than in the IGL-1 and the StoreProtect Plus subgroups. Long-term follow-up is needed in order to assess the kidney graft and patient survival.

Epidemiological analysis of hospitalisations due to recurrent stroke in the Silesian Province, Poland, between 2009 and 2015.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is a lack of recent epidemiological studies on recurrent stroke (RS) in Poland. The aim of this study was to analyse all hospitalisations related to RS in Silesia - an industrial region covering 12% of the Polish population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out statistical analysis of data contained in stroke questionnaires transferred to the Polish National Health Fund by hospitals in Silesia, Poland, between 2009 and 2015. RESULTS: In the analysed period, the number of RS hospitalisations in Silesia was 18,063 (22.2% of all acute strokes). The percentage of RS significantly decreased during the period under consideration (p < 0.001). The same observation concerned recurrent ischaemic stroke (RIS), but not recurrent haemorrhagic stroke (RHS). The median hospitalisation time was 14 days for RHS, and 11 days for RIS. Large-artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolisms were significantly more often recognised in RIS than in first-ever ischaemic stroke (FIS) (consecutively, 38.2% vs 36.0%, and 21% vs 18.1%; p < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher for RS than for first-ever stroke (18.4% vs 17.2%; p < 0.001). The same observation was done for RIS vs FIS (16.2% vs 13.9%; p < 0.001), and for RHS vs FHS (39.8% vs 36%; p = 0.004). The rtPA therapy was applied to 5.3% of FIS and 3.2% of RIS patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first such comprehensive and long-term analysis of recurrent stroke in Silesia, Poland. It could help in the implementation of appropriate educational programmes, and thus help to improve the health status of society.

Early and One-Year Outcomes of Acute Stroke in the Industrial Region of Poland During the Decade 2006-2015: The Silesian Stroke Registry.

BACKGROUND: Poland, classified as a high-income country, is still considered to have a high cardiovascular risk population. During the last decade, the standards of care in acute stroke (AS) had markedly improved; thus, we aimed to assess whether and how it translated into early and late outcomes. METHODS: Silesian Stroke Registry was created from the administrative database of the public, obligatory, health -insurer in Poland. The AS cases were selected based on primary diagnosis coded in ICD-10 as I60-I64 for years 2006-2015 (n = 120,844). Index hospitalization together with data on re-hospitalizations, procedures, ambulatory visits, rehabilitation and all-cause deaths in a 1-year follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: The rates of admissions per 100,000 adult population varied between 41-47 for haemorrhagic and 257-275 for ischaemic stroke with substantial decrease in almost all age groups except for the oldest patients. In ischaemic stroke, thrombolytic therapy raised from 0 to 8.8% in 2015, along with significant trends of decreasing 30-day (from 20 to 16%) and 12-month (from 35 to 31%) case fatality. In haemorrhagic stroke, case fatality had not changed. After ischaemic stroke, 12-month readmissions due to AS declined from 11-12% in 2006-2009 to 9% in 2010-2014. The percentage of patients benefiting from rehabilitation increased from 24 to 32%. CONCLUSIONS: In a large population of industrial province, we showed recent, positive trends in AS admissions, treatment and 1-year outcomes. Development of stroke unit networks and increase in thrombolytic treatment were at least in part responsible for survival improvement and reduction of recurrence of AS. However, case-fatality and stroke recurrence remain high compared to those of other developed countries.

The 13-year observation of hip fracture in Poland-worrying trend and prognosis for the future.

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are often considered to be one of the most common osteoporotic fractures. In our previous study, we noted the increasing trend in the total number of hip fractures as well as crude and standardized rates, for both women and men. This observation enabled us to delve deeper into the study of osteoporotic fractures. METHODS: Hospital records between 1.01.2002 and 31.12.2014 with ICD-10 codes S72.0. S72.1 and S72.2 (femoral neck. intertrochanteric, subtrochanteric, and inter and subtrochanteric fracture) were analysed. All fractures occurred in citizens who lived in the district Tarnowskie Góry and the city of Piekary Slaskie aged 50 years and more. RESULTS: 1507 fragility hip fractures (400 in men, and 1107 in women) were registered. The rates increase in both sexes was still observed. The tendency to sustain fractures was lower in female (29.3%) than in the male population (63.6%). We observed a lower increase in urban (35.8%) population when compared to rural (40.8%) population. Incidence rate ratios for female gender were 1.89 (95% CI 1.65-2.18). The rates in 2014 were as follows: crude rate of 216.2 (men 140.9; women 276.5) and standardized 183.9 (131.6 and 219.4, respectively). This observation allowed as to project a total crude rate of 467.2 (men 329.6; women 584.7) for the year 2050. CONCLUSIONS: The number of osteoporotic hip fractures in Polish men and women is still relatively low, but the epidemiological situation is getting worse. The over 13 years of follow-up demonstrated that the trend to increase in total number of hip fractures for men and women is still observed. This prognosis is of a major concern.

Community-based survey as a basis for evidence-based public health: children living in Upper Silesian Industrial Zone.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to estimate changes in the prevalence of respiratory diseases and disorders between 2003/2004 and 2011/2012 in 13-16 years old children living in Bytom, one of the biggest cities in the Silesia agglomeration and provide the evidence for local policy makers. METHODS: Data from two cross-sectional surveys, based on the Polish version of the International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, conducted in 2003/2004 and 2011/2012 was used. Response rate in the first and the second survey was 68% and 35%, respectively. The number of analyzed observations was 4,041 and 707 from the first and the second survey. The selection bias was controlled with the propensity score matching and potential determinants of analyzed respiratory diseases and disorders were controlled in the multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: We found statistically significant increase in asthma ever diagnosed by medical doctor (4.5% vs. 9.6%; p < 0.01), seizures of dyspnea (8.2% vs. 27.7%; p < 0.01), and chest wheeze (9.6% vs. 19.2%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed significant increase in the prevalence of respiratory diseases and disorders after 8 years in adolescents living in the Upper Silesian Industrial Zone. This is a relevant finding which provides the evidence for decision makers in the scope of local public health policies.

Diagnostics, treatment and secondary prevention of ischemic stroke in the Silesian Province, Poland between 2009 and 2015.

BACKGROUND: The available data on diagnostics and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS) in Poland come mainly from non-representative cohorts or are outdated. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the current study was done to access the most recent data on IS in the industrial region that covers 12% of the country's population. MATERIALS & METHODS: Analysis of the data from stroke questionnaires, obligatory for all patients hospitalized due to acute stroke and administered by the National Health Fund (the only public health insurer in Poland) between 2009 and 2015 (n=81,193). RESULTS: The number of hospitalizations due to IS in the Silesian Province was 69,403 and constituted 85.5% of all stroke cases reported to the NHF between 2009 and 2015. Neuroimaging of the brain (CT/MRI) was performed in 68,696 (99%) subjects, while ultrasonography of extra- and/or intracranial arteries in 57,886 (83.4%). The rtPA therapy was applied in 3282 patients (4.7% of all IS subjects). The rate of patients treated with rtPA gradually increased (1.2% in 2009, 9.3% in 2015). Among all patients with IS, 57,636 (83.1%) subjects were administered antiplatelet drugs, 16,199 (23.3%) - oral anticoagulants, and 55,971 (80.7%) - antihypertensive drugs. Also, 2260 (3.3%) patients were referred for vascular intervention. In subjects with cardioembolic stroke etiology, 37.8% were treated with anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS: There has been observed a significant improvement in the quality of diagnosis and treatment of acute ischemic stroke during recent years. However, further actions are required both in terms of reperfusion treatment (thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy) and secondary prevention of stroke.

Characteristics of hospitalizations due to acute stroke in the Silesian Province, Poland, between 2009 and 2015.

INTRODUCTION: The available data on acute stroke (AS) in Poland come mainly from non-representative cohorts or are outdated. Therefore, the current study was done to access the most recent data on AS in the industrial region that covers 12% (4.6mln) of the country's population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological data of AS in the Silesian Province, Poland. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analysis of the data from stroke questionnaires, obligatory for all patients hospitalized due to AS and administered by the only public health insurer in Poland (the National Health Fund) between 2009 and 2015 (n=81,193). RESULTS: The annual number of hospitalizations due to AS in the analyzed period was between 239 and 259 per 100,000 inhabitants of the Silesian Province. Haemorrhagic stroke constituted 13.3%, ischaemic stroke - 85.5%, and unspecified stroke - 1.2%. The average age of patients was 71.6±12.2 years (M 68.2±11.9, F 74.8±11.9, P<0.05). The mean duration of hospitalization was 17±16 days for haemorrhagic stroke, and 14±11 days for ischaemic stroke. Large-artery atherosclerosis (36.1%) and cardioembolism (18.7%) constituted the main causes of ischaemic stroke. Overall hospital mortality for AS was 18% (haemorrhagic - 40.8%, ischaemic - 14.9%). A decreasing trend in mortality was observed in ischaemic but not in haemorrhagic stroke. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in women than in men (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive long-term analysis of the epidemiological situation related to AS in the industrial region of Poland should encourage further development of educational and treatment programmes for improvement in the health status of the population.

Impact of Remote Monitoring on Long-Term Prognosis in Heart Failure Patients in a Real-World Cohort: Results From All-Comers COMMIT-HF Trial.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials demonstrate that remote monitoring (RM) of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT-Ds) may improve quality of care and prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the impact of RM on long-term mortality in a real-world cohort is still not well examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was designed as a matched cohort study based on the COMMIT-HF trial--a single-center, ongoing prospective observational registry (NCT02536443). Complete patient demographics, medical history, in-hospital results, hospitalizations, and mortality data were collected based on institutional registries and healthcare providers' records. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on RM presence and matched by means of propensity scores according to clinical characteristics. The primary endpoint of this study was the long-term all-cause mortality. Out of 1,429 consecutive patients, 822 patients with a first implantation of an ICD/CRT-D were included in the analysis. The final matched study population contained 574 patients in RM and in a control group. Although demographic and echocardiographic parameters as well as pharmacological treatments were similar in both groups, a significantly lower 1-year mortality was detected in the RM group (2.1% vs. 11.5%, P < 0.0001). This was also maintained during a 3-year follow-up (4.9% vs. 22.3%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that RM was associated with an improved prognosis (hazard ratio 0.187, 95% confidence interval 0.075-0.467, P = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: RM of HF patients with ICDs/CRT-Ds significantly reduced long-term mortality in a real-world clinical condition.

Do we need orthogeriatrics in Poland? Changes in the age structure and location of hip fractures.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hip fractures present a great challenge for surgeons due to multimorbidity, polypharmacy as well as difficulty in communicating. These could be attributed to a recent trend in the aging patient population (80 years and older) as compared to the past. The aim of this study is to analyze age structure and location in male and female patients' population with hip fracture over 50. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hospital records between 2005 and 2014 with ICD-10 codes S72,0, S72,1 and S72,2 were included in the analysis. All fractures occurred in citizen aged 50 years and over living in the district of Tarnowskie Góry and the city of Piekary Slaskie in Poland. RESULTS: Within the study period, 1258 hip fractures were registered. The mean age of the patients was higher every year, starting from 77.27 ± 9.52 in 2005 to 80.80 ± 9.65 years in 2014 (p < 0.01). The average age also increased in both gender groups from 73.85 ± 8.30 to 77.89 ± 9.52 years in male and from 78.14 ± 9.66 to 81.98 ± 9.49 years in female, respectively. The median age value was changed from 78.00 to 83.00 years in the total population. We noted a significant increase in female with trochanteric fracture; however, the level of neck fracture was almost the same. In men, crude rates for both trochanteric and cervical fractures slightly increased. CONCLUSIONS: As the age of patients increases, fractures were shown to be more complicated. Given the scale of the phenomenon and its determinants, we emphatically conclude orthogeriatrics is needed in Poland.

Pharmacological stroke prevention in the elderly with atrial fibrillation in Poland - Results of PolSenior study.

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent clinically significant arrhythmia, especially common in the elderly. As it is known, AF is associated with increased risk of stroke. Little is known about pharmacological cardiovascular prevention in the elderly with AF in Poland. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency of pharmacological stroke prevention among the elderly with AF in Poland and its association with clinical characteristics and concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The analysis included elderly (≥65 years) participants of the PolSenior study performed in years 2008-2012. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 4979 people (mean age: 79.3±8.7 years). Among them, there were 875 patients (18.7%) with documented history of AF. Pharmacological prevention with the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) was applied by 117 (13.4%) of the elderly with AF, including 15 (1.7%) on dual therapy. Additionally, 386 (45.3%) subjects with AF were using oral antiplatelet therapy (OAPs), mostly aspirin. Acenocoumarol was much more often used than warfarin. New oral anticoagulant drugs (NOACs) were not used at all. Only personal income was associated with the use of VKA. No significant correlation was found for the age, sex, place of residence and level of education. CONCLUSIONS: The study was unique to determine the frequency of pharmacological stroke prevention among elderly people with AF in Poland. It occurred that oral anticoagulant drugs were applied too rarely in this group of patients. Educational programs should be developed among general practitioners concerning current recommendations for patients with AF.

[Definition and treatment of stroke over the centuries].

Stroke was already diagnosed in the ancient times. For hundreds of years the treatment of this disease has changed radically. According to the current WHO definition, stroke is a clinical syndrome caused by focal or generalized brain injury that lasts more than 24 hours or leads to death and has no other cause than vascular. Stroke constitutes a big social and economic problem, as it can lead to death or disability. In the highly developed countries stroke is the third most common cause of adult deaths, the second leading cause of dementia, and the most common cause of disability. The consequences of stroke also include epilepsy and depression. In the twentieth century, stroke was only treated symptomatically and rehabilitation was limited to passive exercises. The first breakthrough in ischemic stroke therapy was the introduction of aspirin (ASA), followed by intravenous thrombolysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA), initially available in our country only in the drug programs, and since 2009 it has been reimbursed by the National Health Fund (NFZ). Gradually invasive stroke treatment has been developed. Mechanical thrombectomy is currently only performed in selected centers, giving hope for more effective stroke treatment. The purpose of this work was to show how stroke treatment has changed over the centuries.

Post-stroke epilepsy in Polish paediatric patients.

AIM: The aim of this study was to characterize a group of children with early and late remote seizures, which occurred after arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS), and to find predictors of post-stroke seizures. METHOD: The study group, recruited in the Department of Neuropediatrics (Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland), comprised 78 individuals (range 1-18y) who had suffered a stroke: 13 participants had early seizures, occurring up to 7 days after AIS, seven participants had late remote seizures, occurring more than 7 days after AIS, and 58 participants had no seizures. RESULTS: Post-stroke epilepsy occurred in 10 patients having post-stroke seizures. Participants affected by late remote seizures were younger, on average, than participants unaffected by seizures. The frequencies of total anterior circulation infarct (TACI) stroke subtype and focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) were significantly higher in the late seizure subgroup than in the subgroup without seizures (71% vs 26%, p=0.014, OR 7.17, and 100% vs 51%, p=0.015 respectively). Multivariable Cox analysis showed that age at time of stroke (p=0.027), FCA (p=0.010), and the number of infarct foci (p<0.001) were significant predictors of post-stroke seizures. INTERPRETATION: Age at time of stroke, presence of FCA, and number of infarct foci are predictors of post-stroke seizures in Polish paediatric patients.

[Treatment costs of malignant cervical cancer in Poland in 2011-2012--the case of Silesian Voivodeship]. / Koszty leczenia nowotworów zlosliwych szyjki macicy w Polsce w latach 2011-2012 na przykladzie województwa slaskiego.

OBJECTIVES: As far as health economics is concerned, it is hard to determine the only useful tool which would disclose the actual costs associated with cancer. We analyzed hospitalization costs, which create the highest rate among all malignant cervical cancer-related medical costs. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the real costs of medical treatment in the case of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer based on the group with the primary and coexisting diagnoses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analyzed data from 2011-2012 were obtained from the Silesian branch of the National Health Fund, which financed medical expenses due to the diagnosis of cancer in health facilities which have the agreement for such treatment. RESULTS: A total of 4 540 hospitalization-related health benefits were realized, with the final total cost was PLN 8 766 547, in the presented group of 2261 patients. The most popular procedures in patients with the diagnosis from the C53 group, included chemotherapy together with oncological hospitalization (over 62%). The vast majority of the realized procedures were treatments of the reproductive system (38%) and teleradiotherapy (about 31%). CONCLUSIONS: Lack of efficient procedures of data collection for cancer advancement hinders the economic analyses, which should constitute the foundation for the discussion about cost effectiveness of selected procedures. Adequate methods for the monitoring of direct and indirect costs associated with cervical cancer treatment ought to be created.

USING THE AUTOMATED FIO2- SPO2 CONTROL IN NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN POLAND. A PRELIMINARY REPORT.

AIM: Analysis of the way in which a new method of implementing the automated control of oxygen therapy during respiratory support is applied in newborns with respiratory failure. MATERIAL, METHODS AND RESULTS: The AVEA-CLiO2 ventilator with automated FiO2- SpO2 control was used in our study of 121 newborns conducted between February 2014 and January 2015 in five neonatal intensive care units. A web-based database was used to gather information entered concurrently with using the FiO2- SpO2 control system. This included demographics, clinical status, clinical indications, as well as objective and subjective experience. Among the 121 newborns 94 were preterm and 27 were near-term (33-36 hbd). The primary indication for using the system was "routine management" of FiO2 during respiratory support and it was generally initiated within the first 2 days of life. Many of the newborns were managed with the system for more than a week. The control range was usually 90%-95% SpO2, though sometimes it was lower or wider. The control range was not related to the newborn's maturity or indication for use. The perception of more "frequent and persistent" SpO2 alarms was lower when the alarms were set loosely. There were no reports of the system not working effectively. CONCLUSIONS: We expect this first report of the routine use of automated FiO2- SpO2 control to be useful not only to other centers in Poland but also to all those adopting this important new technology. Our registry continues and we expect to have an update when we have experience with 1000 infants. Carefully controlled trials are also needed to refine the optimum use of automated FiO2- SpO2 control and to quantify its impact on neonatal outcomes.

[Personality of medical students declaring surgical specialty choice in the context of prospective medical practice style]. / Osobowosc studentów medycyny deklarujacych wybór specjalizacji w zakresie chirurgii w kontekscie stylu przyszlej praktyki medycznej.

INTRODUCTION: Specialty choice made by medical students takes into account the nature of future medical practice. Holland's congruence theory, according to which career choice is treated as an expression of personality characteristics common for all representatives of the same profession, has served as a theoretical background for own research on the subject matter. Spectacular exemplification of fit between mental resources--personality characteristics and working environment requirements, is the concept of distinct surgical personality (DSP), widely discussed in worldwide literature of the subject (although not in native one). The article offers an author's broadened perception of DSP conception encompassing not only personality characteristics, but also values preference. AIM: The research aims at verifying the hypothesis that a given personality constellation directs the choice of surgery as a prospective specialty made by medical students, as well as allows predicting the style of future vocational practice, characterized by dominant instrumental activities, with little emphasis on affective medical actions, typical for technique-oriented specialties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved a total of 223 students of fourth year of medical studies at Medical University of Lublin. Students declaring their choice of surgical specialty constituted the criterion group (N = 93). The control group comprised of students who declared their choice of person-oriented specialties, aimed at work with patient approached holistically (N = 75), in accordance with dichotomous specialty division adopted for the research purposes. Polish adaptations of NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) by Costa and McCrae and Schwartz Value Survey were applied. RESULTS: The use of multivariate logistic regression indicates three crucial predictions of surgical specialty choice: 'neuroticism' and 'agreeableness' (personality trials-negative predictors) and 'self-enhancement' (value meta-category - positive predictors), however the latter variable has the strongest impact on the choice. The tested model comprising both personality characteristics and allows proper classification of 85% respondents declaring their surgical choice. CONCLUSION: Personality constellation of prospective surgical adepts appears to be a coherent and strong predictors of medical practice style characteristic for surgery--with strong biotechnical orientation, and predisposition to building paternalistic relations with patients in interpersonal layer. The personality of surgeons-to-be corresponds with functional requirements of surgical treatment, nevertheless their readiness to adequate reaction on non-medical patients' needs requires designing educational process so that it activates values complementary to 'power' and 'achievement', mainly 'universalism', viewed as perceiving others as equal to self.

Detailed insight into the impact of postoperative neuropsychiatric complications on mortality in a cohort of cardiac surgery subjects: a 23,000-patient-year analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the impact of postoperative delirium with/without cerebral ischemia on short- and long-term mortality in a large cohort of cardiac surgery patients. DESIGN: The study constituted a prospective cohort observation of patients following various cardiac surgery procedures. SETTING: The investigation was conducted in a single high-volume tertiary cardiac surgery center. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive candidates for cardiac surgery (n = 8,792) from 2003 to 2008 were subjected to the following exclusion criteria: History of any psychiatric disorders, alcohol abuse and intake of psychoactive drugs and incomplete data. INTERVENTIONS: No additional interventions were performed, except for standard perioperative management. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 5,781 patients finally were assigned to cohorts depending on the presence of postoperative delirium with/without cerebral ischemia and then prospectively followed up over the median time of 46 months. Overall 30-day mortality in patients with delirium was 15.25%, including 6.43% of patients without and 38.46% of subjects with cerebral ischemia. After adjustment for more than 100 perioperative variables, short-term mortality was associated independently with delirium (OR = 3.735), stroke (OR = 5.698), hypertension (OR = 0.333), urgency of surgery (OR = 13.018), baseline plasma glucose and protein concentrations and blood transfusions (AUROC for the model 0.94). Long-term mortality in patients who developed delirium was 23.31%, including 15.2% of patients without and 44.62% of those with postoperative stroke. Long-term mortality independently corresponded with stroke (HR = 3.968), urgent surgery (HR = 27.643), baseline plasma glucose and protein concentrations, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and blood transfusions. Impact of postoperative delirium was insignificant (p = 0.2). Compared to subjects with cerebral ischemia, death in patients only with delirium was less frequently of cardiovascular cause (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Delirium with/without cerebral ischemia significantly worsened the short-term prognosis. Stroke, yet not delirium, considerably increased the long-term mortality, especially of cardiovascular origin.