Comparative assessment of physicians’ and senior medical students’ basic knowledge in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common pathologies of the respira-tory system. This disease ranks third in the group of the main causes of death in the world. The effective treatment of COPD has been developed by today. However, a significant part of physicians has an insufficient amount of education in this matter

Assessment of physicians’ and senior medical students’ knowledge in treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia: Current results of the KNOCAP project

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains one of the most acute problems of bronchopulmonary pathology being the 4th in the mortality structure (after cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms) and the 1st among all fatalities from infectious diseases. Thanks to the scientific progress achieved in the antibiotic therapy and vaccine prophylaxis, the death toll has decreased four times compared to its rate during the “pre-antibiotic era“. However, nowadays there is a steadily increasing trend in the pneumonia mortality rate in Russia. The only possible way to increase efficacy of CAP treatment is timely initiated rational antibiotic therapy, considering the possible etiologies, risk factors and the severity of the patient’s condition

Reconstructing locomotor trajectories at home from a capacitive sensory floor with applications in health and wellness

International audienceHow we walk at home, in a restricted and cluttered environment, reveals crucial information about locomotor efficiency and wellness. Gait trajectory, walking metrics and space occupancy are for instance useful markers of our daily locomotor routines which are informative about well-being. The goal of this study was to detect, reconstruct and identify locomotor trajectories during walking at home with a capacitive sensing system, the SensFloor. The study was conducted in an apartment located in the centre of Montpellier in the south of France. Data were first collected in controlled linear and curvilinear walking scenarios performed by three participants. These data allowed the construction of the processing algorithm through the following the steps: (i) defining the static graph of the apartment, (ii) identifying spatio-temporal neighbourhoods from ground activation, (iii) data filtering, (iv) trajectory reconstruction from the chains of dynamic nodes allowing finally (v) identification of walking metrics: locomotor distance, time and speed. In a second phase, our algorithm was tested on a full day of real occupancy by one single inhabitant. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of our algorithm in identifying locomotor trajectories within the apartment. A random one-day file extracted from the database revealed 529 individual trajectories, computed from 100,490 floor activation contacts. Trajectories were produced with an average speed μ_v=1.4 m/s, for an average travelled distance (per trajectory) of μ_l=14.5 m and an average walking time of μ_d=9.4 s. Each identified trajectory had an average of 50 activations. In addition, the extracted temporal information showed a dominant occupancy of the living room and room 1, for a total travel time of 8.21%. The success of our algorithm in detecting trajectories and identifying metrics of interest now allows us to explore locomotor walking habits in reallife conditions, and in the face of current problems such as home confinement related to Covid-19. Acknowledgments: This research was conducted as part of the Human at home projecT (HUT) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Occitanie Region. This acknowledgment extends to the support given by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole

Physicians’ knowledge and preferences in tactics of management and rational pharmacotherapy of arterial hypertension in pregnant women (PHYGEST study)

Introduction: The issues of rational antihypertensive therapy in pregnant women are always extremely relevant, since high blood pressure in a pregnant woman is associated with serious risks for a mother and a fetus. The aim of the study: To determine the knowledge and preferences of physicians in the management of pregnant women with arterial hypertension. Materials and methods: A multicenter study was conducted in 2018–2021 using an anonymous questionnaire among 411 doctors from 8 regions of Russia. Results and discussion: The levels of knowledge and preferences of specialists in the issues of diagnosing and formulating a diagnosis of arterial hypertension and preeclampsia in pregnant women, prescribing basic and additional drugs for the treatment and prevention of hypertension were revealed, and the degree of compliance with the current clinical guidelines was assessed. Conclusion: Due to the insufficient level of knowledge of specialists, it is required to pay increased and special attention to this problem, strengthen control over compliance with clinical guidelines, and introduce it into postgraduate recommendations and continuing education programs

Rational antimicrobial chemotherapy: assessment of the level of basic knowledge of general practitioners. Final results of the KANT project

Introduction: The irrational use of medicines leads to a decrease in the quality of care, an increase in treatment costs and side effects. In the case of antibacterial drugs, in addition to all the above-mentioned consequences, their improper use can lead to an aggravation of the existing and quite challenging problem of our time – the growth of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of the study: to determine the level of basic knowledge of medical specialists in the field of a rational use of antimicrobial drugs (AMD). Materials and methods: The study was based on an analysis of an anonymous multicenter survey in the framework of the KANT project (the full name of the project is “Physicians’ (Students’) Knowledge of Antimicrobials Usage”). It was conducted in 2018–2019 in 10 major centers of Russia. Results and iscussion: According to the results of the study, the respondents showed a low level of knowledge of the rational use of antibacterial drugs. The best results are obtained for questions No.1 (time interval for evaluating the effectiveness of the initial antimicrobial therapy (AMT)), No.2 (rationality and period of AMD change with a positive clinical effect), and No.9 (determining the mode of using the proposed drugs), whereas the worst results were obtained for questions No.3 (determining irrational combinations of AMD), No.4 (determining a situation requiring a long course of AMT), and No.7 (choosing auxiliary drugs for bacterial respiratory infections). Conclusion: The results obtained in the study indicate the need for additional educational activities among health professionals

Pharmacotherapy and other aspects of senior medical students’ knowledge in community-acquired pneumonia: the final results of the KNOCAP II project

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an extensive medical and social problem. It is the most common human disease and one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases. Increasing the level of senior medical students’ knowledge of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of CAP will improve the level of medical care to the population. The aim of the study: to determine the level of senior medical students’ basic knowledge of CAP prevention, diagnosis and treatment with the help of a pharmacoepidemiological study. Materials and methods: The multicenter study “KNOCAP” (the full name of the project “The Assessment of Physicians’ and Students’ Knowledge of Community-acquired Pneumonia Basics”) presents the results of an anonymous prospective survey aimed at assessing the knowledge and preferences of senior medical students in terms of the CAP pharmacotherapy. In the second stage of the project (2017–2019). The results from 394 senior students from 8 centers of Russia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan were received and analyzed. An original questionnaire was developed for this study on the basis of the current clinical guidelines. Conclusion: The final results of a prospective survey revealed an insufficient level of students’ basic knowledge of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of CAP. The study revealed a statistically significant heterogeneity of knowledge levels in different centers, which indicates the need for the introduction of unified and in-depth training programs in this area

Assessment of physicians’ and medical majors’ knowledge of asthma basics: Current results of the ASSA-II study

Introduction: Bronchial asthma is a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways. At present, about 235-300 million people suffer from asthma, and this number continues to grow. This pathology is also common in children. It causes significant social and economic damage worldwide. Severe forms of asthma are difficult to treat. Thus, a continuous improvement of doctors’ knowledge in this field is of great importance. Methods: The analysis of an anonymous survey of physicians and senior medical students was used in the research. Results: The study revealed both an average level of basic knowledge in asthma etiology and pathogenesis among the physicians and senior medical students and the significant differences in their knowledge regarding clinical picture and treatment of asthma. Only 49.2% of students and 56.0% of doctors were able to choose the correct definition of asthma from the suggested answers; 65.7% of students and 69.9% of doctors correctly indicated the main clinical and laboratory markers of asthma; 60.2% of students and 91.0% of doctors determined the correct combination of drugs in one delivery device; and 75.9% of students and 91.2% of doctors selected the correct basic asthma therapy depending on the severity. Conclusion: Basing on the results obtained it was recommended to introduce additional educational activities on the diagnosis and therapy of asthma among medical majors and physicians