Self-reported risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and awareness about it in the community of 4 insular complexes comprising 41 Greek Islands

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a chronic disease that significantly increases morbidity and mortality of the affected population. There is lack of data concerning the OSAS prevalence in the insular part of Greece. The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-reported prevalence of OSAS in 4 Greek insular complexes comprising 41 islands, and to assess the awareness of the population regarding OSAS and its diagnosis. Our study comprised 700 participants from 41 islands of the Ionian, Cyclades, Dodecanese and Northeast Aegean island complexes that were studied by means of questionnaires via a telephone randomized survey (responsiveness rate of 25.74%). Participants were assessed by the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) for evaluation of OSA risk, by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for evaluation of excessive daytime sleepiness, and by 3 questions regarding the knowledge and diagnosis of OSAS. The percentage of participants at high risk according to BQ was 27.29% and the percentage of people who were at high risk according to ESS was 15.43%. A percentage of 6.29% of the population was at high risk for OSAS (high risk both in BQ and ESS). A high percentage of 73.43%, were aware of OSAS as a syndrome however a significantly less percentage (28.00%) was aware of how a diagnosis of OSAS is established. The community prevalence of OSAS in Greek islands in combination with the low-level awareness of the OSAS diagnostic methods highlights the need for development of health promotion programs aiming at increasing the detection of patients at risk while increasing the awareness of OSAS

Localization of Vestibular Cortex Using Electrical Cortical Stimulation: A Systematic Literature Review.

Peer reviewed: TruePublication status: PublishedThe vestibular system plays a fundamental role in body orientation, posture control, and spatial and body motion perception, as well as in gaze and eye movements. We aimed to review the current knowledge regarding the location of the cortical and subcortical areas, implicated in the processing of vestibular stimuli. The search was performed in PubMed and Scopus. We focused on studies reporting on vestibular manifestations after electrical cortical stimulation. A total of 16 studies were finally included. Two main types of vestibular responses were elicited, including vertigo and perception of body movement. The latter could be either rotatory or translational. Electrical stimulation of the temporal structures elicited mainly vertigo, while stimulation of the parietal lobe was associated with perceptions of body movement. Stimulation of the occipital lobe produced vertigo with visual manifestations. There was evidence that the vestibular responses became more robust with increasing current intensity. Low-frequency stimulation proved to be more effective than high-frequency in eliciting vestibular responses. Numerous non-vestibular responses were recorded after stimulation of the vestibular cortex, including somatosensory, viscero-sensory, and emotional manifestations. Newer imaging modalities such as functional MRI (fMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), SPECT, and near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) can provide useful information regarding localization of the vestibular cortex

Patients’ preferences for headache acute and preventive treatment

Abstract Background We aimed to explore patients’ preferences for headache treatments with a self-administered questionnaire including the Q-No questionnaire for nocebo. Methods Questionnaires from 514 outpatients naïve to neurostimulation and monoclonal antibodies were collected. Results Patients assessed that the efficacy of a treatment is more important than safety or route of administration. They preferred to use an external neurostimulation device for both acute (67.1%) and preventive treatment (62.8%). Most patients preferred to take a pill (86%) than any other drug given parenterally for symptomatic pharmaceutical treatment. For preventive pharmaceutical treatment, most patients preferred to take a pill once per day (52%) compared to an injection either subcutaneously or intravenously each month (9% and 4%), or three months (15% and 11%). 56.6% of all participants scored more than 15 in Q-No questionnaire indicating potential nocebo behaviors that contributed significantly in their choices. Conclusion These patient preferences along with efficacy and safety data may help physicians better choose the right treatment for the right person

Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave

Health care workers (HCWs) face a higher risk of infection, since they work at the front line of COVID-19 patients’ management. Misinterpretations of current scientific evidence among HCWs may impact the delivery of appropriate care to COVID-19 patients and increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the hospital setting. Moreover, knowledge may affect HCWs perceptions depending on their broad beliefs and past experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions of HCWs regarding COVID-19 issues during the second wave of the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey, involving a printed questionnaire, was conducted from 21 October 2020 to 31 January 2021 in four tertiary care hospitals located at four distant geographical regions in Greece. In total, 294 HCWs participated in this study. The majority of HCWs provided precise responses regarding general knowledge, perceptions, and practices concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. However, responses on hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in HCWs with COVID-19 were mistaken. This study reveals a certain degree of misconceptions and knowledge gaps in HCWs everyday practice, especially regarding hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in COVID-19 patients

COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA) in Northern Greece during 2020–2022: A Comparative Study According to the Main Consensus Criteria and Definitions

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has emerged as an important complication among patients with acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Almost 2.5 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to raise concerns as an extra factor that contributes to increased mortality, which is mostly because its diagnosis and management remain challenging. The present study utilises the cases of forty-three patients hospitalised between August 2020 and February 2022 whose information was gathered from ten ICUs and special care units based in northern Greece. The main aim was to describe the gained experience in diagnosing CAPA, according to the implementation of the main existing diagnostic consensus criteria and definitions, and present the different classification of the clinical cases due to the alternative algorithms