Does anybody support the supporters? Social support in the cancer patient-caregiver dyad

Background. Cancer and its treatment enforce changes in patient functioning. The principal objective of each patient is to efficiently cope with the disease, i.e. to completely recover or at least to slow its progression. Under such circumstances, patients and their relatives require various forms of support: emotional, informational and instrumental. Objectives. The aim of the study was to determine the level and sources of support available for cancer patients and their close relatives, who deal with the latter on a daily basis. Material and methods. The cross-sectional self-inventory study, conducted at cancer centers in Krakow and Tarnow, included 193 pairs of cancer patients and their caregivers. The study was based on the Berlin Social Support Scales and a sociodemographic-clinical survey. Results. Cancer patients had more perceived and received social support than their caregivers. Patients identified more sources of available support than their caregivers. When the level of support was stratified according to the caregiver’s relation with the patient, caregivers-partners and caregivers-children presented higher levels of perceived support than caregivers-siblings and caregivers-parents. Caregivers received less support than patients from medical personnel. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the level of social support among patient and their caregivers leads to further research on the patient-caregiver dyad, especially with regard to the consequences for the whole family’s quality of life. In connection with a deficit of support for caregivers from oncologists, GP’s may constitute a valuable source of support, especially emotional and informational

Przypadek embolizacji angiomyolipoma nerki w ciąży

Summary Background: Renal angiomyolipoma is a rare benign tumour composed of adipose tissue, blood vessels and smooth muscles. However it can locally grow to a great size and its numerous blood vessels may cause major bleeding requiring immediate intervention. Case: At 20th week of pregnancy a previously healthy 26-year old pregnant woman with an episode of sudden and severe pain in the left flank followed by fainting was diagnosed with a bleeding tumour of the left kidney. The diagnosis was based on ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diagnostic angiography was followed by selective embolization of the tumour blood vessels. At 38th week of pregnancy elective caesarean section was performed and after the puerperium the tumour was resected. Conclusion: Embolization of renal angiomyolipoma bleeding vessels during pregnancy can be an effective therapeutic approach protecting against further bleeding and haemorrhagic shock thereby obviating the need to perform urgent surgery and allowing the woman to carry her pregnancy to term safely in outpatient setting.Wstęp: Angiomyolipoma nerki jest łagodnym, rzadko występującym guzem, zbudowanym z tkanki tłuszczowej, naczyń i mięśniówki gładkiej. Może on jednak osiągać duże rozmiary, a obecność licznych naczyń może być przyczyną obfitych krwawień wymagających natychmiastowej interwencji. Przypadek: U 26-letniej, dotychczas zdrowej ciężarnej w 20 tygodniu ciąży, po epizodzie nagłych silnych bolów w lewej okolicy lęźewiowej i zasłabnięciu, na podstawie badania ultrasonograficznego i rezonansu magnetycznego (MRI) rozpoznano krwawiący guz lewej nerki. Po angiografii diagnostycznej wykonano selektywną embolizację naczyń guza. W 38 tygodniu przeprowadzono planowe cięcie cesarskie, a po okresie połogu usunięto guz. Wnioski: Embolizacja krwawiących naczyń angiomiolipoma nerki w ciąży może być skutecznym postępowaniem leczniczym, które chroni przed dalszym krwawieniem i wstrząsem krwotocznym, a zarazem koniecznością wykonywania nagłej operacji i umożliwia bezpieczne donoszenie ciąży pod kontrolą ambulatoryjną

Assessment of psychological burden and occupational burnout in nurses working in Intensive Care Units in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic

The work of an intensive care nurse involves the direct care of patients with life-threatening conditions. In this situation, the prevention of burdens associated with this work becomes important, but it must be preceded by their diagnosis. This diagnosis is possible using standardized tools for the subjective assessment of a psychological burden and an occupational burnout. Therefore, the aim of our research was to determine whether nurses working in the same specialties in different countries are exposed to the same burdens. The study involved 312 nurses, divided into three groups depending on their country of origin and in which they worked. Two equal groups of nurses each contained 106 people from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, while the third group was comprised of 100 people from Poland. The age of the groups studied, taken together was (M = 35.53 +/- 8.86 min. 22 years max. 60 years). Various results were observed as regards psychological burden and occupational burnout in the groups studied. The strongest differences related to overload, non-specific reaction to stress, feelings of personal achievement and depersonalization, which depended on age and length of service in each workplace. Assessment of the mental load can be used to improve the organization of Nurses' work creating safe working conditions in studied countries, taking into consideration the mobility of the workforce in the European Union.Ministry of Science and Higher Education for Scientific and Development Research [WZiNM/DS/7/2015-KON

Health behaviour of Young Adults in a Globalizing World

Purpose: The aim was to diagnose health behaviours in order to predict and plan possible interventions.Methods: Survey, IZZ questionnaire.Material: 1154 students of the University of Physical Education,WrocławUniversity in the years 2015-2016.Results: Gender differences: young men significantly more often declared using non-conventional medicine (the Mann–Whitney U test 3.00; p=.002), but they used stimulants less often than young women (the Mann–Whitney U test 2.51; p=.01). Regular University students – men significantly more often declared care for their mental health (4.196; p=.000), eating habits (3.03; p=.002) then women. Students of the University of Physical Education declared undertaking significantly more activities promoting health with regard to diet (3.94; p=.000), medical behaviour (3.46; p=.000); mental health (3.26; p=.001), non-conventional medicine (2.54; p=.01); stimulants (2.31; p=.02). Among the respondents who did regular exercise, the students of the University significantly more often declared using proper diet (3.46; p=.000), care for their mental health (4.42; p=.000); whereas the students of the University of Physical Education declared taking up active leisure (4.20; p=.000) and eating proper diet (2.46; p=.01)

Physical activity of students in the era of globalization

Purpose. The analysis of physical activity of the contemporary students. Do the students with mostly reported health problems engage in any forms of activity at all? Is the presence of health problems a factor differentiating the level of physical activity of the researched students?Methods. Survey, International Physical Activity Questionnaire IPAQ (short).1153 male students (n=538) and female students (n=615) were tested: (Wroclaw University School of Physical Education) (n=953) and University of Wroclaw (n=200).Results. The tested men declared higher than women levels of physical activity: (t-Student 4,41; p 0.00). The AWF students declare a significantly higher level of physical activity than the University students (t-Student 7,52; p 0.00; 12,81; p 0.00; 10,79; p 0.00). The subjects involved in training declare a significantly higher level of physical activity (t-Student 7.09; p 0.00; 13,24; p 0.00; 11,22; p 0.00). Among the respondents’ reported pain complaints headaches differentiate the respondents as regards the declared level of physical activity of high and moderate intensity (n=237).Conclusions. Physical education students undertake physical activity on a high and moderate level more often than students of other pedagogical sciences. The main differentiate factors: sex, specialist education profile and sports activity. A larger proportion of the AWF subjects reports problems connected with the lumbar spine pains whereas the university students mainly complain of headaches. The female university students reporting headaches less frequently undertake physical activity on a high and moderate level

Rola przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych w etiopatogenezie ostrych zespołów wieńcowych

Występowanie ostrych zespołów wieńcowych (ACS) w grupie coraz młodszych pacjentów nieobciążonych klasycznymi czynnikami ryzyka wieńcowego skłania do poszukiwania innych przyczyn mogących prowadzić do ACS. Szczegółowa diagnostyka immunologiczna pozwala zdefiniować znaczenie przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych (APA) w etiopatogenezie incydentów niedokrwiennych mięśnia sercowego. Obecność przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych wiąże się z większą częstością zdarzeń zakrzepowo-zatorowych, trombocytopenią we krwi obwodowej oraz występowaniem nawracających poronień lub przedwczesnych porodów, co stanowi obraz kliniczny zespołu antyfosfolipidowego (APS). Obecność APA koreluje z większą zapadalnością na choroby układu sercowo-naczyniowego, z ACS włącznie, oraz zwiększa ryzyko powtórnych epizodów niedokrwiennych oraz zgonów sercowych. Szczególnie zagrożoną grupą pacjentów są młode osoby obciążone genetycznie APS, ze współistniejącą chorobą tkanki łącznej oraz kobiety ciężarne, zwłaszcza z wywiadem w kierunku incydentów zakrzepowo-zatorowych. Dodatkowe niebezpieczeństwo diagnostyczne i terapeutyczne stwarza możliwość nietypowego, burzliwego lub niemego klinicznie przebiegu ACS

Health activity in the context of the sense of coherence and self-esteem of participants of specialised training

What can be observed is a growing awareness of personal care about one’s own health and increased physical activity. It influenced by numerous external and internal factors, analysed by researchers of Exercise Psychology. Self-esteem and sense of coherence are some of the most significant factors.Aim: Our study comprised 41 participants of specialised health training 2015–16: diagnosing chosen psychological determinants of participation in this type of activity. Health behaviours of the participants were analysed in the context of the psychological variable of the sense of coherence and sel-esteem.Methods: health training, questionnaires: IZZ, SOC-29, SES, SurveyResults: Training participants more frequently declared taking up diverse health behaviours. Comparing the group of training participants with non-training persons we found statistically significant differences in the general level of intensification of health behaviours (t-Student 3,06***) and in sub-scales: Active relaxation in the open (2,69*) and Improvement of fitness by sport (4,23**). The persons with higher self-esteem declared using a significantly higher number of diverse health behaviours (0,62***). The training participants with higher sense of meaningfulnessand sense of comprehensibilitysignificantly more frequently declared taking up health activity (r=0,32*).

Self-assessment of health and physical fitness by young adults practising sport

Introduction: Practising sport and engaging in physical activity at a young age is meant to increase the level of a person’s physical fitness and health. Yet, the generation of 20-year-olds – former and active sportspersons – assess their general physical fitness and health as worse than good. Therefore, does practising sport, in the self-assessment of young persons, really improve one’s health and physical fitness?Purpose: The purpose of this research was to diagnose the subjective assessment of fitness and a sense of health among young adults practising sport as well as former sportspersons in comparison with the self-assessment of non-training persons.Materials and methodology: 1153 adult persons aged 19-28 were surveyed. Those persons were supposed to perform a self-assessment of their health and physical fitness and report the pain disorders that they experienced. The group surveyed included 484 ex-sportspersons, 450 active sportspersons and 212 persons who had never practised sport. The survey used a 1-5 assessment scale.Results: The survey participants assessed their general physical fitness level at 3.82 ±1.00 and their health level at 3.88 ±1.10. In comparison with the other groups the sportspersons gave their fitness a better mark despite the largest number of pain disorders experienced. The result of health self-assessment did not differ among the groups. Sportspersons and ex-sportspersons indicated injuries and the pain felt, especially in the cervical and thoracic spine, the hips and the head, and complained more frequently about shortness of breath.Conclusions:Practising sport at a young age does not significantly alter the self-assessment of health among young persons. An average sportsperson experiences at least one pain disorder that correlates with a lower sense of good health. The highest frequency of associated pain disorders is observed in sportspersons, with the pain being located mainly in the area of the cervical and thoracic spine and the hips. The frequency of pain in the lower limbs is inversely proportional to one’s overall training period

Rola przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych w etiopatogenezie ostrych zespołów wieńcowych

Występowanie ostrych zespołów wieńcowych (ACS) w grupie coraz młodszych pacjentów nieobciążonych klasycznymi czynnikami ryzyka wieńcowego skłania do poszukiwania innych przyczyn mogących prowadzić do ACS. Szczegółowa diagnostyka immunologiczna pozwala zdefiniować znaczenie przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych (APA) w etiopatogenezie incydentów niedokrwiennych mięśnia sercowego. Obecność przeciwciał antyfosfolipidowych wiąże się z większą częstością zdarzeń zakrzepowo-zatorowych, trombocytopenią we krwi obwodowej oraz występowaniem nawracających poronień lub przedwczesnych porodów, co stanowi obraz kliniczny zespołu antyfosfolipidowego (APS). Obecność APA koreluje z większą zapadalnością na choroby układu sercowo-naczyniowego, z ACS włącznie, oraz zwiększa ryzyko powtórnych epizodów niedokrwiennych oraz zgonów sercowych. Szczególnie zagrożoną grupą pacjentów są młode osoby obciążone genetycznie APS, ze współistniejącą chorobą tkanki łącznej oraz kobiety ciężarne, zwłaszcza z wywiadem w kierunku incydentów zakrzepowo-zatorowych. Dodatkowe niebezpieczeństwo diagnostyczne i terapeutyczne stwarza możliwość nietypowego, burzliwego lub niemego klinicznie przebiegu ACS

Large uterine leiomyoma in pregnancy – case report

Abstract This is a case report of a successful pregnancy outcome in a 36-year-old primigravida with an enormous leiomyoma. Potential pregnancy complications and pain treatment during pregnancy are discussed in the following work