Burnout in COVID-19 era - a literature review

BACKGROUND:  The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to daily life of many people. One of those affected by the global pandemic arena was work life. One of the results is burnout due to new challenges and stress associated with them. The most exposed occupational group were healthcare workers as the frontline in the fight against the virus, but not only this group could experience burnout due to the pandemic. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to review the most recent available literature on burnout associated with COVID-19. PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases were reviewed. The Phrase "burnout and covid" was used to search the database. Search criteria were: all open access, 2020 and 2021, psychology and English. After Screening titles and abstracts 21 articles were analyzed in detail.RESULTS:  Many studies have shown that healthcare workers experienced burnout. The most vulnerable group were young, female nurses working with COVID-19 patients.  Burnout was also observed among parents, who started working remotely from home or who had to commute to their workplace despite the pandemic. Remote schooling also contributed to burnout among students and teachers.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: To reduce the possibility of experiencing burnout there are several actions that could be taken. First of all a positive attitude and task oriented actions are helpful in coping in new, stressful situations. Other solutions are social support and psychotherapy

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic in 2019 posed a serious threat to the global population. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only been a public health emergency, but has also affected mental health worldwide. Patients were exposed to a number of significant stressors during COVID-19 infection by which it appears that it may have had a major impact on mental health. Little is known about changes in levels of psychological affect, stress, anxiety and depression during this pandemic.AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to analyze the most recent available literature on the association of pandemic COVID-19 with psychiatric disorders occurring both as a result of past infection and in response to stress associated with the new situation of a global epidemic of Sars-CoV-2 virus.RESULTS: The psychological effects of the epidemic are clearly noticeable. The study identified groups particularly vulnerable to developing symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Risk factors were also identified in people working in health care as having direct contact with the effects of infection with the new virus.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: Key elements of preventing psychological impact are the creation of a mental health organization. Another important task for governments is to create the conditions for economic security, as financial problems or job losses can also be the cause of mental crises

Epilepsy and cannabidiol - a new perspective for seizures treatment

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that the number of antiepileptic drugs is constantly increasing, epilepsy can still be a therapeutic challenge. Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy have persistent seizures refractory to treatment. The limited number of effective alternatives motivates researchers to seek new solutions. There is some hope for cannabidiol (CBD) preparations.AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to review the most recent available literature on the use of cannabidiol in the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children and adults. For this purpose, the PubMed and Google Scholar databases were reviewed. The phrase "cannabidiol and epilepsy"  was used to search the database. After Screening titles and abstracts a total of 19 papers and articles cited in them were received and analyzed in detail. RESULTS:  Nowadays there are many CBD related products available in the market, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica are the plants used due to their strong therapeutic effects and also seizure control. Regulations regarding the use of raw marijuana, cannabis extracts, and cannabinoid-based drugs vary from place to place. Many studies have been generated on the efficacy of cannabinoid therapy in the treatment of epilepsy. This therapy in patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gaust syndrome results in a reduction in the frequency of motor and total seizures. The most commonly reported side effects of CBD are drowsiness, seizures and diarrhea, but the therapy is generally well tolerated.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: Many available studies support the efficacy of CBD as a treatment option to reduce seizure frequency in children with drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly in patients with Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. However, there is a lack of reports on the use of CBD in the adult population, which may be an area for further research

Current state of knowledge and concerns regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed in the setting of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest among adult, non-medical rural residents

INTRODUCTION Every year in Poland 56,000 outside the hospital there is a sudden cardiac arrest. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to determine the level of knowledge of basic life support undertaken in prehospital management in rural areas. The second objective of the study was to assess needs for cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) training among adults in rural areas. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was carried out with the use of an original questionnaire based on the review of literature and guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council. The questionnaire was shared by social media. The questionnaire consisted of the following parts: metric, experience of previous CPR, knowledge about CPR, assessment of demand and interest in expanding knowledge and skills in CPR. A total of 501 responses were collected, of which 316 from adult, non-medical rural residents were analyzed. RESULTS Over 85% of respondents knew how to assess consciousness of the victim, 95% of respondents knew when to start CPR. About 33% of the respondents did not know the correct location of  chest compressions. Moreover 65% of them could not identify the correct frequency of compressions. Although rib fracture was one of the most commonly cited concerns, it was a potential reason to discontinue CPR only for 4.5% of respondents.  CONCLUSIONS It was observed that there is a need for additional CPR training among rural adult residents. The information collected in this study may allow for the planning of appropriate educational activities to increase the level of knowledge about CPR in heart accidents.&nbsp

Opinions and experiences of physicians regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A research report from Poland

Background: The term CAM denotes complementary and alternative medicine. However, CAM is practiced by individuals without academic medical education and formal eligibility for treating people. The extent of interest in CAM is considerable. The WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine has demonstrated that 87% of all WHO Member States legally recognise individual forms of CAM, and 100 Member States have national policies regarding such practices. In Poland, performing medical activities without appropriate qualifications is prohibited. Material and Methods: Diagnostic survey distributed as Google Forms was used as the basic research method with the research technique of a questionnaire. The questionnaire starting with a metrics part consisted of several questions regarding popularity and tendency of CAM, causes of CAM popularity, approach to those types of practices and patients as well as role of CAM during the pandemic. Sixty-one responses were obtained from physicians of different age, experience and speciality. Results: Ninety-five percent (95%) of doctors believe that alternative medicine can be dangerous; 67.2% think that the phenomenon of alternative medicine should be combated; almost half of the physicians surveyed believe that there is a fundamental contradiction between evidence-based medicine (EBM) and alternative medicine. Furthermore, according to 48% of respondents, physicians in Poland should be able to recommend and combine methods of traditional and alternative medicine. Conclusion: Doctors point to the increasing popularity of CAM among patients in Poland, the consequences of which cannot be determined because there is still a lack of research on the safety of alternative methods. The most frequently cited reasons for interest in CAM suggest that there is a need for a better tailored biomedical approach to individual patient needs

RNA-based vaccines – types, strategies of delivery and overview of RNA vaccines

  The discovery of mRNA by Sydney Brenner dates back to 1961, but the in vivo expression of mRNA was successful only in 1990, which initiated the development of vaccines based on this molecule. During Sars-CoV-2 pandemy the interest in the use of nucleic acids in the production of drugs and vaccines has increased significantly. The success of mRNA vaccines against Sars-CoV-2 has particularly empowered the pharmaceutical industry to create newer and newer generation products based on RNA modification that could help not only in Covid-2019, but also in the prevention and treatment of other infectious diseases. RNA has a very high potential - it can be used in highly personalized therapies, furthermore the production of mRNA is cheaper, faster than the current therapeutics and the process of mRNA making is more flexible due to the great ease of producing mRNA in the process of transcription. Modifying of the structure of ribonucleic acid and the methods of its delivery leads to the creation of newer and newer vaccines. In this review, we present the potential of RNA molecule in producing vaccines, types of RNA vaccines, strategies of RNA delivery and review of existing RNA-based vaccines

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic discrimination - a systematic review

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire society, being particularly detrimental to ethnic and racial minorities. Moreover, the problems faced by these communities are characterised and the measures that can be implemented to improve their situation are put forward. Many authors have suggested introducing the solutions according to the socio-ecological model which considers individual, organisational, community and policy factors. Due to the lack of trust of ethnic minorities in health care, no effort should be spared to restore their trust. To achieve this goal, educational programs should be carried out to dispel doubts about research and treatment. Furthermore, the impact of social media on the dissemination of discriminatory content should be meticulously analysed. The present paper is a systematic review of current literature, which analyses the authors` opinions on racial and ethnic discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic

The importance of CAD and DECT in CT colonography

IntroductionAccording to the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society, CTC has been recognized as a valuable screening method for detecting CRC in people at medium risk as an alternative to endoscopic colonoscopy. The condition for the proper interpretation of this procedure is the patient’s preparation for the examination. The evaluation of the test includes: topogram, transverse images (as reference images), multifaceted reconstructions and three-dimensional images (3D navigator). Materials and methods                            The literature on the use of CTC in the diagnosis of CRC was analyzed. A review of the scientific literature indexed in the PUBMED database from the last 10 years was carried out. Results The introduction of dual energy computed tomography (DECT) clearly improved the diagnostic accuracy of CTC. The main advantage of DECT is the possibility of obtaining iodine maps and VNC (virtual non-contrast) – a ’’virtual’’ native image (without the use of contrast). DECT allows you to monitor the results and extent of iodine capture on VNC and iodine map images, respectively, without using pre-recorded tomographic images. Pilot tests showed that DECT is an effective tool in CT colonography diagnostics and electronic colon loop cleaning after barium labeling. The use of the Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) algorithm in high energy tomography helps in the diagnosis and detection of intestinal tumors. ConclusionsThe development of modern technologies used in CT colonography proves that it is a safe and acceptable technique for patients. Lack of invasiveness, low radiation dose and high diagnostic efficiency of CTC may encourage more people to undergo colorectal cancer screening in the future

Evaluation of the life quality of patients with lumbosacral spine pain performing sedentary work after using Kaltenborn-Evejth manual therapy techniques

Introduction: Pain in the lumbosacral spine is a substantial problem of modern civilization. It leads to lowering the quality of life and to the reduced functioning in social and professional context. This problem mainly affects people with sedentary work such as drivers and office workers. Long-term work in one position and a frequent lack of physical activity are two of the factors conducive to the occurrence of pain in people doing work in a sitting position. Aim of the study: To assess the influence of Kaltenborn-Evejth manual therapy techniques on the quality of life of people doing sedentary work. Material and Method: The research was carried out in the Medi-Sport Rehabilitation and Sports Center from March to October 2018. The study included 60 people doing sedentary work of which 37 were women and 23 men. The Oswestry Questionnaire was the research tool. In the study group there were 21 people aged 30-40, 23 aged 41-50 and 16 aged 51-60. Results: The use of Kaltenborn-Evejth manual therapy techniques in people doing sedentary work reduced pain in the lumbosacral spine, improved its functions, which improved the quality of life of patients. After the therapy, the severity of pain in the lumbosacral spine decreased. Conclusions: Techniques of Kaltenborn-Evejth manual therapy mobilization significantly reduce pain in the lumbosacral spine, which improves the quality of life of persons performing sedentary work. The severity of pain in the lumbosacral spine decreased after the therapy

Efficacy and safety of atropine to control childhood myopia progression

Introduction: Nearsightedness is one of the most common eye defects in people all over the world. If left untreated, it leads to a number of serious eye complications that can result in irreversible loss of vision. It is estimated that by 2050. Half of humanity will be burdened with this disadvantage, so it has become a priority to try to find ways to prevent and treat myopia, among which the administration of atropine drops is very effective. Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of atropine in controlling the progression of myopia and to investigate the relationship between the dose of atropine and the effectiveness of controlling the progression of myopia. Material and methods: The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were used to review the literature. Results: Eye drops with 1% atropine showed the greatest efficacy in the control of myopia. However, their use was limited due to the occurrence of side effects such as impaired accommodation and photophobia. In the ATOM 2 study, which investigated the use of atropine in a variety of concentrations, it was found that 0.01% is the optimal concentration with good efficacy and minimal side effects. One of the breakthroughs was the LAMP study using atropine at a concentration of 0.05%, 0.025%, 0.01% in eye drops. This study provided evidence for the first time that low-concentration atropine is effective compared with placebo in myopia. In addition, both efficacy and side effects followed a concentration-dependent response ranging from 0.01% to 0.05% of atropine. Among them, 0.05% of atropine was the optimal concentration to achieve the best efficacy and safety profile. Conclusion: Low concentration of atropine is effective in the control of myopia. Its widespread use can help prevent the progression of myopia. However, further investigation of the rebound phenomenon and a long term, individualized approach to treatment are warranted.   &nbsp