Pandemia COVID-19 a prawa osób starszych do zabezpieczenia społecznego i ochrony zdrowia

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic brought to light certain deficiencies in the social security infrastructure which should guarantee social security for all Polish citizens while ensuring, in particular, the possibility of exercising the right to health protection and social services for functionally disabled people. The pandemic became a “detonator” revealing, both in the scientific and public discourses, problems connected with the effective exercise of the rights to social security and health protection vested in elderly people, including those with functional disabilities. The article notably focuses on two areas of social life in which compliance with fundamental rights related to the dignity of a human being is linked to the respect and observance of rights related to the functioning of a specific age group – people over 60 years of age. The pace of demographic changes is not without impact on the quality of life of elderly people. The article attempts at outlining the problems triggered by the demographic changes taking place in Polish society and at indicating the legal context, often related to the specific needs of senior citizens, or, more accurately, to the failure to satisfy these needs. The purpose is to shed light on the social dimension of respecting elderly people’s rights to social support in the form of providing access to social security and health care institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions asked are: Are elderly people’s rights to social security and adequate health protection respected in Poland? Did the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic improve or worsen the situation in Poland in this regard?Pandemia koronawirusa SARS-CoV-2 uwidoczniła braki infrastruktury zabezpieczenia społecznego, która powinna gwarantować bezpieczeństwo społeczne wszystkim obywatelom Polski, a w szczególny sposób powinna zabezpieczać możliwość korzystania z prawa do realizacji usług zdrowotnych i społecznych osobom niesamodzielnym. Pandemia stała się „detonatorem” ujawniającym w dyskursie naukowym i publicznym problem braku skutecznej realizacji prawa osób starszych, w tym niesamodzielnych, do zabezpieczenia społecznego i ochrony zdrowia. W artykule szczególną uwagę zwrócono na dwa obszary życia społecznego, w których respektowanie praw podstawowych związanych z godnością osoby ludzkiej jest powiązane z poszanowaniem i respektowaniem praw powiązanych z funkcjonowaniem konkretnej grupy wiekowej – osób powyżej 60. roku życia. Tempo przemian demograficznych nie pozostaje bez wpływu na jakość życia osób starszych. W artykule starano się wskazać na kontekst prawny oraz ukazać problemy, jakie niosą za sobą wspomniane przemiany demograficzne społeczeństwa polskiego, często powiązane ze szczególnymi potrzebami seniorów, a ściślej z brakiem zaspokojenia tych potrzeb. Celem jest przybliżenie społecznego wymiaru respektowania praw osób starszych do wsparcia społecznego w postaci dostępu do instytucji zabezpieczenia społecznego i ochrony zdrowia w okresie pandemii COVID-19. Czy prawa osób starszych do zabezpieczenia społecznego i właściwej ochrony zdrowia są w Polsce respektowane? Czy wybuch pandemii COVID-19 wpłynął na poprawę czy też na pogorszenie sytuacji w Polsce w tym zakresie

Ketamine in affective disorders – expectations and limitations

Classified as dissociative psychedelic, ketamine is a psychoactive agent whose exact mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. In human and veterinary medicine ketamine is administered during preoperative analgesia. In anesthesiology it is employed either during induction of complex anesthesia or rarely, as a mono-anesthetic agent implemented in short-time procedures that do not cause visceral pain. Hallucinations, nausea, vomiting and elevation of systemic and intracranial pressure may be listed among adverse drug reactions limiting the use of ketamine. Ketamine is believed to exert antidepressant effects by antagonizing N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), combined with its presumptive inhibitory action on noradrenaline and serotonin transporter. Unlike other antidepressants, requiring weeks to exert apparent effects, ketamine relieves depressive symptoms within hours from administration. First reports on ketamine efficacy in the treatment of depressive episode come from 2000. The use of ketamine appears to be beneficial in patients who have exhausted other possible pharmacotherapeutic options. Current data suggest that single ketamine infusion is suitable for patients with treatment-resistant unipolar or bipolar depression without psychotic features, and with no previous history of psychoactive substance abuse. The prospective therapeutical applications of ketamine in the treatment of affective disorders are promising, however, further comprehensive research is still required

Enhanced Degradation of Naproxen by Immobilization of Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) on Loofah Sponge

The naproxen-degrading bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) was immobilised onto loofah sponge and introduced into lab-scale trickling filters. The trickling filters constructed for this study additionally contained stabilised microflora from a functioning wastewater treatment plant to assess the behavior of introduced immobilized biocatalyst in a fully functioning bioremediation system. The immobilised cells degraded naproxen (1 mg/L) faster in the presence of autochthonous microflora than in a monoculture trickling filter. There was also abundant colonization of the loofah sponges by the microorganisms from the system. Analysis of the influence of an acute, short-term naproxen exposure on the indigenous community revealed a significant drop in its diversity and qualitative composition. Bioaugmentation was also not neutral to the microflora. Introducing a new microorganism and increasing the removal of the pollutant caused changes in the microbial community structure and species composition. The incorporation of the immobilised B1(2015b) was successful and the introduced strain colonized the basic carrier in the trickling filter after the complete biodegradation of the naproxen. As a result, the bioremediation system could potentially be used to biodegrade naproxen in the future

Rzadkie fobie specyficzne — rodzaje i leczenie

Fobia specyficzna jest częstym zaburzeniem — według statystyk może dotyczyć około 20% populacji. Charakteryzuje się nieuzasadnionym lękiem lub strachem wobec określonych sytuacji lub obiektów oraz wiąże się z silnym dążeniem do ich unikania. Lęk wynika z nieracjonalnej lub nadmiernej oceny danego przedmiotu czy sytuacji. Napadowi lęku mogą towarzyszyć takie objawy, jak przyśpieszenie oddechu i akcji serca, nudności, ból w klatce piersiowej, wzmożone napięcie mięśniowe czy pocenie się dłoni. Od niepokoju może uwolnić wyłącznie oddalenie od lękotwórczej sytuacji lub przedmiotu. Pomimo powszechności tego problemu, jedynie niektórzy ludzie decydują się rozpocząć terapię. Około 85% osób nigdy nie skorzysta z dostępnych metod leczenia. Zwykle terapii poddają się osoby, którym fobia całkowicie zaburza codzienne funkcjonowanie.Wyróżnia się cztery typy fobii specyficznych: dotyczących sił przyrody, zwierząt, sytuacji oraz fobie typu krew–iniekcja–rana. Wśród nich można wyodrębnić te lepiej poznane, jak na przykład arachnofobię, oraz rzadziej występujące, tj. ankraofobia — lęk przed wiatrem. Częstotliwość występowania konkretnej fobii zależy od szerokości geograficznej, kultury danego regionu, poziomu wykształcenia populacji oraz struktury płci i wieku. Pomimo różnic cechujących dane fobie, leczenie tego typu zaburzeń opiera się głównie na terapii poznawczo-behawioralnej oraz psychodynamicznej. Analiza piśmiennictwa wskazuje, że u 80% osób poddanych ekspozycję in vivo, zauważono odpowiedź terapeutyczną

Rzadkie fobie specyficzne — rodzaje i leczenie

Specific phobia is a common disorder. According to statistics, it can affect about 20% of the population. It is characterizedby unreasonable fear of specific situations or objects and is associated with a strong desire to avoid them. Anxietyresults from an irrational or excessive evaluation of a relevant item or situation. Anxiety attack may be accompaniedby symptoms such as an abnormally rapid heart rate and breathing, nausea, chest pain, increased muscle tension orpalmar hyperhidrosis. Only the distance from the fear-producing situation or object can be freed from anxiety. Despitethe prevalence of this problem, only some people decide to start therapy. About 85% of people will never use theavailable treatments. Most of people start therapy only when their daily functioning is completely disturbed by phobia.There are four types of specific phobias: regarding nature forces, animals, situations and blood-injection-wound phobias.Among them, we can distinguish better known phobias, such as, arachnophobia, and less frequently occurring,i.e. ankraophobia — fear of wind. The frequency of a specific phobia depends on the geographical latitude, culture ofa relevant region, the level of educational attainment, and the structure of sex and age. Despite the differences characterizingphobias, the treatment of this disorder is based mainly on cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapy.Literature analysis shows that in vivo exposure result in 80% positive therapeutic response.Fobia specyficzna jest częstym zaburzeniem, według statystyk może dotyczyć około 20% populacji. Charakteryzuje się ona nieuzasadnionym lękiem lub strachem wobec określonych sytuacji lub obiektów oraz wiąże się z silnym dążeniem do ich unikania. Lęk wynika z nieracjonalnej lub nadmiernej oceny danego przedmiotu czy sytuacji. Napadowi lęku mogą towarzyszyć takie objawy jak przyśpieszenie oddechu i akcji serca, nudności, ból w klatce piersiowej, wzmożone napięcie mięśniowe czy pocenie się dłoni. Od niepokoju uwolnić może wyłącznie oddalenie od lękotwórczej sytuacji lub przedmiotu. Pomimo powszechności tego problemu, jedynie niektórzy ludzie decydują się rozpocząć terapię. Około 85% osób nigdy nie skorzysta z dostępnych metod leczenia. Zwykle terapii poddają się osoby, którym fobia całkowicie zaburza codzienne funkcjonowanie. Wyróżniamy cztery typy fobii specyficznych: dotyczących sił przyrody, zwierząt, sytuacji oraz fobie typu krew-iniekcja-rana. Wśród nich możemy wyodrębnić te lepiej poznane, jak np. arachnofobię, jak i rzadziej występujące, tj. ankraofobia - lęk przed wiatrem. Częstotliwość występowania konkretnej fobii zależy od szerokości geograficznej, kultury danego regionu, poziomu wykształcenia populacji oraz struktury płci i wieku. Pomimo różnic cechujących dane fobie, leczenie tego typu zaburzeń opiera się głównie na terapii poznawczo-behawioralnej oraz psychodynamicznej. Analiza piśmiennictwa wskazuje, że u 80% osób poddanych ekspozycję in vivo, zauważono odpowiedź terapeutyczną

Immobilization of Planococcus sp. S5 strain on the loofah sponge and its application in naproxen removal

Planococcus sp. S5, a Gram-positive bacterium isolated from the activated sludge is known to degrade naproxen in the presence of an additional carbon source. Due to the possible toxicity of naproxen and intermediates of its degradation, the whole cells of S5 strain were immobilized onto loofah sponge. The immobilized cells degraded 6, 9, 12 or 15 mg/L of naproxen faster than the free cells. Planococcus sp. cells immobilized onto the loofah sponge were able to degrade naproxen efficiently for 55 days without significant damage and disintegration of the carrier. Analysis of the activity of enzymes involved in naproxen degradation showed that stabilization of S5 cells in exopolysaccharide (EPS) resulted in a significant increase of their activity. Changes in the structure of biofilm formed on the loofah sponge cubes during degradation of naproxen were observed. Developed biocatalyst system showed high resistance to naproxen and its intermediates and degraded higher concentrations of the drug in comparison to the free cells

Theoretical validity and reliability of Vespide Quality of Life Questionnaire in Polish adolescents with Hymenoptera venom allergy

Measurement of health-related quality of life is mostly used with advanced measurement tools, such as scales. The use of a certain scale in different cultural settings or in age groups other than those it was designed for needs conducting the adaptation process and assessment of psychometric properties of the adapted scale. This paper presents the results of theoretical validity and reliability analysis of the Polish adaptation of the VQLQ scale for adolescents with Hymenoptera venom allergy. The study sample consisted of 78 adolescents aged 14-19 years, who were treated with venom immunotherapy in Polish allergological centers in 2008 year. Theoretical validity of the scale was analyzed with exploratory factor analysis using the principal components method. Reliability analysis was assessed in terms of internal consistency with Cronbach's α coefficient and by testing Kline's criterion. The results showed satisfactory validity of the scale: factor analysis revealed a 3-factor structure of the scale - extracted factors were described as anxiety, caution and discomfort. All the scale items contributed to unique factors, except for one item concerning limitation in summer due to allergy, which was identified as a separate dimension of health-related quality of life of Polish adolescents with Hymenoptera venom allergy. All the extracted subscales were characterized by values of α coefficient equal or higher than 0.8, what is usually considered as a high-level reliability coefficient. The adapted scale is a valid and reliable tool measuring health-related quality of life in Polish adolescents treated with venom-specific immunotherapy

Health-related quality of life in Polish adolescents with "Hymenoptera" venom allergy treated with venom immunotherapy

Introduction: Venom allergy, though rare, may seriously influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL). There is a paucity of research on HRQoL of adolescents and young adults with Hymenoptera venom allergy. The aim was to assess the level of HRQoL and to evaluate its independent predictors in Polish adolescents and young adults treated with venom immunotherapy. Material and methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study based on the Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (VQLQ) adapted for Polish adolescents was used. The study sample included 87 patients (14-21 years) studied at different stages of venom immunotherapy (VIT). Statistical analysis was done with multivariate linear regression. Results: Anxiety level was higher in patients with 4th grade of Mueller’s classification (anaphylactic shock) than in those with 3rd grade (B = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.07-1.61, p = 0.03). Caution increased along with an increase of anxiety of adolescents treated with VIT (B = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.39-0.68, p < 0.01). Level of limitations increased with increasing caution of adolescents (B = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.35-0.91, p < 0.01). Discomfort increased along with a rise of caution of patients (B = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.22-0.55, p < 0.01). Similarly, it increased with an increase of their feeling of limitations (B = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.23-0.51, p < 0.01). The level of discomfort in adolescents treated with VIT was lower in those who were treated with conventional protocol in comparison to those treated with rush or ultrarush ones (B = –0.47, 95% CI = –0.90 - –0.03, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Severity of anaphylactic reaction is an independent determinant of anxiety level in adolescents treated with VIT. The VIT protocol affects HRQoL of treated patients

KM-408, a novel phenoxyalkyl derivative as a potential anticonvulsant and analgesic compound for the treatment of neuropathic pain

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy frequently coexists with neuropathic pain. Our approach is based on the search for active compounds with multitarget profiles beneficial in terms of potential side effects and on the implementation of screening for potential multidirectional central activity. METHODS: Compounds were synthesized by means of chemical synthesis. After antiseizure and neurotoxicity screening in vivo, KM-408 and its enantiomers were chosen for analgesic activity evaluations. Further safety studies included acute toxicity in mice, the effect on normal electrocardiogram and on blood pressure in rats, whole body plethysmography in rats, and in vitro and biochemical assays. Pharmacokinetics has been studied in rats after iv and po administration. Metabolism has been studied in vivo in rat serum and urine. Radioligand binding studies were performed as part of the mechanism of action investigation. RESULTS: Selected results for KM-408: K(i) sigma = 7.2*10(–8); K(i) 5-HT(1A) = 8.0*10(–7); ED(50) MES (mice, ip) = 13.3 mg/kg; formalin test (I phase, mice, ip)—active at 30 mg/kg; SNL (rats, ip)—active at 6 mg/kg; STZ-induced pain (mice, ip)—active at 1 mg/kg (von Frey) and 10 mg/kg (hot plate); hot plate test (mice, ip)—active at 30 mg/kg; ED(50) capsaicin test (mice, ip) = 18.99 mg/kg; tail immersion test (mice)—active at 0.5%; corneal anesthesia (guinea pigs)—active at 0.125%; infiltration anesthesia (guinea pigs)—active at 0.125%. CONCLUSIONS: Within the presented study a novel compound, R,S-2-((2-(2-chloro-6-methylphenoxy)ethyl)amino)butan-1-ol hydrochloride (KM-408) with dual antiseizure and analgesic activity has been developed for potential use in neuropathic pain treatment. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43440-022-00431-7