Nursing care and dietary procedures in the case of a young patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease : case study

Introduction: About 15% of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes might also suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease accompanying type 1 diabetes may lead to the incidence of hypoglycaemia or ketoacidosis and increased risk of complications such as retinopathy and osteoporosis. Aim of the study: An analysis of the case of a patient suffering from type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and the presentation of a nursing care plan. Material and methods: The study describes the case of an 18-year-old female patient who had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac and was hos-pitalised in September 2017. The information about her medical history and condition was obtained by means of an interview, observa-tion, and analysis of medical records with the application of a survey questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). Case description and analysis: The main problems of the patient were connected with celiac symptoms: acute diarrhoea, calf cramps, and overweight caused by dietary mistakes. The patient’s deficit of knowledge about dietary procedures had a negative impact on her somatic and mental condition. Accord-ing to the AIS scale, the patient showed a moderate acceptance towards her illness (a score of 35). Conclusions: Nursing care provided to patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease should aim at recognising knowledge and skill defi-cits, education, and emotional support. Patients’ failure to follow dietary recommendations, nutritional deficiencies, and incorrect eating habits frequently result not only from an unwillingness to change eating habits but also from low quality of consumed gluten-free prod-ucts

Relationship between past myocardial infarction, periodontal disease and Porphyromonas gingivalis serum antibodies: A case-control study

Background: The relationship between chronic periodontitis (CP) and increased risk for cardiovas­cular disease (CVD) is known but quantitative assessments and mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between past myocardial infarction (MI) and the severity of CP, and the level of serum antibody titer against Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains. Methods: The study sample consisted of 97 patients after MI and 113 high risk controls with no history of coronary heart disease (CHD) matched with age, sex and place of residence (urban vs. rural). Data on the history of CHD and presence of risk factors were collected. Periodontal status was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP) and pocket depth. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders patients with BOP = 20–50% and BOP > 50% had more than four times higher odds of past MI (OR = 4.56; 95% CI 2.03–10.27). Patients with CPI code = 4 had a three times higher odds of past MI (OR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.01–10.06). CAL ≥ 6 was related to higher odds of past MI (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.11–1.49). Patients with moderate antibody titer levels had an almost 3 times higher odds of past MI (OR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.02–7.84). Conclusions: There was an association between CP and past MI, which was independent of classical CVD risk factors and confirmed by an association between past MI and immunological reaction against P. gingivalis gingipains

Longitudinal effects of a nurse-managed comprehensive cardiovascular disease prevention program for hospitalized coronary heart disease patients and primary care high-risk patients

Background: The EUROACTION study (nurse‑coordinated multidisciplinary, family‑based cardiovascular disease prevention program) documented the efficacy of a nurse‑managed, comprehensive prevention program in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). No information was available on survival. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the effects of EUROACTION intervention on CVD risk factors and 12‑year survival in the Polish component of the study. Methods: Two district hospitals and 2 primary care practices were allocated randomly to intervention (INT) or usual care (UC). The primary endpoints were lifestyle and risk factors changes at 1‑year follow‑up. Differences in survival were analyzed using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: The study involved 628 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 711 high‑risk patients. Compared to UC, INT patients achieved healthier lifestyles and a larger reduction of risk factors at 1 year but these differences were not maintained 12 years after the intervention. Less deaths occurred in patients from the INT hospital and from INT primary practice (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42–0.82 and HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.3–0.95, respectively). Adjustment for the covariates slightly attenuated the estimates and removed significance (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.52–1.04 and HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.36–1.24, respectively). For combined CHD and high‑risk patient groups, compared with UC, INT patients had a 36% lower risk of death after adjustment for age, sex, and history of CHD (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48–0.86). Conclusions: The impact of the EUROACTION intervention on lifestyle and CVD risk factors could have contributed to lower mortality in INT coronary and high‑risk patients. These results emphasize the need for sustaining the interventions to help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle

Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in contemporary clinical practice

Background: The highest priority in preventive cardiology was given to patients with estab­lished coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of the study was to assess the implementation of guidelines for secondary prevention in everyday clinical practice by evaluating control of the main risk factors and the cardioprotective medication prescription rates for patients, following their hospitalization for CAD. Methods: Five hospitals with cardiology departments serving the city and its surround­ing districts in southern part of Poland participated in the study. Consecutive patients aged ≤ 80 years, hospitalized from January 1 2010 to April 31 2012 due to an acute coronary syndrome or for a myocardial revascularization procedure were recruited and interviewed 6–18 months after hospitalization. Results: The medical records of 595 patients (mean age: 62.8 ± 9.0 years, 397 men and 198 women) were reviewed and included in the analyses. Proportions of medical records with available information on risk factors were high with the exception of total cholesterol levels as well as weight and height measurements, which were available in less than 80% of the hospital records. The prescription rate at discharge for antiplatelets was 99%, beta-blockers (BB) — 85%, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or sartans — 85%, and lipid-lowering drugs — 94%. Patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting were significantly less often prescribed BB, ACEI or sartans, and lipid-lowering drugs. The proportion of patients with high blood pressure (≥ 140/90 mm Hg) 6–18 months after hospitalization was 47%, with high LDL cholesterol level (≥ 1.8 mmol/L) 73%, and with a high HbA1c level (≥ 7.0%) 14%, whereas 20% of participants were smokers and 80% were overweight. The proportion of patients taking an antiplatelet agent 6–18 months after hospitalization was 90%, BB — 82%, ACEI — or sartan 78%, and lipid-lowering drug — 82%. Overall, 33.9% of the study participants declared that they had been advised to participate in a rehabilitation/secondary prevention program following their hospitalization and 30.5% participated in a rehabilitation/secondary prevention program. However, only 28.2% took part in at least half of the planned sessions. Using a multivariate analysis we showed that, in general, risk factors control and the prescription rates of cardioprotective medications were related to the patients’ age, education, and participation in a rehabilitation/secondary prevention program following their hospitalization due to CAD. Conclusions: Our data provide evidence that there is a considerable potential for further reduction of cardiovascular risk in CAD patients. Our results suggest that increasing patient participation rates in rehabilitation/secondary prevention programs may improve the imple­mentation of the secondary prevention

Cardiac rehabilitation in real life

Participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) improves prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, not much is known about the effectiveness of CRP in real life. The aim of this analysis was to identify factors related to the referral to CRP following hospitalization for CAD and estimate the effectiveness of the programs in real life. Medical records of 1061 consecutive patients aged ≤80 years, hospitalized due to an acute coronary syndrome or for a myocardial revascularization procedure in 5 hospitals serving the city and surrounding counties, were reviewed and 611 patients were interviewed 6–18 months posthospitalization. Of 611 patients participating in the interview, 212 (34.7%) were referred following the hospitalization to a center providing CRP. Age, hospitalization in a teaching hospital, and index diagnosis were independently related to being granted a referral. Among the referred patients, 86.3% participated in the CRP. Participation in CRP was related to the lower probability of having high total cholesterol (23% vs 32%, P < 0.05), fasting glucose (11% vs 18%, P = 0.05), Hb(A1c) (8% vs 16%, P = 0.05), and body mass index (27% vs 37%, P < 0.05). Generally, the effect of the CRP was significant in participants with a higher education, but not in those with a low education level. Other factors were not significantly related to the effectiveness of CRP. This study shows that CRPs are effective, but underused in Poland. The participant's education level may influence the effectiveness of CRP. Therefore, in order to increase the impact of CRP, the content of such programs should vary depending on the education level of the participants