Differences in Perceived Occupational Stress by Demographic Characteristics, of European Emergency Medical Services Personnel during the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic-An International Study

Objectives: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought commercial, social, and economic consequences in every country that has experienced substantial SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. The complete change in the environment that took place due to the outbreak of the pandemic can lead to stressful situations, especially among healthcare personnel. Material and methods: The research were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between the 27 March 2020 and the 20 April 2020. The research included 1984 employees of emergency medical systems in seven European countries. An internet-based questionnaire format was adopted for the study (ΩMc-Donald > 0.7). Results: The highest level of stress was experienced by personnel in the United Kingdom M = 4.03, and the lowest by Norwegian employees M = 2.89. High levels of stress were also experienced by nurses from Spain and Poland. Women actively working in the healthcare system during the pandemic experienced higher stress levels than men. Conclusions: Women working in European emergency medical systems are more vulnerable to work-related stress, while carrying out emergency medical procedures during the pandemic. Differences in the level of stress experienced while carrying out duties in pre-hospital conditions were only found among Spanish emergency medical system personnel

Restoration work at Ojców castle in 2018-2019

The article is a short report on the restoration work carried out at Ojców Castle in 2018–2019. The works, conducted after many years of neglect, included the renovation of the gatehouse and the tower, as well as adaptation of the latter for visiting. During the work some extensive architectural and archaeological surveys were introduce

Blood transmitted infections — the problems of modern blood donation

Leczenie krwią znane jest ludzkości od starożytności, chociaż zastosowanie tej metody we względnie bezpieczny sposób jest możliwe dopiero od kilkudziesięciu lat dzięki biologii molekularnej. Poprzez transfuzję krwi można uratować wiele ludzkich istnień, w przypadku kiedy byłoby to niemożliwe do osiągnięcia innymi metodami. Dodatkowo dzięki wytworzonym z krwi preparatom można leczyć szerokie spektrum schorzeń układu krwionośnego. Do dnia dzisiejszego nie udało się sztucznie wytworzyć krwi ani jej składników. Z tego powodu każda kropla krwi jest na wagę złota, a propagowanie honorowego krwiodawstwa jest niezwykle ważne.Celem pracy była analiza dostępnych publikacji w celu utworzenia koherentnego źródła informacji o problematyce bezpiecznego przetaczania krwi.Mimo rozwoju i innowacji technicznych w dziedzinie biologii nadal nie udało się rozwiązać wszystkich problemów związanych z bezpieczeństwem krwi. Stosowane metody i procedury pozwalają na ciągłą minimalizację ryzyka związanego z przechowywaniem, przetwarzaniem, dystrybucją oraz transfuzją krwi i jej składników. W krajach wysokorozwiniętych szansa na przeniesienie zakażenia poprzez przetoczenie krwi jest marginalna. Niestety w krajach niskorozwiniętych ze względów ekonomicznych wiele podstawowych testów nie jest wykonywanych, stąd ryzyko związane z transfuzjami jest proporcjonalne. Czynników zakaźnych będzie przybywać w związku z mutacjami wirusów i bakterii, które wytwarzają oporność na obecnie stosowane środki odkażające i lecznicze. Problemy Pielęgniarstwa 2014; 22 (2): 228–233Treatment with blood has been known to humankind since ancient times, although using this method in a relatively safe manner has been possible for only several dozen years thanks to molecular biology. Blood transfusion enables saving many human beings, in situations where other methods would not be effective. Apart from that, blood preparations are used to treat a wide range of cardiovascular system diseases. Until today, we have not been able to create artificial blood or its components. Therefore every drop of blood is worth its weight in gold, and popularization of voluntary blood donation is extremely important.The purpose of this work is analysis of available publications to create a coherent source of information about the problematic aspects of safe blood transfusion. Despite the development of technological innovations in biology, we have still not managed to solve all the problems related to blood transfusion safety. Used methods and procedures allow for constant reduction of risks related to storage, processing, distribution and transfusion of blood and its components. In developed countries, the risk of infection by blood transfusion is marginal. Unfortunately, many of the basic tests used in European countries and in North America are for financial reasons not performed in developing countries; hence the risk related to blood transfusions is proportionally higher in these regions and is additionally related to serious endemic pathogenic factors, porównaoccurring normally on the area of a given country. There will be more and more of such factors, due to virus and bacteria mutations, which become resistant to used disinfectants and treatments; they can also adopt a more virulent form. The nature can also surprise us with totally new infecting factors, therefore it is so important to constantly perform research.Nursing Topics 2014; 22 (2): 228–23

Predictors of stress among emergency medical personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced emergency services to implement new standards of practice around the world. The dynamic and unpredictable nature of many clinical situations has placed emergency service personnel in direct danger of contracting the disease. This work uses a validated survey developed for the study to assess the predictors of stress that paramedics, nurses and doctors experience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and MethodsThe study group included 955 medical staff, and the level of significance adopted for statistical analysis was p = 0.05. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the qualitative variables divided into groups. The selection of tests was carried out based on the distribution of variables, verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test. In order to determine the predictors that caused the feelings of stress, it was necessary to use the linear regression model.ResultsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, stress among emergency medical personnel has increased considerably due to new factors that did not previously exist. The predictors of stress in the professional environment include the fear of contracting COVID-19, a decrease in the level of safety while conducting emergency medical procedures, and the marginalization of treatment for patients not suffering from COVID-19. Additional socio-demographic factors that increase stress among emergency medical personnel are being female and working in the nursing profession. Appropriate training, the supply of personal protective equipment and opinions on the preparedness of the system to deal with the outbreak of the pandemic did not affect the level of stress among health service personnel.ConclusionsThe factors that can be considered to act as predictors of occupational stress include the fear of contracting COVID-19, a decrease in the level of safety and security while conducting emergency medical procedures, and the marginalization of patients not suffering from COVID-19

Analysis of Emergency Medical Response Team Performance during the International Winter Championships in Emergency Medicine

Background and Objectives: Conducting advanced life support (ALS) according to the guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) requires medical personnel to implement the appropriate emergency actions. In particular, these actions include chest compressions, airway management, artificial ventilation, defibrillation and the administering of medicines. An appropriate training system enables members of medical response teams (MRT) to acquire the essential knowledge and skills necessary to correctly conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). One way to improve the quality of interventions by MRT personnel is participation in emergency medicine championships. Materials and Methods: The research analysed assessment cards for tasks carried out during the International Winter Championships in Emergency Medicine in the years 2013–2020. The assessed tasks were prepared and led by European Resuscitation Council instructors of advanced life support. During ten-minute scenarios of simulated sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in adults, the judges assessed the compliance of procedures with current ERC guidelines. This research analysed the performance of 309 teams from Poland made up of paramedics from medical response units from all over the country. Results: In most cases, the study showed significant differences in the percentage of correctly performed procedures between years. Most often, the highest percentage of correctly performed procedures was recorded in 2019 and 2020. The lowest percentage of correctly performed procedures was most often recorded in 2013. In subsequent years, the percentage of use of tracheal intubation decreased (from 54.76% to 31.25%) in favour of an increase in the use of supraglottic airway device SAD (from 35.71% to 59.38%). Conclusions: The research has shown that in subsequent years of the Championships, the quality of the majority of assessed procedures carried out by members of MRT gradually improved. The research authors also observed that in subsequent years, the percentage of intubations decreased in favour of SAD

SGLT-2 Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment—Mechanisms of Action and Emerging New Perspectives

A new group of antidiabetic drugs, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2 inhibitors), have recently been shown to have anticancer effects and their expression has been confirmed in many cancer cell lines. Given the metabolic reprogramming of these cells in a glucose-based model, the ability of SGLT-2 inhibitors to block the glucose uptake by cancer cells appears to be an attractive therapeutic approach. In addition to tumour cells, SGLT-2s are only found in the proximal tubules in the kidneys. Furthermore, as numerous clinical trials have shown, the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors is well-tolerated and safe in patients with diabetes and/or heart failure. In vitro cell culture studies and preclinical in vivo studies have confirmed that SGLT-2 inhibitors exhibit antiproliferative effects on certain types of cancer. However, the mechanisms of this action remain unclear. Even in those tumour cell types in which SGLT-2 is present, there is sometimes an SGLT-2-independent mechanism of anticancer action of this group of drugs. This article presents the current state of knowledge of the potential mechanisms of the anticancer action of SGLT-2 inhibitors and their possible future application in clinical oncology