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Background: Postoperative pain management is one of the largest worldwide challenges faced by healthcare professionals and is one of the most common problems that accompany patients in the postoperative period. Objectives: We evaluated the awareness of general nurses on the management of postoperative pain through PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) on a multicultural level among general nurses from the Czech Republic (CZ) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by the distribution of the questionnaires. We distributed 403 questionnaires in CZ and 550 questionnaires in KSA. Statistical analysis was performed by program STATA15 at the significance level ∝ =0.05. Results: The study included total of 833 respondents (N = 360 CZ; N = 473 KSA). In both countries, the majority of the respondents were female (CZ 89, 7%; KSA 92, 4%). The average age was similar in both countries (38.6 years in CZ and 35.6 years in KSA). We found out that the use of the treatment through PCA differs between both countries according to the type of department (P < 0.05). We verified that the frequency of use of the PCA method differs in the post-anesthesia care unit between CZ and KSA (P = 0.000). Conclusions: According to the available results, we can state that the general nurses in KSA care for patients with the PCA much more often and have more experience with the PCA than general nurses from CZ.

The number of reports on cognitive changes related to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in Parkinson's disease (PD) is growing. The aim of the review was to assess whether high-density electroencephalography (HD EEG) in patients with DBS treatment for PD is used and mentioned as a research method for the assessment of cognitive function changes after DBS of the subthalamic nucleus. The HD EEG examination method demonstrates the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain using changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during examination. The search results yielded seven studies on the possibility of using HD EEG to investigate changes in bioelectric potentials with various protocols (motor tasks, auditory stimuli). Based on the results, HD EEG appears to be a feasible research method in patients with PD and established DBS therapy. Therefore, we plan to use HD EEG to demonstrate the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain utilizing changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during HD EEG examination.

The direct toxicity of cancer treatment threatens patients and survivors with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or adverse functional changes with subsequent progression of cardiovascular complications. An accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors combined with an unhealthy lifestyle has recently become more common in cancer patients and survivors. It has been recommended to integrate a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation model called cardio-oncology rehabilitation to mitigate cardiovascular risk. Nevertheless, cardiac rehabilitation interventions limit barriers in low utilization, further exacerbated by the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to integrate alternative interventions such as telehealth, which can overcome several barriers. This literature review was designed as a framework for developing and evaluating telehealth interventions and mobile applications for comprehensive cardio-oncology rehabilitation. We identify knowledge gaps and propose strategies to facilitate the development and integration of cardio-oncology rehabilitation telehealth as an alternative approach to the standard of care for cancer patients and survivors. Despite the limited evidence, the pilot results from included studies support the feasibility and acceptability of telehealth and mobile technologies in cardio-oncology rehabilitation. This new area suggests that telehealth interventions are feasible and induce physiological and psychological benefits for cancer patients and survivors. There is an assumption that telehealth interventions and exercise may be an effective future alternative approach in supportive cancer care.

Introduction: Isolated genital burns are not frequent injuries; more often, they are part of larger surface-area burn injuries. Aetiology and mechanisms of genital burn injuries differ regarding country, age and patients’ socioeconomic status. Aim: The aim is to describe a rare case report of a 69-year-old man who incurred a deep penile burn after using an electrothermal sexual device. Methods: The patient was admitted to the Department of Urology (blinded for review) with deep penile burn a week after the injury. Debridement, conservative therapy, and deferred reconstruction due to extensive lymphoedema were performed. Due to numerous small, contracted skin scars of penile corpus arising from multiple healed burns caused by self-mutilation by repeatedly using an electrothermal sexual device, the penile defect reconstruction was performed. A local ventral foreskin skin flap in combination with a full split-thickness graft was done in order to avoid extensive scar contracture with possible penile deviation. Results: There were no complications in postoperative care in the follow-up period of 26 months, with satisfactory aesthetical and functional results. Conclusion: In the case of penile wounds, the reconstruction technique depends on the injury's size, depth and localisation of the damage.

Abstract Background Providing palliative care at the end of life (EOL) in intensive care units (ICUs) seems to be modified during the COVID-19 pandemic with potential burden of moral distress to health care providers (HCPs). We seek to assess the practice of EOL care during the COVID-19 pandemic in ICUs in the Czech Republic focusing on the level of moral distress and its possible modifiable factors. Methods Between 16 June 2021 and 16 September 2021, a national, cross-sectional study in intensive care units (ICUs) in Czech Republic was performed. All physicians and nurses working in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the study. For questionnaire development ACADEMY and CHERRIES guide and checklist were used. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyse possible modifiable factors of moral distress. Results In total, 313 HCPs (14.5% out of all HCPs who opened the questionnaire) fully completed the survey. Results showed that 51.8% (n = 162) of respondents were exposed to moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. 63.1% (n = 113) of nurses and 71.6% of (n = 96) physicians had experience with the perception of inappropriate care. If inappropriate care was perceived, a higher chance for the occurrence of moral distress for HCPs (OR, 1.854; CI, 1.057–3.252; p = 0.0312) was found. When patients died with dignity, the chance for moral distress was lower (OR, 0.235; CI, 0.128–0.430; p

Non-healing wounds are usually colonised and contaminated by different types of bacteria. An alternative to antibiotic treatment in patients with infected wounds with local signs of inflammation may be medical grade honey (MGH). MGH has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory features. This study aims to evaluate the effect of MGH therapy on infected non-healing wounds, especially for diabetic foot syndrome. Prospective, observational case series (n = 5) of patients with wounds of diabetic foot syndrome are presented. There were five males with an average age of 61.6 years. All wounds were treated with MGH, and the healing trajectory was rigorously and objectively monitored. In all cases, there was a gradual disappearance of odour, pain, and exudation. Moreover, the wound areas significantly reduced within 40 days and there was a decrease in glycated haemoglobin and glycaemia values. All these outcomes resulted in improved quality of life of the patients. Despite bacterial colonisation, antibiotic treatment was not necessary. All wounds were completely healed. MGH has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in diabetic foot syndrome wounds, does not increase glycated haemoglobin or glycaemia levels, and thus constitutes an effective alternative to the use of antibiotics in the treatment of locally infected wounds.

Healthcare workers were prioritized in vaccination campaigns globally because they are exposed to the highest risk of contamination by SARS-CoV-2. This study evaluated the self-reported post-vaccination side effects of inactivated (BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac) and adenoviral vector-based (AZD1222, Gam-COVID-Vac and Ad26.COV2.S) vaccines among Algerian healthcare workers using a validated questionnaire. The final analysis included 721 healthcare workers, with a predominance of females (59.1%) and younger individuals 20–30 years old (39.4%). Less than half (49.1%) of the respondents reported at least one local side effect, while 53.8% reported at least one systemic side effect. These side effects were more prevalent among viral vector vaccinees than inactivated virus vaccinees. The most common local side effects were injection site pain (39%) and arm pain (25.4%), while fatigue (34.4%), fever (28.4%), headache (24.8%) and myalgia (22.7%) were the most prevalent systemic side effects. The side effects appeared earlier among inactivated virus vaccines recipients and generally lasted for 2 to 3 days for the two vaccinated groups. The risk factors associated with a higher prevalence of side effects included female gender, allergic individuals, individuals with regular medication, those who contracted the COVID-19 disease and those who received two doses for both inactivated and viral-based vaccines groups. Despite the higher prevalence of post-vaccination side effects among adenoviral vector vaccines recipients, both vaccines groups were equally effective in preventing symptomatic infections, and no life-threatening side effects were reported in either vaccine group.

Background: The recent human monkeypox virus (HMPXV) outbreak in non-endemic countries that started in May 2022 has raised concerns among public health authorities worldwide. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a decisive role during epidemics in transmitting accurate information to the public and motivating them to pursue protective behaviours, including immunisation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted in the Czech Republic in September 2022 to evaluate HMPXV-related knowledge and vaccination perceptions among HCWs. The study utilised a digital self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) to collect data from the target population. The proposed SAQ inquired about participants’ sociodemographic and anamnestic characteristics, perceived knowledge of HMPXV, factual knowledge, and vaccination perceptions according to the health belief model (HBM). Results: A total of 341 participants were included in this study; most of them were females (88.9%), allied HCWs (89.4%), heterosexuals (87.1%), married (61.9%), and vaccinated against COVID-19 (91.2%). Only 8.8% of the participants agreed to receive vaccination against HMPXV; 44.9% rejected it, while 46.3% were hesitant. While digital news portals (47.5%) and social media (25.8%) were among the most utilised sources of information about HMPXV, the scientific journals (5.6%), ECDC (5%), and the U.S. CDC (1.5%) were the least common sources. The participants demonstrated suboptimal levels of factual knowledge, especially regarding HMPXV vaccines (1.5 ± 1.2 (0–4)) and treatments (0.9 ± 0.9 (0–4)). Additionally, several misconceptions were detectable among the participants, regarding topics such as the availability of effective vaccines and antivirals against HMPXV, the risk of vertical transmission, and homosexual stigmatisation. The HBM indicated that the cues to action and perceived susceptibility were the most important constructs to predict HMPXV vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: the findings of this study call upon public health practitioners and health policymakers in the Czech Republic to act accordingly in order to determine the drivers of vaccine hesitancy among Czech HCWs. Dedicated educational campaigns should aim to counter the HCWs’ misconceptions around HMPXV, and future studies should aim to explore the prevalence and drivers of HMPXV vaccine hesitancy among the general population.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), one of the most common healthcare-associated infections in intensive care settings, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. VAP is diagnosed in >10% of patients on mechanical ventilation, incidence rising with number of ventilator days. In recent decades, the pathophysiology of VAP, VAP risk factors and treatment have been extensively studied. In critically ill pediatric patients, mechanical issues such as insufficient tightness of the ventilator circuit (mainly due to historically based preference of uncuffed tubes) and excessive humidity in the circuit are both significant risk factors of VAP development. Protocol-based approaches to critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation, closed suctioning, upper body position, enteral feeding and selective gastric acid suppression medication have a beneficial effect on VAP incidence. In recent decades, cuffed tubes applied to the whole spectrum of critically ill pediatric patients (except neonates 2O) management and the use of specialized tracheal tubes with subglottic suction ports combined with close infraglottic tracheal suctioning, have been implemented. The aim of this review was to summarize the current evidence-based knowledge about the pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of VAP in clinically oriented settings.

BackgroundParkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which causes health problem that affects more patients in the past few years. To be able to offer appropriate care, epidemiological analyses are crucial at the national level and its comparison with the international situation.AimThe demographic description of reported patients with parkinsonism (including Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonian syndromes) according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) from the national health registries.MethodsRetrospective analysis of data available from the National Health Information System-NHIS and the National Registry of Reimbursed Health Services (NRRHS). Analyzed epidemiological data are intending to determine the regional and specific prevalence of Parkinsonism in the Czech Republic. The International Classification of Diseases diagnoses (ICD-10) of G20 (Parkinson's disease-PD) and G23.1, G23.2, G23.3 (other degenerative disorders of basal ganglia), and G31.8 (another degenerative disease of basal ganglia) from the period of 2012 to 2018 were included into the analysis.ResultsWe identified 78 453 unique patients from national registries in the period 2012 to 2018. Diagnoses of G20, G23.1, G23.2, and G31.8 were registered as the principal diagnoses in 76.6% of all individual patients.ConclusionWe have found a growing number of patients coded with ICD-10 of dg. G20, G23.1, G23.2, G23.3, or G31.8 (N = 27 891 in 2012, and N = 30 612 in 2018). We have proven regional differences in the prevalence of Parkinson´s diagnoses. Therefore we assume most likely also differences in the care of patients with PD based on the availability of specialty care centers.

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning vaccine-elicited immunity are two public health challenges that occurred simultaneously and synergistically during the summer of 2021 and led to a surging demand for COVID-19 vaccine booster dose (BD) rollout. This study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy (VBH) among Czech healthcare workers to explore the potential determinants of VBH. A national cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out between 3 and 11 November 2021, using an online self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) that explored the participants’ demographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection and vaccine anamneses, willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine BD, and the psychosocial drivers of VBH. A total of 3454 HCW properly responded to the online SAQ, of which 80.9% were females, 30.3% were medical professionals, and 50.5% were ≤47 years old. Most of the participants were already inoculated against SARS-CoV-2 (95.2%), and BTN162b2 was the most commonly administered vaccine (90.7%). As the study sample was planned to represent the target population, it revealed a high level of BD acceptance (71.3%) among Czech HCW, while 12.2% were still hesitant and 16.6% were against the currently available BD. These results are consistent with other recent results from central Europe. Medical professional, male, and older participants were more likely to accept BD rather than allied health professional, female, and younger participants. The BDs’ perceived effectiveness against severe illness, symptomatic infection, and community transmission was a significant and strong predictor for BD acceptance, while the effectiveness against the circulating variants was not that important for our target population. The BDs’ perceived safety and ethical dilemmas of vaccine justice should be addressed sufficiently while communicating with HCW and other population groups. The altruistic reasons for BD acceptance, i.e., family protection, patient protection, and community health protection, underpin the recommendation of postponing the COVID-19 vaccine mandating in favour of stressing these altruistic concerns amid public health messaging.

Young adults had been widely perceived as a low-risk group for COVID-19 severity; therefore, they were deprioritised within the mass vaccination strategies as their prognosis of COVID-19 infection is relatively more favourable than older age groups. On the other hand, vaccination of this demographic group is indispensable to achieve herd immunity. A cross-sectional survey-based study was used to evaluate the side effects of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines among university students in the Czech Republic. The validated questionnaire was delivered in a digital form, and it consisted of demographic data; COVID-19 vaccine-related anamnesis; and local, systemic, orofacial, and skin-related side effects’ prevalence, onset, and duration. Out of the 539 included participants, 70.1% were females and 45.8% were

Background: university students are believed to retain the highest levels of health literacy. They are perceived as the opinion leaders within their communities; therefore, their health-related beliefs and attitudes are deemed important for public health campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy drivers among university students in the Czech Republic. Methods: a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out in the weeks before the unrestricted vaccine deployment to Czech adults. The questionnaire had 21 multiple-choice items stratified in 4 categories; demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis and influenza vaccine experience, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and the possible drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy suggested by the WHO-SAGE. Results: out of the 1351 included students, 66.8% were females, 84.5% were Czech nationals, and 40.6% enrolled in healthcare programs. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance level was 73.3%, 19.3% of participants were vaccine-resistant, and only 7.4% were vaccine-hesitant. Trust in the pharmaceutical industry, trust in healthcare providers, and perceived knowledge sufficiency predicted higher odds of vaccine acceptance. In contrast, media and social media, personal beliefs, immunity misconception, previous COVID-19 infection, and suspicions about novel vaccines and the local availability predicted higher odds of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: The findings of this study predict a fair probability to achieve community immunity (herd immunity) among the target population group. The primary prevention strategies in the Czech Republic need to be culturally sensitive and inclusive for foreign nationals. As one-quarter of the participating students are dependent on vaccine safety data, this study findings support the call for independent studies evaluating the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

The overarching aim of this study was to assess the predictors related to the willingness of Palestinian dental students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a universal sample of dental students in the Palestinian territories. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine was related to the following factors: Demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experiences, beliefs and knowledge about the vaccine, attitudes toward vaccinations in general, and other factors outlined by the WHO SAGE Vaccination Hesitancy Questionnaire. Four hundred and seventeen students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 41.7%). In general, 57.8% (n = 241) were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available to them, 27% (n = 114) were hesitant, and 14.9% (n = 62) were not willing to get vaccinated. The final regression model explained 46% of the variation in the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: Attitudes towards new vaccines (β = 6.23, p < 0.001), believing in a favorable risk–benefit ratio (β = 5.64, p < 0.001), trust in the pharmaceutical industry (β = 5.92, p = 0.001), believing that natural immunity is better than being vaccinated (β = −4.24, p < 0.001), and having enough information about the vaccine (β = 4.12, p < 0.001). Adequate information about vaccines, their risk–benefit ratios, and natural and acquired immunity are important to build trust and favorable attitudes towards vaccines among future dentists.

Non-healing wounds are usually colonised by various types of bacteria. An alternative to antibiotic treatment in patients with infected wounds with local signs of inflammation may be medical-grade honey (MGH), which favourably affects the healing process with its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MGH therapy on the healing process of non-healing wounds of various aetiologies and different wound colonisations. Prospective, observation–intervention case studies (n = 9) of patients with wounds of various aetiologies (venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, surgical wound dehiscence) are presented. All wounds were treated with MGH and the healing trajectory was rigorously and objectively monitored. In all cases, pain, odour, and exudation were quickly resolved, which led to an improvement in the quality of life of patients. Despite the proven bacterial microflora in wounds, antibiotic treatment was not necessary. The effects of MGH alleviated the signs of local infection until their complete elimination. In eight out of nine cases, the non-healing wound was completely healed. MGH has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in wounds of various aetiologies and forms an effective alternative for the use of antibiotics for treating locally infected wounds.

Recent reports of thrombosis following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in young females (

Aim: The aim of the following review was to search for existing registers of pressure ulcer (PU) incidence operating and collecting data on national level. Design: Type of study - review. Methods: Articles focusing on the subject of national PU registers were searched for by means of a systematic trawl through various databases using relevant terms. The search was limited to articles in English issued between 2010 and 2015 in the electronic databases SCOPUS and Nursing OVID. Articles focused on local datasets or registry as a part of local electronic health records were not included as well as studies which do not describe the dataset or the usability of data collection. Results: In total, six papers were found fulfilling the established criteria. Conclusion: According to information available from the literature review, it was recognised that only one register of PUs currently exists at the national level - the Registry of Ulcer Treatment (RUT) in Sweden. It can be assumed that registers exist in other countries, but that the information is not available on electronic databases. After a detailed inspection of the articles, it appears the information derived from the studies could provide a useful picture of the data that should be collected, and at what time during the treatment period (initial and final assessment of the patients and local symptomatology of the wound/pressure ulcer) it should be collected.

No universal solution, based on an approved pedagogical approach, exists to parametrically describe, effectively manage, and clearly visualize a higher education institution's curriculum, including tools for unveiling relationships inside curricular datasets.We aim to solve the issue of medical curriculum mapping to improve understanding of the complex structure and content of medical education programs. Our effort is based on the long-term development and implementation of an original web-based platform, which supports an outcomes-based approach to medical and healthcare education and is suitable for repeated updates and adoption to curriculum innovations.We adopted data exploration and visualization approaches in the context of medical curriculum innovations in higher education institutions domain. We have developed a robust platform, covering detailed formal metadata specifications down to the level of learning units, interconnections, and learning outcomes, in accordance with Bloom's taxonomy and direct links to a particular biomedical nomenclature. Furthermore, we used selected modeling techniques and data mining methods to generate academic analytics reports from medical curriculum mapping datasets.We present a solution that allows users to effectively optimize a curriculum structure that is described with appropriate metadata, such as course attributes, learning units and outcomes, a standardized vocabulary nomenclature, and a tree structure of essential terms. We present a case study implementation that includes effective support for curriculum reengineering efforts of academics through a comprehensive overview of the General Medicine study program. Moreover, we introduce deep content analysis of a dataset that was captured with the use of the curriculum mapping platform; this may assist in detecting any potentially problematic areas, and hence it may help to construct a comprehensive overview for the subsequent global in-depth medical curriculum inspection.We have proposed, developed, and implemented an original framework for medical and healthcare curriculum innovations and harmonization, including: planning model, mapping model, and selected academic analytics extracted with the use of data mining.