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In many countries, the consumption of illicit opioids is rising, becoming a major public health issue called the "opioid crisis". Many reasons contribute to this phenomenon. One of them is opioid misuse, defined as the use of legally prescribed opioids for a purpose different than pain treatment. This matter has not been well studied in Poland, where the opioid crisis has not been identified so far. This study was conducted among patients admitted for elective surgery with opioid-based postoperative pain treatment. The frequency of opioid misuse was found to be 10.8% in a sample comprising 92 patients. The group of individuals with potential opioid use disorder had a more frequent history of inadequately controlled postoperative pain compared to the group of non-misusers (p = 0.023). Furthermore, this group asked to receive additional pain treatment almost six times more often than the control group (p < 0.000). Also, patients declaring opioid misuse reported substantial differences concerning their knowledge and opinions about pain treatment and opioid analgesics: supporting the administration of opioids for pain when needed, finding opioids less harmful, and supporting messages that opioids are safe, effective, well-tolerated, easy to cutoff more often than control. There is an urgent need for the education of patients to avoid the spreading of the opioid crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microvascular dysfunction and inflammation caused by COVID-19 disrupt organ function. The study aimed to investigate the association between the severity of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and peripheral and organ perfusion as a consequence of altered microcirculation. A total of 116 patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. On admission, the patients underwent a Capillary Refill Time (CRT) examination, finger oxygen saturation measurement, thermal imaging of the hand (FIT), and a kidney Doppler ultrasound. Medical data were collected from the medical history. From the evaluated perfusion parameters, only renal cortex perfusion (RCP) was substantially correlated with the CT score (p < 0.010). The peripheral perfusion parameters of Sat., FIT, CRT, and RCP correlated with the ARDS stages (p = 0.0021; p = 0.038; p < 0.0006; p < 0.0002, respectively). The Oxygenation Ratio value (p < 0.001) was significantly associated with all the perfusion parameters (saturation, CRT, FIT, and RCP) in the multivariable regression analysis model. According to the stepwise retrograde regression analysis, RCP was an independent parameter linked with the Oxygenation Ratio (p < 0.001). Severe COVID-19 can result in microvascular dysfunction influencing peripheral and organ perfusion, which can be measured with various methods. The staging of COVID-19 assessed by CT and the Oxygenation Ratio correlates with RCP, CRT, FIT, and oxygen saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is one of the most common symptoms that lead people to seek medical attention. In standard medical practice, a patient's well-being depends on pain relief. There is still a need for innovative approaches to pain management, since numerous drugs currently used to manage it have significant adverse effects. Narcotic herbal remedies (e.g. THC) have gained popularity in recent years as a potential treatment with minimal negative effects and analgesic impact. Others, like morphine, are widely used in medicine, and are placed in the analgesic ladder of WHO. Cocaine derivatives are sometimes used in otolaryngologist practice. This publication aims to provide an overview of the the analgesic effect of narcotic herbal treatments in a range of situations where pain management is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most prevalent symptoms that prompt people to seek assistance is pain. In regular medical practice, alleviating pain is essential for a patient’s well-being. Many different medications are used to control it, but many of them have major side effects, so there is still a demand for novel ways to treat pain. In recent years, herbal medicines have increasingly been seen as a promising solution with few side effects and analgesic activity. The aim of this publication is to summarise the information about the analgesic effect of non-narcotic herbal remedies in a variety of situations in which pain management is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the most serious problems facing modern medicine. Research on new methods of treating this disease is being conducted. Existing methods are increasingly effective, but they also have risks to human health. The attention of scientists is focused on compounds of natural origin, as they are less toxic to human body than traditional chemotherapeutics. They are also much more accessible and their production is much less complex and expensive. There are several natural compounds with anticancer potential. In this article, we present three groups of potential therapeutic importance - polyphenols, brassinosteroids, and flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) is a widespread bacterium which usually attacks the lungs causing tuberculous pneumonia, but it can also occupy any other part of our body. One of the MT strains discovered in 1995 in China, known as the Beijing type, is extremely dangerous because of its increased antibiotic resistance. The most efficient method to properly identify this strain is genotyping which is based on the analysis of the MT genome. Symptoms of tuberculosis caused by the Beijing type may be similar to normal MT strain; however, there are some discrepancies. The most significant step in the diagnostic process is to determine the range of antibiotic resistance. These strains usually show a multi-drug resistant or extremely drug resistant phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]