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Introduction: Chronic wounds lower health-related quality of life (QoL), as they affect various aspects of life due to pain, odor, tedious treatment, and stigma from society. Implementing proper treatment, where patient is well informed and active is a key for best outcomes., Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate health-related QoL among the patients with chronic ulcers, with the use of new scale Gdansk Wound QoL., Methods: We enrolled 108 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Before the education on day 0 patients were asked to fill in Gdansk Wound-QoL questionnaire, that was developed in cooperation between dermatologists, general and plastic surgeons, as well as wound nurses, as well as fill the follow-up Gdansk Would-QoL questionnaire on day 30, which was also the end of the study., Results: Study participants (N = 108) were on average 76.1 ± 10.8 years and all of whom had a venous ulcer on their lower limbs of average wound area of 10.8 cm 2 . QoL, according to the Gdansk Wound-QoL questionnaire, increased on average by 36.7% after 30 days trial. Moreover, on the follow-up visit 94.4% of the patients stated that their knowledge on the disease has increased and everyone was satisfied with the course of treatment proposed by the current doctor. Furthermore, 44.4% of the study group increased their activity at the end of the study., Conclusions: This pilot descriptive observational study shows that Gdansk Wound-QoL questionnaire can provide professionals in wound care good feedback on health-related QoL of patients with chronic wounds. This information has the potential to enhance patients well-being and overall comfort.

Introduction: According to the European guidelines, the first step for local wound preparation is debridement, which stands for removing of devitalized tissue such as slough or necrosis. There are numerous types of debridement, but not all of them can be performed by non-specialists. Most of the research investigating efficiency of novel debridement products are carried out or funded by pharmaceutical companies., Aim: To compare the efficacy of relative necrotic tissue removal after 30 days on patients subjected to debridement with sterile sponge, monofilament fibre cloth, non-woven cloth impregnated with sodium hyaluronate and phospholipids and traditional sterile gauze., Material and Methods: By use of photographic documentation at 7 days' intervals and planimetry methods, the total wound surface area and sloughy tissue area was measured., Results: Results have shown that monofilament cloth was the most effective, removing on average 63.44 ±32.91% of necrotic tissue after the first procedure and 74.65 ±30.95% within 30 days of application, in comparison to the sterile gauze group that had on average only 23.53 ±19.16% of necrotic tissue removed at day 0 and 44.95 ±31.47% removed at day 30. Moreover, patients using all 3 products tested reported higher satisfaction with that treatment than those treated with gauze., Conclusions: Results imply that all those methods could be considered as they are well accepted by patients and cause less pain during the procedure, which is essential for good compliance and complete resolution of the lesions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Termedia Sp. z o. o.)

The term "debridement" stands for the removal of necrotic material, scabs, devitalized tissues, dried serous fluid, infected tissues, biofilm, stratified epidermis, pus, hematomas, foreign bodies, bone fragments and other impurities whose presence delays wound healing. It is an inseparable element of wound healing therapy. Properly performed debridement leads to improvement of microcirculation in the wound, reduction in inflammation and lowering of the level of metalloproteinases, stimulation of wound edges and epidermis, reduction in unpleasant odour and reduction in the risk of infection and improvement of the patient's quality of life. There are many debridement techniques approved by the European Wound Management Association. The selection of the most appropriate method depends on many factors such as tissue type, presence of biofilm, depth and location of the wound, underlying cause (venous, arterial), skills of the person performing the debridement and the preferences of the patient him/herself. In our work we present not only a systematic review of most of the debridement techniques used nowadays, but also our clinical cases showing results of those different techniques., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Termedia Sp. z o. o.)

Introduction: Chronic venous disorder (CVD) is thoroughly spread across the globe. It affects about 40% of the Polish population. European guidelines underline that there are no data on the percentage of people who have first symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency., Aim: To determine the frequency and pattern of first symptoms and examine public knowledge on CVD in a selected group of patients., Material and Methods: Our study group consists of 175 patients who took part in preventive assessment of nevi. To determine public knowledge on CVD, we constructed a questionnaire, which consisted of two sections: one part to be completed by the patient and the other by the doctor., Results: The median age was 41 years. From 175 patients, about 40% claimed that they do not recognize CVD. Only about half of them knew how to diagnose and treat it. Most of them associate telangiectasia and varicose veins as primary signs and symptoms of CVD., Conclusions: Despite the fact that the disease itself is common, the level of public awareness is astonishingly low. Majority of patients tested could not associate first signs and symptoms, even though most of them had primary symptoms of the disease. In order to avoid high-cost treatment of ulcers and varicose veins, we should spread the knowledge on CVD., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Termedia Sp. z o. o.)

Due to constantly growing population of immunocompromised patients the fungi became a widespread threat to modern medicine. HIV carriers, solid organ transplant recipients constitute most of those patients. Cryptococcosis is a frequent cause of life-threatening infections, affecting mostly immunosuppressed patients. This article presents current knowledge on cryptococcal infections, including epidemiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis and recommended treatment. In reference to our patient, who developed a disseminated and fulminant subtype of the disease, we wanted to underline the need to examine patients thoroughly. The highest aim of those measures would be to avoid lethal consequences., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Termedia Sp. z o. o.)