Opinion of Polish doctors on the use of futile therapy.

The discontinuation of futile therapy is increasingly discussed in Polish clinical practice. Given the need to ensure patient well-being, it is essential to consider whether all clinical options resulting from medical progress should be used for every patient and on what grounds decisions to limit therapy should be based. The aim of our study was to determine the opinions of Polish medical doctors on this topic.

Assessment of Selected Immune Parameters in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with the Use of Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Aspects of Age and Sex-A Pilot Study.

The present study aimed to assess the changes in the immunological parameters of patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The serum or plasma samples of patients were assessed to determine the concentrations of IL-6, one of the major proinflammatory cytokines (seven females and six males), and selected classes of immunoglobulins (six females and seven males). The samples for ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were collected from patients before the use of CPB, at 60 min of the use of CPB, and at 24 h after the surgery.

Limitation of Futile Therapy in the Opinion of Nursing Staff Employed in Polish Hospitals-Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

The debate on limiting futile therapy in the aspect of End of Life (EoL) care has been going on in Poland over the last decade. The growing demand for EoL care resulting from the aging of societies corresponds to the expectation of a satisfactory quality of life and self-determination. The authors designed a cross-sectional study using a newly designed questionnaire to assess the opinions of 190 nurses employed in intensive care units (ICUs) on futile therapy, practices, and the respondents' approach to the issue.

Limiting futile therapy as part of end-of-life care in intensive care units.

The debate about medical futility often involves intensive care units where life-support procedures are routinely applied. Futile therapy is part of end-of-life therapy. In the discussion about medical futility it is important to distinguish the effect of therapy from the benefit for the patient.

Risk factors of complications during noninvasive mechanical ventilation -assisted flexible bronchoscopy.

Purpose: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) causes airway narrowing and may cause respiratory failure (RF). Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is used to treat RF. Until recently, little was known about noninvasive mechanical ventilation assisted flexible bronchoscopy (NIV-FB) risk and complications.

General anaesthesia or sedation for percutaneous aortic valve implantation? The questionnaire results and authors' experience.

Introduction: Over the last two decades transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been approved for clinical use. The anaesthetic choice for this procedure is evolving. General anaesthesia was the predominant anaesthetic technique.

Triage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was previously unknown, and we are learning about it day by day, but pandemic-associated ethical dilemmas have been studied and discussed for years. Triage means not only ranking in terms of importance (prioritisation) but also allocation of limited medical resources. Survival, post epidemic-quality of life, and consumption of medical resources required to achieve the set goal are crucial for making triage decisions.

Levosimendan in the treatment of patients with acute cardiac conditions: an expert opinion of the Association of Intensive Cardiac Care of the Polish Cardiac Society.

Levosimendan is a new inodilator which involves 3 main mechanisms: increases the calcium sensitivity of cardiomyocytes, acts as a vasodilator due to the opening of potassium channels, and has a cardioprotective effect. Levosimendan is mainly used in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (class IIb recommendation according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines). However, numerous clinical trials indicate the validity of repeated infusions of levosimendan in patients with stable heart failure as a bridge therapy to heart transplantation, and in patients with accompanying right ventricular heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Comparison of propofol-ketamine versuspropofol-remifentanil in children anaesthetized for gastroscopy.

Background: The search for ideal anaesthesia is still an open research issue. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare two methods of general anaesthesia with preserved own breath - propofol with ketamine and propofol with remifentanil - in children anaesthetized for gastroscopy.

Methods: The study included 90 children enrolled for elective endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract under general anaesthesia.

Young Adults Among Patients Admitted to Polish Intensive Care Units in the Silesian ICU Registry.

BACKGROUND Patients under 30 years of age constitute a unique population in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to obtain information on young adults admitted to Polish ICUs and to identify independent predictors of favorable outcome in this population. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data from 20 651 adult patients from the Silesian Registry of Intensive Care Units conducted in the Silesian Region of Poland since October 2010 were analyzed.

Emergency caesarean section delivery and puerperium in a patient with severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension - a case report.

Background: The aim of this paper is to describe the third pregnancy trimester, delivery and puerperium in patient with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

Case Report: a 30-year-old primigravida with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension was qualified for emergency Caesarean section. In the post partum period no improvement in managing pulmonary arterial hypertension was achieved.

Levosimendan in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Significant impairment of left ventricular function causes low cardiac output syndrome in the immediate postoperative period in 3-14% of patients undergoing surgery, increasing the mortality 15-fold.

Aim: To assess the use of levosimendan in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2016.

Material And Methods: The analysis included 14 patients: 3 (21.

Perioperative care in elderly cardiac surgery patients.

Introduction: Surgery is an extreme physiological stress for the elderly. Aging is inevitably associated with irreversible and progressive cellular degeneration. Patients above 75 years of age are characterized by impaired responses to operative stress and a very narrow safety margin.