Exclusion of older adults from clinical trials in cancer-related pain.

Pain is one of the most common symptoms in cancer patients including older adults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the enrollment criteria that can limit the inclusion of older adults in clinical trials concerning cancer-related pain (CRP). The study included 356 trials registered with ClinicalTrials.

Echocardiography during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic - the impact of the vaccination program. A 2021 update of the expert opinion of the Working Group on Echocardiography of the Polish Cardiac Society.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in an urgent need to reorganize the work of echocardiography laboratories in order to ensure the safety of patients and the protection of physicians, technicians, and other staff members. In the previous Expert Opinion of the Working Group on Echocardiography of Polish Cardiac Society we provided recommendations for the echocardiographic services, in order to ensure maximum possible safety and efficiency of imagers facing epidemic threat. Now, with much better knowledge and larger experience in treating COVID-19 patients and with introduction of vaccination programs, we present updated recommendations for performing transthoracic and transesophageal examinations, including information on the potential impact of personnel and the patient vaccination program, and growing numbers of convalescents on performance of echocardiographic laboratories, with the goal of their ultimate reopening.

Palliative care for people living with cardiac disease.

Many cardiovascular diseases lead to heart failure, which is a progressive syndrome causing significant distress and limiting the quality of life, despite optimal cardiologic treatment. It is estimated that about 26 000 people in Poland suffer from advanced heart failure, and this number is growing. That is why palliative care (PC) dedicated to people living with end‑stage cardiac diseases should be urgently implemented in Poland.

Cardiac assessment in Wilson's disease patients based on electrocardiography and echocardiography examination.

Introduction: Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare genetic disorder that leads to impairments in copper metabolism. Patients principally exhibit liver and neuropsychiatric symptoms, but because copper also accumulates in all body organs, other (typically milder) clinical symptoms can occur. To date, cardiac involvement has not been thoroughly investigated in patients with WD.

Existential decision-making in a fatal progressive disease: how much do legal and medical frameworks matter?

Background: Healthcare legislation in European countries is similar in many respects. Most importantly, the framework of informed consent determines that physicians have the duty to provide detailed information about available therapeutic options and that patients have the right to refuse measures that contradict their personal values. However, when it comes to end-of-life decision-making a number of differences exist in the more specific regulations of individual countries.