BioMed research international
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Staff shortages among nurses have been severely felt in most countries around the world for many years. In Poland, this problem is particularly visible due to the lowest nursing employment rate per 1000 inhabitants among 28 EU states and the high rate of leaving the profession. The average age of Polish nurses has been constantly growing for several years-in 2016 it was 50.79, while in 2008 it was 44.19. These data confirm that young nurses are the first to leave the profession. Diagnosis of the working conditions and psychosocial burden level among nurses should be subject to detailed analysis, so that leaving the profession will not additionally deepen the difficult staffing situation in health care. ⋯ (1) The study results indicate the need to diagnose problems related to work conditions in the context of occupational stress within individual hospital wards. To limit employee turnover, nursing staff managers should approach the issue of improving working conditions individually for each ward, due to differences in the nature of the work and level of stressogenicity. (2) In each hospital ward, employees at different stages of their career are sensitive to the psychosocial burden resulting from different work characteristics. These areas should be thoroughly diagnosed and the burden minimized to prevent departures from the profession-at early stages of the professional career as well as among experienced personnel. (3) Nurses working in managerial positions should receive the necessary substantive support, due to the higher stress burden associated with greater responsibility.
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The collagen density is not detected in the patellar tendon (PT), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in clinic. We assess the technical feasibility of three-dimension multiecho fat saturated ultrashort echo time cones (3D FS-UTE-Cones) acquisitions for single- and bicomponent T2⁎ analysis of bound and free water pools in PT, PCL, and ACL in clinic. The knees of five healthy volunteers and six knee joint samples from cadavers were scanned via 3D multiecho FS-UTE-Cones acquisitions on a clinical scanner. ⋯ For knee joint samples, there was no statistical difference among all data in PT, PCL, and ACL. For volunteers, all parameters of bicomponent fitting were statistically different across PT, PCL, and ACL, except for T2⁎S, T2⁎L, and T2⁎M resulting in flawed measurements due to the magic angle effect. 3D multiecho FS-UTE-Cones acquisition allows high resolution T2⁎ mapping in PT, PCL, and ACL of keen joint samples and PT and PCL of volunteers. The T2⁎ values and their fractions can be characterized by bicomponent T2⁎ analysis that is superior to single-component T2⁎ analysis, except for ACL of volunteers.
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Patient characteristics and predictive factors for outcomes were analysed in 202 cases undergoing simple decompression, primary subcutaneous transposition, or secondary subcutaneous transposition for ulnar nerve compression at the elbow at a tertiary referral hospital. Data from medical charts and a survey were evaluated. The mean patient age was 49 years with revision surgery cases being significantly younger. ⋯ We suggest simple decompression as the procedure of first choice. Transposition can be used in selected cases or when simple decompression fails. All patients should be strongly recommended to stop smoking considering the remarkably increased risk for complications among smokers.
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Currently, evidence regarding the predictive significance of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of RDW for critically ill patients with ARDS. ⋯ RDW appeared to be a novel, independent predictor of mortality in critically ill patients with ARDS.
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Native nephrectomy in Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) patients is a major operation with controversy related to timing and indications. We present our single centre experience in transplanted patients and future candidates for transplantation. ⋯ Native nephrectomy for ADPKD could be safely performed in case of refractory symptoms, suspect of cancer or to create space for transplantation. It does not affect graft function or DSA status of transplanted patients or the prospect of transplantation of those on the waiting list.