Medical students’ perceptions of people with disabilities

Introduction: Little is known about associations of attitudes of medical students towards people with disabilities and their life satisfaction and empathy. Purpose: To assess the social perception of people with disabilities by medical students. Materials and methods: The present study interviewed 451 medical students of the Medical University of Białystok regarding their perceptions of people with disabilities, especially in light of their own satisfaction with life and empathy. We used the following questionnaires: the original questionnaire about attitudes towards people with disabilities, The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Empathy Understanding Questionnaire (KRE). Results: Attitudes towards people with disabilities people were generally positive. Almost 40% of respondents expressed a willingness to help for people with disabilities. In general, disabled people do not have full access to all fields of social (63.4%) and professional (63.2%) life. At the same time, disabled people tend to marry (84.9%), have children (82.1%), work (88.2%), and drive cars (76.1%). Respondents were convinced that contact with a disabled person teaches ways to help others (42.1%), and in fact 58.6% of respondents reported having decided to participate with helping the disabled. The average life satisfaction of the students was 22.7 ± 5.3 which indicates that the respondents are satisfied with their lives. The empathy level of respondents was 66.97 points ± 2.98, which indicates average level of empathy. Conclusions: This study shows that students’ perception of people with disabilities depends upon how the students viewed disabled people’s, life satisfaction and empathy.

Diet and the content of selenium and lead in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the content of selenium (Se) and lead (Pb) and the influence of dietary habits and smoking in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty-nine patients with AAA prior to surgical procedures aged 42 - 81 years and a control group of 22 healthy volunteers aged 31 - 72 years and 17 aortic wall samples from deceased were included in the study. Food-frequency questionnaires were implemented in AAA patients to collect the dietary data. Se and Pb concentrations in the serum and blood, respectively, and in arterial wall and parietal thrombus samples were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry method.

RESULTS

The mean Se level in serum of patients with AAA (60.37 ± 21.2 cm/L) was significantly (p < 0.008) lower than in healthy volunteers (75.87 ± 22.4 cm/L). We observed a significant correlation (r = 0.69, p < 0.0001) between the content of Se in serum and the parietal thrombus of examined patients. Se concentration in aortic wall was inversely correlated to the concentration of Pb (r = - 0.38, p < 0.02). We observed significantly lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of Se (39.14 ± 37.1 cm/g) and significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of Pb (202.69 ± 180.6 cm/g) in aortic wall samples of smoking patients than in non-smoking patients (77.56 ± 70.0 cm/g, 73.09 ± 49.8 cm/g; respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Se serum level is lower in patients with AAA than in healthy volunteers. In aortic wall, Se concentration is inversely correlated with Pb concentration. Dietary habits and smoking have an influence on the Se and Pb status in patients with AAA.

Activity of coagulation and fibrinolytic system components in the vein thrombus

PURPOSE

Behaviour of the vein thrombus is determined by the activity ratio of coagulation factors to factors of fibrinolytic system. The aim of the study is to evaluate activity of some coagulation and fibrinolytic factors in the vein thrombus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The activity of platelets aggregating factors, tissue factor, thrombin, antithrombins, antiheparin factors, plasminogen activators, plasmin (plasminogen) and antiplasmins of the vein thrombus homogenate was determined using coagulative, fibrinolytic and caseinolytic tests. Retracted blood clot was a compared material.

RESULTS

Tissue factor activity in the vein thrombus was above twofold higher and antiheparin activity was nearly twice higher in comparison to the blood clot. The vein thrombus contains also active thrombin. Plasminogen activators activity in the vein thrombus was twofold higher and activity of plasmin (plasminogen) was threefold higher than in the blood clot. High activity of the tissue factor, substances neutralizing heparin and presence of thrombin intensify the thrombus enlargement. However, the thrombotic tendency may be balanced by a high activity of plasminogen activators and high activity of plasmin (plasminogen).

CONCLUSIONS

1) Vein thrombus is characterized by high activity of tissue factor, presence of active thrombin and high antiheparin activity. 2) High coagulative potential of vein thrombus is balanced to a certain grade by high fibrinolytic potential: high activity of plasminogen activators and high activity of plasmin (plasminogen), as well as absence of antiplasmins activity.

Assessment of connective tissue fibres in walls of allogenic arterial grafts preserved by the method of cold ischemia--a preliminary report

The aim of the study was to evaluate microscopic changes in the wall structures of allogenic arterial grafts, preserved by the method of cold ischemia in relation to the storage period and to test the possibility of the storage period prolongation by allograft freezing at -70 degrees C. The middle layer ultrastructure is well preserved till 30 days from allograft harvesting, however, allograft freezing results in total destruction of elastic and collagen fibres in the arterial wall. An application of allogenic arterial grafts, preserved by the method of cold ischemia till 30 days from their harvesting, seems an efficient therapeutic method in the treatment of patients with synthetic vascular graft infection. Further prolongation of the storage period at -70 degrees C made the allograft useless for implantation.

Haemoglobin of varicose vein, varicose vein with thrombophlebitis and in parietal thrombus of varicose vein

Saphenous veins were taken for examination: unchanged, varicose with thrombophlebitis and varicose thrombus. The contents of haemoglobin and protein were determined in the homogenate of that material. Only small quantities of haemoglobin were found in walls of unchanged veins. Greater amounts of haemoglobin were observed in walls of varicose veins, especially in walls of varicose veins with thrombophlebitis. The varicose vein thrombus also contained marked quantities of haemoglobin.

Chemical compound content and enzyme activity in supernatant and sediment of liver homogenate

Evaluation was performed of chemical compound contents and enzyme activities in the whole homogenate, its supernatant and sediment. Six rabbit livers were pulverized in liquid nitrogen and homogenized. After centrifugation, the contents of protein, haemoglobin, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, as well as the activities of cathepsin B, cathepsin D, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reductase were assessed in the whole homogenate, its supernatant and sediment. Protein, vitamin A, superoxide dismutase, catalase, cathepsin D, glutathione peroxidase and reductase reveal uniform localisation. Vitamin C and cathepsin B are localized in supernatant, whereas haemoglobin is localized mainly in sediment. Evaluation of chemical compounds and enzyme activities should be performed in the whole homogenate, supernatant and sediment to obtain a real interpretation of biochemical disturbances in the investigated material.

[Comparison of results for operative and conservative treatment of multisegmental atheromatous arterial occlusion in the lower limbs after a 2-year period of observation]

Two hundred eighty seven patients treated surgically and 139 patients treated conservatively for multisegmental arterial occlusion in the lower limbs were followed up for two years. The results of therapy have been compared according to the site of arterial occlusion and the degree of ischemia. Surgery produces more chances for favourable results but an amputation rate or deaths are more frequent, than in case of the conservative treatment. No expected relationship between the results of surgery and of conservative therapy, localization and extension of the atheromatous process has been shown after a 2-year follow up.