Differential diagnosis of infectious watery diarrhea (view from time immemorial to the present). Modern approaches to rehydration

Today, as in ancient times, diarrhea (loss of water and electrolytes along with stool) accompanies many pathological conditions in humans. The pathophysiology of various types of diarrhea has been studied, which made it possible to optimize therapeutic approaches and save the lives of many people. The most dangerous conditions occur in young patients with osmotic and exudative types of diarrhea, as they result in exicosis within a short time. In arriving at a diagnosis, rehydration therapy should be started as soon as possible. The article presents the historical aspects associated with the global pandemics of cholera. The history of the creation of solutions for intravenous and oral rehydration is covered. The authors presented tables for calculating fluid losses and the required volume of solutions for oral or parenteral administration. The modern requirements for rehydration solutions and the principles of rehydration in children are presented. Oral rehydration is particularly problematic for young children due to the limited range of drugs and requirements for the composition of solutions used in pediatrics. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization and ESPGHAN, clinical recommendations of the Russian Federation, low-osmolar solutions should be used. When complex solutions containing probiotic and zinc are used, the therapy compliance increases. A rehydration solution, which contains a weighted amount of salt for the preparation of a low-osmolar solution, as well as the probiotic L. reuteri DSM 17938 at least 1 billion of viable bacteria and zinc sulphate 0.004 g is one of the latest solutions. The results of studies of this solution are provided.

How healthcare structures and communication delivery influence trust: a parallel-group randomized controlled trial

Background According to recent polling, public trust in the healthcare sector remains low relative to other industries globally. The implications of low healthcare trust permeate throughout the industry in a number of ways, most visibly by discouraging therapy compliance. Methods This study investigated four putative determinants of trust in healthcare-related scenarios: individuals vs. collective groups as communicators of healthcare advice; expert vs. laypeople as providers of healthcare communication; public vs. private healthcare sector; and positive vs. negative information. Two hundred seventy-four participants were recruited via Prolific Academic and were presented with four statements in random order, related to a positive reflection of the public healthcare sector, a negative reflection of the public healthcare sector, a positive reflection of the private healthcare sector and a negative reflection of the private healthcare sector. According to these reflection, participants were repeatedly asked to rate the system on its trustworthiness. Trust outcomes were constructed using a four-dimension framework, consisting of benevolence, reliability, competence and predictability. Results Claims relating to the public sector had a significantly stronger impact on benevolence and reliability than claims relating to the private sector; claims from individuals had a significantly stronger impact on all trust variables than claims from collectives; and claims from laypeople had a significantly greater impact on reliability and competence ratings than claims from experts. Conclusions The findings in this study offer insight into the patterns with which trust decisions are made in healthcare contexts. More importantly, this research offers a novel perspective of how different factors interact to affect the various facets of trust. These results provide a foundation for future study in this evolving area, and offer insights into designing effective communication strategies that cultivate greater levels of individual trust in the healthcare sector.

Rationalising oxygen usage in a level II special newborn care unit in Madhya Pradesh, India

Non-judicious oxygen use in preterm infants is associated with increased risk of retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and longer hospital stay. Despite established guidelines on oxygen therapy, compliance with the best oxygen practices remains suboptimal. Excessive use of oxygen also consumes a large proportion of the annual maintenance budget of special newborn care units (SNCUs) in the districts. In this project, we aimed to reduce the oxygen consumption in the SNCU at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India from eight to four cylinders per day, by rationalising the indications, monitoring and method of oxygen delivery.We tested two sets of interventions using the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) approach. The first intervention was the introduction of a written ‘oxygen policy’ regarding indications of starting/stopping oxygen and the use of saturation targets. The second was using short binasal infant prongs (at 0.5–1 L/min), instead of oxygen hoods as the primary method of oxygen delivery in spontaneously breathing neonates requiring oxygen. In the first PDSA cycle, we assessed the feasibility of the intervention in a small set (n=30) of neonates and later scaled up to all eligible neonates in the second phase.We observed a significant reduction in oxygen consumption (from median (IQR) 8 (7–8) to 3 (3–4) cylinders per day) that can lead to a direct saving of 590 000 Indian rupees (US$9000) per year. There was a significant reduction in the number of neonates on oxygen support on a given day. We did not observe any increase in mortality or nasal injury. The change was sustained for the next 8 months.We conclude that by having a contextual oxygen policy and using nasal prongs instead of oxygen hoods as the preferred delivery method, we can achieve a sustainable reduction in oxygen consumption.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perception of Health and Treatment-Related Issues among Patients with Phenylketonuria in Poland—The Results of a National Online Survey

There is agreement that the pandemic has affected the healthcare system and behaviour of patients. This study aims to identify problems encountered by patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) and their parents/caregivers during the six-week pandemic lockdown in Poland (15 March to 30 April 2020). To determine the factors that influenced health and treatment-related issues, as well as the respondents’ perception of the impact of the pandemic, study participants were asked to complete a non-validated online questionnaire comprising 31 questions (including 27 single-choice, two multiple-choice and two open-ended ones). A total of 571 patients or their parents completed the questionnaire, with 9.5% of respondents not performing any blood phenylalanine (Phe) test in the analysed period, 21.3% declaring a blood Phe increase, and 15.3% a decrease. Increased problems in contacting the doctor or dietitian were reported by 26.1% of subjects, whereas 39.3% of them felt restricted access to dietary products. Most (63.4%) participants were satisfied with remote contact with their PKU clinic. Better compliance was associated with higher odds of acceptance of remote contact and of reporting fewer problems with contacting the doctor, and with lower odds of missing Phe testing. Self-reported high stress was associated with higher odds of reporting the limited availability of low-Phe products and Phe-free formulas, as well as with increased Phe concentrations and non-PKU-related health problems. These patients also had poor dietary compliance and experienced more problems in contacting specialists. Health and treatment-related problems experienced during the pandemic lockdown were related to a higher intensity of stress in patient’s family and worse therapy compliance before the pandemic. Previous experience of remote visits resulted in a better perception of this method of contact. It seems that this form of communication should be popularized and improved to increase therapy effectiveness in case of different limitations in the future. Special attention should be paid to vulnerable patients who may be at extra risk when the provision of standard care is affected.

The Impact of Medical Comorbidities on Patient Satisfaction in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Background: Patient satisfaction has a significant bearing on medical therapy compliance and patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe patient satisfaction, as characterized by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18), in the care of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and (2) analyze the impact of comorbidities on satisfaction using the functional comorbidity index (FCI). Methods: Patient demographics, disease severity measures, and PSQ-18 scores for patients with CRS presenting to a tertiary rhinology clinic between November 2019 and April 2020 were collected and analyzed. FCI was calculated retrospectively using the electronic medical record; individual comorbidities were tabulated. Spearman’s correlations followed by multivariate regression was used to assess the relationship between medical comorbidities and PSQ-18. Results: Sixty-nine patients met criteria for analysis. There were no significant differences in age, gender, and Sinonasal Outcomes Test-22 scores between CRS patients with (CRSwNP) and without (CRSsNP) nasal polyps. There was no significant difference in the mean FCI for patients with CRSwNP versus CRSsNP (5.1 and 4.3, respectively) ( P = .843). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the mean sum PSQ-18 score (78/100 in both) between these cohorts ( P = .148). The mean sum PSQ-18 score was not significantly associated with anxiety ( P = .728), depression ( P = .624), or FCI ( P = .282), but was significantly associated with hearing impairment ( P < .001). Conclusion: Patient satisfaction in the care of CRS is generally high with a diagnosis of comorbid hearing impairment demonstrating a negative association with satisfaction in this cohort.

Impact of bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnea severity and continuous positive airway pressure therapy compliance—prospective observational study

To evaluate association between bariatric surgery and changes in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and sleep architecture was as well as to asses continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effectiveness and compliance. We enrolled patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Polysomnography was performed in each patient preoperatively and 12 months after the procedure in a subgroup of patients diagnosed with OSA. STOP-BANG, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Berlin questionnaire scores were obtained pre- and postoperatively. CPAP compliance data was recorded during follow-up hospitalization. Among 44 patients with median age of 49.5 years, predominantly women (68.2%) pre- and postoperative polysomnography was performed. We observed significant improvement in STOP-BANG (6.0 vs. 3.0, p < 0.001) and ESS (12.0 vs. 5.0, p < 0.001) scores, apnea–hypopnea index (44.9 vs. 29.2, p < 0.001), oxygen desaturation index (43.6 vs. 18.3, p < 0.001) and sleep architecture parameters. CPAP compliance was poor with a median percentage of days with CPAP use accounting to 49.3%. Bariatric surgery is associated with a significant decrease in the number of sleep-related respiratory disturbances, as well as improvement of sleep efficiency. Postoperative CPAP therapy compliance was poor despite low rate of OSA resolution. This study suggests that patients with OSA undergoing bariatric surgery require postoperative reassessment.