During the winter months of 2020/2021 a wave of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) emerged in Poland. We present the results of a nationwide register aiming to capture and characterise MIS-C with a focus on severity determinants. The first MIS-C wave in Poland was notably high, hence our analysis involved 274 children. The group was 62.8% boys, with a median age of 8.8 years. Besides one Asian, all were White. Overall, the disease course was not as severe as in previous reports, however. Pediatric intensive care treatment was required for merely 23 (8.4%) of children, who were older and exhibited a distinguished clinical picture at hospital admission. We have also identified sex-dependent differences; teenage boys more often had cardiac involvement (decreased ejection fraction in 25.9% vs. 14.7%) and fulfilled macrophage activation syndrome definition (31.0% vs. 15.2%). Among all boys, those hospitalized in pediatric intensive care unit were significantly older (median 11.2 vs. 9.1 years). Henceforth, while ethnicity and sex may affect MIS-C phenotype, management protocols might be not universally applicable, and should rather be adjusted to the specific population.

Duplication of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare congenital malformation that can occur throughout the length of the digestive tract. The duplication of the colon on a long section connected with the light of the digestive tract is a relatively rare form of gastrointestinal tract duplication. This defect is a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problem due to non-characteristic symptoms. Imaging diagnostics allows to correctly recognize gastrointestinal duplication in only 25% of cases. The authors present the case of a girl who was hospitalized many times at the Department of Pediatric Surgery due to recurrent abdominal pain of various types character. Variable clinical symptoms and diagnostic difficulties have caused delay in making a diagnosis of tubular double colon. The final diagnosis was made only after two computed tomography, which was performed due to the rapidly deteriorating and unclear patients condition. The postoperative period after resection of the double intestine proceeded with a wide spectrum of complications that required long-term hospitalization. Duplication of the colon is a difficult diagnostic problem. Non-characteristic symptoms and unclear imaging results delay the diagnosis and expose the patient to complications.

The number of people refusing to vaccinate their children is growing in Poland every year. Anti-vaccine organisations lead very fierce disinformation campaigns. The incidence of vaccine preventable diseases is on the rise. Monitoring of parents' attitudes towards preventive vaccinations and gauging the level of their understanding of the issue may enable more effective actions of organisations responsible for public health. Aim: The objectives of the study included finding out about parents' opinions and views as well as evaluating their knowledge about vaccinations in Poland. The study was also to define a parents' assessment of the range of campaigns promoting vaccination and actions of anti-vaccine movements. Material and method: The studies were carried out with a survey conducted among 233 parents or legal guardians of the children being under the obligation of vaccinations. Results: Nearly 90% of respondents are proponents of vaccinations, one-third of them consider some vaccinations unnecessary, and almost 7% of the surveyed describe themselves as opponents of vaccinations. 78% among the parents surveyed encountered campaigns promoting the Childhood Immunisation Programme, and most of them regard such campaigns as useful. Anti-vaccine movements were heard of by 62.4% of all the surveyed parents or legal guardians. 60% of respondents regard their own knowledge of the issue of vaccinations as sufficient. However, only 35% of respondents provided correct answers to the control questions about preventive vaccinations. People with higher education have better knowledge on vaccinations, whereas those with primary education have the best opinion on their own knowledge. Conclusions: Parents' knowledge in terms of preventive vaccinations seems inadequate. The number of opponents of preventive vaccinations is systematically growing. The paediatrician being the main source of information on the issue of vaccinations for the parents. Monitoring of parents' attitudes and opinions about the issue of preventive vaccination will be useful in better directing promoting campaigns in social media, and in adjusting healthcare workers' activities to specific social groups.