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BackgroundElectrocardiogram (ECG) is commonly used in diagnosis of heart diseases, including many life-threatening disorders. We aimed to assess skills in ECG interpretation among Polish medical students and to analyze the determinants of these skills.Material/MethodsUndergraduates from all Polish medical schools were asked to complete a web-based survey containing 18 ECG strips. Questions concerned primary ECG parameters (rate, rhythm, and axis), emergencies, and common ECG abnormalities. Analysis was restricted to students in their clinical years (4th–6th), and students in their preclinical years (1st–3rd) were used as controls.ResultsWe enrolled 536 medical students (females: n=299; 55.8%), aged 19 to 31 (23±1.6) years from all Polish medical schools. Most (72%) were in their clinical years. The overall rate of good response was better in students in years 4th–5th than those in years 1st–3rd (66% vs. 56%; p<0.0001). Competency in ECG interpretation was higher in students who reported ECG self-learning (69% vs. 62%; p<0.0001) but no difference was found between students who attended or did not attend regular ECG classes (66% vs. 66%; p=0.99). On multivariable analysis (p<0.0001), being in clinical years (OR: 2.45 [1.35–4.46] and self-learning (OR: 2.44 [1.46–4.08]) determined competency in ECG interpretation.ConclusionsPolish medical students in their clinical years have a good level of competency in interpreting the primary ECG parameters, but their ability to recognize ECG signs of emergencies and common heart abnormalities is low. ECG interpretation skills are determined by self-education but not by attendance at regular ECG classes. Our results indicate qualitative and quantitative deficiencies in teaching ECG interpretation at medical schools.

Background. Haemodialysis patients are at an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Both end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and thromboembolic coronary events have been shown to be associated with the formation of dense fibrin clots resistant to fibrinolysis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of longterm haemodialysis on clot structure/function and analyse an influence of markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and lipoprotein(a). We sought also to investigate if clot features might be related to CV events and mortality in haemodialysis patients. Subjects and methods. In 33 patients (19 males, 14 females), aged 27 to 89 years, on long-term haemodialysis and 33 age-and sex-matched apparently healthy controls, we investigated fibrin clot properties and susceptibility to lysis using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator by using permeation and turbidity assays. Results. Haemodialysis patients produced fibrin clots that had less porous structure (P < 0.0001) were less susceptible to fibrinolysis (P < 0.0001), began fibrin protofibril formation more quickly (P < 0.0001) and showed increased overall fibre thickness (P < 0.0001) compared with controls. Clot permeability and lysis time correlated with F2-isoprostanes (P < 0.01), Lp(a) (P < 0.0001) and fibrinogen (P < 0.01). None of the clot variables showed associations with the duration of haemodialysis treatment or the cause of ESRD. During a 36-month follow-up, 10 CV deaths were recorded. Mortality was associated with reduced clot permeability (P < 0.0001), prolonged lysis time (P < 0.0001), faster fibrin protofibril formation (P = 0.0004), thicker fibres (P < 0.0001) and increased fibrin clot mass (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Unfavourably altered clot properties can be detected in haemodialysis patients and may be associated with increased CV mortality.

Current knowledge of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) epidemiology is based mainly on data from Western populations, and therefore we aimed to characterize a large group of Caucasian PAH adults of Central-Eastern European origin. We analyzed data of incident and prevalent PAH adults enrolled in a prospective national registry involving all Polish PAH centers. The estimated prevalence and annual incidence of PAH were 30.8/mln adults and 5.2/mln adults, respectively and they were the highest in females ≥65 years old. The most frequent type of PAH was idiopathic (n = 444; 46%) followed by PAH associated with congenital heart diseases (CHD-PAH, n = 356; 36.7%), and PAH associated with connective tissue disease (CTD-PAH, n = 132; 13.6%). At enrollment, most incident cases (71.9%) were at intermediate mortality risk and the prevalent cases had most of their risk factors in the intermediate or high risk range. The use of triple combination therapy was rare (4.7%). A high prevalence of PAH among older population confirms the changing demographics of PAH found in the Western countries. In contrast, we found: a female predominance across all age groups, a high proportion of patients with CHD-PAH as compared to patients with CTD-PAH and a low use of triple combination therapy.

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Right heart catheterisation (RHC) is the 'gold standard' for haemodynamic assessment of the pulmonary circulation. For the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology require a mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥ 25 mm Hg to be confirmed by direct haemodynamic measurement. Additionally, RHC provides a lot of valuable information about the differential diagnosis and severity of PH, and also helps determine the patient's prognosis. Acute vasoreactivity testing performed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is intended to identify the group of patients who should be treated with calcium channel blockers. Patients referred for heart transplantation require advanced pulmonary vascular disease to be ruled out either on resting examination or during vasoreactivity testing. RHC is a component of such interventional procedures as balloon atrial septostomy, closure of intracardiac shunts in congenital heart and great vessel defects, valvuloplasty for pulmonary valve stenosis, and pulmonary angioplasty. Pulmonary angiography is an examination recommended when selecting patients for pulmonary endarterectomy or balloon pulmonary angioplasty in thromboembolic PH. Due to the dynamic growth in the number of patients diagnosed with and treated for PH in Poland, the Boards of the Polish Cardiac Society's Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Association of Cardiovascular Interventions have undertaken a joint project to develop recommendations to standardise guidelines for RHC procedure, acute vasoreactivity testing and pulmonary angiography at cardiac wards and haemodynamic laboratories in Poland. This document has been prepared by experts delegated by the Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions, and subsequently approved by the Boards of both organs of the Polish Cardiac Society.