Medical school students often experience emotional difficulties when handling the challenges of their formation, occasionally leading to burnout. In this study, we measured the prevalence of burnout and its relationships with perceived stress, perceived social support, and alexithymia in medical students from the largest academic medical community in Romania. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a randomized sample of 299 preclinical medical students at the University of Medicine in Bucharest. Participants completed four standardized questionnaires. In addition to the assessment of burnout prevalence, stepwise backward regression was used to establish which variables had the highest correlation to burnout components. Further, t-tests were run to assess gender-related differences. Overall, burnout prevalence was 15.05%. Perceived stress was found to be the strongest predictor of emotional exhaustion and lack of accomplishment, while the strongest predictors of depersonalization were low perceived social support (in women) and alexithymia (in men). Women appear to be more vulnerable to two of the components of burnout (emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment) and associate higher perceived stress and alexithymia. These results suggest that interventions addressing academic burnout could benefit from being gender-specific, with focus on key elements, such as perceived stress and alexithymia.
Objective This study aimed to assess the association between resilience, active coping styles and the self-perceived quality of life in cancer patients. Additionally, we evaluated the contribution brought to quality of life by demographic variables (age, gender, occupational status) and medical ones (tumour, node and metastasis [TNM] stage, time from diagnosis, number of treatment lines). Methods The study design was cross-sectional. One hundred and seventy-eight patients (94 males, 84 females; mean age 56.20, SD = 7.81) consecutively admitted to two specialty hospitals in Bucharest and displaying TNM cancer stages II-IV were administered the Brief COPE Questionnaire, the RS-14 Resilience Scale and the Rotterdam symptom checklist. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the relationship between the study variables and the quality of life components (physical distress, psychological distress, and the ability to remain active). Results The quality of life scores were within the average limits, despite 87.6% of patients being in an advanced cancer stage. Both resilience and active coping scores were in the higher range (resilience mean = 78.10, SD = 13.31, 95%CI = 76.14-80.06; active coping mean = 18.33, SD = 4.39, 95%CI = 17.68-18.98). Resilience correlated significantly with all quality of life components (global: p < .001, physical distress: p < .04, psychological distress: p < .0005, activity level: p < .03), whereas active coping did it only indirectly, via resilience. Among other variables, occupational status and time from diagnosis correlated inversely to two of quality of life components, and TNM stage to all. Conclusions This study points out the importance of resilience in influencing the self-perception of quality of life in cancer patients. Considering that resilience can be improved through psychological intervention, our findings may be useful for the design, adjustment, and implementation of future psychotherapeutic protocols.
Vascular disease was for a long time considered a disease of the old age, but it is becoming increasingly clear that a cumulus of factors can cause early vascular aging (EVA). Inflammation plays a key role in vascular stiffening and also in other pathologies that induce vascular damage. There is a known and confirmed connection between inflammation and atherosclerosis. However, it has taken a long time to prove the beneficial effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on cardiovascular events. Diabetes can be both a product of inflammation and a cofactor implicated in the progression of vascular disease. When diabetes and inflammation are accompanied by obesity, this ominous trifecta leads to an increased incidence of atherothrombotic events. Research into earlier stages of vascular disease, and documentation of vulnerability to premature vascular disease, might be the key to success in preventing clinical events. Modulation of inflammation, combined with strict control of classical cardiovascular risk factors, seems to be the winning recipe. Identification of population subsets with a successful vascular aging (supernormal vascular aging—SUPERNOVA) pattern could also bring forth novel therapeutic interventions.
We describe pneumomediastinum in a primigravida with delay in the second stage of labor. The pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management are reviewed.
Background: The first admission for acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) drastically influences the short-term prognosis. Baseline characteristics may predict repeat hospitalization or death in these patients. Methods: A 103 patient-cohort, admitted for the first acute HFpEF episode, was monitored for six months. Baseline characteristics were recorded and their relation to the primary outcome of heart failure readmission (HFR) and secondary outcome of all-cause mortality was assessed. Results: We identified six independent determinants for HFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p = 0.07), hemoglobin (p = 0.04), left ventricle end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (p = 0.07), E/e’ ratio (p = 0.004), left ventricle outflow tract velocity-time integral (LVOT VTI) (p = 0.045), and diabetes mellitus (p = 0.06). Three of the variables were used to generate a risk score for HFR: LVEDD, E/e’, LVOT VTI -DEI Score = − 28.763 + 4.558 × log (LVEDD (mm)) + 1.961 × log (E/e’ ratio) + 1.759 × log (LVOT VTI (cm)). Our model predicts a relative amount of 20.50% of HFR during the first 6 months after the first acute hospitalization within the general population with HFpEF with a DEI Score over −0.747. Conclusions: We have identified three echocardiographic parameters (LVEDD, E/e’, and LVOT VTI) that predict HFR following an initial acute HFpEF hospitalization. The prognostic DEI score demonstrated good accuracy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.