Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of peripheral artery disease (PAD) (Zdrojowy et al., 2010), which requires long-term treatment. Clinical manifestations of PAD include intermittent claudication, rest pain and tissue necrosis (

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Introduction. Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic disease of the joints and the main cause of pain in the musculoskeletal system among populations in developed countries. The World Health Organization recognized it is one of the most important civilizational threats. Currently, about 2 million people are estimated to suffer from osteoarthritis in Poland. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the level of health behaviors among patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis treated at the orthopedic department. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 58 patients with clinically diagnosed osteoarthritis, planned for surgical treatment at the orthopedic department in hospital in Gdansk. The method of a diagnostic survey was used in the study. The research tool was the author's own questionnaire and the Inventory of Health Behaviors questionnaire by Zygfryd Juczyński. Results. The average result obtained for the studied population is 91.28 points. The lowest result obtained in the group of respondents was 65 points. Conclusions. People diagnosed with osteoarthritis treated at the orthopedic department present a high level of health behaviors. Socio-demographic and clinical factors do not signifi cantly infl uence the level of health behaviors.

Background: Pleural drainage is a routine procedure conducted after thoracotomy and thoracoscopy. It is used to remove air or excess fluid from a pleural cavity and enables proper lung expansion. Essential elements of care provided during hospitalization and treatment include meeting patients’ growing expectations and continually improving quality while optimizing safety. Aim: This study aimed to explore patients’ experiences with pleural drainage after thoracic surgery and their correlation with socio-demographic data. Methods: A pilot survey with an exploratory design was conducted at a large teaching hospital in Poland, in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University Clinical Centre in Gdansk. The study involved the analysis of 100 randomly selected subjects with a chest tube drain. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect social, demographic, and clinical data. Twenty-three questions related to experiences with pleural drainage, ailments, limitations in daily functioning, and security with a chest tube were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Patients completed the questionnaire on the third postoperative day. Results: Individuals fitted with a traditional water-seal drainage system felt safer than those from the digital drainage group (p = 0.017). Statistically significant differences were found in the assessment of nursing assistance (p = 0.025); the number of satisfied patients was greater in a group of unemployed people. No correlation was found between demographic and social factors and the patients’ sense of security (gender: p = 0.348, age: p = 0.172, education level: p = 0.154, professional activity: p = 0.665). Conclusions: Demographic and social characteristics did not significantly affect patients’ sense of safety with chest drainage types. Patients with traditional drainage felt significantly safer than patients with digital drainage. Patient knowledge of pleural drainage management was not satisfactory, with a number of patients indicating a lack of knowledge in this area. This is important information that should be considered when planning measures to improve the quality of care.

Oral health is an underestimated factor affecting overall human health and quality of life. Long-term enteral or parenteral nutritional treatment requires not only regular assessment of access routes, the patient’s nutritional status, and tolerance to the selected method of nutrition but also of oral health. This article discusses the connections between the influence of chewing function, salivation, and xerostomia on the health of the oral cavity of patients on long-term enteral and parenteral nutrition. In addition, the role of nurses in assessing oral health is presented as well as crucial elements of a comprehensive oral assessment in a nursing care plan. Patients receiving long-term enteral and parenteral nutrition have an increased risk of developing oral diseases. Increasing knowledge about the factors affecting oral health among nurses is crucial to provide appropriate care for patients requiring long-term nutritional treatment with omission of the natural route of food intake. Regular assessment of oral health by nurses should be an important aspect in long-term nutritional treatment recommendations.