System of Work and Stress-Coping Strategies Used by Nurses of a Polish Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to increased stress levels experienced by employees of the healthcare system during their professional activities. The aim of the study was to compare the stress-coping strategies used by nurses in two different systems of work (one shift/two shifts) in a Polish hospital in 2021. The study used the Polish adaptation of the Mini-COPE questionnaire and the authors' data sheet. The results indicate that regardless of experience or the place and system of work, nurses more often chose problem-focused coping strategies. Conducting screening tests among nurses will help to establish effective strategies for coping with occupational stress, thus preventing professional burnout.

Beta-blockers in cardiac arrhythmias-Clinical pharmacologist's point of view.

ß-blockers is a vast group of antiarrhythmic drugs which differ in their pharmacokinetic and chemical properties. Some of them block ß-adrenergic receptors selectively while the others work non-selectively. Consequently, they reduce the influence of the sympathetic nervous system on the heart, acting negatively inotropic, chronotropic, bathmotropic and dromotropic. Although they have been present in medicine since the beginning of the 1960s, they still play a crucial role in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. They are also first-line group of drugs used to control the ventricular rate in patients with the most common arrhythmia-atrial fibrillation. Previous reports indicate that infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus may constitute an additional risk factor for arrhythmia. Due to the aging of the population in developed countries and the increase in the number of patients with cardiac burden, the number of people suffering from cardiac arrhythmias will increase in the upcoming years. As a result the role of above-mentioned beta-blockers will remain significant. Particularly noteworthy is propranolol-the oldest beta adrenergic antagonist, which in recent years has found additional applications due to its unique properties. In this article, we reviewed the accessible literature and summarized the current guidelines on the use of beta-blockers in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

11ß-HSD as a New Target in Pharmacotherapy of Metabolic Diseases.

Glucocorticoids (GCs), which are secreted by the adrenal cortex, are important regulators in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. For the proper functioning of the body, strict control of their release is necessary, as increased GCs levels may contribute to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and other pathological conditions contributing to the development of metabolic syndrome. 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I (11ß-HSD1) locally controls the availability of the active glucocorticoid, namely cortisol and corticosterone, for the glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, the participation of 11ß-HSD1 in the development of metabolic diseases makes both this enzyme and its inhibitors attractive targets in the pharmacotherapy of the above-mentioned diseases.