Surgical and/ or conservative treatment improves quality of life (EHP-30) in patients with endometriosis.

AIM: To investigate the quality of life of women with endometriosis before treatment and 3 months after the start of surgical and/or conservative treatment. SAMPLE AND METHODOLOGY: The sample comprised of 38 patients, of whom 26 underwent surgical treatment, 6 had pharmacological treatment, and 6 had both surgical and pharmacological treatment. The Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP-30) questionnaire in the Czech version and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) were used to assess quality of life. The questionnaires were completed before treatment and 3 months into the treatment. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: When comparing quality of life with the EHP-30 questionnaire, 3 months after the start of treatment, significantly better quality of life scores were found in all domains except the domain "Infertility." Statistically significant improvement was observed in the domains of "Control and powerlessness," "Emotional well-being," and "Pain" (P < 0.0001). Pain assessment using NRS showed subjective improvement in pain during menstruation, outside menstruation, during intercourse, micturition, and defecation. Statistically significant improvement was reported in pain during menstruation and outside menstruation (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Treatment of endometriosis improves the quality of life and also leads to a subjective reduction of pain intensity as one of the main symptoms of the disease.

Exploring moral competence regression: a narrative approach in medical ethics education for medical students.

BACKGROUND: Studies from different countries report a stagnation or regression of moral competence in medical students between the first and the last year of their studies, and the value of various educational interventions remains uncertain. METHODS: We used Moral Competence Test (MCT) to measure C-scores of moral competence to determine the change in the MCT C-scores between the first- and the fifth-year medical students from two medical schools in the Czech Republic in the academic year 2022/2023 and to analyze factors associated with the C-scores (observational study). In addition, for the first-year students, we compared the results of the MCT before and after an intervention in medical ethics curriculum (interventional study). We used a cross-sectional and descriptive design for the observational study. Students completed the MCT, consisting of two moral dilemmas (Worker´s Dilemma and Doctor´s Dilemma), the results measured by the C-score, which represents moral competence. RESULTS: In total, 685 students participated in the observational study. Objective 1: based on the analysis of the C-score, we observed a decrease in moral competence between the first and the fifth-year medical students (p < .001). Objective 2: we did not observe a statistically significant effect of gender (p = .278), or self-rated religiosity (p = .163). Objective 3: in the interventional study, 440 students participated in the pretest and 422 students participated in the posttest. The test of statistical significance found no improvement in students' moral competence after the intervention (p = .253). CONCLUSION: Medical students show a regression in moral competence during medical education; it was lower in medical students in their fifth year, compared to the first-year medical students without the effect of gender, or self-rated religiosity. Although educational intervention consisting of multiple tools of medical ethics teaching (PBL, CBL, KMDD and StorED) did not lead to increase in moral competence, the longitudinal effect of such intervention remains to be seen.

Medical occupational check-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European Union.

Given the enormous scale of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the healthcare sector, limited human resource capacity, and efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, occupational health protection could not escape changes. The aim was to identify and compare the regulations regarding the provision of medical occupational check-ups (MOCs) during the pandemic in all European Union member states (EU MS). The study employed the Delphi method, involving experts from EU MS to assess MOC regulations between January 2020 and May 2021. Experts were queried regarding the existence and specifics of MOC regulations, particularly for entrance and periodic MOCs at hazardous and non-hazardous workplaces. Out of the 27 EU MS surveyed, 13 EU MS did not regulate MOCs, while 14 EU MS (51.6%) regulated the provision of MOCs. The regulations were changes in the way MOCs were provided, modifications (postponement in time, alternative provision, e.g. using telemedicine or online connection, or replacing the medical certificate of fitness to work based on the MOC with a declaration by the worker), or interruption without compensation, even for hazardous works. The regulations were in effect for different lengths of time and varied in some countries during the study period. The cumulative duration of MOC interruptions in all EU MS during the study period was 137 months (7.5% of the cumulative study period of 1836 months). Given the different approaches to the provision of MOCs in EU MS, it has proved appropriate to develop an optimal unified framework plan for future similar situations.

Indeterminacy of the Diagnosis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Leading to Problems with the Validity of Data.

The validity of infant mortality data is essential in assessing health care quality and in the setting of preventive measures. This study explores different diagnostic procedures used to determine the cause of death across forensic settings and thus the issue of the reduced validity of data. All records from three forensic medical departments that conducted autopsies on children aged 12 months or younger (n = 204) who died during the years 2007-2016 in Moravia were included. Differences in diagnostic procedures were found to be statistically significant. Each department works with a different set of risk factors and places different emphasis on different types of examination. The most significant differences could be observed in sudden infant death syndrome and suffocation diagnosis frequency. The validity of statistical data on the causes of infant mortality is thus significantly reduced. Therefore, the possibilities of public health and social policy interventions toward preventing sudden and unexpected infant death are extraordinarily complicated by this lack of data validity.

Let It Beat: How Lifestyle and Psychosocial Factors Affect the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death-A 10-Year Follow-Up Study.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the lifestyle and occurrence of psychosocial factors in patients with a high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and to explore their effect on the occurrence of the adequate therapy of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). (2) Methods: In this retro-prospective single-centre study, a group of patients aged 18-65 years old, who underwent the first ICD implantation for primary (PP) or secondary (SP) prevention between 2010-2014, was studied. The control group consisted of pair-matched (age ± 5 years, gender) respondents without a high risk of SCD. Information was obtained using a self-reported questionnaire and hospital electronic health records. The adequacy of ICD therapy was evaluated regularly until 31 January 2020. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to assess the risk of SCD. (3) Results: A family history of SCD, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and depression significantly aggravated the odds of being at a high risk of SCD. The occurrence of an appropriate ICD therapy was significantly associated with being in the SP group, BMI, education level and TV/PC screen time. (4) Conclusions: Lifestyle and psychosocial factors have been confirmed to affect the risk of SCD. Early identification and treatment of coronary artery disease and its risk factors remain the cornerstones of preventive effort. Further research is needed to evaluate the complex nature of psychosocial determinants of cardiac health.

Motivation for COVID-19 Vaccination in Priority Occupational Groups: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Due to the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines, occupational groups with priority access were identified prior to vaccination. The study aimed to analyze motives for vaccination in these occupational groups. METHODS: Members of occupational groups, who were vaccinated at the vaccination center of University Hospital Olomouc before 30 April 2021, were asked to fill in an online questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 3224 completed questionnaires were obtained from 1332 healthcare workers, 1257 school employees, 363 social service workers, 210 security force members, and 62 critical infrastructure workers. The most frequent motive for vaccination was the effort to protect family members (76.2%), the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in one's profession (72.3%), followed by concerns about COVID-19 itself (49.1%) and exemptions from anti-epidemic measures (36.8%). Only for social services, the motive focused on one's profession was mentioned more often (75.2%) than the motive focused on the family (71.1%). At the level of detailed profession-oriented motives, a collegial effort of security force members to protect co-workers and not to endanger the workplace was dominant. CONCLUSIONS: The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the professional environment is a strong motive for vaccination, and strongest among social service workers.

Demand and motivation for influenza vaccination among healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 era: a cross-sectional survey.

Protection of healthcare workers (HCWs) against influenza is essential for patient health and a functional health system. The study aimed to analyze the demand for seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) among various groups of HCWs in a tertiary care hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify their motives for this season's SIV. Before this influenza season (2020/21), the hospital management offered free SIV to all HCWs and promoted it on the internal network. Out of 4,167 HCWs, 630 HCWs expressed interest in SIV and were vaccinated in the hospital. They filled in a total of 603 self-administered pen-and-paper questionnaires. The mean age of the respondents (374 females and 229 males) was 45 ± 12 years. Physicians accounted for 48% of the vaccinated persons but for only 24% (p < .001) of all HCWs to whom SIV was offered. Only 16% of respondents vaccinated this year also received SIV before the last season (2019/20), with the proportion of physicians (19%) being statistically significantly higher than that of non-physicians (13%, p = .045) and the proportion of chronically ill HCWs (22%) being higher than that of healthy individuals (13%, p = .004). Most frequently, respondents' motivation to get vaccinated this year was self-protection (61%), that is concerns about contracting influenza together with COVID-19 or alone, followed by family protection (58%) and patient protection (53%). In conclusion, COVID-19 contributed to an increased demand for SIV among HCWs and the threat of contracting it together with influenza was the most frequent motive.

High-sensitivity CRP levels in women with gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and in normotensive pregnant women and its correlations.

INTRODUCTION: Gestational hypertension is a less investigated hypertensive disorder of pregnancy than preeclampsia, but evidence exists of an unfavourable cardiovascular profile for women after such a pregnancy. AIM: To determine serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in women with preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and in normotensive pregnancy in order to assess the cardiovascular implications and to examine its correlations with some characteristics of women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six women with gestational hypertension, thirty-seven with preeclampsia, and fifty maternal and gestational age-matched controls were included in a single-center prospective clinical-epidemiological study. Serum hs-CRP levels were determined using ELISA method. RESULTS: Significantly higher hs-CRP levels were found in the gestational hypertension group than in the controls (p=0.043), but not in the preeclampsia group (p=0.445). The levels between the two pathological groups did not differ significantly (p=0.247). Odds ratio for hs-CRP levels higher than the provided cut-off was 3.31 (95% CI 1.32-8.29) for the presence of gestational hypertension. In the normotensive pregnant women, the hs-CRP levels had a positive correlation with BSA, pre-pregnancy and current BMI, but such correlations were absent in the hypertensive groups. There were no correlations with the maternal or gestational age, current weight gain in any of the groups or with the highest detected blood pressure in the pathological groups. These levels did not differ according to gravidity, smoking status and smoking during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Elevation of hs-CRP was more pronounced in women with gestational hypertension than in women with preeclampsia, which could indicate a different pathophysiological mechanism and a higher cardiovascular risk for those women.

Analyzing the Semantic Space of the Hippocratic Oath.

The Hippocratic Oath is the foundation for the moral ideals and goals of Western medicine. We aimed to develop a research tool to determine the perception among diverse groups of physicians and to determine the current perception of the Hippocratic Oath. We used the semantic differential to map the connotative meaning of the Oath. We selected 34 research articles with abstracts from a literature search. The attributes (adjectives) used to describe the Oath were added to adjectives from a semi-structured questionnaire filled in at the Olomouc military hospital. We modified the factors and selected 8 scales by optimizing the semantic differential. Overall, Czech physicians perceived the Oath highly positively based on the factor of evaluation. Negative and even neutral viewpoints were rare. The strongest factor- progressivity-revealed that the topicality of the Hippocratic Oath is very important to physicians. A statistically significant difference was found between female physicians and their male counterparts, with women rating the Oath's progressivity higher than men, as well as perceiving the Oath generally more positively than men. Our analysis confirmed the importance and success of continuing education. The standardized methodology can be used in medical education to analyze the semantic space of the Hippocratic Oath.

Cost-effectiveness of digital surveillance clinics with optical coherence tomography versus hospital eye service follow-up for patients with screen-positive maculopathy.

BACKGROUND: Annually 2.7 million individuals are offered screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in England. Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) has the potential to relieve pressure on NHS services by correctly identifying patients who are screen positive for maculopathy on two-dimensional photography without evidence of clinically significant macular oedema (CSMO), limiting the number of referrals to hospitals. We aim to assess whether the addition of SDOCT imaging in digital surveillance clinics is a cost-effective intervention relative to hospital eye service (HES) follow-up. METHODS: We used patient-level data from the Gloucestershire Diabetic Eye Screening Service linked to the local digital surveillance programme and HES between 2012 and 2015. A model was used to simulate the progression of individuals with background diabetic retinopathy (R1) and diabetic maculopathy (M1) following DR screening across the clinic pathways over 12 months. RESULTS: Between January 2012 and December 2014, 696 people undergoing DR screening were found to have screen-positive maculopathy in at least one eye for the first time, with a total of 766 eyes identified as having R1M1. The mean annual cost of assessing and surveillance through the SD-OCT clinic pathway was £101 (95% CI: 91-139) as compared with £177 (95%CI: 164-219) under the HES pathway. Surveillance under an SD-OCT clinic generated cost savings of £76 (95% CI: 70-81) per patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis shows that SD-OCT surveillance of patients diagnosed as R1M1 at DR screening is not only cost-effective but generates considerable cost savings.

Manner of Death of Older People with Regard to Blood Alcohol Concentration.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol abuse is related to a wide variety of negative health outcomes including mortality in older people. Alcohol abuse in older people is characterised by certain specific features uncommon in general adult population. The main objective of this study was to analyse the autopsy protocols of deceased older people in relation to blood alcohol concentration (BAC), sex, age, and manner of death. As a positive BAC, >0.20 g/kg was accepted. METHODS: The sample consists of 1,012 deceased older people (i.e. aged 65 years and over) selected out of 2,377 autopsied subjects in the period from 2003­2013. Subjects included into the sample were chosen via the proportional sampling method. Data (BAC, sex, age, and manner of death) was recorded in a single structured protocol. Data was evaluated statistically (Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test, Wilcoxon two-sample test, risk ratio). RESULTS: Among older people, there has been a statistically significant correlation of natural death with sex (men died earlier) and with increased BAC (people with positive BAC died earlier). In case of violent death there is a difference in the types of accidents in older people with positive BAC (>0.2 g/kg) and with negative BAC (≤0.2 g/kg). Drowning is more common in older people with positive BAC. CONCLUSIONS: Health campaigns in Europe and the Czech Republic aimed at reducing alcohol consumption mainly deal with young people. Alcohol abuse has an impact on premature mortality even in older people. As shown by this study, older people with positive BAC die significantly earlier.

DatSCAN In Differential Diagnostics of Lewy Body Disease.

Differential diagnosis between Lewy body disease and Alzheimer´s disease might be difficult because of similarities of clinical symptoms in both neurodegenerative diseases. DatSCAN is a modern functional neuroimmaging method which differentiates between this similar diseases and helps in correct treatment strategy. We report our positive experience with DatSCAN in differentiating Lewy body disease from Alzheimer´s disease. This is a case report of a woman with Lewy body disease, initially diagnosed as Alzheimer´s disease. DatSCAN neuroimmaging method was used in differential diagnosis of dementia. Memory impairment, impaired activities of daily living, sleep and behavioral disturbances were present in our case. Donepezil was well tolerated, but haloperidol administration was followed by development of severe dystonia. DatSCAN showed deficient dopaminergic presynaptic transport in substantia nigra and striatum. This finding is typical for Lewy body disease not for Alzheimer´s disease. DatSCAN neuroimmaging is a suitable method for differentiating Lewy body disease from Alzheimer´s disease. Deficient dopaminergic presynaptic transport in substantia nigra and striatum is typical for Lewy body disease.

Effects of the july 1997 floods in the Czech Republic on cardiac mortality.

OBJECTIVE: An excess of deaths from cardiac causes are reported after many natural disasters. Despite the fact that floods are the most common and most destructive natural disaster worldwide, little is known about their effect on human health. We analyzed the influence of the greatest floods in the Czech Republic on cardiac mortality in the affected area. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study. We analyzed persons whose autopsies proved they had died of cardiac causes during the month of the flood, 2 months before the flood, 1 month after the flood, and during the same period in the 3 previous years. RESULTS: A total of 207 of 985 autopsy reports met the criteria for inclusion in the study. There were no significant differences in the proportions of men and women (P=0.819) or in age (P=0.577). During the month of the flood, an increase in cardiac mortality was observed; however, the increase was not statistically significant (P=0.088). CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, the 1997 Central European flood did not significantly affect cardiac mortality.

Psychological distress and academic self-perception among international medical students: the role of peer social support.

BACKGROUND: Psychological distress among medical students is commonly observed during medical education and is generally related to poor academic self-perception. We evaluated the role of peer social support at medical schools in the association between psychological distress and academic self-perception. METHODS: An online survey was conducted in a medical degree program for 138 international students educated in English in the Czech Republic. The Medical Student Well-Being Index was used to define the students' psychological distress. Perceived peer social support was investigated with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Poor academic self-perception was defined as the lowest 30% of a subscale score of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure. Analyses evaluated the presence of additive interactions between psychological distress and peer social support on poor academic self-perception, adjusted for possible confounders. RESULTS: Both psychological distress and low peer social support were negatively associated with poor academic self-perception, adjusted for local language proficiency and social support from family. Students with psychological distress and low peer social support had an odds ratio of 11.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-56.6) for poor academic self-perception as compared with those without distress who had high peer social support. The presence of an additive interaction was confirmed in that the joint association was four times as large as what would have been expected to be on summing the individual risks of psychological distress and low peer social support (synergy index = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.3-14.9). CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress and low peer social support may synergistically increase the probability of poor academic self-perception among international medical students. Promoting peer social relationships at medical school may interrupt the vicious cycle of psychological distress and poor academic performance.

Non-adherence in seniors with dementia - a serious problem of routine clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Non-adherence to treatment in seniors with dementia is a frequent and potentially dangerous phenomenon in routine clinical practice which might lead to the inappropriate treatment of a patient, including the risk of intoxication. There might be different causes of non-adherence in patients with dementia: memory impairment, sensory disturbances, limitations in mobility, economical reasons limiting access to health care and medication. Non-adherence leads to serious clinical consequences as well as being a challenge for public health. AIM: to estimate prevalence of non-adherence in seniors with dementia and to study correlation between cognitive decline and non-adherence. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Prospective study, analyzing medical records of seniors with dementia admitted to the inpatient psychogeriatric ward in the Kromeriz mental hospital from January 2010 to January 2011. Cognitive decline measured by MMSE, prevalence of Non-adherence to treatment and reasons for patient Non-adherence were studied. RESULTS: Non-adherence to any treatment was detected in 31.3% of seniors; memory impairment was the most common cause of non-adherence to treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, non-adherence to treatment in the studied group of seniors with dementia correlates with the severity of cognitive impairment - a higher cognitive decline correlates with a higher risk of non-adherence to treatment.

Bad on the net, or bipolars' lives on the web: analyzing discussion web pages for individuals with bipolar affective disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The main therapeutic approach in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder is the administration of drugs. The effectiveness of this approach can be increased by specific psychotherapeutic interventions. There is not much knowledge about self-help initiatives in this field. Anonymous internet communication may be beneficial, regardless of the fact that it is non-professional. It offers a chance to confide and share symptoms with other patients, to open up for persons with feelings of shame, and to obtain relevant information without having a direct contact with an expert. METHODS: Qualitative analysis of web discussions used by patients with bipolar disorder in Czech language was performed. Using key words "diskuze" (discussion), "maniodeprese" (manic depression) and "bipolární porucha" (bipolar disorder), 8 discussions were found, but only 3 of them were anonymous and non-professional. Individual discussion entries were analyzed for basic categories or subcategories, and these were subsequently assessed so that their relationships could be better understood. RESULTS: A total of 436 entries from 3 discussion web pages were analyzed. Subsequently, six categories were identified (participant, diagnosis, relationships, communication, topic and treatment), each having 5-12 subcategories. These were analyzed in terms of relationships and patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Czech discussion web pages for people suffering from bipolar disorder are a lively community of users supporting each other, that may be characterized as a compact body open to newcomers. They seem to fulfill patients' needs that are not fully met by health care services. It also has a "self-cleaning" ability, effectively dealing with posts that are inappropriate, provocative, criticizing, aggressive or meaningless.

Increased imaging speed and force sensitivity for bio-applications with small cantilevers using a conventional AFM setup.

In this study, we demonstrate the increased performance in speed and sensitivity achieved by the use of small AFM cantilevers on a standard AFM system. For this, small rectangular silicon oxynitride cantilevers were utilized to arrive at faster atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging times and more sensitive molecular recognition force spectroscopy (MRFS) experiments. The cantilevers we used had lengths between 13 and 46 µm, a width of about 11 µm, and a thickness between 150 and 600 nm. They were coated with chromium and gold on the backside for a better laser reflection. We characterized these small cantilevers through their frequency spectrum and with electron microscopy. Due to their small size and high resonance frequency we were able to increase the imaging speed by a factor of 10 without any loss in resolution for images from several µm scansize down to the nanometer scale. This was shown on bacterial surface layers (s-layer) with tapping mode under aqueous, near physiological conditions and on nuclear membranes in contact mode in ambient environment. In addition, we showed that single molecular forces can be measured with an up to 5 times higher force sensitivity in comparison to conventional cantilevers with similar spring constants.

Violation of ethical principles in institutional care for older people.

This study focuses on issues of elder abuse in residential settings. Violation of ethical principles is shown in the results of this quantitative study aimed at defining the extent, nature and causes of such abuse by employees' unethical conduct towards clients in senior homes (i.e. residential nursing homes) in the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic. The research sample comprised 454 employees and 488 clients from 12 residential homes for older people. The data were collected from interviews with clients, who also received a questionnaire concerning their satisfaction with the institution. Two questionnaires were administered to the employees, one based on a pilot qualitative study and a second to investigate burnout. Outcomes were assessed according to the extent and form of elder abuse, the causes of elder abuse and the violation of basic ethical principles. The responses, in particular those of employees, revealed both psychological and physical abuse of older clients, and thus violation of two basic principles: respect for the person and non-maleficence. The group at risk of elder abuse comprised aggressive and dissatisfied clients, as well as those with mental problems and dementia. The employees most at risk of being abusers were those who had been employed in institutional care for more than five years, had inadequate knowledge about social services and suffered from burnout. The prevention of elder abuse is recommended to be through education focused on ethical principles, increasing employees' satisfaction by promoting a friendly and safe organizational culture, and providing adequate working conditions.

Elder abuse and mistreatment in residential settings.

Older people living in a residential setting have the right to respectful care based on professional ethics. The aim of this study was to describe employees' and clients' lived experiences of elder abuse. A qualitative phenomenological method was used with 26 employees and 20 residents from four homes for elderly people in the town of Ostrava, Czech Republic, and two managers from outside these institutions. All complaints about elder abuse (n 5 11) received by Ostrava Municipal Authority during the period 2003 to 2007 were examined. Two main dimensions of the examined phenomenon were identified: forms of elder abuse and causes of elder abuse. Established forms of elder abuse were summarized as rights violation, financial abuse, psychological abuse, physical abuse and neglect. Causes of elder abuse included institution, employee and client characteristics. It is necessary in residential settings to create preventive policies that will focus on supervision regarding elderly people's rights violation and psychological and physical abuse, as well as on building organizational cultures that will respect ethical principles.

Quality of life in hospitalized seniors with psychiatric disorders (a cross-sectional study from the Kromeriz District, Czech Republic).

BACKGROUND: The quality of life is one of tools used for a comprehensive evaluation of provided health care services. Unlike medical specialties such as oncology or transplantation medicine where maintaining or improving the quality of life has been a traditional challenge, these issues are relatively new to gerontopsychiatric practice. The article is a contribution to research into the quality of life in hospitalized seniors with psychiatric disorders. METHODS AND RESULTS: We designed a cross-sectional study involving 297 patients in two study groups from two main health care institutions in the Kromeriz District, the Psychiatric Hospital Kromeriz and St. Vincent de Paul Hospital. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, MMSE, GDS, patient medical records, interviews and psychiatric assessment were used in the study. Generally, low ability to complete the questionnaires was observed in both studied groups and a low quality of life in hospitalized seniors was revealed, together with a high prevalence of underdiagnosed depression and dementia. Poor social contacts are also common in hospitalized seniors with psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: Continuous evaluation of the quality of life in hospitalized seniors with psychiatric disorders and attempts at its improvement should become an integral part of health care provided to older people suffering from any psychiatric condition.