Newborn Hospitalizations Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland: A Comparative Study Based on a National Hospital Registry.

Objectives: There are limited data on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Poland on newborn health. The aim of the study is to show recent information on hospitalizations of newborns in Poland in the pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic era. Methods: A retrospective, population-based study was conducted using data from hospital discharge records of patients hospitalized in 2017-2021. Results: The data on which the study was based consisted of a substantial number of 104,450 hospitalization records. Annual hospitalization rate was estimated to be 50.3-51.9 per 1,000 in 2017-2019, 56 per 1,000 in 2020 and it rose to 77.7 per 1,000 in 2021. In comparison to the pre-pandemic period, in the COVID-19 era, we observed significantly more hospitalization cases of newborns affected by maternal renal and urinary tract diseases (p < 0.001), syndrome of infant of mother with gestational diabetes (p < 0.001), maternal complications of pregnancy (p < 0.001). In the COVID-19 era, the prevalence of COVID-19 among newborns was 4.5 cases per 1,000 newborn hospitalizations. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak could significantly contribute to qualitative and quantitative changes in hospitalizations among newborns.

Hospitalizations of patients with herpes zoster in Poland during 2012-2021: A population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is an infectious agent that causes both chickenpox and herpes zoster/shingles (HZ). This infection can take various clinical forms, result in permanent complications, and be a marker of immunosuppression, e.g. in the course of a neoplastic disease. The aim of this study is to analyze epidemiological trends in hospitalization and hospital mortality rate among HZ patients in Poland (2012-2021). METHODS: Our study is a population-based, retrospective analysis of hospital discharge records of patients with HZ. Data were obtained from the National Institute of Public Health in Poland, and they covered the period from 2012 to 2021. All hospitalization records with primary or secondary ICD-10 B02 code diagnosis were included in the study. RESULTS: We analyzed the total number of 23,432 hospital discharge records of HZ patients in 2012-2021. The study group consisted of 22,169 (94.6 %) hospitalization records of first-time diagnosis of HZ in hospitalized patients: 9,309 males (42 %) and 12,860 females (58 %). In this group, 70.3 % were patients over 60 years old. The mean and median age was 64 and 69 years, respectively. The mean annual first-time hospitalization rate for HZ was estimated to be 5.8 per 100,000 person-years (95 % CI: 4.8-6.7 per 100,000 person-years). The hospitalization rate for HZ was similar during 2012-2019. There was a significant decrease in hospitalizations in 2020-2021 in comparison with the previous years (R2 = 0.42, p < 0.05). Women showed a higher hospitalization rate than men (p < 0.001). Urban residents had a higher hospitalization rate than rural residents (p < 0.001). In the analyzed period, 246 deaths were recorded (1.1 % of all hospitalized HZ patients) -119 males and 127 females. CONCLUSIONS: The HZ-related number of hospitalizations and mortality in Poland are relatively low, but HZ is still a significant health problem. Risk factors include female gender, older age and residence in urban areas.

Hospitalizations of patients with sarcoidosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease that mostly affects the lungs and lymphatic system. Due to its rarity and variable clinical course, analyses of factors related to sarcoidosis should be based on large databases and long observation periods. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of patients with sarcoidosis hospitalized in Poland over a long period (2016-2021). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using hospital discharge records compiled by the National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute. We analyzed the records of patients with sarcoidosis from the entire Polish population at their first hospitalization. RESULTS: We identified a total of 15 548 first-time hospitalizations for sarcoidosis. The mean annual disease incidence was 6.8 cases per 100 000. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 45.8 (13.6) years, and it was lower in men than in women (42.9 [12.5] vs 49.8 [14.2] years; P <0.001). There were significantly more hospitalizations among city dwellers (62.3% vs 37.3% for rural residents; P <0.001). At the beginning of the COVID­19 pandemic in Poland there was a decrease in the number of hospitalizations for sarcoidosis, followed by an increase in the subsequent year. The all­cause in­hospital death rate was significantly higher during the COVID­19 pandemic, as compared with the period before the pandemic (7.2 vs 2.3 per 1000; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health care changes related to the outbreak of the COVID­19 pandemic may have increased the health debt for inpatient sarcoidosis treatment. The occurrence of sarcoidosis in Poland may be related to demographic and territorial factors.

Time Trend Analysis of Comorbidities in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Population-Based Study from 53,142 Hospitalizations in Poland.

BACKGROUND: (1) Influence of comorbidities on life expectancy and treatment outcomes is one of the main concerns of modern rheumatology, due to their rising prevalence and increasing impact on mortality and disability. The main objective of our study was to analyze the time trends and shifts in the comorbidity profile and mortality over 10 years in the Polish population with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). (2) Data from 2011-2020 years were acquired from the General Hospital Morbidity Study in the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene (NIH-PIB) as ICD-10 codes. Based on ICD10 codes, we calculated the percentage shares for comorbidities, with the relative risk ratios and odds ratios. We analyzed the hospitalization rates and mortality from the overlapping conditions. Also, we analyzed age and sex related differences in the clinical manifestations of AS patients. (3) Results: From 53,142 hospitalizations of patients with AS, we found that the male population presented higher rates of cardiovascular (2.7% vs. 1.3% p < 0.001) and pulmonary conditions (1.2% vs. 0.8% p < 0.025). Inflammatory bowel diseases were more common in the female population than in males (2.3% vs. 1.7%, p < 0.001). In the years 2011-2020, we observed a decline in the number of hospitalized patients due to cardiovascular (p < 0.001) and respiratory system conditions (p < 0.001), yet the relative risk and odd ratios remained high. In the years 2011-2020, 4056 patients received biological treatment (7%). The number of initiated biological therapies correlated negatively with the number of reported hospitalizations due to ischemic heart diseases (IHD) (p < 0.031, r = -0.8). Furthermore, in the logistic regression model, we found strong collinearity between cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities (VIF = 14; tolerance = 0.1); also, the number of reported IHD's correlated positively with the number of pulmonary infections (p < 0.031, r = 0.7) (4). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiopulmonary comorbidities are a main factor associated with increased mortality in patients with AS, especially in hospitalized patients. The mortality rates among patients with AS admitted to hospital due to other conditions other than movement disorders exceed the populational risk. The number of biologically treated patients correlated negatively with hospital admissions due to IHD.

Colonization with drug-resistant pathogens among patients in long-term care facilities and under home hospice care - a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The spread of drug-resistant bacteria is deemed a worldwide threat. Patients in long-term care, including those under palliative care, are exposed to a high risk of colonization and infection with drug-resistant pathogens. This refers primarily to long-term care facilities as opposed to home care. A cross-sectional study was carried out between 1 January 2018 - 30 June 2019. The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee at the Medical University of Warsaw (KB/222/2017). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the frequency and type of colonization with drug-resistant pathogens among patients in long-term care facilities and those under home hospice care. An additional aim was evaluation the risk of pathogen transmission according to the type of provided long-term care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 129 participants: 68 patients under the care of 3 long-term care facilities in Warsaw, Poland, 42 patients under home hospice care, and 19 household members of hospice patients. All included participants provided written informed consent. Oropharyngeal and rectal swabs were obtained from all participants for microbiological assessment. RESULTS: Colonization with pathogens was more common in long-term care facilities residents (82.4%) than in at-home hospice patients (42.9%). Risk of colonization was significantly lower in patients staying at home than in long-term care facilities patients (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.06-0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions. Risk of colonization with drug-resistant pathogens depends on the type of care and is significantly higher in patients staying at long-term care facilities. Systemic measures, such as microbiological screening, are necessary to provide optimal patient care and to ensure epidemiological safety, both to patients and their caregivers.

Ukrainian migrants' and war refugees' admissions to hospital: evidence from the Polish Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study, 2014-2022.

BACKGROUND: Considering the rapid influx of Ukrainian migrants and war refugees into Poland, the knowledge of their health condition is becoming increasingly important for health system policy and planning. The aim of the study was to assess war-related changes in the frequency and structure of hospitalizations among Ukrainian migrants and refugees in Poland. METHODS: The study is based on the analysis of hospital admission records of Ukrainian patients, which were collected in the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study from 01.01.2014 to 31.12.2022. RESULTS: In the study period, 13,024 Ukrainians were hospitalized in Poland, 51.7% of whom had been admitted to hospital after February 24, 2022. After the war broke out, the average daily hospital admissions augmented from 2.1 to 21.6 person/day. A noticeable increase in the share of women (from 50% to 62%) and children (from 14% to 51%) was also observed. The average age of patients fell from 33.6 ± 0.2 years to 24.6 ± 0.3 years. The most frequently reported hospital events among the migrants until 23.02.2022 were injuries (S00-T98) - 26.1%, pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99) - 18.4%, and factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99) - 8.4%. After the war started, the incidence of health problems among migrants and war refugees changed, with pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99) being the most common - 14.9%, followed by abnormal clinical and lab findings (R00-R99) - 11.9%, and infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99) - 11.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may support health policy planning and delivering adequate healthcare in refugee-hosting countries.

Trends in Hospitalization Duration for Rare Diseases: A Retrospective Analysis of Sarcoidosis, Still's Disease, and Systemic Sclerosis in Poland (2009-2018).

BACKGROUND A rare disease is a health condition that rarely occurs in the population. It is estimated that up to 400 million people around the world suffer from a rare disease. This retrospective study aimed to investigate factors associated with length of hospitalization in 78 626 patients with sarcoidosis, 3294 patients with adults-onset Still's disease, and 35 549 patients with systemic sclerosis between 2009 and 2018 using data from the National Institute of Public Health in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this population-based study, we analyzed hospital discharge records of first-time and subsequent hospitalizations. To perform the statistical analyses, R software was used. RESULTS The average length of hospitalization over the selected period in the diseases was 5.39 days for sarcoidosis, 6.22 days for scleroderma, and 7.44 days for Still's disease, and was shorter for each of the diseases analyzed compared with the length of hospitalization for second and subsequent stays. There were no substantial differences in length of hospitalization between males and females. The average length of hospitalization increased with each additional comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that hospitalizations for selected rare diseases do not cause a significant burden on the healthcare system. The results also showed that advanced age and comorbidities are important factors determining the length of hospitalization. The average length of hospital stay for selected rare diseases in Poland is not longer than the European Union (EU) average, so it can be assumed that the process of inpatient treatment in Poland is optimal.

Congenital toxoplasmosis among hospitalized infants in Poland in the years 2007-2021: study based on the national hospital registry.

Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is a rare entity and it may pose a life-threatening risk for the newborns. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence and other selected factors of CT in Poland. Our study is a population-based study on CT patients in 2007-2021. The study was based on 1504 hospitalization records of first-time diagnosis of CT in newborns. In the study group, we observed 763 males (50.7%) and 741 females (49.3%). The mean and median age was 31 days and 10 days, respectively. Based on the hospital registry, the mean annual CT incidence was estimated to be 2.6 per 10,000 live births (95% CI 2.0-3.2 per 10,000 live births). The incidence of CT cases fluctuated over the years 2007-2021, with the highest incidence in 2010 and the lowest one in 2014. There were no statistically significant differences between the incidence of CT in relation to sex or place of residence. The periodic fluctuations in the number of cases of congenital toxoplasmosis indicates the need to develop effective prevention programs to effectively counteract the disease and its consequences.

Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections among Hospitalized Children in Poland during 2010-2020: Study Based on the National Hospital Registry.

Background: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for infections mainly affecting the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children after the first exposure. The aim of the study is to show up-to-date information on RSV hospitalization cases in Poland in children aged < 5 years. Methods: A retrospective, population-based study was conducted using data from hospital discharge records of patients hospitalized from 2010−2020. Results: The study group consisted of 57,552 hospitalizations of RSV children. The mean and median ages were 232 (95% CI: 230−234) and 132 (IQR 63−271) days. The mean annual hospitalization rate for patients with RSV infection was estimated to be 267.5 per 100,000, and the highest was observed in children < 1 year (1132.1 per 100,000). The mean annual hospitalization rate was significantly higher in patients living in urban than rural regions (p < 0.001). A statistically significant increase in the number of hospitalizations was observed (p < 0.0001) during the analyzed period. The seasonal pattern was found with the highest rates of hospitalizations in the January−March period. Conclusions: The increasing RSV hospitalization rate requires further research and may be the basis for urgent healthcare measures. The results may be helpful in comparative analyses in the European and global context.

Hospitalizations of Ukrainian Migrants and Refugees in Poland in the Time of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

BACKGROUND: In the face of a sudden influx of several million migrants and war refugees from Ukraine to other European countries, knowledge about the health of Ukrainian citizens becomes increasingly important. The aim of the study is to identify the main health problems of hospitalized Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland in the period from 2014 to June 2022. METHODS: This study is based on hospitalization data of Ukrainian patients in Poland taken from the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study. RESULTS: The study group covered 8591 hospitalization records. We observed two hospitalization peaks, one in patients aged 0-5 and the other one in those aged 20-35. After the official outbreak of the war, 2231 Ukrainian citizens were hospitalized in Poland. At this time, the most often reported principal reasons for the hospitalizations of adult women were diseases related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, whereas in groups of adult men diseases were related to injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes, and in children and adolescents diseases were infectious and parasitic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may have implications for healthcare policies and service provision to newly arrived migrants and war refugees in target European countries.

Knowledge about the COVID-19 and ways of its prevention among Medical University of Warsaw students.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the state of knowledge of Medical University of Warsaw (MUW) students on COVID-19, modes of transmission and preventive measures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in October 2020. The participants were all the students attending classes at MUW - 8922 persons. All had completed the online training "Work safety and hygiene during COVID-19." To assess their state of knowledge an online questionnaire was made available on the MUW e-learning platform. The questionnaire comprised 4 parts: (1) awareness of rules of hand hygiene, (2) medical aspects of COVID-19, (3) preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in health care facilities, and (4) preventing infection transmissions in the society. RESULTS: The majority of students (93.9%) demonstrated a sufficient level of knowledge. The highest passing threshold was found on the medical programme (96.7% of students with satisfactory level of knowledge), dentistry (96.2%) and pharmacy (95.5%). The statistically significant factors that differentiated student results proved to be faculty (p < 0.001), study programme (p < 0.001), year of studies (p = 0.001), form of studies (p < 0.001). The participants most often showed full knowledge (100% correct answers in sub-area) of preventing infection transmissions in the society (93.3%) and medical aspects of COVID-19 (91.8%), less complete in terms of ways of preventing infection transmission in health care facilities (85.4%), and in particular hand hygiene rules (78.3%). All the variables characterizing academic status (study programme, faculty, year and form of studies) were statistically significant differentiating factors for students' full knowledge in all of the 4 analyzed sub-areas, while students' sex only in the sub-area of COVID-19 medical aspects. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clear need for conducting systematic educational activities among students of all medical study programmes and assessing their level of knowledge in those areas that were identified as least frequently controlled, namely, hand hygiene and infection transmission in health care facilities. Med Pr. 2022;73(5):369-81.

Hospitalization of Children Aged <5 Years Due to Influenza: Study Based on the National Hospitalization Registry

Background: Influenza constitutes a significant health care burden that can be related to an increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to show up-to-date information on influenza hospitalization cases in Poland in children aged <5 years. Methods: The data used in the study were hospitalization records from 2015−2019, which had been gathered in a Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study and made available by the National Institute of Public Health. Results: 8565 records of patients with influenza were subject to analysis. The mean and median age of the patients were 2.2 and 2.1 years, respectively. Influenza hospitalization incidence was estimated at 90 per 100,000 person-years (PY) in children aged <5 years. The number of hospitalization cases was significantly higher in patients living in urban regions than in those living in rural regions (97 vs. 77 per 100,000 PY; p < 0.001). The age of patients living in urban regions was significantly lower than the age of patients living in rural regions (2.2 vs. 2.3 years; p < 0.001). A statistically significant increase in hospitalization was observed. Conclusions: The reported increasing trend in hospitalizations indicates the need to take focused measures. Presented data may be useful in comparative analyses in a European context.

Congenital herpes simplex virus infection among hospitalized infants in Poland.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Congenital herpes simplex virus infection (cHSV) is a rare entity and may pose a life-threatening disease for the newborns. Due to the public health and clinical importance of cHSV infection in infants, the recent data on this disease in Poland should be investigated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence and other factors related to cHSV. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study is retrospective, population-based that utilised the hospital discharge records of cHSV patients. Data were obtained from National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute in Warsaw, Poland, covering the period 2014-2019. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 1,573 cHSV newborns (841 males and 732 females). Among this group, 70.1% were infants up to 90 days of age and 3.6% were neonates up to 28 days of age. The mean and median age was 98 days (95% CI: 94.5-101.8, SD 74) and 70 days (IQR: 53-104), respectively. Based on the hospital registry the overall average cHSV incidence over the study period was estimated to be 69 per 100,000 live births. The number of cHSV infection fluctuated over the years 2014-2019 with a significant decreasing trend from 2015-2019 (P<0.01). A significantly higher cHSV incidence was observed among patients from urban than rural areas of Poland (88 vs 40/100,000 live births; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CHSV incidence may be related to multifactorial conditions for the occurrence of this disease. Further studies on changes in the incidence of cHSV are needed.

Adult-onset Still's disease in Poland - a nationwide population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, which affects young adults and is associated with multiple organ involvement and life-threatening complications. The aim of the study was to establish the incidence and prevalence of AOSD in Poland, and factors related to this disease among hospitalized patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, population-based study was conducted, using data from hospital discharge records compiled by the National Institute of Public Health in 2009-2018. RESULTS: Based on hospitalization records and census data in a group of the 1,050 patients included in the study, women were predominant (60%) and patients' mean and median ages at hospitalization were 42 (95% CI: 40.8-42.8) and 38 years, respectively. The average annual incidence rate of AOSD during the 10-year period was established at the level of 0.32/100,000 (95% CI: 0.30-0.34), and the point prevalence at the end of 2018 was 2.7/100,000. The most common comorbidities were: cardiovascular diseases (14%), diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (14%), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (9%). CONCLUSIONS: AOSD is a rare disease Poland with gender and territorial differences in incidence ratek, and predominance of cardiovascular diseases among comorbidities. The presented data may be useful for comparisons of the Polish population with other geographical regions. Predominance of patients from urban regions and predominance of women may suggest environmental and personal factors in AOSD development; however, further research seems to be necessary.

Effects of Soy Isoflavones on Biochemical Markers of Bone Metabolism in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was performed to more completely assess potential changes in bone turnover marker levels in postmenopausal women during the intake of soy isoflavones. PubMed (Medline) and EMBASE were searched for relevant studies, and their quality was evaluated according to Cochrane criteria. The levels of markers were evaluated in a total of 1114 women who ingested mean daily doses of 98.2 mg (30.9 to 300) of soy isoflavones for 3 to 24 months, in comparison to those of 1081 subjects who used a placebo. Ten, eighteen, eight, and fourteen comparison studies were finally selected for an estimation of the effects on osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), pyridinoline (PYD), and deoxypyridinoline (DPD), respectively. A summary of the results of intervention was as follows: 4.16%, 95% CI: -7.72-16.04, p = 0.49 for OC; 5.50%, 95% CI: -3.81-14.82, p = 0.25 for BAP; -12.09%, 95% CI: -25.37-1.20, p = 0.07 for PYD; and -7.48%, 95% CI: -15.37-0.41, p = 0.06 for DPD. The meta-analysis of the included studies revealed some statistically insignificant observations that soy isoflavones intake is associated with a trend in increased levels of OC and BAP, as well as a trend in reduced levels of PYD and DPD. Soy isoflavones may have a beneficial effect on bone formation markers, but this requires extensive multi-center research.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Poland: a study based on data from a national hospital register.

INTRODUCTION COVID­19 has been identified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. Poland introduced extensive antiepidemic measures relatively early in order to slow down the spread of the disease. OBJECTIVES The study aims to present recent data on COVID­19 hospitalizations during the first months of the disease outbreak in Poland. PATIENTS AND METHODS This is a retrospective, population­based study conducted using hospital discharge records that included a diagnosis of COVID-19. Data were obtained from the National Institute of Public Health, where they had been originally collected for a Polish hospital morbidity study. They included 8840 hospitalization records from the period between February and September 2020. RESULTS Overall, there were 8252 records of patients hospitalized for COVID­19 for the first time, which accounted for 93% of all hospitalizations. The study group consisted of 4161 men (50.4%) and 4091 women (49.6%). Significantly more patients from urban than rural areas were hospitalized (21.8 per 100 000 vs 20.5 per 100 000; P <0.02). In the period subject to analysis, 1073 in­hospital deaths were observed (13% of all patients), 965 of which occurred during first­time hospitalizations (11.7% of all patients). In the study group, patients who died during hospitalization compared with those who survived hospitalization were significantly older, more frequently lived in urban areas, and had more comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS The findings of our study, especially the differences between survivors and nonsurvivors with COVID-19, may be helpful in recognizing patients requiring special medical care and preventive measures during hospitalization.

Evaluation of Clinical Meaningfulness of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) Extract to Relieve Hot Flushes and Menopausal Symptoms in Peri- and Post-Menopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The meta-analysis presented in this article covered the efficacy of red clover isoflavones in relieving hot flushes and menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Studies were identified by MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, and the Cochrane Library searches. The quality of the studies was evaluated according to Cochrane criteria. A meta-analysis of eight trials (ten comparisons) demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the daily incidence of hot flushes in women receiving red clover compared to those receiving placebo: weighted mean difference (WMD-weighted mean difference) -1.73 hot flushes per day, 95% CI (confidence interval) -3.28 to -0.18; p = 0.0292. Due to 87.34% homogeneity, the performed analysis showed substantive difference in comparisons of postmenopausal women with ≥5 hot flushes per day, when the follow-up period was 12 weeks, with an isoflavone dose of ≥80 mg/day, and when the formulations contained a higher proportion of biochanin A. The meta-analysis of included studies assessing the effect of red clover isoflavone extract on menopausal symptoms showed a statistically moderate relationship with the reduction in the daily frequency of hot flushes. However, further well-designed studies are required to confirm the present findings and to finally determine the effects of red clover on the relief of flushing episodes.

Congenital cytomegalovirus infections in Poland - a national hospital register-based study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infections are common worldwide. CCMV infected newborns are mostly asymptomatic at birth. However, cCMV remains the major infectious cause of congenital abnormalities in the developing foetus and newborns. The aim of the study was to provide recent data on cCMV in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Aretrospective, population-based study was conducted using data from hospital discharge records of patients hospitalized from 2009-2018. CCMV incidence rates were estimated on the basis of data taken from a Polish hospital morbidity study, carried out by the National Institute of Public Health. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 1,916 hospitalized patients with the first-time diagnosis of cCMV. Among them, 52% were patients up to 30 days of age. The median age was 28 days. The average annual incidence of cCMV was 48 per 100,000 live births (95% CI 23.5-73.4). A significantly higher cCMV incidence rate was observed in patients from more urban than rural regions of Poland (55 per 100,000 vs 39 per 100,000; P<0.001). In the study period, 9 hospital deaths (0.5 % of all patients) were reported. The coexistence of nervous system diseases was observed in 26% of cases and hearing loss in 6% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The significantly more cCMV cases were observed in patients from more urban than rural regions of Poland may suggest the presence of territorial factors related to the cCMV incidence in Poland. The relatively high percentage of newborns with hearing loss or neurologic diseases may require activities aimed at reducing the cCMV incidence. The epidemiological data presented may be useful for comparisons with other geographical regions.

The impact of selected educational and information interventions on the coverage rate and attitudes to influenza vaccination in nursing staff.

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccinations are recommended for medical staff as an effective and safe form of preventing influenza and its complications. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of selected educational and information interventions on the influenza vaccination coverage (IVC) in nursing personnel and their attitude towards this procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study participants (N = 320) were randomly divided into 4 groups. Group 1 participated in stationary training, whereas group 2 participated in distance learning. Additionally, 2 subgroups were established in each of the groups above: 1 subgroup received a reminder about the vaccination in the form of a short text message, and the other group did not receive any such reminder. The IVC rate in each group was determined; the attitude towards influenza vaccination was measured using the health belief model. RESULTS: The highest IVC was obtained after stationary training followed by a reminder in the form of a short test message (36%). The reminder significantly affected IVC in the group attending stationary training (p < 0.05, OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.16-5.58); however, it had no impact on the IVC in the group participating in distance learning (p > 0.05, OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.51-2.83). Both stationary training and distance learning positively influenced the attitude towards influenza vaccinations. A major change in attitudes towards influenza vaccinations was observed only in the case of stationary training followed by a reminder in the form of a short text message (positive changes in perceived susceptibility and severity took place, perceived vaccination benefits increased, and perceived barriers were reduced). CONCLUSIONS: Stationary training followed by a reminder in the form of a short text message is more effective in increasing the IVC rate compared to distance learning. It also promotes positive changes in attitudes to this prophylactic procedure, which is why it should be recommended for wider implementation. Med Pr. 2020;71(6):665-85.