Inter Collegas

Efficient use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treatment of joint pain in the practice of physicians and pharmacists

V.M. Meretskyi — 2024-12-31

In press

Background. Due to the prevalence of dystrophic degenerative diseases, the annual increase in the number of visits from young and middle-aged patients leading an active lifestyle, and the growing frequency of traumatic injuries of various origins, the problem of joint pain is particularly relevant.

Aim. To investigate the main factors influencing the effective and safe use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment of joint pain syndrome.

Materials & Methods. Using the developed questionnaire, patients with articular pain syndrome were interviewed about the safety and rational use of NSAIDs.

Results & Conclusions. It was found that most often, people of working age with moderate intensity of pain syndrome sought medical care for joint pain. In one third of respondents, pain was accompanied by impaired motor activity in the joint. The largest proportion of respondents used oral systemic NSAIDs to reduce pain (46.7%), mainly non-selective сyclooxygenase inhibitors. A small proportion of patients (13.3%) who used NSAIDs topically preferred diclofenac, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen in the form of ointments and gels. 16.7% of respondents increased the dose of the drug on their own to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. 26.7% of patients simultaneously used several drugs from the NSAID group. However, the majority of the surveyed patients (63.3%) were not informed about the possibility of side effects associated with these drugs. A wide range of modern NSAIDs, a variety of dosage forms, high frequency and duration of use, and the potential risk of side effects require individual prescribing of drugs in this group. Prescribing timely and adequate treatment with a fast, effective and safe pain reliever remains an urgent issue in the daily practice of physicians and pharmacists.

Keywords: dosage form, side effects, gastropathy, selectivity.

Archived: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14756968

Analytical study of the leading causes of death of palliative patients

V.A. Smiianov — 2024-12-31

In press

Background. Palliative and Hospice Care (PHC) aims to prevent premature death of patients from complications of serious illnesses and their comorbid impact on vital functions. As well as adequate pain relief, treatment should be aimed at alleviating suffering and improving the quality of life of such patients. The causes of death of palliative patients, which are closely related to the PHC organization, in particular to the package budget financing of inpatient and mobile palliative care for adults and children, the leading needs of palliative patients, remain insufficiently studied.

Aim. Analysis of the main causes of death of palliative patients depending on the diagnosis and determination of their impact on the organization of palliative and hospice care.

Materials and Methods. The method of system analysis, comparative method and bibliosemantic method were used for the research.

Results and Conclusions. Causes of death were studied for diseases listed as palliative in severe cases and in the presence of complications. The analysis allows us to deepen our understanding of the practical aspects of organizing palliative and hospice care in meeting the needs of palliative patients, adults and children. The summary of the causes of death allows us to group these causes into organ and system failure; vascular crises; asphyxia; thromboembolic conditions; infectious complications up to sepsis; chronic intoxication; tumor growth in other organs with disruption of their vital functions, metastasis; malignancy of benign tumors; complications of treatment; brain and spinal cord lesions due to epileptic seizures, injuries, inflammatory processes; endocrine comas; gangrene and bedsores; severe immunodeficiency; underdevelopment or absence of organs in congenital malformations; prematurity; suicides in depressive states.

Keywords: palliative and hospice care, primary palliative diagnosis, comorbidity.

Ethics of valeological research in higher education institutions

A.S. Shevchenko — 2024-12-31

In press

Background. Teaching valeological disciplines in non-medical higher education institutions is carried out by teachers with pedagogical education, medical education and medical practice (certified physicians). To successfully form valeological (health-saving) competence, the teacher needs to interview non-medical students not only regarding knowledge and practical skills in solving situational tasks using academic tests, but also to study his behavior models, for which special questionnaires with questions on sensitive topics have been developed.

Aim. To develop an algorithm for reliable storage of confidential information regarding the health and behavior of non-medical students studying valeological disciplines.

Materials and Methods. The research was conducted using the sociological method and the system analysis method.

Results and Conclusions. The openness of answers to sensitive questions is ensured only by the confidential storage of the received questionnaire data. For confidential data storage, paper tests-questionnaires should be divided into three parts: a non-confidential test (contains the personal data of the education seeker), a confidential questionnaire (contains an encryption code instead of the personal data of the education seeker), and a code key (contains the code and personal data of students for their identification if necessary to combine the test and questionnaire data). The forced transition to distance learning accelerated the transition to electronic testing-questionnaires and the digitization of paper test-questionnaire data. For confidential questionnaire data storage, encryption of the students’ personal data and separation of access to confidential and non-confidential data using standard scripts of the Google Forms, which allows using confidential questionnaires instead of anonymous ones. For scientific purposes, the questionnaire data is statistically processed as anonymous. If necessary, use standard scripts allows decoding the key data and identifying the students.

Keywords: valeological competence, trusted doctor, "Health Pedagogy", "Fundamentals of Medical Knowledge and Health-Saving", confidential surveys.

Archived: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14755070