Krystyna Kowalczuk

Comparison of the level of aggression towards healthcare workers within Podlaskie Voivodeship

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to estimate the level of exposure and average intensity of aggression towards particular professional groups of healthcare workers.Materials and MethodsStudy participants (n = 1498) were employed at open and closed healthcare units within Podlaskie Voivodeship: 493 nurses, 504 midwives and 501 physicians. The MDM Questionnaire was applied.ResultsAggression originating from patients was experienced by 92% of nurses, 86% of doctors, and 74% of midwives examined. Aggressive behavior of co-working physicians concerned 55% of midwives, 54% of nurses and 40% of physicians. The highest average levels of patient aggression, ranging between 2.20 and 3.31, were reported by nurses.ConclusionsNurses are the group most exposed to most aggression forms and sources. Physicians are least exposed to aggression, except for aggression manifested by patients.

The Use of Saliva in Medical Diagnostics

For approximately 15 years saliva has been an important element of laboratory diagnostics. Scientists are still looking for modern ways to make use of it in medical diagnostics and the monitoring of therapeutic effects. Advantages associated with the use of saliva in medical diagnostics are multiple. Using saliva as a diagnostic material is non-invasive and painless, and convenient for professionally active adults, elderly patients and young children alike. Saliva may be the perfect diagnostic material and an alternative to routinely used serum, plasma and urine. It is one of the regularly produced biological secretions, containing numerous substances similarly to other fluids, e.g. blood and urine. It seems, however, that its practical use remains underestimated. The availability of saliva as a biological material, and its non-invasive collection method, makes assays of various salivary components increasingly important. ABSTRACT