The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted teaching in a variety of institutions, especially in medical schools. Electronic learning (e-learning) became the core method of teaching the curriculum during the pandemic. After 8 weeks of only online learning, a survey was conducted to investigate perception of this type of learning among medical students. A survey was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire to Polish medical students. Data gathered from the survey were analyzed with routine statistical software. Eight hundred four students answered the questionnaire. According to respondents’ answers, the main advantages of online learning were the ability to stay at home (69%), continuous access to online materials (69%), learning at your own pace (64%), and comfortable surroundings (54%). The majority of respondents chose lack of interactions with patients (70%) and technical problems with IT equipment (54%) as the main disadvantages. There was no statistical difference between face-to-face and online learning in terms of opinions on the ability of the learning method to increase knowledge (P = .46). E-learning was considered less effective than face-to-face learning in terms of increasing skills (P < .001) and social competences (P < .001). Students assessed that they were less active during online classes compared to traditional classes (P < .001). E-learning was rated as enjoyable by 73% of respondents. E-learning is a powerful tool for teaching medical students. However, successful implementation of online learning into the curriculum requires a well thought-out strategy and a more active approach.

Hyperosmotic therapy is commonly used to treat intracranial hypertension in traumatic brain injury patients. Unfortunately, hyperosmolality also affects other organs. An increase in plasma osmolality may impair kidney, cardiac, and immune function, and increase blood–brain barrier permeability. These effects are related not only to the type of hyperosmotic agents, but also to the level of hyperosmolality. The commonly recommended osmolality of 320 mOsm/kg H₂O seems to be the maximum level, although an increase in plasma osmolality above 310 mOsm/kg H₂O may already induce cardiac and immune system disorders. The present review focuses on the adverse effects of hyperosmolality on the function of various organs.

In patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with impaired LV function, which is called uremic cardiomyopathy (UC) is often observed. The UC historically has been considered a contraindication for kidney transplantation (KTx). Currently, moderate LV dysfunction does not exclude the possibility of KTx. The amelioration of uremia after KTx improved cardiac function in patients with LV dysfunction. There is a little information on the function of the left atrium (LA) after the KTx procedure. There are no studies evaluating (LA) changes in patients with UC after KTx and determining the possibility of inhibiting the occurrence of LA unfavourable changes (remodelling) and even a possible LA recovery process (reverse remodelling) as a result of a successful KTx. The aim of the study was to assess the LA reverse remodelling in patients with ESRD undergoing KTx. The study group consisted of 42 patients, aged 43.3 ± 12.6 followed for 36 months after a deceased donor KTx. The patients were studied at five time points: 1, 3, 6, 12 and 36 months after KTx. In all patients transthoracic echocardiography was performed in order to assess the following LA planimetric parameters: LAmax, LAmin, LAwaveP. LAshortmax, LAshortmin, LAshortwaveP, LAlongmax, LAlongmin, LAlongwaveP, LAcircmax and LAareamax, volumentric parameters: LA volume (LAV), LA volume index (LAVI), and hemodynamic indices: LA ejection fraction (LAEF), LA active emptying fraction (LAAE), LA passive emptying fraction (LAPE), LA index of expansion (LAIE) and LA fractional shortening (LAFS). The LAVI values were 34.63 ± 10.34 ml/m2, 32.24 ± 9.59 ml/m2 (p < 0,001), 31.36 ± 9.20 ml/m2 (p < 0,001), 28.29 ± 8.32 ml/m2 (p < 0,001) and 27.57 ± 8.40 ml/m2 (p < 0,001), after: 1, 3, 6, 12 and 36 months after KTx, respectively. The reduction of the LA size was accompanied by gradual LA contractility improvement, which was manifested as an increase of the LA hemodynamic indices such as LAEF, LAAE, LAIE, LAFS and a decrease of LAPE. LA remodelling secondary to atrial uraemic cardiomyopathy is an example of complex cardiomyopathy with elements characteristic of both congestive and infiltrative cardiomyopathy. Early LAVI reduction post KTx mostly depends on changed haemodynamic conditions, whereas the main reason for further decrease of LAVI values is related to resolution of uraemic toxaemia.

Tachycardia and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias often impair cardiovascular capacity in patients with decompensated heart failure (dHF) treated with inotropes. Normalization of heart rhythm or rate typically improves diastolic filling and stroke volume (SV). Thus, isochronal administration of an ultra-short-acting and highly selective β1-blockers, such as landiolol, along with inotropic calcium-sensitizer medications, such as levosimendan, could benefit patients with dHF.We present a case series of three patients with severe dHF and low ejection fraction who were successfully treated with a combination of landiolol and levosimendan. The co-administration of landiolol and levosimendan was well tolerated, improved cardiac function, normalized SV, and enabled the reduction of norepinephrine dosing in all patients. Additionally, the combination improved the vectorcardiographic spatial QRS-T angle and decreased the corrected QT interval. All patients were successfully discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU).A combination of levosimendan and landiolol was safe and well-tolerated. This combination may be a new option for successful treatment of patients with acute dHF complicated by sinus or supraventricular tachycardias.

Background: Advances in anti-lymphoma therapy prolong overall survival, making late adverse effects, like doxorubicin-related cardiotoxicity, an even more important clinical issue. The effectiveness of cardioprotective strategies with close monitoring, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or β-blockers as well as liposomal doxorubicin are still unconfirmed in clinical practice. Methods: This study evaluated the role of a primary cardioprotection strategy in preventing cardiovascular mortality and heart failure occurrence in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients with a high risk of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Thirty-five NHL patients were subjected prospectively to ramipril and/or bisoprolol at NHL diagnosis, before implementing doxorubicin-containing regimens. Additionally, patients with a diagnosis of asymptomatic/mild heart failure received the liposomal form of doxorubicin. The clinical outcome and frequency of all serious cardiac events were compared with the results in a historical cohort of 62 high-risk cases treated without primary cardioprotection. Results: NHL patients with a primary cardioprotection strategy did not experience cardiovascular deaths in contrast to the retrospective control group where cardiovascular mortality was 14.5% at 3 years (p < 0.05). Primary cardioprotection also decreased the frequency of new cardiotoxicity-related clinical symptoms (2.8 vs. 24.1%; p < 0.05) and prevented the occurrence of cardiac systolic dysfunction (0 vs. 8.5%, respectively; p < 0.05). Although the study was not planned to detect any survival benefit, it demonstrated a trend towards increased response rates (complete response 82 vs. 67%; p not significant) and prolonged survival (projected 5-year overall survival 74 vs. 60%; p < 0.05) for patients treated with primary cardioprotection. Conclusions: A primary personalized cardioprotection strategy decreases the number of cardiac deaths and may potentially prolong overall survival in NHL patients with increased risk of anthracycline cardiotoxicity.