Background: Palliative care is a challenging specialty, especially when it comes to caring for children with serious life-limiting conditions and supporting their families. Workers face significant challenges and experience major impacts on their wellbeing. We conducted a qualitative study to understand the sources of stress in the palliative care team, their work expectations, and how they can cope with the demands. Methods: We used an online questionnaire about the causes of stress, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which support is needed in the workplace. Results: Of the 56 palliative care professionals who participated in the survey, 57.1% considered the main causes of stress to be high workload, difficult emotional burdens (55.4%) affecting their outlook on life (61.2%), the death of patients (46.4%), and communication with patients’ families (26.8%). The COVID-19 pandemic increased stress levels for the majority of respondents (89.3%). The need for specialised training (53.6%), support groups, psychological counselling and adapted organisational policies was highlighted. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the importance of understanding the needs of both paediatric and adult palliative care staff in order to provide optimal care and support their balance in this demanding area of the healthcare system.

Background and Objectives: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are on the rise worldwide because the range of etiologic agents involved is very diverse and their antimicrobial resistance poses a threat to population health in the third millennium. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal, descriptive clinical–epidemiological study in a hospital with a neurosurgical profile in northeastern Romania (“Prof. Dr. N. Oblu” Clinical Emergency Hospital in Iasi), during 2020–2024. The study is centered on the involvement of Acinetobacter spp. in the occurrence and evolution of HAIs. Results: The highest incidence of Acinetobacter spp. HAIs was recorded in the intensive care unit (ICU)—82.78% compared to neurosurgical wards (15.38%), with predominance in males (69.23%) and rural residence patients (55.67%). Most HAIs were represented by ventilator-associated pneumonia (42.13%) and lower respiratory tract infections (23.08%). Strains with high virulence and pathogenicity (CR-MDR, ESBL-MDR) were found, with the highest proportion of CR-MDR strains (88.27%). Conclusions: Our study provides useful data for surveillance of the antimicrobial resistance of pathogens involved in HAIs at the hospital level and for guiding antibiotic therapy in hospital-acquired infections.

Background/Objectives: One common musculoskeletal disorder seriously compromising quality of life and burdening healthcare systems is lumbar disk herniation (LDH). LDH affects quality of life, healthcare costs, and occupational productivity, and it is expected to affect 40% of the population, mostly between 30 and 50 years of age. Methods: Over three years, this research assessed treatment results and the effect of comorbidities in a sample of 3074 individuals. Results: Surgical treatments—especially microdiscectomy—have a high success rate; over 90% of patients said their pain and functioning six months after surgery had improved significantly. Comparatively, conservative treatment approaches—physical therapy and epidural steroid injections—showed about 60% success in 70% of patients, indicating a clear need for early surgical assessment since 25% of originally conservatively managed patients needed surgery within one year. Significantly affecting treatment success are demographic variables; patients with preoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores above 50 saw a 40-point improvement post-surgery compared to a 20-point gain for those following conservative therapy. High comorbidity rates—including obesity (mean of 148.33) and cardiovascular illnesses (mean of 530.33)—that are associated with extended recovery durations and complications were also seen in this research. Conclusions: Our results support a customized treatment plan, stressing the need of integrating thorough rehabilitation plans with prompt surgical interventions to maximize patient outcomes. This study emphasizes the need for a patient-centered treatment paradigm in controlling LDH, thereby trying to improve recovery and lower the healthcare load.

Background: Respiratory infections pose a significant public health challenge, particularly among healthcare workers (HCWs). The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated absenteeism due to respiratory illnesses, affecting healthcare workforce stability. Identifying factors influencing absenteeism is crucial for workforce resilience and effective care. Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed HCW absenteeism due to respiratory diseases from 2017 to 2023 at the “Sf. Maria” Children’s Emergency Hospital in Iași, Romania. Data from 3827 HCWs were examined, including demographic and occupational variables (age, gender, job role) and disease types. Statistical analyses (chi-square tests, ANOVA, and regression models) were conducted using SPSS to assess absenteeism trends and associated risk factors. Results: Sick leave peaked in 2020 (8322 days) and remained high in 2021 (8134 days), gradually decreasing in 2022–2023 but not returning to pre-pandemic levels (~5000 days/year). Nurses accounted for most leave days, while male staff and HCWs aged 41–50 were most affected. Seasonal variations showed higher absenteeism in transitional months and lower rates in summer. COVID-19 was the leading cause of absenteeism during the pandemic, with quarantine measures further increasing sick leave duration. Conclusions: Pediatric hospitals must strengthen infection control measures to protect HCWs and sustain care continuity. Preventive actions such as immunization, staff training, and health monitoring are critical in reducing absenteeism, maintaining a resilient workforce, and ensuring quality care during health crises.

The aim of this study was to assess the delays that can potentially occur in the emergency transfer of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers. We conducted a retrospective study using the medical reports pertaining to 97 patients who presented to the Emergency Department of the Emergency County Hospital of Galati during the year of 2018 with the diagnosis of STEMI and meeting eligibility criteria for PCI, thus warranting transfer to a hospital with PCI facilities. The pick-up time of patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction from the emergency department by the transfer crew is significantly shorter (p < 0.05) than those transferred by air, regardless of the PCI center to which the transfer was performed, Iasi or Bucharest, when compared to the time required to process the patients transferred by land to the same PCI centers. The results of the study shows that the helicopter use for transferring acute myocardial infarction patients to a PCI center must be considered, given the distance between non-PCI and PCI centers is over 200 km.

Obesity has been the subject of research focused on preventive policies among the young population due to epidemiological studies which have shown devastating figures in recent years in terms of the incidence and prevalence of this condition. A number of previously known biomarkers have proven useful in the early diagnosis of complications associated with obesity, while others remain in the study stage. The intestinal microbiota are also relevant in the secondary prevention of obesity complications, another area that has turned into a hot topic of current research. The primary goal of this review is to highlight markers and mechanisms that can enhance specialists’ understanding of obesity assessment and its systemic complications. Salivary markers have been proven useful in the evaluation of obesity, with the advantage of being low-cost and easy to sample. Another interesting topic is the role of the renin–angiotensin and the kallikrein–kinin systems in obesity-related systemic complications. One well-known fact is the connection between obesity and high blood pressure, which is closely related to these systems. This paper also explores the link between gut microbiota and adiposity, particularly the potential of the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio as a useful biomarker.