Dried Blood Spot (DBS) is becoming very popular in various medical fields, especially in toxicology. Nowadays it is commonly used in newborn screening for inherited or congenital diseases. This paperwork is based on a review of available literature. DBS is simple and rapid, it does not require trained medical staff to collect the samples. Specimens can be easily and safely transported to the laboratory. DBS provides an opportunity for roadside testing and rather quick results. Venous blood spot, collected from a finger or a heel, is put on the special paper card, which can result in a different distribution of blood and concentration of detecting substances. Marking multiple substances from one spot is extremely challenging, but due to further advancements in this area, it is only a matter of time until it becomes possible and all the disadvantages vanish. DBS is certain to develop and become even more worldwide used.

The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had significant effects on women’s health and the course of pregnancy. The aim of this single-center study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult pregnant and postpartum women’s mental health, as well as to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety and fear of delivery. The 465 women included in this questionnaire-based cohort study were divided into two groups: one (controls) of women who gave birth before (n = 190), and the second who were pregnant and delivered during the pandemic (n = 275). The COVID-19 pandemic affected the severity of self-reported anxiety regarding childbirth (mean scores 2.7 vs. 2.36, p = 0.01). The depression (19.84 ± 13.23) and anxiety (16.71 ± 12.53) scores were higher in pregnant women during the COVID 19 pandemic, compared to women who gave birth before the pandemic (8.21 ± 7.38 and 11.67 ± 9.23, respectively). These findings demonstrate the magnitude of the pandemic’s impact on women’s mental health, and actions to improve the mental health of pregnant women in Poland may be crucial for maternal and fetal well-being.

Niniejsza praca stanowi przegląd dostępnych badań dotyczących elastografii ultrasonograficznej jako metody diagnostyki przewlekłego lub ostrego zapalenia trzustki. Dokonano przeglądu dwudziestu ośmiu artykułów opublikowanych w latach 2004–2022, zawierających słowa kluczowe związane z elastografią oraz ostrym i przewlekłym zapaleniem trzustki, z wykorzystaniem baz i wyszukiwarek takich jak PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar i Web of Science. Ostre i przewlekłe zapalenie trzustki powoduje zwiększenie sztywności miąższu trzustki, co można zmierzyć za pomocą elastografii odkształceniowej lub fali poprzecznej. Liczne badania przyniosły obiecujące wyniki i wydaje się, że możliwe jest zastosowanie elastografii jako rutynowej techniki w diagnostyce przewlekłego lub ostrego zapalenia trzustki. Niemniej jednak podczas wykonywania elastografii należy wziąć pod uwagę pewne ograniczenia, takie jak wiek czy masa ciała.