Background: COVID-19 pandemic impacts many communities worldwide. In this study the Poles’ knowledge about COVID-19 as well as people’s behaviours, attitudes and fears during the pandemic were assessed. Changes in these between the outset of the pandemic and the imposition of the strictest lockdown measures in Poland were investigated. Methods: Physicians, nurses, students of medicine-oriented faculties, non-medical professionals, students of non-medicine-oriented faculties and secondary school students were surveyed by an anonymous online questionnaire two times: at the onset of the pandemic and in the second week of the strictest lockdown. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests – Pearson Chi Square, Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: In total 2618 responses were collected. At the beginning people knew that the respiratory system was attacked (97.9%); correctly identified the major symptoms of COVID-19 (95.0%) and ways to prevent infection: hand washing (99.8%), covering mouth (85.9%) and the need to call sanitary-epidemiological services if one experienced COVID-19-like symptoms (92.1%). The biggest changes between the first and second phase of the study concerned behaviours: more people wearing facial masks (+ 37.5%) and staying at home (+ 66.1%). Respondents in the second wave of the survey were also more scared of the pandemic (+ 19.6%), economic crisis (+ 64.1%), and worried about their families (+ 26.5%). However, they were less afraid of the quarantine (lockdown) (− 18.2%). Nurses and physicians were the most worried groups. Conclusions: The study showed that even at the outset of the pandemic Polish population had a good initial knowledge about symptoms, transmission, and preventive behaviours regarding COVID-19. People revealed more short-term concerns, such as the worries about coping with quarantine and isolation. After a month, the knowledge and the concerns among the respondents changed. A shift towards long-term pandemic management issues was observed. Respondents reported to experience more fears concerning the pandemic in general, as well as economic and healthcare crises. Medical professionals reported higher level of fear of the pandemic than other groups included in this study. This study uses before-and-after approach which highlights the changes in people’s knowledge and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic during the pandemic’s progression.

Lactose intolerance and constipation are common in children and impact everyday life, not only for patients but also their families. Both conditions can be comorbid with other diseases or form a part of their clinical presentation, but constipation is not usually associated with lactose intolerance. The typical symptoms of lactose intolerance include abdominal pain, bloating, flatus, diarrhoea, borborygmi, and less frequently nausea and vomiting. In approximately 30% of cases, constipation can be a symptom of lactose intolerance. Constipation is characterized by infrequent bowel movements, hard and/or large stools, painful defecation, and faecal incontinence, and is often accompanied by abdominal pain. This paper provides a narrative review on lactose intolerance, its epidemiology, pathogenesis, the correlation between lactose intolerance and constipation in children, and potential mechanisms of such association.

Allergies are among the most common chronic diseases in Europe. The most serious complication is anaphylactic shock. Most cases occur outside the hospital; thus, knowledge of symptoms and first aid is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of anaphylaxis and the ability to use adrenaline auto-injectors among medical students, and to determine an improvement after training based on non-formal education. The research was conducted among 364 medicine students (years 1–5) from the Medical University of Gdańsk, with year-specific curriculum-based general medical knowledge. Training consisted of pre-test, practical training and post-test. Descriptive statistics were used to reveal the characteristics of students from different grades. A Mann–Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. The tested students did not have sufficient knowledge to provide first aid in cases of anaphylaxis before training. There was an increase in knowledge (on average, 28.6%, p = 0.005) after training. Almost all (99.4%) of the respondents believed that they would be able to use an adrenaline auto-injector in case of emergency after the training. The training based on non-formal education was effective. The use of the subject-performed task method helped students to remember the stages of action in stressful situations.

Functional constipation is one of the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders in the pediatric population, frequently resulting in quality of life impairment and elevated healthcare costs. Despite the availability of evidence-based treatment guidelines, adherence remains an essential challenge to achieving sustained therapeutic success. This randomized, single-blind per-protocol study assessed the efficacy of a mobile application compared to conventional printed educational materials in supporting the management of functional constipation in children aged 4-12 years. 100 patient-caregiver dyads were randomized into two arms: an intervention group using a mobile application and a control group receiving printed recommendations. Clinical outcomes were evaluated over a six-month follow-up using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module. There were 113 complete questionnaires, 65 from adults and 48 from children. Participants in the intervention cohort demonstrated significantly greater improvements in symptom control (mean difference 21.4 vs. 12.3 points; p = 0.014), particularly in the domains of constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating. The mobile application's interactive features, behavioral tracking tools, and integrated reward system appeared to enhance adherence and self-efficacy among users. Overall, the results support the potential utility of mobile health interventions as adjuncts to standard care in managing pediatric functional constipation. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07025135. Registered 17/06/2025 (trial start 05/02/2023). ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07025135. Registered 17/06/2025 (trial start 05/02/2023).

Background/Objectives: Health-related quality of life has come to the forefront of the process of treatment. As a non-quantitative value, it requires the use of specialized tools to be measured. Despite the availability of general HRQoL assessment tools in Polish, a specific instrument for children with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders has not been developed. This study aims to describe the linguistic validity and reliability of the Polish version of the PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module, which measured health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Methods: The PedsQL™ module, originally in English, was translated according to a structured process. Professional medical translators conducted the translations, and cognitive debriefing was performed with 35 respondents. Field testing involved 371 completed questionnaires (203 adults and 168 children). Results: Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, with values generally exceeding 0.8 indicating high reliability. Conclusions: The final Polish version of the PedsQL™ GI Symptoms Module exhibits strong linguistic and content validity, making it suitable for both clinical trials and routine practice. Its use enables a comprehensive, culturally sensitive assessment of HRQoL in pediatric patients with GI disorders, thereby supporting individualized patient care and enhancing the physician–patient communication that is essential for effective treatment.

Background: Constipation in children often presents with non-specific symptoms, which can complicate its recognition in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Aim: This study aimed to characterize the clinical presentations, diagnostic context and testing patterns of children discharged with constipation from a tertiary pediatric emergency center. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records of patients under 18 years of age was conducted for patients who presented to the PED of a tertiary hospital in northern Poland from 2021–2024 and were ultimately discharged as K59.0 ICD-10 code (constipation). Demographic data, symptoms reported upon admission, and laboratory and imaging tests performed were collected and reviewed. Results: PED visits discharged with ICD-10 code K59.0 accounted for 2.97% of all 34,278 PED visits during study period. Among 1017 patients discharged with ICD-10 code K59.0, only 26.5% reported constipation as their main complaint. The most common complaints were abdominal pain (61.6%), vomiting (14.4%), and urinary symptoms (4.9%). Commonly suspected initial diagnoses were urinary tract infections or acute appendicitis. More complete documentation of constipation-related symptoms showed an exploratory association with less intensive diagnostic testing. Conclusions: Constipation should be routinely considered in children presenting to the PED with abdominal pain, vomiting, urinary symptoms, or rectal bleeding, even when bowel problems are not the main complaint. Structured history taking supported by simple diagnostic tools could help standardize assessment and support patient selection for further testing, although prospective studies are needed to determine clinical outcomes.