Background: Percutaneous pericardiocentesis represents a salvage procedure in case of cardiac tamponade and diagnostic procedure in chronic pericardial effusion of unknown source. The study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients subject to pericardiocentesis and the predictors of in-hospital mortality.Methods: The study represents a registry that covered consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous pericardiocentesis from 2011 to 2022 in high-volume tertiary reference center. Electronic health records were queried to obtain demographic and clinical variables. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality, while secondary endpoint was the need for recurrent pericardiocentesis.Results: Out of 132 456 patients hospitalized in the prespecified period, 247 patients were subject to percutaneous pericardiocentesis (53.9% women; median age of 66 years) who underwent 273 procedures. In-hospital death was reported in 14 patients (5.67%), while recurrent pericardiocentesis in 24 patients (9.72%). Iatrogenic cause was the most common etiology (42.5%), followed by neoplastic disease (23.1%) and idiopathic effusion (14.57%). In logistic regression analysis in-hospital mortality was associated with myocardial infarction (MI)-related etiology (p = 0.001) and recurrent/persistent cardiogenic shock (p = 0.001).Conclusions: Iatrogenic etiology and neoplastic disease seem to be the most common indications for pericardiocentesis, while in-hospital mortality was particularly high in patients with spontaneous tamponade in the course of MI.

This prospective study aimed to assess the feasibility of chitosan biomaterial and subcutaneous gel implantation in an ovine model, with implications for women with genital prolapse. Twenty-four ewes were divided into four groups (n = 6 per group): chitosan type B, chitosan type C, chitosan unmodified injections, and polypropylene mesh. Ovine models were chosen due to their morphological resemblance to human reproductive organs. Animals were sacrificed after 90 days for macroscopic, pathomorphological, and immunohistochemical analysis. In the chitosan type B group, IL-6 and IL-10 levels decreased after 28 days, while chitosan type C and injection groups exhibited higher IL-6 than IL-10 levels. The polypropylene group displayed the highest IL-6 and lowest IL-10 levels. Histological examination of the polypropylene group revealed no degenerative changes or inflammation, whereas chitosan injection induced local inflammation. Other groups exhibited no degenerative changes. Ewes implanted with chitosan displayed reduced inflammation compared to polypropylene-implanted ewes. Chitosan implantation facilitated vaginal tissue healing, in contrast to polypropylene mesh, which led to extrusion. While chitosan holds promise as an alternative to polypropylene mesh, further research is imperative for comprehensive evaluation. This study suggests the potential of a chitosan biomaterial in pelvic organ prolapse treatment, warranting additional investigation.

Aims: The aim was to check whether there is a relationship between ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic concomitant diseases and visual experiences during surgery. In addition, we wanted to verify whether visual experiences are influenced by such factors as age, gender, education, stress, etc. Methods: The patients phoned a few days after the surgery in order to be interviewed post-operatively by a 30-question questionnaire. Questions were asked on demographic data, concomitant diseases, both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic, emotional and visual experiences during the cataract surgery p-value was calculated from the Chi-Square Test. Results: The study comprised 121 women and 87 men. 63.9% of patients underwent cataract surgery for the first time. Among 208 respondents 73 (35.1%) had light impressions and 77 (37%) reported visual impressions. Patients under 60 were more likely to experience both light and visual impressions (p < 0.05). Particular visual defects and concomitant diseases, both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic, can influence the type of visual experiences. Stress was positively correlated with the occurrence of both light and visual impressions (p < 0.05) but it did not influence the exact type of visual experiences. For half of the respondents (51.0%), the impressions seen during the surgery were neutral. Only 14.4% of patients assessed these sensations as pleasant. Conclusion: Patients experienced a variety of visual sensations, which are not usually unpleasant, however they occurred more often among stressed patients and could also raise the stress level. Proper preoperative counselling is needed to help patients cope with the stress before surgery.