Background: The collected works of Hippocrates were searched for concepts on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of acute and urgent respiratory diseases, with the objective to trace their origins in theHippocratic Collection.Methods: A scoping review was performed to map out key concepts of acute and severe respiratory diseases in the entireHippocratic Collection.The digital libraryThesaurus Lingua Graeca (TLG)was researched for references in the entireHippocratic Collectionregarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory diseases; then, the relevant texts were studied in their English translation by the Loeb Classical Library.Results: Hippocratic physicians followed principles of treatment for pneumonia and pleurisy, still relevant, such as hydration, expectoration, analgesia and prompt mobilisation. Other approaches, including the inhalation of“vapours through tubes”in angina, can be considered as forerunners of modern medical practice.Thoracic empyema was diagnosed by shaking the patient and direct chest auscultation after“applying your ear to his sides”. In case of an emergency from upper airway obstruction, urgent insertion of primitive airway equipment, such as a small pharyngeal tube, was applied.Conclusions: The main Hippocratic concepts on four still common acute and urgent respiratory diseases −pneumonia, pleurisy, thoracic empyema and upper airway obstruction− were identified and most of them were found to be in agreement with contemporary medical thinking and practice.

Background/Objectives: Cancer represents a significant health challenge, with high mortality and morbidity rates. Its diagnosis often triggers chronic stress, adversely affecting patient outcomes. Exercise has emerged as complementary therapy, enhancing treatment adherence and mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy. This study examines the effects of mild exercise during chemotherapy on patient anxiety. Methods: This prospective paired cohort study was conducted in the General Oncology Hospital of Kifisia “Agioi Anargyroi” in Athens, Greece. Adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy participated, excluding those with cognitive, hearing, or motor impairments, those who experienced side effects, or those who declined consent. Anxiety was measured before and after a 20-minute exercise routine performed during chemotherapy, using the Greek-translated State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The exercise regimen included warm-up, full-body stretching, and cool-down exercises. Pre- and post-exercise scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Forty-five patients (20 women, 25 men; mean age 69.02 ± 10.62 years) with various cancer backgrounds participated. Pre-intervention anxiety levels were in the borderline “moderate” range, dropping post-exercise to the “low” range. Mean STAI scores decreased from 37.73 ± 13.33 to 32.00 ± 14.22 (p < 0.0001), with a medium-large effect size (Cohen’s d for paired samples = −0.646). No significant correlation was found between age and anxiety scores. Discussion: This study found a significant short-term reduction in anxiety, suggesting that incorporating mild exercise during chemotherapy may help in alleviating patient stress. The medium-to-large effect size supports the potential for meaningful short-term benefits. Conclusions: Incorporating mild exercise during chemotherapy may help reduce anxiety and psychological burden. These findings underscore the need for more comprehensive research in larger, more diverse populations to better understand the benefits of incorporating mild exercise during chemotherapy.

Background/Objectives: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a perioperative opioid-sparing anesthesia-analgesia (OSA-A) technique without regional nerve blocks compared to standard opi-oid-based technique (OBA-A) in open thoracotomies. Methods: This retrospective, propensi-ty-matched, case-control study was conducted at a university hospital from January 2017 to Feb-ruary 2021, including adult patients undergoing open thoracotomy for lung or pleura pathology. Sixty patients in the OSA-A group were matched with 40 in the OBA-A group. Outcomes included postoperative pain scores on days 0, 1, and 2; 24-hour postoperative morphine consumption; PACU and hospital length of stay; time to bowel movement; and rates of nausea and vomiting. Results: Of 120 eligible patients, 100 had complete records (60 OSA-A, 40 OBA-A). Demographics were similar, but ASA status scores were higher in the OBA-A group. The OSA-A group reported significantly lower pain levels at rest, during cough, and on movement on the first two postoperative days, shorter PACU stay, and required fewer opioids. They also had better gastrointestinal motility (p<0.0001) and lower rates of nausea and vomiting on postoperative days 1 and 2. A follow-up study with 68 patients (46 OSA-A, 22 OBA-A) assessing chronic pain prevalence found no signif-icant differences between the groups. Conclusions: OSA-A without regional nerve blocks for open thoracotomies is feasible and safe, improving postoperative pain management, reducing opioid consumption, shortening PACU stay, and enhancing early gastrointestinal recovery compared to OBA-A.

Background/Objectives: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a perioperative opioid-sparing anesthesia-analgesia (OSA-A) technique without regional nerve blocks compared to standard opioid-based technique (OBA-A) in open thoracotomies. Methods: This retrospective, matched cohort study was conducted at a university hospital from September 2019 to February 2021, including adult patients undergoing open thoracotomy for lung or pleura pathology. Sixty patients in the OSA-A group were matched with 40 in the OBA-A group. Outcomes included postoperative pain scores on days 0, 1, and 2; 24-h postoperative morphine consumption; PACU and hospital length of stay; time to bowel movement; and rates of nausea and vomiting. Results: Of 125 eligible patients, 100 had complete records (60 OSA-A, 40 OBA-A). Demographics were similar, but ASA status scores were higher in the OBA-A group. The OSA-A group reported significantly lower pain levels at rest, during cough, and on movement on the first two postoperative days, shorter PACU stay, and required fewer opioids. They also had better gastrointestinal motility (p < 0.0001) and lower rates of nausea and vomiting on postoperative days 1 and 2. A follow-up study with 68 patients (46 OSA-A, 22 OBA-A) assessing chronic pain prevalence found no significant differences between the groups. Conclusions: OSA-A without regional nerve blocks for open thoracotomies is feasible and safe, improving postoperative pain management, reducing opioid consumption, shortening PACU stay, and enhancing early gastrointestinal recovery compared to OBA-A.

Persistent pain remains a major unmet need in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), even in patients with adequately controlled inflammatory disease. Cannabinoids have been proposed as potential modulators of pain and inflammation, but their clinical role in RA remains uncertain. To map and critically appraise the available clinical evidence on cannabinoid-related interventions or exposures for pain management in adults with RA. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, the Directory of Open Access Journals, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies published from January 1, 1990, to September 10, 2026. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies evaluating cannabinoid-related interventions or exposures in adults with confirmed RA and reporting pain-related outcomes were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2 for randomized trials and ROBINS-I for observational studies. Of 593 records identified, three studies met the eligibility criteria: one randomized placebo-controlled trial and two observational studies. In the randomized trial of 58 patients, nabiximols reduced pain on movement by 0.95 points ( p = 0.044), pain at rest by 1.04 points ( p = 0.018), and improved sleep quality by 1.17 points ( p = 0.027); DAS28 decreased by 0.76 points ( p = 0.002), while no serious adverse events were reported. Observational studies suggested possible symptomatic benefit but were limited by heterogeneous cannabinoid exposure and serious to critical risk of bias. Current clinical evidence remains insufficient to establish the efficacy or long-term safety of cannabinoids for RA-related pain. Larger, rigorously designed trials using standardized cannabinoid formulations and pain-relevant outcomes are needed.

Background/Objectives: Cancer represents a significant health challenge, with high mortality and morbidity rates. Such a diagnosis often triggers chronic stress, adversely affecting patient outcomes. Exercise has emerged as a complementary therapy, enhancing treatment adherence and mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy. This study examines the effects of mild exercise during chemotherapy on patient anxiety levels. Methods: This prospective paired cohort study was conducted at the General Oncology Hospital of Kifisia "Agioi Anargyroi" in Athens, Greece. Adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy participated, excluding those with cognitive, hearing, or motor impairments, side effects, or who declined consent. Anxiety was measured before and after a 20-minute exercise routine performed during chemotherapy, using the Greek-translated State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The exercise regimen included warm-up, full-body stretching, and cool-down exercises. Pre- and post-exercise scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Forty-five patients (20 women, 25 men; mean age 69.02 ± 10.62 years) with various cancers participated. Pre-intervention anxiety levels were in the borderline "moderate" range, dropping post-exercise to the "low" range. Mean STAI scores decreased from 37.73 ± 13.33 to 32.00 ± 14.22 (p < 0.0001), with a medium-large effect size (Cohen's d for paired samples = -0.646). No significant correlation was found between age and anxiety scores. Conclusions: This study found a significant short-term reduction in anxiety, suggesting that incorporating mild exercise during chemotherapy may help alleviate patient stress. The medium-to-large effect size supports the potential for meaningful short-term benefits. These findings underscore the need for more comprehensive research in larger, more diverse populations to better understand the benefits of incorporating mild exercise into chemotherapy