Psychiatria polska最新文献

Objectives: The Covid-19 pandemic changed daily routines and forced people to develop various coping methods. University students were a social group that suffered due to a drastic change in their daily routine. The analysis of adaptation to chronic stress may help in developing more individualized care for people affected by it.

Methods: The examination of coping methods and aggression level was conducted using Brief COPE and STAXI-2 questionnaires on a group of 283 participants, extracted from the initial group of 906 tested students. The study was conducted between the second and the third wave of pandemic in Poland.

Results: The positive coping methods were dominant among the examined group. The most used were active coping, use of informational support and planning. The negative coping methods were inextricably linked to a higher aggression level, and were more prevailing in the female students.

Conclusions: The first symptoms of maladaptive behaviors may be hidden in presumably usual activities and attitudes. It is important to be aware of them in order to provide support for students and other social groups affected by chronic stress.

The study aims to present a case of atypical poisoning with lithium carbonate in a 57-year-old woman treated for bipolar affective disorder with lithium carbonate for about 30 years. The patient was admitted to the hospital with significant agitation. An important finding obtained from the family interview was the patient's significant weight loss over the past year. In the hospital, the patient received haloperidol and clonazepam. Laboratory tests showed a very high blood lithium concentration of 3.79 mmol/l [N: 0.6─1.2 mmol/l] and elevated serum concentrations of creatinine (3.6 mg/dl) and urea (110 mg/dl). The patient was transferred to the toxicology department, where hemodialysis was performed and intensive treatment initiated. Despite the rapid decrease in lithium levels, her condition gradually deteriorated. The patient died on the fifth day of hospitalization. The autopsy revealed polycystic kidney disease (PKD). During the preparation of the medico-legal report on the correctness of the medical treatment, it was assumed that the cause of death was lithium carbonate poisoning in the course of advanced chronic kidney disease due to PKD, probably a consequence of long-term lithium therapy. The analysis of medical records revealed that despite her psychiatrist's recommendation, the patient had been refusing the monitoring of lithium levels for the past 18 years. This case demonstrates that both psychiatrists and toxicologists should be aware of possible lithium poisoning upon the deterioration of renal function. Therefore, assessment of renal function should be an integral part of monitoring lithium therapy.

No summary.

Objectives: The aim of the research was to check whether, and to what extent, dietary changes affect the selected indicators of health, including well-being.

Methods: The study, lasting 3 years, included 52 chronically mentally ill people. Hand grip strength (HGS) measurements ‟before" and ‟after" feeding adjustments were performed using a SaehanTM pear dynamometer, blood pressure measurements were made using an Omron blood pressure monitor. Well-being was assessed using the UMACL Adjective Mood Scale. Based on the analysis of medical records, the study also included: the number of infections of the upper respiratory tract, the number of autoaggressive/aggressive behaviors and the frequency of stay of extremely offensive/agitated residents in the hospital.

Results: The dietary changes were reflected in the increased value of the hand grip strength (especially in women), lowered or normalized blood pressure to normal or recommended values, lowered tension arousal, accompanied by an increase in energetic arousal and hedonic tone (translating into improved well-being and mood), and a decrease in the number of episodes of aggression/self-aggression and associated hospitalizations.

Conclusions: The dietary changes resulted in an improvement in the tested parameters as well as in reduction in the amount of food wasted by the residents. There was also a decrease in the number of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, which reduced the overall number and quantity of prescribed drugs.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the cause of the COVID-19 disease. Infection can take a wide variety of forms, from asymptomatic to severe, with numerous complications that can even lead to death. Since the beginning of the pandemic, numerous studies have been carried out to find out the exact expression of the virus. COVID-19 infection also increases the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms, including psychosis. The paper presents the case of a 35-year-old woman with no prior psychiatric interview who developed acute psychosis after being infected with COVID-19. She was treated in the standard way: haloperidol, lorazepam and diazepam. The symptoms disappeared quickly. At the moment, the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection are not known, therefore further observation and research in this direction is necessary. Treatment, as shown in this case report, appears to be supportive and symptomatic. The optimal antiviral treatment has yet to be clearly defined, and research into the best treatment for the virus itself is still ongoing.

In this article, we present the case of an adult patient, whose main problem is episodes of fantasizing and rocking lasting up to 12 hours a day and completely preventing school development. The nature of the disorder in the patient is related to the sinking into fantasies, and not typical obsessions as in OCD. The patient was previously treated with drugs from the SSRI group, neuroleptics (without aripiprazole) and methylphenidate. Only methylphenidate showed some improvement; however, it made the patient feel ‟stiff in thinking". The patient was hospitalized because of a suicide attempt, which, as it later turned out, was self-harm with no intention of killing himself. During hospitalization, a differential diagnosis was performed and the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome was made, which was accompanied by immersion in the world of one's fantasies and stereotypical behavior. The patient was administered aripiprazole at a dose of 15 mg/d and after three weeks, a significant improvement in health was achieved, including a reduction in the duration of episodes from several hours to several dozen seconds. The drug is well tolerated by the patient. The patient was discharged from the hospital and continues his school education. In the article, we present single case reports in which similar spectacular results were achieved in similar cases. We also describe a possible physiological explanation for this response to this drug.

no summary.