Colonoscopy is a fairly common test that serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It has been considered the gold standard in colorectal cancer screening for several years. Due to the nature of the examination, various types of complications may occur. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the various complications related to the period of preparation for colonoscopy among hospitalized patients, including life-threatening ones, in order to know how to avoid complications while preparing for a colonoscopy. We analyzed the nursing and medical reports of 9962 patients who were prepared for colonoscopy between 2005 and 2016. The frequency of various side effects associated with intensive bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy was assessed. In justified cases, additional medical data were collected from patients, their families or from other doctors providing advice to patients after complications. Out of 9962 patients prepared for colonoscopy, 180 procedures were discontinued due to complications and side effects, and in these cases no colonoscopy was performed. The most common complications were: vomiting; epistaxis; loss of consciousness with head injury; abdominal pain; acute diarrhea; symptoms of choking; heart rhythm disturbances; dyspnea; fractures of limbs and hands; acute coronary syndrome; hypotension; hypertension; cerebral ischemia; severe blood glucose fluctuations; increased muscle contraction and allergic reactions. In addition to the documentation of our own research, several works of other research groups were also analyzed. Currently, the literature does not provide data on the frequency and type of complications in the preparation period for colonoscopy. The advantage of our work is the awareness of the possibility of serious complications and postulating the necessary identification of threats. Individualization of the recommended procedures and increased supervision of patients undergoing bowel cleansing procedure, we hope, will reduce the occurrence of complications and side effects.

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Head–neck cancers as a group have the 7th highest rate of incidence worldwide. The most often diagnosed disease of the head and neck is squamous cell carcinoma (90% of cases). Another specific group of tumors is brain tumors. These can be divided into primary tumors and secondary tumors associated with metastasis. Research shows that treating head and neck cancers continues to be problematic and challenging, and researchers are actively seeking new treatments that would improve survival rates and reduce side effects. Irradiation of tumor tissue with the optimal wavelength of light in photodynamic therapy (PDT) generates predominantly singlet oxygen in tissue-based photosensitizers (PSs) or reactive oxygen radicals in the case of vascular PSs leading to cellular apoptosis and necrosis. A very important feature of PDT is that cells cannot become immune to the effects of singlet oxygen or reactive oxygen radicals. However, photosensitizer (PS) transport is influenced by the specific structures of cancer tumors and the concentration of PS decreases in cells far from the vessel lumen. Therefore, PSs may not reach tumor interiors, which decreases therapy effectiveness. The use of drug carriers and 3rd generation PSs that contain biocompatible functional groups makes it possible to control transport. This review of the current literature on PDT was conducted through databases such as PubMed and Scopus. The types of publications considered included clinical studies and most of the articles included were published in English. Based on the publications collected, we conclude that researchers have demonstrated the potential of PDT as a therapeutic platform for head, neck, and brain diseases.

The alarming increase in the number of advanced-stage prostate cancer cases with poor prognosis has led to a search for innovative methods of treatment. In response to the need for implementation of new and innovative methods of cancer tissue therapy, we studied photodynamic action in excised prostate tissue in vitro as a model for photodynamic therapy. To ascertain the effects of photodynamic action in prostate tissue, Rose Bengal (0.01 to 0.05 mM) was used as a photosensitizer in the presence of oxygen and light to generate singlet oxygen in tissues in vitro. Five preset concentrations of Rose Bengal were chosen and injected into prostate tissue samples (60 samples with 12 replications for each RB concentration) that were subsequently exposed to 532 nm light. The effects of irradiation of the Rose Bengal infused tissue samples were determined by histopathological analysis. Histopathological examination of prostate samples subjected to photodynamic action revealed numerous changes in the morphology of the neoplastic cells and the surrounding tissues. We conclude that the morphological changes observed in the prostate cancer tissues were a result of the photogeneration of cytotoxic singlet oxygen. The tissue damage observed post photodynamic action offers an incentive for continued in vitro investigations and future in vivo clinical trials.

Photodynamic therapy is a mode of treatment whereby local irradiation of an administered photosensitizer with light of a specific wavelength generates cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. Despite the upward trend in the popularity of this method in adults, it is not yet commonly used in the treatment of children. Due to certain limitations, underdeveloped treatment regimens and potential side effects, the use of photodynamic therapy in the pediatric population is still in the initial phases of evaluation in clinical trials. Method: This study is a review of articles in English from the databases PubMed and Web of Science retrieved by applying the search term “photodynamic therapy in children” from 2000–2020. Results: Based on the literature review, we analyze selected pediatric clinical cases in which photodynamic therapy was used for treatment in children. Examples of photodynamic therapy for treatment of dermatological diseases, diseases of the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, halitosis, eye diseases and brain tumors are described. The paper describes the effectiveness of anti-cancer photodynamic therapy, including its use in antibacterial therapy. Conclusions: The results of the analysis suggest the potential of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of various diseases in children.