BackgroundObesity among children is an alarming issue due to an increased incidence over the last years with devastating physiological and psychological consequences. Current available medical diagnostic tools use invasive methods to evaluate and monitor the lipid profile, glycaemia or liver status for determining the overweight/ obesity complications. The standard methods proposed for the assay of IL6 and leptin from saliva cannot detect these two biomarkers in children saliva; the levels of IL6 and leptin in children’s saliva are lower than the limit of determination of the standard methods. Therefore, we proposed a method based on utilization of stochastic sensors, able to simultaneously perform a qualitative and quantitative determination of these two biomarkers within minutes, in the range able to cover healthy and obese children.MethodsChildren from the urban area monitored for annual standard analyses and health status assessment at National Institute of Endocrinology C.I. Parhon within University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania were included in the study. In the same day, for all participants of the study, blood analyses were performed and saliva samples were collected for the determination of the IL-6 and leptin levels.Findings/ ResultsThe children diagnosed with overweight/ obesity presented not significantly different blood lipid profile and glycaemia comparing to the control group. Only few cases of the children presented high levels of cholesterol, low level of HDL-cholesterol, a slightly increased level of triglycerides and transaminases. No correlation with the body mass index could be established with the blood analyses results. In case of the overweight/obese children, the salivary level of the proinflammatory citokynes IL-6 (41ng/mL±21) and leptin (40.4ng/mL±28.8), were significantly increased comparing to normal weight children (IL-6 8.1±4.6, leptin 9.58±3.1). Moreover, the saliva level of the IL-6 was positively correlated with the body mass index. Salivary leptin level was highly variable in case of obese children, 6 patients presenting similar levels with the control group.ConclusionsIncreased levels of salivary IL-6 and leptin sustain a systemic inflammation status despite normal range of standard blood analyses. The results were positively correlated in case of IL-6 with the body mass index the general accepted method used for the assessment of the obesity or overweight degree The determination of these markers in saliva samples by a stochastic method proved the utility within the medical examination for a better evaluation of the health status in obesity. The method has some advantages like: easy collection of the biological sample, fast determination of low concentrations and could be promising in case of no associated oral cavity infections or inflammations which could interfere the results.

BackgroundDown Syndrome screening test is a bridge between knowledge and uncertainty, safety and risk, unpredictability and desire to know in order to gain control. It may be accepted either not to have a baby with Down syndrome, or to prepare to have a baby with this condition. Every woman should understand that it is an option and should be encouraged to make their own decisions based on information and personal values. The implications and possible subsequent scenarios differentiate this type of test from the common biochemical tests performed during pregnancy, of paramount importance being the right to make informed choices. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude towards prenatal Down syndrome screening in order to asses to what extent the Romanian women make informed choices in this area.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out that included 530 postpartum women, clients of Romania’ south-east region maternities, during April–September 2016. The level of knowledge and the attitude concerning the Down syndrome screening were evaluated using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.Results48.1% of the women have never heard about any tests for Down Syndrome and from those 51.9% who have heard, only 14.2% made an informed choice, 78.9% had a positive attitude for screening, 88% were classified as having insufficient knowledge and 68.3% made a value-consistent decision to accept or decline prenatal screening. A higher knowledge level was associated with a higher education level and the urban residence. The information satisfaction and confidence in the overall value of screening were predictive factors of positive attitude. More informed choices were made by women monitored by an obstetrician in a private practice.ConclusionsThe prenatal screening tests for Down Syndrome were mostly unknown and the women who accepted or not to perform a test were insufficiently knowledgeable that means that the ethical concept of the informed choice wasn’t followed. In our opinion the Romanian Health System needs to improve the antenatal policy by developing an adequate information strategy at the reproductive population level based on a network of trained specialists.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12884-018-2077-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Crisis situations, which cause disturbances in the daily routine of the individual can contribute to the development of mental problems. On the 26th of February, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Romania. On the 16th of March, the President of Romania declared The State of Emergency. The following day, by Order of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs medical students starting with the 4th year of study were to be recruited, on a voluntary basis, to support activities in the Emergency Rooms, if needed. Numerous medical students volunteered. The medical students were exposed to online learning and the possibility of being recruited as volunteers in COVID-19 units. In April 2020, we created and distributed an online survey via www.psysafe.org, which collected data on demographics, personal status of infection, and general mental health, including medication and substance use, sleeping problems in the previous week, perceived stress in the previous month, and burnout in the previous two months. We translated and adapted 2 questionnaires to assess the COVID-19 related anxiety and fear. The participants were Romanian medical students. Data was statistically analysed with SPSS 20. Out of 550 surveys filled, we analysed 545 valid surveys. The mean age of the respondents was 21.66 (±2.55) years, with 81.7% female (445) and 18.3% male (100). 91.6% of the respondents declared that they were never diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Coffee was used on a daily basis by 53.8% of the students, with tobacco coming in second in 19.4%. Female students perceived a higher level of stress and showed a higher level of burnout. Female students scored higher for the anxiety and fear related to Covid-19. Medical students with mental health history scored higher on perceived stress, burnout, anxiety and fear related to COVID-19. Perceived stress indicated a level of moderate stress regardless of the mental history status. For all students, the burnout value indicated that some attention was needed, as they might had been candidates to burnout. Moreover, students diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder during the pandemic showed signs that they were on the road to burnout, with changes needed to be done at the time. There were statistically significant positive correlation, of various degrees between perceived stress, burnout, anxiety and fear related to COVID-19, with the strongest one observed for the perceived stress and burnout, in Romanian medical students.

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This study analyzes the satisfaction of the patients with radical prostatectomy according to the signs and symptoms included in the EORTC QLQ -C30 and EORTC QLQ -PR25 questionnaires, including their relation with the health state that influences the pre and postoperative life quality. Fifty patients with prostate cancer in a localized stage were studied and analyzed in a prospective manner and for a period of 12 months, before and 6 months after the radical prostatectomy. In choosing the patients, the common denominator was the use of the same postoperative plan and the lack of postoperative complications, as well as the lack of chronic diseases. Erectile dysfunction, urine incontinence were quite frequent after radical prostatectomy, while the urinary obstruction and the weak urinary stream were less frequent. In this regard, people noticed a significant decrease of life quality. Although the study addressed a small group of patients, the results are similar to those belonging to other clinical studies. Even if the aspect of life quality is more rarely taken into account, the questionnaires regarding the life quality are specific, useful and quite cheap in evaluating different therapies.