Background and Objectives. The study was conducted to evaluate soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students. Methods. Whole-body measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia) in 16 Taiwanese and Polish men and 16 Taiwanese and Polish women. Results. Mean vectors of Taiwanese men and women groups versus the Polish men and women groups were characterized by almost the same normalized resistance component with reactance component (separate 95% confidence limits, P < 0.05) indicating that there were no differences of soft tissue hydration and mass. Interpretation and Conclusion. The evaluation of soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students did not differ between these two diverse ethnic groups. Further observational research investigating these properties in larger groups would be welcomed to elucidate and/or confirm these findings.

BackgroundEvaluation of prognostic value of capacitance of membrane (Cm), parameter measured by bioelectrical impedance (BIA) as an alternative to known clinical factors in patients with Head and Neck Cancer (HNC).MethodsA cohort of 75 stage IIIB and IV HNC patients treated in Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, Poland were prospectively evaluated. Cm measurements were performed in all patients using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer that was set on a frequency of 50 kHz. Results of Cm measurements were presented in nF. Survival differences were estimated using Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsSignificantly higher Cm median was noted in well-nourished(n = 45) compared to malnourished (n = 30) patients (1.41 vs 1.01 respectively; p = 0.0009). Established in ROC curves analysis cut-off value (0.743) was characterized by 98% specificity and 37% sensitivity in the detection of malnutrition. Median overall survival (mOS) in the cohort was 32months. At the time of analysis deaths were recorded in 47 cases (62.7%). In patients who had Cm below the level of 0.743 risk of OS shortening was significantly higher than in other patients (12.1 and 43.4 months respectively; HR = 8.47, 95%CI: 2.91–24.66; χ2 = 15.38, p = 0.0001).ConclusionCm is a strong, independent prognostic factor in head and neck cancer.

Background Phase angle could be an alternative to subjective global assessment for the assessment of nutrition

The paper evaluated the diagnostic value of laser photoplethysmography when examining patients with chronic lower limb ischemia. A statistical analysis of the research results was made, and diagrams of relationship between the degrees of ischemia and blood flow are presented. Development of the device to determine the level of peripheral blood circulation and saturation was presented. Also additional accessories in the form of optical fibers for different applications were suggested.

The development of medicine and the ability to conduct effective therapy in increasingly severe cases create the need to develop new methods of continuous and non-invasive monitoring of the patient's condition. One of the techniques that is widely used in many fields of medicine is photoplethysmography (PPG). The analysis of the latest research indicates that PPG can have much more applications than the measurement of heart rate and arterial saturation of the patient-as shown by the latest research, it can be used in the measurement of many other key parameters. The optimism is the multitude of areas in which PPG monitoring is attempted. There are more and more attempts to use photoplethysmography in diagnosis and evaluation of peripheral vascular diseases, assessment of circulation in diabetic patients and assessment of endothelial function. Authors are focusing on new applications of PPG, its advantages and limitations. Most of them agree that PPG can provide useful knowledge about the patient's condition while being a quick, easy-to-use and cost-effective technique. The following review was created to critically analyze the latest technical developments and uses of PPG in clinical practice. Sources for the following article were found using the PubMed database using keywords such as "photoplethysmography", "oxygen saturation" and "pulse oximeter".