Poland has a unique history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dating back to the 17th century when Polish missionary Michael (Michał) Boym was a pioneer in the field. In the 20th century, his successor, Professor Zbigniew Garnuszewski, reintroduced acupuncture to medical practice in Poland. However, other methods of TCM and its holistic approach to patient care have not found their place in modern medicine in Poland. At present, the legal status of TCM in Poland remains unregulated, with TCM included in the broad spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. Few reports are available on the use of TCM methods among the Polish population. Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with evidence-based CAM interventions and considers all aspects of a patient's health, including physical, emotional, mental, social, and environmental factors. An integrative healthcare model that incorporates TCM modalities and lifestyle recommendations as well as a whole person approach may provide a more sustainable solution for the constantly underfinanced Polish healthcare system, which faces challenges of multimorbidity in an aging society and limited access to care. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and ongoing climate crisis have underscored the need to strengthen the resilience of the Polish healthcare system and search for new solutions. A model of care that blends the best of biomedicine and TCM healing approaches may be a better option for both patients and the healthcare system in Poland. Please cite this article as: Rybicka M, Zhao J, Piotrowicz K, Ptasnik S, Mitka K, Kocot-Kępska M, Hui KK. Promoting whole person health: Exploring the role of traditional Chinese medicine in Polish healthcare. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 509-517.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Poland ; Holistic Health ; Complementary Therapies/psychology* ; Delivery of Health Care

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of an earthquake during COVID-19 lockdown on fracture admission at a tertiary trauma centre in Croatia. METHODS: A case-control study was performed at the tertiary trauma centre registry. Two different periods were studied. The case group included a period during COVID-19 lockdown right after the earthquakes until the end of the confinement period in Croatia. And the control group corresponded to the equivalent period in 2019. We identified all consecutive patients who were admitted due to urgent care requirements for the musculoskeletal trauma. Patient's demographic data and admitting diagnoses were assessed. Data were analyzed by statistical procedures using the program MedCalc statistical software version 16.4.3. RESULTS: We identified 178 emergency admissions due to musculoskeletal trauma. During the COVID-19 lockdown and post-earthquake period, there was a drastic reduction in total admissions (359 vs. 662; p < 0.0001) with an increased proportion of trauma admissions within the emergency admissions (34.9% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.02926, Z = -2.1825). Furthermore, in the case group there was a significant increase in hospital admissions due to ankle/foot trauma (11 vs. 2, p = 0.0126) and a trend towards a decrease in the admissions due to tibia fractures (5 vs. 12, p = 0.0896), however without statistical significance. Also, an increased proportion of women within the group of femoral fractures in both case group (81.6% vs. 52.6%, p = 0.00194, Z = 3.1033) and the control group (82.3% vs. 60.5%, p = 0.0232, Z = 2.2742) was observed. In both analyzed periods, the osteoporotic hip fracture was the most common independent admitting diagnosis. CONCLUSION It is crucial to understand how natural disasters like earthquakes influence the pattern of trauma admissions during a coexisting pandemic. Accordingly, healthcare systems have to be prepared for an increased influx of certain pathology, like foot and ankle trauma.
COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Communicable Disease Control ; Croatia/epidemiology* ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Trauma Centers

BACKGROUND: Little is known on how context-specific sedentary behaviors (SB) affect adiposity. This study aimed to investigate compositional associations between context-specific SB and adiposity and estimate the differences in adiposity associated with replacing school and out-of-school SB with physical activity (PA). METHODS: This study included 336 children and adolescents. Time spent in SB and PA was estimated using multi-day 24-hour raw accelerometer data. SB and PA were specified for school and out-of-school times. Fat mass percentage (FM%) and fat mass index (FMI) were used as adiposity indicators. A compositional isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate differences in adiposity associated with one-to-one reallocations of time from context-specific SB to PA. RESULTS: Participants spent approximately two thirds of their school and out-of-school time being sedentary. Relative to the remaining 24-h movement behaviors, significant associations between out-of-school SB and adiposity were found in both boys (β CONCLUSIONS A reduction of out-of-school SB in favor of light PA should be advocated as an appropriate target for interventions and strategies to prevent childhood obesity.
Accelerometry ; Adiposity ; Adolescent ; Child ; Czech Republic ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Schools ; Sedentary Behavior

PURPOSE: The Cow's Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS™), which considers crying, regurgitation, stools, skin and respiratory symptoms, was developed as an awareness tool for evaluating cow's milk-related symptoms. The scoring ranges from 0 to 33. A score ≥12 was proposed as being likely cow's milk-related and suggestive of allergy to cow's milk. This study aimed to determine the age-related CoMiSS™ values in presumed healthy infants in Poland.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in well-child clinics in two locations. Parents of the presumed healthy infants aged ≤6 months were approached during a routine checkup/vaccination visit. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of acute or chronic diseases, preterm delivery, treatment with therapeutic formula, and use of any food supplements (except vitamins) or medications.RESULTS: Data from 226 infants were obtained (median age [Q1–Q3], 4 months [3–4]). The overall median (Q1–Q3) and mean (standard deviation) CoMiSS™ values were 4 (2–7) and 4.7 (3.5), respectively. The 95th percentile was 11. Scores on some, albeit not all, components of the CoMiSS™ significantly differed between age groups (crying, stools) or feeding type groups (stools and skin symptoms). Eleven children (4.9%) scored ≥12.CONCLUSION: This study adds to earlier age-related CoMiSS™ data by providing CoMiSS™ values in presumed healthy infants in Poland.
Child ; Chronic Disease ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Crying ; Dietary Supplements ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Infant ; Milk ; Parents ; Poland ; Skin

Worldwide, avian influenza H9N2 viruses of different lineages are the most widespread viruses in poultry. However, to date, cases in Russia have not been documented. In this study, we report the first detection of a G1-like H9N2 virus from poultry sampled at live-bird markets in Russia (Far East region) during the winter of 2018 (isolate A/chicken/Amur_Russia/17/2018). We assume there has been further circulation of the A/chicken/Amur_Russia/17/2018 H9N2 virus in the Russian Far East with possible distribution to other regions or countries in 2018–2019.
Animals ; Far East ; Genotype ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype ; Influenza in Birds ; Poultry ; Russia

A complicated case of echinococcosis with multiple organ involvement is reported in a 53-year-old businessman who frequently traveled overseas, including China, Russia, and Kazakhstan from 2001 to 2007. The patient was first diagnosed with a large liver cyst during a screening abdomen ultrasonography in 2011, but he did not follow up on the lesion afterwards. Six years later, dizziness, dysarthria, and cough developed, and cystic lesions were found in the brain, liver and lungs. The clinical course was complicated when the patient went through multiple surgeries and inadequate treatment with a short duration of albendazole without a definite diagnosis. The patient visited our hospital for the first time in August 2018 due to worsening symptoms; he was finally diagnosed with echinococcosis using imaging and serologic criteria. He is now on prolonged albendazole treatment (400 mg twice a day) with gradual clinical and radiological improvement. A high index of suspicion is warranted to early diagnose echinococcosis in a patient with a travel history to endemic areas of echinococcosis.
Abdomen ; Albendazole ; Brain ; China ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Dysarthria ; Echinococcosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kazakhstan ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Russia ; Ultrasonography

Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) was developed in the 1980s as an injectable filler for breast augmentation and tissue contour improvement, but its potential risk for oncogenesis and the frequent occurrence of chronic complications after injections led to the prohibition of its further use as an injectable material. Although breast augmentation with PAAG injections was mostly performed in China and Eastern Europe, the migration of patients and long-term complications of the procedure made it a global concern. Herein, we describe the case of a 49-year-old woman who immigrated to Korea after undergoing breast augmentation via PAAG injection in China, and complained of persistent mastodynia and retraction of both breasts. Surgical treatment was undertaken, along with removal of the PAAG and total capsulectomy of the fibrous capsule containing the gel through an inframammary fold incision. We share our experience of diagnosing and treating this case, and present a literature review.
Breast ; Carcinogenesis ; China ; Europe, Eastern ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogel ; Korea ; Mastodynia ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy-Associated alpha 2-Macroglobulins

PURPOSE: Germline mutations within melanoma susceptibility genes are present only in minority of melanoma patients and it is expected that additional genes will be discovered with next generation sequence technology and whole-exome sequencing (WES). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Herein we performed WES on a cohort of 96 unrelated Polish patients with melanoma diagnosed under the age of 40 years who all screened negative for the presence of CDKN2A variants. A replication study using a set of 1,200 melanoma patient DNA samples and similarly large series of healthy controls was undertaken. RESULTS: We selected 21 potentially deleterious variants in 20 genes (VRK1, MYCT1, DNAH14, CASC3, MS4A12, PRC1, WWOX, CARD6, EXO5, CASC3, CASP8AP2, STK33, SAMD11, CNDP2, CPNE1, EFCAB6, CABLES1, LEKR1, NUDT17, and RRP15), which were identified by WES and confirmed by Sanger sequencing for an association study. Evaluation of the allele distribution among carriers and their relatives in available family trios revealed that these variants were unlikely to account for many familial cases of melanoma. Replication study revealed no statistically significant differences between cases and controls. CONCLUSION: Although most of the changes seemed to be neutral we could not exclude an association between variants in VRK1, CREB3L3, EXO5, and STK33 with melanoma risk.
Alleles ; Cohort Studies ; DNA ; Exome* ; Frameshift Mutation ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Melanoma* ; Poland*

OBJECTIVES: To determine the epidemiological features of patients and animals after bites/scratches from rabies-suspected animals in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: Data from all patients (and the causative animals) admitted to the Antirabies Service of the Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica in the 2009-2017 period were analyzed, including age, sex, anatomical site of the bite/scratch, animal type (stray/owned/wildlife), veterinary observations of the animal, and whether antirabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was indicated and/or administered. RESULTS: In total, 1716 patients were admitted. Bites/scratches were most frequently recorded during April and May (n=181, 10.5% and n=163, 9.5%, respectively). The persons admitted were mostly from the Zenica municipality (n=1278, 74.5%; incidence: 11.55/1000), which is 66.6% urbanized. Males were more frequently represented (n=1089, 63.6%). The patients were mostly 50-64 and 25-49 years of age (n=425, 24.7% and n=390, 22.7%, respectively). Dog bites were the most common cause (n=1634, 95.1%, of which n=1258, 77.0% were caused by stray dogs). PEP was indicated for 997 (58.1%) patients. Only 340 (19.9%) animals underwent veterinary observations (3.1% of stray and 76.1% of owned animals). The largest number of injuries were presented at lower extremities, 1044 (60.8%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: Zenica-Doboj Canton is a rabies-free region. Due to the high rate of stray animals not undergoing veterinary observations, the non-existence of a unique dog registry, and the consequent lack of information about stray animals in terms of number, vaccination, neutering, and euthanasia, there is an urgent need for improving the prevention and control of rabies within the One Health framework.
Animals ; Bosnia and Herzegovina ; Dogs ; Euthanasia ; Food Safety ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Rabies ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: Obesity is a major health problem of global significance because it is clearly associated with an increased risk of health problems, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Lonicera caerulea (LC) originates from high mountains or wet areas and has been used as a traditional medicine in northern Russia, China, and Japan. LC contains a range of bioactive constituents, such as vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. This study examined the anti-obesity effects of LC during differentiation in preadipocytes. METHODS: The cell viability assay was performed after the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells for 7 days. Oil Red O staining was used to visualize the changes in lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 cells and mouse adipose-derived stem cells (MADSCs). The mRNA expression of obesity-related genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: According to the results of Oil Red O staining, the lipid levels and size of lipid droplets in the adipocytes were reduced and the LC extract (LCE, 0.25–1 mg/mL) markedly inhibited adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. The treatment of LCE also decreased the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) in 3T3-L1 cells. Western blot analysis showed that the PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1 protein levels in both 3T3-L1 and MADSC were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LCE can inhibit adipogenic differentiation through the regulation of adipogenesis-related markers.
3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; Adipogenesis ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Survival ; China ; Japan ; Lipid Droplets ; Lonicera ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mice ; Minerals ; Miners ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Obesity ; Peroxisomes ; Polyphenols ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Russia ; Stem Cells ; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 ; Vitamins