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Corneal endothelial changes induced by pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for retinal detachment

Exp Ther Med. 2021 Sep;22(3):961. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10393. Epub 2021 Jul 7.

ABSTRACT

Silicone oils are effective intraocular tamponade agents in the treatment of severe retinal detachments, because they maintain the adhesion between neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium, thanks to their ability to remove aqueous humor from the surface of the retina. To understand their effectiveness, it is important to know the characteristics of silicone oils. Patients should be closely monitored due to many complications associated with intraocular silicon oil, such as inflammatory reaction, raised intraocular pressure, refraction disorders, cataract, and emulsification. This study presents corneal endothelial changes and some intraocular complications caused by silicone oil used as an intraocular tamponade agent in the case of vitrectomy for complex retinal detachments. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the damage of corneal endothelial cells after the use of silicone oil in patients with retinal detachment surgery. Endothelial specular microscopy measurements were performed and the changes of the following parameters demonstrated the corneal damage: Mean cell density, coefficient of variation, average cell area, percentage of hexagonal cells, and corneal thickness. Three months postoperatively, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the following analyzed parameters: Mean cell density (P=0.04), and percentage of hexagonal cells (P=0.002); the remaining parameters also had a linear decrease (coefficient of variation, average cell area), but were statistically insignificant. Three months postoperatively, the corneal thickness presented a slight increase. Silicone oils are powerful tools when used wisely and within the limits of their use. These are often recommended in cases of severe detachment of the retina in patients at high risk of experiencing intraoperative complications.

PMID:34335903 | PMC:PMC8290465 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10393

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A Romanian study on the impact of glypressin in laparoscopic myomectomy

Exp Ther Med. 2021 Sep;22(3):955. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10387. Epub 2021 Jul 6.

ABSTRACT

A major myomectomy-associated problem is excessive blood loss. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of glypressin on blood loss during laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) in women with uterine myomas. A total of 188 women scheduled for LM for uterine myomas were divided into two groups. The one group of women (n=64) received a 5-ml intramyometrial injection of glypressin 0.2 mg/ml (glypressin group; group 1). The other group of women (n=124) (group 2) had an LM performed without any other method to reduce blood loss. The decrease in postoperative hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), morbidity and duration of hospital stay were assessed. The results revealed that Hb and Ht (as it was presumed) exhibited similar changes in our study. Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were obtained between the two groups in terms of Hb and Ht; after LM both Hb and Ht were decreased. In conclusion, the impact of glypressin administration in hemorrhage control in uterine leiomyomas may establish new future perspectives, regarding its administration in gynecological hemorrhagic pathologies.

PMID:34335897 | PMC:PMC8290438 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10387

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Cervical ripening after cesarean section: a prospective dual center study comparing a mechanical osmotic dilator vs. prostaglandin E2

J Perinat Med. 2021 Aug 2. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2021-0157. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBEJCTIVES: Worldwide, the overall cesarean section is rising. Trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) is an overall safe option with an immediate impact on neonatal and maternal short- and long-term health. Since the use of prostaglandins in cervical ripening is associated with an increased risk of uterine rupture, mechanical methods as balloon catheters or osmotic dilators have been suggested for cervical ripening prior to induction of labour. Here we are analyzing and comparing the VBAC rate, as well as maternal and fetal outcome in cervical ripening prior to TOLAC.

METHODS: This prospective dual center study analyses maternal and neonatal outcomes of TOLAC in women with an unfavorable cervix requiring cervical ripening agent. The prospective application of an osmotic dilator (Dilapan-S, n=104) was analysed in comparison to the retrospective application of off-label dinoprostone (n=102).

RESULTS: The overall fetal and neonatal outcome revealed no significant differences in both groups. Patients receiving cervical ripening with the osmotic dilator delivered vaginally/by ventouse in 52% of cases, compared to 53% when using dinoprostone (p=0.603). The interval between application to onset of labor was significantly higher in the osmotic dilator group (37.9 vs.20.7 h, p=<0.001). However, time from onset of labor to delivery was similar in both groups (7.93 vs. 7.44 h, p=0.758). There was one case of uterine rupture in the dinoprostone group.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data shows that the application of the osmotic dilator leads to similar outcomes in VBAC rate and time from onset of labor to delivery as well as safety in both groups compared to off-label use dinoprostone. Cervical ripening using the mechanical dilator is a viable and effective option, without the risk of uterine hyperstimulation.

PMID:34333894 | DOI:10.1515/jpm-2021-0157

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Activities of daily living as a longitudinal moderator of the effect of autonomic dysfunction on anxiety and depression of Parkinson’s patients

Brain Behav. 2021 Aug 1. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2297. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is no clear time point for the onset of depression and anxiety in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and their atypical physical symptoms often overlap with other nonmotor symptoms. Autonomic dysfunction usually appears earlier than motor symptoms, seriously impairing activities of daily living (ADL), even quality of life. Whether autonomic dysfunction can affect depression and anxiety in PD patients through ADL is still unclear.

METHODS: We conducted three progressive autoregressive mediation models to evaluate whether ADL may mediate the association between autonomic symptom burden, where the mediation chain with autonomic function as an independent variable, ADL as a mediating variable, and anxiety and depression as dependent variables. The ADL of PD patients were measured by the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) and Modified Schwab and England ADL scale, respectively, and the status of depression and anxiety were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

RESULTS: There were 338 PD patients, including 220 males and 118 females. Demographic information, including age, gender, and education level, were not correlated with the depression and anxiety. Model III had the smallest AIC (AIC = 12,669.89), and the cross-lagged relations were not statistically significant, so we selected Model II as the optimal model. In Model II, longitudinal autoregressive mediated effect and longitudinal mediated effect of autonomic dysfunction affecting anxiety and depression through ADL were not statistically significant, suggesting longitudinal changes of autonomic dysfunction were independent of anxiety and depression through ADL. Contemporaneous mediated effects of autonomic dysfunction affecting anxiety and depression through ADL were statistically significant, suggesting contemporaneous autonomic dysfunction may contribute to anxiety and depression through ADL.

CONCLUSIONS: Targeted prevention and intervention measures for autonomic dysfunction and ADL should be taken to preserve and improve self-perceived life satisfaction in the clinical practice and preventive health care of PD.

PMID:34333879 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.2297

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The Frailty Phenotype in Hemodialysis Patients and its Association with Biochemical Markers of Mineral Bone Disorder, Inflammation and Nutrition

Rom J Intern Med. 2021 Jul 31. doi: 10.2478/rjim-2021-0030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to physical stressors. It is common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are on hemodialysis (HD).The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of frailty phenotype among HD patients and to evaluate their interrelationship with different biochemical markers.

METHODS: For the frailty assessment the Frailty Phenotype by Fried et al. was used, where frailty was reported if three of the following criteria were met: unintentional weight loss, self-reported exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed and low physical activity. From 281 HD patients, 126 patients were frail, 58 were pre-frail (two criteria were met) and the rest of the study population were robust (97 patients). BMI was calculated for all patients and venous blood samples were taken to determine laboratory parameters for bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), phosphate (P), potassium (K), C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin.

RESULTS: Patients who were on HD longer than 60 months have more characters of frailty. (p=0.019). A statistically significant positive correlations between frailty score and BAP (rho = 0.189; p = 0.001), and CRP (rho = 0.233; p < 0.001) were observed, and significant negative correlations between frailty score and albumin (rho = – 0.218; p < 0.001) and K (rho = – 0.198; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The associations of frailty with markers of mineral bone disorder, inflammation and nutrition indicate the importance of these parameters in the indirect assessment of the frailty phenotype in HD patients.

PMID:34333883 | DOI:10.2478/rjim-2021-0030

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Anti – Dense Fıne Speckled (DFS) Antibody: its staınıng pattern in indirect immunofluorescence and its clinical relevance

Rom J Intern Med. 2021 Jul 31. doi: 10.2478/rjim-2021-0029. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dense fine speckled (DFS) pattern defined by very intense, heterogeneous speckled staining of nucleoplasms of interphase HEp-2 cells and chromosomal areas of metaphase cells. The association of Anti-DFS70 and rheumatologic signs, symptoms, and diagnosis were evaluated.

METHODS: One-hundred-eight anti-DFS70 positives who consecutively admitted Rheumatology clinic between January-June 2020 were analyzed. The clinical and laboratory findings of positives for anti-DFS70 antibody were compared with those with DFS pattern ANA IFA staining rates. Also, anti-DFS70 positivity rates and their correlation with the DFS staining pattern were analyzed retrospectively in 1016 CTD patients.

RESULTS: The most common complaint was joint pain seen in 77(71.3%) and the most common laboratory abnormality was RF-positivity observed in 10/108(9.3%) who had anti-DFS70 positivity. The most common ANA staining pattern was DFS (72/108;66,7%); one-third had other than DFS. No statistical significance was found for the association of any of the rheumatological complaints and laboratory findings with the DFS70 staining pattern. ANA analysis was performed in a total of 964/1016(94.88%) CTD patients and 44 (4.56%) of these positive for anti-DFS70. The correlation coefficient showed good correlations between the DFS pattern staining and anti-DFS70 antibody positivity (r=+0.773, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Anti-DFS70-positives have a low rate of CTD. A low anti-DFS70 positivity rate was observed in patients with CTD. As such, it can be considered that anti-DFS70 does not predict CTD or even excludes it.

PMID:34333888 | DOI:10.2478/rjim-2021-0029

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Continuous reference curves for common hematology markers in the CALIPER cohort of healthy children and adolescents on the Sysmex XN-3000 system

Int J Lab Hematol. 2021 Aug 1. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.13670. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Clinicians and healthcare professionals rely heavily on health-associated standards, such as reference intervals (RIs), for appropriate laboratory test result interpretation. RIs are commonly partitioned into discrete age/sex bins based on statistical and/or clinical significance. In pediatric hematology, such partitioning does not adequately represent complex variation in analyte concentrations throughout maturation. The objective of this study was to establish continuous RIs for common hematological parameters in the healthy pediatric Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) cohort.

METHODS: Data from healthy CALIPER children and adolescents (6 months-<19 years) were used to generate continuous RIs (ie, 2.5th and 97.5th quantiles) for 19 hematological parameters. Continuous curves were statistically established with nonparametric quantile regressions. Flagging rate analysis was completed for the established continuous upper and lower reference limits and subsequently compared to previously published discrete CALIPER reference intervals for all parameters.

RESULTS: Continuous RIs were established for 19 hematology parameters, where seven required sex-specific reference curves. Based on flagging rate assessment, continuous RIs appear to more accurately estimate hematological reference limits over the pediatric age range, especially for analytes with complex age- and sex-specific reference value patterns.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to generate continuous RIs for a breadth of hematological markers in a healthy pediatric Canadian population. The increased power of continuous reference intervals to accurately estimate the complex relationship between hematological analyte concentration and age during a time of extensive growth and development is expected to improve laboratory test result interpretation and, subsequently, pediatric clinical decision-making.

PMID:34333858 | DOI:10.1111/ijlh.13670

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Psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic: Perceived stress, anxiety, work-family imbalance, and coping strategies among healthcare professionals in Khartoum state hospitals, Sudan, 2021

Brain Behav. 2021 Aug 1. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2318. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is highly contagious and can spread a pandemic, so it is related to serious health issues and major public concerns, and is considered by the medical community to be the greatest concern because it is the greatest risk of infection.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and assess the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals in Khartoum state hospitals 2021.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Work-Family Balance Measure Scale were used to assess the psychological impact of doctors and nurses working in four big hospitals in Sudan, by an online questionnaire, analyzed by the statistical package for social science (SPSS) during February.

RESULTS: Most of the participants had minimal to mild anxiety according to GAD-7 score, 121 (35.2%) and 103 (29.9%), respectively. Using PSS-10, the cutoff point was determined as 19 as the mean for total score was 19.2 ± 6.2, accordingly, more than half had high levels of stress (scored 19 and above) 189 (54.9%). For the Work-Family Balance Scale, 10 was regarded as the cutoff point. There was a significant association between specialty and stress level p-value .032. No significant correlations were found between age and stress level, neither between age and anxiety level (r -.100, p-value .064 and r = -.022, p-value .683, respectively).

CONCLUSION: More than half of healthcare professionals (54.9%) showed high levels of stress. Most of the healthcare professionals had poor work-family balance (60.2%).

PMID:34333876 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.2318

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Assessing mental health status among Iranian healthcare workers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based cross-sectional study

Brain Behav. 2021 Aug 1. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2304. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to assess 3(HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A total number of 7626 HCWs were included in this web-based cross-sectional study, via the convenience sampling technique. To collect the required data, the sociodemographic characteristics information form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) were also employed. In addition, data analysis was performed using the SPSS Statistics software (ver. 24), as well as descriptive statistics, Chi-square test (χ2 ), and univariate/multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS: The CDAS results revealed that 47.9% and 70.5% of the HCWs had experienced moderate levels of physical and psychological anxiety, respectively. Based on the DASS results, 44.8%, 43%, and 34.8% of the HCWs had been subjected to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The logistic regression models correspondingly showed that depression among the HCWs was significantly correlated with risk factors, such as the age groups of 20-30 years (p = .001), 31-40 years (p = .006), female HCWs (p> .001), history of physical illnesses (p = .004), and history of psychiatric disorders (p> .001). Moreover, factors including the age groups of 20-30 years (p < .001), 31-40 years (p < .001), 41-50 years (p < .001), female HCWs (p> .001), history of physical illnesses (p < .001), and history of psychiatric disorders (p>.001) were assumed as significant predictors of anxiety in these individuals. Besides, factors such as the age groups of 20-30 years (p = .002), 31-40 years (p = .004), female HCWs (p>.001), occupation (p = .016), history of physical illnesses (p < .001), and history of psychiatric disorders (p> .001) could significantly predict the prevalence rate of stress in the HCWs in times of this crisis.

CONCLUSION: Given the importance of mental health status among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, health administrators and policymakers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran are suggested to provide psychological screening and supportive care programs for HCWs with the aim of enhancing their mental health and successful coping with critical circumstances.

PMID:34333852 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.2304

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A split-face clinical trial of conventional red-light photodynamic therapy versus daylight photodynamic therapy for acne vulgaris

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Aug 1. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14359. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considered an effective treatment for acne vulgaris. A significant drawback is pain during illumination. Daylight PDT (DL-PDT) is more tolerable.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the efficacy and tolerability of DL-PDT and C-PDT for acne vulgaris through a prospective split-face trial.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fifteen patients underwent 4 treatment sessions at 3-week intervals. First, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was applied to the entire face, after which the face was divided into 2 symmetrical areas: The right side was exposed to sunlight, and the left half was illuminated with red light. Photographs were obtained and evaluated by two dermatologists blinded to the study protocol. The patients reported side effects and downtime.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the number and percent change of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions on both sides. Adverse effects were markedly decreased on the DL-PDT side compared to the C-PDT side (p < .01). The average downtime duration was longer for the C-PDT side (p < .001).

CONCLUSION: DL-PDT was at least as effective as C-PDT with fewer adverse effects and a shorter downtime duration.

PMID:34333844 | DOI:10.1111/jocd.14359