Aim: To evaluate whether a combination of isosorbide dinitrate spray and chitosan gel (10%) topically applied can have additive benefits for management of diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial, 68 patients were divided into four groups: Group 1: treated with chitosan gel; Group 2: isosorbide dinitrate spray; Group 3: combination of isosorbide dinitrate spray and chitosan gel; Group 4: placebo. Results: Histological analyses showed a significant regeneration in all groups (p < 0.001). On the final assessment of the ulcer, using the combination was found a wound closure percentage of 71 ± 30, 70 ± 27 using isosorbide dinitrate, 58 ± 30 with chitosan and 50 ± 16 with placebo. The number of patients who achieved complete ulcer closure was six using the combination, four with isosorbide dinitrate, three with chitosan and one with placebo. The progression in the healing process of the ulcer showed marked inmunohistochemical differences of Von Willebrand Factor, desmin, vascular endothelial growth factor-A and α-smooth muscle actin in all groups (p < 0.001), but without notable differences between them. Conclusion: The combination was better than placebo to reduce the dimensions of the ulcer, accelerate healing and increase the number of patients who achieved complete closure of the ulcer, but the combination was not better than chitosan or isosorbide dinitrate used separately.
The objective of our study was to examine the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on clinical and neurophysiologic outcomes after surgery for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 20 adults diagnosed with idiopathic CTS after clinical and neurophysiologic assessment. Eligible participants took 600 mg ALA or placebo per day for 1 month before surgery, and for 2 months afterward. Further clinical and neurophysiologic assessments were undertaken immediately before surgical decompression, and at 12 weeks postoperatively with additional clinical assessments at the 4th and 8th week after surgery. Clinical outcome measures were taken by Boston Questionnaire score, the presence or absence of Tinel's sign, and Phalen's test findings. Median nerve conduction studies were also undertaken and interpreted according to Dumitru's reference values. Nineteen patients completed the study; one member of the placebo group was lost during follow-up. There were significant improvements in clinical and neurophysiologic variables in the ALA treatment group, present even before surgery. Boston Questionnaire scores had improved significantly in both groups. In the ALA group, none of the participants had positive Phalen's or Tinel's signs at 12 weeks, and motor and sensory fiber latency and amplitude had significantly improved; in the placebo group, only the sensory distal latency had improved significantly. In conclusion, ALA administered 1 month before open decompression and for 2 months afterward improves the clinical and neurophysiologic outcomes after surgery.
Background Reparation of large nasal septum perforations continues to be challenging. Bipedicled mucoperichondrial and inter-positional grafts currently show the most promising results. New implants have emerged to be used as a support membrane to carry on the mucosal cells, taking advantage of the innate proliferative properties of the mucosal tissue. Objective To compare the effectiveness of two kinds of material; non-absorbable dimethylsiloxane (silicone elastomers) and absorbable porcine small intestinal submucosa (Surgisis), both used as an inter-positional graft without neighbouring flaps to close nasal septal perforations in an experimental model. Methods Fifteen dogs were divided into three groups. One group received Surgisis, the other sheets of dimethylsiloxane and the last group a sham group. The dogs were followed for 6 weeks. Results The initial perforation of the nasal septum showed complete mucosal closure in the dimethylsiloxane group. The Surgisis group, on the other hand, had a smaller reduction than that at the beginning (final mean area = 23.0 ± 5.4 mm(2) (p < 0.05); however, complete closure was not achieved. Sham animals showed an inconstant and slight reduction in dimension from 100 mm(2) to 70 ± 16 mm(2) of mucosa and cartilage, but closure was not achieved. A significantly higher number of capillaries were observed in the Surgisis group compared to the dimethylsiloxane group (p < 0.05) without differences in inflammation, fibrosis, or necrosis. Conclusions The non-absorbable implant; dimethylsiloxane facilitates a better closure of the nasal septum.
The presence of the lethal triad among patients with multiple trauma is associated with a higher mortality and ISS.
Preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of preterm birth by medical indication when associated with premature detachment of placenta normoinserta, and Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality and longterm sequelae. The main problem of PE is threefold: the diagnostic difficulty, the complicated interrelationship of the pathophysiological processes, and the vulnerability of the maternal-fetal binomial to the therapeutic interventions. The approach for management with PE is preventing its late occurrence in pregnancy. The key to preventing PE is knowledge of the factors that trigger the pathophysiological processes that culminate in the presentation of PE. Understanding the developmental characteristics of the placenta in pregnancy at high risk for PE is essential for understanding the pathophysiology and developing strategies for prevention. When deciding that the population of study is a group of pregnant women, the first ethical criteria that need to be reviewed are those aimed at the protection of the fetus. There are no specific guidelines on how to assess fetal well-being during pregnancy routinely in the clinic, and this deficiency is shifted to clinical research with pregnant women.
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