Role of pulsed electromagnetic fields after joint replacements

Although the rate of patients reporting satisfaction is generally high after joint replacement surgery, up to 23% after total hip replacement and 34% after total knee arthroplasty of treated subjects report discomfort or pain 1 year after surgery. Moreover, chronic or subacute inflammation is reported in some cases even a long time after surgery. Another open and debated issue in prosthetic surgery is implant survivorship, especially when related to good prosthesis bone ingrowth. Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields(PEMFs) treatment, although initially recommended after total joint replacement to promote bone ingrowth and to reduce inflammation and pain, is not currently part of usual clinical practice. The purpose of this review was to analyze existing literature on PEMFs effects in joint replacement surgery and to report results of clinical studies and current indications. We selected all currently available prospective studies or RCT on the use of PEMFs in total joint replacement with the purpose of investigating effects of PEMFs on recovery, pain relief and patients' satisfaction following hip, knee or shoulder arthroplasty. All the studies analyzed reported no adverse effects, and good patient compliance to the treatment. The available literature shows that early control of joint inflammation process in the first days after surgery through the use of PEMFs should be considered an effective completion of the surgical procedure to improve the patient's functional recovery.     

Percepciones y deseos sobre el parto en gestantes a término en Zamora

ObjectiveTo describe perceptions and wishes regarding childbirth in a group of full-term pregnant women in Zamora.MethodQualitative study of phenomenological character. Participants and scope of study: pregnant women (37-38 weeks), Zamora Sur and Santa Elena health centres (Zamora, Spain). Data collection: semi-structured interviews, until data saturation (16 interviews). Data analysis: analysis of thematic content.ResultsThe maternal feelings varied from joy to fear or stress. The interviewees said they did not feel capable of enduring the pain of childbirth. The needs that they felt most important were having support and accompaniment during delivery (especially of their partner) and receiving good treatment from the healthcare workers.ConclusionsThe importance and repercussion of childbirth for women are not only biological, but also largely mental, emotional and social. It is conditioned by multiple factors: maternal feelings, their ability to deal with the pain of childbirth, their needs, the changes they have made, the support they have and the health professionals who care for them.     

经皮电刺激联合导乐镇痛对分娩结局的影响及安全性分析

目的 探讨经皮电刺激联合导乐分娩镇痛对分娩结局的影响及安全性。方法 选择160例在我院住院待产的产妇作为研究对象,随机将其分为观察组与对照组,每组各80例;其中对照组予导乐分娩镇痛,观察组给予经皮电刺激联合导乐分娩镇痛。观察比较两组的VAS评分、产程时间、产后出血、剖宫产率、产妇满意度、新生儿情况、不良反应发生情况等。结果 与镇痛前比较,观察组镇痛后各时间段VAS评分降低,P＜0.05;与对照组比较,观察组的产后2 h出血量、剖宫产率降低,产妇满意度提高,P＜0.05。结论 经皮电刺激联合导乐镇痛可减轻产妇痛苦,降低剖宫产率,减少产后出血,提高产妇满意度,且无明显不良反应,值得在临床上推广应用。     

Effect of diabetes mellitus on pregnancy and birth outcomes in Wolaita Zone,Southern Ethiopia: A retrospective cohort study

Background and aimsPresence of diabetes mellitus (DM) during pregnancy is important cause of maternal and fetal complications. Studies that address the effect of DM on pregnancy and birth outcome are scarce in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of DM on maternal and birth outcomes in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was done to compare maternal and birth outcomes of mothers with DM and non-DM who received maternity service in three hospitals and four health centers in Southern Ethiopia. A total of 136 exposed (with DM) and 272 unexposed (non-DM) mothers were included in the study. Data were extracted from medical records of mothers by experienced and trained data collectors. Means were compared for continuous variables. Logistic regression analysis model was used to check the effect of DM on pregnancy and birth outcome. Risk Ratio was calculated and p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsPregnancy of diabetic mothers was significantly complicated by pre-eclampsia when compared with non-diabetic mothers, (RR = 1.8: 95% CI; 1.2–2.7). The risk of macrosomia was higher for neonates of diabetic mothers than non-diabetic mothers, (RR = 1.9: 95% CI; 1.3–2.7). From multivariate analysis, mothers with DM were 2.9 times more likely to be delivered by caesarean section than non-diabetic mothers (RR = 2.9: 95%CI; 1.3–6.2) and the risk of pre-term delivery was 2.5 times higher among mothers with DM, (RR = 2.5: 95% CI; 1.1–6.2).ConclusionsDiabetes mellitus among pregnant mothers is associated with increased risk of pre-term delivery, macrosomia and maternal complications of pre-eclampsia and caesarian delivery. Early detection and management of DM should be one of the key activities to improve maternal and child mortality and morbidity.     

Lesion regression rate based on RECIST: prediction of treatment outcome in patients with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy compared with FDG PET-CT

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the lesion regression rate (ΔLR) based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria could be used for the prediction of treatment outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) compared with FDG PET-CT. A total of 33 patients underwent MRI and PET-CT at pretreatment and at 8 weeks after CRT. We assessed the treatment outcome by analyzing the following parameters: the RECIST criteria, ΔLR, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria, and pretreatment SUV_max of the primary tumor and node. The correlation between the analysis of the parameters and the results of the long-term follow-up of the patients was determined. The RECIST did not significantly correlate with locoregional control (LRC) or survival. The ΔLR was significantly lower for the lesions with locoregional failure (LRF) than for those with LRC. A threshold ΔLR of 48% revealed a sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 77.3% for the prediction of LRF. Progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with ΔLR ≥ 48% was significantly better than that of patients with ΔLR < 48% (P = 0.001), but not overall survival. There was a significant correlation between LRC and the EORTC (P = 0.02). The patients who achieved a complete response by the EORTC criteria showed significantly better PFS and overall survival (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). The ΔLR was inferior to FDG PET-CT with respect to the prediction of patient survival; however, it may be useful for selecting patients in need of more aggressive monitoring after CRT.     

84例产褥感染的临床特点及常见致病微生物耐药性分析

目的 研究产褥感染的危险因素及常见致病微生物耐药情况，为临床治疗提供参考。方法 回顾性分析我院2017 年1 月～2019 年12 月发生的84 例产褥感染病例的临床资料，与同时期未发生产褥感染的200 例产妇进行对照研究，分析产褥感染的影响因素，并对分离获得的致病微生物进行耐药性分析。结果 感染组妊娠糖尿病、产钳助产、宫口开全后中转剖宫产患者的分布率高于对照组，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；经多因素Logistic 回归分析，妊娠糖尿病是产褥感染的独立影响因素（P＜0.05）。本研究中共检出致病微生物40 株，其中革兰阴性菌13 株（占32.50%），革兰阳性菌10 株（占25.00%），支原体16 株（占40.00%），衣原体1 株（占2.50%），革兰阴性菌中以大肠埃希菌最常见，对二代头孢菌素类抗生素耐药率20%。革兰阳性菌以金黄色葡萄球菌最常见，对青霉素及头孢菌素耐药率高，未发现对亚胺培南及万古霉素耐药。结论 产钳助产、妊娠糖尿病、宫口开全后中转剖宫产是产褥感染可能的危险因素，其中，妊娠糖尿病是产褥感染的独立危险因素。目前临床常见致病微生物谱及耐药率未发生明显变化。     

Therapeutics and delivery vehicles for local treatment of osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis, or the infection of the bone, presents a major complication in orthopedics and may lead to prolonged hospital visits, implant failure, and in more extreme cases, amputation of affected limbs. Typical treatment for this disease involves surgical debridement followed by long-term, systemic antibiotic administration, which contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and has limited ability to eradicate challenging biofilm-forming pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus—the most common cause of osteomyelitis. Local delivery of high doses of antibiotics via traditional bone cement can reduce systemic side effects of an antibiotic. Nonetheless, growing concerns over burst release (then subtherapeutic dose) of antibiotics, along with microbial colonization of the nondegradable cement biomaterial, further exacerbate antibiotic resistance and highlight the need to engineer alternative antimicrobial therapeutics and local delivery vehicles with increased efficacy against, in particular, biofilm-forming, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, limited guidance exists regarding both standardized formulation protocols and validated assays to predict efficacy of a therapeutic against multiple strains of bacteria. Ideally, antimicrobial strategies would be highly specific while exhibiting a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity. With a focus on S. aureus infection, this review addresses the efficacy of novel therapeutics and local delivery vehicles, as alternatives to the traditional antibiotic regimens. The aim of this review is to discuss these components with regards to long bone osteomyelitis and to encourage positive directions for future research efforts.     

Delivery during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support of pregnant woman with severe respiratory distress syndrome caused by influenza: a case report and review of the literature

Objective: To report a case of labour induction during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by influenza and review of the literature.

Methods: Case report and the literature search of all English articles on delivery while on ECMO in patients with ARDS caused by influenza.

Results: A 25-year-old pregnant woman was initiated with ECMO due to severe ARDS caused by influenza A (H1N1) virus. When the patient had symptoms of colporrhagia and uterine contractions, the medical team decided to start labour induction while on ECMO. There were in total five case reports identified. Maternal oxygenation was improved after delivery and ECMO was successfully discontinued.

Conclusions: Maternal oxygenation was improved after delivery, which may be beneficial to reduce the duration of ECMO. Caesarean section (CS) may be the most used mode and labour induction could be another option. The procedure should be performed by an experienced ECMO team, cooperating with the obstetrician, anaesthesiologist, and ICU doctors.