Protection against corneal hyperosmolarity with soft-contact-lens wear

Hyperosmotic tear stimulates human corneal nerve endings, activates ocular immune response, and elicits dry-eye symptoms. A soft contact lens (SCL) covers the cornea preventing it from experiencing direct tear evaporation and the resulting blink-periodic salinity increases. For the cornea to experience hyperosmolarity due to tear evaporation, salt must transport across the SCL to the post-lens tear film (PoLTF) bathing the cornea. Consequently, limited salt transport across a SCL potentially protects the ocular surface from hyperosmotic tear. In addition, despite lens-wear discomfort sharing common sensations to dry eye, no correlation is available between measured tear hyperosmolarity and SCL-wear discomfort. Lack of documentation is likely because clinical measurements of tear osmolarity during lens wear do not interrogate the tear osmolarity of the PoLTF that actually overlays the cornea. Rather, tear osmolarity is clinically measured in the tear meniscus. For the first time, we mathematically quantify tear osmolarity in the PoLTF and show that it differs significantly from the clinically measured tear-meniscus osmolarity. We show further that aqueous-deficient dry eye and evaporative dry eye both exacerbate the hyperosmolarity of the PoLTF. Nevertheless, depending on lens salt-transport properties (i.e., diffusivity, partition coefficient, and thickness), a SCL can indeed protect against corneal hyperosmolarity by reducing PoLTF salinity to below that of the ocular surface during no-lens wear. Importantly, PoLTF osmolarity for dry-eye patients can be reduced to that of normal eyes with no-lens wear provided that the lens exhibits a low lens-salt diffusivity. Infrequent blinking increases PoLTF osmolarity consistent with lens-wear discomfort. Judicious design of SCL material salt-transport properties can ameliorate corneal hyperosmolarity. Our results confirm the importance of PoLTF osmolarity during SCL wear and indicate a possible relation between PoLTF osmolarity and contact-lens discomfort.     

胸痹心痛病患者的中医心脏康复护理意义研究

目的探讨胸痹心痛病患者的中医心脏康复护理意义。方法选取2018年1月-2019年1月在大连中医医院内一病房就诊的80例胸痹心痛病患者,经辨证分型为气虚血瘀型胸痹,随机分为试验组和对照组,对照组40例采取常规护理,试验组40例在对照组的基础上使用中医心脏康复护理,主要包括:证候施护、饮食护理、中医特色技术、情志护理、健康指导等。通过中医证候评分对治疗的有效率进行观察。结果试验组有效率为92.5%,对照组有效率为77.5%,试验组优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论对胸痹心痛病患者的中医心脏康复护理,可以有效提高临床有效率,改善临床症状,提高患者生活质量,值得在临床推广。     

Flavocoxid is as effective as naproxen for managing the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee in humans: a short-term randomized,double-blind pilot study

Flavocoxid (Limbrel), a proprietary mixture of flavonoid molecules (baicalin and catechin), was tested against a traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen, for the management of the signs and symptoms of moderate osteoarthritis (OA) in humans. Discomfort and global disease activity were used as the primary end points, and safety assessments were also taken for both treatments as a secondary endpoint. In this double-blind study, 103 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either flavocoxid [500 mg twice daily (BID)] or naproxen (500 mg BID) in a 1-month onset of action trial. Outcome measures included the short Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index, subject Visual Analogue Scale for discomfort and global response, and investigator Visual Analogue Scale for global response and fecal occult blood. Both flavocoxid and naproxen showed significant reduction in the signs and symptoms of knee OA (P ≤ .001). There were no statistically detectable differences between the flavocoxid and naproxen groups with respect to any of the outcome variables. Similarly, there were no statistically detectable differences between the groups with respect to any adverse event, although there was a trend toward a higher incidence of edema and nonspecific musculoskeletal discomfort in the naproxen group. In this short-term pilot study, flavocoxid was as effective as naproxen in controlling the signs and symptoms of OA of the knee and would present a safe and effective option for those individuals on traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. A low incidence of adverse events was reported for both groups.     

Extraperitoneal endometriosis: a diagnosis to be considered

Summary BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a relatively common pathology in women of childbearing age and of low parity but rarely shows extraperitoneal involvement. The main aim of this paper is to raise the attention of specialists to the necessity of carrying out penetrating diagnosis of nonspecific extraperitoneal masses occurring in women of reproductive age. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of six patients diagnosed with extraperitoneal endometriosis who were treated at the Vega Baja University Hospital (Spain) during the last 5 years. RESULTS: Surgical treatment had positive results in five patients. The preoperative diagnosis was correctly made in only two patients. The accurate aetiology of endometriosis remains unknown and diagnosis is based on clinical and cytopathological findings. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of extraperitoneal endometriosis is recommended. However, postoperative follow-up is obligatory and hormonal suppressive therapy may be necessary. Medical treatment with gestagens, Danazol, or agonists of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone are ineffective in endometriomas which are bigger than 2 cm.      

Slow-wave photic stimulation relieves patient discomfort during esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Background and Aim: Although pretreatment with a sedative drug is effective in relieving pain during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), such drugs can cause significant side‐effects. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of slow‐wave photic stimulation on discomfort and/or pain felt during EGD. Methods: Forty consecutive patients (25 men and 15 women) who underwent diagnostic EGD in our hospital were included in the study. Twenty patients received photic stimulation for 25 min, and underwent electroencephalographic recording, in addition to the usual premedications. Twenty control patients received the same treatment but without photic stimulation. All patients evaluated the discomfort/pain felt during endoscopy against a five‐grade scale in comparison with what they had experienced in their previous examination. Results: Patients with an improved discomfort/pain score were 18/20 and 3/20 in the treated and control groups, respectively. Overall comparison of pain scores between both groups was significant (P < 0.0001). The proportion of slow‐wave activity recorded in patients’ electroencephalograms significantly increased in the treated group compared to control values (36.6 ± 6.8% vs 29.1 ± 3.4%, P < 0.001). There was a close correlation between the degree of discomfort/pain felt during endoscopy and the proportion of slow‐wave activity (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Slow‐wave photic stimulation shows promise as a treatment for relieving the discomfort and/or pain felt by patients undergoing EGD.     

手术配合局部外用药治疗慢性肛门湿疹临床观察

目的:观察手术配合术后曲咪新加复方鱼肝油软膏混合膏局部换药治疗慢性肛门湿疹的疗效.方法:将93例慢性肛门湿疹患者随机分为治疗组(47例)和对照组组(46例),治疗组采用手术配合术后曲咪新加复方鱼肝油软膏混合膏局部换药,对照组采用亚甲蓝局部封闭配合术后皮炎平局部换药.观察两组患者术后长短期疗效.结果:治疗组短期有效率为93.61%,疗效优于对照组71.74%(P＜0.01);治疗组远期有效率为89.36%,优于对照组60.87%(P＜0.01).结论:本法治疗慢性顽固性肛门湿疹疗效确切、复发率低.     

肛旁脓肿行Ⅰ期根治性手术疗效的探讨

目的：探讨肛旁脓肿行Ⅰ期根治性手术的疗效。方法：对78例肛旁脓肿患者交叉设计分成两组。分别行Ⅰ期根治性手术（RS）和单纯脓肿切开引流（ID），比较术后疗效。结果：RS组病人术后形成肛瘘的发生率远低于ID组。而并发症却无升高趋势，且明显缩短了伤口愈合时间。结论：Ⅰ期根治性手术治疗肛旁脓肿疗效满意，临床使用价值高，值得推广。     

低位切开、高位旷置辅助置管引流治疗肛周脓肿78例的临床观察

目的 评价低位切开、高位旷置辅助置管引流治疗肛周脓肿的临床疗效.方法 采取低位切开、高位旷置辅助置管引流治疗肛周脓肿.结果 手术78例,其中2例后遗肛瘘、1例肛周脓肿复发,治愈率达96%.术后随访,无肛门不完全失禁等并发症的发生.结论 低位切开、高位旷置辅助置管引流治疗肛周脓肿是有效的.     

体部表面线圈磁共振成像对肛瘘的术前诊断价值

目的:探讨体部表面线圈MRI对肛瘘的术前诊断价值。材料和方法:回顾性分析42例肛瘘患者,均于术前进行非增强MRI检查,将MRI结果与手术结果对照。结果:MRI诊断结果与手术结果一致,其中23例为括约肌间型,5例经括约肌型,5例括约肌上型,9例括约肌外型,所有病例中有12例可见肛周脓肿形成。结论:MRI作为一种安全、准确的肛瘘检查方法,对于肛瘘的术前诊断具有非常重要的价值。