Lactate and Pyruvate Levels in the Testicular Vein of Subfertile Males with Varicocele as a Test for the Theory of Underlying Hypoxia

Lactat- und Pyruvat-Werte in der Vena testicularis von subfertilen Männern als Test für die Theorie der vorhandenen Hypoxie
Um die These von der testikulären Hypoxie bei subfertilen Männern mit Varikocele zu überprüfen wurden die Blutwerte von Lactat und Pyruvat aus der Vena testicularis mit denen einer Kontrollgruppe verglichen. Statistisch ergab sich ein niedrigerer Mittelwert für Lactat und Pyruvat bei den Varikocele-Patienten. Daraus wird die Schlußfolgerung gezogen, daß bei Varikocele keine Akkumulation von Milchsäure erfolgt und daß damit eine Hypoxie ausgeschlossen werden kann. Als die Mittelwerte der Konzentrationen für Lactat und Pyruvat in der Vena testicularis miteinander korreliert wurden, deutete sich an, daß bei Vorhandensein einer Varikocele eine gestörte Glykolyse besteht, die dem Stadium der Pyruvatbildung vorhergeht.     

Octylcyanoacrylate (Dermabond) for skin closure at the time of head and neck surgery: a longitudinal prospective study

OBJECTIVES: A prospective non-randomised evaluation of the octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond) for skin closure in head and neck surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An inception cohort of 52 patients managed by six otorhinolaryngologists head and neck surgeons at a single institution (university teaching and tertiary referral center) during the months of May-July 2004. The length of the skin incision varied from 3 to 30 cm (mean: 7 cm). Morbidity evaluation, longitudinal analysis of the evolution of the scar, and analysis of the degree of satisfaction. RESULTS: Postoperative death was not encountered. The overall morbidity rate was 3.8% (2/52). There was no instances of wound dehiscence's. A subcutaneous abscess was noted in one patient. From an aesthetic point of view, the scar appearance was considered to be slightly retracted during the first postoperative month and to be very good 2 to 4 months from initial surgery. Only one patient developed a minimal cheloid scar. Among the 47 patients who expressed an opinion postoperatively regarding the use of the octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond) for skin closure, the degree of satisfaction was very high due to the ability to take an early shower (40 patients) followed by the lack of skin sutures (5 patients) and the lack of any allergic skin reaction (2 patients). CONCLUSION: At our department, the octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond) for skin closure at the time of head and neck surgery is becoming more and more utilized due to the completion of a solid and aesthetic suture, the ability to take an early shower and the high degree of satisfaction expressed by the patients.     

Precise intraoperative location of gastrointestinal bleeding with a hand-held counter. Work in progress

The nuclear medicine bleeding scan is frequently insufficient to locate sites of bleeding precisely, in spite of its great sensitivity. A small, hand-held Geiger-Müller counter, placed directly on exposed intestine in the operating room, enables precise location of the probable bleeding site. In three patients, the technique allowed a minimal amount of intestine to be resected, distinguished between large- and small-intestinal hemorrhage, and eliminated other foci as sites of bleeding.     

Worksite nutrition education can lower total cholesterol levels and promote weight loss among police department employees.

Individuals who work in law enforcement careers are often subjected to stress that can result in health and emotional disorders. Many police departments have begun to offer wellness programs to support their employees. This pilot study designed and implemented a nutrition education component for an existing police department wellness program. Twenty-eight subjects completed the 12-month study that included nutrition counseling, seminars on nutrition and eating behaviors, and monitoring of weight and blood lipid levels. There was a significant group trend for decreased weight and lower total cholesterol levels. Results of the study led to the development of health policy standards for the Austin (Tex) Police Department. Wellness programs that involve registered dietitians can result in weight loss and lower cholesterol levels for employees in high-stress occupations as well as changes in departmental policy.     

Intralesional vitamin D3 versus intralesional purified protein derivative in treatment of multiple warts: A comparative clinical and immunological study

Intralesional (IL) vitamin D3 is an emerging treatment for cutaneous warts. However, its effectiveness and exact mechanism is not fully evaluated. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of IL purified protein derivative (PPD) and IL vitamin D3 in multiple warts and to investigate their systemic effect clinically and immunologically. Forty‐five patients with multiple extragenital warts were treated with IL‐PPD (22 patients) or IL vitamin D3 injection (23 patients) for a maximum of three sessions at 3 week intervals. Decrease in size and number of warts and adverse effects were evaluated. Serum interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) levels were measured before and 3 weeks after the last session. Higher clearance rates for all warts were observed with IL‐PPD compared to IL vitamin D (59.1% vs. 21.7% complete clearance, p < .001). Significant increase was found in both serum IL‐12 and IFN‐γ after PPD treatment (p = .034 and p = .04, respectively), but only IFN‐γ after vitamin D3 treatment (p = 0.02). Both IL vitamin D3 and PPD showed positive results in treatment of multiple warts. However, PPD showed higher clinical efficacy and more increase in both IL‐12 and IFN‐γ levels.