Management of early ankle osteoarthritis through anterior joint-preserving surgery: a retrospective evaluation at mid- to long-term follow-up

European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology - Chronic anterior ankle pain is a recognized and straightforward characteristic of anterior impingement syndrome. This retrospective...     

d-mannose powder for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose

To test whether d-mannose powder is effective for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention.

Materials and methods

After initial antibiotic treatment of acute cystitis, 308 women with history of recurrent UTI and no other significant comorbidities were randomly allocated to three groups. The first group (n = 103) received prophylaxis with 2 g of d-mannose powder in 200 ml of water daily for 6 months, the second (n = 103) received 50 mg Nitrofurantoin daily, and the third (n = 102) did not receive prophylaxis.

Results

Overall 98 patients (31.8 %) had recurrent UTI: 15 (14.6) in the d-mannose group, 21 (20.4) in Nitrofurantoin group, and 62 (60.8) in no prophylaxis group, with the rate significantly higher in no prophylaxis group compared to active groups (P < 0.001). Patients in d-mannose group and Nitrofurantoin group had a significantly lower risk of recurrent UTI episode during prophylactic therapy compared to patients in no prophylaxis group (RR 0.239 and 0.335, P < 0.0001). In active groups, 17.9 % of patients reported side effects but they were mild and did not require stopping the prophylaxis. Patients in d-mannose group had a significantly lower risk of side effects compared to patients in Nitrofurantoin group (RR 0.276, P < 0.0001), but the clinical importance of this finding is low because Nitrofurantoin was well tolerated.

Conclusions

In our study, d-mannose powder had significantly reduced the risk of recurrent UTI which was no different than in Nitrofurantoin group. More studies will be needed to validate the results of this study, but initial findings show that d-mannose may be useful for UTI prevention.     

Comparison between leadless and transvenous single-chamber pacemaker therapy in a referral centre for lead extraction

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology - The aim of the study was to compare the long-term clinical and electrical performance of Micra leadless pacemaker with transvenous...     

COVID-19 in IBD: The experience of a single tertiary IBD center

BackgroundItaly has been one of the most affected countries in the world by COVID-19. There has been increasing concern regarding the impact of COVID‐19 on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly in patients treated with immunosuppressants or biologics. The aim of our study is to understand the incidence of COVID-19 in a large cohort of patients with IBD. Furthermore, we analyzed possible risk factors for infection and severity of COVID-19.MethodsThis was an observational study evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on IBD patients in a single tertiary center. A 23 multiple-choice-question anonymous survey was administered to 1200 patients with IBD between March 10th and June 10th 2020.Results1158 questionnaires were analyzed. The majority of patients had Crohn's disease (CD) (60%) and most of them were in clinical remission. Among the 26 patients (2.2%) who tested positive for COVID-19, only 5 (3CD) were on biological treatment and none required hospitalization. Two patients died and were on treatment with mesalazine only. Of the 1158 patients, 521 were on biological therapy, which was discontinued in 85 (16.3%) and delayed in 195 patients (37.4%). A worsening of IBD symptoms was observed in 200 patients on biological therapy (38.4%). Most of these patients, 189 (94.5%), had stopped or delayed biological treatment, while 11 (5.5%) had continued their therapy regularly (p<0.001).ConclusionsOur data are in line with the current literature and confirm a higher incidence compared to the general population. Biological therapy for IBD seems to not be a risk factor for infection and should not be discontinued in order to avoid IBD relapse.     

Replacement of Nerve-Growth Factor by Ganglionic Non-Neuronal Cells for the Survival In Vitro of Dissociated Ganglionic Neurons

Nerve-growth factor is known to cause a considerable increase in the number of neurons putting out processes and surviving in cell cultures of dissociated dorsal-root and sympathetic ganglia from embryonic chicks. Similar effects of nerve-growth factor have now been noted with cultures of dissociated dorsal-root ganglia from newborn mice or rats. In all three sensory ganglionic systems, the effects of the nerve-growth factor on fiber production and neuronal survival could be mimicked, in the absence of the factor, by adequate increase of the non-neuronal cells in the cultures. The results suggest a hypothesis that views the role of the nerve-growth factor as subordinate to that of the non-neuronal cells.