Postoperative Pain: An Analysis on Evolution of Research in Half-Century

IntroductionExamining the evolution of research parameters helps scientists to discover the well-developed and neglected aspects of knowledge. Pain after root canal treatment is a health problem affecting millions of patients. Research in this field has a meaningful impact on quality of lives. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of research on postoperative pain over the past 50 years.MethodsElectronic searches were performed in Scopus and MEDLINE databases to identify studies on pain after nonsurgical root canal treatments/retreatments. The full texts of eligible articles were reviewed to determine the study category and to extract and analyze the methodological variables. A series of statistical analyses were performed to determine the trend of publications based on the variable of interest over time.ResultsFour hundred twenty-four articles were included. There was a positive trend for systematic reviews, studies with sample size <200, studies on single-visit treatment, and clinical trials on instrumentation and adjunct treatments (P < .05). There was a negative trend for the use of numeric rating scales, studies on multiple-visit treatments, clinical trials on medication/medicament, and studies on pain in maxillary incisors (P < .05). No trend was observed based on pulpal diagnosis or for studies with longer observation periods (>8 weeks) (P > .05).ConclusionsA paradigm shift is needed toward clinical studies with larger sample sizes, longer observation periods, and more focus on pulpal diagnoses associated with higher rates of postoperative pain. There is a need to view postoperative pain as an important patient-centered outcome and to develop and disseminate standard reporting guidelines for future studies.     

Correction to: Dry mouth: saliva substitutes which adsorb and modify existing salivary condition films improve oral lubrication

Clinical Oral Investigations - After publication of this paper, the authors observed that that figure 6 appears before figure 5.     

Clinical outcome of living donor kidney transplantation across simultaneous ABO and HLA incompatibility: Single center experience of first ten cases

Background and aimsPreconditioning using different protocols has been tested to prevent antibody mediated rejection (ABMR) individually for ABO and HLA incompatibility. However, simultaneous presence of both barriers is still less explored. The aim of this study was to report outcomes of institutional desensitization protocol in renal transplant recipients with simultaneous ABO and HLA incompatibility.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective study conducted from October 2015 to December 2018. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD), who were prospective coexistent HLA and ABO incompatible renal transplant recipients were included in the study. Patients were followed up and graft function and patient survival was assessed at 1 y from the date of transplant.ResultsMedian and mode baseline anti-A titers were 64, while median and mode baseline anti-B titers were 256. All recipients were discharged by tenth postoperative day. None of the patients had any bleeding complications. Post transplant infection rate was found to be 20 %. A total of 54 therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) procedures were performed before transplant and 8 were performed after transplant. Graft survival and patient survival was 100 % at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Range and mean follow-up period was 15–42 months and 23 months respectively. Mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 1 y using the CKD-EPI equation was 85.25 ± 13.76 mL/min. Biopsy proven ABMR was observed in one case only which was managed with TPE and immunosuppression.ConclusionSimultaneous ABO and HLA incompatibility in renal transplant recipients can be managed successfully with adequate preconditioning and careful monitoring.     

An observational study assessing the pathways to care among treatment seeking users of natural opiates

Abstract

Background: Natural opiate users constitute a large proportion of opioid dependent individuals in India, and enjoy socio-cultural sanction in certain parts of the country. However, no study has assessed the pathways to care among this population in India.

Objective: To assess the pathways to care among treatment-seeking natural opiate dependent individuals.

Method: This cross sectional, explorative study was conducted at a tertiary care drug treatment centre located in North India. A total of 125 male participants aged >18?years, seeking treatment for natural opiate dependence from our outpatient clinic were included. A semi-structured proforma and WHO mental health encounter form was applied to assess socio-demographic, treatment details and pathways to care.

Results: The mean age was 46.17 (±11.98) years. Poppy husk (phukki/doda/posht) was the most common primary natural opiate used (84%). First point of treatment contact was addiction psychiatrist (n?=?90; 72%) in majority. First time treatment seeking was either by self-referral (60.8%) or referral by relatives and friends (24.8%) with mean time lag of 18.63?years after the onset.

Conclusion: Natural opiates dependent patients seek treatment late in the course of their illness, often directly from a tertiary addiction treatment centre. Barriers to seek treatment needs to be addressed.     

An Anatomical Study to Demonstrate the Proximity of Kirschner Wires to Structures at Risk in Percutaneous Pinning of Distal Radius Fractures

Distal radius fractures are often treated using percutaneous Kirschner wires (K-wires). The sensory nerves in this area, extensor tendons, radial artery and cephalic vein are at risk of injury in this procedure. We undertook a cadaveric investigation to identify probability of damage to these ‘at risk’ structures by measuring their distances in relation to standard K-wire sites. Nine upper limbs from six formalin-preserved cadavers were studied. Four K-wires were placed percutaneously simulating fixation of a distal radius fracture. Careful dissection was done preserving the original position of neurovascular and tendinous structures. Distances to relevant soft-tissue structures from each K-wire were measured using an electronic digital caliper. Distance of superficial nerves from radial styloid and Lister’s tubercle was measured to determine their ‘safe distance’ from these fixed landmarks. None of the superficial nerves were injured by a K-wire. Cephalic vein had been pierced on 4 occasions (4/18) and extensor tendons on 3 occasions (3/18). Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare distance of the superficial nerves from radial styloid and Lister tubercle, and the latter was found to be the safer option. This study highlights the inherent danger in percutaneous K-wire fixation of wrist fractures. Limited size of the area, where K-wires can be positioned, and anatomic variations of neurovascular structures pose obstacles in developing guidelines for reducing risk of injury. We advocate use of mini-open approach and guiding devices to avert complications of inadvertent impalement and damage to these structures.     

Integrated nanotechnology platform for tumor-targeted multimodal imaging and therapeutic cargo release

A major challenge of targeted molecular imaging and drug delivery in cancer is establishing a functional combination of ligand-directed cargo with a triggered release system. Here we develop a hydrogel-based nanotechnology platform that integrates tumor targeting, photon-to-heat conversion, and triggered drug delivery within a single nanostructure to enable multimodal imaging and controlled release of therapeutic cargo. In proof-of-concept experiments, we show a broad range of ligand peptide-based applications with phage particles, heat-sensitive liposomes, or mesoporous silica nanoparticles that self-assemble into a hydrogel for tumor-targeted drug delivery. Because nanoparticles pack densely within the nanocarrier, their surface plasmon resonance shifts to near-infrared, thereby enabling a laser-mediated photothermal mechanism of cargo release. We demonstrate both noninvasive imaging and targeted drug delivery in preclinical mouse models of breast and prostate cancer. Finally, we applied mathematical modeling to predict and confirm tumor targeting and drug delivery. These results are meaningful steps toward the design and initial translation of an enabling nanotechnology platform with potential for broad clinical applications.A long-term goal in contemporary cancer nanomedicine has been to design and generate drug delivery systems that improve the narrow therapeutic window associated with conventional chemotherapeutics (1, 2). Conceptually, several nanotechnology-based entity candidates, including protocells (3), biosynthetic nanoparticles (NPs), viruses, and liposome-based nanoparticles, could be targeted for active delivery through a defined cell surface ligand receptor system and/or physically triggered for finely tuned cargo release (2, 4, 5).Numerous efforts have been made to functionalize NPs by combining them with antibodies, aptamers, peptides, vitamins, or carbohydrates (6–8), but the majority of studies involve untargeted nanoplatforms (4, 9). In practice, targeting NPs is far from trivial, and ongoing challenges include synthesis and purification, selection of an appropriate ligand receptor, and specific composition for NP conjugation. Even the conjugation reaction itself may alter the binding of the tumor-targeting moiety to its receptor through conformational changes, steric freedom restriction, or orientation distortion (10, 11). Unfortunately, the cost-to-benefit ratio of these modifications often elevate the complexity of the NP synthesis, complicating regulatory hurdles because of formulations that are heterogeneous or difficult to reproduce (10, 12, 13).To minimize such drawbacks, NPs can be functionalized via virus-based nanoplatforms as an alternative for targeted cargo delivery (14–16). In particular, filamentous bacteriophage (phage)—a prokaryotic virus—is an attractive candidate to develop a bionanomedicine for cancer therapeutics because phage particles are cost-effectively produced with biological uniformity, as well as being physically robust and stable under harsh conditions (17). Notably, phage-based nanoplatforms are biocompatible and nonpathogenic with eukaryotic organisms and are able to preserve the desired cell targeting and internalization (18). Moreover, phage particles are ideal for incorporating other NPs, which can be released after reaching the tumor site. An admixture of colloidal gold NP (AuNP) with phage particles spontaneously organizes into hydrogel network-like fractal structures (19, 20). These hydrogel networks offer convenient multifunctional integration within a single entity for tumor targeting, enhanced fluorescence and dark-field microscopy, near-infrared (NIR) photon-to-heat conversion, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection (20, 21).In the present work, we developed a tumor targeting theranostic (meaning a combination of therapeutics and diagnostics) hydrogel-based nanoplatform that enables ligand-directed tumor targeting, multimodal imaging capability, and triggered therapeutic cargo release. Our data suggest that targeted hydrogel photothermal therapy represents a functional theranostic approach (fostering “see and treat, treat and see”) in the diagnosis and management of tumors.