Long-Term Results of Surgical Intervention on the Temporomandibular Joint

Between 1973–1987, 40 patients (51 joints) underwent 71 surgical procedures on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Indications for surgery included painful TM dysfunction, not alleviated by conservative treatment of at least 12 months' duration, or complete anterior disk dislocation not responding to conservative treatment for three to six months. The incidence of surgical treatment in the period 1983–1987 was 4.1% in a group of 679 patients. The mean follow-up is 5.8 years (range 1–15 years).

At the follow-up examination (37/51) 72.5% of the treated joints appeared to have an excellent or good result; however, 14/51 joints had one or more reoperations (= 14/40 patients: 35%).

The first surgical procedure on the TMJ resulted in an excellent or good result in 29/51 (57%) joints: 6/14 (= 42.9%) high condylectomies; 5/8 (= 62.5%) high condylectomies with a plication procedure; 15/24 (= 62.5%) plication procedure only; 2/2 silastic implants. After one or more reoperations, these figures improved to 10/14 (71%) high condylectomies, 7/8 (87.5%) high condylectomies with a plication procedure, 17/24 (70.8%) plication procedures.

Radiographic changes, including flattening of the condyle, lack of condylar contour, erosion, sclerosis, subcondral cysts, and osteophytes were seen in all (16/16) patients in which a high condylectomy was performed. Out of 22 joints in which only a disk repositioning and plication procedure was performed, only 4/22 showed radiographic changes. The radiographic status was not correlated to the clinical picture at the time of the follow-up examination.     

PEGylated Carboxyhemoglobin Bovine (SANGUINATE): Results of a Phase I Clinical Trial

PEGylated carboxyhemoglobin bovine (SANGUINATE) is a dual action carbon monoxide releasing (CO)/oxygen (O₂) transfer agent for the treatment of hypoxia. Its components inhibit vasoconstriction, decrease extravasation, limit reactive oxygen species production, enhance blood rheology, and deliver oxygen to the tissues. Animal models of cerebral ischemia, peripheral ischemia, and myocardial ischemia demonstrated SANGUINATE's efficacy in reducing myocardial infarct size, limiting necrosis from cerebral ischemia, and promoting more rapid recovery from hind limb ischemia. In a Phase I trial, three cohorts of eight healthy volunteers received single ascending doses of 80, 120, or 160 mg/kg of SANGUINATE. Two volunteers within each cohort served as a saline control. There were no serious adverse events. Serum haptoglobin decreased, but did not appear to be dose related. The T_1/2 was dose dependent and ranged from 7.9 to 13.8 h. In addition to the Phase I trial, SANGUINATE was used under an expanded access emergency Investigational New Drug. SANGUINATE was found to be safe and well tolerated in a Phase I clinical trial, and therefore it will advance into further clinical trials in patients.     

Door to balloon time in patients presenting with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction and time factors influencing it; an observational study from a tertiary care teaching hospital in India

The objective of this prospective observational study was to assess the door-to-balloon time (D2B), in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients and the time factors influencing it. The following timeframes were measured during the study: ED to ECG time, ED to coronary care unit time (ED2CCU), consent time, post-consent to balloon time (POSTCONSENT2B) and D2B. Effective D2B was 54 ± 12.2 min. Of the dependent variables, D2B had a strong positive correlation (ρ = 0.903) with consent time. This study sheds light on consent time a previously unrecognized entity as a significantly influencing factor for the D2B time.     

Survival of pre-viable preterm infants in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of this paper is to review observational studies that addressed the survival of pre-viable gestations in the United States. We searched PubMed, Ovid, CINAHL, and Web of Knowledge for studies reporting survival of infants born at <24 gestational weeks and/or <500 g in the United States and published between January 2003 and January 2013. The full texts of 70 articles were examined and a total of 15 studies qualified and were selected. We analyzed fixed-effect and random-effects models for eight studies on survival to discharge. Pooled survival to discharge in the random-effects model was 45.9% (95% CI: 41.1–51.7) and 39.7% in the fixed-effect model (95% CI: 38.8–40.7). Studies differed by pre-viable survival measures and epochs (1985–2009). Protective factors included antenatal corticosteroids, neonatal resuscitation, and intensive care. The current survival threshold for pre-viable infants warrants reconsideration of the limits of viability. Protective factors that enhance survival should be considered in the management of these infants.     

Over-the-counter medications containing diphenhydramine and doxylamine used by older adults to improve sleep

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background The unintentional misuse of over-the-counter sleep aids among older adults is an important public health problem and a focus of Healthy...