Managing scaphoid fractures. How we do it?

The scaphoid is the common carpal bone to be fractured. Proper clinical and radiological evaluation is required to establish it's diagnosis. The management of acute fractures includes conservative treatment with cast in minimally displaced to open reduction and internal fixation in case of displaced ones. The established nonunion requires open reduction, bone grafting and internal fixation.     

Progress and prospects in the management of bacterial infections and developments in Phytotherapeutic modalities

The advent of antibiotics revolutionized medical care resulting in significantly reduced mortality and morbidity caused by infectious diseases. However, excessive use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance and indeed, the incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is considered as a major disadvantage in medication strategy, which has led the scholar's attention towards innovative antibiotic sources in recent years. Medicinal plants contain a variety of secondary metabolites with a wide range of therapeutic potential against the resistant microbes. Therefore, the aim of this review is to explore the antibacterial potential of traditional herbal medicine against bacterial infections. More than 200 published research articles reporting the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants against drug-resistant microbial infections were searched using different databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), etc., with various keywords like medicinal plants having antibacterial activities, antimicrobial potentials, phytotherapy of bacterial infection, etc. Articles were selected related to the efficacious herbs easily available to local populations addressing common pathogens. Various plants such as Artocarpus communis, Rheum emodi, Gentiana lutea L., Cassia fistula L., Rosemarinus officinalis, Argemone maxicana L, Hydrastis canadensis, Citrus aurantifolia, Cymbopogon citrates, Carica papaya, Euphorbia hirta, etc, were found to have significant antibacterial activities. Although herbal preparations have promising potential in the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, still more research is required to isolate phytoconstituents, their mechanism of action as well as to find their impacts on the human body.     

History,indications, and advantages of orthopaedic operating room tables: a review

European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology - Although surgical procedures have been occurring as early at 6500 BC, the modern sense of the operating room (OR) did not exist until...     

Evaluating Possible Mechanisms Linking Obesity to COVID-19: a Narrative Review

Obesity Surgery - Currently, pneumonia caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic. To date, there is no specific antiviral treatment for the disease, and universal access to...     

Phytochemical constituents,biological activities,and health‐promoting effects of the genus Origanum

Origanum species are mostly distributed around the Mediterranean, Euro‐Siberian, and Iran‐Siberian regions. Since time immemorial, the genus has popularly been used in Southern Europe, as well as on the American continent as a spice now known all over the world under the name “oregano” or “pizza‐spice.” Origanum plants are also employed to prepare bitter tinctures, wines, vermouths, beer, and kvass. The major components of Origanum essential oil are various terpenes, phenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids with predominant occurrence of carvacrol and thymol (with reasonable amounts of p‐cymen and ‐terpinene) or of terpinene‐4‐ol, linalool, and sabinene hydrate. Many species of Origanum genus are used to treat kidney, digestive, nervous, and respiratory disorders, spasms, sore throat, diabetes, lean menstruation, hypertension, cold, insomnia, toothache, headache, epilepsy, urinary tract infections, etc. Origanum essential oil showed potent bioactivities owing to its major constituents' carvacrol, thymol, and monoterpenes. Several preclinical studies evidenced its pharmacological potential as antiproliferative or anticancer, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, anti‐obesity, renoprotective, antiinflammatory, vasoprotective, cardioprotective, antinociceptive, insecticidal, and hepatoprotective properties. Its nanotechnological applications as a promising pharmaceutical in order to enhance the solubility, physicochemical stability, and the accumulation rate of its essential oils have been investigated. However, Origanum has been reported causing angioedema, perioral dermatitis, allergic reaction, inhibition of platelet aggregation, hypoglycemia, and abortion. Conclusive evidences are still required for its clinical applications against human medical conditions. Toxicity analyses and risk assessment will aid to its safe and efficacious application. In addition, elaborate structure–activity studies are needed to explore the potential use of Origanum‐derived phytochemicals as promising drug candidates.     

MRI-targeted biopsy for detecting prostate cancer: have the guidelines changed our practices and our prostate cancer detection rate?

International Urology and Nephrology - In our center, until 2018, MRI-targeted biopsy was underused. Since January 2018, we systematically performed MRI-targeted biopsy for suspicious...     

Methylphenidate vs. resperidone in treatment of methamphetamine dependence: A clinical trial

Background and aims

Currently, there is no widely accepted evidence-based pharmacotherapy regime for the treatment of psychostimulant dependence. Yet, different pharmacological approaches have been tried in the treatment of MA addiction. The present study was conducted to compare efficiency of methylphenidate which is relatively easily accessible in our country, with resperidone for this purpose.

Methods

Eighty-six patients with MA dependence according to criteria defined by DSM IV-TR were divided into two groups. Patients in group R were given oral resperidone 1 mg daily for 1 week; then 2 mg daily in a divided dose for 3 weeks. Patients in group M were given oral methylphenidate 10 mg daily for 2 weeks, 7.5 mg daily for 1 week, then 5 mg daily for 1 week. They were evaluated for drug craving, psychological, neurologic and somatic symptoms at the start and end of the study.

Findings

Both drugs were useful for lowering drug craving in patients; however resperidone was more effective (6.31 ± 8.31 vs.19.6 ± 12.45 cravings per week, respectively). The effects of resperidone were more notable in lowering frequency and intensity of psychiatric, neurologic, cardiac and somatic symptoms of the patients after discontinuation of MA abuse; however methylphenidate was effective too; though with a lower potency.

Conclusion

The present study confirmed that both methylphenidate and resperidone can successfully be used for treatment of MA dependence, in order to reduce drug craving and psychological, neurologic, and somatic problems in patients. However, the efficacy of methylphenidate was estimated to be less than that of resperidone for this purpose.     

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea treatment on left atrial volume and left atrial volume index

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and increased left atrial volume (LAV) both independently increase cardiovascular mortality. We hypothesized that treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may decrease LAV. We retrospectively identified 47 OSA patients receiving CPAP who had echocardiograms done before and after polysomnography. Compliance was defined as CPAP use at-least five nights weekly and 5 h per night. The compliant group (n = 23) had a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP; 4.4 ± 8.9 mmHg, p < 0.05) and mean arterial pressure (MAP; 4.7 ± 10.3 mmHg, p < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed in the noncompliant group (n = 24). LAV data were available in 13 compliant and 20 noncompliant patients. LAV decreased nonsignificantly (3.54 ± 16.6 mL, n = 13, p = 0.65) in CPAP-compliant patients, while it increased (15.47 ± 22.3 mL, n = 20, p < 0.006) in noncompliant patients. Similar changes were seen in the LAV index. Untreated OSA was associated with an increase in LAV and LAV index without significant changes in blood pressure. Treatment of OSA was associated with a decrease in DBP and MAP with a nonsignificant decrease in LAV. Treatment of OSA may prevent adverse left atrial remodeling. There are no conflicts of interest or financial disclosures for any of the authors.