scholarly journals Effect of Celliant® armbands on grip strength in subjects with chronic wrist and elbow pain: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian L. Gordon ◽  
Seth Casden ◽  
Michael R. Hamblin
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Ir Radiation ◽  
Elbow Pain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Purpose This study aims to test the effects of Celliant armbands on grip strength in subjects with chronic wrist and elbow pain. Celliant® is a functional textile fabric containing minerals that emit infrared radiation (IR) in response to body heat. IR-emitting fabrics have biological effects including the reduction of pain and inflammation and the stimulation of muscle function. Design/methodology/approach A randomized placebo-controlled trial recruited 80 subjects (40 per group) with a six-month history of chronic wrist or elbow pain (carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis or arthritis) to wear an armband (real Celliant or placebo fabric) on the affected wrist or elbow for two weeks. Grip strength was measured by a dynamometer before and after the two-week study. Findings For the placebo group, the mean grip strength increased from 47.95 ± 25.14 (baseline) to 51.69 ± 27.35 (final), whereas for the Celliant group, it increased from 46.3 ± 22.02 to 54.1 ± 25.97. The mean per cent increase over the two weeks was +7.8% for placebo and +16.8% for Celliant (p = 0.0372). No adverse effects was observed. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the wide variation in grip strength in the participants at baseline measurement, which meant that only the percentage increase between baseline and final measurements showed a significant difference. Moreover, no subjective measurements of pain or objective neurophysiology testes was done. Practical implications Celliant armbands are easy to wear and have not been shown to produce any adverse effects. Therefore, there appears to be no barrier to prevent widespread uptake. Social implications IR-emitting textiles have been studied for their beneficial effects, both in patients diagnosed with various disorders and also in healthy volunteers for health and wellness purposes. Although there are many types of textile technology that might be used to produce IR-emitting fabrics, including coating of the fabric with a printed layer of ceramic material, incorporating discs of mineral into the garment, the authors feel that incorporating ceramic particles into the polymer fibers from which the fabric is woven is likely to be the most efficient way of achieving the goal. Originality/value Celliant armbands appear to be effective in painful upper limb inflammatory disorders, and further studies are warranted. The mechanism of action is not completely understood, but the hypothesis that the emitted IR radiation is absorbed by nanostructured intracellular water provides some theoretical justification.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for intracranial metastatic melanoma: a 6-year experience

2002 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 494-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Gonzalez-martinez ◽  
Laura Hernandez ◽  
Lucia Zamorano ◽  
Andrew Sloan ◽  
Kenneth Levin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prognostic Factors ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Metastatic Melanoma ◽  
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Karnofsky Performance Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the effectiveness of stereotactic radiosurgery for intracranial metastatic melanoma and to identify prognostic factors related to tumor control and survival that might be helpful in determining appropriate therapy. Methods. Twenty-four patients with intracranial metastases (115 lesions) metastatic from melanoma underwent radiosurgery. In 14 patients (58.3%) whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) was performed, and in 12 (50%) chemotherapy was conducted before radiosurgery. The median tumor volume was 4 cm3 (range 1–15 cm3). The mean dose was 16.4 Gy (range 13–20 Gy) prescribed to the 50% isodose at the tumor margin. All cases were categorized according to the Recursive Partitioning Analysis classification for brain metastases. Univariate and multivariate analyses of survival were performed to determine significant prognostic factors affecting survival. The mean survival was 5.5 months after radiosurgery. The analyses revealed no difference in terms of survival between patients who underwent WBRT or chemotherapy and those who did not. A significant difference (p < 0.05) in mean survival was observed between patients receiving immunotherapy or those with a Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score of greater than 90. Conclusions. The treatment with systemic immunotherapy and a KPS score greater than 90 were factors associated with a better prognosis. Radiosurgery for melanoma-related brain metastases appears to be an effective treatment associated with few complications.

Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping Reduced Anemic Outcome in Preterm Neonate

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-700
Keyword(s):  
Intraventricular Hemorrhage ◽  
Preterm Neonate ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Preterm Neonates ◽  
Maternal Outcomes ◽  
Delayed Cord Clamping ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cord Clamping ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Objective: To compare the effects of immediate versus delayed cord clamping on neonatal outcomes in preterm neonates of gestational age of 32 to 36⁺⁶ weeks, and maternal outcomes. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, in Bangkok, Thailand. The study compared the effects of immediate to delayed cord clamping at 60 seconds among preterm neonates born between 32 weeks, 0 day and 36 weeks, 6 days of gestation between August and October 2018. Results: The mean age of the participants was 26 years old, and half of the cases were nulliparous. One hundred ten women were randomly separated into two equal groups (n=55). Delayed cord clamping at 60 seconds increased hematocrit levels (Hct) in both two (p=0.004) and 48 (p<0.001) hours after delivery compared to the immediate cord clamping group. There were no differences in exposing the neonate to hypothermia, hypoxemia, Apgar score at 1-minute, polycythemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, hyperbilirubinemia, length of stay in hospital, and affecting the process of resuscitation. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in maternal outcomes such as retained placenta and postpartum hemorrhage. Conclusion: Delayed cord clamping at 60 seconds increased Hct in the newborn at two to 48 hours after birth. There was no significant difference in adverse maternal and neonatal complications within both groups. Keywords: Delayed cord clamping, Hematocrit, Preterm

TOP-PRO study: A randomized double-blind controlled trial of topiramate versus propranolol for prevention of chronic migraine

Cephalalgia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 033310242110474
Author(s):  
Debashish Chowdhury ◽  
Luv Bansal ◽  
Ashish Duggal ◽  
Debabrata Datta ◽  
Ankit Mundra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Chronic Migraine ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Preventive Treatment ◽  
Point Estimate ◽  
Tolerability Profile ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Objective The aim of the TOP-PRO-study, a double-blind randomized controlled trial, was to assess the efficacy (non-inferiority) and tolerability of propranolol compared to topiramate for the prevention of chronic migraine. Background Except for topiramate, oral preventive treatment for chronic migraine lacks credible evidence. Methods Chronic migraine patients aged above 18 years and less than 65 years of age, not on any preventive treatment were randomly allocated to receive topiramate (100 mg/day) or propranolol (160 mg/day). The primary efficacy outcome was the mean change in migraine days per 28 days at the end of 24 weeks from baseline. A mean difference of 1.5 days per four weeks was chosen as the cut-off delta value. Multiple secondary efficacy outcomes and treatment emergent adverse events were also assessed. Results As against the planned sample size of 244, only 175 patients could be enrolled before the spread of the corona virus disease-2019 pandemic and enforcement of lockdown in India. Of the 175 randomized patients, 95 (topiramate 46 and propranolol 49) completed the trial. The mean change in migraine days was −5.3 ± 1.2 vs −7.3 ± 1.1 days (p = 0.226) for topiramate and propranolol groups respectively. Propranolol was found to be non-inferior and not superior to topiramate (point estimate of −1.99 with a 95% confidence interval of −5.23 to 1.25 days). Multiple secondary outcomes also did not differ between the two groups. Intention to treat analysis of 175 patients and per-protocol analysis of 95 patients yielded concordant results. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups. Conclusion Propranolol (160mg/day) was non-inferior, non-superior to topiramate (100mg/day) for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine and had a comparable tolerability profile. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials Registry-India CTRI/2019/05/018997)

scholarly journals Open release versus radiofrequency microtenotomy in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective randomized controlled trial

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Hamlin ◽  
Christopher Munro ◽  
Scott L. Barker ◽  
Sean McKenna ◽  
Kapil Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Numerical Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Lateral Epicondylitis ◽  
Open Release ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Significant Difference

Background Optimal surgical treatment of lateral epicondylitis remains uncertain. Recently, radiofrequency microtenotomy (RFMT) has been proposed as a suitable treatment. We compared RFMT with standard open release (OR) in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods In total, 41 patients with symptoms for at least 6 months were randomized into two groups: 23 patients had RFMT and 18 had OR. Two patients from RFMT withdrew. Each patient underwent Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain score, grip strength and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores pre-operatively and at 6 weeks. Pain and DASH scores were repeated at 6 months and 12 months. Results NRS pain scores improved by 4.8 points for RFMT and by 3.9 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Grip strength improved by 31% in the RFMT group compared to 38% in OR. There was no significant difference between the initial and 6 weeks scores or between treatments. At 1 year, DASH was 39.8 points for RFMT and 24.4 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Conclusions Both groups showed significant improvements and similar benefit to the patient. The results of the present study do not show any benefit of RFMT over the standard OR. As a result of the extra expense of RFMT, we therefore recommend that OR is offered as the standard surgical management.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for elective neurosurgery

1988 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Bullock ◽  
James R. van Dellen ◽  
William Ketelbey ◽  
S. Gustav Reinach
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Prophylactic Antibiotics ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotic ◽  
Wound Sepsis ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
To Receive

✓ In this study, 417 patients undergoing “clean” elective neurosurgical operative procedures were randomized to receive a broad-spectrum antibiotic (piperacillin) or placebo given as three perioperative doses, each 6 hours apart. Randomization was carried out by hospital pharmacists, and the investigators remained blinded until the end of the study. Twenty cases were excluded from analysis because either an unforeseen second operation was performed or antibiotic therapy was initiated within 30 days after surgery to treat infection or the risk of infection. Twelve of the 205 patients treated with placebo developed postoperative wound sepsis, and four of the 192 piperacillin-treated patients developed wound sepsis — a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05, Fisher's exact test). Piperacillin thus appeared to reduce the incidence of neurosurgical wound infection in this study.

scholarly journals A randomized controlled trial comparing oxytocin administration before and after placental delivery in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage in a tertiary care hospital in Bankura district of West Bengal, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1976
Author(s):  
Rahul Kirtania ◽  
Jayita Pal ◽  
Sisir Biswas ◽  
Aditi Aich
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Blood Loss ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Normal Delivery ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Background: PPH is the prime cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The incidence of PPH can be drastically combatted by application of uterotonic in active management of third stage labour. Timing of its administration is a matter of concern. This study aimed to assess whether timing of administration of oxytocin would have any impact on incidence or mean blood loss of PPH.Methods: It was a single blinded randomized controlled trial conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bankura Sammilani Medical College for 6 months where 100 antenatal mothers admitted for normal delivery in labour room were allocated randomly in study and control group considering inclusion and exclusion criteria. Incidence of PPH and mean blood loss had been identified clinically by following them for 24 hours.Results: Only 9% of study population had experienced PPH. There was no statistically significant difference in incidence of PPH with difference in timing of administration of oxytocin (p >0.05). But there was statistically significant decrease in mean blood loss if oxytocin was administered before the placental delivery. The mean blood loss with oxytocin administered before placental delivery was 296.8 ml (102.45) and after placental delivery was 452.0 (128.87) ml respectively.Conclusions: Policy makers should keep in mind not only the incidence of PPH, but the mean blood loss amount too in a setting where anaemia in pregnancy is quite prevalent.

scholarly journals Efficacy and safety of a centrally acting analgesic flupirtine in primary knee osteoarthritis in comparison to tramadol: a randomized controlled trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Tanmoy Kanti Goswami ◽  
Pradip Kumar Ghoshal ◽  
Avijit Hazra ◽  
Asish Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Opioid Analgesics ◽  
Womac Score ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Knee Oa ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Considerable Morbidity

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative joint disorder responsible for considerable morbidity, particularly in old age. Flupirtine, a new centrally acting analgesic, is devoid of the adverse effects of NSAIDs and opioid analgesics. In this study author compared the effectiveness and safety of flupirtine with tramadol in knee OA.Methods: An open label, randomized, controlled trial was done with patients of primary knee OA of both sexes, age >50 years. Patients were recruited from Rheumatology OPD of SSKM Hospital. A minimum WOMAC score of 35 was essential for recruitment. Patients with serious comorbidities were excluded. They were treated orally with either flupirtine (100mg thrice daily) or tramadol (50mg thrice daily) for 12 weeks.Results: Ninety patients were recruited and data of 42 on flupirtine and 41 on tramadol were analysed. There was significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function compared to baseline in both the groups. However, there was no significant difference between groups at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Responder rate (50% reduction in pain score from baseline) was 66.67% with flupirtine and 48.78% with tramadol (p = 0.122). Flupirtine caused 4 adverse events compared to 16 with tramadol. However, both the drugs were well-tolerated.Conclusions: The effectiveness of flupirtine in knee OA is comparable to tramadol, while causing minimal adverse effects. Long-term benefits need to be explored.

Ventricular volume change in childhood

2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 584-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Xenos ◽  
Spyros Sgouros ◽  
Kalyan Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Difference ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Ventricular Volume ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ventricular Volumes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The aim of this study was to construct a model of age-related changes in ventricular volume in a group of normal children ages 1 month to 15 years, which could be used for comparative studies of cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders and cerebral atrophy developmental syndromes. Methods. A magnetic resonance imaging—based segmentation technique was used to measure ventricular volumes in normal children; each volume was then plotted against the child's age. In addition, intracranial volumes were measured and the ratio of ventricular to intracranial volume was calculated and plotted against age. The study group included 71 normal children, 39 boys and 32 girls, whose ages ranged from 1 month to 15.3 years (mean 84.9 months, median 79 months). The mean ventricular volume was 21.3 cm3 for the whole group, 22.7 cm3 in boys and 19.6 cm3 in girls (p = 0.062, according to t-tests). The mean ventricular volume at 12 months for the whole group was 17 cm3 (20 cm3 in boys and 15 cm3 in girls), representing 65% of the volume achieved by 15 years of age (87% in boys and 53% in girls). The volume increased by a factor of 1.53, to 26 cm3 (23 cm3 in males and 28 cm3 in females, increase factors of 1.15 and 1.86, respectively) at 15 years of age. The change in ventricular volume with age is not linear, but follows a segmental pattern. These age periods were defined as: 0 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 10, and 11 to 16 years. A statistical difference based on sex was only demonstrated in the first 6 years of life. The mean ventricular volume for the first 6-year period was 22.4 cm3 in boys and 15.7 cm3 in girls, and the difference was significant for the two sexes (linear regression analysis for age and sex, significant according to analysis of variance regression at 0.007, p = 0.108 for age, p = 0.012 for sex). Thereafter, there was no significant difference in ventricular volume between boys and girls with further growth. The ratio of ventricular volume to intracranial volume was 0.0175 for the whole group, 0.017 in boys and 0.018 in girls (p = 0.272, according to t-tests). At 12 months of age the ratio was 0.019; it stabilized to 0.015 at 8 years of age, and increased to 0.018 at 15 years of age. No statistical difference based on sex was demonstrated with growth. Conclusions. The ventricular volume in normal children increases with age by a factor of 1.5; the increase is in a nonlinear segmental pattern. Boys have significantly higher ventricular volumes only in the first 6 years of life. The ventricular/intracranial volume ratio remains stable throughout childhood.

To Compare the Recurrence Rate of Strictures after Internal Optical Urethrotomy with Intralesional Injection of Mitomycin C versus without Mitomycin C Injection in Patients Presenting with Anterior Urethral Stricture

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2856-2858
Author(s):  
Ismat Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Waqar Shahid ◽  
Muhammad Azeem Mughal ◽  
Rahat Usman
Keyword(s):  
Mitomycin C ◽  
Recurrence Rate ◽  
Urethral Stricture ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
P Value ◽  
Intralesional Injection ◽  
Corpus Spongiosum ◽  
Indwelling Catheter ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean

Background: The urethral strictures occurred due to narrowing of urethra. These may occur after an injury or ureteral or excretory system diseases, due to the injury to urothelium or corpus spongiosum that lead to the development of scar tissues. Mitomycin C can be used as chemotherapeutic agent because of its quality of being anti-tumour actions. Aim: To compare the recurrence rate of strictures after internal optical urethrotomy with intralesional injection of Mitomycin C versus without Mitomycin C injection in patients presenting with anterior urethral stricture. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Urology, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from 5th September 2016 to 5th March 2017. Methodology: Sixty male patients age 18-70 years, diagnosed with anterior (penile and bulbar) urethral stricture up to 2.0cm were included. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; Group A patients were treated with internal optical urethrotomy alone and Group B patients treated with internal optical urethrotomy with intralesional injection of Mitomycin C. After the procedure, an 18F or 20F indwelling catheter left for 7 days. After 6 months, surgical site evaluated and if stricture again developed, then recurrence labeled. Results: The mean age was 39.32±11.38 years, mean duration of stricture was 6.85±3.32 months and the mean stricture size was 1.21±0.45 cm. The recurrence occurred in 18 (30%) patients. Significant difference was noted for recurrence in both groups (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: The recurrence rate with anterior urethral stricture is significantly lower in with Mitomycin C as compared to without Mitomycin C. Keywords: Recurrence, Urethral stricture, Mitomycin C

scholarly journals Effect of probiotic consumption on increasing the CD4+ T cell counts among Iranian patients living with HIV

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-133
Author(s):  
Hamid Emadi-Koochak ◽  
Zeinab Siami ◽  
Jayran zebardast ◽  
SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi ◽  
Ali Asadollahi-Amin
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Antiretroviral Drugs ◽  
Cd4 Count ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cd4 Counts ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Living With Hiv

Purpose During the ART era, persistent immune activation remains a significant challenge in people living with HIV (PLWH). Microbial translocation play an essential role in this setting. Probiotics have several immunological benefits which can reverse this process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the safety and efficacy of probiotics on CD4 counts among Iranian PLWH. Design/methodology/approach In total, 50 PLWH with CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3 did not receive ART participated in a randomized, double-blind trial and underwent 24 weeks of treatment with either LactoCare® or placebo twice daily. CD4 counts of the patients were measured at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 later in the two groups. Side effects were measured monthly using a specific checklist. Findings The mean CD4 count of the patients showed a significant difference between the two groups after six months. Through six months follow up, the mean CD4 count of the patients showed a significant reduction as compared to the baseline in the placebo group; however, it did not show a significant difference in the probiotic group. Repeated Measures Anova test showed a significant effect for time × treatment interaction on the CD4 count during the trial course. No significant difference between the two groups concerning adverse events was reported. Originality/value It seems the use of probiotics in PLWH with a CD4 count above 350 cells/mm3 who are not receiving antiretroviral drugs is safe and can reduce the devastating process of CD4+ T cells in these patients.

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