Towards a discretely actuated steerable cannula for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

SummaryIn 1995, the management of the University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf proposed to establish a total quality assurance (QA) system. A revised QA-system has been introduced stepwise in the department of nuclear medicine since 1997, and certification was achieved in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 on February 14,2001.The QA-handbook is devided into two parts. The first part contains operational (diagnostic and therapeutic) procedures in so-called standard operating procedures (SOP). They describe the indication of procedures as well as the competences and time necessary in a standardized manner. Up to now, more than 70 SOPs have been written as a collaborative approach between technicians and physicians during daily clinical routine after analysing and discussing the procedures. Thus, the results were more clearly defined processes and more satisfied employees.The second part consists of general rules and directions concerning the security of work and equipment as well as radialion protection tasks, hygiene etc. as it is required by the law. This part was written predominantly by the management of the department of nuclear-medicine and the QA-coordinator. Detailed information for the patients, documentation of the work-flows as well as the medical report was adapted to the QM-system. Although in the introduction phase of a QA-system a vast amount of time is necessary, some months later a surplus for the clinical workday will become available. The well defined relations of competences and procedures will result in a gain of time, a reduction of costs and a help to ensure the legal demands. Last but not least, the QA-system simply helps to build up confidence and acceptance both by the patients and the referring physicians.

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Surgical treatment of alveolar echinococcosis: a single centre experience and systematic review of the literature

Perspectives in Surgery ◽

10.33699/pis.2019.98.4.167-173 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

pp. 167-173

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Alveolar Echinococcosis ◽

Lymphatic System ◽

Surgical Intervention ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Safety Margin ◽

Surgical Removal ◽

Single Centre Experience ◽

Therapeutic Procedures

Introduction: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a zoonosis caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. AE is primarily localised in the liver. Echinococcus multilocularis imitates tumour-like behaviour. It can metastasise through blood or lymphatic system to distant organs. Echinococcosis often remains asymptomatic due to its long incubation period and indistinct symptoms. Clinical symptoms are determined by the parasite’s location. Diagnosis of echinococcosis is based on medical history, clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, serology results, imaging methods and final histology findings. Surgical removal of the cyst with a safety margin, followed by chemotherapy is the therapeutic method of choice. Case report: We present a case report of alveolar echinococcosis in a thirty-year-old female patient in whom we surgically removed multiple liver foci of alveolar echinococcosis. The disease recurred after two years and required another surgical intervention. Conclusions: Alveolar echinococcosis is a disease with a high potential for a complete cure provided that it is diagnosed early and that the recommended therapeutic procedures are strictly adhered to.

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Molecular Docking Analysis of Flavonoid Compounds with Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 for the Identification of Potential Effective Inhibitors

Letters in Drug Design & Discovery ◽

10.2174/1570180817999200831094703 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Amir Taherkhani ◽

Athena Orangi ◽

Shirin Moradkhani ◽

Zahra Khamverdi

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Molecular Docking ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Matrix Metalloproteinase ◽

Ligand Binding ◽

Chronic Inflammation ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Dimensional Structure ◽

Control Test ◽

Therapeutic Procedures

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) participates in degradation of different types of collagens in the extracellular matrix and basement membrane. Up-regulation of the MMP-8 has been demonstrated in many of disorders including cancer development, tooth caries, periodontal/peri-implant soft and hard tissue degeneration, and acute/chronic inflammation. Therefore, MMP-8 has become an encouraging target for therapeutic procedures for scientists. We carried out molecular docking approach to study the binding affinity of 29 flavonoids, as drug candidates, with the MMP-8. Pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of the compounds were also studied. Moreover, it was attempted to identify the most important amino acids participating in ligand binding based on degree of each of the amino acids in the ligand-amino acid interaction network for MMP-8. Methods: Three-dimensional structure of the protein was gained from the RCSB database (PDB ID: 4QKZ). AutoDock version 4.0 and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used for molecular docking and network analysis, respectively. Notably, the inhibitor of the protein in the crystalline structure of the 4QKZ was considered as a control test. Pharmacokinetic and toxicological features of compounds were predicted using bioinformatic web tools. Post-docking analyses were performed using BIOVIA Discovery Studio Visualizer version 19.1.0.18287. Results and Discussions: According to results, 24 of the studied compounds considered to be top potential inhibitors for MMP-8 based on their salient estimated free energy of binding and inhibition constant as compared with the control test: Apigenin-7-glucoside, nicotiflorin, luteolin, glabridin, taxifolin, apigenin, licochalcone A, quercetin, isorhamnetin, myricetin, herbacetin, kaemferol, epicatechin, chrysin, amentoflavone, rutin, orientin, epiafzelechin, quercetin-3-rhamnoside, formononetin, isoliquiritigenin, vitexin, catechine, isoquercitrin. Moreover, His-197 was found to be the most important amino acid involved in the ligand binding for the enzyme. Conclusion: The results of the current study could be used in the prevention and therapeutic procedures of a number of disorders such as cancer progression and invasion, oral diseases, and acute/chronic inflammation. Although, in vitro and in vivo tests are inevitable in the future.

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Participant Observation of a Therapeutic Community Model for Offenders in Drug Treatment

Journal of Drug Issues ◽

10.1177/002204269702700203 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 209-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cátia Olivier Mello ◽

Flavio Pechansky ◽

James A. Inciardi ◽

Hilary L. Surratt

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Drug Treatment ◽

Therapeutic Community ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Therapeutic Communities ◽

Therapeutic Tool ◽

Theoretical Understanding ◽

Community Model ◽

Therapeutic Procedures

This paper reports the participant observation of a Brazilian psychologist and a Brazilian psychiatrist during a 1-month period in two therapeutic communities (TCs) for drug-using offenders. A description of the activities undertaken by the prisoners who are serving their sentences at the Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in Wilmington, Del., is complemented with a theoretical understanding of the process. Clinical and developmental psychological approaches are used to explain the functioning of TCs when applied to a correctional environment. The theory of scripts and the use of metacommunication as a therapeutic tool are used in the explanation of these therapeutic procedures.

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Multidrug Resistence Prevalence in COVID Area

Life ◽

10.3390/life11070601 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 601

Author(s):

Caterina Aurilio ◽

Pasquale Sansone ◽

Antonella Paladini ◽

Manlio Barbarisi ◽

Francesco Coppolino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Resistance ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Viral Disease ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Antimicrobial Drugs ◽

Infected People ◽

Therapeutic Procedures ◽

Viral Respiratory Infections

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is often complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome. The new coronavirus outbreak started in China in December 2019 and rapidly spread around the world. The high diffusibility of the virus was the reason for the outbreak of the pandemic viral disease, reaching more than 100 million infected people globally by the first three months of 2021. In the various treatments used up to now, the use of antimicrobial drugs for the management, especially of bacterial co-infections, is very frequent in patients admitted to intensive care. In addition, critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are subjected to prolonged mechanical ventilation and other therapeutic procedures often responsible for developing hospital co-infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria. Co-infections contribute to the increase in the morbidity–mortality of viral respiratory infections. We performed this study to review the recent articles published on the antibiotic bacterial resistance and viruses to predict risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 and to assess the multidrug resistance in patients hospitalized in the COVID-19 area.

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Objectivization of vacuum-compression therapy effects on micro- and macrovascular perfusion in type 2 diabetic patients

Biomedical Engineering / Biomedizinische Technik ◽

10.1515/bmt-2019-0066 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 469-476

Author(s):

Jaroslav Prucha ◽

Vladimir Socha ◽

Lenka Hanakova ◽

Andrej Lalis ◽

Karel Hana

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Compression Therapy ◽

Neurological Complications ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Type 2 Diabetic Patients ◽

Therapeutic Procedures ◽

History Of ◽

Injury Recovery ◽

Type 2 Diabetic

AbstractThe present study aimed to evaluate the characteristic influence of physical therapeutic procedures of vacuum-compression therapy (VCT) on microvascular perfusion (MiP) and macrovascular perfusion (MaP) of the lower limb in diabetic patients. A sample of nine patients with a medical history of type 2 diabetes was used for the purpose of this study. Most of the subjects’ medical conditions included venous and neurological complications of the lower limb, whereas the rest of the subjects entered the treatment due to injury recovery or their phlebological disease. The PeriFlux System 5000 (Perimed, Sweden) diagnostic device was used to measure MiP. The MaP was evaluated based on the perfusion index (PI) using the Extremiter monitoring device (Embitron, Czech Republic) designed to perform VCT procedures. The study found that MiP and MaP increase as an effect of VCT procedures and at the same time PI clearly reflects the effect of the applied vacuum and compression phases, verifying the method’s vital influence on peripheral perfusion disorders.

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Intra-abdominal resection of the umbilical vein and urachus of bovine fetuses using laparoscopy and celiotomy: surgical time and feasibility (cadaveric study)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84621-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Francisco Décio de Oliveira Monteiro ◽

Heytor Jales Gurgel ◽

Simon Silva de Sousa ◽

João Pedro Monteiro Barroso ◽

Gabrielle Patrizi Braga Vasconcelos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Damage ◽

Surgical Intervention ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

Cadaveric Study ◽

Specialized Training ◽

Surgical Time ◽

Adjacent Structures ◽

Bovine Fetuses ◽

Therapeutic Procedures ◽

Abdominal Resection

AbstractSurgical intervention for umbilical diseases in calves, when indicated, is a complementary and indispensable therapeutic resource for the treatment of umbilical conditions and is commonly performed using celiotomy. However, laparoscopy has demonstrated feasibility in many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of the techniques and the surgical time of laparoscopy and celiotomy used in intra-abdominal resection of the umbilical vein and urachus of bovine fetuses (cadavers). Resection of the umbilical vein and urachus using laparoscopy and celiotomy was performed in 26 anatomical specimens (bovine fetuses obtained from an official slaughterhouse). Resection of umbilical structures was feasible with both techniques, but shorter surgical time and minimal tissue damage were achieved using laparoscopy. Laparoscopy requires specialized training and appropriate instruments and is an important tool for diagnostic and therapeutic exploration of the umbilical structures, liver, bladder, and associated/adjacent structures.

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Duplicate Detection of Spike Events: A Relevant Problem in Human Single-Unit Recordings

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11060761 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 761

Author(s):

Gert Dehnen ◽

Marcel S. Kehl ◽

Alana Darcher ◽

Tamara T. Müller ◽

Jakob H. Macke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Quality ◽

Single Unit ◽

Human Subjects ◽

External Noise ◽

Hospital Environment ◽

Noise Sources ◽

Recording Channels ◽

Waveform Similarity ◽

Therapeutic Procedures ◽

Single Unit Recordings

Single-unit recordings in the brain of behaving human subjects provide a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of neural mechanisms of cognition. These recordings are exclusively performed in medical centers during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The presence of medical instruments along with other aspects of the hospital environment limit the control of electrical noise compared to animal laboratory environments. Here, we highlight the problem of an increased occurrence of simultaneous spike events on different recording channels in human single-unit recordings. Most of these simultaneous events were detected in clusters previously labeled as artifacts and showed similar waveforms. These events may result from common external noise sources or from different micro-electrodes recording activity from the same neuron. To address the problem of duplicate recorded events, we introduce an open-source algorithm to identify these artificial spike events based on their synchronicity and waveform similarity. Applying our method to a comprehensive dataset of human single-unit recordings, we demonstrate that our algorithm can substantially increase the data quality of these recordings. Given our findings, we argue that future studies of single-unit activity recorded under noisy conditions should employ algorithms of this kind to improve data quality.

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Neonatal Birthmarks at the 4 Central Hospitals in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

Global Pediatric Health ◽

10.1177/2333794x21990908 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 2333794X2199090

Author(s):

Vilounna Sanaphay ◽

Sourideth Sengchanh ◽

Alongkone Phengsavanh ◽

Anousavanh Sanaphay ◽

Leelawadee Techasatian

Keyword(s):

Sebaceous Gland ◽

Neonatal Period ◽

Lao Pdr ◽

Skin Lesions ◽

Medical Advice ◽

Point Of View ◽

Parental Anxiety ◽

Skin Disorders ◽

Clinical Point ◽

Therapeutic Procedures

Newborn skin disorders are quite common and happen to occur during the neonatal period. Most of the birthmarks are transient; however, worried parents often seek medical advice from their child’s physician regarding skin lesions. Thus, it is important to differentiate the skin lesions from pathologic ones to avoid unnecessary diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. This is the first published study in Lao neonates that carried out the data from 4 central hospitals in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR from September 2019 to February 2020. Among 500 neonates, Sebaceous gland hyperplasia (53%), Mongolian patches (46.6%), and Erythema toxicum neonatorum (30%) were the 3 most common cutaneous conditions found in the Lao newborns. From a clinical point of view, these findings are often a source of parental anxiety and medical concern for inexperienced clinicians.

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Independent Predictors of Mortality in Torso Trauma Injuries

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9103202 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 3202

Author(s):

Roberto Bini ◽

Caterina Accardo ◽

Stefano Granieri ◽

Fabrizio Sammartano ◽

Stefania Cimbanassi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trauma Center ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Related Condition ◽

Predictors Of Mortality ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Therapeutic Procedures ◽

Torso Trauma ◽

Enhanced Computed Tomography

Noncompressible torso injuries (NCTIs) represent a trauma-related condition with high lethality. This study’s aim was to identify potential prediction factors of mortality in this group of trauma patients at a Level 1 trauma center in Italy. Materials and Methods: A total of 777 patients who had sustained a noncompressible torso injury (NCTI) and were admitted to the Niguarda Trauma Center in Milan from 2010 to 2019 were included. Of these, 166 patients with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) <90 mmHg were considered to have a noncompressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH). Demographic data, mechanism of trauma, pre-hospital and in-hospital clinical conditions, diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, and survival outcome were retrospectively recorded. Results: Among the 777 patients, 69% were male and 90.2% sustained a blunt trauma with a median age of 43 years. The comparison between survivors and non-survivors pointed out a significantly lower pre-hospital Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and SBP (p < 0.001) in the latter group. The multivariate backward regression model identified age, pre-hospital GCS and injury severity score (ISS) (p < 0.001), pre-hospital SBP (p = 0.03), emergency department SBP (p = 0.039), performance of torso contrast enhanced computed tomography (CeCT) (p = 0.029), and base excess (BE) (p = 0.008) as independent predictors of mortality. Conclusions: Torso trauma patients who were hemodynamically unstable in both pre- and in-hospital phases with impaired GCS and BE had a greater risk of death. The detection of independent predictors of mortality allows for the timely identification of a subgroup of patients whose chances of survival are reduced.

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