Evaluating the Effects of Spraying Oxytetracycline on Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) can be created due to neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease in the lower limbs. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of spraying oxytetracycline on DFU. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 diabetic patients suffering from DFU. The patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups of intervention and control (n = 30 each). While all subjects received antibiotic therapy, blood sugar control, and, if necessary debridement, the intervention group received oxytetracycline spraying on the DFUs twice a day. After the intervention, the patients were visited every week (for three weeks), photos were taken of the DFUs by special software, and the size of the DFUs was checked. The DFUs were also studied in terms of purulent discharge, the smell, and erythema, and edema around the ulcer. After three weeks, the healing of ulcers were compared in the two groups. Data were gathered and analyzed using the SPSS software version 11.5, descriptive statistical test, chi-square, and t-test. Results: Before the study, the size of the DFUs in the intervention and control groups was 110.87 ± 38.3 and 127.12 ± 40 mm2, respectively. After the treatment, the alterations in the intervention group in the first, second, and third weeks were 14.90 ± 14.41, 26.93 ± 18.86, and 41.25 ± 19.51, respectively. Also, in the control group, the alterations were 19.45 ± 1.35, 23.78 ± 5.31, and 13.29 ± 8.75, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the size of DFUs between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the results, spraying oxytetracycline on DFUs facilitated the process of healing. Thus, it can be used as an affordable, available, and effective method.

The Impact of Rope Jump Exercise Training on Hemolytic Anemia Parameters in Obese Adolescent Boys

Background: One of the theories about hemolytic anemia concerns foot-strike on the ground. Rope jump exercise training (RJET) is performed with high foot-strike repetitions on the ground. Objectives: This paper aimed to study the possible effect of RJET on hematological parameters involved in hemolysis. Methods: Twenty obese adolescent boys with a mean age of 13.40 ± 1.09 years were allocated into two equal groups of control and RJET (n = 10 each). The RJET group performed simple rope jumping for eight weeks (three days a week). Blood samples were collected before and after the protocol. Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. Results: Our findings showed no significant inter-group differences for erythrocyte, platelet, and leukocyte parameters. However, given the effect of time, a significant reduction was observed in monocyte count in the RJET group. In contrast, eosinophil count significantly increased after RJET. Conclusions: According to the results, foot striking induced by RJET had no adverse effect on hemolytic anemia in obese adolescent boys.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Head Lice (Pediculosis capitis) Among Primary School Students in Varzaqan Villages, Northwest of Iran

Background: Pediculosis capitis or head lice infestation is one of the most critical public health problems, primarily involving primary school children. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Pediculus capitis contamination among primary school students in the villages of Varzaqan city, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, in 2020. Methods: Overall, 400 primary school students aged 7 - 12 were selected through convenience sampling. First, a demographic checklist was filled out for each participant, and then hair examination was carried out individually and privately to detect head lice or eggs/nits. The data analysis was performed using descriptive (frequency and percentage) and analytical methods, including chi-square and t-tests (SPSS, version 16). A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of 400 students, 41 (10.3%) were infested with P. capitis. The prevalence rate significantly differed between boys (6.2%) and girls (14.8%). There was a significant association between pediculosis and mother’s education, father’s job, family income, history of infestation, number of combs per day, and frequency of hair washing per week. Conclusions: According to the prevalence of head lice in primary school children, we need to increase the awareness and train children, parents, and teachers through further cross-sectoral cooperation between education and health centers. Also, the presence of a hygiene teacher at school to improve the health status of students can significantly reduce the prevalence of pediculosis.

Speech Therapy (Rehabilitation Therapy) in Foreign Accent Syndrome in a Turkish Patient: A Case Report

: One of the consequences of a stroke in human is a foreign accentual syndrome, which is often caused by trauma or stroke. One of the most important injuries in this syndrome is a disruption in prosodic units. The present report is about a 47-year-old woman with a brain tumor who speaks with a different accent than hers. Acoustic analyses were performed using the Praat software version 6.0.35. This paper indicates consistency with most of the damage reports in prosodic units, including stress, rhythm, pause, and speed of speech. Significant changes occurred in the prosodic units of the patient under study within 12 weeks. In addition to the decrease in the number of pauses and speech duration of the patient, pitch variations, increased coordination, and precision in articulation, also an increase in the expression of the number of words was observed during the patient’s speech. Due to the rarity of foreign accent syndrome, further research in this area is important for speech and language pathologists in terms of differential diagnosis and speech therapy.

Non-ICU-Based Staged Management of Laparotomy-Related Abdominal Compartment Syndrome in a 23-Year-Old Male

Introduction: Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is a sustained intraabdominal pressure (IAP) of 20 mmHg or higher with new organ dysfunction. Decompression is required when IAP exceeds 25 mmHg even without evidence of organ dysfunction. Common abdominal surgical diseases and operations can be complicated by ACS, and clinicians should have the requisite capacity to detect and intervene early enough. Intensive care unit (ICU) care has traditionally been the mainstay of ACS management. Case Presentation: A 23-year-old male was referred with a combined mesh and Bogota bag anterior abdominal construct after a midline laparotomy 24 hours earlier, following which the abdominal wall could not be closed primarily without tension. This was the result of significant edema of the bowel and retroperitoneum. This patient, after adequate resuscitation, underwent a two-staged procedure, 6 days apart, to achieve skin closure. After an unremarkable skin healing, a mesh repair for the consequent incisional hernia was carried out 15 months later. Conclusions: This patient’s ACS was successfully managed in a non-ICU setting and could demonstrate the possibility of successfully managing selected cases of laparotomy-related ACS in low-resource settings without ICU facilities.

Sedative and Analgesic Effects of Intravenous Midazolam and Ketamine Combination in Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy of Childhood Cancer

Background: Various drugs, including ketamine and midazolam, are used for sedation in children. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous midazolam and ketamine combination in bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in children with cancer. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 children aged six months to 17 years candidates for bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. Sampling was easy, accessible, and sequential. Children were injected with 0.05 mg/kg midazolam and 1 mg/kg ketamine for sedation and analgesia. Then, sedation rate, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, laryngospasm, and decreased oxygen saturation were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 software. Results: The mean age of children was 6.8 ± 4.3 years. The mean degree of sedation based on the modified Ramsey score was 5.2 ± 0.74. Nausea and vomiting were observed in nine (9%) children. Six (6%) children had arterial saturation of less than 90%. Twelve (12%) children showed restlessness when waking up. There were no cases of laryngeal spasms. Conclusions: The present study showed that the intravenous midazolam and ketamine combination provides suitable sedation and analgesia to children, with low and negligible side effects.

Design and Fabrication of a New MHD Micropump for Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion to Thalassemia Major Patients

Background: In recent decades, reducing the size of the drug delivery systems along with precise control of the amount of drug pumped, has attracted the attention of many researchers. Objectives: The slow subcutaneous infusion of the deferoxamine in thalassemia major patients during day is of vital importance either for the drug effectiveness. However, this is difficult to achieve due to the large size of the conventional infusion pumps and their high weight. Therefore, size and weight reduction of the infusion pumps are very important issues that must be well addressed. Methods: A biomedical micropump for drug solution infusion to human body based on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) concept is and designed, and its performance experimentally is investigated in this research. The key challenge in the fabrication of the micropump is its size, weight, bubble generation, and high operating voltage. Results: The present design is well responded to these problems. The final design operates with a 1.2 v without any bubble generation, while its size and weight are 20 × 40 × 50 mm3 and 90 grams, respectively. The size of the micropump is about 1/3 size of conventional micropump, while its weight is half of them. Conclusions: Therefore, the newly designed micropump has the ability to inject the drug solution to thalassemia major patients with a sufficient infusion rate during the day without disturbing them, so it can increase their quality of life and increase their life expectancy.

Response of Cardiac Tissue Oxidative Stress After Aerobic Exercise and Capsaicin Administrations in Rats Fed High-Fat Diet

Background: Oxidative stress harms cells and impairs the balance between oxidative and antioxidative factors. Exercise and capsaicin have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as some benefits on the cardiovascular system. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of aerobic training with capsaicin on heart changes oxidative stress in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male Wistar rats were fed a normal diet (ND, n = 8) or HFD (n = 32) for 8 weeks. After eight weeks, all rats were divided into five groups: ND, HFD, high-fat diet-training (HFDT), high-fat diet-capsaicin (HFDCap), high-fat diet-training-capsaicin (HFDTCap). Training groups performed a progressive aerobic running program (at 15 - 25 m/min, 30 - 60 min/day, and 5 days/week) on a motor-driven treadmill for eight weeks. Capsaicin (4 mg/kg/day) was administered orally, by gavage, once a day. Results: The results showed significant increase in cardiac SOD, GPx and CAT levels in HFDT (P < 0.001), HFDCap (P < 0.001) and HFDTCap (P < 0.001) groups. Also, a significant increase in the amount of this index was observed in the HFDTCap compared to the HFDT and HFDCap groups (P < 0.05). The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in all experimental groups was significantly lower than the HFD group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Exercise and capsaicin improve HFD-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, exercise and capsaicin can be used as an appropriate alternative treatment for obesity and its associated inflammatory and oxidative effects.

Impact of Gender and Age-at-onset on Clinical and Medical Features of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Western Algerian Population

Background: This study aimed to demonstrate the gender and age-at-onset differences in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the western Algerian population and their impacts on patients' clinical features and medical management. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the Internal Medicine and Functional Rehabilitation Departments (University Hospital of Sidi-bel-Abbes region) based on medical records of over 306 RA patients diagnosed between 2016 and 2019 according to ACR 1987 criteria. Late-onset RA (LORA) was defined as disease onset at 51 years of age or older. All data were processed and analyzed via SPSS 22.0. Results: We enrolled 306 rheumatoid arthritis patients (85% women) with a mean age-at-onset of 52.47 ± 12.14. Algerian RA women were more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (P = 0.035), hypertension (P = 0.003), and thyroid disorders (P = 0.05). We did not find any significant relationship between clinical features, laboratory data, and gender. The LORA group comprised 60.5% of our study population with a higher number of comorbidities such as hypertension (P < 0.001), osteoporosis (P = 0.007), and scleroderma (P = 0.014). Nonetheless, we found evidence of an association between positive anti-CCP, RF rate, and age-at-onset (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Algerian RA women with LORA presented a higher prevalence of comorbidities, while Young-onset RA (YORA) was associated with a high rate of RF.