: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex disease affecting the whole metabolic balance of the body and resulting in multiple organ complications: cardiovascular, neuronal, renal, etc. Our study focuses ...on investigating the effect of zinc chloride (Zn) on certain blood parameters suggestive for assessing the metabolic disturbances, the liver and kidney function, the oxidative stress and the immune defense capacity in experimental-induced DM with streptozotocin (STZ) and cholesterol in rats.
: The animals were assigned to three groups, as follows: Group 1 (Control): buffer citrate solution 0.1 mL/100 g body; Group 2 (STZ): 20 mg/kg body STZ and fat diet (10 g cholesterol/100 g diet); Group 3 (STZ+Zn): 20 mg/kg body STZ + 5 mg/kg body Zn chloride and the same fat diet. DM was induced by administering STZ in a single take daily, for three consecutive days, Zn and citrate buffer were administered orally for a month. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University 'Grigore T Popa' Iasi, in agreement with the International Regulations about the handling of laboratory animals.
The use of STZ in rats fed with cholesterol was correlated with important weight gain, hyperglycemia, the intensification of the transaminases activity and the increase in serum alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, creatinine and in malondialdehyde.
: The treatment with Zn resulted in weight loss and a decrease in blood sugar in diabetic rats. Supplementation with Zn notably reduced oxidative stress, preserved the pancreatic architecture and restored the liver and kidney function and structure in STZ-induced DM in rats.
Classic polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a vasculitis with systemic manifestations that is characterized by inflammatory and necrotizing lesions affecting medium and small muscular arteries, most ...frequently at the bifurcation of the vessels. These lesions lead to the formation of microaneurysms, hemorrhaging ruptured aneurysms, thrombosis, and, consequently, ischemia or organ infarction.
: We present a complex clinical case of a patient with a late diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa with multiorgan involvement.
: The 44-year-old patient, in an urban environment, presented on her own in the emergency room for acute ischemia phenomena and forearm and right-hand compartment syndrome, requiring surgical decompression in the Plastic Surgery Clinic.
: Significant inflammatory syndrome is noted, alongside severe normocytic hypochromic iron deficiency anemia, nitrogen retention syndrome, hyperkalemia, hepatic syndrome, and immunological disturbances: absence of cANCA, pANCA, anti Scl 70 Ac, antinuclear Ac, and anti dDNA Ac, as well as a low C3 fraction of the plasmatic complement system. The morphological aspect described in the right-hand skin biopsy correlated with the clinical data supports the diagnosis of PAN.
: The viral form of PAN seems to be individualized as a distinct entity, requiring early, aggressive medication.
Aim of the study The aim of the study was to confirm the effectiveness and safety of wide awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique in hand surgery, as well as its necessity and ...importance during the COVID-19 pandemics. Material and methods A retrospective study was performed between March 2020 and September 2021 to evaluate advantages of WALANT, taking into consideration the rules imposed by the pandemic context. This study included 360 patients, treated for acute and chronic hand diseases. A statistical investigation was performed using SPSS 20.0 version software and applying the ANOVA regression, evaluating demographic, anatomical and surgical variables. Results: 234 males and 126 females, treated for acute hand trauma (metacarpal and phalanx fractures, tendon and nerves lesions) and chronic hand diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) dupuytren’s disease (DD), trigger finger (TF), soft tissue and bone tumors. The average patient waiting time from admission in the operating room was 13.95 minutes, while the mean time of onset of local anesthesia was 12.15 minutes. No complications such as distal digital bleeding, hematoma, the necessity of using the antidote, or necrosis occurred, the outcomes were very good and the patient satisfaction high. Conclusions: The WALANT technique can be considered the “gold standard” in hand surgery anesthesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a correct and safe surgical treatment in the restrictive conditions imposed by the epidemiological context.
(1) Background. We aimed to assess long-term efficacy and safety in inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2DM) of two SGLT-2 inhibitors: empagliflozin (Empa) and dapagliflozin (Dapa), combined ...with metformin, other oral antidiabetics or insulin, according to the protocols in Romania. (2) Methods. The data of 100 patients treated for T2DM with associated dyslipidemia and/or cardiovascular diseases at the University Hospital and Consultmed Medical Center in Iasi were retrospectively reviewed (2017–2021). In total, 48 patients had received dapagliflozin (10 mg with oral antidiabetics or insulin) and 52 patients received empagliflozin (10 mg /25 mg with oral antidiabetics). (3) Results. In both groups, the lowering of BMI was significant: Dapa group (32.04 ± 4.49 vs. 31.40 ± 4.18 kg/m2; p = 0.006), and Empa group (34.16 ± 5.08 vs. 33.17 ± 4.99 kg/m2; p = 0.002). Blood sugar average levels decreased significantly (170 vs. 136 mg/dL; p = 0.001 for Dapa; 163 vs. 140 mg/dL; p = 0.002 for Empa) and also average levels of HbA1c (7.90% vs. 7.51%; p = 0,01 for Dapa; 7.72% vs. 7.35%; p = 0.004 for Empa). (4) Conclusions. Better results in all variables were observed in younger male patients with a shorter duration of diabetes and threshold BMI levels of 34.1, treated with SGLT2, and more significantly with Empa.
Background In Romania, as in other parts of the world, the family doctor is the first to make contact with a healthy patient and is also the first to notice even the smallest pathological changes. In ...the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the patient's communication with the family doctor became even closer and some behavioral changes could be easily noticed. Objective To assess the symptoms of anxiety and depression in the Romanian population using social media platforms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an anonymous, web-based cross-sectional survey consisting of 31 questions related to general characteristics (age, gender, education, inhabitancy, residence, smoking status, and alcohol consumption) and adapted GAD-7 (7-item General Anxiety Disorders questionnaire) and PHQ-9 (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire). This questionnaire was sent to volunteers in an electronic format through a social network (Facebook, Twitter). The data collected were statistically processed using IBM SPSS v25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The inclusion criteria were age over 18 years and no history of chronic disease. The exclusion criteria consisted of the absence of a mental illness diagnosis. Results From the 1254 respondents, 1232 cases were selected for statistical analysis after applying the exclusion criteria. The mean age was 35.94 (SD = 11.4, 95%CI=10.9-11.9) with a minimum of 18 years and a maximum of 97 years. Eighty-four point nine percent (84.9%; N=1046) of all study participants are female and 79.13% (N= 975) live in the urban area. A total of 188 (15.25%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 of which 31 (16.66%) were male and 157 (15%) were female. N=170 (13.8%) reported moderate symptoms of anxiety during the last two weeks before the survey while N=96 (7.8%) had severe anxiety. Twenty-two point two percent (22.2%; N=274) of the participants reported moderate symptoms of depression while 10.1% (N=125) had moderately severe symptoms and 6.6% (N=81) could be diagnosed with severe depression. A greater likelihood of screening for depression diagnosis was associated with ages between 25 and 34 years (OR=0.90, 95%CI=0.86-0.94,
001), 35 and 44 years (OR=0.88, 95%CI=0.84-0.93,
001), and 45 and 54 years (OR=0.87, 95%CI=0.82-0.92,
001). Also, a tendency was observed for women to be more prone to high levels of anxiety (OR=1.21, 95%CI=1.08-1.35,
001) and depression (OR=2.16, 95%CI=1.51-308,
005). Conclusions Regarding the high prevalence of depression and anxiety, especially in women, appropriate measures for the risk categories should be applied. In the new social context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, screening for psychiatric and psychological disorders should be performed by telemedicine.
Burns are complex injuries with multiple possible etiologies that can cause major morbidity and are associated with a high mortality risk. Bromelain-based Enzymatic Debridement has become a reliable ...and useful alternative to surgical debridement, which has been found to be most effective in mid- to deep dermal burns and mixed depth patterns. Enzymatic Debridement in circumferential burns to the extremity was studied by Fischer et al. who showed its effectiveness and safety for the prevention of compartment syndrome, reducing the need of surgical escharotomy. Our study included 10 patients aged 19 to 58 years of age, treated between October 2019 and September 2022. Enzymatic debridement is a viable alternative to surgical debridement that proves to have the advantages of rapid selective debridement and safety. Enzymatic debridement showed to be effective in circular lesions of the limbs, with no signs of compartment syndrome after the procedure, spontaneous reepithelization obtained, and no skin graft donor sites created.
The hand is frequently esposed to domestic or industrial traumas of varying complexity. The consequences of these traumas can be loss of soft tissues but also of bone. Bone loss also occurs after the ...tumors ablation. Bone reconstruction can be done with free transfer of vascularized bone, non-vascularized autologous bone or liquid or solid bone substitutes. We studied a group of patients in whom bone reconstruction after trauma or benign tumors (enchondroma) was done with autoulogous bone or bone substitutes.
The study aimed to investigate the effects of endodontic space decontamination using a laser combined with ozonated water in the therapy of complicated pulp gangrene. The subject of this in vivo ...study was a 12-year-old patient diagnosed with extensive periapical periodontitis on the mandibular right first molar. Biological samples were initially collected to identify the active pathogen—Enterococcus faecalis, then the nonsurgical endodontic treatment was performed in a single visit, according to the active disinfection guidelines of the identified pathogen. Two-month postoperative, clinical and radiological examination revealed a complete healing of the periapical lesion. The correct diagnosis of this endodontic–periodontal pathology, and the unconventional treatment of the complex system of infected root canals, allowed a favorable treatment result without any surgical intervention. This unconventional approach, which combines a laser technique with ozonated water, allows for predictable results in periapical lesion treatment.
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