Conservative Management of Post-Operative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak following Skull Base Surgery: A Pilot Study

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Conservative Management of Post-Operative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak following Skull Base Surgery: A Pilot Study Via leak of cerebrospinal fluid Brain Sci. 2022 Jan 24;12(2):152. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12020152. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/AIMS: Iatrogenic CSF leaks after endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery remain a challenging entity to manage, typically treated with CSF diversion via lumbar drainage. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of high-volume lumbar puncture (LP) and acetazolamide therapy to manage iatrogenic CSF leaks. METHODS: We performed a prospective pilot study of four patients who developed iatrogenic postoperative CSF leaks after transsphenoidal surgery and analyzed their response to treatment with concomitant high-volume lumbar puncture followed by acetazolamide therapy for 10 days. Data collected included demographics, intra-operative findings, including methodology of skull base repair and type of CSF leak, time to presentation with CSF leak, complications associated with high-volume LP and acetazolamide treatment, and length of follow-up. < p>RESULTS: Mean patient age was 44.28 years, with an average BMI of 27.4. Mean time from surgery to onset of CSF leak was 7.71 days. All four patients had resolution of their CSF leak at two- and four-week follow-up. Mean overall follow-up time was 179 days, with a 100% CSF leak cure rate at the last clinic visit. No patient suffered perioperative complications or complications secondary to treatment. CONCLUSION: Although our pilot case series is small, we demonstrate that a high-volume LP, followed by acetazolamide therapy for 10 days, can be considered in the management of post-operative CSF leaks. PMID:35203915 | DOI:10.3390/brainsci12020152 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Wound infection: A review of qualitative and quantitative assessment modalities

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Wound infection: A review of qualitative and quantitative assessment modalities Via Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Nov 27:S1748-6815(21)00605-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.11.060. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Surgical site infections (SSI) and chronic wounds represent a burden to patients and the health care system. One in 24 surgical patients will develop an SSI, making SSI the most common nosocomial infection in the USA. Early detection and monitoring of wound infection are critical for timely healing and return to normal function. However, the mainstay of wound infection diagnostic entails subjective clinical examination and semi-quantitative, invasive microbiological tests. In this review, we present current wound infection assessment modalities in the clinical and translational fields. There is a need for a point-of-care assessment tool that provides fast, accurate, and quantitative information on wound status, with minimal to no contact with the patient. In the next ten years, the evolution of wound diagno stic tools reported here may allow medical providers to optimize patient care while minimizing patient discomfort. PMID:35216936 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.11.060 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The COVID-19 pandemic and upgrades of CI speech processors for children: part I-procedure of speech processor upgrade

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader The COVID-19 pandemic and upgrades of CI speech processors for children: part I-procedure of speech processor upgrade Via http://link.springer.com/journal/405,European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology,The European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Feb 26. doi: 10.1007/s00405-022-07278-x. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To demonstrate the feasibility of upgrading speech processors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Adopting concepts from "lean thinking", we optimized hospital workflows to allow speech processors to be upgraded despite the obstacles arising from national guidelines for COVID-19 prevention. The study involved 297 children, aged from 7.3 to 18.0 years, whose processors were upgraded on five consecutive Saturdays during a time of peak COVID-19 in Poland. RESULTS: The optimized workflow allowed us to conduct speech processor upgrades during a time of peak COVID-19 in Poland. The upgrades were conducted as scheduled, patient flow was smooth, appropriate social distancing was kept, and no reports of COVID-19 infection in our patients in the 2 weeks after their visit were received. CONCLUSION: Upgrading of sp eech processors in children is still feasible under coronavirus conditions. PMID:35217905 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-022-07278-x View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Performers' Perceptions of Vocal Function During Oral Steroid Treatment of Vocal Fold Edema

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Performers' Perceptions of Vocal Function During Oral Steroid Treatment of Vocal Fold Edema Via The Laryngoscope Objectives Acute vocal fold edema (VFE) is often a consequence of illness, allergy, or voice overuse, causing dysphonia. Although VFE typically resolves with voice rest and treatment of predisposing causes, oral glucocorticoids are often considered for performers with imminent performance demands. There are limited data about performers' perceptions of vocal change during treatment and how this relates to their ability to perform. This study aims to examine performers' self-perceptions of vocal function with steroid treatment. Methods Fifty-five performers (34 F; 21 M) diagnosed with VFE who chose treatment with a 6-day methylprednisolone taper were prospectively assessed. They completed the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) and reported on their voice use, regimen, performance obligations, and ability to perform. Findings were compared between Day 1 and Day 6 using paired t-tests and nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results Nearly all subjects completed scheduled performances without interruption. Following treatment, all subscales of the EASE were decreased at Day 6 (Vocal Function 29.78–20.59; Pathologic Risk Indicator 26.60–17.33; Vocal Concerns 6.10–4.20). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and greater in subjects with performances scheduled and subjects who consistently completed vocal warmups. These findings demonstrate significant improvement in several facets of performers' self-perception of function. Conclusion Subjects reported significant improvement in vocal function with oral steroid treatment and were able to meet performance obligations. It remains important that steroids are not prescribed without laryngeal examination. Examination should be repeated when dysphonia persists, recurs swiftly, or when patients seek repeated treatment, as there may be increased risk of adverse outcomes, and continued steroid use may mask underlying chronic pathology that is best treated by other means. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2022 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

MutSα expression predicts a lower disease-free survival in malignant salivary gland tumors: an immunohistochemical study

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader MutSα expression predicts a lower disease-free survival in malignant salivary gland tumors: an immunohistochemical study Via pubmed: "med oral patol oral... Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2022 Mar 1;27(2):e164-e173. doi: 10.4317/medoral.25138. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Appropriate DNA replication is vital to maintain cell integrity at the genomic level. Malfunction on DNA repair mechanisms can have implications related to tumor behavior. Our aim was to evaluate the expression of key complexes of the DNA mismatch-repair system MutSα (hMSH2-hMSH6) and MutSβ (hMSH2-hMSH3) in a panel comprising the most common benign and malignant salivary gland tumors (SGT), and to determine their association with disease-free survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten cases of normal salivary gland (NSG) and 92 of SGT (54 benign and 38 malignant) were retrieved. Immunohistochemistry was performed for hMSH2, hMSH3, hMSH6. Scanned slides were digitally analyzed based on the percentage of positive cells with nuclear staining. Cases were further classified in MutSαhigh and MutSβhigh based on hMSH2-hMSH6 and hMSH3- hMSH6 expression, respectively. RESULTS: hMSH3 expression was lower in malignant SGT compared to NSG and benign cases. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) cases with perineural invasion presented a lower percentage of hMSH3 positive cells. hMSH6 was downregulated in both benign and malignant SGT compared to NSG. Malignant SGT cases with MutSαhigh expression had lower disease-free survival compared to MutSαlow cases. A 10.26-fold increased risk of presenting local recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a lack of hMSH3 protein function is associated with a more aggressive phenotype (malignancy and perineural invasion) and that MutSα overexpression predicts a poor clinical outcome in malignant SGT. PMID:35218645 | DOI:10.4317/medoral.25138 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.