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The purpose of this study is to highlight the drug abuse hazards and preventive aspects. From a public health perspective, substance abuse has long been a source of major concern, both for the individual’s health and for wider society as a whole. The UK has the highest rates of recorded illegal drug misuse in the western world. In particular, it has comparatively high rates of heroin and crack cocaine use. Substances that are considered harmful are strictly regulated according to a classification system that takes into account the harms and risks of taking each drug. The adverse effects of drug abuse can be thought of in three parts that together determine the overall harm in taking it. Some addictive substances are more damaging to the skeletal system along with the others. In this review article, an effort has been taken to elaborate the effects of addictive drugs on human highlighting these most problematic substances for bones and also the promising potential prevention aspects of drug abuse.

Background: We have developed a femoral supporting pad with an integrated ultrasound probe holder and examined its practical usability on patients with lower limb surgery. Objectives: To evaluate the function of this novel femoral supporting pad with respect to its practicability during the performance of a distal sciatic nerve blockade, the time needed to perform this blockade including the catheter insertion and the quality of postoperative analgesia within the first 24 hours. Methods: 50 patients which had been scheduled for elective lower leg, ankle or foot surgery had received a continuous blockade of the distal sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve blockade was performed sonographically controlled with the patients in supine position by using our novel femoral supporting pad with an integrated ultrasound probe holder. Primary endpoint: duration of the intervention. Secondary endpoints: pain intensity (visual analogue scale VAS 0-10) at the first postoperative day; cumulative opioid (piritramide) requirement during their stay on the post Anaesthesia care unit (PACU) with vs. without distal sciatic nerve blockade. Results: 49/50 patients received a distal sciatic catheter, which had been sonographically placed within a mean time (mean ± sd) of 11:30 ± 3:13 minutes. VAS at the first postoperative day was (mean ± sd) 1 ± 2 at rest and 2 ± 2 as maximum. The piritramide requirement during PACU stay (mean ± sd) was 11 ± 8 mg without vs. 3 ± 6 mg with distal sciatic nerve blockade (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Continuous distal sciatic nerve blockade using a novel femoral supporting pad with an integrated ultrasound probe holder was feasible in 49 of 50 patients within 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

A mass arising from the pituitary gland commonly damages cells of the anterior pituitary gland and affects the secretion of gonadotropins and growth hormone. However, central hypothyroidism and secondary adrenal insufficiency from such damage is a rare phenomenon. Acute urinary retention as the main symptom of central hypothyroidism is also an unusual initial presentation. We report a male patient who comes with frequent urinary retention and hyponatremia at our hospital.

‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’, the age-old quote by Hippocrates is evidently proved in today’s life management as probiotics have become a valuable part of human day-to-day life [1]. 

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Common manifestations of asthma include wheezing, chest tightness, cough, shortness of breath. Diagnosis of asthma requires clinical documentation of respiratory symptoms, exacerbation of symptoms following exposure to triggers, as well as demonstration of expiratory airflow obstruction. Wheeze is a continuous sound, lasting longer than 0.25 s that is produced by oscillation of opposing airway walls [1,2]. Wheezing, although a typical symptom of asthma, can also be caused by other diseases. Apart from asthma, wheezing can be due to extra-thoracic upper airway obstruction, intrathoracic upper airway obstruction, lower airway obstruction. Benign multimodal goiter is a common disease, that rarely causes upper airway obstruction. Retrosternal goiter should be taken into account the differential diagnosis of upper airway obstruction [3]. The respiratory symptoms of a retrosternal goiter may be masked for years due to the slow growth of the goiter. Patients commonly complain of respiratory symptoms if tracheal diameter is narrowed more than 50% from the normal size. Respiratory symptoms may be suddenly precipitated by spontaneous or traumatically induced bleeding into the substernal goiter, as well as by tracheal infections [4]. Clinical management of this condition is really challenging. Diagnosis is also not straightforward, as clinical suspicion is needed. There are cases of retrosternal goiter mimicking asthma that remain undiagnosed for many years. Retrosternal goiter should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of patients diagnosed as suffering from asthma, and presenting no improvement despite medical therapy. In addition, it should be taken into account that sudden gland enlargement due to hormonal changes might lead to life threatening upper airway obstruction with clinical picture similar to bronchial asthma attack [5]. In a recent very interesting case report, the authors present a case of a pregnant woman in the second trimester who presented with an acute airway obstruction due to the enlargement of a retrosternal goiter [3]. Goiters are the more common masses of the superior mediastinum [6,7]. Commonly, retrosternal goiter is due to the extension in the thorax of a cervical goiter. However, rarely, it may represent primary disease due to the growth of ectopic thyroid tissue. In addition, retrosternal goiter may develop in patient submitted to thyroidectomy due to cervical multinodular goiter [8]. Although retrosternal goiters are commonly asymptomatic, symptoms may include dyspnea, stridor, hoarseness, dysphagia, superior vena cava syndrome, transient ischemic attacks, cerebral edema, Horner’s syndrome, and thyrotoxicosis [4]. Diagnosis could be verified by neck and chest radiography, thorax CT and MRI. Chest radiography commonly shows a widened mediastinum with a superior mediastinal mass causing compression of the trachea as well as deviation of the trachea to the right. Mediastinal computed tomography reveals a mass that is extension of the thyroid gland. The presence of respiratory symptoms in a patient with retrosternal goiter is an indication for surgery. The majority of retrosternal goiters can be approached through a cervical approach [9,10].

The aim of this publication is to present case reports to show what is possible with pterygoid implants for the rehabilitation of edentulous space in the jaw (maxilla) while avoiding sinus lifts and bone grafting procedures. In addition, the added value of one-piece implants for screwed retention is elucidated.

Background and aim of the study: Sutureless aortic valves are used to reduce operation time. However, the stent implantation might cause postoperative ECG alterations and a higher risk of paravalvular leakage. In literature, some cases of thrombocytopenia are described after implantation. We investigated the Sorin Perceval S Sutureless Valve and the Edwards Intuity Sutureless Valve.Material and methods: Seventy-nine patients underwent aortic valve replacement using a sutureless valve in a single center between 2015 - 2018. Thirty-seven patients received Sorin Perceval S (Group A) and 42 Edwards Intuity (Group B). Simultaneous bypass surgery was performed in 23 patients in Group A and 22 patients in Group B. We compared the groups regarding postoperative TTE and paravalvular leakage, postoperative ECG alterations, need for pacemaker implantation, postoperative platelet count, and 30-day mortalityResults: Only in Group B 2 patients had paravalvular leakage, and one was reoperated within the same hospital stay. In Group A, nine patients suffered from postoperative atrial fibrillation, and in Group B, 16 patients. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) was observed in 5 patients in Group A, and 13 patients in Group B. Two patients in Group A needed a definite pacemaker, and five patients in Group B. Tachy-Brady Syndrome and LBBB were observed more frequently in Group B as well as ECG alterations. One patient died within 30 days in Group A due to multiorgan failure. This patient was older and multimorbid compared to the average. Regarding platelet count, we saw a statistically significant decrease in both groups. There were no major bleeding complications or reoperations due to hemorrhage.Conclusion: Our data shows that sutureless aortic valve replacement is associated with new postoperative ECG alterations, which are self-limiting in most cases. Compared to the literature pacemaker implantation rate in Group B is higher.

Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Ec) is considered as a traditional medicinal plant with valuable therapeutic effects. Here we evaluated the antiviral activity of its ethanolic leave extract on different herpes viruses. Vero cells were infected with either of the tested viruses [herpes simplex virus -1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) and Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV)] with or without treatment with Ec extract and viral infection development was evaluated by plaque assay. Our results showed significant antiviral activity of the examined extract against all tested viruses. The 80%-MeOH fraction of this extract offered the highest activity against these viruses with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.1±0.08, 0.3±0.02 and 1±0.03 μg/ml against HSV-1, HSV-2 and VZV respectively and 50% cytotoxicity (CC50) at 700 μg/ml. The highest antiviral effect of this fraction was obtained mainly when it was added during and post infection (p.i.) or when it was added only p.i. Also, this fraction significantly reduced the amount of infective endogenous viral particles in cells that were treated with the 80%-MeOH fraction only post viral entry into the host cells. A synergistic antiviral effect against all tested viruses was also observed when cells were treated with a combination of acyclovir (ACV) and 80%-MeOH fraction of Ec. Further study is required for the isolation and identification of the anti-virally active component/s of this fraction.

Desmodium adscendens is a rain forest medicinal herb used in managing quite a number of medical conditions. Its efficacy in the treatment of several diseases has made it a first line herb for doctors, especially in managing all forms of spasm. It is however common knowledge that some of these medicinal herbs impact severely on the normal functioning of some vital organs of the body during their administration. The present study was carried out to assess the renal and cardiovascular performance in subjects undergoing treatment with Desmodium adscendens with a view to advising against its indiscriminate use. The parameters used for the assessment of renal functions were serum creatinine and urea concentrations and their clearance. Also, changes in electrolyte concentration of Sodium, Potassium and Chloride concentration were used to assess cardiovascular performance. The histology of the kidney and heart tissues was also done to determine if the extract has impact on the cyto-architecture of the organs. Twenty-four (24) wistar rats were used for the experiment. The rats were grouped randomly into four groups (n = 6). Group 1 served as control, and the rats in the group were given normal rat feeds and water. Group 2 served as low dose group, and rats in this group were administered with low dose of extract 300 mg/kg. Group 3 served as medium group, and rats in this group were treated with medium dose of extract, 450 mg/kg. Group 4 served as high dose group, and rats in this group were treated with high dose of extract 600 mg/kg. The extract was administered for 28 days. Result showed that the extract did not impact negatively on the normal function of the renal and cardiovascular system of the treated groups, rather it enhanced their performances. It can therefore be concluded that the extract is beneficial to renal and cardiovascular functions if used within the treatment dosage. 

Introduction: Despite advances in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD), gaps still exist in the knowledge of healthcare professionals (HCPs) about the disease. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of HCPs about SCD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 465 HCPs (physicians and nurses) who responded to the DFConhecimento instrument questionnaire. Performance was tested in terms of average score and proportion of correct response for each questionnaire item topic. Results: The average score for respondents was 4.6 ± 1.9 out of a total of 13 points. Proportions of professionals who responded well were greater than 58% in three topics (Neonatal screening program, Sickle cell conditions, and Sickle cell anemia genotype). In the other topics, rates of good response ranged from 11.6% to 46.0%. There was a statistical association between best performance and medical title: physicians were more knowledgeable than nurses (OR = 6.26; 95% CI: 2.69-14.56). Conclusion: This study highlighted that knowledge of SCD among HCPs is very inadequate. This lack of sufficient information on SCD from HCPs indicates the need to develop continuing education programs.