CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a case of stonefish sting complicated with impending compartment syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS: Medical staff should be alert about the possibility of this potential emergency in standard management of stonefish stings.
METHODS: An Agilent 1200 series high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) unit using a diode-array detector (DAD) has been employed and optimized to detect IPTS in cosmetic products. For the separation, a reverse-phase Hypersil Gold C8 column (5 μm, 4.6 mm i.d. 250 mm) 5 mM tetrabutylammonium phosphate buffer 50 : 50, (v/v) solution in acetonitrile as mobile phase, in isocratic mode and a flow rate of 0.8 mL min(-1) were used. A second method using a gas chromatography/mass selective detector GC-MSD was also developed to confirm the IPTS identity in the cosmetic products.
RESULTS: Recoveries of IPTS from cosmetic matrices such as a lotion, cleansing milk and a cream ranged from 94.0% to 101.1% with <5% relative standard deviation (%RSD) showing good accuracy and repeatability of the method. The six-point calibration curves (determined over the range 0.5-50 μg mL(-1) ) have a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 (based on HPLC peak area) and 0.9998 (based on HPLC peak height). The intra- and interday precisions (measured by the %RSD) of the method were <2% and <5%, respectively, indicating that the developed method is reliable, precise and reproducible. The detection and quantification limit of the method were found to be 0.5 μg mL(-1) and 1.6 μg mL(-1) , respectively. Analyses of 83 commercial cosmetics showed no presence of IPTS.
CONCLUSIONS: The validation data indicated that this method was suitable for the quantitative analysis of IPTS in commercial cosmetics. This method is applicable for analyses of trace levels of IPTS in cosmetics and has the advantage of using only simple sample preparation steps.
METHODS: Surgeons from 42 centers of coloproctology in Europe were asked to complete a questionnaire, including seven questions about their past and present operative treatment strategy for patients with OD.
RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 32 experts of pelvic floor surgery in 13 European countries. All but one indicated that they consider surgical treatment for OD. Seventy-four percent of these have been using transanal stapled rectal resection (STARR) and 96 % transabdominal rectopexy. While only 65 %, who have begun performing STARR are still using transanal resection, the technique is still being used by all surgeons performing abdominal procedures. Rectopexy only, STARR only, or both approaches are offered by 52, 3, and 45 % of surgeons, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of STARR in the treatment of OD is decreasing among European opinion leaders in the field of pelvic floor surgery, while the application of transabdominal procedures continues.
METHODS: Between October 2013, when our service of paediatric cardiac surgery was opened, and December 2014, 24 patients were referred for surgical closure of VSDs. Among them, 17 patients (71%), with the median age of 6 years, ranging from 2 to 9 years, and with a median body weight of 19 kg, ranging from 11 to 56 kg, underwent surgical repair for doubly committed defects. In terms of size, the defect was considered moderate in 4 and large in 13. Aortic valvular regurgitation (AoVR) was present in 11 patients (65%) preoperatively, with associated malformations found in 14 (82%), with 5 patients (29%) having two or more associated defects.
RESULTS: After surgery, there was trivial residual shunting in 2 patients (12%). AoVR persisted in 6 (35%), reducing to trivial in 5 (29%) and mild in 1 (6%). Mean stays in the intensive care unit and hospital were 2.6 ± 1.2 days, ranging from 2 to 7 days, and 6.8 ± 0.8 days, ranging from 6 to 9 days, respectively. The mean follow-up was 14 ± 4 months, ranging from 6 to 20 months, with no early or late deaths and without clinical deterioration.
CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of doubly committed lesions is high in our experience, frequently associated with AoVR and other associated malformation. Early detection is crucial to prevent further progression of the disease. Patch closure remains the gold standard in management, not least since it allows simultaneous repair of associated intracardiac defects.
OBJECTIVE: The three main objectives are to analyze published pen-and-paper observational methods, to extract and understand the risk levels of each method and to identify their associated health effects.
METHODOLOGY: The authors searched scientific databases and the Internet for materials from 1970 to 2013 using the following keywords: ergo, posture, method, observational, postural angle, health effects, pain and diseases. Postural assessments of upper arms, lower arms, wrists, neck, back and legs in six pen-and-paper-based observational methods are highlighted, extracted in groups and linked with associated adverse health effects.
RESULTS: The literature reviewed showed strengths and limitations of published pen-and-paper-based observational methods in determining the work activities, risk levels and related postural angles to adverse health effects. This provided a better understanding of unsafe work postures and how to improve these postures.
CONCLUSION: Many pen-and-paper-based observational methods have been developed. However, there are still many limitations of these methods. There is, therefore, a need to develop a new pen-and-paper-based observational method for assessing postural problems.
METHODS: This cross-sectional survey collected data from May 2014 to December 2015. Questionnaires seeking to collect information on resources, processes, roles and responsibility, and functions of PV systems were sent to relevant persons in the ASEAN countries. Functions of PV centers were measured using the minimum World Health Organization requirements for a functional national PV system. Performances of PV centers were measured by the following: (1) the indicators related to the average number of individual case safety reports (ICSR); (2) presence of signal detection activities and subsequent action; and (3) contribution to the global vigilance database.
RESULTS: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam completed the survey. PV systems in four surveyed countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) achieved all aspects of the World Health Organization minimum requirement for a functional national PV system; the remaining countries were deemed to have unclear communication strategies and/or no official advisory committee. Average numbers of recent ICSR national returns ranged from 7 to 3817 reports/year/million population; three countries (Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) demonstrated good performance in reporting system and reported signal detection activities and subsequent actions. All participating countries had submitted ICSRs to the Uppsala Monitoring Center during the survey period (2013-2015).
CONCLUSIONS: Four participating countries had functional PV systems. PV capacity, functionality, and legislative framework varied depending on local healthcare ecosystem networks. Implementing effective communication strategies and/or technical assistance from the advisory committee are needed to strengthen PV in ASEAN. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.