AIMS: To assess in a community setting how patients discharged alive after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are treated with statins. Specifically, the rate of prescription, the dosages, and 1-year adherence have been evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the ARNO Observatory, we carried out a record linkage analysis of discharge ...

IMPORTANCE To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the correlation of anterior chamber bleeding after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) and antiplatelet therapy. OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and amount of anterior chamber bleeding after laser peripheral iridotomy in patients whose condition is suggestive of primary angle-closure glaucoma ...

BACKGROUND: Various vasoconstrictors have shown promising results in the management of type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). However, there are very few studies on vasopressors in the management of type 2 HRS. Terlipressin has been used commonly; however, it is costly and not available in some countries. In this study, we ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the long-term effect of intensive, 6-week physiotherapy programs, with and without deep abdominal muscle (TrA) training, on persistent postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: The study was a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty-seven postnatal women with clinically demonstrated persistent SUI 3 months after delivery participated in 8 ...

Background: Intramarrow penetration (IMP) is often incorporated in regenerative periodontal surgical procedures. However, the actual benefits of adding IMP to such a procedure remain undocumented. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the contribution of IMP to the outcomes of open flap debridement (OFD) treatment of intrabony ...

PURPOSE: To report the clinical success and incidence of adverse events of repetitive botulinum toxin treatment of 15 years or greater. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 37 patients from a clinical practice, 11 male and 26 female. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients treated a minimum ...

Abstract Background: The injection of botulinum toxin is now commonly used for many therapeutic and cosmetic purposes but because of its increased use more adverse events are being reported. Objective: To evaluate and analyze the safety of botulinum toxin injections in terms of purpose and the type of toxin administered. ...

Abstract Background: To further evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) for the treatment of branch retinal vein occlusion in a meta-analysis of previous studies. Methods: Pertinent publications were identified through systemic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to July 2012. Data on central macular ...

Background:Historically, treatments for cellulite have not been able to address all of its physiological components and require multiple sessions.Objective:The authors evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single, subdermal procedure to treat the underlying structure of cellulite.Methods:Fifty-seven patients underwent a 3-step cellulite treatment with a 1440-nm Nd:YAG laser with a ...

Objective: Thermal Nd:YAG laser energy is well known for the purpose of blood coagulation. However, little is known about the bleeding frequency following laser-assisted oral surgery in patients on coumarin drugs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare retrospectively the frequency of bleeding complications following Nd:YAG laserassisted versus ...

PURPOSE:: To study whether the use of macular grid photocoagulation 3 weeks subsequent to the initial intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection for the treatment of diffuse diabetic macular edema can provide a longer disease-free intervals and reduce the burden of more frequent injections. METHODS:: A prospective pilot study that included 22 ...

PURPOSE:: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a strictly applied inject and extend protocol for ranibizumab treatment of age-related macular degeneration. METHODS:: This is a prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized trial. Patients underwent standard induction with 3 intravitreal doses of 0.5 mg ranibizumab, each 1 month apart. Following this induction, patients ...

ObjectivesTo assess the effect on voice improvement and duration of breathiness based on initial dose of onabotulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in the management of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and to compare voice outcomes for initial bilaterally injected doses of 1.25 units (group A) vs 2.5 units (group B) of BTX-A.Study ...

Background Patients suffering from a pathological fracture or painful bony lesion because of metastatic bone disease often benefit from a total joint replacement. However, these are large operations in patients who are often weak. We examined the patient survival and complication rates after total joint replacement as the treatment for ...

Facial scars in children have a profound psychosocial impact and require early and aggressive treatment. In this age group in particular, however, attention must be placed on the methodology so as not to trigger additional trauma-whether physical or emotional-as a sequela to the treatment. We assess the safety and efficacy ...

BACKGROUND: We sought to compare the effects of clopidogrel combined with warfarin with clopidogrel alone in the prevention of restenosis after endovascular treatment (EVT) of the femoropopliteal artery. METHODS: Between June 2008 and May 2009, 88 consecutive patients referred for EVT were randomly divided into a clopidogrel group (42 cases) ...

QEEG-electrical neuroimaging has been underutilized in general neurology practice for uncertain reasons. Recent advances in computer technology have made this electrophysiological testing relatively inexpensive. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the clinical usefulness of QEEG/electrical neuroimaging in neurological practice. Over the period of approximately 6 months, 100 consecutive QEEG ...

Pasireotide has a broader somatostatin receptor binding profile than other somatostatin analogues. A 16-week, Phase II trial showed that pasireotide may be an effective treatment for acromegaly. An extension to this trial assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of pasireotide. This study was an open-label, single-arm, open-ended extension study (primary ...

BACKGROUND: Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is important in management of patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis (HD). Calcimimetic agent, cinacalcet provides an option for control of SHPT in patients who fail traditional therapy. It may not have optimal results in non-compliant patients. To enhance compliance, we evaluated effectiveness ...

BACKGROUND: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are an effective and common treatment for chronic pain disorders, but long-term use is associated with risk of potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs). The proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole has been found to be effective for gastroprotection in NSAID users, but few long-term studies have ...

Repeated bleeding in the joint cavities is the most annoying symptom and often has disabling effects in patients with hemophilia (PWH). Our aim was to study the effect of radiosynovectomy (RSO) with beta particle-emitting radiocolloids in the treatment of hemorhagic arthropathy. We have treated 22 joints from 18 patients with ...

Background/Aims: This paper describes the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi) in the treatment of secondary dystonia caused by expisodic ataxia type 2 (EA2). Methods: We present the case of a patient with EA2, an autosomal dominant condition, who developed late-onset cervical and right ...

We report here on a feasibility study of initiating buprenorphine/naloxone prior to release from incarceration and linking participants to community treatment providers upon release. The study consisted of a small number of Rhode Island (RI) prisoners (N=44) diagnosed with opioid dependence. The study design is a single arm, open-label pilot ...

Background: The authors frequently employed selective peripheral neurotomy (SPN) as the primary treatment of severe intractable focal and multifocal spastic hypertonia. We occasionally operated SPN in diffuse spastic disorders. Objective: To study surgical outcome of SPN in terms of severity of spasticity and functional condition. Methods: Patients harboring refractory harmful ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The present study analyzed 631 deviated nose cases to determine the overall success rate of correction, the treatment outcomes according to the different types of deviation, and the revision rate. STUDY DESIGN: Case series study. METHODS: We reviewed 631 patients who underwent rhinoplasty for correction of a deviated nose ...

Introduction: The appearance of vascular anomalies in the orofacial area is a common condition, which represents about 50% of these malformations. Traditional treatment approach, such as surgery and chemical sclerosis has been given way to a few less-invasive options, as the use of the 810nm diode laser to induce the ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of hybrid endovascular repair for aortic arch pathology. METHODS: This study was a retrospective analysis involving patients who underwent hybrid endovascular repair for aortic arch pathologies. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (16 men; mean age, 64.7 ± 16.2 years) with aortic arch pathologies were treated by hybrid ...

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is associated with high mortality in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. Data for voriconazole use in preemptive treatment remain scant. METHOD: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of voriconazole preemptive treatment for post-LTx colonization. RESULTS: We reviewed 62 adult ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of three different surface treatments in enhancing porcelain zirconia bonding. METHODS: Totally, 160 densely sintered zirconia specimens were prepared and randomly divided into four study groups: control (no treatment, Group C), sandblasting (Group S), sandblasting followed by regeneration firing ...

BACKGROUND: The benefits of routine prophylaxis versus on-demand treatment with factor VIII (FVIII) products have not been evaluated in controlled clinical trials in older patients with hemophilia A. OBJECTIVES: To report results from a preplanned analysis of data from the first year of the 3-year SPINART study, which compares routine ...

AIM: To evaluate the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) treated with either (1) laser arteriolar constriction (ACo) or (2) the standard treatment recommended by the Branch Vein Occlusion Study Group (grid laser photocoagulation (GLP) or only observation (if indication criteria for ...

RATIONALE: Antimicrobial therapy of chronic bronchitis exacerbations in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is based on empiric antibiotic treatment. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of prulifloxacin vs levofloxacin therapy in severe COPD patients with exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. METHODS: This study involved a multicenter, parallel, double-blind, randomized ...

PURPOSE: The optimal frequency of shock wave lithotripsy in urolithiasis treatment has not been well decided. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of Medline, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library was performed and all randomized controlled trials including articles and meeting abstracts that compared the effects of different frequencies (120, ...

OBJECTIVE: To observe the change in the number of antibodies of preneoplastic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using early treatment by Compound Phyllanthus Urinaria L. (CPUL) on patients with preneoplastic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC. METHODS: A total of 102 cirrhosis patients with regenerative or dysplastic nodules whose sera were tested positive ...

BACKGROUND: The use of topical immunosuppressants has been anecdotally reported for the treatment of rejection in vascularized composite allotransplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical tacrolimus and clobetasol in the prevention and treatment of rejection. METHODS: Seventy-six hemiface allotransplants, between ACI (RT1) donors and ...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is frequently diagnosed in the paediatric population. The use of endoscopic treatment has become a popular form of first line therapy. Available products offer good short-term success rates, however the costs of these injected implants is an issue. Our objective was to evaluate the ...

Rural and remote patients at the Royal Perth Hospital were reviewed and treated for hepatitis C by a hepatologist and nurse practitioner using telehealth (videoconferencing). Over a four-year period, 50 patients were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and participated in a total of more than 500 telehealth sessions. Sustained ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the add-on effect of static cyclotorsion compensation (SCC) over dynamic cyclotorsion compensation (DCC) on the refractive and visual outcomes in patients having laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for myopic astigmatism. SETTING: Private center, Tokyo, Japan. DESIGN: Comparative study. METHODS: Consecutive patients had LASIK with a target of ...

BACKGROUND: Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is an established treatment option for faecal incontinence. Cyclic stimulation will improve the longevity of the implanted stimulator, but little is known about its efficacy. The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to assess the efficacy of cyclic SNS for faecal incontinence. METHODS: Sixty-three ...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic treatment of stenosis of the anastomotic biliary stricture (ABS) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has been proven to be effective and safe, but long term outcome and risk factors for recurrence are unknown. METHODS: All 374 patients who underwent OLT at Frankfurt University hospital were screened for occurrence ...

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use is common among opioid-dependent patients, but studies of its association with treatment outcome are mixed. In this secondary analysis, the association of cannabis use with opioid treatment outcome is assessed. METHODS: In the main study, participants (n=152) aged 15-21 years were randomized to receive psychosocial treatments and ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of bromfenac drops alone or with a single intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) or triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) in the treatment of uveitic macular edema (UME). DESIGN: Comparative case series. STUDY PARTICIPANT: Sixty-seven eyes (of 55 patients) with UME that received either bromfenac drops alone (n = 34), ...

PURPOSE: To access surgical effects in patients with secondary glaucoma in Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis. METHODS: We had employed medical or surgical treatment for 22 patients who had been diagnosed as secondary glaucoma and Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis. Thirteen patients had undergone trabeculectomy with intraoperative applications of mitomycin C (MMC), of whom ...

BACKGROUND: Pathophysiology of psoriasis is complex and characterized by microscopic, specific changes. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) provides tissue and cell morphology information in non-invasive way, generating quasi-histologic resolution. Concerning plaque psoriasis, confocal criteria have been described disclosing high agreement between RCM and conventional histology. OBJECTIVE: We sought to ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy, adverse effects, and recurrence of oral propranolol for treatment of infantile hemangioma. METHODS: Participants were treated with oral propranolol three times daily, with inpatient monitoring of adverse effects. The starting dosage was 2 mg/kg per day, which had been for the remaining duration of treatment. Therapy ...

PURPOSE: Fifty percent of patients develop chronic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms following pelvic radiotherapy that adversely affect quality of life. Fewer than 20 % are referred to a gastroenterologist. We aimed to determine if structured gastroenterological evaluation is of benefit to this patient group. METHODS: Sixty patients with GI symptoms at ≥6 months ...

Venous ulcers are common, especially in the elderly, accounting for more than 50% of all lower extremity ulcers with important socio-economical problems. Improving extracellular matrix functioning, as heparin administration, seems to be a way to support wound healing. Two hundred and eighty four patients with venous ulcers were recruited in ...

Treatment options for arthrofibrosis following total knee arthroplasty include manipulation under anesthesia, open or arthroscopic arthrolysis, and revision surgery to correct identifiable problems. We propose preoperative low-dose irradiation and Constrained Condylar or Rotating-hinge revision for severe, idiopathic arthrofibrosis. Irradiation may decrease fibro-osseous proliferation while constrained implants allow femoral shortening and ...

BACKGROUND: EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) was introduced as an effective alternative to percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage after failed ERCP. However, EUS-BD is technically challenging. The intraductal manipulation of the guidewire seems to be the most difficult stage of the procedure. Therefore, technical advances in guidewire manipulation may be required for ...

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an acquired disorder of pigmentation due to loss of epidermal melanocytes. Autologous noncultured epidermal cell suspension (NCES) and autologus noncultured extracted hair follicle outer root sheath cell suspension (NCORSHFS) are important surgical modalities for the treatment of stable vitiligo. OBJECTIVES: To compare NCES and NCORSHFS for producing ...