Management of Muscle Cramps in Patients With Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Background: Muscle cramps are common in patients with cirrhosis. Despite their prevalence and impact on health-related quality of life, there are no widely used clinical practice guidelines for management of muscle cramps in cirrhosis. The aim of this review was to critically evaluate current evidence regarding treatment of muscle cramps in cirrhosis.

Healthcare utilisation and costing for decompensated chronic liver disease hospitalisations at a Victorian network.

Background: The economic burden of decompensated chronic liver disease (CLD) on Australian healthcare services is poorly characterised.

Aims: To evaluate the in-patient healthcare utilisation costs associated with decompensated CLD at Monash Health, an Australian tertiary healthcare service.

Methods: The current retrospective cost analysis examined patients with decompensated CLD admitted between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2018.

Metal stents are safe and cost-effective for preoperative biliary drainage in resectable pancreaticobiliary tumours.

Backgrounds: To compare the complication rates and overall costs of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) and plastic stents (PS) in clinically indicated preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) prior to a pancreatoduodenectomy (PD).

Methods: We conducted an Australian multicentre retrospective cohort study using the databases of four tertiary hospitals. Adult patients who underwent clinically indicated endoscopic PBD prior to PD from 2010 to 2019 were included.

Impact of on-site compared to off-site testing for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on duration of isolation and resource utilization.

Rapid detection and isolation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is the only means of reducing hospital transmission. We describe the impact of implementation of on-site severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing on reducing turnaround time, isolation duration, pathology test ordering, and antibiotic use in patients who do not have COVID-19.

Stimulation of sympathetic innervation in the upper gastrointestinal tract as a treatment for obesity.

Sympathetic activity and obesity have a reciprocal relationship. Firstly, hypothalamic obesity is associated with decreased sympathetic activity. Caffeine and ephedrine increase sympathetic activity and induce weight loss, of which 25% is due to increased metabolic rate and 75% is due to a reciprocally decreased food intake.

An evaluation of mesotherapy solutions for inducing lipolysis and treating cellulite.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipolytic potential of solutions used in the practice of cosmetic mesotherapy to stimulate lipolysis, cause local fat reduction and reduce the appearance of cellulite. The mesotherapy solutions were tested in a human fat cell assay using the fold induction of glycerol generation as a measure of lipolysis. The following mesotherapy solutions were tested: aminophylline; yohimbine; isoproterenol; melilotus; aminophylline with melilotus; aminophylline with isoproterenol; aminophylline with isoproterenol and yohimbine; aminophylline with isoproterenol and lidocaine; and aminophylline with isoproterenol, yohimbine and lidocaine.

An assay to measure angiogenesis in human fat tissue.

Background: Inhibition of angiogenesis reverses rodent obesity. A validated assay in human fat tissue is needed to study the role of angiogenesis in human obesity.

Methods: Human fat tissue fragments from surgery were placed in 96-well plates, embedded in fibrin thrombin clot and overlaid with cell culture media containing 20% fetal bovine serum.

The safety and efficacy of a dietary herbal supplement and gallic acid for weight loss.

The objective of this study was to test the safety and efficacy of NT, a dietary herbal supplement made from rhubarb, ginger, astragulus, red sage, and turmeric, combined with gallic acid (GA) to reduce food intake and cause weight loss. A total of 105 healthy subjects, 18-60 years old with a body mass index of 25-35 kg/m(2) and on no chronic medication, were randomized to a 300 mg/1.2 g NT-GA combination, a 600 mg/2.

The effect of an herbal supplement containing black tea and caffeine on metabolic parameters in humans.

Objective: The objective of this study was to test an herbal supplement containing black tea (the fully oxidized form of Camellia sinensis) and caffeine for stimulation of thermogenesis.

Methods/materials: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted on 16 healthy, weight-stable, non-smoking subjects, ages 21-55 years, with body mass index (BMI) of 20-30 kg/m2, and on no medications other than oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy. Subjects had no caffeine for 48 hours, no exercise for 24 hours, and no food for 12 hours before each visit.