Ocular conditions and dry eye due to traditional and new forms of smoking: A review.

Addiction to cigarette smoking has high prevalence rates recorded worldwide. Smoking has been linked to several life-threatening systemic conditions such as cancer, heart attack and stroke, in addition to a range of ocular pathologies. In recent years, electronic cigarettes (EC) have emerged as alternatives to smoking.

Wireless Direct Microampere Current in Wound Healing: Clinical and Immunohistological Data from Two Single Case Reports.

Chronic pressure ulcers are hard-to-heal wounds that decrease the patient's quality of life. Wireless Micro Current Stimulation (WMCS) is an innovative, non-invasive, similar to electrode-based electrostimulation (ES) technology, that generates and transfers ions that are negatively-charged to the injured tissue, using accessible air gases as a transfer medium. WMCS is capable of generating similar tissue potentials, as electrode-based ES, for injured tissue.

MAGNETO-THERAPY IN PHYSIOTHERAPY UNITS: INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURE DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE.

Rehabilitation practice for many patients consisting of a combined use of magneto therapy resulting emission of low frequency magnetic fields to the patient, elicit concerns about occupational exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) for the operators. The time extended use of the device periodically leads to mechanical failures or troubleshooting of the machine which, in most cases, are not perceived by the operator of the device. All device's efficient functionality have a major impact on the completion of the treatment procedure in a large percentage of specific clinical conditions.

Microwave diathermy induces mitogen-activated protein kinases and tumor necrosis factor-α in cultured human monocytes.

Although rehabilitation practice for most patients consists of a combined use of thermotherapy that is produced from diathermy devices resulting faster and deeper heating to the patient, major concerns about occupational exposure to electromagnetic radiation for the operators must be considered. In most occasions, physiotherapists have involved multi-hour treatment sessions to different patients, resulting overuse of the diathermy device. Recently, our team along with other groups have raised serious concerns about the occupational safety aspects related to microwave diathermy (MWD) use.

MICROWAVE DIATHERMY IN PHYSIOTHERAPY: INTRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF A QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURE.

Microwave diathermies (MWDs) are electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitting systems that are used by physiotherapists for thermotherapy treatment. Although this form of therapy is widely available in most physiotherapy units worldwide, management of the equipment is not obligatory addressed either by clinical engineers or medical physicists. A novel quality control (QC) protocol for MWD equipment, examining mechanical, electrical and electronic condition, the power output and EM radiation distribution in the electrotherapy room, was used during a national QC survey.