Interrupted subcuticular suture spacing during linear wound closures and the effect on wound cosmesis: a randomized evaluator-blinded split-wound comparative effectiveness trial.

Background: Surgical reconstructions following Mohs micrographic surgery and standard surgical excisions are often closed with two layers of sutures: a deep subcuticular layer and a superficial cuticular layer. Some surgeons feel the need to place many deep sutures in order to reduce tension on cuticular sutures, as they believe this may decrease incidence of track marks and dehiscence, and lead to better cosmetic outcomes. However, others feel that a higher number of subcuticular sutures increases the risk of a suture reaction, which leads to patient anxiety and poorer wound cosmesis.

Seizure-Induced mRNA Expression Thresholds in Rat Hippocampus and Perirhinal Cortex.

Immediate-early genes (IEGs) are rapidly and transiently induced following excitatory neuronal activity including maximal electroconvulsive shock treatment (ECT). The rapid RNA response can be blocked by the sodium channel antagonist tetrodotoxin (TTX), without blocking seizures, indicating a role for electrical stimulation in electroconvulsive shock-induced mRNA responses. In behaving animals, mRNA is selectively transcribed following patterned neuronal activity and rapidly trafficked to dendrites where it preferentially accumulates at active synapses for local translation.