Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Extremity Open Wound Management: A Review of the Literature.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with reticulated open cell foam is used commonly in orthopaedic trauma, particularly in the management of complex open fracture wounds. This article reviews the literature to date regarding this adjunctive treatment, particularly in regard to removal of infectious material, temporary management of wounds pending soft tissue reconstruction, combat wounds, and over split-thickness skin grafts. Mechanism of action is also reviewed, including stabilization of the wound environment, edema control, macrodeformation, and microdeformation effects.

Ectopic Lymphoid Follicle Formation and Human Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Responses Recapitulated in an Organ-on-a-Chip.

Lymphoid follicles (LFs) are responsible for generation of adaptive immune responses in secondary lymphoid organs and form ectopically during chronic inflammation. A human model of ectopic LF formation will provide a tool to understand LF development and an alternative to non-human primates for preclinical evaluation of vaccines. Here, it is shown that primary human blood B- and T-lymphocytes autonomously assemble into ectopic LFs when cultured in a 3D extracellular matrix gel within one channel of a two-channel organ-on-a-chip microfluidic device.

Symptom Burden and Profiles in Concussed Children with and without Prolonged Recovery.

Although symptom burden and symptom profile severity are independent predictors of post-concussion symptom duration, few studies have examined their effects on prolonged recovery simultaneously. This study examined differences in symptom burden and symptom profile scores between concussed children with prolonged recovery and those with typical recovery. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of concussed children aged 10-18 years.

Corrigendum to "Medication safety practices in hospitals: A national survey in Saudi Arabia" [Saudi Pharm. J. 21(2) (2013) 159-164].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.

Current practices for labeling medications in hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Good medication labeling practices are imperative to ensure safe medication use. Non-adherence to labeling protocols is reported as one major source of medication errors.

Objective: This study was intended to evaluate and compare adherence to labeling guidelines for dispensed medications among the hospitals of the five different health sectors in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Intervention to reduce the use of unsafe abbreviations in a teaching hospital.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of a two-phase intervention designed to reduce the use of unsafe abbreviations.

Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted at the King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during May-September 2009. A list of unsafe abbreviations was formulated based on the recommendations of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

Medication safety practices in hospitals: A national survey in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Medication errors in hospitals are a worldwide concern. The World Health Organization has recommended the implementation of basic applications in healthcare systems to improve medication safety, but it is largely unknown whether these recommendations are adhered to by hospitals. We assessed the presence of core medication safety practices in Saudi Arabian hospitals.

The safety of H1N1 vaccine in children in Saudi Arabia: a cohort study using modern technology in a developing country.

Background: With its rapid introduction in 2009, concerns about the safety of the H1N1 vaccines have been raised. Data were especially limited on the pediatric safety of H1N1 vaccine in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the safety of the H1N1 vaccine (Pandemrix(®)) in children and examine the feasibility of obtaining information on possibly associated adverse reactions using mobile telephone contact with child caregivers.

Accuracy of the medication history at admission to hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Inaccurate medication history at admission to hospitals leads to preventable adverse drug events, which in turn increase mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of pharmacists in identifying discrepancies in medication histories at admission to a tertiary referral hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study in a 1200 bed tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.