Publications by authors named "RAINSFORD K"

Article Synopsis
  • Reactive arthritis, previously called Reiter's Syndrome, is characterized by asymmetrical acute joint pain, fever, and various symptoms like conjunctivitis and rash.
  • Although named after Hans Reiter, the condition had been documented earlier by French doctors who studied soldiers with similar symptoms during World War I.
  • Due to Reiter's controversial past, including his allegiance to the Nazi regime, the term has been changed to reactive arthritis for ethical and clinical reasons.
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Type two Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a rising epidemic. Available therapeutic strategies have provided glycaemic control via HbA1c reduction but fail to provide clinically meaningful reduction in microvascular and macrovascular (cardiac, renal, ophthalmological, and neurological) complications. Inflammation is strongly linked to the pathogenesis of T2DM.

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  • Sir William Osler highlighted painful nodes in subacute bacterial endocarditis in 1909, earning them the name "Osler's nodes" and publishing his findings in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine.
  • Dr. John Alexander Mullin is credited with initially pointing out these nodes to Osler.
  • There is confusion between Osler's nodes and non-tender skin lesions (Janeway lesions) found in acute bacterial endocarditis, but research shows that their underlying causes and tissue characteristics are essentially the same.
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  • - The spondyloarthropathies are a group of conditions primarily affecting spinal joints, often linked to genetic factors like the HLA-B27 antigen, and include Ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, and arthritis related to Crohn's and colitis.
  • - Ankylosing spondylitis predominantly affects males and is characterized by seronegativity for rheumatoid factor and potential extra-articular symptoms like iridocyclitis.
  • - Reactive arthritis typically follows infections of the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract, while Crohn's and colitis-related arthritis often involves asymmetrical large joint pain; additionally, conditions like acute rheumatic fever and Lyme disease can lead to post-infection arthritis. *
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William Soutar (1898-1943) was a Scottish poet, but many are unaware of his scholarly work which includes his famous "brain-rhymes". He was born in Perth Scotland in 1898. He was educated at Perth Primary School and Perth Academy and proved to be adept at sport and academics.

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This review is based investigations on the Western Isles, Scotland, by Martin Martin, a notable Scottish Highlander, academic and medical doctor, of the 17th-18th century. His extensive observations of the geography and peoples of these Isles were recorded in his books, "On the Description of the Western Islands of Scotland Circa 1695" and "A Late Voyage to St Kilda". In these books and subsequent papers there were some noteworthy observations on the occurrence (and as he says non-occurrence) of "epidemical" diseases and conditions afflicting the peoples of The Isle of Skye and the Western Isles of Scotland in this period, and these are discussed in this review.

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Non-medicinal therapies with water, salts, exercise, massage, supportive devices, and electricity have been used for centuries and continue to be of benefit for some people with musculoskeletal disorders. Historical texts refer to the two electuaries mithridatium and theriaca as early therapeutic attempts of man to provide relief of musculoskeletal symptoms and attempt disease cures. For over 200 years, morphine-derived products have been used for musculoskeletal pain.

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  • The term "clinical trial" refers to the investigation of a medical treatment to evaluate its benefits and potential toxic effects.
  • The history of clinical trials dates back to at least 600 BC, with notable examples like Lind's scurvy treatment using citrus fruits in 1747 and Jenner's controversial smallpox inoculation in 1796.
  • Modern clinical trials prioritize human ethics, strict observations, statistical analysis, and safety testing to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
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There is documentation of the use of opium derived products in the ancient history of the Assyrians: the Egyptians; in the sixth century AD by the Roman Dioscorides; and by Avicenna (980-1037). Reference to opium like products is made by Paracelsus and by Shakespeare. Charles Louis Derosne and Fredrich Wilhelm Adam Serturner isolated morphine from raw opium in 1802 and 1806 respectively, and it was Sertürner who named the substance morphine, after Morpheus, the Greek God of dreams.

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  • Osteoarthritis has been identified in dinosaur skeletons from 50-70 million years ago, Egyptian mummies, and ancient English skeletons, indicating its long history in various species.
  • The condition affects joints like the hands, spine, hips, knees, and feet, and can be classified as primary osteoarthritis when no prior injury exists, or secondary if linked to prior trauma or other factors.
  • Osteoarthritis prevalence increases with age, and while there's evidence of inflammation involved, the exact cause, especially for primary osteoarthritis, remains unclear.
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Crude forms of musculoskeletal surgery have been performed through history for the treatment of deformity, pain and the horrors of battle. In more modern times Muller is credited with the first synovectomy in rheumatoid arthritis in 1884, and a Synovectomy was first performed by Richard von Volkmann (1830-1889) for joint tuberculosis. Chemical synovectomy consisting of the intra-articular injection of various agents was popular for a while but is now largely discarded.

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Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is characterised as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eyes), xerostomia (dry mouth) commonly associated with salivary gland enlargement, and is referred to as Primary Sjögren's syndrome. It is known as Secondary Sjögren's syndrome when it occurs in patients, with connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis nodosa, polymyositis, and systemic sclerosis. SS has also been associated with chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis C infection (HCV), chronic biliary cirrhosis, neoplastic and myeloplastic syndromes, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

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It is difficult to determine from ancient writings, old human specimens, and from Art over the centuries, as to when Rheumatoid Arthritis first appeared. It may be a relatively modern condition, as it was reasonably well described in the seventeenth century. Augustin Jacob Landre-Beauvais (1772-1840), University of Paris is credited, with the first clear description of the disease in his thesis.

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Background: This study aimed to assess tendency of oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients depending on severity.

Methods: The study was conducted with 80 post-COVID-19 disease patients and 40 acutely ill patients. Content of selenium in blood plasma was detected by a fluorimetric method with di-amino-naphthalene using acidic hydrolysis.

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Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a major cause of upper gastro-intestinal (GI) ulceration and bleeding as well as cardiovascular (CV) diseases (e.g., myocardial infarction and stroke).

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The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently the most acute healthcare challenge in the world. Despite growing knowledge of the nature of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), treatment options are still poorly defined. The safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), specifically ibuprofen, has been openly questioned without any supporting evidence or clarity over dose, duration, or temporality of administration.

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Objective: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac epolamine (DHEP) formulated as a topical patch has demonstrated efficacy and safety in the localized treatment of acute pain from minor strains, sprains and contusions, and for epicondylitis and knee osteoarthritis. The glycosaminoglycan heparin enhances the activity of topical NSAIDs formulated as a medicated plaster, even in the absence of any significant release of heparin. Therefore, DHEP plus, a new formulation of the DHEP medicated plaster containing a small amount of heparin sodium as excipient, has been developed.

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