Favorable combinations of antiseizure medication with vagus nerve stimulation to improve health-related quality of life in patients with epilepsy.

Background: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a non-pharmacological treatment of refractory epilepsy, which also has an antidepressive effect. The favorable combinations of VNS with specific mechanisms of action of antiseizure medication (ASM) on mood and health-related quality of life (HrQol) have not yet been studied. The objective was to identify favourable combinations of specific ASMs with VNS for the HrQoL and depression in refractory epilepsy.

Use of a new acellular dermal matrix for treatment of nonhealing wounds in the lower extremities of patients with diabetes.

Introduction: Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) have successfully been used in the treatment of nonhealing wounds in patients with diabetes.

Methods: A new decellularized biological scaffold derived from human skin, D-ADM, (DermACELL, LifeNet Health, Virginia Beach, VA), has shown increased cell infiltration, host tissue integration, and vascularization in comparison to other ADMs. This clinical investigation evaluated the wound closing properties of D-ADM on 18 full-thickness lower extremity wounds in 15 patients with diabetes over a period of 12 weeks.