Management and treatment of pressure ulcers (PUs) are met with great difficulty due to various factors that cause vulnerability of the soft tissue such as location, limited mobility, increased friction and shearing forces, as well as other comorbidities that may delay or halt wound healing. The topical autologous blood clot therapy (TABCT) is a point-of-care treatment used as a blood clot to assist in recreating and repairing the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanism of action consists of reconstruction of the ECM by incorporating into the ulcer, providing protection from further external destruction, while assisting in advancement through the wound healing phases via interaction of necessary growth factors, mediators, and chemokines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFG-CSF is a myeloid growth factor produced by monocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Clinical uses of G-CSF includes mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells from healthy donors before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, acceleration of neutrophil recovery following chemotherapy, and in the management of neutropenia due to other causes including AIDS and genetic disorders of granulocyte production. G-CSF is well tolerated and reports to be safe in healthy donors, although follow-up studies are limited in duration (D'Souza et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The efficacy of conventional doses of piperacillin/ tazobactam (PTZ) plus amikacin (AMK) were compared retrospectively to low doses of cefepime (CEF) plus amikacin in high risk febrile neutropenic patients with an underlying hematologic malignancy, and CEF versus PTZ (without AMK) in low risk individuals with febrile neutropenia and underlying solid tumor malignancies.
Methods: Fifty-six high risk hematologic malignancy patients received a combination of PTZ 4.5 grams administered every 8 hours plus AMK 15 mg/kg/day, while 46 received CEF 1 gram administered every 12 hours plus AMK 15 mg/kg/day.
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) are systemic inflammatory disorders with seemingly distinct genetic and pathophysiologic mechanisms. An association between these disorders has been described based on a single case report with few clinical details available. We recently encountered a patient with biopsy-proven RP and genetically confirmed FMF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Non-healing ulcers represent a significant dermatological problem. Recently, conventional therapy-resistant chronic ulcers have been treated with low energy lasers or light-emitting diodes in the visible and near IR region, but only a few placebo-controlled double-blind studies have been performed to support the efficacy of this approach. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a broadband (400-800 nm) visible light device in the treatment of leg or foot ulcers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Background. The diabetic foot is a common site of infections that frequently result in significant patient morbidity and mortality. Antibiotic treatment is an important part of therapy with selection of the specific agent depending on the stage of ulceration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and chronic venous ulcers (CVU) are persistent cutaneous lesions that are difficult to treat and heal. Topical hyperbaric oxygen (THO) and low-energy laser (LEL) are therapies that have been employed separately for ulcer treatment, but their concomitant use has not been investigated.
Methods: In this unblinded, open-label non-randomized trial, we treated 374 consecutive patients with treatment-refractory chronic ulcers (218 patients with DFU and 156 individuals with CVU) with a combination of THO and LEL.
Recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis is a rare disorder with only a few cases reported. We report a case of HSV encephalitis with documented recurrence in the same anatomic location, lending support to the theory of reactivation as the mechanism of disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was the first human oncovirus isolated by Gallo et al. in 1980 and established as an etiological agent for adult T-cell leukemia/ lymphoma (ATL). Although more than 15 million individuals are infected by HTLV-1 through the world, the spread of the virus is highly endemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Intern Med
November 2004
BACKGROUND: Malignant external otitis (MEO) is a life-threatening infection requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy. Adverse drug reactions (ADR) occur frequently in patients treated with long-term antibiotics, often limiting treatment effectiveness. We attempted to identify and categorize the frequency and type of ADR in patients undergoing treatment for MEO in an attempt to improve overall treatment of individuals with this disorder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRhinocerebral Mucormycosis is a potentially life-threatening disease, which affects mainly immunocompromised patients. Treatment options include reversing immunosuppression, surgery and systemic and local administration of anti-fungal medication. Amphotericin B is the primary agent employed, but its use is often limited by frequent side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFListeria monocytogenes, an uncommon foodborne pathogen, is increasingly recognized as a cause of life-threatening disease. A marked increase in reported cases of listeriosis during 1998 motivated a retrospective nationwide survey of the infection in Israel. From 1995 to 1999, 161 cases were identified; 70 (43%) were perinatal infections, with a fetal mortality rate of 45%.
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