Background: Malodourous discharge in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has a strong psychosocial impact and is often reported as a source of embarrassment, low self-esteem, social stigma, and barriers to interpersonal relationships. Malodour is a maker of bacterial colonization, and its role in HS is understudied.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between severity of malodourous discharge and quality-of-life impairment in patients with HS.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 51 patients recruited from the Women's College Hospital and the York Dermatology Centre. Quality of life was assessed using both the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the Skindex-29 instruments.
Results: Severity of odour significantly predicts the total Skindex score after controlling for disease severity as measured by the Hurley stage and Sartorius score ( R = 0.39, F = 8.11, P < .0001). However, odour severity is not a predictor of DLQI ( R = 0.17, F = 2.63, P = .064). There was no difference in mean DLQI scores for the low- vs high-odour groups, but patients with high odour had a greater quality of life impairment as measured by the Skindex tool ( t = -4.19, df = 43, P < .0001, mean difference = -18.87).
Conclusion: Malodour is a common symptom that significantly impairs quality of life in patients with HS. The fact that this effect is captured in Skindex and not the DLQI may be attributed to the nonspecificity of the DLQI in terms of unique disease characteristics. It is important to address odour in the management of patients with HS.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1203475417745826 | DOI Listing |
Value Health Reg Issues
January 2025
Departamento de Ingeniería Informática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Objectives: Despite the increasing investments in Latin American healthcare, the corresponding improvement in population health is not proportional. This discrepancy may be attributed to the efficiency of resource utilization. This study used the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology to assess the efficiency of healthcare systems in 23 Latin American and Caribbean countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Res Protoc
January 2025
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Background: Young patients aged 16 to 25 years with type 1 diabetes (T1D) often encounter challenges related to deteriorating disease control and accelerated complications. Mobile apps have shown promise in enhancing self-care among youth with diabetes. However, inconsistent findings suggest that further evidence is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of app-based interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJCO Oncol Pract
January 2025
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
Cachexia is a systemic wasting syndrome prevalent in patients with cancer that significantly affects quality of life, health care costs, and therapeutic outcomes. Despite its clinical importance, cachexia is rarely formally diagnosed. This deficiency presents a challenge for effective patient management and care, health care resource allocation, and the advancement of therapeutic approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Oncol
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Health Economics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Purpose: To evaluate the cost utility of a 9-month supervised exercise program for patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), compared with control (usual care, supplemented with general activity advice and an activity tracker). Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of exercise for patients with mBC is essential for implementation in clinical practice and is currently lacking.
Methods: A cost-utility analysis was performed alongside the multinational PREFERABLE-EFFECT randomized controlled trial, conducted in 8 centers across Europe and Australia.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng
January 2025
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
Perianal fistulas (PAFs) are a severe complication of Crohn's disease that significantly impact patient prognosis and quality of life. While stem-cell-based strategies have been widely applied for PAF treatment, their efficacy remains limited. Our study introduces an injectable, temperature-controlled decellularized adipose tissue-alginate hydrogel loaded with dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (DPMSCs) for in vivo fistula treatment.
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