Immune Fitness, Migraine, and Headache Complaints in Individuals with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing.

Background: Having chronic wounds and impaired wound healing are associated with psychological distress. The current study aims to evaluate migraine and headache complaints in young adults with self-reported impaired wound healing. Methods: A survey was conducted among N=1935 young adults (83.6% women), 18-30 years old, living in the Netherlands. Wound healing status was verified, immune fitness was assessed using a single-item rating scale, and ID Migraine was completed. In addition, several questions were answered on past year's headache experiences (including frequency, quantity, type, location, and severity). Results: In both the control group (p < 0.001) and the IWH group (p = 0.002) immune fitness was significantly lower among those that reported headaches compared to those that reported no headaches. Individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing (IWH) scored significantly higher on the ID Migraine scale, and individuals of the IWH group scored significantly more often positive for migraine (ie, an ID Migraine score ≥2). They reported a younger age of onset of experiencing headaches, and significantly more often reported having a beating or pounding headache than the control group. Compared to the control group, the IWH group reported being significantly more limited in their daily activities compared to the control group. Conclusion: Headaches and migraines are more frequently reported by individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing, and their reported immune fitness is significantly poorer compared to healthy controls. These headache and migraine complaints significantly limit them in their daily activities.

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Germany on Mood, Attention Control, Immune Fitness, and Quality of Life of Young Adults with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies in Dutch young adults revealed that individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing reported poorer mood, increased inattention and impulsivity, poorer quality of life, and poorer immune fitness compared to healthy controls. Another study revealed that the negative impact of lockdowns during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was significantly more profound among the impaired wound healing group than the control group. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend these findings among young adults living in Germany. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted among N = 317 young adults living in Germany, 18-35 years old. They were allocated to the IWH group (N = 66) or the control group (N-251). Participants completed the Attention Control Scale, and mood, quality of life, and immune fitness were assessed with single-item ratings. All assessments were made for (1) the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the first lockdown period, March-May 2020, (3) the first no-lockdown period, summer 2020, (4) the second lockdown, November 2020 to May 2021, and (5) the second no-lockdown period, summer 2021. RESULTS: The impaired wound healing group reported significantly poorer mood, quality of life, and immune fitness. The effects were evident before the pandemic. The impaired wound healing group scored significantly poorer on attention focusing, but no significant differences between the groups were found for attention shifting. During the pandemic, negative lockdown effects (i.e., further aggravation of mood and immune fitness and lower quality of life) were evident in both groups but significantly more profound in the impaired wound healing group. No differences between the groups were found for the no-lockdown periods. CONCLUSION: Individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing have significantly poorer mood, attention focusing, and immune fitness and report a poorer quality of life than healthy controls. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns was significantly more profound in the impaired wound-healing group.

The potential action of SSRIs in the treatment of skin diseases including atopic dermatitis and slow-healing wounds.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat affective and anxiety disorders. Antidepressants have also been shown to have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects, which may affect the microbiota-intestinal-brain axis. Studies show that SSRIs have antimicrobial activity both in vivo and in vitro and influence bacteria by inhibiting biofilm, affecting efflux pumps, among others. A huge challenge today is the prevention and treatment of skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD) and slow-healing wounds. Skin diseases including AD and non-healing wounds are serious medical problem. People suffering from these conditions feel constant discomfort, which also affects their psychological state. Research on new treatments for AD and slow-healing wounds is essential because current medications are not fully effective and have many side effects. Exploring new drug groups for AD and slow-healing wounds will allow for the creation of an alternative treatment for these diseases. SSRIs represent a hope for the treatment of skin diseases due to their immunomodulatory and antimicrobial properties.

Insomnia Complaints and Perceived Immune Fitness in Young Adults with and without Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing.

Background and Objectives: Adequate sleep and an effective immune system are both essential to maintain a good health status. The current study aimed to determine the nature of insomnia complaints and perceived immune fitness among Dutch young adults with and without self-reported impaired wound healing. Materials and Methods: A total of (n = 2033) Dutch students (83.8% women) completed an online survey. Perceived immune fitness was assessed with a single-item scale and insomnia complaints with the SLEEP-50 insomnia subscale. The sample comprised a control group without self-reported impaired wound healing (n = 1622), a wound infection (WI) group (n = 69), a slow healing wounds (SHW) group (n = 250), and a COMBI group that experienced both WI and SHW (n = 92). Results: Comparisons with the control group revealed that individuals of the SHW and COMBI groups reported significantly poorer perceived immune functioning, increased insomnia complaints and daytime fatigue, and poorer sleep quality. Conclusions: Individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing have a poorer perceived immune functioning, increased insomnia complaints, daytime fatigue, and poorer sleep quality.

Impaired wound healing is associated with poorer mood and reduced perceived immune fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective survey.

Background and Aims: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted medical care of patients with chronic wounds, and in combination with other negative effects of lockdown measures, this may have a negative effect on mood and quality of life. Until now, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns for individuals with impaired wound healing have not been investigated. Methods: An online survey was conducted to evaluate perceived immune fitness, mood, and health, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 331 Dutch pharmacy students that completed the survey, N = 42 participants reported slow healing wounds and/or wound infection and were allocated to the impaired wound healing group; the other N = 289 participants served as control group. The survey assessed mood, perceived immune fitness, and health correlates for (a) the year 2019 (the period before the lockdown), (b) the first lockdown period (March 15-May 11, 2020), (c) summer 2020 (no lockdown), and (d) the second lockdown (November 2020-April 2021). The analysis revealed that negative mood effects, reductions in quality of life, and perceived immune fitness during the two lockdowns were significantly more pronounced among individuals that reported impaired wound healing compared to the control group. The effects on mood, perceived immune fitness, and health correlates were most pronounced for the second lockdown period. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with significantly poorer mood, quality of life, and reduced perceived immune fitness. These effects are significantly more pronounced among individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing.

Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity among Individuals with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing.

BACKGROUND: Inattention and impulsivity are common causes of accidents and injury. The aim of the current study was to examine the level of attention deficit (AD), hyperactivity, and impulsivity (HI) in individuals with and without self-reported impaired wound healing (IWH). METHODS: A survey was conducted among N = 773 Dutch young adults, 18-30 years old. N = 198 were allocated to the IWH group and N = 575 to the control group. All participants completed the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that the IWH group has significantly higher scores on AD and HI, compared to the control group. Among the IWH group, 12.8% screened positive for AD (compared to 5.8% of the control group) and 14.0% screened positive for HI (compared to 7.4% of the control group). CONCLUSION: Clinically relevant increased inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity were observed among individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing.

Mental Resilience, Mood, and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-reported impaired wound healing on quality of life, wellbeing, and mood. It was hypothesized that individuals with impaired wound healing report significantly poorer mood compared to healthy controls. An online survey was conducted among 2173 Dutch young adults (18-30 years old) to investigate mood, neuroticism, and mental resilience. Participants were allocated to a healthy control group (N = 1728) or impaired wound healing groups comprising a wound infection group (WI, N = 76), a slow-healing wounds group (SHW, N = 272), and a group that experienced both WI and SHW (the COMBI group, N = 97). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare outcomes the groups. Compared to the healthy control group, the SHW and COMBI groups, but not the WI group, reported significantly poorer mood, increased neuroticism, reduced mental resilience, and reduced quality of life. An analysis evaluating sex differences found that negative effects on stress, mental resilience, and neuroticism were significantly more pronounced among women than among men. In conclusion, self-reported impaired wound healing is associated with poorer mood and reduced quality of life. To improve future wound care, these findings advocate for an interdisciplinary approach taking into account mood effects accompanying having impaired wound healing.

Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing in Young Adults and Their Susceptibility to Experiencing Immune-Related Complaints.

The current study examined to what extent individuals with wound infection (WI group), slow healing wounds (SHW group), or both (COMBI group) report poorer immune fitness and whether they experience immune-related complaints more often as compared to healthy participants (control group). Survey data from 3613 Dutch students was re-analyzed. Compared to the control group, perceived immune fitness was significantly lower by the SHW group (p < 0.001) and the COMBI group (p < 0.001), but no difference was found for the WI group (p = 0.059). Also, perceived immune fitness of the COMBI group was significantly worse compared to the WI group (p = 0.040). Compared to the control group, reduced immune fitness was reported to be significantly more frequently by the SHW group (p < 0.001) and the COMBI group (p < 0.001). Reduced immune fitness was significantly more common for the COMBI group compared to the SHW group (p = 0.011) and WI group (p = 0.001). Immune-related complaints such as headache, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, diarrhea, flu, and fever were significantly more frequently reported by individuals with impaired wound healing. The effects were most pronounced in the COMBI group, followed by the SHW group and a lesser extent the WI group. A highly significant correlation was found between perceived immune fitness and the percentage of individuals that reported impaired wound healing. In conclusion, the findings confirm that poorer immune functioning is characteristic for individuals with impaired wound healing. In follow-up studies, immune biomarkers analyses are needed to support patient-reported outcome measures.

[Combined application of NPWT-therapy and reamberin infusion in treatment of lower limb trophic ulcer (clinical case)]. / Sochetannoe primenenie NPWT-terapii i infuzii reamberina v lechenii troficheskoi iazvy nizhnei konechnosti (klinicheskoe nabliudenie).

A clinical case of successful combined use of NPWT-therapy and Reamberin infusion in the treatment of a non-healing (over 5 months) trophic ulcer of the lower limb in an elderly patient is presented. It was manifested that introduction of antioxidant/antihypoxant drug reamberin on the background of NPWT-therapy in patient with slow healing wounds has a positive effect on metabolic processes, resulting in more active and rapid cleansing of wound surface from opportunistic microflora by the 5th day of therapy. Absence of adverse effects to drug application allows to recommend its inclusion in the complex treatment scheme in patients with this pathology.