Observational study to estimate the proportion of surgical site infection following excision of ulcerated skin tumours (OASIS study).

BACKGROUND: Ulceration is a recognized risk factor for surgical site infection (SSI); however, the proportion of patients developing SSI after excision of an ulcerated skin cancer is unknown. AIM: To determine the proportion of participants with SSI after surgical excision of an ulcerated skin cancer. A secondary aim was to assess feasibility outcomes to inform the design of a randomized controlled trial to investigate the benefits and harms of perioperative antibiotics following excision of ulcerated tumours. METHODS: This was a multicentre, prospective, observational study of patients undergoing excision of an ulcerated skin cancer between March 2019 and March 2020. Prior to surgical excision, surface swabs of the ulcerated tumours of participants recruited from one centre were undertaken to determine organism growth. At 4 weeks after surgery, all participants were e-mailed or posted the Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) to determine whether they had developed SSI. RESULTS: In total, 148 participants were recruited 105 (70.9%) males; mean ± SD age 77.1 ± 12.3 years. Primary outcome data were available for 116 (78.4%) participants, of whom 35 (30.2%) were identified as having an SSI using the WHQ with a cutoff score of 8, and 47 (40.5%) were identified with a cutoff score of 6. Using the modified WHQ in participants with wounds left to heal by secondary intention, 33 (28.4%) and 43 (37.1%) were identified to have SSI respectively. CONCLUSION: This prospective evaluation of SSI identified with the WHQ following excision of ulcerated skin cancers demonstrated a high proportion with SSI. The WHQ was acceptable to patients; however, further evaluation is required to ensure validity in assessing skin wounds.

Environmentally sustainable dermatology.

In 2017, health and social care organizations contributed 6.3% of carbon emissions in England. Efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of the National Health Service (NHS) have been broadly focused on reducing demand, through prevention and patient empowerment, and modifying supply side factors by focusing on lean care systems and low carbon alternatives. This narrative review concentrates on supply side factors to identify sustainable practices with a focus on actions that could be implemented in dermatology departments. For this study, a literature review was conducted In MEDLINE in April 2020. The search terms included 'environmental sustainability' and 'climate change' with 'dermatology', 'telemedicine', 'NHS', 'surgery' and 'operating theatres'. Out of 95 results, 20 were deemed relevant to the review. Although the review showed that there is clearly growing interest in environmental sustainability, the identified literature lacked examples of comprehensive implementation and evaluation of initiatives. The literature discussed distinct areas including transport, waste management and procurement as part of a lean healthcare system. A number of papers highlighted the potential contribution of carbon-reducing actions without citing verifiable outcome data. This narrative review highlights the need for detailed environmental impact assessments of treatment options in dermatology, in tandem with economic analysis. In conclusion, we have identified a clear need for evidence-based guidance setting out implementable actions with identifiable benefits achievable within local clinical teams. This will require engagement between clinicians, patients and healthcare organizations.

Do perioperative antibiotics reduce the risk of surgical-site infections following excision of ulcerated skin cancers? A Critically Appraised Topic.

AIM: To review the efficacy of perioperative antibiotics in reducing the risk of surgical-site infections (SSIs) following excision of ulcerated skin cancers. SETTING AND DESIGN: Study selection, data extraction and analysis were carried out independently by four authors. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported in the English language were included. INCLUDED STUDIES: RCTs in the English language in which patients received perioperative topical, intralesional or oral antibiotics for dermatological surgery, including Mohs micrographic surgery in general practice, dermatology or plastic surgery departments, were included. OUTCOME: The proportion of participants developing SSI following excision of skin lesions. RESULTS: Thirteen RCTs were identified from our literature search of PubMed and Embase, which evaluated SSI following use of topical (n = 5), oral (n = 3), intramuscular (n = 2), intravenous (n = 1) and intralesional antibiotics (n = 2) in dermatological surgery. Two RCTs specifically investigated SSIs in ulcerated skin cancer excisions; one RCT investigated the SSI rate following surgical treatment specifically for ulcerated skin cancers in individuals randomized to topical antibiotics vs. oral cephalexin; and one RCT compared intravenous cefazolin with no antibiotic, demonstrating significant reduction in SSI rates for ulcerated tumours (P = 0·04). CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneity of the RCTs included in this study makes it difficult to make a direct comparison of the outcomes measured. High-quality evidence demonstrating a beneficial effect of the use of perioperative antibiotics to prevent SSI following excision of ulcerated skin cancers is lacking. In the absence of an evidence base, we propose that a well-designed multicentre RCT could evaluate the effect of perioperative antibiotics following excision of ulcerated tumours, and potentially reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescription.

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus associated with radioiodine treatment.

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) is characterized by nonscarring, photodistributed, annular or papulosquamous plaques with antibodies to Ro/SS-A antigen. We report a case of SCLE associated with radioiodine treatment.

Parental practices predict psychological well-being in midlife: life-course associations among women in the 1946 British birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Certain parenting styles are influential in the emergence of later mental health problems, but less is known about the relationship between parenting style and later psychological well-being. Our aim was to examine the association between well-being in midlife and parental behaviour during childhood and adolescence, and the role of personality as a possible mediator of this relationship. METHOD: Data from 984 women in the 1946 British birth cohort study were analysed using structural equation modelling. Psychological well-being was assessed at age 52 years using Ryff's scales of psychological well-being. Parenting practices were recollected at age 43 years using the Parental Bonding Instrument. Extraversion and neuroticism were assessed at age 26 years using the Maudsley Personality Inventory. RESULTS: In this sample, three parenting style factors were identified: care; non-engagement; control. Higher levels of parental care were associated with higher psychological well-being, while higher parental non-engagement or control were associated with lower levels of psychological well-being. The effects of care and non-engagement were largely mediated by the offspring's personality, whereas control had direct effects on psychological well-being. The psychological well-being of adult women was at least as strongly linked to the parenting style of their fathers as to that of their mothers, particularly in relation to the adverse effects of non-engagement and control. CONCLUSIONS: This study used a prospective longitudinal design to examine the effects of parenting practices on psychological well-being in midlife. The effects of parenting, both positive and negative, persisted well into mid-adulthood.

Bexarotene therapy for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Bexarotene (Targretin) is a synthetic retinoid which is licensed for the treatment of advanced refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). OBJECTIVES: To summarize our experience with bexarotene for patients with CTCL with the aim of assessing efficacy and safety. METHODS: A retrospective study of 66 patients (44 male, 22 female) with mycosis fungoides (40 patients) or Sézary syndrome (26 patients) who were commenced on bexarotene prior to August 2007 was carried out. Nineteen patients had early-stage (IB-IIA) refractory mycosis fungoides and 47 patients had advanced-stage CTCL (IIB-IVB). RESULTS: Fifty-two out of 66 (79%) patients completed over 1 month of therapy with an intention-to-treat response rate of 44% (29/66). Of the patients, six (9%) had a complete response, 23 (35%) had a partial response, 15 (23%) had stable disease and eight (12%) had progressive disease. Median time to maximal response was 3 months (1-9 months). Median response duration was 8 months (1 to > 48 months). Median time to progression was 9 months (3-44 months). Fourteen patients (21%) did not complete a month of bexarotene therapy. Adverse effects of the whole group included central hypothyroidism in 100% (all grade II and managed with thyroid replacement) and hyperlipidaemia in 100% (all managed with lipid-lowering therapy +/- dose reduction). Responses were seen in all stages and were higher in advanced stages: 26% (five of 19) with early-stage and 51% (24/47) of advanced-stage disease. Responses were seen in skin, blood and lymph nodes. Twenty-eight out of 66 patients were treated with bexarotene monotherapy and the remainder were on one or more additional anti-CTCL therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that bexarotene is well tolerated in most patients and responses are seen in almost half of patients with all disease stages. However partial responses were not graded and would include any improvement seen in the skin, blood and lymph node.

Pityriasis rubra pilaris type 1 spontaneously resolving after 20 years.

Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is an uncommon, idiopathic, papulosquamous eruption. We report a longitudinal study of a patient with PRP type 1 who was treated with retinoid therapy for 9 years and whose symptoms resolved spontaneously after 20 years. There are no data in the literature on the disease course of PRP type 1 persisting beyond the usual 3 years. This case highlights both the extreme chronicity of PRP and the possibility of remission after many years of active disease.

Catch-up growth in small-for-gestational-age term infants: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) term infants are at risk of long-term growth deficits. OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to test the hypothesis that postnatal growth in SGA term infants can be altered by dietary intervention and to examine whether there is a critical window for nutritional programming of the growth trajectory during the first 9 mo postnatally. DESIGN: Healthy term (gestation > or =37 wk) infants with birth weights below the 10th centile were randomly assigned to receive standard term formula (TF; n = 147) or nutrient-enriched formula (EF; n = 152) for the first 9 mo; 175 breast-fed SGA term infants formed a reference group. The main outcome measures were weight, length, and occipitofrontal head circumference (OFC) at 9 and 18 mo. RESULTS: The infants fed the EF showed greater gains in length by 9 (1.1 cm; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.79) and 18 (1.0 cm; 0.25, 1.83) mo and in OFC by 9 (0.5 cm; 0.1, 0.9) and 18 (0.6 cm; 0.2, 1.1) mo than did infants fed the TF; the differences were larger in females. The dietary effects were independent of the pattern of growth retardation. Breast-fed infants showed greater gains in weight and OFC by 18 mo than did infants fed the TF; however, these differences disappeared after adjustment for age, parental size, and birth order. CONCLUSIONS: Linear growth and OFC gains in SGA term infants improve after nutritional intervention during the first 9 mo of life and the effects persist for > or =9 mo beyond the intervention period. Further information on whether catch-up growth is beneficial or detrimental to long-term outcomes is required before public health interventions can be recommended.

Influence of morbidity on serum retinol of children in a community-based study in northern Ghana.

Serum retinol concentrations decrease during illness and thus may not accurately reflect the vitamin A status of populations with a high prevalence of illness. To quantify the contribution of illness to low serum retinol in a field study of children aged 6-59 mo in northern Ghana, serum retinol values were compared with two indicators of recent illness; symptoms reported by parents and acute-phase protein concentrations in serum. Serum retinol was not associated with symptoms of illness but showed a significant negative correlation with both alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and serum amyloid A (SAA). Elevated AGP was associated with a 24% decrease in mean serum retinol. A large proportion of asymptomatic children had elevated AGP or SAA concentrations, suggesting that subclinical infections may have had important effects on serum retinol. A significant negative correlation between malaria parasite density and serum retinol indicated that malaria may have been one of the subclinical infections responsible. Measurement of AGP may improve interpretation of serum retinol data from populations with a high prevalence of morbidity.

Cytochrome P-450-dependent mixed-function oxidase and glutathione S-transferase activities in spontaneous obesity-diabetes.

The effect of non-insulin-dependent diabetes on the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450-dependent mixed-function oxidase system and on cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity was determined using the spontaneously obese-diabetic (ob/ob) mouse model. The activities of the xenobiotic-metabolizing cytochrome P450 proteins were monitored by the use of chemical probes. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes did not influence the hepatic metabolism of substrates associated with the P450 I, IIB, IIE, III and IV families of cytochromes. In contrast, cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity was markedly reduced and glutathione levels were significantly lowered. These findings raise the possibility that patients suffering from this disease may be more susceptible to chemicals that rely on glutathione conjugation for their deactivation.

Effect of simulated altitude erythrocythemia in women on hemoglobin flow rate during exercise.

The effect of simulated altitude erythrocythemia on hemoglobin flow rate and maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) was determined for nine women sea-level residents. Test conditions included normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (16% O2-84% N2). Cycle tests were performed under normoxia (T1-N) and hypoxia (T1-H) at prereinfusion control and under hypoxia 48 h after a placebo infusion (T2-H) and 48 h after autologous infusion of 334 ml of erythrocytes (T3-H). Hematocrit (38.1-44.9%) and hemoglobin concentration (12.7-14.7 g.dl-1) increased from control to postreinfusion. At peak exercise, VO2max decreased from T1-N (2.40 l.min-1) to T1-H (2.15 l.min-1) then increased at T3-H (2.37 l.min-1). Maximal arterial-mixed venous O2 difference decreased from T1-N to T1-H and increased at T3-H. Cardiac output (Q), stroke volume, heart rate, and total peripheral resistance during maximal exercise were unchanged from T1-N through T3-H. Hemoglobin flow rate (Hb flow) at maximum did not change from T1-N to T1-H but increased at T3-H. When compared with submaximal values for T1-N, VO2 was unchanged at T1-H and T3-H; Q increased at T1-H and decreased at T3-H; arterial-mixed venous O2 difference decreased at T1-H and increased at T3-H; Hb flow did not change at T1-N but increased at T3-H. For young women, simulated altitude erythrocythemia increased peak Hb flow and decreased physiological altitude (227.8 m) but did not affect maximum cardiac output (Qmax).