Nerve Injury and Peripheral Nerve Functional Loss From Injection and Suture Needles: An Experimental Study on Rats.

BACKGROUND: During invasive procedures involving needles, there is a chance of damage to peripheral nerves. Therefore, a method for experimentally simulating these situations is needed. OBJECTIVES: In this study we aimed to evaluate peripheral nerve lesions caused by the entry and exit of an injection needle, nerve transfixion through a suture stitch, and the injection of saline solution and lidocaine into the nerve. METHODS: After obtaining approval from the Animal Ethics Committee, we randomly divided 36 Wistar rats, weighing approximately 250 g each, into 6 groups (control, sham, suture, needle, saline, and lidocaine groups), with 6 animals in each group. All procedures were performed on the left paws of the rats. After the procedure, walking track analysis was performed to assess the walking function of rats for 8 weeks. Four months after the procedures, we performed bilateral electrophysiological studies (measuring the latency and amplitude of the electrical impulse in the peroneal nerve). Subsequently, the rats were euthanized, and bilateral tissue samples were collected from the peroneal nerve and tibialis cranialis muscle for morphometric histological analysis. RESULTS: In the walking track analysis, all groups showed normalization of walking functionality after 13 days. There was little histological change between the groups, and no functional loss related to the procedures was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Procedures involving the infusion of local anesthetic or saline solution, or suture needles, are safe with regard to peripheral nerve function loss. Accidents tend not to cause nerve impairment.

Quality of Life in Adults with Neurofibromatosis 1 in Brazil.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurocutaneous genetic disorder that can be associated with severe complications, and it may shorten patients' lifespan and affect their quality of life negatively. This study aimed to examine quality of life constructs among adults with NF1 in Brazil. It is an exploratory, descriptive and cross-sectional study consisting of two stages, involving thirteen adult patients with NF1. The first stage was developed using a quantitative methodology, namely the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire; responses for the 13 patients were compared to a matched control group. The second stage comprised clinical-qualitative research whereby participants took part in a semi-structured interview; these data were analyzed using the categorical thematic analysis technique. There were no statistically significant differences in the questionnaire domains between the NF1 patients and the control subjects. Eighteen main themes were extracted from the interviews, showing interference of the NF1 visibility principally in psychological aspects and social relationships. Patients mentioned curiosity about NF1 and confusion about the distinctions between NF1 and contagious diseases, which lead to prejudice. They were concerned about the future and how the disease would develop in themselves and their offspring, and emphasized difficulties acquiring proper healthcare. These findings may help in planning healthcare for Brazilian NF1 patients and improving their quality of life.