Temporary Fixation of Reduction with Fabric Adhesive Bandage in the Surgical Treatment of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures.

Background and objectives: Supracondylar humerus fractures are common in children andcan be surgically treated. However, the general surgical procedures involving reduction andfixation might lead to reduction loss, failure to direct the Kirschner (K)-wire toward the desiredposition, prolonged surgery, or chondral damage. This study aimed to show that temporaryfixation of closed reduction with a fabric adhesive bandage in pediatric supracondylar humerusfractures could maintain reduction so that surgical treatment can be easily performed by a singlephysician. Materials and Methods: Forty-six patients with Gartland type 3 supracondylar humerusfractures who underwent surgical treatment between May 2017 and June 2018 were retrospectivelyevaluated. Fluoroscopy-guided reduction and fixation were performed from the distal third of theforearm to the proximal third of the humerus using a fabric adhesive bandage. Two crossed pinswere applied on the fracture line by first inserting a lateral-entry K-wire and then inserting anotherK-wire close to the anterior aspect of the medial epicondyle and diverging from the ulnar nervetunnel. A tourniquet was not applied in any patient and no patients required open reduction.Results: The study included 32 boys (69.6%) and 14 girls (30.4%) (mean age, 7.1; range, 2-16 years).The mean hospital stay and follow-up duration were 4.3 ± 3.9 days and 48.1 ± 14.3 weeks,respectively. Heterotopic ossification was detected in one patient, and ulnar nerve neuropraxia wasdetected in another patient. Functional (according to Flynn criteria) and cosmetic outcomes wereexcellent in 95.6%, moderate in 2.2%, and poor in 2.2% of patients. The mean duration of fixation ofthe closed reduction with a fabric adhesive bandage was 8.1 ± 3.9 min, and the mean duration ofpinning was 7.9 ± 1.4 min. Conclusions: Temporary preoperative fixation of supracondylar humerusfractures that require surgical treatment with a fabric adhesive bandage may be significantlyconvenient in practice.

The effect of adhesive tape versus endotracheal tube fastener in critically ill adults: the endotracheal tube securement (ETTS) randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal securement method of endotracheal tubes is unknown but should prevent dislodgement while minimizing complications. The use of an endotracheal tube fastener might reduce complications among critically ill adults undergoing endotracheal intubation. METHODS: In this pragmatic, single-center, randomized trial, critically ill adults admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and expected to require invasive mechanical ventilation for greater than 24 h were randomized to adhesive tape or endotracheal tube fastener at the time of intubation. The primary endpoint was a composite of any of the following: presence of lip ulcer, endotracheal tube dislodgement (defined as moving at least 2 cm), ventilator-associated pneumonia, or facial skin tears anytime between randomization and the earlier of death or 48 h after extubation. Secondary endpoints included duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of 500 patients randomized over a 12-month period, 162 had a duration of mechanical ventilation less than 24 h and 40 had missing outcome data, leaving 153 evaluable patients randomized to tube fastener and 145 evaluable patients randomized to adhesive tape. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The primary endpoint occurred 13 times in 12 (7.8%) patients in the tube fastener group and 30 times in 25 (17.2%) patients in the adhesive tape group (p = 0.014) for an overall incidence of 22.0 versus 52.6 per 1000 ventilator days, respectively (p = 0.020). Lip ulcers occurred in 4 (2.6%) versus 11 (7.3%) patients, or an incidence rate of 6.5 versus 19.5 per 1000 patient ventilator days (p = 0.053) in the fastener and tape groups, respectively. The endotracheal tube was dislodged 7 times in 6 (3.9%) patients in the tube fastener group and 16 times in 15 (10.3%) patients in the tape group (p = 0.03), reflecting incidences of 11.9 and 28.1 per 1000 ventilator days, respectively. Facial skin tears were similar between the groups. Mechanical ventilation duration and ICU and hospital mortality did not differ. CONCLUSION: The use of the endotracheal tube fastener to secure the endotracheal tubes reduces the rate of a composite outcome that included lip ulcers, facial skin tears, or endotracheal tube dislodgement compared to adhesive tape. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03760510. Retrospectively registered on November 30, 2018.

Single coracoclavicular suture fixation with Mersilene tape versus hook plate in the treatment of acute type V acromioclavicular dislocation: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Here, we compared the clinical and radiographic outcomes between coracoclavicular (CC) fixation with Mersilene tape and hook plate for acute unstable acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation treatment. METHODS: We enrolled 49 patients with unstable acute AC dislocation who, between January 2010 and January 2014, underwent surgery with single CC suture fixation with Mersilene tape (M group, 25 cases) or clavicle hook plate (H group, 24 cases). In M and H groups, the average age was 43.7 (range 18-72) and 42.0 (range 17-84) years, the male to female ratio of each group was 15:20 and 19:5, and the injured side left to right ratio was 12:13 and 11:13, respectively. All patients were right-handed. We retrospectively compared the operation time, complication rate, visual analog scale (VAS), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale, Oxford shoulder scores, and the radiographic outcomes based on reduction loss of CC distance on postoperative follow-up. RESULTS: No significant difference in patient demographics between the two groups in age (p = 0.709), gender (p = 0.217), time from injury to surgery (p = 0.863), and injured side (p = 1.000). The mean follow-up was 26.2 months (range 24-35 months). Nine cases of reduction loss (36%) and one of distal clavicle osteolysis (4%) were noted in the M group. CC distance improvement in the H group was significantly superior to that in the M group at 3 months (before hook plate removal, p < 0.001) and 12 months postoperatively (after hook plate removal, p = 0.004), while subacromial erosions were revealed in nine cases (37.5%) in the H group. No significant difference in operative time (p = 0.846), complication rate (p = 1.000), VAS (p = 0.199), mean UCLA shoulder rating scale (p = 0.353), and Oxford shoulder (p = 0.224) scores between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both hook plate and Mersilene tape fixations provided temporary stabilization of acute type V AC dislocation and yielded comparable clinical outcomes. The hook plate provided better maintenance of reduction of radiographic outcomes. CC suture fixation with Mersilene tape may serve as an alternative method of stabilization which provides acceptable outcome without the need of implant removal.

Skin marker placement by technologist prior to knee MRI helps identify clinically relevant pathologies.

BACKGROUND: Majority of musculoskeletal cross-sectional imaging requests have a non-revealing and non-specific clinical history of pain. However, the location of pain is very relevant towards arriving at a specific orthopedic diagnosis. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of skin marker placement and training of technologists prior to knee MRI in detection of clinically important findings. METHODS: Total 200 consecutive left knee MRIs were evaluated before and after technologist training with regards to marker placement at the site of clinical symptoms or palpable finding. Marker location in relation to the knee was recorded and important findings were classified as correlated important finding, non-correlated important finding, other compartment important finding in non-correlated cases, and diffuse abnormality, i.e. tri-compartmental cartilage defects in both correlated and non-correlated cases. Differences among scans before and after technologist training were analyzed. RESULTS: The marker placement was observed in higher proportion of patients in post-training scans (78% vs 60%, p = 0.00). The most common location of the marker was in anterior or anterolateral knee (32% and 34% cases, respectively). The marker-important finding correlation was also higher post training, but not statistically significant (53% versus 38%, p = 0.57). Important findings correlated with the marker in more than 50% of the scans in the post-training set. CONCLUSION: Marker placement can aid in detection of clinically important imaging finding and technologist training aids in increased rates of marker placement and improved correlation.

Prevention of Friction Blisters in Outdoor Pursuits: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to determine if sock, antiperspirant, or barrier strategies were effective in prevention of friction blisters in wilderness and outdoor pursuits. A search of PubMed and EMBASE was conducted. Title, abstract, and full text articles were screened by 2 authors using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify prospective controlled trials investigating prevention methods for friction blisters involving the foot. Only blisters associated with wilderness and outdoor pursuits (running, hiking, marching, etc.) were considered. Extraction of a predetermined data set was accomplished using a piloted form. Confidence in effect estimates were determined utilizing the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network methodology checklist. Literature search resulted in 806 discrete articles. After screening, 11 studies were identified for inclusion in systematic review. Included studies investigated 5 sock, 3 antiperspirant, and 3 barrier strategies. Only 2 articles were determined to have moderate confidence in effect estimate. Clinical and methodologic diversity precluded meta-analysis. Despite the high frequency, discomfort, and associated cost there is a paucity of high-quality quality evidence in support of socks, antiperspirants, or barriers for the prevention of friction blisters. Moderate confidence in effect estimate suggests that paper tape may be an effective form of barrier prevention.

The Relationship between Rostral Retraction of the Pannus and Outcomes at Cesarean Section.

Objective Maternal obesity presents several challenges at cesarean section. In an effort to routinely employ a transverse suprapubic skin incision, we often retract the pannus in a rostral direction using adhesive tape placed after induction of anesthesia and before surgical preparation of the skin. We sought to understand the association between taping and neonatal cord blood gases, Apgar scores, and time from skin incision to delivery of the neonate. Study Design This is a retrospective study, performed using prospectively collected anesthesiology records with data supplemented from the patients' medical records. Singleton pregnancies with morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 40 kg/m(2)) between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation who delivered via nonurgent, scheduled cesarean delivery under regional (spinal, combined spinal-epidural, or epidural) anesthesia between March 2007 and March 2013 were identified. Maternal demographics including BMI, comorbidities, type of anesthesia, time intervals during the surgery, cord gas results, and Apgar scores were collected. The relationship between taping and blood acid-base status, Apgar scores, and interval from skin incision to delivery was investigated using appropriate statistical tests. Results There were 2,525 (27.5%) cesarean deliveries out of 9,189 total deliveries. Applying the described inclusion/exclusion criteria, 141 patients were identified (33 taped and 108 nontaped). There was no significant difference in BMI between the taped (51.9 kg/m(2)) and nontaped groups (47.4 kg/m(2)), p > 0.05. There was no difference in type of anesthesia (p > 0.05). The only significant difference between the taped and not-taped groups was the presence of chronic hypertension in the taped group (p = 0.03). There were no significant differences in cord blood gas values, Apgar scores, or skin incision to delivery interval (p > 0.05 for all outcomes). Conclusions Taping of the pannus at cesarean section is a safe intervention that is not associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. Furthermore, over a set of parturients with BMI > 40 kg/m(2), it does not hasten skin incision to delivery time.

Evaluation of a new silicone adhesive tape among clinicians caring for patients with fragile or at-risk skin.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate performance of a new silicone tape among clinicians caring for patients with fragile skin. DESIGN: An international, multisite, 2-week-use evaluation. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: Caregivers (n = 217) from acute care hospitals in the United States, United Kingdom, and France who regularly use tapes on patients with fragile skin. INTERVENTIONS: The silicone tape was substituted for current-use gentle tapes for a 2-week trial period. Preuse and postuse questionnaires were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was tape preference. Secondary outcomes included (1) satisfaction with current-use tapes, (2) willingness to replace current-use tapes with silicone tape, (3) performance comparisons between tapes, (4) clinician-reported problems with the silicone tape, and (5) case study information. RESULTS: The sample group consisted of nurses (98.1%), assistants (1.4%), and physicians (0.5%). Hospital units (n = 100) included oncology (31%), medical-surgical (14%), dialysis (12%), infusion/intravenous therapy (16%), critical care (10%), wound care (10%), and other units (7%). Overall preference was 92.0% for the silicone tape, 7.5% for current-use tapes, and 0.5% no preference. Dissatisfaction was 61.2% for current-use tapes, and most clinicians (90.2%) would change to the silicone tape. Evaluators favored (≥71.5%) the silicone tape on 10 performance attributes and on overall performance (91.6%). Most evaluators (75.1%) did not experience problems with the silicone tape, and those who did found problems related to adhesion (77.8%), gentleness (16.0%), and residue (6.2%). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the silicone tape fills a performance-expectation gap of current acrylic tapes among users of tapes on patients with fragile or at-risk skin.

Comparison of efficiency of Kinesio® taping and electrical stimulation in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of Kinesio® taping and electrical stimulation in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome. METHODS: Thirty patients (26 females, 4 females; mean age: 32.9 ± 12.2 years) with patellofemoral pain syndrome were equally divided into two groups; the KT group receiving Kinesio® taping and an exercise program, and the ES group receiving electrical stimulation and the same exercise program. All patients received stretching and strengthening exercises for the lower extremity under the supervision of a physiotherapist in the outpatient unit 3 times a week for 6 weeks (18 sessions). Patients were evaluated for pain (visual analog scale), range of motion (using a goniometer), muscle strength (manual muscle test), functional condition (step test, triple-jump test, knee flexion test and Kujala patellofemoral score), and quality of life (SF-36) before and after treatment. RESULTS: Visual analog scale scores were reduced by 3.33 and 3.93 and Kujala patellofemoral scores increased by 8.93 and 9.66 for the KT and ES groups, respectively. Both these improvements were statistically significant (p<0.05). While improvements were observed in functional tests, range of motion, and muscle strength values in both groups; there were no significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). There were statistically significant improvements in the SF-36 scores in both groups (p<0.05) and these improvements were of a similar rate (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Kinesio® taping and electrical stimulation have similar effects on decreasing pain, improving functional condition, increasing muscle strength and improving quality of life and neither are superior in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Conductive carbon tape used for support and mounting of both whole animal and fragile heat-treated tissue sections for MALDI MS imaging and quantitation.

Analysis of whole animal tissue sections by MALDI MS imaging (MSI) requires effective sample collection and transfer methods to allow the highest quality of in situ analysis of small or hard to dissect tissues. We report on the use of double-sided adhesive conductive carbon tape during whole adult rat tissue sectioning of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) embedded animals, with samples mounted onto large format conductive glass and conductive plastic MALDI targets, enabling MSI analysis to be performed on both TOF and FT-ICR MALDI mass spectrometers. We show that mounting does not unduly affect small molecule MSI detection by analyzing tiotropium abundance and distribution in rat lung tissues, with direct on-tissue quantitation achieved. Significantly, we use the adhesive tape to provide support to embedded delicate heat-stabilized tissues, enabling sectioning and mounting to be performed that maintained tissue integrity on samples that had previously been impossible to adequately prepare section for MSI analysis. The mapping of larger peptidomic molecules was not hindered by tape mounting samples and we demonstrate this by mapping the distribution of PEP-19 in both native and heat-stabilized rat brains. Furthermore, we show that without heat stabilization PEP-19 degradation fragments can detected and identified directly by MALDI MSI analysis.

Outbreak of cutaneous zygomycosis associated with the use of adhesive tape in haematology patients.

We report an outbreak of cutaneous Rhizopus oryzae infection associated with adhesive polyethylene tapes used to stabilize peripheral venous catheters in four patients. All patients were suffering from haematological diseases; the infection severity was proportional to the duration of neutropenia. Intervention with systemic antifungal treatment and surgical debridement was required for resolution of the infection. The entire batch of tapes was withdrawn and the outbreak subsided.

The effects of additional kinesio taping over exercise in the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective, randomized, controlled study was to determine the effects of kinesio taping in the treatment of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). METHODS: Thirty-one women with PFPS (mean age: 44.88 years; range: 17 to 50 years) were randomly assigned to either a kinesio taping (KT) (n=15) or control (n=16) group. Both groups received the same muscle strengthening and soft tissue stretching exercises for six weeks and the KT group additionally received kinesio taping at four day intervals for six weeks. Visual analog scale was used to measure pain intensity. Tension of the iliotibial band/tensor fascia lata and hamstring muscles and the mediolateral location of the patella were measured before the treatment and at the end of the third and sixth week. The Anterior Knee Pain Scale / Kujala Scale was used for the analysis of functional performance. RESULTS: Comparing pretreatment and 6th week values, significant improvements were found in pain, soft tissue flexibility and functional performance of both groups (p<0.05). However, patellar shift was unchanged (p>0.05). The KT group had significantly better hamstring flexibility than the control group at the end of three weeks (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The addition of kinesio taping to the conventional exercise program does not improve the results in patients with PFPS, other than a faster improvement in hamstring muscle flexibility.

The spectroscopic detection of drugs of abuse in fingerprints after development with powders and recovery with adhesive lifters.

The application of powders to fingerprints has long been established as an effective and reliable method for developing latent fingerprints. Fingerprints developed in situ at a crime scene routinely undergo lifting with specialist tapes and are then stored in evidence bags to allow secure transit and also to preserve the chain of evidence. In a previous study we have shown that exogenous material within a fingerprint can be detected using Raman spectroscopy following development with powders and lifting with adhesive tapes. Other reports have detailed the use of Raman spectroscopy to the detection of drugs of abuse in latent fingerprints including cyanoacrylate-fumed fingerprints. This study involves the application of Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of drugs of abuse in latent fingerprints for fingerprints that had been treated with powders and also subsequently lifted with adhesive tapes. Samples of seized ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and amphetamine were supplied by East Sussex Police and by the TICTAC unit at St. Georges Hospital Tooting. Contaminated fingerprints were deposited on clean glass slides. The application of aluminium or iron based powders to contaminated fingerprints did not interfere with the Raman spectra obtained for the contaminants. Contaminated fingerprints developed with powders and then lifted with lifting tapes were also examined. The combination of these two techniques did not interfere with the successful analysis. The lifting process was repeated using hinge lifters. As the hinge lifters exhibited strong Raman bands the spectroscopic analysis was more complex and an increase in the number of exposures to the detector allowed for improved clarification. Spectral subtraction was performed to remove peaks due to the hinge lifters using OMNIC software. Raman spectra of developed and lifted fingerprints recorded through evidence bags were obtained and it was found that the detection process was not compromised. Although the application of powders did not interfere with the detection process the time taken to locate the contaminant was increased due to the physical presence of more material within the fingerprint.

Steri-strips as an aid to intra-operative monitoring of the eye during endoscopic sinus surgery.

Although uncommon, ocular complications of endoscopic sinus surgery have the potential to cause considerable morbidity. Direct intra-operative monitoring of the eye may alert the surgeon to potential complications at an early stage. We describe the use of Steri-strips during endoscopic sinus surgery as an aid to monitoring for ocular complications during surgery. This is a cheap, simple and effective method of intra-operative monitoring.

Effects of physical and chemical treatments upon biophysical properties and micro-relief of human skin.

The aim of the present study was to determine the attendant effects of physical (tape-stripping) and chemical (three commercial hydrating formulations) treatments upon biophysical and micro-relief properties of human skin. In the first set of experiment, the effects of tape-stripping onto human stratum corneum (SC) biophysical and micro-relief properties were assessed in nine volunteers. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration and micro-relief parameters (including total length of the lines in mm per mm(2); total surface in %; roughness of the skin measured in gray level (Ra); maximum profile valley (Rv) depth; maximum profile peak height (Rp); maximum height (Rt), peak density (Pc) and coefficient of anisotropy) were determined by using SkinEvidence Pro after subsequent tape-stripping of SC. The relevance of roughness determination as gray level by SkinEvidence Pro was confirmed by using surface roughness standards. In the second set of experiment, the effectiveness of three commercial hydrating formulations onto human SC biophysical parameters and micro-relief properties were assessed in six volunteers. TEWL, hydration and micro-relief parameters were assessed onto pre-treated acetone skin and then treated by three commercial hydrating formulations after 2, 4 and 6 h skin exposure. A linear relation between hydration and cutaneous parameters (total length of the lines, Ra and Rp) as function of SC removed was shown. Skin barrier properties evaluated by TEWL measurements, were not modified by topical formulations. However, skin treated by topical formulations showed slightly higher hydration than the one determined in control group, while micro-relief parameters were not modified. In this study was showed that biophysical and micro-relief parameters were closely related in tape-stripping experiment. Efficiency of topical formulations was suggested upon skin hydration but not onto skin micro-relief and barrier function recovering. From both experiments, it appears that different mechanisms relating to skin hydration and potential modification of cutaneous micro-relief were suggested.