Efficacy and safety of a rosehip seed oil extract in the prevention and treatment of skin lesions in the hands of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus caused by finger prick blood glucose monitoring; a randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial. / Eficacia y seguridad del aceite de rosa mosqueta en las lesiones de los dedos provocadas por las punciones capilares para el control glucémico en niños con diabetes tipo 1; un ensayo clínico aleatorizado, abierto, controlado.

INTRODUCTION: This study was intended to assess the efficacy and safety of a rosehip seed oil (RHO) extract in the prevention and treatment of skin lesions in the hands of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) caused by finger prick blood glucose monitoring. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label, rater-blinded trial in patients aged 6-17 years with T1DM and intensive blood glucose control (≥7 finger pricks daily) for 12 days. Three main variables (erythema, skin thickening, and loss of skin integrity) were assessed using a scale ranging from 0 (absent) to 3 (severe involvement). The study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital. RESULTS: Sixty-eight children, and thus 136 hands, were included; 80 hands received rosehip seed oil and 56 hands acted as controls. Baseline characteristics of both groups were similar, with 76.3% and 78.6% of the hands respectively showing skin lesions at study start. Median final global assessment was 0.10 (0.03; 0.30) in the group that received rosehip seed oil and 0.06 (0.00; 0.23) in the control group. A statistically significant improvement in global assessment was found in the control group (P=0.049). No significant differences were found when the medians of the other main variables were compared. No adverse effects were recorded. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of skin lesions secondary to finger prick glucose monitoring, most of them mild lesions, was found at study start. Treatment with rosehip seed oil was safe and was not effective for improving skin lesions.

Influencing Vaccinations: A Buzzy Approach to Ease the Discomfort of a Needle Stick-a Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The rate of annual influenza immunization in both the general public and health care workers is less than desirable. Mechanisms to improve compliance with recommendations are needed; prevention of immunization site pain has been suggested as a viable route because fear of pain and needles has been cited as a barrier. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of thermomechanical stimulation (Buzzy) on postprocedure pain ratings during vaccination in adults. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled trial of Buzzy during immunization. SETTINGS: Three hospitals and two community health centers which are part of a large, integrated health system. PARTICIPANTS/SUBJECTS: Employees presenting to employer-sponsored annual influenza vaccination clinics. METHODS: A 10-cm visual analog scale was used to rate preinjection anxiety and expectation of pain as well as postprocedure pain scores; participants also rated their satisfaction with the vaccine injection on a 10-point Likert scale. RESULTS: In total, 497 employee volunteers were recruited to participate. Preprocedure anxiety was similar between the experimental and control groups (1.53 vs. 1.48, p = .82), whereas self-reported postprocedure pain scores were significantly lower in the group that received the Buzzy during injection (0.87 vs. 1.12, p = .035). Mean satisfaction scores did not vary between the intervention and control groups (9.11 vs. 9.09, p = .87); however, more participants rated their experience as better than previous vaccination experiences in the Buzzy group than control (62.0% vs. 23.9%, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that Buzzy reduced pain experienced by adults undergoing annual influenza vaccination and may improve overall experience. Buzzy can be used in adult patients to reduce pain during immunization and is especially effective in those with high levels of anxiety.

Non-pharmacological measures in preterm newborns submitted to arterial puncture.

OBJECTIVE: to assess pain in preterm newborns and to compare the neonatal and therapeutic variables with the total scores of the Neonatal Facial Coding System of preterm newborns submitted to arterial puncture exposed to music and 25% oral glucose. METHOD: a comparative study with 48 recordings of preterm newborns - Group 1, music (26); Group 2, glucose 25% (22) - individually analyzed by three trained nurses, after Kappa of at least 80%. RESULTS: the variables and the pain scores of the groups did not present statistical significance (p < 0.05) according to the Neonatal Facial Coding System. 80.8% of the preterm infants in Group 1 had a higher quantitative score ≥ 3 in the neonatal variables (gender, type of delivery), and therapeutic variables (type of oxygen therapy, place of hospitalization, type of puncture). CONCLUSION: There was no difference when comparing the music and glucose 25% groups and the variables studied.

Non-pharmacological measures in preterm newborns submitted to arterial puncture / Medidas no farmacológicas en recién nacidos prematuros sometidos a la punción arterial / Medidas não farmacológicas em recém-nascidos pré-termo submetidos à punção arterial

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess pain in preterm newborns and to compare the neonatal and therapeutic variables with the total scores of the Neonatal Facial Coding System of preterm newborns submitted to arterial puncture exposed to music and 25% oral glucose. Method: a comparative study with 48 recordings of preterm newborns - Group 1, music (26); Group 2, glucose 25% (22) - individually analyzed by three trained nurses, after Kappa of at least 80%. Results: the variables and the pain scores of the groups did not present statistical significance (p < 0.05) according to the Neonatal Facial Coding System. 80.8% of the preterm infants in Group 1 had a higher quantitative score ≥ 3 in the neonatal variables (gender, type of delivery), and therapeutic variables (type of oxygen therapy, place of hospitalization, type of puncture). Conclusion: There was no difference when comparing the music and glucose 25% groups and the variables studied.

RESUMEN Objetivo: evaluar el dolor en recién nacidos prematuros y comparar las variables neonatales y terapéuticas con las puntuaciones totales del Neonatal Facial Coding System de los recién nacidos prematuros sometidos a una punción arterial expuestos a la música y glucosa al 25% por vía oral. Método: estudio comparativo con 48 fi lmaciones de los recién nacidos prematuros divididos en el Grupo 1 - música (26) y el Grupo 2 - glucosa al 25% (22). Las fi lmaciones fueron analizadas individualmente por tres enfermeras capacitadas después de coefi ciente Kappa de al menos 80%. Resultados: las variables y puntuaciones de dolor de los grupos no fueron estadísticamente signifi cativas (p<0,05) de acuerdo con el Neonatal Facial Coding System. En el Grupo 1, 80,8% de los recién nacidos prematuros mostraron mayores cantidades de puntuaciones ≥ 3 en las variables neonatales (sexo, tipo de parto) y las variables terapéuticas (tipo de la terapia de oxígeno, lugar de internación, tipo de punción). Conclusión: No hubo diferencias cuando se comparan los grupos de música y de glucosa al 25% y las variables estudiadas.

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a dor em recém-nascidos pré-termo e comparar as variáveis neonatais e terapêuticas com os escores totais da Neonatal Facial Coding System de recém-nascidos pré-termo submetidos à punção arterial exposto à música e glicose 25% oral. Método: estudo comparativo com 48 fi lmagens de recém-nascidos pré-termo - Grupo 1, música (26); Grupo 2, glicose 25% (22) - analisadas individualmente por três enfermeiras treinadas, após Kappa de no mínimo 80%. Resultados: as variáveis e os escores de dor dos grupos não apresentaram signifi cância estatística (p < 0,05) de acordo com o Neonatal Facial Coding System. 80,8% dos prematuros do Grupo 1 apresentaram um maior quantitativo de escores ≥ 3 nas variáveis neonatais (sexo, tipo de parto) e, variáveis terapêuticas (tipo de oxigenoterapia, local de internação, tipo de punção). Conclusão: Não houve diferença ao se comparar os grupos da música e da glicose 25% e as variáveis estudadas.

Risk Factors for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection in Areas with a High Prevalence of HCV in the Republic of Korea in 2013.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Busan, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam Provinces in Korea is more than twice the national average. This study aimed to examine whether demographic and lifestyle characteristics are associated with HCV infection in these areas. METHODS: A case control study was performed at three study hospitals. HCV cases were matched with two controls for sex and age. Patient controls were selected from non-HCV patients at the same hospital. Healthy controls were subjects participating in medical checkups. Conditional logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: A total of 234 matched-case and patient- and healthy-control pairs were analyzed. The significant risk factors for both controls were sharing razors (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.39 and 3.29, respectively) and having more than four lifetime sexual partners (aOR, 2.15 and 6.89, respectively). Contact dockworkers (aOR, 1.91) and tattoos (aOR, 2.20) were significant risk factors for the patient controls. Transfusion (aOR, 5.38), a bloody operation (aOR, 5.02), acupuncture (aOR, 2.08), and piercing (aOR, 5.95) were significant risk factors for the healthy controls. Needle stick injuries and intravenous drug abuse were significant in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: More education concerning the dangers of sharing razors, tattoos and piercings is required to prevent HCV infection. More attention should be paid to needle stick injuries in hospitals and the community.

Risk Factors for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection in Areas with a High Prevalence of HCV in the Republic of Korea in 2013

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Busan, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam Provinces in Korea is more than twice the national average. This study aimed to examine whether demographic and lifestyle characteristics are associated with HCV infection in these areas. METHODS: A case control study was performed at three study hospitals. HCV cases were matched with two controls for sex and age. Patient controls were selected from non-HCV patients at the same hospital. Healthy controls were subjects participating in medical checkups. Conditional logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: A total of 234 matched-case and patient- and healthy-control pairs were analyzed. The significant risk factors for both controls were sharing razors (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.39 and 3.29, respectively) and having more than four lifetime sexual partners (aOR, 2.15 and 6.89, respectively). Contact dockworkers (aOR, 1.91) and tattoos (aOR, 2.20) were significant risk factors for the patient controls. Transfusion (aOR, 5.38), a bloody operation (aOR, 5.02), acupuncture (aOR, 2.08), and piercing (aOR, 5.95) were significant risk factors for the healthy controls. Needle stick injuries and intravenous drug abuse were significant in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: More education concerning the dangers of sharing razors, tattoos and piercings is required to prevent HCV infection. More attention should be paid to needle stick injuries in hospitals and the community.

The effect of lavender oil on stress, bispectral index values, and needle insertion pain in volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether lavender oil aromatherapy can reduce the bispectral index (BIS) values and stress and decrease the pain of needle insertion in 30 volunteers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty (30) healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to 2 groups: the experimental group received oxygen with a face mask coated with lavender oil for 5 minutes, and the control group received oxygen through a face mask with no lavender oil for 5 minutes. The stress level (0=no stress, 10=maximum stress), BIS value, and pain intensity of needle insertion (0=no pain, 10=worst pain imaginable) were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, sex, height, and weight between the two groups. Stress level, BIS value, and pain intensity of needle insertion before aromatherapy were similar between the two groups. However, the stress values (p<0.001) and BIS value (p<0.001) after aromatherapy were significantly reduced compared with the control. In addition, the pain intensity of needle insertion was significantly decreased after aromatherapy compared with the control (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lavender aromatherapy in volunteers provided a significant decrease in the stress levels and in the BIS values. In addition, it significantly reduced the pain intensity of needle insertion.

The effect of music-reinforced nonnutritive sucking on state of preterm, low birthweight infants experiencing heelstick.

This study examined the physiologic and behavioral effects of music-reinforced nonnutritive sucking (NNS) for preterm, low birthweight (LBW) infants experiencing heelstick. Subjects were 60 infants, age 32 to 37 weeks post conceptional age in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: pacifier-activated lullaby (PAL), pacifier-only, and no-contact. Experimental infants were provided the Sondrex PAL System, which plays music contingent on infant sucking. Pacifier-only infants did not receive music reinforcement for sucking, and no-contact infants were not provided a pacifier or music at any point during the procedure. Stress level and behavior state were assessed continuously and heart, respiratory, and oxygen saturation rates were recorded at 15-second intervals for all infants. Most physiologic data results were inconclusive. However, analysis of behavior state and stress level revealed the following significant differences for the PAL and pacifier-only groups compared to the no-contact group, all of which were greatest between the PAL and no-contact groups: lower during-heelstick behavior state means, less time in undesirable behavior states, lower during- and post-heelstick stress level means, and smaller behavior state and stress level differences between intervals. In addition, the PAL group had a significantly lower pre-heelstick stress level mean than the no-contact group. Behavior state and stress level were also more stable across time for the PAL group than the other groups, and patterns of changes in oxygen saturation, behavior state, and stress level indicate that music-reinforced NNS may facilitate return to homeostasis.

Accidental human injection of Excenel RTU: ceftiofur hydrochloride in cottonseed oil.

INTRODUCTION: There is little knowledge within the medical community of the existence of veterinary antibiotics in oil-based suspensions and the adverse effects that may occur with accidental human injection. CASE REPORT: A farmer injected an unknown quantity of Excenel RTU into her right thigh. Despite early debridement she developed a deep infection and recurrent chronic inflammation in the subcutaneous tissues and muscle secondary to the cottonseed oil suspension. Radical debridement and extensive split skin grafting was required but she still has had recurrences 12 months after injury. DISCUSSION: Prompt surgical debridement should be performed as in cases of oil based veterinary vaccines. Despite being an antibiotic there is a significant risk of infection from a dirty needle following inoculation and multiple cultures should be taken and appropriate broad spectrum antibiotics used. Radical debridement and skin grafting necessitating specialist plastic surgical attention may be required.

Peripheral effects of needle stimulation (acupuncture) on skin and muscle blood flow in fibromyalgia.

Acupuncture has become a widely used treatment modality in various musculoskeletal pain conditions. Acupuncture is also shown to enhance blood flow and recovery in surgical flaps. The mechanisms behind the effect on blood flow were suggested to rely on vasoactive substances, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide, released from nociceptors by the needle stimulation. In a previous study on healthy subjects, one needle stimulation into the anterior tibial muscle was shown to increase both skin and muscle blood flow. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of needle stimulation on local blood flow in the anterior tibial muscle and overlying skin in patients suffering from a widespread chronic pain condition. Fifteen patients with fibromyalgia (FM) participated in the study. Two modes of needling, deep muscle stimulation and subcutaneous needle insertion were performed at the upper anterior aspect of the tibia, i.e., in an area without focal pathology or ongoing pain in these patients. Blood flow changes were assessed non-invasively by photoplethysmography (PPG). The results of the present study were partly similar to those earlier found at a corresponding site in healthy female subjects, i.e., deep muscle stimulation resulted in larger increase in skin blood flow (mean (SE)): 62.4% (13.0) and muscle blood flow: 93.1% (18.6), compared to baseline, than did subcutaneous insertion (mean (SE) skin blood flow increase: 26.4% (6.2); muscle blood flow increase: 46.1% (10.2)). However, in FM patients subcutaneous needle insertion was followed by a significant increase in both skin and muscle blood flow, in contrast to findings in healthy subjects where no significant blood flow increase was found following the subcutaneous needling. The different results of subcutaneous needling between the groups (skin blood flow: p=0.008; muscle blood flow: p=0.027) may be related to a greater sensitivity to pain and other somatosensory input in FM.

[Complications and side-effects of acupuncture]. / Uskladnennia ta pobichni efekty akypunktury.

In the review of the literature, an analysis of complications and adverse effects of acupuncture is given, ways for their prevention are outlined.

Ipsilateral globe penetration and transient contralateral amaurosis following retrobulbar anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To report a rare complication of retrobulbar anesthesia with ipsilateral globe penetration and transient contralateral amaurosis. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 63-year-old woman complained of vision loss in the right eye immediately following cataract surgery on the left eye. RESULTS: Right eye vision decreased to no light perception with clear media and normal fundus. The vision recovered to baseline in 12 hours. Left eye vision was checked and demonstrated only light perception. Fundus examination disclosed preretinal and vitreous hemorrhage. During vitrectomy of the left eye, a penetrating wound below the optic disk with retinal detachment was found. CONCLUSION: The ipsilateral globe penetration wound depicts the mechanism of contralateral amaurosis following retrobulbar anesthesia of the case.

Superior oblique overaction from local anesthesia for cataract surgery.

Traumatic superior oblique dysfunction from cataract surgery appears to be rare, with only 3 reported cases of postoperative Brown syndrome and 1 reported case of postoperative superior oblique weakness. We are not aware of any prior reports of superior oblique overaction occurring after cataract surgery. We describe a patient with acquired superior oblique overaction as a cause of vertical strabismus after cataract surgery. Ocular torsion analysis was essential in localizing the malfunction to the superior oblique muscle. The most likely etiology is myotoxicity from inadvertent intramuscular injection of local anesthetic before cataract surgery.

Rare but serious complications of acupuncture: traumatic lesions.

Acupuncture has a reputation among the public of being safe. Although recently performed prospective studies on the frequency of adverse effects of acupuncture found no severe complication, since 1965 many case reports of serious or even life-threatening incidents caused by acupuncture have appeared in the scientific literature. The most frequently reported complications are pneumothorax and lesions of the spinal cord. Severe injuries of peripheral nerves and blood vessels due to acupuncture seem to be very rare. Although case reports do not produce reliable data on the frequency of adverse events. information on sources of application errors can be extracted to increase the quality of acupuncture in education and therapy. All traumatic injuries described in this article could be avoided if practitioners had better anatomical knowledge, applied existing anatomical knowledge better, or both.

Contamination incidents among doctors and midwives: reasons for non-reporting and knowledge of risks.

A 6-month retrospective self-administered questionnaire study of 482 doctors and 380 midwives in two NHS Trusts was undertaken. The response rate was 384 (80%) and 293 (77%) respectively. The study revealed that only nine per cent of doctors and 46% of midwives had reported the contamination incidents they had received. The doctors' main reason for non-reporting was 'too time consuming' and midwives' was 'did not consider anything could be done', although their awareness of the active management of contamination incidents by occupational health departments was good. Seventy-seven per cent of doctors and 69% of midwives underestimated the risk of contracting hepatitis B virus from a needlestick injury, whilst 52% of doctors and 36% of midwives underestimated the risks of acquiring infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection following such an injury. Strategies for improving the knowledge of the potential risks of contamination incidents and methods for facilitating ease of reporting are discussed.

Accidental self inoculation with oil based veterinary vaccines.

AIMS: To report the adverse local effects of inadvertent self inoculation with oil-based veterinary vaccines. METHODS: Three case reports and a literature review. RESULTS: One patient developed extensive chronic granulomatous inflammation in the thigh following intramuscular injection of Footvax vaccine requiring major surgical debridements. The other two cases developed chronic inflammation and sterile abscess formation following subcutaneous injections in the hand, requiring surgical drainage and corticosteroids to eventually heal. CONCLUSIONS: The mineral oil used as an adjuvant in veterinary vaccines can cause a prolonged chronic granulomatous reaction with sterile abscess formation. Surgical debridement may be required to remove the oil to prevent chronic sequelae. Oral corticosteroids should be considered once infection has been excluded.