Effect of spiritual care on the quality of life in patients who underwent intracranial hemorrhage surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most important complications of stroke after intracranial haemorrhage surgery is impaired quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the impact of spiritual care on the quality of life of stroke patients. METHODS: This single-blind clinical trial with a pre-test and post-test design was conducted on 100 stroke patients. Participants were recruited and randomly assigned to a control group and an intervention group. The stroke-specific quality of life (SS -QoL) scale was used to assess the quality of life of stroke patients. The intervention group received four sessions of spiritual care. RESULTS: The independent t -test showed no significant difference between the two groups in the mean quality of life score ( t =-0.120, P =0.281) and its dimensions before the intervention. However, after the intervention, the results showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean quality of life score ( t =1.984, P <0.001) and its dimensions. In addition, the results of the paired t -test showed that in the intervention group, the mean score of quality of life ( t =5.161, P <0.001) and its dimensions were significantly different before and after the intervention. Furthermore, the results showed that before and after the intervention in the control group, the mean score of quality of life ( t =1.109, P =0.614) and its dimensions were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this results, the authors strongly recommend the use of spiritual care as a holistic care and complementary method to improve the symptoms and quality of life of stroke patients.

Fighting diabetic foot ulcer by combination therapy, including larva therapy, Medi honey ointment, and silver alginate dressings: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common complication of diabetes and can be challenging to manage. A combined approach can lead to faster healing and better outcomes for individuals with DFUs. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report presents a 70-year-old man with a 15-year history of diabetes who developed a diabetic foot ulcer. The patient was undergoing treatment with routine therapy. Despite the severity of the ulcer, a combination therapy approach, including larva therapy, Medi honey ointment, and silver alginate dressings, was implemented, leading to successful healing. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: By combining these three treatment modalities, we may be able to achieve a synergistic effect and maximize wound healing and infection control benefits. CONCLUSION: The combined use a honey-based Media Honey ointment and silver alginate larva therapy can be an effective treatment option for diabetic foot ulcers.

Maggot therapy, alginate dressing, and surgical sharp debridement: Unique path to save unresponsive diabetic foot ulcer.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Diabetic foot ulcers are a severe complication of diabetes mellitus, affecting a significant proportion of the diabetic population. In some cases, ulcer progression and infection can lead to the need for amputation. CASE PRESENTATION: An 84-year-old male with a history of poorly controlled type 2 DM and HTN presented with an infected DFU on the plantar aspect of his right foot. This case report illustrates the successful management of an 84-year-old patient with a DFU amputation candidate, emphasizing the effectiveness of a combined treatment approach. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Conventional treatment options, including antibiotic therapy, often fail to provide adequate healing in these high-risk patients. Alternative approaches, such as maggot therapy, which involves the application of sterile maggots to the wound bed, have shown promising results. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the potential therapeutic benefits and clinical efficacy of such a combined treatment approach, particularly in challenging cases with limited response to conventional therapies. Further studies and randomized trials may be warranted to support the incorporation of this therapy combination into clinical practice guidelines for DFU management.

Diabetic foot ulcer: Successful healing with combination therapy, including surgical debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common and serious complication of diabetes. A variety of treatments available to help heal diabetic foot ulcers, including sharp debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report presents the case study of a male patient with an 8-year history of diabetes who developed a diabetic foot ulcer. The patient was undergoing treatment with metformin and insulin. Despite the severity of the ulcer, a combination therapy approach, including surgical debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy, was implemented, leading to successful healing. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: DFUs are caused by various pathological mechanisms, the single therapy would lead to a very low level of recovery. Therefore, DFU management requires multimodal care and interdisciplinary treatment. CONCLUSION: This case study highlights the effectiveness of a multimodal treatment strategy for diabetic foot ulcers, emphasizing the importance of individualized care and combining evidence-based practices.

The effect of guided imagery on the quality and severity of pain and pain-related anxiety associated with dressing changes in burn patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Pain and anxiety caused by burn dressing change are one of the major issues in burn patients. In this regard, guided imagery as a complementary method can be effective in reducing the levels of anxiety and pain. This method is the process of creating mental images and using sensory features through the individual's imagination and memory that facilitate the achievement of desired therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the effect of guided imagery on the quality and severity of pain and pain-related anxiety associated with dressing change in burn patients. This is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial in which a total of 70 burn patients were enrolled using convenience sampling and randomly allocated to two groups of intervention and control (n = 35 in each group). Each patient in the intervention group received four sessions of guided imagery during four consecutive days (one session a day) using a headphone. Then in both groups, the level of pain was assessed after the dressing change and the level of pain-related anxiety was assessed before the dressing change (between the end of the intervention and the initiation of dressing change). Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and the Burn Specific Pain Anxiety Scale (BSPAS). Data were first entered into the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25.0 and then analyzed using repeated-measures Analysis of Variance. The repeated measures ANOVA indicated the mean score of the quality and severity of pain and pain-related anxiety differed statistically and significantly after the intervention (during the four sessions) compared to before it (baseline) in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The independent-samples t-test indicated a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of the quality and severity of pain and pain-related anxiety between the two groups (p < 0.001). This difference was found to be significant from the second session onwards (p < 0.001). Medical staff, including physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, are responsible for developing strategies to manage complications of burn injuries. Considering the effectiveness of guided imagery in reducing anxiety and pain in burn patients, it is recommended to use this method of complementary medicine to manage stress, anxiety, and pain in these patients.

Ozone therapy as an alternative method for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most important complications of diabetes that can lead to amputation. Treatment of DFUs is a major challenge and places a heavy economic and social burden on patients and their families. CASE PRESENTATION: The present case report is of a 52-year-old kurdish male patient with a 7-year history of type 2 diabetes. While on a bike ride, he sustained a traumatic injury to his right leg, which caused a deep gash measuring 14 × 5 cm on the tibia. During the hospital stay, no improvement was observed after routine wound care including suturing, antibiotic therapy, and dressing change. The patient was referred to our wound-care team. In the first step, the necrotic tissues of his foot ulcer were irrigated and then debrided using mechanical debridement and saline. Next, the patient underwent a 70 µg/dL dose of ozone therapy over a 30-day period in 10 sessions (one 20-minute session every 3 days). Between each session, the patient's wound was wrapped in silver-containing gauze bandages. After 1 month of wound-care using ozone therapy, the patient's foot ulcer had healed and he was discharged from our wound-care service with a stable and good general condition. CONCLUSION: Considering the effectiveness of ozone therapy along with silver-containing dressing in the treatment of DFUs, wound-care teams can utilize it as an adjunct to the standard methods of DFU treatment.

Effect of guided imagery on anxiety, muscle pain, and vital signs in patients with COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 can lead to anxiety due to its high mortality rate. Patients with COVID-19 may suffer from muscle pain. This study aimed to determine the effect of guided imagery on anxiety, muscle pain, and vital signs in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: 110 patients with COVID-19 were recruited and randomly assigned to two control and intervention groups. Data were collected using the Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and the Visual Analogue Scale. The intervention group received ten training sessions of guided imagery. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant difference in the mean scores of state (t = -3.829, p < .001), trait anxiety (t = -2.946, p = .004), pain quality (t = -4.223, p < .001), pain intensity (t = -3.068, p = .003), and heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation (p < .001) between the two groups after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Guided imagery as a cost-effective method of complementary medicine is recommended to manage anxiety and pain in patients with COVID-19.