Fluorescence Imaging Using Methylene Blue Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Melanoma.

INTRODUCTION: Fluorescence imaging of sentinel node biopsy in melanoma is a novel method. Both indocyanine green (ICG) and methylene blue (MB) have fluorescent properties. The aim of this study was to present, for the first time in a clinical series of patients, the possible usage of MB as a fluorescent dye for sentinel node biopsy during surgery for melanoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients with skin melanoma, who were candidates for sentinel node biopsy were enrolled in our study. All patients underwent simultaneous use of standard nanocolloid and blue dye. Transcutaneous visualization of the sentinel node, visualization of lymphatic channels as well as sentinel node fluorescent visualization were all measured. We also performed calculations of Signal to Background ratios (SBR). RESULTS: In 15% (3/20) of patients, the fluorescent sentinel node was visible through the skin. The median SBR for the sentinel node visualization by fluorescence was 3.15 (range, 2.7-3.5). Lymphatic channels were visible in lymphatic tissue via fluorescence before visualization by the naked eye in 4 patients (20%). The median SBR ratio was 3.69 (range, 2.7-4.2). Sentinel nodes were visible by fluorescence in 13 cases (65%). The median SBR ratio was 2.49 (range, 1.5-5.7). No factors were found to be associated with fluorescent MB visualization of a sentinel node during biopsy. CONCLUSION: This is the first clinical study presenting the usefulness of fluorescent sentinel node biopsy in melanoma patients using MB as a fluorophore. Further studies are necessary to provide methods for its' clinical implementation.

The state of the health of the oral cavity and health behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To compare the patients' self-evaluations of oral hygiene and oral health with the results of the clinical examination expressed using both the DMFT index (DT, MT, FT) and the API index; and to evaluate the relationship between the patients' general health behaviors and their oral health status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Material and Methods: 78 first-time dental patients (40 females, 38 males; Mage=40,7, SD=14.4) participated in the study. Prior to the initial dental visit, a questionnaire consisting of statements measuring self-rated oral health, hygiene and the patient's knowledge about the oral cavity and the Health Behaviour Questionnaire (HBI) was administered. DMFT index, dental treatment index (DTI), and Approximal Plaque Index (API) were assessed upon intraoral examination. RESULTS: Results: The analyses revealed that the self-declared level of knowledge about the oral cavity was significantly related to the API (p=0.004), to the number of DT (p<0.001) and to the number of FT (p<0.001). There was a correlation between the patients' declared state of the oral cavity and number of DT (p<0.001) and FT (p<0.001). The total HBI score correlated positively with FT (p=0.049). Health behaviours were related to the self-evaluation of oral care (p≤0.19), oral condition (p≤0.001), and knowledge of the oral cavity (p≤0.008). CONCLUSION: Conclusions: There is a significant relationship between the self-declared condition of the patients' oral cavity and their oral care and DMFT index. The higher the level of a patient's declared health behaviours, the better both the self-evaluated, and objectively assessed, state of the oral cavity.

Influence of Body Mass Index on Compensatory Sweating in Patients after Thoracic Sympathectomy due to Palmar Hyperhidrosis.

Background Thoracic sympathectomy (TS) is one of the most effective methods of treatment of primary hyperhidrosis. One of the side effects of this procedure is compensatory sweating (CS). Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of body mass index (BMI) on CS in patients after TS due to palmar hyperhidrosis. Methods Data from 157 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis who underwent TS were collected. The patients were subsequently divided in two groups according to their initial BMI: group A, BMI < 25 kg/m2, and group B, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. Objective (gravimetry) and subjective (VAS) measurements of the intensity of hyperhidrosis were taken from the patients' bodies prior to surgery, as well as 3 and 12 months after TS. Results Average palmar hyperhidrosis levels before the surgery did not differ significantly between the two groups (238.65 vs. 190.15; p = 0.053). A statistically significant decrease in palmar hyperhidrosis was noted in both groups, both 3 and 12 months after surgery (238.65 vs. 11.86 vs. 13.5; p < 0.05, and 190.15 vs. 16.67 vs. 11.81; p < 0.05, respectively). The intensity of sweating over the abdomino-lumbar area differed significantly between the groups before the surgery, both in subjective (1.71 vs. 3.61; p < 0.05) and objective (13.57 vs. 35.95; p < 0.05) evaluations. Three months after surgical intervention, an intensification of CS was observed in both the groups; however, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two sets of patients (VAS: 4.58 vs. 5.16; p = 0.38; gravimetry: 33.87 vs. 53.89; p = 0.12). Twelve months after TS, CS was higher in the group with an initial BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, both in subjective and objective evaluations (3.23 vs. 4.94; p = 0.03 and 18.08 vs. 80.21; p = 0.026, respectively). Conclusion Patients with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 experience more severe CS after TS, both in subjective and objective evaluations.

Methylene Blue Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging in Breast Cancer Sentinel Node Biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: Fluorescence-based navigation for breast cancer sentinel node biopsy is a novel method that uses indocyanine green as a fluorophore. However, methylene blue (MB) also has some fluorescent properties. This study is the first in a clinical series presenting the possible use of MB as a fluorescent dye for the identification of sentinel nodes in breast sentinel node biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients with breast cancer who underwent sentinel node biopsy procedures were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent standard simultaneous injection of nanocolloid and MB. We visualized and assessed the sentinel nodes and the lymphatic channels transcutaneously, with and without fluorescence, and calculated the signal-to-background ratio (SBR). We also analyzed the corresponding fluorescence intensity of various dilutions of MB. RESULTS: In twenty-three patients (46.9%), the location of the sentinel node, or the end of the lymphatic path, was visible transcutaneously. The median SBR for transcutaneous sentinel node location was 1.69 (range 1.66-4.35). Lymphatic channels were visible under fluorescence in 14 patients (28.6%) prior to visualization by the naked eye, with an average SBR of 2.01 (range 1.14-5.6). The sentinel node was visible under fluorescence in 25 patients (51%). The median SBR for sentinel node visualization with MB fluorescence was 2.54 (range 1.34-6.86). Sentinel nodes were visualized faster under fluorescence during sentinel node preparation. Factors associated with the rate of visualization included diabetes (p = 0.001), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.003), and multifocality (p = 0.004). The best fluorescence was obtained using 40 µM (0.0128 mg/mL) MB, but we also observed a clinically relevant dilution range between 20 µM (0.0064 mg/mL) and 100 µM (0.032 mg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we propose the clinical usage of MB as a fluorophore for fluorescence-guided sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer patients. The quenching effect of the dye may be the reason for its poor detection rate. Our analysis of different concentrations of MB suggests a need for a detailed clinical analysis to highlight the practical usefulness of the dye.

Efficacy of Preoperative Usage of Dexamethasone in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty for Control of Nausea and Vomiting.

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone has been used in surgical patients to decrease nausea, vomiting, and postoperative pain. However, it is not well studied how much dexamethasone complicates glucose control in diabetic patients and whether this leads to poor surgical outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed 256 diabetic patients who underwent elective hip and knee arthroplasty and evaluated the groups that received dexamethasone intraoperatively (201 patients), those who received dexamethasone postoperatively (237 patients), and those who did not receive the steroid intraoperatively (55 patients) and postoperatively (19 patients). RESULTS: 256 diabetic patients were included in the study. The mean age of the group was 68.7 (SD ± 9-10) years. Patients were divided into 123 males (48%) and 133 females (52%). 174 (78%) patients had a total knee replacement operation, and 82 (32%) patients had total hip replacement operation. The mean hemoglobin A1c was 6.728 (SD ± 0.99). The mean ASA score was 2.86 (SD ± 0.38). 201 (78.5%) patients received preoperative or intraoperative dexamethasone, and 237 (92.6%) patients received it postoperatively. The mean blood glucose for all patients raised from 131.9 to 172.2 mg/dL (P = .012) postoperatively, 206.1 mg/dL in the first 24 hours, and 146.2 mg/dL (P = .39) in the second postoperative day. The change was significant in patients who had poorly controlled diabetes (P < .01) preoperatively. There was no significant difference in our study regarding dexamethasone use and effect on postoperative nausea (P = 1.0) and vomiting (P = .52). There was an improvement in pain scores in the patients who received dexamethasone postoperatively which was statistically significant (P = .054). CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone use in diabetic patients for control of postoperative nausea and vomiting in those undergoing elective total knee and hip arthroplasty had a negative impact on glycemic control specifically in those with poorly controlled diabetes and should be avoided.

The Role of Chemotherapy in Management of Inoperable, Metastatic and/or Recurrent Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor of Infancy-Own Experience and Systematic Review.

Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor of Infancy (MNTI) is a very rare pediatric neoplasm of neural crest origin. In most cases, it develops in infants as a localized tumor of the maxilla, and surgery is usually curative. In less than 10% of patients with inoperable, metastatic or persistently recurring MNTI, chemotherapy (CHT) may be considered; however, its role is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of CHT in children with large, inoperable, metastatic and/or recurrent MNTI. Four such infants, treated with CHT in Polish and German centers of pediatric oncology, were presented. Additionally, a systematic literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed, yielding 38 similar cases within the last 42 years. Neoadjuvant CHT, based mainly on the protocols for neuroblastoma, was often effective, allowing for complete delayed surgery in most cases. However, the role of adjuvant CHT in preventing recurrences after incomplete resection of MNTI remains unclear. Disseminated inoperable MNTI was almost universally associated with poor response to CHT and unfavorable outcome. Further investigations to elaborate standards of management in patients with inoperable, metastatic or persistently recurring MNTIs are necessary to improve outcomes.

Methylene Blue-Current Knowledge, Fluorescent Properties, and Its Future Use.

Methylene blue is a fluorescent dye discovered in 1876 and has since been used in different scientific fields. Only recently has methylene blue been used for intraoperative fluorescent imaging. Here, the authors review the emerging role of methylene blue, not only as a dye used in clinical practice, but also as a fluorophore in a surgical setting. We discuss the promising potential of methylene blue together with the challenges and limitations among specific surgical techniques. A literature review of PubMed and Medline was conducted based on the historical, current and future usage of methylene blue within the field of medicine. We reviewed not only the current usage of methylene blue, but we also tried to grasp its' function as a fluorophore in five main domains. These domains include the near-infrared imaging visualization of ureters, parathyroid gland identification, pancreatic tumors imaging, detection of breast cancer tumor margins, as well as breast cancer sentinel node biopsy. Methylene blue is used in countless clinical procedures with a relatively low risk for patients. Usage of its fluorescent properties is still at an early stage and more pre-clinical, as well as clinical research, must be performed to fully understand its potentials and limitations.

Patients' Perspective And Usefulness Of Pictograms In Short-Term Antibiotic Therapy - Multicenter, Randomized Trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the practical utility of pharmaceutical pictograms in routine practice in community pharmacy. The primary outcome (composite endpoint) consisted of three elements: i) complete use of the whole package of medication, ii) taking the recommended dose twice a day, and iii) subjective assessment of patients' perspective on medical information about antibiotic therapy obtained during the pharmacy consultation measured by Net Promoter Score in scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is the lowest and 10 the highest possible rating. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multicenter, randomized controlled study was conducted. Community pharmacies (n = 64) which agreed to participate in the study were assigned to one of two groups: i) study - providing an antibiotic with pictograms placed on the external packaging of the medicinal product containing information about drug regimen (n = 32); or ii) control - providing an antibiotic according to usual pharmacy practice (n = 32). Two semi-structured interviews were performed. Data were collected from 199 patients with a mean age ± SD of 45.5 ± 17.0 years. RESULTS: In the control group, 15.7% of participants discontinued therapy before using the whole package compared with 13.4% of participants in the study group. In the control group, 81.3% of patients reported that they always took the medication twice a day as recommended by their healthcare providers compared with 80.4% of patients in the study group. The Net Promoter Score was higher for pharmacy practice with than without pictograms (71.3% vs 51.5%, respectively, p<0.005). The chance that a patient was an advocate of pharmaceutical services (scores 9 and 10) was twice as likely in the case of pharmaceutical practice supported by pictograms (p<0.02). The composite endpoint was achieved more frequently in the population using pictograms, however this difference was not statistically significant (p<0.34). CONCLUSION: The pharmaceutical pictograms are readily accepted by patients and could prove to be a valuable support for pharmacists in conducting pharmaceutical care. Further representative research is needed to evaluate the true effectiveness of this solution.

The evaluation of pharmaceutical pictograms among elderly patients in community pharmacy settings - a multicenter pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: The search for new ways to optimize the use of medications by patients has led the pharmaceutical community to promote the idea of introducing pictograms into routine practice. The main intention of pictograms is to ease patient adherence and to reduce potential risks or errors associated with the use of medications. PURPOSE: To evaluate a series of pharmaceutical pictograms for patient comprehension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in community pharmacies within a European Union country that belongs to the professional research network. Structured interviews were used to evaluate the pictograms for patient comprehension. This consisted of an assessment of the following: the transparency and translucency of the pictograms, health literacy, and pictogram recall. Participants were also given the opportunity to provide feedback on how to improve the pictograms. The primary endpoint was pictogram comprehension. Secondary outcomes included recall of the pictograms and pictogram translucency. RESULTS: The study included 68 patients with whom face-to-face interviews were performed. Low transparency results (≤25%) and extensive patient feedback in initial interviews led to the withdrawal of certain pictograms (n=15) from the evaluation. Among the pictograms included in the final stage of our research, 22 pictograms (62.8%) obtained an acceptable transparency level ≥66%. All pictograms passed the short-term recall test with positive results. CONCLUSION: A majority of the designed and modified pictograms reached satisfactory guess-ability scores. Feedback from patients enabled modification of the pictograms and proved that patients have an important voice in the discussion regarding the design of additional pictograms.

Development of Pharmacy Practice in European Countries-The Polish Perspective.

Polish pharmacy practice and the distribution of medicinal products in some European countries are still going through a significant transformation. Changes postulated by the pharmacists should strengthen their role, and the place of community pharmacies in the health care system in the context of-among others-the introduction and popularization of pharmaceutical care. Subsequently, these efforts may essentially ensure the professional independence of the pharmacists. The introduction of pharmaceutical care to the pharmacy practice in all European countries will help to improve the quality of patient care and treatment outcomes, and will lead to a better allocation of available resources. Herewith, we present an important voice in the international debate, showing the current changes in the pharmacy practice in Poland, a European Union (EU)-member from 2004. Indeed, this paper presents the perspective of the country in which the position of pharmaceutical care is not well-established, and the role of the pharmacist is still limited to dispensing medicinal products, more than decade after it joined EU.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-based therapy in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome: Current data and everyday practice.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an evidence-based diagnostic tool of physiological significance of coronary artery stenosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Due to microvascular dysfunction in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), information obtained from FFR assessment could be less reliable and, thus, its clinical role remains controversial. Indeed, results of currently published studies are essentially discrepant. Only a few randomized clinical trials have been performed showing the efficacy of FFR-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in ACS. Consequently, its role in acute scenarios remains substantially understudied. Herein, is presented the current state of knowledge re-garding FFR use in ACS setting. (Cardiol J 2017; 24, 4: 426-435).

Hospital Audit as a Useful Tool in the Process of Introducing Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) into Hospital Pharmacy Settings-A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the European Union has introduced the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD). Additionally, in early 2016, a Delegated Act (DA) related to the FMD was published. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of external audits in the context of implementing new regulations provided by the FMD in the secondary care environment. METHODS: The external, in-person workflow audits were performed by an authentication company in three Polish hospital pharmacies. Each audit consisted of a combination of supervision (non-participant observation), secondary data analysis, and expert interviews with the use of an independently designed authorial Diagnostic Questionnaire. The questionnaire included information about hospital drug distribution procedures, data concerning drug usage, IT systems, medication order systems, the processes of medication dispensing, and the preparation and administration of hazardous drugs. Data analysis included a thorough examination of hospital documentation in regard to drug management. All data were subjected to qualitative analysis, with the aim of generating meaningful information through inductive inference. RESULTS: Only one dispensing location in the Polish hospitals studied has the potential to be a primary authentication area. In the audited hospitals, an Automated Drug Dispensing System and unit dose were not identified during the study. Hospital wards contained an enclosed place within the department dedicated to drug storage under the direct supervision of senior nursing staff. An electronic order system was not available. In the largest center, unused medications are re-dispensed to different hospital departments, or may be sold to various institutions. Additionally, in one hospital pharmacy, pharmacists prepared parenteral nutrition and chemotherapeutic drugs for patients admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: External audits might prove beneficial in the course of introducing new regulations into everyday settings. However, such action should be provided before the final implementation of authentication services. To sum up, FMD can impact several hospital departments.

Medication adherence in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention due to acute myocardial infarction: From research to clinical implications.

Adherence to medication is one of the most significant challenges of secondary prevention in patients after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Indeed, it has been well established that higher adherence is associated with better cardiovascular outcomes. Research pertaining to secondary prevention after AMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) focuses mainly on the adherence to antiplatelet therapy. Adherence levels have been found to be particularly poor and thus, insufficient with regards to prevention; with a high rate of discontinuation of therapy occurring during the 12-month follow-up. There are numerous predicting factors associated with non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy in patients after PCI. These include, but are not limited to, a lack of education on antiplatelet treatment, various comorbidities, depression, or even, unmarried status. Financial limitations of the patient also play a relevant role, however, the nature of this impediment is problematic and requires further investigation. It would seem beneficial to carry out advanced research based on a randomized and double-blind protocol, however, large-cohort, real-world observations are also essential to investigate non-adherence across a broad array of treatment settings above and beyond the scope of prospective clinical trials. Research about adherence under the context of invasive treatment of AMI has a tremendous practical impact and should be considered a matter of importance concerning both clinicians and scientists. Close collaboration between not only researchers, health practitioners, i.e. physicians and pharmacists, but also politicians, is strongly recommended to aid in designing an intervention that might improve patient adherence.