New experimental model to evaluate the effect of negative pressure wound therapy and viscosity exudates in foam dressings using confocal microscopy.

Negative pressure wound therapy is currently one of the most popular treatment approaches that provide a series of benefits to facilitate healing, including increased local blood perfusion with reduced localized oedema and control of wound exudate. The porous foam dressing is a critical element in the application of this therapy and its choice is based on its ability to manage exudate. Industry standards often employ aqueous solutions devoid of proteins to assess dressing performance. However, such standardized tests fail to capture the intricate dynamics of real wounds, oversimplifying the evaluation process. This study aims to evaluate the technical characteristics of two different commercial polyurethane foam dressings during negative pressure wound therapy. We introduce an innovative experimental model designed to evaluate the effects of this therapy on foam dressings in the presence of viscous exudates. Our findings reveal a proportional increase in dressing fibre occupancy as pressure intensifies, leading to a reduction in dressing pore size. The tests underscore the pressure system's diminished efficacy in fluid extraction with increasing fluid viscosity. Our discussion points to the need of establishing standardized guidelines for foam dressing selection based on pore size and the necessity of incorporating real biological exudates into industrial standards.

[Tuberculosis infections of the head and neck]. / Tuberculosis de cabeza y cuello.

Following a dramatic fall in tuberculosis, the last two decades have seen not only an increase in its overall frequency but also the extrapulmonary forms, including head and neck tuberculosis, have increased in proportion. Despite this rise, head and neck tuberculosis is still very rare, except for cervical adenitis. This fact and the non-specific nature of its presentation explain that tuberculosis is often an unexpected finding in biopsy results. Notwithstanding the advances in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, with ever speedier and more reliable tests such as polymerase chain reaction, its detection almost always requires the performance of invasive procedures such as punctures or biopsies. On the other hand, the diagnostic gold standard is still the culture of mycobacteria, a test that requires waiting times potentially of more than a month. The greatest recent advance in tuberculosis treatment is the existence of a pharmacological cure, making surgery practically unnecessary following diagnosis.

Tuberculosis de cabeza y cuello / Tuberculosis infections of the head and neck

Tras un descenso drástico de la tuberculosis, en las últimas 2 décadas no sólo se ha producido un incremento en su frecuencia global, si no que las formas extrapulmonares, incluida la tuberculosis de cabeza y cuello, han aumentado en su proporción. A pesar de este incremento, la tuberculosis de cabeza y cuello sigue siendo muy poco frecuente, a excepción de la adenitis cervical. Este hecho y la inespecificidad de su presentación explican que a menudo la tuberculosis sea un hallazgo inesperado en los resultados de las biopsias. A pesar de los avances, el diagnóstico de tuberculosis –con pruebas rápidas cada vez más fiables, como la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa– pasa casi siempre por realizar pruebas invasivas, como la punción o la biopsia; por otra parte, el estándar diagnóstico, que es el cultivo de micobacterias, sigue siendo una prueba que exige tiempos de espera que pueden superan el mes. Sin duda el mayor avance reciente en la tuberculosis es la existencia de un tratamiento farmacológico curativo, que hace que la cirugía sea prácticamente innecesaria una vez realizado el diagnóstico

Following a dramatic fall in tuberculosis, the last two decades have seen not only an increase in its overall frequency but also the extrapulmonary forms, including head and neck tuberculosis, have increased in proportion. Despite this rise, head and neck tuberculosis is still very rare, except for cervical adenitis. This fact and the non-specific nature of its presentation explain that tuberculosis is often an unexpected finding in biopsy results. Notwithstanding the advances in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, with ever speedier and more reliable tests such as polymerase chain reaction, its detection almost always requires the performance of invasive procedures such as punctures or biopsies. On the other hand, the diagnostic gold standard is still the culture of mycobacteria, a test that requires waiting times potentially of more than a month. The greatest recent advance in tuberculosis treatment is the existence of a pharmacological cure, making surgery practically unnecessary following diagnosis