The role of routine chest radiography after implantable venous access port catheter insertion under the guide of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is the evaluation of routine chest radiography following the placement of Implantable venous access port catheter (IVAPC) central lines using combined ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance by a vascular surgeon in the operating room. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective study of 189 consecutive patients who underwent IVAPC central line insertion in the vascular surgery operating room from 2016 to 2019. Venipuncture was performed with an 18-gauge needle under the guidance of sonography in each case, and the access site was noted. The line position was confirmed by fluoroscopy following the procedure. Multiple tries for puncture and patients under 18 were excluded from our study. Routine radiography of chest was performed for all patients and pneumothorax, hemothorax, and catheter malposition were evaluated in each case. RESULTS: There were 2 cases of asymptomatic pneumothorax, no cases of hemothorax, and all catheter tip positions were optimal or acceptable. The annual cost of chest radiography was 33,000,000IRR, 220 h of hospital and staff time, and 1.1 mSv radiation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, when imaging guidance is used for IVAPC insertion by an experienced surgeon in a high-volume center, performing post-procedure routine chest radiography shows little benefit.

Comparison of fumaric acid 5% cream versus triamcinolone 0.1% cream in the treatment of hand eczema.

Hand eczema is a common distressing skin problem. It is an immune reaction to haptens. Thus, substances that inhibit Immune system can be effective in the treatment of hand eczema. In this study, topical fumaric acid 5% cream is compared with topical steroid in the treatment of hand eczema. Patients with hand eczema were randomly divided into two groups. One group received fumaric acid 5% in a cream base, and the other received triamcinolone 0.1% in the same cream base. Both groups used creams twice daily for one month. Patients were checked for erythema, excoriation, population and lichenification, EASI score, and pruritus before and after treatment. In both groups, the mean of all signs of the disease and EASI score decreased after one month of treatment. There was no significant difference between the two treatments in decreasing erythema, but excoriation, population, lichenification, EASI score and itching were all decreased more in triamcinolone 0.1 % group. Although fumaric acid can inhibit the immune system; it was less effective for the treatment of all signs of hand eczema except erythema in comparison to triamcinolone. These results may be justified for two reasons: low penetration of topical fumaric acid through the skin or a low concentration used in this study.

Intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants and its association with pneumothorax.

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is one of the major causes of the cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Prevention and early management of these neurologic developmental problems will require determining the perinatal risk factors associated with this clinical entity. Pneumothorax increase the risk of IVH, and cause of pneumothorax has an important effect in severity of IVH. This is a prospective cross sectional study in 2010. This study includes 150 preterm neonates. Cranial ultrasound was performed in all neonates in age 3, 7, 30, 60, just after pneumothorax and every 2 week until chest tube discontinuation. Then prevalence of IVH and pneumothorax was calculated in preterm infant and severity of IVH was investigated before and after development of pneumothorax, and this comparison was divided by different causes of pneumothorax with SPSS version 11.5. Prevalence of IVH and pneumothorax in preterm infants were 30% and 10% respectively. Pneumothorax was not a risk factor of IVH (P>0.05), but prevalence of pneumothorax caused by RDS was a risk factor of development of IVH (P=0.01). Also pneumothorax in patients with birth weight less than 1000 g and gestational age less than 28 week was a risk factor of IVH pneumothorax (P=0.008, P=0.01 respectively). Our study discusses the differences in previous studies about association of pneumothorax and IVH. Also we suggest the hypothesis that lack of cerebral autoregulation in neonates with gestational age less than 28 week can cause IVH development after hypotension induces by pneumothorax.