Inadvertent tissue adhesive tarsorrhaphy of the eyelid: a review and exploratory trial of removal methods of Histoacryl.

OBJECTIVE: The use of tissue adhesives has become a popular option for closure of wounds in the ED. There have been a growing number of reports of inadvertent tissue adhesive injuries including closure of the eyelids. We aim to identify and compare various removal methods of tissue adhesives described in the literature in an exploratory trial. METHODS: A review was first conducted to establish all published methods for the removal of medical-grade tissue adhesives as well as commercial cyanoacrylates. This search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar and Google. All articles that reported attempts at removal of cyanoacrylate glues were included. These methods were then tested on a porcine model in an exploratory trial. Incisions were made on pigskin and closed with Histoacryl, a tissue adhesive. Three removal methods were tested-gentle rubbing with test compound after 45 or 90 s, as well as soaking in test compound. Removal methods that were successful underwent repeat testing. RESULTS: A total of 37 sources were reviewed with 13 different removal methods suggested. Based on the information, we tested 24 different compounds. Soaking of Histoacryl-closed wounds in Polydexa ear/eye drops displayed consistent success in achieving complete separation of incision edges after 2 hours. Several other soapy substances and antibiotic ointments showed potential but were not as consistent. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, in our trial of removal methods of Histoacryl, soaking in Polydexa antibiotic drops consistently facilitated removal after 2 hours. This approach can be attempted after inadvertent Histoacryl injury.

Consequences of Misnomer or Mistakes in Identification of Fungal Species.

The author, as a reviewer of many international journals, describes his long-standing experiences with incorrect identification of mushroom and fungal species and the resultant incorrect naming of those species that served as experimental models. From his own praxis, he selected several characteristic examples that sometimes ended in a curious situation. Some recommendations to authors of publications and persons responsible for the proper naming of mushrooms under study are summarized.

Collaborative study for the establishment of the 3rd international standard for neomycin.

An international collaborative study was organised to establish the World Health Organization (WHO) 3(rd) International Standard (IS) for neomycin. Ten laboratories from different countries participated in the collaborative study. The potency of the candidate material, a freeze-dried preparation, was estimated by microbiological assays with sensitive micro-organisms. To ensure continuity between consecutive batches, the 2(nd) IS for neomycin was used as a standard. Based on the results of the study, the 3(rd) IS for neomycin was adopted at the meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization (ECBS) in 2012 with an assigned potency of 19,050 IU per vial. The 3(rd) IS for neomycin is available from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM).

[Standardization of the index of biological activity of the multi-component antibiotic neomycin]. / Standartizatsiia pokazatelia biologicheskoi aktivnosti mnogo-komponentnogo antibiotika neomitsina.

The characteristic features of determination of the biological activity of neomycin and its separate components A, B and C were studied. Different sensitivity of 5 test microbes to neomycins A, B and C was observed. Bac. subtilis ATCC 6633 and Bac. cereus, var. myc. 537 were the most sensitive to neomycin A. Sar. lutea were not sensitive to neomycins A and C. The diffusion capacity of neomycin A was shown to be different from that of neomycins B and C. Even minute admixtures of neomycin A in the preparations of neomycin significantly changes the dose-response curves and affected the results of the biological activity determination.