Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2021 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
This study aimed to determine whether osteopathic manipulation of the T9–T10 vertebrae improves the evolution of tonsillitis. A randomized, stratified, controlled clinical trial with blinded patients, evaluator and data analyst was performed. The patients in the control group (CG) underwent a “sham” manipulation. A high-speed, low-amplitude technique was applied to the T9–T10 vertebrae in the osteopathic manipulative group (OMG) patients. The number of days needed to resolve the tonsillitis was significantly lower (p = 0.025) in the OMG (2.03 0.95 days) than the CG (2.39 0.82 days). Additionally, the number of episodes of tonsillitis after the treatment decreased significantly more in the OMG (0.8 1.88 episodes/year in total) than the CG (2 2.12) (p = 0.005). In the OMG, 60.8% had no recurrences of tonsillitis, compared to 22.5% of the CG, in the following year ( 2 (1) = 15.57, p < 0.001). No patients reported adverse effects. It has been concluded that during an episode of tonsillitis, the number of days to resolution was significantly lower after the application of an osteopathic manipulation of the T9–T10 vertebrae, compared to a sham manipulation. The number of subsequent year tonsillitis episodes was greatly reduced in both groups, significantly more in the OMG than in the CG patients....
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is the preferred treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism. Despite relatively accurate preoperative information, minimally invasive parathyroidectomy can be challenging, especially in the case of small and ectopic adenomas. Radio guidance aids in both in vivo identification and ex vivo confirmation of adenoma. In vivo accuracy is currently not satisfactory. The present study evaluated whether a beneficial effect (increased sensitivity, specificity, accuracy) is obtained with individualised timing of minimally invasive radio-guided parathyroidectomy (MIRGP) using preoperative multi-phase 99mTc-MIBI single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT). Methods: This randomised clinical trial was conducted from May 2016 to January 2020 in a tertiary referral hospital. Adult patients with primary hyperparathyroidism sent for 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT were included consecutively and randomly assigned to conventional (dual-phase) SPECT/CT and conventional MIRGP (group I) or multi-phase SPECT/CT and individualised MIRGP (group II). One hundred of 106 eligible patients were included, and 83 patients underwent complete intervention. Results: A total of 47 patients in group I and 35 patients in group II were analysed. Group II had a shorter operating time..................
Vaccines have raised expectations of the Governments and people that they will be efficacious for bringing an end to COVID-19 pandemic. However, COVID-19 is a special pandemic that may most likely prove to be an exception. No vaccine can be 100% efficacious. Currently released vaccines for COVID-19 are claimed to be 70 â?? 94% efficacious. This level of efficacy was enough for controlling epidemics of several diseases in the past. However, this may not be enough this time because this novel coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2 is different than earlier pathogens encountered by human race. The novel coronavirus has very high transmissibility, very fast multiplication rate, very high mutation frequency and add to that the now coming up of recombinants of mutants of novel coronavirus that combine above adverse characteristics with ability to weaken efficacy of vaccines. Add to it impossibility to cover the entire population within reasonable period by vaccination and considerably high number of people non-compliant with precautions to avoid infection and spread of the virus. Longer the pandemic is allowed to linger, higher is the probability of emergence of more dangerous mutations and recombinants of mutants including the ones which shall not be vulnerable to current vaccines. It is being acknowledged that only vaccine-centric approach in case of COVID-19 is not likely to be adequate. This brings in focus the indispensability of NK Cell Activity improvement in vulnerable section of the population by oral consumption of Natural Killer Cell Acitvity Booster prior to and/or concurrent with vaccination for achieving better probability of control/end of COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination drives have already started in India and in other countries. Immediate induction of NK Cell Activity Boosters is needed before they reach such an advanced stage that the early vaccinated ones would have already lost the opportunity of at least concurrent consumption of NK Cell Activity Booster. A practically viable NK Cell Activity Booster is described....
(1) Background: 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-CRA) is a key component of neuroblastoma treatment protocols. This randomized crossover study compares the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and palatability of a novel oral liquid formulation to the current method of extracting 13-CRA from capsules. (2) Methods: Pharmacokinetics was evaluated in two consecutive treatment cycles. Patients were randomized to receive either liquid or capsule formulation on cycle 1 and then crossed over to the alternative formulation on cycle 2. The daily dose was 200 mg/m2, reduced to 160 mg/m2 in patients with weight 12 kg. (3) Results: A total of 20 children, median (range) age 4.3 (1–11.6) y were recruited. Pharmacokinetic data were pooled and a population model describing the disposition of 13-CRA and 4-oxo-13-CRA was developed. Bioavailability of the liquid formulation was estimated to be 65% higher (95% CI; 51–79%) than the extracted capsule. CmaxSS and AUC(0-12)SS estimates were also significantly higher; mean (95% CI) differences were 489 (144–835) ng/mL and 3933 (2020–5846) ng/mLh, respectively (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in reported adverse effects. Parents found dosing considerably easier with liquid formulation. (4) Conclusions: The pharmacokinetics, safety and palatability of a new liquid formulation of 13-CRA compares favorably to 13-CRA extracted from capsules....
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) has emerged as a potentially efficacious agent for chemotherapyinduced neuropathic pain (CINP), a prevalent, debilitating condition often resistant to analgesics. This randomized, double-blind, dose-finding study was undertaken to explore safety and trends in efficacy of four TTX doses and to identify a dose for further study. One hundred and twenty-five patients with taxane- or platinum-related CINP received subcutaneous placebo or TTX (7.5 g twice daily (BID), 15 g BID, 30 g once daily (QD), 30 g BID) for four consecutive days. Primary outcome measure was average patient-reported Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score during Days 21–28 post-treatment. Changes in mean NPRS score were not statistically different between cohorts, due to small trial size and influence of a few robust placebo responders. Cumulative responder analysis showed significant difference from placebo with 30 g BID cohort using the maximum response at any timepoint (p = 0.072), 5-day (p = 0.059), 10-day (p = 0.027), and 20-day (p = 0.071) rolling averages. In secondary quality of life (QOL) outcomes, 30 g BID cohort also differed significantly from placebo in a number of SF-36 and CIPN20 subscales. Most adverse events (AE) were mild or moderate with oral paresthesia (29.6%) and oral hypoesthesia (24.8%) as most common....
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