In the field of general prevention of infectious diseases, one of the most important issues concerns disinfection and sterilization, which both play a fundamental role in reducing the risk of infection. This is also true for the food... more
In the field of general prevention of infectious diseases, one of the most important issues concerns disinfection and sterilization, which both play a fundamental role in reducing the risk of infection. This is also true for the food industry, where these processes are used to produce the same outcomes. The different phases of cleaning and disinfection process of machines and of accessory parts (tanks, tubes etc.) with which foods come in contact are generally achieved by both physical and chemical means. These processes should result in cleaning, disinfection and removal of foreign bodies from with the structures of the equipment being cleaned. 1. Definitions Cleaning/cleansing: a series of combined operations aiming at the elimination of dirt from the surface areas of equipment or from materials, through the use of chemical and physical means; Disinfection: elimination on a given substrate of pathogen microorganisms, viruses and bacteria, in a vegetative form through the use of ch...
To evaluate the prognostic value of the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) in cases of deadly weapon-related open-globe injuries with intraocular foreign bodies. A retrospective, interventional case series included 20 eyes of 20 patients who had... more
To evaluate the prognostic value of the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) in cases of deadly weapon-related open-globe injuries with intraocular foreign bodies. A retrospective, interventional case series included 20 eyes of 20 patients who had deadly weapon-related open-globe injuries with intraocular foreign bodies. The OTS was calculated for each patient by adding the determined numbers of OTS variables at presentation (initial visual acuity, rupture, endophthalmitis, perforating injury, retinal detachment, and afferent pupillary defect). Patients were categorized based on their score (category 1 through 5). Final visual acuities in the OTS categories were calculated and compared to those in OTS study group. No statistically significant difference was found between the categorical distributions of the study patients and those in the OTS study group. No patient in the study was in category 5. The OTS, which was designed to predict visual outcomes of general ocular trauma, may also provide...
To evaluate the effect of a campaign for proper education of the public on the risk of foreign body aspiration in children. A retrospective analysis of 87 endoscopic foreign body removals in children was performed at the Department of... more
To evaluate the effect of a campaign for proper education of the public on the risk of foreign body aspiration in children. A retrospective analysis of 87 endoscopic foreign body removals in children was performed at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the University Hospital of Crete, during the period between January 2000 and December 2004. Results were compared with those of a previous study conducted by the same Department during the period between 1991 and 1999. A foreign body was discovered in 44 cases, while in 43 cases there were no findings. Twenty-one foreign bodies (47.73%) were found in the right main bronchus, 20 foreign bodies (45.45%) were found in the left main bronchus and 3 (6.82%) in the trachea. Both crude and age-standardized bronchoscopy rates appear to be lower in the time period 2000-2004, as compared to the time period prior to the educational program. The decline in the total number of bronchoscopies during recent years has been ...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tracheostomy is one of the most common surgeries in patients with upper airway defects. Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure to open a side passage through the neck into the trachea to stabilize the airway. The... more
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tracheostomy is one of the most common surgeries in patients with upper airway defects. Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure to open a side passage through the neck into the trachea to stabilize the airway. The complications of this operation are very important, common and at the same time preventable. The purpose of this article is to report a case of a fractured fragment of tracheostomy tube entering the left bronchus. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 34-year-old man diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and quadriplegia, who has had a tracheostomy tube for 7 years, who referred with complaint of shortness of breath following a tracheostomy tube fracture. The patient had 60% saturation and significant respiratory distress. After confirming the fracture of the tracheostomy tube with a CT scan of the lung, the fractured fragment was removed with rigid bronchoscopy and the tracheostomy tube was re-inserted for the patient. The patient was discharged from the hospital two days after tracheostomy. CONCLUSION: In case of shortness of breath and decreased saturation, tracheostomy tube fracture should be considered. Proper cleaning and planned replacement of the tracheostomy tube may prevent this complication.
This is a case report of foreign body ingestion in a suicide attempt resulting in gastric perforation and phlegmon formation during a subsequent 6 month period that eventually required surgical intervention. The patient had a prolonged... more
This is a case report of foreign body ingestion in a suicide attempt resulting in gastric perforation and phlegmon formation during a subsequent 6 month period that eventually required surgical intervention. The patient had a prolonged course because she did not report a history of foreign body ingestion and the initial evaluating physicians had no suspicion about possible foreign body ingestion and may have missed important findings on physical examination. Gastric perforation by a foreign object may have a slow course rather than presenting acute abdomen. The realization of a proper physical examination in the emergency department is key to an accurate diagnosis.
Different gene expression patterns correlate with the altered phenotype in biofilm-associated bacteria. Iron and iron-linked genes are thought to play a key-role in biofilm formation. The expression of Fe-linked genes (sirR, sitABC... more
Different gene expression patterns correlate with the altered phenotype in biofilm-associated bacteria. Iron and iron-linked genes are thought to play a key-role in biofilm formation. The expression of Fe-linked genes (sirR, sitABC operon) in Staphylococcus epidermidis, was compared in planktonic versus sessile bacteria in vitro and in vivo in a subcutaneous foreign body rat model. In vitro in a Fe-limited environment, the planktonic form of S. epidermidis produces siderophores and grows slower than in Fe-rich environment. The expression of sirR in planktonic bacteria, in vitro, was not different in medium without Fe or with 1 microM FeCl3. High Fe concentrations (25 microM FeCl3) increased expression of sirR transiently during the early phase of incubation. Expression of sitC in vitro, in planktonic bacteria, was inversely correlated with sirR expression in medium with 25 microM FeCl3: sitC expression decreased for the first 3 hours followed by an up regulation.In sessile bacteria ...
The entry of a small item into the upper airways is one of the leading causes of injuries in children up to 14 years old. The aim of this study is to characterize types of objects causing choking along with the features of the children... more
The entry of a small item into the upper airways is one of the leading causes of injuries in children up to 14 years old. The aim of this study is to characterize types of objects causing choking along with the features of the children involved in the accident and compare results with current standards. The European Survey on Foreign Bodies Injuries Study (ESFBI) collected data on foreign body injuries from 19 European countries. The data from ESFBI were selected according to the ICD-9-CM codes 933 (foreign body in the pharynx and larynx) and 934 (foreign body in the trachea, bronchi, and lungs). Both a classification tree and a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) have been set up to predict the probability that an injured child experiences a hospitalization. The classification tree provides flowchart-type decision rules and allows for analyzing the impact of the item features, the children characteristics, and the circumstances of the accidents on the severity of the foreign body injuries. Results showed that children younger than 3.5 who are involved in an accident have a high probability to experience a hospitalization.
Currently, many medical devices are made of implantable metals such as 316LVM stainless steel. Electropolishing is a common process to obtain a smooth surface, free of contaminants and more passive, which allows for minimizing the foreign... more
Currently, many medical devices are made of implantable metals such as 316LVM stainless steel. Electropolishing is a common process to obtain a smooth surface, free of contaminants and more passive, which allows for minimizing the foreign body response and cell adhesion. However, polishing of small implants with a highly complicated geometry and nonuniform metallurgy might result in unsatisfactory results. The objective of this work was to develop an electropolishing process effective for complex metallic implants such as artificial heart valve frames and miniature glaucoma implants. Polishing in an ultrasonic bath and pulsed voltage polishing processes were studied and compared to the standard ASTM process. Current-voltage curves were constructed for different solutions and bath temperatures. The polished parts were evaluated by stereomicroscopy, optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, noncontact surface profilometry, and X-ray diffraction. Pulse polishing was found useful in ...
Objective: To describe the clinical data and the results of molecular analyses of the TGFBI gene in a patient with classic granular stromal corneal dys- trophy (type I). Methods: A female patient aged 60-years complai- ning of a... more
Objective: To describe the clinical data and the results of molecular analyses of the TGFBI gene in a patient with classic granular stromal corneal dys- trophy (type I). Methods: A female patient aged 60-years complai- ning of a long-standing decrease of visual acuity bilaterally associated with photophobia and foreign body sensation, underwent a complete ophthalmo- logic examination. Molecular analyses of DNA from the patient and from an affected brother inclu- ded PCR amplification of exons 4, 11, 12, and 14 of the TGFBI gene and direct automated sequencing of the PCR products. Results: The affected patient showed a pattern of corneal stromal lesions that was compatible with a diagnosis of classic granular dystrophy. No involve- ment of other corneal layers was evident. Molecular analysis disclosed a point mutation in exon 14 of the TGFBI gene which consisted of an adenine to guanine change at nucleotide position 1924, predic- ting a substitution of arginine instead of histidine a...
BACKGROUND: Expanded polytetrafluroethelyne (e PTFE, Gore-Tex(R)) has been advocated as an implant material for medialization of the vocal fold. Animal studies involving rabbits and a porcine model have demonstrated host tolerance of the... more
BACKGROUND: Expanded polytetrafluroethelyne (e PTFE, Gore-Tex(R)) has been advocated as an implant material for medialization of the vocal fold. Animal studies involving rabbits and a porcine model have demonstrated host tolerance of the implant. There have been no reports describing the histological changes in a human laryngectomy specimen with a Gore-Tex implant. CASE PRESENTATION: The histological findings in a laryngectomy specimen of a patient previously implanted with e PTFE for medialization of a paralyzed vocal fold following excision of a vagal neurofibroma were studied.Histopathology revealed a mild foreign-body giant cell granulomatous reaction with some associated fibrosis. The granulomatous response was limited to the periphery of the Gore-Tex and although it closely followed the profile of the material it did not encroach into or significantly break up the material. There was no significant neutrophilic or lymphocytic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consist...
Letter to the editor about the effects of covering aneurysms with gauze and the possibility to cause an inflammatory response affecting the optic nerve and its predominance in female patients.
The purpose of this study was to characterise and describe the epidemiology of all eye injuries presenting to the National University Hospital (NUH). A prospective study was conducted over a 7-week period (11/4/2005 to 29/5/2005) on all... more
The purpose of this study was to characterise and describe the epidemiology of all eye injuries presenting to the National University Hospital (NUH). A prospective study was conducted over a 7-week period (11/4/2005 to 29/5/2005) on all ophthalmic trauma patients seen by the Department of Ophthalmology in NUH. Data on patient presentation, source of injury and intervention were collected via a standardised interview and examination, and documented using a validated datasheet. A total of 133 patients, and 139 eyes, were included in the study. The average age was 33.5 years, with a range of 5 years to 88 years, and 84.2% (n = 112) were men. Close to half (46.6%, n = 62) of the patients studied were non-Singaporeans. 56.4% (n = 75) of all eye injuries were work-related and only 5% (n = 7) of eyes were open-globe injuries. Common sources of eye trauma included: Use of high-powered tools in activities such as grinding, welding and hammering (38.3%, n = 51), human-inflicted injuries (12.0...
