BACKGROUND: Verrucae or warts, are benign epithelial growths caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the skin. They are unsightly and may affect a patient's quality of life, causing social embarrassment, discomfort, pain, and interference in certain activities.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of imiquimod 5 percent cream for sixteen weeks in the treatment of verruca vulgaris and verruca plana in an open-label trial involving healthy immunocompetent Filipino patients of the Dermatology out-patient clinic of the Philippine General Hospital.
METHODS: Imiquimod 5 percent cream was self-administered by patients with verruca vulgaris or verruca plana on their lesions, nightly for 16 weeks. Follow-up was done every two weeks to determine any change in size over time. Side effects were recorded.
RESULTS: Complete clearance was seen in 31.8% of verruca vulgaris cases, with improvement seen in 59 percent of cases. Shorter duration of lesions was associated with clearance. Complete clearance was seen in only 1 out of 8 patients with verruca plana treated. Minor side effects were reported.
CONCLUSION: Topical imiquimod 5 percent cream is a safe, well-tolerated, painless, convenient, patient-applied route which may be a preferred alternative treatment for verruca vulgaris.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Aminoquinolines ; Dermatology ; Hospitals, General ; Outpatients ; Pain ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Philippines ; Skin ; Warts

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the most accurate method to use for the diagnosis of membrane rupture as well as to compare the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of such different methods.

METHODOLOGY: This prospective, non-randomized, descriptive study included 100 subjects, 50 each for the control group or women with intact membranes documented by history and physical examination, and gold standard group or women with ruptured membranes documented by history and pooling of amniotic fluid on speculum examination. Endocervical samples for control group (no pooling) and vaginal/posterior fornix samples for gold standard group (with pooling of fluid) were obtained from each patient used to test for determination using Actim^TM PROM test kit, ferning test, and pH testing using litmus paper.

RESULT: Ferning's test, Litmus paper test and Actim^TM PROM test have sensitivity of 30%, 44% and 74%, respectively specificity of 100%, 96%, 96% and respectively; PPV of 100%, 91.7% and 94.9% respectively; and NPV of 58.8%, 63.2% and 78.7% respectively. Actim PROM test kit was noted to be superior in terms of accuracy, followed by Litmus paper test, and lastly, by Ferning test as shown by the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve.

CONCLUSIONS: Actim^TM PROM test was noted to have the highest accuracy, as evidenced by the result of ROC curve, with the highest probability of testing positive in patients with true rupture of membranes, and with the highest Kappa statistic value or lowest probability of having interobserver variability.

Human ; Female ; Adult ; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture-diagnosis ; Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) represents the most common tropically acquired dermatosis. CLM is caused by infection with hookworm larvae in tropical and sub-tropical areas, and people who have a history of foreign travel and of walking barefoot on sandy soil or beaches are at a high risk of getting infected with it. The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the typical appearance of the lesion, intense itching and history of foreign travel. CLM is a common parasitic skin disease that can be easily prevented by wearing 'protective' footwear. A case of CLM is described in this article.
Adult ; Albendazole ; therapeutic use ; Antinematodal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Argentina ; Brazil ; Female ; Humans ; Larva Migrans ; Travel

Microfluidic systems can be used to control picoliter to microliter volumes in ways not possible with other methods of fluid handling. In recent years, the field of microfluidics has grown rapidly, with microfluidic devices offering possibilities to impact biology and medicine. Microfluidic devices populated with human cells have the potential to mimic the physiological functions of tissues and organs in a three-dimensional microenvironment and enable the study of mechanisms of human diseases, drug discovery and the practice of personalized medicine. In the field of otorhinolaryngology, various types of microfluidic systems have already been introduced to study organ physiology, diagnose diseases, and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, microfluidic technologies can be implemented at all levels of otorhinolaryngology. This review is intended to promote understanding of microfluidic properties and introduce the recent literature on application of microfluidic-related devices in the field of otorhinolaryngology.

Congenital syphilis still represents a significant public health problem worldwide, and particularly in developing countries. Despite years of research on different clinical and immunological features, many physiopathological aspects still lacks of knowledge, one of them the role of immune response against Treponema pallidum by infected mothers on the birth outcomes, e.g. birthweight. In this study we analyzed if the mother VDRL titers were significantly associated with the birthweight of newborns with congenital syphilis. We observed a highly significant association between both variables, finding at the linear regression that with higher mother VDRL titers, the newborn birthweight was lower (p=0.0345). We identified that higher VDRL titers are associated with lower birth weights, although the physiopathological reasons to explain this still remains unclear.
VDRL test ; Mothers ; Birth Weight ; Syphilis ; Congenital descriptor

Background: Law enforcement communications (i.e., 911 dispatch and call takers) is a challenging and stressful occupation. The purpose of this study is to identify the main stressors associated with employment in law enforcement communications, and to identify and provide context to how these stressors affect workers' health and wellbeing. Methods: This research study included focus groups with 23 call takers and 911 dispatchers employed by a large, urban law enforcement agency in 2018. Thematic analyses were conducted to identify trends. Results: Four themes of stressors emerged (i.e., the high stakes nature of some 911 calls for service, understaffing, supervisor-related stress, and recruiting practice). Two health-related themes emerged as being occupation-related: weight gain and poor sleep patterns/insufficient sleep). Specifically, participants reported negative eating habits resulting in weight gain and obesity, lack of sleep and irregular sleep schedules, and development of hypertension and/or diabetes since beginning their jobs. Conclusion Law enforcement communications professionals experience a number of the same stressors facing law enforcement officers in patrol. These stressors, combined with the sedentary nature of the job, could result in long-term, chronic health problems.

Background: Law enforcement communications (i.e., 911 dispatch and call takers) is a challenging and stressful occupation. The purpose of this study is to identify the main stressors associated with employment in law enforcement communications, and to identify and provide context to how these stressors affect workers' health and wellbeing. Methods: This research study included focus groups with 23 call takers and 911 dispatchers employed by a large, urban law enforcement agency in 2018. Thematic analyses were conducted to identify trends. Results: Four themes of stressors emerged (i.e., the high stakes nature of some 911 calls for service, understaffing, supervisor-related stress, and recruiting practice). Two health-related themes emerged as being occupation-related: weight gain and poor sleep patterns/insufficient sleep). Specifically, participants reported negative eating habits resulting in weight gain and obesity, lack of sleep and irregular sleep schedules, and development of hypertension and/or diabetes since beginning their jobs. Conclusion Law enforcement communications professionals experience a number of the same stressors facing law enforcement officers in patrol. These stressors, combined with the sedentary nature of the job, could result in long-term, chronic health problems.

No abstract available.
Erdheim-Chester Disease*

Background: Knowledge of the base rate of signal changes consistent with distal biceps tendinopathy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to influence strategies for diagnosis and treatment of people that present with elbow pain. The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of distal biceps tendon signal changes on MRIs of the elbow by indication for imaging. Methods: MRI data for 1,306 elbows were retrospectively reviewed for mention of signal change in distal biceps tendon. The reports were sorted by indication. Results: Signal changes consistent with distal biceps tendinopathy were noted in 197 of 1,306 (15%) patients, including 34% of patients with biceps pain, 14% of patients with unspecified pain, and 8% of patients with a specific non-biceps indication. Distal biceps tendon changes noted on radiology reports were associated with older age, male sex, and radiologists with musculoskeletal fellowship training. Conclusions The finding that distal biceps MRI signal changes consistent with tendinopathy are common even in asymptomatic elbows reduces the probability that symptoms correlate with pathology on imaging. The accumulation of signal changes with age, also independent of symptoms, suggests that tendon pathology persists after symptoms resolve, that some degree of distal biceps tendinopathy is common in a human lifetime, and that tendinopathy may often be accommodated without seeking care.Level of evidence: IV.