Background: Scars affect patients after trauma, burns, or surgical procedures and can generate both physical and psychosocial changes. The aesthetic damage represents the modification of a person’s physical appearance, in its bodily integrity, causing numerous sufferings and determining social or economic consequences. The aim of this research is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages offered by the available psychosocial and physical scar scales in assessing the physical, aesthetic, psychosocial, and juridical consequences of scars. This will aid to inform medical examiners about the most valued existing scales to allow them to select the most appropriate instrument to manage their patient. Methods: A broad search of relevant scientific studies on the psychosocial determinants of post-traumatic and surgical scars was conducted by using the following international database tools: PsycINFO, MedLine Social Science Index, Scopus, Web of Science, published from 1960 until 2022. Results: We analyzed 63 scientific studies to assess the advantages and limits of several psychometric and physical scar evaluation scales. Conclusions: The researchers analyzed in this review highlight the advantages and limitation of existing instruments, evidencing the demand for future scar evaluation instruments and a scar-assessing algorithm that takes into account the physical, aesthetic, psychosocial, and legal consequences of scars.
(1) Background: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is considered a first-line procedure for infertile or hypo-fertile couples among assisted reproductive techniques. In our retrospective study, we identified variables associated with a successful IUI and the probability of obtaining a pregnancy. This is useful to identify couples with a good chance of obtaining a pregnancy through an IUI procedure (2) Methods: The study was conducted at a university-level fertility clinic in Oradea, Romania. Patients eligible to participate in the study were infertile couples who underwent IUI treatment in the interval between January 2015 and October 2020. (3) Results: In our study, we found that duration of infertility, couple age, endometrium thickness, sperm concentration, and motility are important factors in determining the outcome of IUI. Several demographics were measured for each couple including maternal and paternal age, the type and duration of infertility, the number of procedures, the type of ovarian stimulation, number of follicles, endometrial thickness, the type and day of ovulation induction, associated pathology, tubal patency, and pre/post washes sperm count and progressive sperm motility. (4) Conclusions: Fertility prediction studies are necessary, and an individualized prognostic score should be applied for each couple for tailoring their expectations and better counseling.
Background: Chronic Endometritis (CE) is a subtle pathology, likely infectious in most cases, with a negative impact on the female fertility, but often overlooked even among fertility specialists. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the predominant infectious nature of CE and to find the best therapeutic option by comparing the results of oral antibiotic therapy versus intrauterine antibiotic infusion in patients with CE undergoing IVF procedures. The objective was to compare the cure rate of CE—defined as the percentage of patients without CE at the test of cure, between the two groups and, the hysteroscopic aspect with the positive CD 138 staining. Methods: This was a prospective, case—control study that took place in a single university fertility clinic, in Oradea, Romania and included 57 patients with CE divided into 2 groups: orally administered antibiotics group who received a combination of antibiotics compared to intrauterine infusion group who received intrauterine infusion of antibiotic. Chronic Endometritis was diagnosed through hysteroscopy and immunohistochemistry for CD 138. Patients in both groups were tested for CE twice to evaluate the cure rate after oral combination antibiotic therapy versus intrauterine infusion of antibiotic. Results: Out of 115 patients with endometrial biopsies 57 tested positive for CE, with a 49.6% chronic endometritis prevalence. Among the group that was administered oral antibiotics, 11 patients (45.83%) experienced CE resolution after triple antibiotic therapy. Of the intrauterine infusion group, 25 patients (89.29%) presented negative results (p 0.0020). The normal hysteroscopic aspect had a similar prevalence in the patients with immunohistochemical positive and negative CD 138. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the effectiveness and superiority of intrauterine antibiotic infusion over the use of oral combination antibiotic therapy for CE cure. Trial Registration: ISRCTN17542620/14.09.2022.
Periodontal disease and diabetes often co-occur; both are characterized by chronic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of carvacrol and magnolol when incorporated into a periodontal hydrogel and topically applied to Wistar rats with diabetes-associated periodontal disease. Forty male albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups: PD (induced diabetes and periodontitis), PDC (induced diabetes and periodontitis treated with carvacrol), PDM (induced diabetes and periodontitis treated with magnolol), and PDCM (induced diabetes and periodontitis treated with both carvacrol and magnolol). Post treatment, gingival tissue samples were collected to measure levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. The PDCM group exhibited significantly lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) compared to the PD group. The combined application of a periodontal hydrogel containing carvacrol and magnolol may significantly reduce gingival inflammation in rats with diabetes-associated periodontal disease.
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to explore the preoperative factors related to early mobilization and length of stay (LOS) after total hip arthroplasty and the benefits of the anterior approach over the traditional lateral approach. Materials and Methods: Every patient benefits from information regarding details of the surgery approach, possible intra, and postoperative complications, post-operator medical care, and steps in the early mobilization protocol. The patient underwent a pre-anesthetic evaluation, was checked for preoperatory vital function, and was reevaluated for mobilization at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 96 h after total hip arthroplasty using the anterior versus lateral approach. Results: The result of the statistical calculations indicates the independent negative risk factors for reaching the mobilization target: age with a coefficient of −0.046, p = 0.0154 and lateral approach with a relative risk of 0.3802 (95% CI: 0.15–0.90), p = 0.0298. Statistical data concerning the length of stay (LOS) showed significant differences in the total days spent in the hospital. The patients who were operated on using the lateral approach presented a higher body mass index than those with the anterior approach, but this difference did not reach the threshold of statistical significance. Conclusions: In our study, patient mobilization is crucial to reduce LOS.
Background: Human cutaneous reactivity exhibits marked inter-individual variability, yet the contribution of constitutional pigmentation traits to short-term skin responses remains incompletely characterized. Fitzpatrick skin phototype reflects stable differences in pigmentation-related traits and may therefore act as a phenotypic modifier of early cutaneous reactivity following topical exposure. Methods: In this controlled human study, 239 healthy volunteers were stratified by Fitzpatrick skin phototype into three groups: I–II (n = 138), III (n = 72), and IV–V (n = 29). A standardized emulgel-based topical provocation model was applied under occlusion to the volar forearm, and cutaneous responses were assessed at 20 min (Test A), 24 h (Test B), and 96 h (Test C) using standardized visual scoring. Group comparisons, multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, country of origin, and experimental lot, and stratified analyses by country of origin, were performed. Results: Early and short-term cutaneous responses differed significantly across phototype groups. Participants with phototypes I–II exhibited higher response scores at both 20 min and 24 h compared with phototype III (p < 0.001). In adjusted models, phototype III remained independently associated with significantly lower reactivity relative to phototypes I–II at 20 min (β = −1.61, p < 0.001) and 24 h (β = −0.98, p < 0.001). Responses among phototypes IV–V were minimal to absent; however, this subgroup was underrepresented, and findings for IV–V are descriptive. Age was a significant positive predictor of response intensity, whereas sex showed no independent association. No persistent reactions were observed at 96 h in any phototype group. Stratified analyses confirmed that the reduced reactivity associated with phototype III was independent of country of origin. Conclusions: Fitzpatrick skin phototype is independently associated with early and short-term cutaneous reactivity following standardized topical provocation in humans. Lighter phototypes (I–II) demonstrate increased susceptibility to transient inflammatory responses, whereas phototype III shows markedly reduced reactivity. These findings support the role of skin phototype as a constitutional modifier of short-term cutaneous responses and highlight the importance of considering pigmentation-related phenotypes in the design and interpretation of dermatological testing, cosmetic tolerability studies, and safety assessments of topical formulations.