Nail disorder among patients on maintenance hemodialysis

Background/Objective: Chronic renal failure can lead to nail disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate nail disorders and laboratory data in patients on constant hemodialysis (HD) in a hospital in Qazvin, Iran. Methods: A case-controlled study was performed. End stage renal disease patients (n = 149) undergoing regular HD and 147 randomly selected individuals were examined for nail disorder. All participants were examined by two trained students and a single dermatologist. Specific investigations such as nail biopsy, potassium hydroxide mount, and fungal culture were done if necessary. Laboratory data were completed for HD patients. Demographic characteristics, the causes of end stage renal disease, and laboratory data were tested in a multivariate analysis. Results: In this study, 62 HD patients had at least one nail disorder, with leukonychia being the most common in both groups. Clinical onychomycosis, absent lunula and half and half nail were the other common findings in HD patients. Positive mycological culture was noted in four HD patients and in none of the control individuals. The mean duration of HD was a significant predictor associated with the positive clinical onychomycosis (p < 0.05). Although there was no significant correlation between nail disorders and hypertension or heart failure, multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that gender, age ≥ 65 years, and diabetes mellitus (DM) were associated with nail disorder. Conclusion: The prevalence of nail disorder in this study was correlated with age, DM, and gender. To decrease the prevalence of nail disorder, attention to duration of HD, age, male sex, and DM is very important

Comparison of Topical Sucralfate and Silver Sulfadiazine Cream in Second Degree Burns in Rats

Background. The most prevalent topical treatment for partial thickness burns is silver sulfadiazine 1% (SSD). Recent studies have shown that the healing of partial thickness burns is delayed with the use of SSD. One of the potential burn dressings is sucralfate. Objectives. With this study the authors have aimed to analyze comparatively the effects of sucralfate and SSD on second degree burn wounds in rats. Material and Methods. Forty-eight male rats were divided into three equal groups. A burn model was constituted on the back of all rats. The burned areas in the first, second and third groups were covered daily with sucralfate, SSD and cold cream (control), respectively. At the end of the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day, the rats were anesthetized and the burned skin tissue samples were collected for histopathological examination. Results. At the end of the study, the epidermis and horny layer was completely formed in the SSD and sucralfate group; however the appendix of skin was just formed in the sucralfate group. Also the percentage of wound healing was calculated at 76%, 91% and 100% respectively in the control, silver sulfadiazine and sucralfate groups. Conclusions. Sucralfate is known to have multiple beneficial effects on wound healing. Using topical sucralfate accelerates the burn wound healing process in comparison with both the control and SSD groups and can be used as an adjunctive or alternative agent in the future (Adv Clin Exp Med 2013, 22, 4, 481–487)