Olfactory function following open rhinoplasty: A 6-month follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients undergoing any type of nasal surgery may experience degrees of postoperative olfactory dysfunction. We sought to investigate "when" the olfactory function recovers to its preoperative levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this cohort design, 40 of 65 esthetic open rhinoplasty candidates with equal gender distribution, who met the inclusion criteria, were assessed for their olfactory function using the Smell Identification Test (SIT) with 40 familiar odors in sniffing bottles. All the patients were evaluated for the SIT scores preoperatively and postoperatively (at week 1, week 6, and month 6).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At postoperative week one, 87.5% of the patients had anosmia, and the rest exhibited at least moderate levels of hyposmia. The anosmia, which was the dominant pattern at postoperative week 1, resolved and converted to various levels of hyposmia, so that no one at postoperative week 6 showed any such complain. At postoperative week six, 85% of the subjects experienced degrees of hyposmia, almost all being mild to moderate. At postoperative six month, the olfactory function had already reverted to the preoperative levels: no anosmia or moderate to severe hyposmia. A repeated ANOVA was indicative of significant differences in the olfactory function at the different time points. According to our post hoc Benfronney, the preoperative scores had a significant difference with those at postoperative week 1, week 6, but not with the ones at month 6.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Esthetic open rhinoplasty may be accompanied by some degrees of postoperative olfactory dysfunction. Patients need a time interval of 6 weeks to 6 months to fully recover their baseline olfactory function.</p

Detecting Narcotics in Solution Extracted from Dried Urine Stain on Cotton Fabri ...................................IJMTFM (2011) 1(2): 54-58

Background:The present study aims to present a new method to trace narcotics in the solution extracted from dried urine stain left on cotton fabric. Material and methods:Narcotic substance was traced in the 50 samples through two methods. In the first method, samples were directly examined through Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). In the second method, a piece of cotton fabric was soaked in a beaker filled with urine sample. After full absorption, the piece of fabric was left to dry. Then it was soaked in distilled water and shaken so that the stain deposits would dissolve into water. Finally, the solution was extracted from the wet fabric by centrifugal spin and admixed with an equal amount of distilled water. A TLC test was run afterward. The TLC run on the main samples produced the following results: morphine, codeine and other opium alkaloids were detected in 38 samples; in 7 samples only codeine was found. Five samples produced no especial stains. The TLC performed on the solution tapped from the cotton piece of fabric produced similar results except for the lower density of stain colors. Conclusion:The results show that narcotics may be detected using dried urine stains on cotton fabric dissolved in distilled water.Keywords: Narcotics, Urine stain, Crime scene, Thin Layer Chromatography, TLC

Risk factors of suicidal ideation and attempt in women with drug user spouses

Background: Despite ample evidence of the presence of mental and psychological disorders observed in the family members of drug users, few studies have attempted to focus on suicidal behavior in women whose spouses are drug users. Methods: This cross-sectional study focused on 131 women who had a drug user spouse. They had all been married for >2 years, with no mental or psychological disorders and no history of drug use prior to marriage. Drug use history after marriage, the extent and nature of physical and non-physical wife abuse, and any history of suicidal ideation and attempt in the past year were collected, in addition to data about anxiety and depression. Results: Our study showed that women who identified with a history of suicidal ideation and attempt were younger, had a shorter marital duration, had a more extensive history of drug use, were more likely to be abused by their spouse, and had higher anxiety and depression scores than their counterparts. Suicidal ideation predictors included a personal history of drug use [odds ratio (OR) = 9.217, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.727–49.180, p = 0.009] and anxiety and depression (OR = 1.080, 95% CI = 1.022–1.141, p = 0.004), whereas suicidal attempt predictors included a personal history of drug use (OR = 7.236, 95% CI = 1.671–31.326, p = 0.010), exposure to physical abuse by spouse (OR = 4.005, 95% CI = 1.393–11.523, p = 0.008), and anxiety and depression (OR = 1.092, 95% CI = 1.015–1.175, p = 0.018). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that a personal history of drug use, an elevated anxiety score, and depression and exposure to physical abuse by their spouse may act as predictors of suicidal ideation or attempt in women with a drug user spouse. These findings may serve to benefit and support healthcare systems, associated with ongoing efforts to develop preventive programs for suicidal behavior in this population