Narrowband Ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) Phototherapy in Psoriasis: A Retrospective Study

Background: Psoriasis with higher Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores correlate with impaired quality of life. Assessing narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy as a new therapy option in Indonesia is necessary to find the most effective treatment for psoriasis patients. Purpose: To determine the usage of NB-UVB phototherapy and the therapy response in psoriasis patients. Methods: This retrospective descriptive observational study was conducted at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital Surabaya in March 2019-November 2020. The variables were collected through medical records. Result: A total of 28 patients were obtained at this study. Psoriasis type plaque/vulgaris were found in 92.9% of the patients. The patients mostly started with PASI score >10 with the initial dose of NB-UVB phototherapy is 260 mJ/cm2. The most common initial phototherapy frequency is 3 times per week (53.6%). The latest dose and frequency distribution was varied in each subject. The mean total number of sessions was 31.54 ± 20.549. Patients were also administered various combination therapy. The majority of patients had missed NB-UVB phototherapy sessions and the phototherapy dose needed to be reduced (57.1%). The achievement of PASI-75 (treatment success) was mostly achieved by subjects that went through 40-60 sessions of phototherapy and subjects with psoriasis type plaque/vulgaris. Conclusion: The achievement of PASI-75 was found to be low (17.5%), influenced by multiple factors such as the total number of NB-UVB phototherapy sessions, combination therapy, dose of NB-UVB phototherapy, frequency of NB-UVB phototherapy, and the level of patient compliance to therapy

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy For Covid-19: A Literature Review

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), merupakan penyakit saluran pernapasan akut yang telah menjadi krisis kesehatan yang mengancam dunia. Diperlukan terapi yang dapat bertujuan untuk mengurangi jumlah kematian akibat COVID-19 dan salah satu pengobatan yang potensial adalah terapi sel punca. Dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, terapi sel punca merupakan kemajuan dalam kedokteran dengan peluang besar untuk pengobatan COVID-19 karena dianggap menjanjikan dan mutakhir dalam penelitian. Tinjauan pustaka ini dibuat dengan pencarian data komprehensif di database PubMed dan bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran tentang sel punca mesenkim dan potensinya dalam mengobati COVID-19. Sel punca mesenkim diketahui memiliki fungsi regeneratif, imunomodulasi, dan antiinflamasi. Ada beberapa tantangan terapi sel punca mesenkim pada COVID-19, seperti produktivitasnya yang terbatas dalam situasi mendesak seperti COVID-19 dan disertai dengan beberapa risiko kesehatan dan tindakan pencegahan yang harus diperhitungkan. Namun, sel punca mesenkim masih merupakan terapi yang menjanjikan untuk COVID-19 karena potensi regenerasi dan perbaikan jaringannya, sifat imunomodulator dan anti-inflamasi yang kuat, kurangnya respons imun dalam transplantasi sel, dan kurangnya ekspresi reseptor ACE2

Burden of Skin and Subcutaneous Diseases in Indonesia 1990 to 2019

Abstract is missing (Short communication

Effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID 19 patients infected with variants of concerns

ABSTRACT COVID-19 cases in Indonesia seemed to be increasing by each passing day at the time of writing this review, more positive cases discovered than the recovered ones. With the highest rank within all ASEAN countries, and also a home of many variants of COVID-19, Indonesia had become a break off destination to others. Along with the problem associated with the pandemic, which all people had to face, the purpose of this review is to elaborate the use of convalescent plasma therapy on treatment against COVID-19, especially its different variants. We overview the evidence that we obtained from several databases using specific keywords. A large amount of evidence points out that the convalescent plasma therapy has shown a promising outcome against COVID-19 infection, as it did for infectious diseases. Although in COVID-19 variants of concern, convalescent plasma therapy showed a reduction in neutralization ~ 3-fold against P.1, and 7-13 folds against B.1.351 variant, it still can be used as a treatment for COVID-19 and its variants. Abbreviations: PPE - personal protective equipment; VoC - Variants of concern; VoI - Variants of interest; CPT - convalescent plasma therapy; RBD - receptor-binding domain; ARDS - Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome; ICU - Intensive Care Unit; IQR - Interquartile Range; RCT - Randomized Clinical Trial; RT-PCR - Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction; NAbs - neutralizing antibodie

The Content of Breast Milk and the Challenges Experienced by Breastfeeding Mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Every postpartum mother is recommended to breastfeed her baby because breast milk is the main need of newborns. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on life in various aspects, including on the breastfeeding mothers, especially if they suffer from COVID-19 infection. Aim: The study aims to provide comprehensive evidence regarding potential virus transmission and antibody transfer through breastmilk and the experiences of mothers related to breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy involved the use of keywords related to COVID-19 and breastfeeding in PubMed and Science Direct databases. Articles were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Breastfeeding has been recommended to be continued during the pandemic due to the benefits associated with it and the absence of sufficient evidence for transmission of COVID-19 infection through breast milk. During the lockdown period, there was a change in breastfeeding patterns, although most mothers believed that breastfeeding should be continued. Anxiety and lack of support affected breastfeeding practices. Breastfeeding mothers reported a dilemmatic situation. They felt protected because of the lockdown policy but also struggled to get support from their social environment. The impact varied in terms of stopping breastfeeding practice altogether, breastfeeding irregularly, and even giving formula milk. Conclusion: Adherence to health protocols can reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 infection through breastfeeding from mother to baby. Support from the family and the environment is needed to ensure the continuity of breastfeeding practice