Some scars do not run deep: the qualitative and quantitative nature of neonatal Seldinger pigtail chest drain scars

Pneumothorax is a complication of respiratory distress syndrome, of which many preterm babies suffer. If significant, these pneumothoraces can be treated by the insertion of a chest drain. There are a number of different types of chest drain, and techniques of insertion. This study aims to establish both the quantitative nature, and emotional significance of neonatal pigtail chest drain scarring, as inserted via the Seldinger technique. Parents were interviewed by telephone and asked to send photographs of their child's scar to be graded. Researchers found that, on the whole, the scar size and severity was not significant, and that those interviewed generally agreed that while the scar served as a reminder of a traumatic time, its size was unimportant. These results may inform future practice on a basis of chest drain comparison; results imply that chest drains with the greatest efficacy should be used.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access the full-text via the publisher's site

Meta-analysis and systematic review of skin graft donor-site dressings with future guidelines.

Background: Many types of split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor-site dressings are available with little consensus from the literature on the optimal dressing type. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the most recent outcomes regarding moist and nonmoist dressings for STSG donor sites. Methods: A comprehensive systematic review was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases to search for comparative studies evaluating different STSG donor-site dressings in adult subjects published between 2008 and 2017. The quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Jadad scale. Data were collected on donor-site pain, rate of epithelialization, infection rate, cosmetic appearance, and cost. Meta-analysis was performed for reported pain scores. Results: A total of 41 articles were included comparing 44 dressings. Selected studies included analysis of donor-site pain (36 of 41 articles), rate of epithelialization (38 of 41), infection rate (25 of 41), cosmetic appearance (20 of 41), and cost (10 of 41). Meta-analysis revealed moist dressings result in lower pain (pooled effect size = 1.44). A majority of articles (73%) reported better reepithelialization rates with moist dressings. Conclusion: The literature on STSG donor-site dressings has not yet identified an ideal dressing. Although moist dressings provide superior outcomes with regard to pain control and wound healing, there continues to be a lack of standardization. The increasing commercial availability and marketing of novel dressings necessitates the development of standardized research protocols to design better comparison studies and assess true efficacy.R01 EB021308 - NIBIB NIH HHSPublished versio

Eyes on the sky, Head in the clouds. Life in quarantine.

Glasses embellished with paint, googly eyes, faux hair extensions, and hot glue “I wanted the Visionary Glasses to represent something. I finally decided on a quote I had heard recently. “Get Your Head Out of the Clouds”. To me at this time I was at home almost 100% of the time and I was quickly running out of things to do and projects to focus on. I felt lost in time and would just daydream sometimes. I felt that was the same for a lot of people. We are out of our normal schedule and are just trying to maintain our sanity at home. I thought this would translate pretty well and very straightforward.” –Fearmontihttps://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/afg_refocus/1020/thumbnail.jp