Erythropoietin Reduces Death and Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Purpose Erythropoietin (EPO) is a promising neuroprotective drug. We investigated whether EPO has beneficial effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods We retrospectively reviewed the data of 56 infants with HIE born at or after 35 weeks of gestation who were admitted to Inha University Hospital between 2012 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on EPO use and compared. In the EPO group, patients were administered 1,000 U/kg of EPO on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, starting within 24 hours after birth. The primary outcome was death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at the age of 12 months. Results EPO was administered to 38 infants, and 18 did not receive EPO. Only 37.5% of patients with HIE (21/56) and 60% of patients with moderate-to-severe HIE (21/35) received therapeutic hypothermia. Among all patients with HIE, death or NDI (21.1 % vs. 50.0%; odds ratio [OR], 0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01 to 0.78; P=0.029) and brain injury on imaging (42.1% vs. 83.3%; OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.92; P=0.040) were significantly lower in the EPO group than in the control group. Among patients with moderate-to-severe HIE, brain injury on imaging (54.2% vs. 90.9%; OR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.002 to 0.700; P=0.027) was significantly lower in the EPO group than in the control group. Conclusion EPO administration significantly reduced mortality and NDI in infants with HIE. EPO can be considered an adjunctive therapeutic agent for neonatal HIE

Indoor formaldehyde removal over CMK-3

The removal of formaldehyde at low concentrations is important in indoor air pollution research. In this study, mesoporous carbon with a large specific surface area was used for the adsorption of low-concentration indoor formaldehyde. A mesoporous carbon material, CMK-3, was synthesized using the nano-replication method. SBA-15 was used as a mesoporous template. The surface of CMK-3 was activated using a 2N H2SO4 solution and NH3 gas to prepare CMK-3-H2SO4 and CMK-3-NH3, respectively. The activated samples were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formaldehyde adsorption performance of the mesoporous carbons was in the order of CMK-3-NH3 > CMK-3-H2SO4 > CMK-3. The difference in the adsorption performance was explained by oxygen and nitrogen functional groups formed during the activation process and by the specific surface area and pore structure of mesoporous carbon

A randomized prospective trial of the postoperative quality of life between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids: clinical trial design

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy is one of the definite methods for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids with lesser intraoperative bleeding and shorter hospitalization compared with abdominal hysterectomy. However, laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy cannot preserve uterus and can show postoperative complications by the change of pelvic structure. Thus, laparoscopic uterine artery ligation has been introduced for relieving the symptoms caused by uterine fibroids in place of hysterectomy. The current study was designed to compare postoperative quality of life between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, and to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic uterine artery ligation which can treat symptomatic uterine fibroids with the preservation of uterus.</p> <p>Methods and design</p> <p>Patients enrolled the current study are randomized to laparoscopic uterine artery ligation or laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. The primary outcome is to compare postoperative quality of life between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer patients version 3.0. Secondary outcomes are to evaluate the volume reduction of uterus, uterine fibroids and ovaries by the 2 treatments, to compare the improvement of subjective symptoms using 11-point symptom score and postoperative clinical outcomes between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, and to investigate the improvement of postoperative vaginal bleeding by laparoscopic uterine artery ligation.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Among treatment methods for symptomatic uterine fibroids with the preservation of uterus, laparoscopic uterine artery ligation is expected to have the efficacy like uterine artery embolization, which appeared to be safe for routine use with symptomatic relief. The current study fully recruited in June 2008 and the results will be available in June 2009. If there is no difference of postoperative QOL between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids, the comparison of quality of life between laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and uterine artery embolization will be also needed as a surgical treatment for preserving uterus.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN76790866</p