Ocular Penetrating Injury as a Complication of Blepharoplasty: A Case Report

Purpose: To report a rare case of ocular penetrating injury after blepharoplasty procedure.Case report: Blepharoplasty is a frequent oculoplastic surgery with relatively infrequent complications. Penetrating injury of the eye due to blepharoplasty has been reported in few previousstudies. Here we report a 35-year-old woman presenting with visual loss in her left eye as a complication of blepharoplasty. In funduscopic examination, prominent retinal folds were found and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings were compatible with macular hypotony caused by a neglected penetrating injury during oculoplastic surgery. She was admitted and underwent the primary repair of the scleral and limbal laceration. Her visual acuity and other symptoms improved significantly one week after surgery. After six months, her visual acuity for the injured eye was 20/20 without any other complications.Conclusion: Hypotonic maculopathy, disproportionate pain, and visual loss can be alarming signs after cosmetic blepharoplasty pointing to a probable penetrating eye injury

A concentration of serum selenium in multiple sclerosis patients compare to healthy subject in Tehran

     Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease which the exact etiology is still are far to be clear. Reasons for this autoimmune disease are unknown origin. The aim of present study was to evaluate serum levels of selenium in patient with MS compare to healthy subjects. A total of 46 subjects were enrolled in the study, Sera of 23 MS cases and 23 healthy normal cohorts as control group were obtained. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was employed for estimating serum selenium level. Serum selenium levels were significantly lower in MS than in control cohorts (60.87±13 compared with 85.74±12, P-value < 0.0001). Serum selenium levels may thus be a marker of MS; the decreasing levels of serum selenium may be host defense strategies of body

Recurrent Syncope following Substance Abuse; a Case Report

Drug abuse is considered as the most common poisoning in the world. Stimulants agent especially amphetamines and methamphetamines are among important abused substances. Different types of neurologic, psychiatric, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiogenic complications have been reported to be related to methamphetamine consumption. Some of these substances could cause dysrhythmias which is the most prevalent etiology of cardiogenic syncope. Ecstasy, as one of the most commonly abused drugs, is known as a cause of cardiac dysrhythmias. Here we report a young boy who was admitted into the emergency department following three syncope attacks. All cardiac and neurologic assessments were normal; and finally ecstasy abuse was detected as the main etiology of syncopes

Effects of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil on Interleukin 23 and Brain-Derived neurotrophic factor gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of multiple sclerosis patients

Introduction: We aimed to determine the effect of lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LEO) on IL-23 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of relapse-remitting MS (RRMS) patients.Methods: LEO was prepared using the hydrodistilation method on the plants aerial parts.    8 female RRMS patients and 8 healthy sex and age matched controls were entered into this study. PBMC cells were separated using Ficoll method and were treated with a concentration of 225 µg/ml LEO which and then the mRNAs were used for determining the effects of LEO on IL-23 and BDNF gene expressions using Quantitative Real Time PCR technique. Moreover in order to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of LEO, we measured the gene expression of IL-6 and IL-23 in stimulated healthy PBMC cells treated with LEO.Results: Results showed that there is no significant difference between PBMC of patients compared to healthy controls in case of IL-23 gene expression. Moreover, LEO has no significant effect on gene expression of IL-23 in PBMC of neither patients nor control. Also the results showed that BDNF gene expression is reduced to 41% compared to healthy controls and LEO can increase the BDNF gene expression by 81% in patients PBMCs. Moreover we observed that LEO can significantly reduce the LPS stimulated IL-6 gene expression in healthy PBMCs but had no significant effect on IL-23 gene expression.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that L.angustifolia essential oil may have a protective effect against neuron damage via increasing the gene expression of BDNF in PBMCs from RRMS patients. However, further studies are necessary to confirm our results

Formulating a New Pharmaceutical Drug; Acetaminophen Tablet Containing N-acetyl Cysteine, To Alleviate the Severity of Liver Damage in Rats: Phase I, Animal Study

Background and Aim: Acetaminophen (APAP) is a commonly used analgesic and also the leading cause of medication-induced liver damage. On the other hand, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a medication widely used to treat APAP overdose. Despite this interest, a few studies have investigated the co-administration effects of these medications. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of NAC and APAP on renal and liver functions in rats when they use concurrently. Methods: Male Wistar rats were orally treated with a single dose of APAP (700 mg/kg) alone or in combination of NAC at the three different doses (200, 500, and 700 mg/kg). After 24 hours, the blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological evaluations. Results: Liver damage was well established in the 700 mg/kg APAP-treated rats, as evidenced by elevated the plasma levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). In addition, the plasma level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly increased in the APPA group compared to the control group.   Moreover, histological examinations revealed that liver degeneration was evident in APAP-treated animals. NAC only at the highest dose (700 mg/kg) could inhibit ALT elevation, but had no effect on AST and BUN levels. Interestingly, co-administration of NAC (700 mg/kg) with APAP (700 mg/kg) could slightly shift liver histological alterations from the irreversible stage (fibrosis) toward reversible lesions such as necrosis and hemorrhage. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that co-administration of NAC and APAP can reduce the severity of APAP-induced liver damage in rats. *Corresponding Author: Mehran Hosseini; Email: [email protected]; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6793-2035 Please cite this article as: Mehrpour O, Dastjerdi M, Nakhaee S, Amirabadizadeh A, Bijari B, Roomi H, Hosseini M. Formulating a New Pharmaceutical Drug; Acetaminophen Tablet Containing N-acetyl Cysteine, To Alleviate the Severity of Liver Damage in Rats: Phase I, Animal Study. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2021;7:1-8 (e14). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v7.3552

Safety Outcomes of Intrastromal Injection of Sodium Hypochlorite in the Normal Rabbit Cornea

Purpose: To investigate side effects of intrastromal sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) injection in normal rabbit corneas and to investigate its possible use in treatment of fungal corneal infections.Methods: We conducted a prospective, non-randomized study in a healthy cornea rabbit model. Intrastromal injection of one hundred µl of NaOCl 5 % in one eye and NaOCl 10 % in the other eye was performed in 5 rabbits. Clinical examinations including the study of conjunctival injection, corneal edema, corneal opacity or melting, and limbal ischemia were performed on days 1, 7, 14 and 21after injection.  Specular microscopy and pathological studies were also performed three weeks after corneal injections in enucleated eyes. Results: NaOCl 5 % injection was associated with normal endothelial morphology and cell count in specular microscopy. Some irregularities and drop out was associated with NaOCl 10 % injection.  Conclusion: Intrastromal injection of NaOCl 5 % could be a safe method to treat fungal corneal infections

Approach to Lower Limb Disabilities in Cerebral Palsy: An Educational Corner

No abstract is available

Blood Lead Levels in Asymptomatic Opium Addict Patients; a Case Control Study

Introduction: One of the newest non-occupational sources of lead contamination is drug addiction, which has recently been addressed as a major source of lead poisoning in some countries. The present study aimed to investigate the blood lead level (BLL) of asymptomatic opium addicts.Methods: This case-control study was conducted during a one-year period to compare BLL of three groups consisting of opium addicts, patients under methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), and healthy individuals.Results: 99 participants with the mean age of 55.43±12.83 years were studied in three groups of 33 cases (53.5% male). The mean lead level in opium addicts, MMT and control groups were 80.30 ± 6.03 μg/L, 67.94 ± 4.42 μg/L, and 57.30±4.77 μg/L, respectively (p=0.008). There was no significant difference in BLL between MMT and healthy individuals (p=0.433) and also between opium addicts and MMT individuals (p=0.271).Oral opium abusers had significantly higher lead levels (p = 0.036). There was a significant correlation between BLL and duration of drug abuse in opium addict cases (r=0.398, p=0.022). The odds ratio of having BLL ≥ 100 in oral opium users was 2.1 (95% CI: 0.92 - 4.61; p = 0.43).Conclusion:  Based on the result of present study, when compared to healthy individuals, opium addicts, especially those who took substance orally had significantly higher levels of blood lead, and their odds of having BLL ≥ 100 was two times. Therefore, screening for BLL in opium addicts, particularly those with non-specific complaints, could be useful

Epidemiology of Pediatric Acute Poisoning in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The epidemiology of pediatric poisoning differs from one country to another. Due to the scarcity of reviews on this issue in Iran, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies providing data on Iranian pediatric poisoning epidemiology. Methods: PubMed, Web of Sciences, Science direct, Embase, Scopus and the Persian databases Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Iranmedex were searched. Twenty-seven studies published between 2002 and 2019 were included, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: 54.7% of the participants in the reviewed studies were male, and 88.1% of them were unintentional. Most of the children were in the age range of 3-5 years. Non-pharmaceutical agents were the most common causes of poisonings (n=7175, 59.2%) and among them, illicit drugs (19.3%) followed by hydrocarbons (16.4%) constituted the most common non-pharmaceutical poisonings. Illicit drugs, especially opioids, showed an upward trend from 2002 to 2019. Among pharmaceuticals, central nervous system (CNS) drugs (50.4%), especially benzodiazepines (BZDs) (25.8%) and analgesics (14.5%), were the most frequent agents implicated. CNS complaints (51.8%), followed by gastrointestinal complaints (27.6%), were the most common symptoms. Ingestion was the most common route of poisoning (22.1%). Most of the poisoning cases occurred in summer (28.2%). 21.7% of the cases were hospitalized and the mortality rate was 0.8%. A remarkable downward trend in both hospitalization and death rates occurred over time. Conclusion: Overall, non-pharmaceutical toxicity was found to be the most common cause of poisoning. However, considering the agents separately, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and hydrocarbons were the most common causes of poisoning, respectively. In contrast to the decreasing trend in hydrocarbons, pesticides, and pharmaceutical poisonings, we found an increase in opioid poisoning during our study period

Proximal Humeral Fracture; Predictors of Functional and Radiologic Outcome

Background: Despite the high prevalence of proximal humeral fracture, one of the most prevalent osteoporotic fractures, its treatment has always been challenging. Here we are going to determine the factors that affect the outcomes of such fractures. Methods: The present retrograde cohort study was conducted in a tertiary trauma center during 2015-2020. The Neer classification was used to classify fracture severity. Patients’ functional status was measured using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and Constant-Murley ‎Score (CMS). Patients were selected thorough purposive sampling method.   Results: The study participants included 70 patients with a mean age of 50.47 ± 16.73 years. The 3 treatment options of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) (39 cases; 52%), hemiarthroplasty (3 cases; 4%), and conservative treatment (33 patients; 44%) were considered. Malunion was the most prevalent complication in the study population (9 cases; 12%). The mean DASH score of the participants was 29.91 ± 20.43. The mean DASH score in patients of over 65 years of age was higher than in those under 65 years (36.97 vs. 28.14; P = 0.136). The score in patients underwent surgery (ORIF and hemiarthroplasty) showed a significant difference compared to the patients who were treated non-surgically (P = 0.050). The mean CMS of participants was 64.09 ± 22.71. The mean age of patients classified as “poor” was significantly higher than the “excellent” group (P = 0.041). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the participants was 2.80 ± 2.49. The VAS score was significantly higher in patients with more severe fracture based on the Neer classification (P = 0.050).   Conclusion: The present study results showed the significant effect of age, fracture severity, and underlying disease on the proximal humeral fracture outcome. A longer follow-up period was observed in patients who had better functional outcomes. However, more studies with larger sample size are required to evaluate proximal humeral fracture outcomes in order to help us to improve outcomes and reduce complications