Ice Pack Research Articles

Randomized controlled trial to assess reducing the pain of venipuncture in adult patients using an ice pack

Background: Venipuncture is a common procedure in the emergency department, and in some patients, the procedure may cause pain, anxiety, and fear. There are different studies in the literature looking for ways to reduce the pain, either pharmacologically or non-pharmacologically. Most of the studies were done in pediatrics but a few were in adult patients. We conducted this study to determine whether an ice pack application reduces venipuncture pain among emergency department adult patients compared to the conventional way. Methods: We conducted this randomized controlled clinical trial on adult patients in the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1 March 2021 to 30 June 2021. Computer randomization was done to randomize subjects to either control or intervention. The 22-gauge needle catheter was inserted in the antecubital fossa in all participants. Results: We included 281 patients aged 18–60 years, who were randomized to the control or intervention group. There were 140 patients in the control group and 141 in the intervention group. The mean average pain score in the control group was 2.19 and 1.66 in the intervention group, with a statistically significant difference (p-value: 0.016). Conclusion: The ice pack application reduces venipuncture pain in adult emergency department patients and was associated with a better first attempt success rate.

Effect of Ice Pack on Pain and Activities of Daily Living after Episiotomy: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: Episiotomy is a common surgical procedure used during childbirth. Approximately 52% of women who have vaginal births undergo episiotomy, with 93.3% of primiparous women and 30.2% of multiparous women being affected. Perineal pain is a prevalent issue among mothers and can negatively impact their daily functioning and early experiences of motherhood. The use of an ice pack on the perineum is a simple, non pharmacological treatment for pain relief that may have an impact on postpartum recovery. However, no study has been conducted to determine the effect of an ice pack on postnatal mothers’ compliance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) following episiotomy. Aim: To evaluate the effect of an ice pack on pain and ADL after episiotomy. Materials and Methods: This trial is an experimental, parallel, and assessor-blinded allocation with a computer-generated randomisation sequence. A randomised controlled trial conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG) at Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital in Deralakatte, Mangaluru, India. The study duration was one year, from March 2022 to March 2023. A total of 64 postnatal mothers (32 in each group) were included. This trial is an experimental, parallel, and assessorblinded allocation with a computer-generated randomisation sequence. The inclusion criteria were primiparous women aged between 18-35 years, who underwent episiotomy within 6 to 24 hours postpartum, delivered a live baby, complained of pain at the incision site, had a full-term labour, and had no other complications during pregnancy or labour. The participants were also required to be literate. Age, Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and Barthel Index (BI) were compared between the groups using the independent sample t-test. The paired t-test was used for within group (pre to post-test) comparison of NPRS and Barthel index. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was a significant difference in pain experienced by the groups, as assessed by NPRS (p<0.001). However, there was no difference in ADL between the groups (p>0.05). No side effects or harms were reported. Ice pack application, once daily for two days, was found to be safe and feasible for postepisiotomy patients. Conclusion: The current randomised controlled trial concludes that the application of an ice pack once daily for two days is significantly effective in reducing pain after episiotomy. However, it does not improve ADL in patients with post-episiotomy

Incidence and causes of overdiagnosis of myasthenia gravis.

We have encountered non-myasthenic patients being given a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG). This study aims to investigate the frequency of, and factors contributing to, overdiagnosis of MG. This is a retrospective analysis of patients referred to our tertiary neuromuscular center for evaluation due to a previously suspected/confirmed MG diagnosis during a 6-year span. A total of 531 patients sought a second opinion regarding their MG diagnosis, and 77 (14.5%) were found to have non-myasthenic conditions. A total of 11 patients tested positive for acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies. Repeated AChR antibodies became negative in five patients while in four patients, AChR binding antibody titers were persistently low. In seven patients, striational antibody was the only positive antibody identified. In 25 patients, a prior electrodiagnostic (EDX) study was deemed positive, including 14 patients with abnormal repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) and 12 with abnormal single fiber electromyography (SFEMG). Technical issues were noted on prior RNS studies in 8 patients, and repeat RNS was negative in 10 patients. In eight patients with previously abnormal SFEMG, results showed minimal or equivocal abnormalities. In two patients, a repeat SFEMG was normal. Further analysis revealed atypical clinical presentation, deceptively positive ice pack test, clinically insignificant antibody result and misleading EDX finding as main contributors to MG overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis of MG is not uncommon, and occurs more frequently in seronegative patients. To make an accurate diagnosis of MG, there is a need to recognize atypical presentations, and avoid overreliance on minor or non-specific serological and electrodiagnostic findings.

Thermophysiological and Perceptual Responses of Amateur Healthcare Workers: Impacts of Ambient Condition, Inner-Garment Insulation and Personal Cooling Strategy

While personal protective equipment (PPE) protects healthcare workers from viruses, it also increases the risk of heat stress. In this study, the effects of environmental heat stress, the insulation of the PPE inner-garment layer, and the personal cooling strategy on the physiological and perceptual responses of PPE-clad young college students were evaluated. Three levels of wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT = 15 °C, 28 °C, and 32 °C) and two types of inner garments (0.37 clo and 0.75 clo) were chosen for this study. In an uncompensable heat stress environment (WBGT = 32 °C), the effects of two commercially available personal cooling systems, including a ventilation cooling system (VCS) and an ice pack cooling system (ICS) on the heat strain mitigation of PPE-clad participants were also assessed. At WBGT = 15 °C with 0.75 clo inner garments, mean skin temperatures were stabilized at 31.2 °C, Hskin was 60-65%, and HR was about 75.5 bpm, indicating that the working scenario was on the cooler side. At WBGT = 28 °C, Tskin plateaued at approximately 34.7 °C, and the participants reported "hot" thermal sensations. The insulation reduction in inner garments from 0.75 clo to 0.37 clo did not significantly improve the physiological thermal comfort of the participants. At WBGT = 32 °C, Tskin was maintained at 35.2-35.7 °C, Hskin was nearly 90% RH, Tcore exceeded 37.1 °C, and the mean HR was 91.9 bpm. These conditions indicated that such a working scenario was uncompensable, and personal cooling to mitigate heat stress was required. Relative to that in NCS (no cooling), the mean skin temperatures in ICS and VCS were reduced by 0.61 °C and 0.22 °C, respectively, and the heart rates were decreased by 10.7 and 8.5 bpm, respectively. Perceptual responses in ICS and VCS improved significantly throughout the entire field trials, with VCS outperforming ICS in the individual cooling effect.

Measuring the thickness and Young’s modulus of the ice pack with DAS, a test case on a frozen mountain lake

SUMMARY We explored the potential of fibre optics coupled with distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to measure the thickness and Young’s modulus of an ice layer, using the properties of guided seismic waves. During two winter seasons (2020 and 2021), an optical fibre was deployed over one of the frozen Roberts Mountain lakes (at 2400 m a.s.l) near Grenoble (France) and we measured both the continuous ambient seismic noise as well as signals generated by active sources (hammer), with a DAS interrogator. Following a Bayesian scheme, we inverted the dispersion curves of longitudinal and flexural guided waves retrieved from the analysis of active shot gathers and obtained Young’s modulus E = 3.4 ± 0.1 GPa and ice thickness h = 47 ± 1 cm from the second-year data. The ice thickness was consistent with field measurements. Field observations of porous and/or fracture ice may explain the relatively low effective Young’s modulus (relative to pure ice), which may also be affected by a snow layer not included in the model. The drastic improvements in the inversion results between the two years are related to better coupling conditions (drone deployment before early freezing), more appropriate acquisition parameters (2 m gauge length), and the upper snow layers (less thick and less heterogeneous in the second year). Moreover, we were able to use the non-dispersive low-frequency noise associated with gravity waves to estimate the lake depth H = 5 m which is compatible with independent observations. The use of DAS to record guided seismic waves could then appear as a relevant tool for monitoring environments like floating ice shelves and sea ice.

The Effect of Single Bout Treatment of Heat or Cold Intervention on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Induced by Eccentric Contraction.

We studied the preventive effects of heat or cold therapy after repeated eccentric contraction against torque reduction, muscle soreness, and range of motion (ROM) due to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A total of 42 healthy male subjects were randomly allocated into three groups: the HEAT group received heat therapy using an ultra-short-wave device; the ICE group received ice therapy using an ice pack; the Control group received no intervention. The measurements included maximal voluntary isometric, concentric, and eccentric elbow flexion torque, elbow extension ROM, pressure pain threshold, and muscle soreness with stretching muscle thickness and echo intensity. The measurements were taken before (pre), after (post), after (t-post), one-four days after, and seven days after the muscle damage protocol. The results showed the main effect of time on all measurements, but no significant interactions were observed. The results of this study suggest that heat or cold therapy in the first 30 min after intense eccentric exercise is insufficient to exert a preventive effect against DOMS.

Pattern of Ocular Myasthenia Gravis in a Tertiary Eye Care Hospital, Bangladesh

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pattern of ocular myasthenia gravis patients in a tertiary eye care hospital in Bangladesh.
 Methodology: This observational study was conducted in National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), Dhaka from January 2019 to December 2019. A total of 33 cases were purposively selected among ocular myasthenia gravis patients attending in the Department of neuro ophthalmology of NIOH irrespective of age, gender, residence. Study variables wereage, gender, clinical features, presence of thymoma, clinical, pharmacological and serological test findings. A proforma was prepared to record the data on particulars of the patients.
 Results: Among the cases, 45.5% were male and 54.5% were female where the mean age was 38.7 years. All patients presented with ptosis (100.0%) and most of them had fatigability(87.9%), cogan twice sign (81.8%) andorbicularis weakness (81.8%) while 63.6% had diplopia. Diabetes mellitus was observed in 18.2%patients and 15.1% had thyroid associations. Most of them had positive ice test(87.9%), 51.5% had positive serological test and 6.1% had positive neostigmine test. Thymoma was present in 6.1% cases.
 Conclusion: Ptosis was the most common clinical presentation for ocular myasthenia. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by ice pack test and neostigmine test. Ocular myasthenia gravis patients may be have other systemic diseases.
 J. Natl. Inst. Ophthalmol. 2022;5(1):16-20

Comparative effectiveness of ice packs versus topical lidocaine-prilocaine mixture for pain control in laser hair removal of the axilla: A rater-blinded randomized controlled trial

Laser hair removal is associated with moderate acute pain. To compare effectiveness of ice pack to topical lidocaine-prilocaine for pain reduction during axillary laser hair removal. Participants were randomly assigned to receive topical anesthetic to one axilla and ice packs to the other before each of three, monthly 810-nm diode laser sessions. The primary endpoint was participant-reported pain on the visual analog scale (VAS) immediately following and 5 minutes after laser. Post-treatment erythema, overall edema, and perifollicular edema were assessed by two blinded photoraters. Skin temperatures, patient preferences, and adverse events were recorded. Eighty-eight of 90 (98%) planned laser treatments were delivered, and randomized. Participants reported higher VAS scores immediately after laser with lidocaine-prilocaine compared to ice (p=0.03). Five minutes after, participants reported higher VAS scores with ice (p=0.03). After 53 of the 88 treatments (60.2%), participants reported preferring ice (p=0.055). No serious adverse events were reported. All participants were Caucasian or Asian with Fitzpatrick skin type I-III and coarse dark axillary hair, which may limit generalizability. While pain control with ice and topical anesthesia is associated with time after treatment, the two modalities do not differ in terms of degree of pain reduction associated with axillary laser hair removal.

Record Arctic Cyclone of January 2022: Characteristics, Impacts, and Predictability

AbstractArctic cyclones are a fundamental component of Arctic climate, influencing atmospheric heat and moisture transport into the region and surface energy, moisture, and momentum fluxes. Arctic cyclones can also drive changes in sea ice and energize ocean waves. Here we investigate a record low sea level pressure (SLP) Arctic cyclone which formed in East Greenland and tracked NE over the Barents and Kara seas between 21 and 27 January 2022. At its peak intensity on 24 January, the cyclone reached an estimated depth of 932.2 mb at 79.5°N 20°E. North of 70°N, this is the lowest SLP in the ERA‐5 reanalysis over 1979 to present. The cyclone resulted in a record (over the period 1979–2022) weekly loss of regional sea ice area and surface wind speeds, and generated ocean waves exceeding 8 m that impinged on sea ice in the Barents sea, observed via satellite altimetry as large waves‐in‐sea ice up to 2 m in amplitude more than 100 km into the ice pack. Surface heat fluxes were strongly impacted by the cyclone, with record atmosphere‐to‐surface turbulent fluxes. However, the direct atmospheric thermodynamic impact on sea ice loss was modest, and the record sea ice changes were likely mainly driven by dynamical and/or ocean processes. While the storm was well predicted up to 8 days in advance, subsequent changes in sea ice cover were not, likely due to biases in the forecasts' sea ice initial conditions and missing physics in the forecast model such as wave‐sea ice interaction.

Automating the Acoustic Detection and Characterization of Sea Ice and Surface Waves

Monitoring the status of Arctic marine ecosystems is aided by multi-sensor oceanographic moorings that autonomously collect data year-round. In the northeast Chukchi Sea, an ASL Environmental Sciences Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler (AZFP) collected data from the upper 30 m of the water column every 10–20 s from 2014 to 2020. We here describe the processing of the AZFP’s 455 kHz acoustic backscatter return signal for the purpose of developing methods to assist in characterizing local sea ice conditions. By applying a self-organizing map (SOM) machine learning algorithm to 15-min ensembles of these data, we are able to accurately differentiate between the presence of open water and sea ice, and thereby characterize statistical properties surface wave height envelopes and ice draft. The ability to algorithmically identify small-scale features within the information-dense acoustic dataset enables efficient and rich characterizations of environmental conditions, such as frequency of sparse ice floes in otherwise open water and brief open-water leads amidst the ice pack. Corrections for instrument tilt, speed of sound, and water level allow us to resolve the sea surface reflection interface to within approximately 0.06 ± 0.09 m. By automating the acoustic data processing and alleviating labor- and time-intensive analyses, we extract additional information from the AZFP backscatter data, which is otherwise used for assessing fish and zooplankton densities and behaviors. Beyond applications to new datasets, the approach opens possibilities for the efficient extraction of new information from existing upward-looking sonar records that have been collected in recent decades.

Comparison of kinesiology tape and cryotherapy on postoperative reaction following third molar extraction: a randomized clinical trial.

To evaluate the effect of kinesiology tape application after mandibular third molar extraction. Patients with mandibular third molar extraction indications were divided into three groups. The patients in group 1 had kinesiology tape applied after tooth extraction, the patients in group 2 were given an ice pack and intermittent cryotherapy within 24 h of the operation, and the patients in group 3 were not given any additional intervention. All patients were followed up, and the postoperative swelling, pain, mouth opening limitation, and quality of life were recorded and evaluated. Comments on the intervention methods from patients were also collected. Compared to group 3, groups 1 and 2 showed a significant reduction in postoperative swelling, pain, and limitation of mouth opening, and improvement of quality of life. There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in each index, but the patients in group 1 reported fewer problems than those in group 2. The application of kinesiology tape was helpful in reducing the postoperative inflammatory symptoms of mandibular third molar extraction and improved the patients' postoperative quality of life. These results suggest that kinesiology tape can be used as an auxiliary treatment to cryotherapy or as an alternative intervention after mandibular third molar extraction.

A year-round satellite sea-ice thickness record from CryoSat-2.

Arctic sea ice is diminishing with climate warming1 at a rate unmatched for at least 1,000 years2. As the receding ice pack raises commercial interest in the Arctic3, it has become more variable and mobile4, which increases safety risks to maritime users5. Satellite observations of sea-ice thickness are currently unavailable during the crucial melt period from May to September, when they would be most valuable for applications such as seasonal forecasting6, owing to major challenges in the processing of altimetry data7. Here we use deep learning and numerical simulations of the CryoSat-2 radar altimeter response to overcome these challenges and generate a pan-Arctic sea-ice thickness dataset for the Arctic melt period. CryoSat-2 observations capture the spatial and the temporal patterns of ice melting rates recorded by independent sensors and match the time series of sea-ice volume modelled by the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modelling and Assimilation System reanalysis8. Between 2011 and 2020, Arctic sea-ice thickness was 1.87 ± 0.10 m at the start of the melting season in May and 0.82 ± 0.11 m by the end of the melting season in August. Our year-round sea-ice thickness record unlocks opportunities for understanding Arctic climate feedbacks on different timescales. For instance, sea-ice volume observations from the early summer may extend the lead time of skilful August-October sea-ice forecasts by several months, at the peak of the Arctic shipping season.

Marginal ice zone dynamics.

For the best part of my entire career, I have focused on the marginal ice zone, abbreviated to MIZ by most sea ice scientists. Defined perfunctorily by the National Snow & Ice Data Center as the part of the seasonal ice zone where waves, swells and other open ocean processes affect the sea ice, the MIZ habitually extends from the ice edge some 100–200 km into the ice pack with morphology that varies dramatically spatially and with time. In general, the Antarctic MIZ is wider than MIZs in the Arctic, recognizing that increases in the ferocity and incidence of storms and the durability of ice due to global climate change are already affecting the physical attributes of each MIZ. I provide here a somewhat historically tailored preamble to a unique compilation of up-to-the-minute MIZ research in this theme issue that includes the nexus between contemporary theoretical, modelling and experimental projects. A prognosticative synopsis of these projects is also included later in the volume, framed in the context of the ongoing ontogenesis of the research field.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Theory, modelling and observations of marginal ice zone dynamics: multidisciplinary perspectives and outlooks’.

‘Ice rind’ or ‘ice pack’? A new CT feature of pulmonary haemorrhage

Category: Chest

Regular Visitors

Regular Visitors Monica Ferrell (bio) inside every body is a blue wardrobe, and inside the wardrobe is an unremarkable lockbox, and inside Mila's was a picture of the man behind the counter at the café called Regular Visitors. His skin resembled a lamb's—that is, if you took a lamb and butchered it, then sheared it free of hair and massaged into it expensive toners and those moisturizers from Korea or Kiehl's that even the straight men among millennials seemed to wear. About as long ago as this man was old, she and her college friends used to play a game called Killed in the Initial Attack. There was nothing to the game beyond a mean-spirited hypothetical conjecture in which you imagined a scenario like the one from that movie Red Dawn, where America was being invaded by a foreign enemy. Who among them would go down first, stupidly wounded by the first tank, innocently stepping on the first grenade? Now Mila had a good answer for a game she no longer played. The man [End Page 5] behind the counter at Regular Visitors would. His teeth, presented in a smile each time he slid a coffee across the marble toward her, were guileless. "What will you have?" That's the way he took an order. It was so deferential, so Old World, especially in combination with the starched white apron he always wore, the half pencil he'd occasionally lift from the nook above his ear to jot down complex instructions on a little flip-top book of graph-lined paper, furrowing his fine forehead with the effort. He seemed to self-identify as a kind of writer; now and then she'd spotted him putting that poor mustard-colored notebook through its paces even when only she was around, and this one time when she rested a novel she was reading on the countertop as she poked in her wallet for her regular-visitor punch card, he'd twisted his long torso around to her side to read its title, sounding its words out with effort like a child. "Is this a good book?" She could see the bluish muscle working in his neck as he spoke. "He's Norwegian," she said, idiotically. Puckering his lips, the man on the other side of the counter put his hands to either side of the cover and studied it as though it were going to be on a test. "I've heard of him. Do you pronounce the K?" "Yes," she'd breathed. He nodded. "I thought so," he said, and grinned, a gymnast who'd stuck his landing. When her college friends used to play Killed in the Initial Attack, they'd rank Mila among the last to go, as she remembered, one of the final survivors. They said something about her spying—no, it was that she would turn double agent, using her sexual wiles to save herself with whichever side won. Mata Hari, they'd called her. It was vaguely dishonorable, the light they'd cast her in, tinged with a generalized racism made worse by the fact they clearly didn't know Mata Hari wasn't Indian, or even a real Asian at all. Odd to think how she had lost her wiles so thoroughly that she was now beneath the invaders' notice and could escape their bullets by simply not being seen. She had attained the fabled power of [End Page 6] cockroaches, she guessed, since like them she had become imperishable, a survivor who would persist through anything. ________ on tuesday mornings, Mila made breakfast for and dressed her five-year-old son and one-year-old daughter, then gathered them into coats, hats, gloves, and shoes and carried the littler one while holding hands with the bigger one down two flights of stairs. On her arms were threaded five bags: bag for Lily's daycare, bulging with diapers and wipes; bag for Jeet's school, heavy with lunch and snacks; bag with the breast pump, adapter, brick-sized ice pack, and bottles; her own work bag filled with books and papers; and her handbag. Sometimes Jeet would pretend to...

A comparative study based on two different stretching protocol of 30 second vs 10 second for piriformis tightness

Piriformis syndrome, a prevalent cause of low back discomfort around the world, is caused by muscular tightness. By serving as an external rotator, a weak hip abduction, and a weak hip flexor, the piriformis muscle promotes postural stability when walking and standing. Stretching aids in decreasing the stiffness of the Piriformis muscle at rest, as well as the risk of Sciatic compression caused by Piriformis tightness. Reduce discomfort and muscular tightness while increasing range of motion. The experiment will be a randomized trial. A total of 20 persons would be chosen for the study based on the inclusion or exclusion criteria from AVBRH & RNPC, Sawangi Meghe. The study will last six months. Twenty participants were divided into two groups. All groups received an ice pack approximately 10 minutes prior to stretching, and all groups received static stretching. Stretching is done for 30 seconds in group A and 10 seconds in group B. The key outcome measurements for the patient should be the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), range of motion evaluation using a universal goniometer, FAIR test, and SLR. The patient's predicted outcome may be that 30 seconds with stretching is more beneficial than 10 seconds of stretching since the longer stretching period has a bigger impact on the release of piriformis stiffness and the patient may be capable of performing compensatory movements as a result. This research gives the patient a recovery plan that will help him reduce discomfort, improve strength and range of motion, and return to normal activities.

Large-ensemble analysis of Antarctic sea ice model sensitivity to parameter uncertainty

Simulated Antarctic sea ice sensitivity to parameter variation is tested in a global coupled climate model. Parameter changes affect areal coverage, thickness and seasonality of sea ice beyond the bounds of internal variability, with a tendency for several parameters to substantially impact sea ice retreat. The largest sea ice response occurs with changes to the sea ice turning angle parameter: enhanced northward transport of ice leads to a thinner ice cover that more readily melts, while lower turning angles permit greater convergence in the interior, resulting in a thicker, more persistent ice pack. Setting snow and ice albedo above the default value increased mean sea ice year-round, including at the sea ice minimum, while other parameter experiments did not increase minimum sea ice beyond internal variability. Low values of heat exchange between the ocean and base of the sea ice (ocean–ice heat flux parameter) sharply reduce bottom melt and slow sea ice retreat. High-density sampling in both the control scenario (identical parameters but differing initial conditions) and the parameter tests shows large simulated internal variability, suggesting that the signal of the sea ice response could be overwhelmed in a low-density sample test. Large-ensemble testing is a valuable tool for testing sensitivity in coupled systems where variability and feedbacks are more complex than in stand-alone sea ice models.

Antibiotics Susceptibilities of Isolates from Eye Swabs of Babies Delivered through Spontaneous Vaginal and Caesarean Section Deliveries.

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the antibiotics susceptibilities of isolates from eye swabs of babies delivered through Spontaneous Vaginal (SVD) and non- elective Caesarean Section (CS).Materials and Methods: This was a three-month prospective cross-sectional study, with samples as eye swabs of new born babies delivered in the maternity ward of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Samples were collected not more than 30 minutes after delivery from 82 neonates (50 SVD and 32 CS) and stored in the refrigerator. It was evacuated in ice pack containers in batches within 24 hours to the microbiology laboratory for culturing, characterisation and sensitivity.Results: The result showed that E. coli was isolated in 25(30.5%) of the samples, P. aeruginosa, 22(26.8%), S. aureus, 21(25.6%) and K. pneumoniae 14(17.1%). In the SVD group, E. coli was isolated in 16(32%) of samples, P. aeruginosa, 14(28%), S. aureus, 11(22%) and K. pneumonia, 9(18%). In the CS group, S. aureus was isolated in 10(31.3%) samples, E. coli, 9(28.1%), P. aeruginosa, 8(25.0%) and K. pneumonia, 5(15.6). There were 47(77%) SVD and 14(23%) CS samples that were resistant to three (3) or more antibiotics but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.157). Babies born through SVD had higher bacterial isolates when compared with those delivered through CS, but this was also not statistically significant (p=0.787).Conclusion: The mode of delivery had non-significant association with bacterial isolates from eye swabs of new born babies. We recommend Randomized Controlled Trial to establish the risk of bacterial isolates in new born babies’ eyes.

Hydrogel comes off skin painlessly

Ripping a Band-Aid off provides a stinging lesson in medical adhesives: they are designed to stick strongly to healthy human skin. But for people with fragile or sensitive skin—such as infants, older adults, and people with diabetes—these adhesives can irritate or stick so well that they cause trauma during removal. Now, researchers have developed a hydrogel adhesive that sticks firmly to skin but comes off painlessly when chilled with an ice pack ( ACS Nano 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c00662 ). Hydrogels are attractive materials for adhesives and wound dressings because they can mold to skin and be tailored at the molecular level to, for example, repair themselves if torn or promote wound healing. Recently designed soft hydrogel adhesives can detach in response to electrical signals, chemicals, or heat, but these triggers can also be harsh on sensitive or wounded skin. Lu Han of Ocean University of China , Xiong Lu of

What is in the Neuromuscular Junction Literature?

This update covers a number of treatment topics starting with Fc receptor inhibitors and the Federal Drug Administration approval of efgartigimod. Some uncertainties regarding the use of corticosteroids are addressed, namely the risk of exacerbation with initiation of treatment and how to taper. The presence and potential importance of antibody overshoot following plasmapheresis is noted and the evolving increase in usefulness of acetylcholine receptor antibodies in diagnosing ocular myasthenia. Several recent series and case reports regarding coronavirus 2019 and myasthenia gravis are reviewed. The topics of myasthenia gravis and pregnancy, and another look at thymectomy in MG are provided. Finally, a couple of case reports on Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome concentrate on the ice pack test and an autoantibody association with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in the same patient.