Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Cibele T. D. Ribeiro, Fernando A. L. Dias, Guilherme A. F. Fregonezi
Summary: The effectiveness of hydrogel dressings for treating venous leg ulcers remains uncertain. More research is needed to determine the efficacy of hydrogel dressings compared to gauze and saline, alginate dressing, manuka honey, or hydrocolloid in promoting the healing of venous leg ulcers.
COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hubert Aleksandrowicz, Agnieszka Owczarczyk-Saczonek, Waldemar Placek
Summary: The prevalence of venous leg ulcers (VLUs) ranges from 1.5% to 3% in the general population, with common challenges being recurrence and resistance to healing. New technologies, such as biophysical interventions and advanced wound therapies, have been increasingly used in treating VLUs in recent years.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Niamh E. M. McLain, Zena E. H. Moore, Pinar Avsar
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of wound cleansing, wound cleansing solutions and wound cleansing techniques for treating venous leg ulcers. Four studies including 254 participants were analyzed, but with insufficient evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of different cleansing solutions in treating venous leg ulcers.
COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Vladica M. Velickovic, Mate Szilcz, Zoran Milosevic, Thomas Godfrey, Uwe Siebert
Summary: The study found that the use of superabsorbent wound dressings in the German healthcare settings can improve the healing rate and quality of life for patients with moderate-to-highly exuding leg ulcers, while also leading to cost savings for patients. Robustness of the results was confirmed in sensitivity and scenario analyses.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Quoc Cuong Ngo, Rajna Ogrin, Dinesh Kant Kumar
Summary: This study proposed a computerised prediction framework for healing of venous leg ulcers using thermal images, with textural features from the thermal images at week 0 being used to discriminate between healed and unhealed wounds. The optimal Bayesian neural network achieved 78.57% sensitivity and 60.00% specificity in classifying healing outcomes. This non-contact method incorporating machine learning provides earlier prediction compared to current methods requiring contact digital planimetry.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Debbie X. E. Lim, Toby Richards, Muholan Kanapathy, Thankiah Sudhaharan, Graham D. Wright, Anthony R. J. Phillips, David L. Becker
Summary: The study found a strong correlation between the presence of senescent cells and decreased collagen area in human chronic wounds, aiding in predicting healing trajectory of wounds; higher levels of senescent cells were found in male venous leg ulcer patients, while those under 60 years old with wounds persisting for over 24 months had the lowest levels of collagen.Dispensing method founded by Wang et al. requires less effort and cost and is highly accurate when it comes to protein liquid handling.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Richard Hillson Bull, Donna Clements, Agnes Juguilon Collarte, Keith Gordon Harding
Summary: A novel approach to evaluating treatments for venous leg ulcers is proposed, using a self-controlled trial model and two metrics of short-term healing rate. The study found that adding neuromuscular stimulation to multilayer compression resulted in a significant two-fold increase in wound healing rate over a 4-week period.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Olga Krizanova, Adela Penesova, Alica Hokynkova, Andrea Pokorna, Amir Samadian, Petr Babula
Summary: Chronic venous disease is a condition that affects the veins in the lower extremities, characterized by impaired blood return. This review discusses the etiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology of venous leg ulcers (VLU), and compares the treatment options.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Gustavo Coelho Rezende, Brendan O'Flynn, Conor O'Mahony
Summary: Venous leg ulcers are commonly treated by applying compression to the lower limb, but traditional compression therapies have issues. The development of smart compression therapy devices using microtechnologies and new materials has the potential to improve patient comfort and treatment outcomes.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Olivia Boerman, Zahidur Abedin, Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, Michael S. Weingarten, Michael Neidrauer, Peter A. Lewin, Kara L. Spiller
Summary: This study aimed to explore the mechanisms of low-frequency, low-intensity ultrasound on the healing of chronic wounds in humans. Gene expression analysis showed that ultrasound treatment affected genes related to cell metabolism, proliferation, and immune cell signaling. These findings contribute to the understanding and improvement of ultrasound therapy for chronic wound healing.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Vincent Maida, Runjie Bill Shi, Francesco Gabriele Tatangelo Fazzari, Lydia Zomparelli
Summary: Venous leg ulcers, a common lower limb wound, are difficult to heal even with evidence-based compression therapies. Topical Cannabis-Based Medicines show promise in promoting wound closure for complex patients with these ulcers, but further controlled trials are needed.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nicole Lafontaine, Jane Jolley, Mervyn Kyi, Sophie King, Laura Iacobaccio, Eva Staunton, Brent Wilson, Catherine Seymour, Sonja Rogasch, Paul Wraight
Summary: This study aimed to assess whether silver dressings in acute diabetes-related foot ulcers increased the proportion of ulcers healed. The results showed that silver dressings did not improve wound healing or reduce the need for antibiotics compared with non-silver dressings.
Article
Dermatology
Klaus Kirketerp-Moller, Petra Doerfler, Nicole Schoefmann, Barbara Wolf-Winiski, Omid Niazi, Vibeke Pless, Tonny Karlsmark, Magnus Agren
Summary: This exploratory study aimed to investigate the association between biomarkers in wound fluid and the healing of split-thickness skin grafts in venous leg ulcers. The study found that the concentration of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in wound fluid was higher in venous leg ulcers showing good healing compared to those with poor healing.
ACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Franck Maunoury, Anais Oury, Sophie Fortin, Laetitia Thomassin, Serge Bohbot
Summary: This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of using TLC-NOSF dressings versus neutral dressings for the management of DFUs from a French perspective, showing that TLC-NOSF dressings are cost-saving and result in better health outcomes. Especially for patients with shorter durations of ulcer, initiating TLC-NOSF treatment earlier leads to the highest benefits.
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Abdelhamid R. Aboalasaad, Muhammad Z. Khan, Brigita K. Sirkova, Jakub Wiener, Irena Slamborova, Amany S. Khalil, Ahmed Hassanin
Summary: The proposed study aims to discuss the structure and behavior of a specific type of compression bandage called short-stretch cotton woven compression bandage (WCB). It also focuses on the production and properties of a multifunctional WCB with adjustable compression and antibacterial properties. The study uses integrated tension sensors and nanotechnology to enhance the functionality of the bandage. The results show that the WCB with silver nanoparticles coating exhibits high antibacterial activity, and the bandage can achieve a significant reduction in bacteria. However, there are deviations between the actual bandage pressure and the theoretical pressure calculated.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL TEXTILES
(2022)
Article
Ethics
Jonathan Anthony Michaels
Summary: Healthcare agencies are producing evidence-based guidance and policies that determine the availability of certain healthcare products and procedures, effectively rationing healthcare. While most decision methods rely on quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) as a measure, it is acknowledged that this alone is not sufficient to assess all relevant aspects of healthcare benefits, leading to the suggestion of various value assessment frameworks.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS
(2022)
Review
Substance Abuse
Kyla H. Thomas, Michael N. Dalili, Jose A. Lopez-Lopez, Edna Keeney, David M. Phillippo, Marcus R. Munafo, Matt Stevenson, Deborah M. Caldwell, Nicky J. Welton
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness and safety of varenicline, bupropion, nicotine replacement therapy, and electronic cigarettes in smokers. Most monotherapies and combination therapies were more effective than placebo, with varenicline appearing to be the most effective based on current evidence. Limited data suggests no strong associations between tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies and adverse events, but there is a need for improved reporting of safety data.
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Olena Mandrik, James Fotheringham, Shijie Ren, Jeffrey A. Tice, Richard H. Chapman, Matthew D. Stevenson, Steven D. Pearson, Serina Herron-Smith, Foluso Agboola, Praveen Thokala
Summary: The study found that compared to the standard care group, belimumab performed well in terms of cost-effectiveness and met the economic affordability requirements, while the cost-effectiveness of voclosporin remained highly uncertain.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Nyantara Wickramasekera, Elizabeth Coates, Amy Barr, Matthew J. Lee, Sue Blackwell, Hugh Bedford, Nicola Dames, Shaji Sebastian, Christopher Probert, Phil Shackley, Alan J. Lobo
Summary: Understanding the treatment preferences of ulcerative colitis patients who do not respond to corticosteroids is important for informing treatment choices. This study found that patients preferred treatments with lower chances of side effects and improvements in maintaining remission. However, the route and frequency of administration had the least influence on patients' treatment preferences.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Brenig Llwyd Gwilym, Ravi Maheswaran, Adrian Edwards, Emma Thomas-Jones, Jonathan Michaels, David Charles Bosanquet
Summary: The study found no association between living in an income-deprived area and groin wound surgical site infection, clinical consequences of surgical site infection, and mortality after arterial intervention. Patients living in more income-deprived areas presented for operative intervention at a younger age, with similar rates of comorbidities to patients living in less income-deprived areas.
SURGICAL INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Economics
Christopher N. Graham, Crystal Watson, Arie Barlev, Matt Stevenson, Vikas R. Dharnidharka
Summary: This study explores the flexible cubic spline methodology as an alternative for estimating lifetime survival after solid organ transplant. The study found variations in mean survival among different organ transplants and highlights the importance of including long-term hazards in survival estimates. These estimates can be used by decision-makers in healthcare resource allocation decisions as a meaningful alternative to current practice.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Jonathan A. Michaels, Shah Nawaz, Thaison Tong, Paul Brindley, Stephen J. Walters, Ravi Maheswaran
Summary: There are geographical and demographic disparities in the provision of varicose vein (VV) treatments in England, despite guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Elizabeth Coates, Nyantara Wickramasekera, Amy Barr, Phil Shackley, Matthew Lee, Daniel Hind, Christopher Probert, Shaji Sebastian, Nikki Totton, Sue Blackwell, Hugh Bedford, Nicola Dames, Alan Lobo
Summary: This study explores the management of steroid-resistant ulcerative colitis in adult secondary care and compares current practice with patient and healthcare professional preferences. The findings highlight the lack of clarity in defining steroid resistance and the influence of various factors on treatment choices, including treatment effectiveness, recommendations, route of administration, and side effects. Patients prioritize probability of remission while healthcare professionals are willing to tolerate greater safety risks for therapeutic benefits.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Nyantara Wickramasekera, Emily Strong, Philip Shackley, Tia Callaghan, Matthew Lee, Daniel Hind, Steven Brown
Summary: This study collected patient views on treatment preferences and values for pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) using an online survey and discrete choice experiment. The findings showed that low risk of infection/persistence was the most important factor in treatment decision-making, followed by shorter recovery time. Additionally, patients in different age groups had different trade-offs between treatment recovery time and risk of infection/persistence.
COLORECTAL DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Jonathan A. Michaels, Ravi Maheswaran
Summary: In recent years, many countries have established national bodies to provide evidence-based guidance and policies for healthcare services. However, the implementation of such guidance is often inconsistent. The different perspectives of policy makers, patients, and healthcare professionals contribute to these failures. This paper examines the conflicts between the objectives, values, and preferences of those who develop and implement healthcare guidance, and discusses the implications and recommendations for framing and disseminating such guidance.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Georgina Nakafero, Matthew J. Grainge, Hywel C. Williams, Tim Card, Maarten W. Taal, Guruprasad P. Aithal, Christopher P. Fox, Christian Mallen, Danielle A. van der Windt, Matthew Stevenson, Richard Riley, Abhishek Abhishek
Summary: A prognostic model was developed and validated to inform risk stratified decisions on the frequency of monitoring blood tests during long term methotrexate treatment. The model performed well in predicting outcomes in different subgroups based on diagnosis, age, and dose.
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Thaison Tong, Ravi Maheswaran, Jonathan Michaels, Paul Brindley, Stephen Walters, Shah Nawaz
Summary: This study investigated the impact of socioeconomic disparities on carotid artery disease surgery rates and outcomes. The findings revealed higher rates of carotid endarterectomy in socioeconomically deprived areas for individuals aged 55-64, but this difference diminished with increasing age. Patients in deprived areas were more likely to have been admitted as symptomatic emergency cases. Mortality and stroke-related re-admission rates were worse in more deprived areas, partially explained by higher prevalence of co-morbidities.
Article
Surgery
Ravi Maheswaran, Thaison Tong, Jonathan Michaels, Paul Brindley, Stephen Walters, Shah Nawaz
Summary: This study found clear socioeconomic disparities in relation to operation rates, mode of presentation, method of treatment, and outcome of AAA surgery. Policies are needed to address these disparities.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nyantara Wickramasekera, Simon Palfreyman, Elizabeth Lumley, Arvind Dosanjh, Phil Shackley
Summary: The study found that there was no strong preference for either home or clinic care for venous leg ulcer (VLU) treatment among respondents. However, qualitative findings highlighted that impaired mobility could be a barrier to accessing treatment. Therefore, individuals should be given the choice to select their preferred setting for treatment, when possible.
HEALTH SCIENCE REPORTS
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
N. Wickramasekera, P. Shackley, E. Coates, A. Barr, M. Lee, S. Blackwell, H. Bedford, N. Dames, S. Sebastian, C. Probert, A. Lobo
JOURNAL OF CROHNS & COLITIS
(2021)
