Questo lavoro è stato finanziato da R21CA134819 (CH), T32CA009035 (SD), e P30CA006927 (Cancer Center Nucleo Grant). Gli autori desiderano ringraziare Elisabetta Culnan per la sua assistenza con il reclutamento dei partecipanti, Lia Boyle, Eva Panigrahi e Kate Menezes per la loro assistenza nello sviluppo di procedure, e Jeanne Pomenti con il suo aiuto con preparazione del manoscritto. Ringraziamo anche i revisori del giornale per i loro utili suggerimenti.

1. Preparazione per esposizione ai raggi UV <ol><li> Spiegare al partecipante come funziona testing MED (&quot;Io vado a esporre alcuni pelle sul braccio per luce UV nel corso di circa 20 minuti, e domani, andremo a verificare che la sezione della pelle al fine di determinare quanto siete sensibili alla luce. Si può verificare una scottatura nelle piccole aree che esponiamo ai raggi UV. Se la scottatura è doloroso o ti dà fastidio, è possibile trattarlo come si farebbe con qualsiasi altro scottature. &quot;) </li><li> Staff e partecipanti devono indossare occhiali protettivi UV. </li><li> Il partecipante deve essere indossa una camicia a maniche corte o rotolare in su la manica. </li><li> Avere il partecipante ha messo su un guanto per proteggere la pelle sulla sua mano. </li><li> Rimuovere il Daavlin patch 1 supporto sui lati destro e sinistro della patch, e posizionarlo sul braccio inferiore interno proprio adiacente al guanto, evitando macchie della pelle esistenti. </li><li> Coprire tutta la pelle supplementare sul braccio wiTh camicia del partecipante o di altro materiale. </li><li> Posizionare il braccio in modo che i fori del cerotto saranno esposti alla fonte di luce UV. Nessun&#39;altra pelle deve essere esposto alla luce UV. </li><li> Dillo il partecipante si sentirà il calore, ma il braccio non brucerà durante la prova. </li></ol> 2. Condurre esposizione ai raggi UV <ol><li> Fori di patch (ad esempio 6) devono essere esposti ai raggi UV, a intervalli per tutto il periodo di esposizione. </li><li> Iniziare con 1 foro aperto. </li><li> Selezionare la durata totale dell&#39;esposizione in base alle specifiche del costruttore per la sorgente di luce e del partecipante Fitzpatrick tipo di pelle I-VI (molto giusto per molto scuro; Fitzpatrick, 1988). 2 pelle più giusto è più probabile che bruciare. </li><li> Impostare un timer per la durata complessiva di esposizione (ad esempio 20 minuti). Un secondo temporizzatore di backup può anche essere usato. Avviare il timer (s). </li><li> Ad esempio, aprire il foro 2 dopo 2 min, buco aperto 3 dopo 4min, buco aperto 4 dopo 8 min, buco aperto 5 dopo 12 min, e buco aperto 6 dopo 16 min. Così, i tempi di esposizione UV della pelle saranno 20 min per il foro 1, 18 min per il foro 2, 16 min per foro 3, 12 min per foro 4, 8 min per foro 5 e 4 min per il foro 6. </li><li> Al fine di individuare più facilmente le zone esposte dopo 24-48 ore, segnare la pelle esposta sul bordo opposto della prima e dell&#39;ultima fori del cerotto e chiedere al partecipante di non lavare i segni fino a dopo viene esaminata la pelle. </li><li> Hanno il partecipante togliere il guanto e patch. </li><li> Ribadire al partecipante che la pelle deve essere riesaminato alla 24-48. </li></ol> 3. Valutare il MED <ol><li> Dopo 24-48 ore, esaminare le aree esposte della pelle. Pelle rossa o rosa indica eritema o bruciore. Erythemetous pelle esposta alla durata più breve di UV è definita come dose eritema minima o MED. </li><li> Esposizioni future UV dovrebbero essere per le durate più brevi di tegli MED per evitare di bruciare. </li><li> Se le aree di esposizione sono difficili da identificare, si consiglia di mettere la patch indietro sull&#39;uso dei marchi di allinearsi con la pelle esposta. Questo è anche utile se si utilizza un dispositivo di misurazione del colore della pelle come lo spettrofotometro. </li><li> Spettrofotometri forniscono misure di L * (oscurità) e b * (tonalità). un * si riferisce al rossore della pelle. A un valore più alto * indica la pelle più rossa. </li><li> Se si utilizza un dispositivo di misurazione del colore della pelle come lo spettrofotometro, spettrofotometro posizionare l&#39;apertura nel centro del foro da misurare. </li><li> Misurare ciascuna delle 6 aree di esposizione in ordine numerico e una zona non esposta vicino alle altre per confronto. Prova a misurare il centro di ogni foro, ma non una lentiggine o talpa o altre macchie non-UV. Etichettare ciascuna misura. La misurazione della zona non esposta deve essere etichettato 0 min ed essere elencato accanto alla zona 6 (l&#39;area più breve esposizione - 4 min). </li><li> Incrementi di un valori * devono corrispondere con aumenti di durata di esposizione ai raggi UV. Provate valori ri-misura che non sono in ordine corrispondente. </li><li> Una differenza nel punto 2.5 * di una non esposta pelle rispetto ad pelle esposta indica una differenza significativa nella arrossamento, suggerendo potenziale di bruciare. </li><li> Aggiungere 2,5 a un valore più basso *. Qualsiasi cosa o superiore a tale valore sarebbe considerato potenzialmente masterizzazione. Il tempo di esposizione più bassa di sopra di questo valore è considerato il MED. </li></ol>

<ol>
	<li>Fitzpatrick, T. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+validity+and+practicality+of+sun-reactive+skin+types+I+through+VI.">The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI.</a> Archives of Dermatology. 124, 869-871 (1988).</li><li>Bodekaer, M., Akerstrom, U., Wulf, H. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Accumulation+of+sunscreen+in+human+skin+after+daily+applications:+a+study+of+sunscreens+with+different+ultraviolet+radiation+filters.">Accumulation of sunscreen in human skin after daily applications: a study of sunscreens with different ultraviolet radiation filters.</a> Photodermatol. Photoimmunol. Photomed. 28, 127-132 (2012).</li><li>Kwon, I. H., Kwon, H. H., Na, S. J., Youn, J. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Could+colorimetric+method+replace+the+individual+minimal+erythemal+dose+(MED)+measurements+in+determining+the+initial+dose+of+narrow-band+UVB+treatment+for+psoriasis+patients+with+skin+phototype+III-V?.">Could colorimetric method replace the individual minimal erythemal dose (MED) measurements in determining the initial dose of narrow-band UVB treatment for psoriasis patients with skin phototype III-V?.</a> J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol. , (2012).</li><li>Youn, J. I., Park, J. Y., Jo, S. J., Rim, J. H., Choe, Y. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assessment+of+the+usefulness+of+skin+phototype+and+skin+color+as+the+parameter+of+cutaneous+narrow+band+UVB+sensitivity+in+psoriasis+patients.">Assessment of the usefulness of skin phototype and skin color as the parameter of cutaneous narrow band UVB sensitivity in psoriasis patients.</a> Photodermatol. Photoimmunol. Photomed. 19, 261-264 (2003).</li><li>Henriksen, M., Na, R., Agren, M. S., Wulf, H. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Minimal+erythema+dose+after+multiple+UV+exposures+depends+on+pre-exposure+skin+pigmentation.">Minimal erythema dose after multiple UV exposures depends on pre-exposure skin pigmentation.</a> Photodermatol. Photoimmunol. Photomed. 20, 163-169 (2004).</li><li>Kraemer, C. K., Menegon, D. B., Cestari, T. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+the+minimal+phototoxic+dose+and+colorimetry+in+psoralen+plus+ultraviolet+A+radiation+therapy.">Determination of the minimal phototoxic dose and colorimetry in psoralen plus ultraviolet A radiation therapy.</a> Photodermatol. Photoimmunol. Photomed. 21, 242-248 (2005).</li><li>Sachdeva, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fitzpatrick+skin+typing:+applications+in+dermatology.">Fitzpatrick skin typing: applications in dermatology.</a> Indian J. Dermatol. Venereol. Leprol. 75, 93-96 (2009).</li><li>Webb, A. R., Kift, R., Berry, J. L., Rhodes, L. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+vitamin+D+debate:+translating+controlled+experiments+into+reality+for+human+sun+exposure+times.">The vitamin D debate: translating controlled experiments into reality for human sun exposure times.</a> Photochem. Photobiol. 87, 741-745 (2011).</li><li>Otman, S. G., Edwards, C., Gambles, B., Anstey, A. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Validation+of+a+semiautomated+method+of+minimal+erythema+dose+testing+for+narrowband+ultraviolet+B+phototherapy.">Validation of a semiautomated method of minimal erythema dose testing for narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy.</a> Br. J. Dermatol. 155, 416-421 (2006).</li><li>Taylor, D. K., Anstey, A. V., Coleman, A. J., Diffey, B. L., Farr, P. M., Ferguson, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Guidelines+for+dosimetry+and+calibration+in+ultraviolet+radiation+therapy:+a+report+of+a+British+Photodermatology+Group+workshop.">Guidelines for dosimetry and calibration in ultraviolet radiation therapy: a report of a British Photodermatology Group workshop.</a> Br. J. Dermatol. 146, 755-763 (2002).</li></ol>

Non abbiamo nulla da rivelare.

La radiazione ultravioletta (UV), la terapia è talvolta usato come trattamento per varie malattie della pelle comuni, tra cui la psoriasi, l&#39;acne e l&#39;eczema. Il dosaggio di luce UV è prescritto secondo la sensibilità della pelle di un individuo, che è determinata in funzione del Fitzpatrick tipo di pelle dell&#39;individuo I a VI (molto giusto molto scuro). 2 pelle umana varia nella sua sensibilità alla radiazione UV a motivo delle diverse gradi di pigmentazione della pelle, lo spessore, e di alt...

minimal erythema dose (med) testing

La radiazione ultravioletta (UV), la terapia è talvolta usato come trattamento per varie malattie della pelle comuni, tra cui la psoriasi, l&#39;acne e l&#39;eczema. Il dosaggio di luce UV è prescritto secondo la sensibilità della pelle di un individuo. Così, per stabilire il corretto dosaggio di luce UV per somministrare ad un paziente, il paziente viene talvolta proiettato per determinare una dose eritema minima (MED), che è la quantità di radiazione UV che produrrà minima eritema (scottature o arrossamenti causati da congestione di capillari) di pelle di un individuo nel giro di poche ore dopo l&#39;esposizione. Questo articolo descrive come condurre minima eritema dose di sperimentazione (MED). Attualmente non esiste un modo semplice per determinare una dose UV appropriato per scopi clinici o di ricerca senza condurre test formali MED, che richiede ore di osservazione dopo la prova, o processo informale da prove ed errori con il rischio di sotto-o sovra-dosaggio. Tuttavia, sono discussi alcuni metodi alternativi.

<img alt="Figura 1" fo:content-width="4in" fo:src="/files/ftp_upload/50175/50175fig1highres.jpg" src="/files/ftp_upload/50175/50175fig1.jpg" /> Figura 1 Le quattro fasi di condurre test MED:. Preparazione per l&#39;esposizione ai raggi UV, lo svolgimento di esposizione ai raggi UV, la valutazione del MED, e la determinazione del MED. <img alt="Figura 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/501...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Minimal Erythema Dose MED Testing at JoVE.com

Minimal Erythema Dose MED Testing

Questo articolo descrive come condurre eritema minima dose di collaudo (MED) per determinare la dose minima di radiazioni ultraviolette che causerà eritema (bruciore) quando somministrato a un individuo.

Minimal Eritema Dose (MED) Testing

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) therapy is  sometimes used as a treatment for various common skin conditions, including  psoriasis, acne, and eczema. The ...

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

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Medicine

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing

41.3K Views.  Fox Chase Cancer Center. Questo articolo descrive come condurre eritema minima dose di collaudo (MED) per determinare la dose minima di radiazioni ultraviolette che causerà eritema (bruciore) quando somministrato a un individuo.

Video: Minimal Erythema Dose MED Testing

Quantitative Autonomic Testing

Disorders associated with dysfunction of autonomic nervous system are quite common yet frequently unrecognized. Quantitative autonomic testing can be invaluable tool for evaluation of these disorders, both in clinic and research. There are number of autonomic tests, however, only few were validated clinically or are quantitative. Here, fully quantitative and clinically validated protocol for testing of autonomic functions is presented. As a bare minimum the clinical autonomic laboratory should have a tilt table, ECG monitor, continuous noninvasive blood pressure monitor, respiratory monitor and a mean for evaluation of sudomotor domain. The software for recording and evaluation of autonomic tests is critical for correct evaluation of data. The presented protocol evaluates 3 major autonomic domains: cardiovagal, adrenergic and sudomotor. The tests include deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, head-up tilt, and quantitative sudomotor axon test (QSART). The severity and distribution of dysautonomia is quantitated using Composite Autonomic Severity Scores (CASS). Detailed protocol is provided highlighting essential aspects of testing with emphasis on proper data acquisition, obtaining the relevant parameters and unbiased evaluation of autonomic signals. The normative data and CASS algorithm for interpretation of results are provided as well.

Standardized, comprehensive and fully quantitative testing of autonomic functions is described. The autonomic tests consist of evaluation of all three major autonomic domains including cardiovagal, adrenergic and sudomotor. The severity and distribution of dysautonomia is quantitated using Composite Autonomic Severity Scores.

Quantitativa test autonomici

Disorders associated with dysfunction of autonomic nervous system are quite common yet frequently unrecognized. Quantitative autonomic testing can be ...

Ricerca

Medicina

X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging

X-ray fluoroscopy is widely used for image guidance during cardiac intervention. However, radiation dose in these procedures can be high, and this is a significant concern, particularly in pediatric applications. Pediatrics procedures are in general much more complex than those performed on adults and thus are on average four to eight times longer1. Furthermore, children can undergo up to 10 fluoroscopic procedures by the age of 10, and have been shown to have a three-fold higher risk of developing fatal cancer throughout their life than the general population2,3.
We have shown that radiation dose can be significantly reduced in adult cardiac procedures by using our scanning beam digital x-ray (SBDX) system4-- a fluoroscopic imaging system that employs an inverse imaging geometry5,6 (Figure 1, Movie 1 and Figure 2). Instead of a single focal spot and an extended detector as used in conventional systems, our approach utilizes an extended X-ray source with multiple focal spots focused on a small detector. Our X-ray source consists of a scanning electron beam sequentially illuminating up to 9,000 focal spot positions. Each focal spot projects a small portion of the imaging volume onto the detector. In contrast to a conventional system where the final image is directly projected onto the detector, the SBDX uses a dedicated algorithm to reconstruct the final image from the 9,000 detector images.
For pediatric applications, dose savings with the SBDX system are expected to be smaller than in adult procedures. However, the SBDX system allows for additional dose savings by implementing an electronic adaptive exposure technique. Key to this method is the multi-beam scanning technique of the SBDX system: rather than exposing every part of the image with the same radiation dose, we can dynamically vary the exposure depending on the opacity of the region exposed. Therefore, we can significantly reduce exposure in radiolucent areas and maintain exposure in more opaque regions. In our current implementation, the adaptive exposure requires user interaction (Figure 3). However, in the future, the adaptive exposure will be real time and fully automatic.
We have performed experiments with an anthropomorphic phantom and compared measured radiation dose with and without adaptive exposure using a dose area product (DAP) meter. In the experiment presented here, we find a dose reduction of 30%.

We are developing a dynamic adaptive exposure technique using our scanning beam digital X-ray system. Rather than exposing an object uniformly, the exposure is adapted depending on the opacity of the object. Here we show an experiment on an anthropomorphic phantom that resulted in a dose saving of 30%.

X-ray riduzione della dose in caso di esposizione Adaptive in Imaging fluoroscopici

X-ray fluoroscopy is widely used for image guidance during cardiac intervention. However, radiation dose in these procedures can be high, and this is a ...

Preparation and Pathogen Inactivation of Double Dose Buffy Coat Platelet Products using the INTERCEPT Blood System

Blood centers are faced with many challenges including maximizing production yield from the blood product donations they receive as well as ensuring the highest possible level of safety for transfusion patients, including protection from transfusion transmitted diseases. This must be accomplished in a fiscally responsible manner which minimizes operating expenses including consumables, equipment, waste, and personnel costs, among others.
Several methods are available to produce platelet concentrates for transfusion. One of the most common is the buffy coat method in which a single therapeutic platelet unit (&ge; 2.0 x1011 platelets per unit or per local regulations) is prepared by pooling the buffy coat layer from up to six whole blood donations. A procedure for producing "double dose" whole blood derived platelets has only recently been developed.
Presented here is a novel method for preparing double dose whole blood derived platelet concentrates from pools of 7 buffy coats and subsequently treating the double dose units with the INTERCEPT Blood System for pathogen inactivation. INTERCEPT was developed to inactivate viruses, bacteria, parasites, and contaminating donor white cells which may be present in donated blood. Pairing INTERCEPT with the double dose buffy coat method by utilizing the INTERCEPT Processing Set with Dual Storage Containers (the "DS set"), allows blood centers to treat each of their double dose units in a single pathogen inactivation processing set, thereby maximizing patient safety while minimizing costs. The double dose buffy coat method requires fewer buffy coats and reduces the use of consumables by up to 50% (e.g. pooling sets, filter sets, platelet additive solution, and sterile connection wafers) compared to preparation and treatment of single dose buffy coat platelet units. Other cost savings include less waste, less equipment maintenance, lower power requirements, reduced personnel time, and lower collection cost compared to the apheresis technique.

This article describes the process used by &#214;rebro University Hospital to produce double dose buffy coat platelet concentrates prepared from whole blood donations and treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System for pathogen inactivation. The in vitro quality of the final platelet units are evaluated over 7 days of storage.

Preparazione e inattivazione dei patogeni di Double Dose Buffy prodotti piastrinici cappotto con il sistema INTERCEPT Blood System

Blood centers are faced with many challenges including maximizing production yield from the blood product donations they receive as well as ensuring the ...

A Novel Application of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging

Ultrasound is an attractive modality for imaging muscle and tendon motion during dynamic tasks and can provide a complementary methodological approach for biomechanical studies in a clinical or laboratory setting. Towards this goal, methods for quantification of muscle kinematics from ultrasound imagery are being developed based on image processing. The temporal resolution of these methods is typically not sufficient for highly dynamic tasks, such as drop-landing. We propose a new approach that utilizes a Doppler method for quantifying muscle kinematics. We have developed a novel vector tissue Doppler imaging (vTDI) technique that can be used to measure musculoskeletal contraction velocity, strain and strain rate with sub-millisecond temporal resolution during dynamic activities using ultrasound. The goal of this preliminary study was to investigate the repeatability and potential applicability of the vTDI technique in measuring musculoskeletal velocities during a drop-landing task, in healthy subjects. The vTDI measurements can be performed concurrently with other biomechanical techniques, such as 3D motion capture for joint kinematics and kinetics, electromyography for timing of muscle activation and force plates for ground reaction force. Integration of these complementary techniques could lead to a better understanding of dynamic muscle function and dysfunction underlying the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of musculoskeletal disorders.

We describe a new ultrasound-based vector tissue Doppler imaging technique to measure muscle contraction velocity, strain and strain rate with sub-millisecond temporal resolution during dynamic activities. This approach provides complementary measurements of dynamic muscle function and could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal disorders.

Una applicazione Novel di muscoloscheletrico Ultrasound Imaging

Ultrasound is an attractive modality for imaging muscle and tendon  motion during dynamic tasks and can provide a complementary methodological  approach ...

Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy

Breath-holding techniques reduce the amount of radiation received by cardiac structures during tangential-field left breast radiotherapy. With these techniques, patients hold their breath while radiotherapy is delivered, pushing the heart down and away from the radiotherapy field. Despite clear dosimetric benefits, these techniques are not yet in widespread use. One reason for this is that commercially available solutions require specialist equipment, necessitating not only significant capital investment, but often also incurring ongoing costs such as a need for daily disposable mouthpieces. The voluntary breath-hold technique described here does not require any additional specialist equipment. All breath-holding techniques require a surrogate to monitor breath-hold consistency and whether breath-hold is maintained. Voluntary breath-hold uses the distance moved by the anterior and lateral reference marks (tattoos) away from the treatment room lasers in breath-hold to monitor consistency at CT-planning and treatment setup. Light fields are then used to monitor breath-hold consistency prior to and during radiotherapy delivery.

The current priority in breast cancer radiotherapy is to reduce cardiac doses without compromising target tissue coverage. The voluntary breath-hold technique described here is a simple, inexpensive solution to this problem and capable of being instituted widely without the need for specialized equipment.

Volontariato Tecnica Breath-hold per la riduzione Cuore Dose in Radioterapia della mammella sinistra

Breath-holding techniques reduce the amount of radiation received by cardiac structures during tangential-field left breast radiotherapy. With these ...

Minimal Invasive Surgical Procedure of Inducing Myocardial Infarction in Mice

Myocardial infarction still remains the main cause of death in western countries, despite considerable progress in the stent development area in the last decades. For clarification of the underlying mechanisms and the development of new therapeutic strategies, the availability of valid animal models are mandatory. Since we need new insights into pathomechanisms of cardiovascular diseases under in vivo conditions to combat myocardial infarction, the validity of the animal model is a crucial aspect. However, protection of animals are highly relevant in this context. Therefore, we establish a minimally invasive and simple model of myocardial infarction in mice, which assures a high reproducibility and survival rate of animals. Thus, this models fulfils the requirements of the 3R principle (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) for animal experiments and assure the scientific information needed for further developing of therapeutical strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

A highly reproducible model for myocardial infarction in mice with minimal invasive manipulations is described. The model can be easily performed, resulting in a high reproducibility and survival rate. Thus, the described model will reduce the number of required animals as requested by the 3R principle (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction).

Minimal procedura chirurgica invasiva di indurre infarto miocardico nei topi

Myocardial infarction still remains the main cause of death in western countries, despite considerable progress in the stent development area in the last ...

Intracoronary Acetylcholine Provocation Testing for Assessment of Coronary Vasomotor Disorders

Intracoronary acetylcholine provocation testing (ACH-test) is an established method for assessment of epicardial coronary artery spasm in the catheterization laboratory which was introduced more than 30 years ago. Due to the short half-life of acetylcholine it can only be applied directly into the coronary arteries. Several studies have demonstrated the safety and clinical usefulness of this test. However, acetylcholine testing is only rarely applied in the U.S. or Europe. Nevertheless, it has been shown that 62% of Caucasian patients with stable angina and unobstructed coronary arteries on coronary angiography suffer from coronary vasomotor disorders that can be diagnosed with acetylcholine testing. In recent years it has been appreciated that the ACH-test not only assesses the presence of epicardial spasm but that it can also be useful for the detection of coronary microvascular spam. In such cases no epicardial spasm is seen after injection of acetylcholine but ischemic ECG shifts are present together with a reproduction of the patient's symptoms during the test. This article describes the experience with the ACH-test and its implementation in daily clinical routine.

Intracoronary acetylcholine testing has been established for the assessment of epicardial coronary spasm more than 30 years ago. Recently, the focus has shifted towards the microcirculation and it has been shown that microvascular spasm can be detected using ACH-testing. This article describes the ACH-test and its implementation in daily routine.

Intracoronarica Test Provocazione acetilcolina per la valutazione dei disturbi vasomotori coronarica

Intracoronary acetylcholine provocation testing (ACH-test) is an established method for assessment of epicardial coronary artery spasm in the ...

Technique and Patient Selection Criteria of Right Anterior Mini-Thoracotomy for Minimal Access Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic valve stenosis has become the most prevalent valvular heart disease in developed countries, and is due to the aging of these populations. The incidence of the pathology increases with growing age after 65 years. Conventional surgical aortic valve replacement through median sternotomy has been the gold standard of patient care for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. However, as the risk profile of patients worsens, other therapeutic strategies have been introduced in an attempt to maintain the excellent results obtained by the established surgical treatment. One of these approaches is represented by transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Although the outcomes of high-risk patients undergoing treatment for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis have improved with transcatheter aortic valve replacement, many patients with this condition remain candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement. In order to reduce the surgical trauma in patients who are candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement, minimally invasive approaches have garnered interest during the past decade. Since the introduction of right anterior thoracotomy for aortic valve replacement in 1993, right anterior mini-thoracotomy and upper hemi-sternotomy have become the predominant incisional approaches among cardiac surgeons performing minimal access aortic valve replacement. Beside the location of the incision, the arterial cannulation site represents the second major landmark of minimal access techniques for aortic valve replacement. The two most frequently used arterial cannulation sites include central aortic and peripheral femoral approaches. With the purpose of reducing surgical trauma in these patients, we have opted for a right anterior mini-thoracotomy approach with a central aortic cannulation site. This protocol describes in detail a technique for minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and provides recommendations for patient selection criteria, including cardiac computer tomography measurements. The indications and limitations of this technique, as well as its alternatives, are discussed.

The goal of this protocol is to describe in detail the technique of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement through a right anterior mini-thoracotomy and central aortic cannulation. This technique can potentially enhance patients&#39; comfort and, by reducing post-operative morbidity, promote lowering the length of stay and global costs.

Tecnica e criteri di selezione dei pazienti di destra anteriore mini-toracotomia per sostituzione della valvola aortica di accesso minimo

Aortic valve stenosis has become the most prevalent valvular heart disease in developed countries, and is due to the aging of these populations. The ...

Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing

The incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing due to the aging population, resulting in a significant economic and quality of life burden. Transgenic and other mouse models have been developed to recreate various aspects of this multifactorial disease; however, methods to accurately quantitate urinary dysfunction and the effectiveness of new therapeutic options are lacking. Here, we describe a method that can be used to measure bladder volume and detrusor wall thickness, urinary velocity, void volume and void duration, and urethral diameter. This would allow for the evaluation of disease progression and treatment efficacy over time. Mice were anesthetized with isoflurane, and the bladder was visualized by ultrasound. For non-contrast imaging, a 3D image was taken of the bladder to calculate volume and evaluate shape; the bladder wall thickness was measured from this image. For contrast-enhanced imaging, a catheter was placed through the dome of the bladder using a 27-gauge needle connected to a syringe by PE50 tubing. A bolus of 0.5 mL of contrast was infused into the bladder until a urination event occurred. Urethral diameter was determined at the point of the Doppler velocity sample window during the first voiding event. Velocity was measured for each subsequent event yielding a flow rate. In conclusion, high frequency ultrasound proved to be an effective method for assessing bladder and urethral measurements during urinary function in mice. This technique may be useful in the assessment of novel therapies for BPH/LUTS in an experimental setting.

We describe the use of high frequency ultrasound with contrast imaging as a method to measure bladder volume, bladder wall thickness, urine velocity, void volume, void duration, and urethral diameter. This strategy can be used to assess voiding dysfunction and treatment efficacy in various mouse models of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD).

Ultrasonografia del tratto urinario maschile adulto per test funzionali urinari

The incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing due to the aging population, resulting ...

Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response

Minimal erythema dose (MED) testing is frequently used in clinical settings for determining the smallest amount of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation necessary to produce erythema (inflammatory reddening) on the surface of the skin. In this context, the MED is regarded as a key factor in determining starting doses for UV phototherapy for common skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. In research settings, MED testing also has potential to be a powerful tool for assessing within- and between-persons variation in inflammatory responses. However, MED testing has not been widely adopted for use in research settings, likely owing to a lack of published guidelines, which is a barrier to obtaining reproducible results from this assay. Also, protocols and equipment for establishing MED vary widely, making it difficult to compare results across laboratories. Here, we describe a precise and reproducible method to induce and measure superficial erythema using newly designed protocols and methods that can easily be adapted to other equipment and laboratory environments. The method described here includes detail on procedures that will allow extrapolation of a standardized dosage schedule to other equipment so that this protocol can be adapted to any UV radiation source.

Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose MED Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response

Minimal erythema dose (MED) testing is used to establish dosage schedules for ultraviolet radiation phototherapy. It can assess individual variation in inflammatory response but lacks methodology for achieving reproducible results. Here, we present a precision implementation of MED and demonstrate its ability to capture individual variation in inflammatory response.

Implementazione di precisione dei test di dose minima di erithema (MED) per valutare la variazione individuale nella risposta infiammatoria umana

Minimal erythema dose (MED) testing is frequently used in clinical settings for determining the smallest amount of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation necessary ...