A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effects of Cerebroprotein Hydrolysate on Neurological Outcomes and Hospital Stay in Patients Admitted for Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Introduction: Neurological stroke is the most common cause of disability and leaves nearly 65% of survivors with sensory, motor and coordinative disabilities. At present, there are no therapies to prevent long-term neurological deficits after stroke. Many neuroprotective drugs are being tested with the aim to ensure these effects. Preclinical studies have shown a modulatory effect of cerebroprotein hydrolysate on synaptic remodeling and facilitated synaptic transmission. Material and methods: This was a hospital-based, open-label pilot study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of North India. All patients admitted with a diagnosis of stroke both ischemic and hemorrhagic, were included in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups. The test group was given cerebroprotein hydrolysate, along with standard treatment for stroke, whereas the other group was kept on standard treatment for stroke as per the latest guidelines, without cerebroprotein. Results: A total of 50 patients of stroke, admitted in a tertiary care center were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 65.7 ± 11.86 years. Twenty-six (52%) were males and 24 (48%) were females. Out of the total 50 patients, 23 (46%) had ischemic stroke and 27 (54%) had hemorrhagic stroke. Twenty (40%) had diabetes, 37 (74%) had hypertension, 8 (16%) were known cases of coronary artery disease, 28 (56%) had dyslipidemia, 22 (44%) were smokers, 7 (14%) had a history of ethanol consumption and 13 (26%) were obese. Mean Barthel score at admission was 21.2 ± 11.3 and mean Rankin score at admission was 3.6 ± 1.37. Mean Barthel score at end of treatment was 53.9 ± 28.72 and mean Rankin score at end of treatment was 2.6 ± 1.65. The mean duration of admission was 6.8 ± 3.57 days. Conclusion: The current study highlights the role of cerebroprotein hydrolysate in improving the neurological scores and reducing hospital stay among patients hospitalized with stroke.

A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effects of Cerebroprotein Hydrolysate on Neurological Outcomes and Hospital Stay in Patients Admitted for Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Introduction: Neurological stroke is the most common cause of disability and leaves nearly 65% of survivors with sensory, motor and coordinative disabilities. At present, there are no therapies to prevent long-term neurological deficits after stroke. Many neuroprotective drugs are being tested with the aim to ensure these effects. Preclinical studies have shown a modulatory effect of cerebroprotein hydrolysate on synaptic remodeling and facilitated synaptic transmission. Material and methods: This was a hospital-based, open-label pilot study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of North India. All patients admitted with a diagnosis of stroke both ischemic and hemorrhagic, were included in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups. The test group was given cerebroprotein hydrolysate, along with standard treatment for stroke, whereas the other group was kept on standard treatment for stroke as per the latest guidelines, without cerebroprotein. Results: A total of 50 patients of stroke, admitted in a tertiary care center were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 65.7 ± 11.86 years. Twenty-six (52%) were males and 24 (48%) were females. Out of the total 50 patients, 23 (46%) had ischemic stroke and 27 (54%) had hemorrhagic stroke. Twenty (40%) had diabetes, 37 (74%) had hypertension, 8 (16%) were known cases of coronary artery disease, 28 (56%) had dyslipidemia, 22 (44%) were smokers, 7 (14%) had a history of ethanol consumption and 13 (26%) were obese. Mean Barthel score at admission was 21.2 ± 11.3 and mean Rankin score at admission was 3.6 ± 1.37. Mean Barthel score at end of treatment was 53.9 ± 28.72 and mean Rankin score at end of treatment was 2.6 ± 1.65. The mean duration of admission was 6.8 ± 3.57 days. Conclusion: The current study highlights the role of cerebroprotein hydrolysate in improving the neurological scores and reducing hospital stay among patients hospitalized with stroke.

Distal based sural fascio-cutaneous flap: a practical limb saviour for wounds of war and peace

Objective: To determine the effect of mechanism of injury on wound healing, and on the viability and success of distally based sural flap when used for the coverage of defects of lower leg, ankle and foot

Study Design: Descriptive study

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar and Khariyan, from January 2012 to December 2014

Methodology: Patients with soft tissue defects over the distal leg, ankle and foot were selected by purposive sampling technique and divided into 2 groups of 19 patients each. Group A [road traffic accidents] and group B [war injuries]. Sural fascio-cutaneous flap was the reconstructive tool used in all the cases using single technique by the same surgical team; and time for recipient site preparation, size of the defect, graft survival, its healing time and complications, were studied

Results: The mean age of the 38 patients in the study was 28.2 +/- 13.4 years. There were 36 male and 2 female patients. The most common site of injury encountered was leg [n=20] followed by foot [n=11] and ankle [n=5]. Maximum wound size seen in group A was 10 x 12 cm and in group B was 15 x 38 cm. Recovery was uneventful in 17/19 cases of group A while 7/19 in group B and with no graft failure. Superficial epidermolysis was seen in 2 and 8 cases in group A and B respectively while edge necrosis of the flap was observed in group B only [n=4]. Healing time on average was 2 to 3 weeks in group A, and 4 to 5 weeks in group B

Conclusion: Soft tissue defects of the distal lower extremity as a result of war injuries and road traffic accidents have different dynamics in terms of wound size, time of wound healing, wound complications and functional outcome; but distal based sural flap has promising results in both situations

Biological screening of euphorbia helioscopial

The present research is preliminary biological screening of Euphorbia helioscopia L. [Euphorbiaceae]. Dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the aerial parts of the plant were investigated for their antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and phytotoxic activities. Dichloromethane extract exhibited significant activity against Fusarium solani with 90% Inhibition, where as the same extract also showed non-significant activity against Salmonella typhi and Bacillus subtilis. Methanolic extract has promising radical-scavenging activity in this assay. Both the extracts have non-significant phytotoxicity against lemna minor

Median survival time of patients after transcatheter chemo embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

To determine the effect on survival after transarterial chemoembolization [TACE] in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. Longitudinal cohort study. Radiology Department, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, from December 1997 to September 2005. Patients undergoing TACE procedure for HCC were prospectively followed. Fortythree patients were enrolled from December 1997 to March 2003 in the study and subjected to chemoembolization therapy. Eight out of 43 patients were excluded from the study, who lost to follow-up. All the patients were followed till their death. Median and mean survival were calculated. The median survival of these 35 patients was 410 days [13.6 months], with 95% confidence interval [236 days lower bound and 536 days upper bound]. Mean survival time was 603 days [20.1 months] with 95% confidence interval [394 days lower bound and 812 days upper bound]. There was significant difference in mean survival time [in days] by Child's Pugh class [c2 = 12.384; df=2, pvalue= 0.002]. The study showed that TACE is an effective palliative treatment. TACE increases the median survival time