Topical Oxygen Jet Therapy (TOJT) for treating infected chronic surgical wounds

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of Topical Oxygen Jet Therapy (TOJT) in the treatment of surgical wounds in adult patients who has clinical signs of infection for over 30 days; and to identify the pathogens causing complicated skin and soft tissue infections. Method: Parallel, randomized clinical trials randomly divided into "Control Group" (CG) and "Treatment Group" (TG), which were followed up for 10 consecutive days. Venous antibiotics and dressings were used in both groups. In addition, TOJT were used on the wounds in the TG. The outcome criteria were based on clinical indicators: Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) and Visual Analog Scale Pain (VAS). The paired t-test or Wilcoxon, chi-squared or Fisher's exact test, and Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney tests were used with a significance level of 5%. Results: 73 inpatients were included and followed up: 39 in TG and 34, CG. There were no significant differences in socio-demographic variables or of initial laboratory tests, except for blood glucose that was higher in TG than in CG (p = 0.044). Ten days into treatment, both the area of PUSH wounds (p < 0.001) and the pain scale (p = 0.029) were significantly reduced in TG. Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent pathogen (40%) with no significant difference between the two groups. Discussion: Although the follow-up time was of only ten days, a significant improvement was observed in TG. As a limitation of the study, the small sample size precluded the comparison of S. aureus infections between the two groups. Conclusion: TOJT accelerated the healing process, reduced pain and contributed to an improvement in the clinical status of the wounds when compared to CG. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness and relevance of the employed technique. It can be easily incorporated as a routine procedure in hospitals without extra investment.

Responsabilidade civil e suas consequências no exercício da Dermatologia / Civil responsibility and its consequences for the Dermatology practice

Introdução: No Brasil estima-se que um grande número de processos de responsabilidade civil contra profissionais médicos esteja em andamento nos tribunais. Objetivos: Analisar os acórdãos dos Tribunais de Justiça das regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil que envolvam o dermatologista e sua responsabilidade civil. Métodos: Definição de protocolo de pesquisa no site dos Tribunais de Justiça dos estados da Região Sudeste e da Região Sul do Brasil. Resultados: Foram identificados 47 acórdãos nesses estados. As principais causas que motivaram a responsabilidade civil do dermatologista estão ligadas aos procedimentos estéticos, à insatisfação do paciente em relação às condutas terapêuticas e ao erro diagnóstico. As indenizações solicitadas nos processos judiciais contra o dermatologista foram, em sua maioria, por danos morais. A perícia médica foi solicitada pelos juízes na maioria dos processos, e, em 87,2% das conclusões das perícias, não foi observado o nexo causal. As decisões judiciais favoráveis ao dermatologista ocorreram em 82,9% dos casos. Não foi possível conhecer na íntegra o processo judicial, mas apenas o relatório final. Conclusão: Podemos concluir que fatores como a boa formação do dermatologista, sua atenção à relação médico/paciente e o cuidado ao preencher o prontuário e os documentos necessários à prática médica foram essenciais para uma perícia médica adequada e, em consequência, fundamentais para que as sentenças judiciais fossem favoráveis ao dermatologista na maioria dos casos focalizados neste estudo.

Introduction: It is estimated that in Brazil, a large number of civil responsibility lawsuits against the medical professional are in place at the courts. Objectives: To analyze the rulings of Justice Tribunals of the Southeast and South regions of Brazil, involving dermatologists and their civil responsibility. Methods: Definition of a research protocol on the site of the Justice Tribunals of the Southeast and South regions of Brazil. Results: Forty-seven rulings were identified in the States of the Southeast and South regions. The main causes motivating civil responsibility of the dermatologist are linked to aesthetic procedures, to patient dissatisfaction regarding therapies chosen and to diagnostic error. Compensations sought in lawsuits against dermatologists were mostly for moral damage. Medical evaluation was requested by the judges in most lawsuits and in 87.2% the reports did not observe a causal relationship. Court decision were in favor of the dermatologists in 82.9% of the cases. It was not possible to see the full lawsuit, only the final report. Conclusion: We can conclude that factors such as adequate training of the dermatologist, their attention to doctor-patient relationship and when filling out patient's records and documents necessary to medical practice were essential to an adequate medical evaluation, crucial to court decisions favoring dermatologists in most cases included in this study.

Avaliação radiográfica na epifisiolise: possíveis preditores de bilateralidade? / Radiographic evaluation in epiphysiolysis: possible predictors of bilaterality?

OBJETIVO: Identificar radiograficamente alterações anatômicas e da maturidade esquelética em paciente com epifisiólise do quadril, que auxiliem na indicação do tratamento cirúrgico profilático dos quadris não escorregados, no mesmo paciente. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma avaliação radiográfica retrospectiva com 61 pacientes, acompanhados até o final do crescimento, divididos em dois grupos: 37 com escorregamento unilateral e 24 com escorregamento bilateral, diagnosticados durante o acompanhamento. A maturidade esquelética foi avaliada nas radiografias da bacia (método de Oxford) e comparada entre os grupos, nos pacientes do mesmo sexo. Além disso, diversos ângulos descritos para a região proximal do fêmur foram medidos e comparados: ângulo de Southwick (nas incidências ântero-posterior e Lauenstein), ângulo de inclinação da fise e ângulo de sloping posterior da fise. RESULTADOS: A maturidade esquelética mostrou diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos, em ambos os sexos. Com relação aos ângulos avaliados, o de Southwick no perfil mostrou-se matematicamente igual ao de "sloping " posterior, os únicos a mostrar diferenças relevantes. CONCLUSÃO: O método de Oxford e o ângulo de Southwick no perfil podem ser utilizados como parâmetros para uma melhor indicação do tratamento profilático do quadril contralateral em pacientes com epifisiolise. Nível de Evidência III, Estudo Diagnóstico.

OBJECTIVE: To identify anatomical changes and skeletal maturity through radiographic analysis, allowing more accuracy for indication of surgical management of non-slipped hips in patients with epiphysiolisys. METHODS: A retrospective study of the radiographs of 61 patients followed until the end of skeletal growth, assigned to two groups: 37 patients with unilateral epiphysiolysis, and 24 patients with contralateral epiphysiolysis diagnosed during follow up. The skeletal maturity was evaluated using pelvis radiographs (Oxford method) and compared between the groups for patients of the same gender. In addition, the Southwick angle (in anteroposterior and in Lauenstein view), physeal sloping angle and physeal posterior sloping angle were compared as well. RESULTS: Skeletal maturity showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups for both genders. It was observed that the lateral view of the Southwick angle is mathematically equal to the physeal posterior sloping angle, and were the only ones to show relevant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: The Oxford method and the Southwick angle in Lauenstein view can be utilized as parameters to help the physician to better indicatethe profilatic surgical treatment of the contralateral hip, in patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). Level of evidence III, Diagnostic Study.