Antimicrobial cotton gauzes modified with poly(acrylic acid-co-maltodextrin) hydrogel using chitosan as crosslinker.

Cotton gauzes were grafted with a hydrogel of maltodextrin (MD) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) using N-maleyl chitosan as crosslinker to obtain materials with antimicrobial properties. Reaction parameters including monomer, crosslinker, and initiator concentrations were studied. The modification with the copolymer poly(acrylic acid)-co-maltodextrin (PAAc-co-MD) was corroborated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The grafted gauzes (gauze-g-(PAAc-co-MD)) were able to load vancomycin and inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. In addition, the incorporation of chitosan as crosslinker showed a synergistic effect against these bacteria. The prepared gauze-g-(PAAc-co-MD) materials could be used in the biomedical area particularly as antimicrobial wound dressings.

Saturdays-in-Motion: Education and Empowerment through an Interdisciplinary Team Approach for Parkinson's Disease in Cali-Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The progression of PD produces an important disease burden in patients due to functional impairment, which also has repercussions on caregivers. In addition, it has become a challenge for health systems, especially in developing countries, which have limited resources. Multidisciplinary teams with a community approach have proved effective in high-income countries; however, there is no reported literature in low- and middle-income countries about this kind of initiative. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to document the experience of patients, caregivers, and experts in a community approach as an innovative model in a middle-income country. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive research was conducted. The selection criteria were having a PD diagnosis, attending with a caregiver to Saturdays in Motion (SIM), or being a clinical expert invited to SIM. PD patients and their caregivers answered three surveys on their points of view with respect to SIM: SIM and their quality of life (QoL) and PDQ-39 and Zarit, whereas clinical experts completed two questions related to the SIM program. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results of the surveys and clinical tests. RESULTS: Forty-eight, twenty-four, and twenty-one subjects answered surveys one, two, and three, respectively. In total, four clinical experts were interviewed. 87.9% of the patients consider that SIM activities improved their QoL. The most affected areas in PDQ-39 were those related to the social area. Around 66.6% of the caregivers reported a mild burden on Zarit and think that SIM enhances the PD patient's QoL. Clinical experts highlighted the sense of community and empathy. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary experience shows a multidisciplinary model with a community approach which redefines the traditional relationship between patients, caregivers, and clinical experts. This aim of this initiative is that education and empowerment patients and caregivers reach a better perception of QoL.

Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Status Dystonicus: A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Status dystonicus (SD) is a life-threatening complication in which episodes of dystonic movements become increasingly frequent and severe, requiring urgent hospital admission, and can lead to respiratory, metabolic, and bulbar complications. Pharmacologic treatment has been the mainstay management for this complication; however, many refractory patients will still require further treatment. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapeutic strategy that has been used for dystonia, and now it has been proposed to be used for SD. METHODS: In this case series, we describe our experience with early DBS placement in 5 patients with SD to control symptoms that are refractory to pharmacologic therapy. In addition, we present a literature review of this therapy in the treatment of SD. RESULTS: Before discharge, symptomatic relief (decrease of dystonic movements and resolution of abnormal postures) was evidenced in all patients with a median of 3 days (interquartile range, 1-7) after surgery was performed. A follow-up Unified Dystonia Rating Scale score and Burke-Fahn-Marsden rating scale motor subscale score, at 6 months after hospital discharge with values being inferior to 20 and 30, respectively, for all cases. None of the patients had a recurrence of SD in the last follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: DBS surgery is a suitable, versatile, reversible and adequate therapy in the treatment of SD that is refractory to initial pharmacologic treatment.

Pontine Warning Syndrome: A Chameleon of Ischemic Stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Crescendo transient ischemic attacks or "Stroke Warning Syndromes" consist of stereotyped frequent short-lasting episodes of focal neurological deficits. This is explained by intermittent hypoperfusion of the vascular territory of terminal arteries with insufficient collateral flow, presenting a high risk for subsequent infarction. Pontine warning syndrome (PWS) is a subtype of this atypical presentation of stroke/transient ischemic attack and is considered a challenge for diagnosis. CASE REPORT: We describe 2 cases of patients with PWS who were admitted to our institution. They presented acute neurological deficits that fluctuated during the course of their hospitalization; interestingly, this neurological worsening and improvement was associated with blood pressure fluctuations. In both cases, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed an ischemic lesion in the paramedian pons due to basilar artery branch disease. No outstanding infectious or metabolic factors contributed to neurological worsening/fluctuations. These patients received standard medical care without IV-thrombolysis because of the presence of contraindications for IV tissue plasminogen activator. Permissive hypertension was promoted to achieve adequate perfusion during hospitalization. At discharge and follow-up, the patients showed partial resolution from their stroke symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: PWS is a diagnostic and management challenge for the clinician. Because of its low incidence, this syndrome has been underestimated and understudied. There is, currently, no standard treatment for this condition; however, it is paramount, during treatment, that hypotension/hypoperfusion be avoided, with the goal being asymptomatic normotension to permissive hypertension. The probable mechanism of disease is hypoperfusion due to basilar artery branch disease and perhaps cerebral vascular dysregulation in the affected area.

Successful treatment of hemifacial myokymia and dystonia associated to linear scleroderma "en coup de sabre" with repeated botox injections.

Linear scleroderma "en coup de sabre" (LSCS) is a form of localized scleroderma presents as band-like sclerotic lesions of the frontoparietal area. It has been reported in association with diverse neurological manifestations like seizures, migraine, neuromyotonia, dystonia and abnormalities in MRI and CT studies as cerebral atrophy, white matter lesions, intraparenchymal calcification, meningeocortical alterations, and skull atrophy. We describe a patient with LSCS associated with two abnormal movements: permanent myokimia of right masseter muscle and recurrent spasmodic retraction of right cigomatic and depressor labii inferioris muscles. He was initially treated with methotrexate and steroids without response, so later on he underwent repeated Botox injections with remarkable improvement.