Prevalence, risk factors, and recurrence risk of persistent air leak in patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: Persistent air leak (PAL) is common in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), with risk factors only been determined for post-pulmonary resection PAL. Information about its risk factors and long-term outcome is, however, necessary to enable selection of treatment modalities for elderly SSP patients with comorbid conditions. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed on chest drain-treated SSP patients from 2009 to 2018. The risk factors, long-term recurrent pneumothorax, and mortality rates of those with and without PAL were evaluated. Results: Of 180 non-surgical SSP patients, PAL prevalence for >2 days and >7 days were 81.1% and 43.3%, respectively. Bulla was associated with PAL >7 days (OR: 2.32; P: 0.027) and serum albumin negatively associated (OR: 0.94; P: 0.028). PAL resulted in longer hospitalization in the index episode (P: <0.01). PAL >7 days was associated with a higher pneumothorax recurrence rate in three months (HR: 2.65; P: 0.041), one year (HR: 2.50; P: 0.040) and two-year post-discharge (HR: 2.40; P: 0.029). Patients treated with medical pleurodesis were significantly older (P: <0.01), had higher Charlson Co-morbidity index scores (P: <0.01), and 77.8% of those who had PAL >7 days were considered unfit for surgery. Of these, pneumothorax had not recurred in 69.4% after two years (HR: 0.47; P: 0.044). Conclusion: Bulla was positively associated with PAL over seven days in SSP patients while albumin was negatively associated. PAL over seven days increased future recurrent pneumothorax risks, while elderly SSP patients unfit for surgery had acceptable recurrence rates after medical pleurodesis.

Bochdalek hernia masquerading as pleural effusion in a young adult.

Bochdalek hernia (BH) is a congenital diaphragmatic hernia which rarely presents in adulthood. We report on a 25-year-old man admitted with 3-year recurrent and self-limiting abdominal pain and vomiting. Chest radiograph showed left pleural opacity which shifted position in the decubitus film suggesting pleural effusion. Before attempting drainage, point-of-care (POC) thoracic ultrasound (TUS) demonstrated features of intrathoracic gastrointestinal content above the left hemi-diaphragm. Computed tomography of the thorax confirmed a large left BH. Acute recurrent symptoms 3 months post-discharge was associated with BH enlargement and early bowel ischemia, which was successfully managed by emergency surgery. This case illustrates the importance of pre-procedural imaging with POC-TUS before pleural procedures in all cases of suspected or apparent pleural effusion, and of prompt surgical treatment of symptomatic BH despite clinical stabilization.

Evaluation of prognostication scores and proposal for refinement in malignant pleural effusion in Asians.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Prognostication of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) guides treatment strategies but existing prognostication scores are yet to be validated in Asians. We aimed to evaluate the performance of these scores in an Asian population. A refined score was also proposed based on the impact of EGFR mutation on survival. METHODS: Survival and clinical data of histocytologically-confirmed MPE patients from a Hong Kong hospital were analyzed with the LENT, modified-LENT, PROMISE and SELECT (converted from its original model) scores. A refinement of the LENT score for Asians was proposed by inclusion of EGFR status (EGFR-LENT), which was compared with the LENT score and validated in an independent patient cohort. RESULTS: All prognostication scores performed well on risk stratification by Kaplan-Meier curve (log rank p < 0.0001) in 368 MPE patients except for LENT in low-risk group. C-statistics for LENT, modified-LENT, PROMISE and SELECT in predicting 3-month mortality were 0.77, 0.80, 0.80 and 0.82, respectively. The proposed LENT score refinement (EGFR-LENT) improved stratification among low-risk patients; with a higher C-statistic (0.83) in 3-month mortality prediction than LENT (0.77, p = 0.0121), PROMISE (0.80, p = 0.3713), and SELECT (0.82, p = 0.7908) scores. Validation of EGFR-LENT in an independent cohort (124 patients) confirmed good performance in predicting 3-month mortality (C-statistic 0.87, vs 0.79 in LENT, p = 0.0444). CONCLUSION: All existing scores had reasonable performance in prognosticating MPE, and LENT score refinement by inclusion of EGFR mutation status improved its performance among Asian MPE patients.

Improving Self-Care in Patients With Coexisting Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension by Technological Surrogate Nursing: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Technological surrogate nursing (TSN) derives from the idea that nurse-caregiver substitutes can be created by technology to support chronic disease self-care. OBJECTIVE: This paper begins by arguing that TSN is a useful and viable approach to chronic disease self-care. The analysis then focuses on the empirical research question of testing and demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of prototype TSN supplied to patients with the typical complex chronic disease of coexisting type 2 diabetes and hypertension. At the policy level, it is shown that the data allow for a calibration of TSN technology augmentation, which can be readily applied to health care management. METHODS: A 24-week, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed and implemented among diabetic and hypertensive outpatients in two Hong Kong public hospitals. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group, supplied with a tablet-based TSN app prototype, or to a conventional self-managing control group. Primary indices-hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure-and secondary indices were measured at baseline and at 8, 12, 16, and 24 weeks after initiation, after which the data were applied to test TSN effectiveness and safety. RESULTS: A total of 299 participating patients were randomized to the intervention group (n=151) or the control group (n=148). Statistically significant outcomes that directly indicated TSN effectiveness in terms of hemoglobin 1c were found in both groups but not with regard to systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These findings also offered indirect empirical support for TSN safety. Statistically significant comparative changes in these primary indices were not observed between the groups but were suggestive of an operational calibration of TSN technology augmentation. Statistically significant changes in secondary indices were obtained in one or both groups, but not between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The RCT's strong behavioral basis, as well as the importance of safety and effectiveness when complex chronic illness is proximately self-managed by layperson patients, prompted the formulation of the empirical joint hypothesis that TSN would improve patient self-care while satisfying the condition of patient self-safety. Statistical and decision analysis applied to the experimental outcomes offered support for this hypothesis. Policy relevance of the research is demonstrated by the derivation of a data-grounded operational calibration of TSN technology augmentation with ready application to health care management. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02799953; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02799953.

CD209 (DC-SIGN) -336A>G promoter polymorphism and severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong Chinese.

CD209 (DC-SIGN) is an important C-type lectin which acts a receptor of many pathogens. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) -336A>G in the CD209 promoter has been demonstrated to regulate promoter activity and to be associated with several important infectious diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Dengue fever. CD209 facilitates severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus spike protein-bearing pseudotype driven infection of permissive cells in vitro. In keeping with previously published findings, our in vitro studies confirmed that this SNP modulates gene promoter activity. Genetic association analysis of this SNP with clinico-pathologic outcomes in 824 serologic confirmed SARS patients showed that the -336AG/GG genotype SARS patients was associated with lower standardized lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH) levels compared with the -336AA patients (p = 0.014, odds ratio = 0.40). High LDH levels are known to be an independent predictor for poor clinical outcome, probably related to tissue destruction from immune hyperactivity. Hence, SARS patients with the CD209 -336 AA genotype carry a 60% chance of having a poorer prognosis. This association is in keeping with the role of CD209 in modulating immune response to viral infection. The relevance of these findings for other infectious diseases and inflammatory conditions would be worth investigating.

The burden of lung disease in Hong Kong: a report from the Hong Kong Thoracic Society.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The burden of lung disease in Hong Kong is not known. This study determined the mortality and hospitalization rates of respiratory diseases in Hong Kong in 2005, their trend in the past decade and their incidence/prevalence. METHODS: Mortality data were obtained from the Department of Health and hospitalization data from the Hospital Authority, Hong Kong. Incidence/prevalence data were obtained from local registries or local studies. Trends of mortality and hospitalization rates of various respiratory diseases from 1997 and 2005 were calculated after age standardization and were tested for significance using negative binomial regression analysis. Age standardized mortality rates in Hong Kong were compared with those of the UK and globally. RESULTS: Respiratory disease was the most common cause of mortality and hospitalization in Hong Kong in 2005. Globally and in the UK, cardiovascular disease ranked first in mortality. Respiratory infections ranked first in respiratory mortality, followed by respiratory tract cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease. Respiratory infections also ranked first followed by chronic obstructive lung disease in the utilization of respiratory inpatient bed-days. While mortality rates from all respiratory diseases decreased in the past decade, hospitalization rates remained unchanged. Unlike other respiratory diseases, mortality from respiratory infections have increased since 2001. Smoking is the most important risk factor in non-communicable respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory disease is responsible for the highest health-care burden locally. Increased efforts in improving management and prevention of these diseases, including tobacco control, improving air quality and vaccination against influenza and pneumococci, are necessary.

Pseudallescheria boydii or Aspergillus fumigatus in a lady with an unresolving lung infiltrate, and a literature review.

A 53-year-old lady with blood-stained sputum and pleuritic pain had a lingular opacity on CXR which failed to resolve. A bronchial aspirate and transbronchial biopsy revealed features of bronchocentric granulomatosis with dichotomous branching hyphae suggestive of Aspergillus infection. However, subsequent fungal culture grew Pseudallescheria boydii. This case demonstrates the similarity of clinical and histological features caused by these two fungi. This appears to be the first reported case of pulmonary pseudallescheria with a bronchocentric granulomatous response.

Variability of the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction in smokers using different diagnostic criteria.

PURPOSES: To estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction (AFO) in Hong Kong smokers with no previous diagnosis of respiratory disease, and to assess its variability when applying different prediction equations and diagnostic criteria. METHODS: A multicenter, population-based, cross-sectional prevalence study was performed in smokers aged 20 to 80 years. Three different criteria (fixed 70% [Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and British Thoracic Society], fixed 75%, and European Respiratory Society [ERS]) were applied to define a lower limit of normal (LLN) of the FEV(1)/FVC ratio to compare with the Hong Kong Chinese reference equation (criterion 1), which had used a distribution-free method to obtain the lower fifth percentile of FEV(1)/FVC ratio as the LLN. RESULTS: In 525 male patients, using criterion 1 (local internal prediction equation) and defining AFO as FEV(1)/FVC less than LLN, the overall prevalence of AFO was 13.7%: 8.3% in age > or = 20 to 40 years, 14.0% in age > or = 40 to 60 years, and 17.8% in age > or = 60 to 80 years. When the local internal prediction equation was used as the comparison reference, the fixed-ratio methods tended to miss AFO in younger age groups and overdiagnose AFO in old age, while the ERS criteria, which uses an almost lower fifth percentile-equivalent method, showed less of such a trend but still only showed moderate agreement with criterion 1. CONCLUSIONS: Undiagnosed AFO was prevalent in Hong Kong smokers. Estimated prevalence rates were highly affected by the criteria used to define AFO. The predicted lower fifth percentile values calculated from a local reference equation as the LLN of FEV(1)/FVC ratio should be used for the diagnosis of AFO.

SARS reference

It's a medical textbook that provides a comprehensive overview of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Editions available: first (in Chinese and Spanish), second (in Vietnamese, Portuguese and Romanian) and third (in Greek, French and Italian).

Association of ICAM3 genetic variant with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Genetic polymorphisms have been demonstrated to be associated with vulnerability to human infection. ICAM3, an intercellular adhesion molecule important for T cell activation, and FCER2 (CD23), an immune response gene, both located on chromosome 19p13.3, were investigated for host genetic susceptibility and association with clinical outcome. A case-control study based on 817 patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), 307 health care worker control subjects, 290 outpatient control subjects, and 309 household control subjects unaffected by SARS from Hong Kong was conducted to test for genetic association. No significant association to susceptibility to SARS infection caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was found for the FCER2 and the ICAM3 single nucleotide polymorphisms. However, patients with SARS homozygous for ICAM3 Gly143 showed significant association with higher lactate dehydrogenase levels (P=.0067; odds ratio [OR], 4.31 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.37-13.56]) and lower total white blood cell counts (P=.022; OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.10-0.89]) on admission. These findings support the role of ICAM3 in the immunopathogenesis of SARS.

Corticosteroid treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: The patterns of corticosteroids usage in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and associated treatment outcomes in Hong Kong were studied. METHOD: Patients> or =18 years old who either had not received corticosteroid or had taken corticosteroids within 14 days from symptom onset were included. Patients receiving corticosteroids beyond 15 days or other investigational treatment within 21 days from symptom onset were excluded. Of 1313 eligible patients, 1287 with major corticosteroid dosage-type combinations were analysed. RESULTS: Crude death rate was lower among 1188 steroid-treated patients compared to 99 patients in Group No Steroid (17.0% vs. 28.3%). Among four corticosteroid groups studied, mortality was lowest in the low-dose oral prednisolone (Group P) and high-dose methylprednisolone (Group MP) groups. On multivariate analysis of the corticosteroid groups, independent factors related to death were: corticosteroid group, older age, co-morbidity, worse chest X-ray score, worse respiratory status at Days 8-10 and higher admission white cell count. Again Groups P and MP had significantly lower adjusted odds ratios for death and lower bacterial and fungal culture rates. Despite worse chest X-ray scores and higher cumulative corticosteroid dosages in Group MP compared to Group P, fewer patients required rescue pulsed corticosteroid. Patients on hydrocortisone (Group HC) had the highest positive culture rates. CONCLUSION: We speculate that corticosteroid with higher in-vitro inflammatory potency administered at timing and dosages commensurate with disease severity may be conducive to better outcome from SARS as a consequence of more effective control of immunopathological lung damage.

Randomised study of three non-surgical treatments in mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND: Patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may be managed with different treatment options. This study compared the effectiveness of three commonly used non-surgical treatment modalities. METHODS: Subjects with mild to moderate OSA were randomised to one of three treatment groups for 10 weeks: conservative measures (sleep hygiene) only, continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) in addition to conservative measures or an oral appliance in addition to conservative measures. All overweight subjects were referred to a weight-reduction class. OSA was assessed by polysomnography. Blood pressure was recorded in the morning and evening in the sleep laboratory. Daytime sleepiness was assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed with the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Sleep Apnoea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI). RESULTS: 101 subjects with a mean (SEM) apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of 21.4 (1.1) were randomised to one of the three groups. The severity of sleep-disordered breathing was decreased in the CPAP and oral appliance groups compared with the conservative measures group, and the CPAP group was significantly better than the oral appliance group. Relief from sleepiness was significantly better in the CPAP group. CPAP was also better than the oral appliance or conservative measures in improving the "bodily pain" domain, and better than conservative measures in improving the "physical function" domain of SF-36. Both CPAP and the oral appliance were more effective than conservative measures in improving the SAQLI, although no difference was detected between the CPAP and oral appliance groups. CPAP and the oral appliance significantly lowered the morning diastolic blood pressure compared with baseline values, but there was no difference in the changes in blood pressure between the groups. There was also a linear relationship between the changes in AHI and body weight. CONCLUSION: CPAP produced the best improvement in terms of physiological, symptomatic and HRQOL measures, while the oral appliance was slightly less effective. Weight loss, if achieved, resulted in an improvement in sleep parameters, but weight control alone was not uniformly effective.

Non-invasive versus invasive mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure in severe acute respiratory syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome is frequently complicated by respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. We aimed to compare the efficacy of non-invasive ventilation against invasive mechanical ventilation treating respiratory failure in this disease. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on all respiratory failure patients identified from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Database. Intubation rate, mortality and secondary outcome of a hospital utilizing non-invasive ventilation under standard infection control conditions (NIV Hospital) were compared against 13 hospitals using solely invasive ventilation (IMV Hospitals). Multiple logistic regression analyses with adjustments for confounding variables were performed to test for association between outcomes and hospital groups. RESULTS: Both hospital groups had comparable demographics and clinical profiles, but NIV Hospital (42 patients) had higher lactate dehydrogenase ratio and worse radiographic score on admission and ribavirin-corticosteroid commencement. Compared to IMV Hospitals (451 patients), NIV Hospital had lower adjusted odds ratios for intubation (0.36, 95% CI 0.164 - 0.791, P = 0.011) and death (0.235, 95% CI 0.077 - 0.716, P = 0.011), and improved earlier after pulsed steroid rescue. There were no instances of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome among health care workers due to the use of non-invasive ventilation. CONCLUSION: Compared to invasive mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation as initial ventilatory support for acute respiratory failure in the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome appeared to be associated with reduced intubation need and mortality.

Low prevalence of subclinical severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus infection among hospital healthcare workers in Hong Kong.

We recruited 688 hospital healthcare workers who cared for patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and did not develop the disease in the Hong Kong outbreak in 2003. A questionnaire survey was conducted and serum samples were collected for SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) antibody. The high-risk procedures performed and the types of unprotected exposures were recorded for analysis. Only 1 asymptomatic nurse had positive serological test. The result demonstrates the low rate of subclinical SARS-CoV infection in hospital healthcare workers and that the infection control practice against SARS in Hong Kong's hospitals during the outbreak was highly effective.

Preparedness of the cardiac catheterization laboratory for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and other epidemics.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious disease that has led to large hospital and community outbreaks, necessitating stringent infection control in its management. Among 90 SARS patients in our institution in the 2003 outbreak, 2 underwent cardiac catheterization. We report the personal respiratory protection and environmental control measures implemented to minimize the risk of droplets spread during these procedures, including re-engineering of the ventilation system of the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL). The report highlights the importance of collaboration of CCL personnel with relevant hospital engineering and management teams to develop a contingency infection control plan to prepare for future outbreaks of SARS or other epidemics.

Coronary plaque instability in severe acute respiratory syndrome.

In his second week of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) illness, a patient developed an unusually complicated course of acute coronary syndrome. One day after initial stabilization of a non-ST-elevated anterior myocardial infarction (MI), he sustained an ST-elevated anterior MI. Eight hours after emergency coronary intervention to the culprit lesion, he developed another ST-elevated MI in the inferior territory. Acute inflammation and cytokine storm in the immunopathological phase of SARS may play a role in coronary plaque instability. Physicians should be alert to this potentially fatal complication and adopt appropriate vigilant and aggressive management strategies.

Effectiveness of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of acute respiratory failure in severe acute respiratory syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effectiveness of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in the treatment of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the associated infection risk. METHODS: All patients with the diagnosis of probable SARS admitted to a regional hospital in Hong Kong from March 9 to April 28, 2003, and who had SARS-related respiratory distress complications were recruited for NIPPV usage. The health status of all health-care workers working in the NIPPV wards was closely monitored, and consent was obtained to check serum for coronavirus serology. Patient outcomes and the risk of SARS transmission to health-care workers were assessed. RESULTS: NIPPV was applied to 20 patients (11 male patients) with ARF secondary to SARS. Mean age was 51.4 years, and mean acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 5.35. Coronavirus serology was positive in 95% (19 of 20 patients). NIPPV was started 9.6 days (mean) from symptom onset, and mean duration of NIPPV usage was 84.3 h. Endotracheal intubation was avoided in 14 patients (70%), in whom the length of ICU stay was shorter (3.1 days vs 21.3 days, p < 0.001) and the chest radiography score within 24 h of NIPPV was lower (15.1 vs 22.5, p = 0.005) compared to intubated patients. Intubation avoidance was predicted by a marked reduction in respiratory rate (9.2 breaths/min) and supplemental oxygen requirement (3.1 L/min) within 24 h of NIPPV. Complications were few and reversible. There were no infections among the 105 health-care workers caring for the patients receiving NIPPV. CONCLUSIONS: NIPPV was effective in the treatment of ARF in the patients with SARS studied, and its use was safe for health-care workers.

A Chinese version of the Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index was evaluated for reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder in many ethnic populations. Patients with OSA have impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL). No sleep apnea-specific HRQOL measure has been validated in Chinese patients. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional sample of 106 Chinese OSA patients and a longitudinal sample of 51 patients in Hong Kong completed a Chinese (Cantonese) version of SAQLI for assessment of its acceptability, scaling assumptions, reliability, validity, and responsiveness. RESULTS: The instrument was understood and seen as relevant by 97% of subjects. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, item-scale convergent validity and discriminatory validity, and construct validity were good to excellent. Construct validity was confirmed by significant correlations with SF-36 subscale scores. However, factor analysis showed that only items of daily functioning and symptom domains all loaded on the hypothesized scales. Longitudinal data showed that SAQLI was more responsive than SF-36 to changes after treatment. CONCLUSION: Hence, this version of SAQLI was an acceptable, psychometrically valid, and responsive HRQOL measure for evaluating impact of illness and treatment effectiveness in Chinese OSA patients.

Outcome of coronavirus-associated severe acute respiratory syndrome using a standard treatment protocol.

OBJECTIVE: There is so far no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for the coronavirus-associated severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We aimed to analyse the outcomes of a standard treatment strategy comprising antibiotics, a combination of ribavirin, a 3-week step-down course of corticosteroids, and the possibility of pulsed methylprednisolone rescue in the event of deterioration. METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective cohort study performed at a major public-funded hospital in Hong Kong. Eighty-eight World Health Organisation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probable cases of SARS (97% laboratory-confirmed) were treated with a standard protocol previously reported. Seventy-one patients treated de novo were analysed in detail with regard to time to clinical stabilization after combination treatment, requirement of additional therapy (pulsed methylprednisolone; assisted ventilation); and final outcomes (recovery, mortality). RESULTS: The mean age was 42. Twenty-one patients (24%) had comorbidities. Three of 71 treated de novo recovered with antibiotics alone. The remaining 68 received combination treatment at a mean of 5.8 days after symptom onset, of whom 30 subsequently required pulsed methylprednisolone rescue (independent predictors: older age and higher LDH) and 18 required assisted ventilation (independent predictors: older age, higher oxygen requirement and creatinine level). Their median time to clinical stabilization was 8.0 days after combination treatment (independent predictor for longer time to stabilization: median age of 41 or above). Common complications were hyperglycaemia (58%), pneumo-mediastinum/thoraces (13%), psychiatric manifestations (7%) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (2%). One patient (1%) died of SARS-related respiratory failure. All-cause mortality was 3.4%, occurring in patients aged > 65 years only. None of the discharged survivors required continuation of oxygen therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This standard treatment protocol resulted in overall satisfactory outcomes. Randomized controlled trial is suggested to confirm its efficacy.