No abstract

Background: Chronic leg ulcers are a significant cause of morbidity in developing countries causing a significant burden on the health care system. The orthodox methods of dressing the wound requires long duration of hospital stay. The recent technique of vacuum assisted closure (VAC) has brought about new horizons in wound management with better outcomes.Methods: A comparative randomized case control study was conducted with a total of 60 patients from November 2015 to December 2017 in patients admitted with lower limb ulcers to KIMSDU, Karad, Maharashtra.Results: The mean graft uptake of Group A(VAC) and Group B (conventional dressings) was 82.23±15.60 and 70.07±18.42 respectively. Healing was achieved in minimum of 11 days and maximum of 48 days in Group A and minimum of 22 days and maximum of 59 days in Group B. The mean duration of wound healing in Group A and Group B was 27.70±9.57 and 41.93±11.58 days respectively. The duration of hospital stay was minimum of 13 days and maximum of 50 days in Group A and minimum of 24 days and maximum of 60 days in Group B.Conclusions: Rate of granulation tissue formation, overall graft survival and patient compliance was better in vacuum assisted closure dressing group as compared to conventional dressing group. It was also seen that the overall hospital stay and post-operative complications were less in the vacuum assisted closure dressing group.

BACKGROUNDAlthough stone disease is one of the most common afflictions of modern society, it has been described since antiquity. Urinary stone disease has perplexed the physicians for many centuries. Even today in spite of sophisticated research techniques and expand understanding of disease process, urinary calculi are major problems.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is associated with increase in prostate volume (PV) and increased epithelial production of prostate specific antigen (PSA). Both, PV and serum PSA, offers a non-invasive guide for identifying patients at high-risk of disease progression and making treatment decisions. Objective: To evaluate the serum PSA concentration and PV in cases of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to BHP. Methods: Two hundred eligible symptomatic BHP patients with LUTS, were recruited into the study. All relevant history, clinical findings, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) category and digital rectal examination grading were recorded. Blood levels of PSA, blood urea and serum creatinine were estimated followed by abdominal and trans-rectal ultrasonography (USG) to assess the size of prostate, PV, the lobes involved and residual urine volume. The results were compiled and analyzed using statistical software R version 3.6.3. Results: The mean age of the BHP patients was 68.22 ± 9.18 years, with 36% suffering from acute urinary retention (AUR). The mean IPSS, PV and PSA levels were 23.80 ± 5.67, 58.40 ± 18.56 cc and 4.61 ± 1.66 ng/mL, respectively. The mean blood urea and serum creatinine levels were 32.02 ± 6.05 mg/dL and 1.10 ± 0.28 mg/dL, respectively.