Rejected

The purpose of this study was to compare techniques and pain scales that assess tenderness in the vulvar vestibule in provoked vestibulodynia, using the cotton swab test and a vulvalgesiometer, and assess topical lidocaine solution with each.

In the population of postmenopausal patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), the superiority of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) over selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has not yet been definitively proven. Consequently, a direct comparison of the efficacy of SSRIs and SNRIs in the treatment of postmenopausal depression could provide relevant data. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of venlafaxine vs. fluoxetine in the treatment of postmenopausal MDD.

Optimizing analgesia after cesarean delivery is a priority and requires balancing adequate pain relief with the risk of analgesics-associated adverse effects. Current recommendations are for use of a multimodal, opioid-sparing analgesic regimen that includes neuraxial morphine combined with scheduled nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and scheduled acetaminophen. Furthermore, recent studies recommend scheduled acetaminophen with as-needed opioids in lieu of acetaminophen-opioid combination drugs to reduce opioid consumption and optimize analgesia. However, the extent of utilization of this recommended regimen in the United States is unclear. We therefore performed this retrospective study to evaluate postoperative analgesic regimens utilized after cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia, examine variability across institutions, evaluate changes over time in postoperative analgesic practice, and examine factors associated with the use of neuraxial morphine and of multimodal analgesia.

Mosquito Magnet® traps, deployed in widespread parts of England as part of nationwide mosquito surveillance projects, also caught blackflies. As many as 1242 blackflies were caught in a trapping session lasting 4 days. Principal among the species caught were Simulium equinum, Simulium lineatum and Simulium ornatum s.l. As S. ornatum s.l. is a vector that transmits Onchocerca linealis to cattle and S. equinum is responsible for dermatitis ('sweet itch') in cattle and horses, it is suggested that Mosquito Magnet® traps could be used to monitor and partially control these pests, as well as nuisance anthropophilic blackflies such as Simulium posticatum that can cause simuliidosis in southern England.

The economic burden of herpes zoster (HZ), including its most common complication, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL) is not well described in Spain. The aim of this study was to estimate HZ-related healthcare costs and impact on HRQL in Spanish adults aged 50 years or older.

Long-term effects on patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are unknown. We assessed the impact of DAA-mediated HCV clearance on HRQoL from DAA initiation to 1 year after confirmed sustained virological response at 24 weeks post-treatment (SVR24).

The fascia thoracolumbalis (FTL) is an important component for stabilization and motion control of the lumbar spine. It coordinates the traction forces of the autochthonous muscles of the back (AM) and connects them to the muscles of the abdominal wall, shoulder, and buttocks.

Current pain classifications use 1.0-kg palpation of the masseter muscle to distinguish between "pain patients" and "healthy controls" but a thorough understanding of the normal physiological responses to various somatosensory stimuli is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate somatosensory function of the skin over the masseter muscle in healthy participants that were divided into a masseter pain prone group (MPP) (n = 22) and non-MPP group (n = 22), according to the response to a 1.0-kg palpation. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) was performed at the skin above the right masseter muscle (homotopic). In an additional experiment, 13 individuals each from MPP and non-MPP received application of 60% topical lidocaine tape to the skin over the masseter muscle for 30 min. Immediately after, mechanical pain sensitivity (MPS), dynamic mechanical allodynia, and pressure pain threshold were tested. Homotopic MPS was significantly higher and PPTs significantly lower in MPP than in N-MPP (P < 0.05). Strikingly, no other differences in QST outcomes were observed between the groups (P > 0.05). After lidocaine application, no significant differences in homotopic MPS were observed between groups. The presence or absence of acute provoked pain in masseter muscle is exclusively associated with differences in homotopic MPS which is decreased following topical anesthesia.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by a pyrin dysfunction, leading to uncontrolled interleukin-1 production that triggers the attacks. Here we report a case of a 36-year-old female patient repeatedly admitted to the cardiology ward with recurrent episodes of pericarditis, with intervals of 1 and 2 months between the episodes. During the attacks, chest pain and fever were the only symptoms. Following the administration of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the patient became afebrile. She also had lymphoma and thyroid carcinoma in anamnesis essential for differential diagnosis. Laboratory tests for infection and autoimmune disease were all negative, and the positron emission tomography-CT scan did not reveal lymphoma relapse. Genetic testing revealed a mutation in the gene. It is very rare for pericarditis to be the first and only manifestation of FMF.