Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Ciprofloxacin-loaded calcium alginate wafers prepared by freeze-drying technique for potential healing of chronic diabetic foot ulcers

Calcium alginate (CA) wafer dressings were prepared by lyophilization of hydrogels to deliver ciprofloxacin (CIP) directly to the wound site of infected diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The dressings were physically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), texture analysis (for mechanical and in vitro adhesion properties), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Further, functional properties essential for wound healing, i.e., porosity, in vitro swelling index, water absorption (Aw), equilibrium water content (EWC), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), evaporative water loss (EWL), moisture content, in vitro drug release and kinetics, antimicrobial activity, and cell viability (MTT assay) were investigated. The wafers were soft, of uniform texture and thickness, and pliable in nature. Wafers showed ideal wound dressing characteristics in terms of fluid handling properties due to high porosity (SEM). XRD confirmed crystalline nature of the dressings and FTIR showed hydrogen bond formation between CA and CIP. The dressings showed initial fast release followed by sustained drug release which can inhibit and prevent re-infection caused by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The dressings also showed biocompatibility (> 85% cell viability over 72 h) with human adult keratinocytes. Therefore, it will be a potential medicated dressing for patients with DFUs infected with drug-resistant bacteria

Determinants of sexual dysfunction and interventions for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review

Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free).Aims: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may negatively affect a couple's sexual relationship. This systematic review evaluated what characteristics are determinants of sexual function and dysfunction in women and men with OSA, and what interventions are shown to be effective. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane and TRIP, and articles published between January 2004 and December 2014 in English; original research; adults >= 18 years; and both experimental and non-experimental designs. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to assess study quality. Of 21 studies, six studies (no randomised control trials, RCTs) included women and 15 (with six RCTs) studies included men. Extracted data were scrutinised and adjusted until consensus was reached; suitable quantitative data were pooled in statistical meta-analysis. Results: Sexual function was affected similarly in both genders, but effective interventions were reported only for men. In some studies, OSA severity and medications contributed to greater sexual dysfunction. In women, menopausal status, hormone levels and SaO(2) < 90% were determinants of sexual dysfunction, while for men factors included BMI, hormonal status and inflammatory markers. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) not only improved clinical measures such as excessive daytime sleepiness but also the erectile and orgasmic function. Nevertheless, sildenafil was superior CPAP with regard to erectile dysfunction. Conclusions: The findings illustrate important contributors to sexual dysfunction; however, firm generalisations cannot be made. There were limited RCTs and none for women, indicating further RCTs are needed to determine how OSA affects sexual function

Evaluation of Exudative Pleural Effusions: A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study

Purpose The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performances of pleural procedures in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions and to evaluate factors suggestive of benign or malignant pleural effusions in tertiary care centers. Methods This was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2018. A total of 777 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion after the initial work-up were evaluated. The results of diagnostic procedures and the patients' diagnoses were prospectively recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy estimates with 95% confidence intervals were used to examine the performance of pleural procedures to detect malignancy. Results The mean age +/- SD of the 777 patients was 62.0 +/- 16.0 years, and 68.3% of them were male. The most common cause was malignancy (38.3%). Lung cancer was the leading cause of malignant pleural effusions (20.2%). The diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of cytology were 59.5% and 84.3%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of image-guided pleural biopsy was 86.4%. The addition of image-guided pleural biopsy to cytology increased diagnostic sensitivity to more than 90%. Thoracoscopic biopsy provided the highest diagnostic sensitivity (94.3%). The highest diagnostic sensitivity of cytology was determined in metastatic pleural effusion from breast cancer (86.7%). Conclusion The diagnostic performance increases considerably when cytology is combined with image-guided pleural biopsy in malignant pleural effusions. However, to avoid unnecessary interventions and complications, the development of criteria to distinguish patients with benign pleural effusions is as important as the identification of patients with malignant pleural effusions