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The Journal of Sexual Medicine Oct 2021Prostate cancer (PCa) treatments commonly lead to erectile difficulties. While the mainstay treatment is erectile aids (EAs) to promote erectile recovery, some men never...
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer (PCa) treatments commonly lead to erectile difficulties. While the mainstay treatment is erectile aids (EAs) to promote erectile recovery, some men never use these treatments and those whose do use EAs often abandon them in the long-term.
AIM
The goal of this study was to examine PCa patients' experiences with EAs, to elucidate relationships between experiences with EAs on psychological and sexual well-being, and to explore benefits and drawbacks to EA use.
METHODS
A self-report survey including validated questionnaires was administered to examine PCa patients' use and perceptions of helpfulness of EAs, and to characterize associations between use, perceived helpfulness, and psychological and sexual well-being. The survey was followed by an open-ended prompt to explore participants' experiences with EAs.
OUTCOMES
We surveyed 260 North American men, up to 25 years after receiving treatment for PCa. Three groups of patients were observed, including those who used EAs and perceived them to be helpful, those who used EAs and perceived them to be unhelpful, as well as a smaller group of patients who never used EAs.
RESULTS
Around 80% of the sample were using or had used EAs. Despite the high frequency of use, not all men found EAs helpful. Men who used EAs and found them unhelpful reported poorer psychological and sexual well-being compared to men who didn't use aids or who used EAs but found them helpful. Results indicated both benefits and drawbacks to the use of EAs. Benefits related largely to the efficacy of the aid in promoting erections. A wide range of drawbacks were also reported.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Given the negative sexual and psychological impacts associated with using EAs and finding them unhelpful, we suggest that researchers and health care providers should take care to proactively address potential challenges that are common with EA use, and also to consider the risks of failed attempts with EAs.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
By using both scaled and open-ended questions, a more nuanced picture of the relative benefits and limitations of EA use within the PCa population is presented. As responses were not mandatory, a subset of participants provided comments about the use of EAs. Additionally, the sample was quite homogenous, with mostly white, American and well-educated participants, so it therefore lacks generalizability to other populations.
CONCLUSION
This paper illustrates several challenges to EA use, while providing insight into reasons for abandonment of use of EAs. Walker LM, Sears CS, Santos-Iglesias P, et al. Hard Times: Prostate Cancer Patients' Experiences with Erectile Aids. J Sex Med 2021;18:1775-1787.
Topics: Erectile Dysfunction; Humans; Male; Penile Erection; Prostatic Neoplasms; Self Report; Sexual Behavior; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34526246
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.07.012 -
Europace : European Pacing,... Jul 2020Commonly, a dysfunctional defibrillator lead is abandoned and a new lead is implanted. Long-term follow-up data on abandoned leads are sparse. We aimed to investigate...
AIMS
Commonly, a dysfunctional defibrillator lead is abandoned and a new lead is implanted. Long-term follow-up data on abandoned leads are sparse. We aimed to investigate the incidence and reasons for extraction of abandoned defibrillator leads in a nationwide cohort and to describe extraction procedure-related complications.
METHODS AND RESULTS
All abandoned transvenous defibrillator leads were identified in the Danish Pacemaker and ICD Register from 1991 to 2019. The event-free survival of abandoned defibrillator leads was studied, and medical records of patients with interventions on abandoned defibrillator leads were audited for procedure-related data. We identified 740 abandoned defibrillator leads. Meantime from implantation to abandonment was 7.2 ± 3.8 years with mean patient age at abandonment of 66.5 ± 13.7 years. During a mean follow-up after abandonment of 4.4 ± 3.1 years, 65 (8.8%) abandoned defibrillator leads were extracted. Most frequent reason for extraction was infection (pocket and systemic) in 41 (63%) patients. Procedural outcome after lead extraction was clinical success in 63 (97%) patients. Minor complications occurred in 3 (5%) patients, and major complications in 1 (2%) patient. No patient died from complication to the procedure during 30-day follow-up after extraction.
CONCLUSION
More than 90% of abandoned defibrillator leads do not need to be extracted during long-term follow-up. The most common indication for extraction is infection. Abandoned defibrillator leads can be extracted with high clinical success rate and low risk of major complications at high-volume centres.
Topics: Cohort Studies; Defibrillators, Implantable; Device Removal; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Pacemaker, Artificial; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32447372
DOI: 10.1093/europace/euaa086 -
JPMA. the Journal of the Pakistan... Sep 2022Awake craniotomy (AC) is becoming increasingly popular for brain tumour surgery. The procedure allows better preservation of eloquent cortex and helps achieve greater...
Awake craniotomy (AC) is becoming increasingly popular for brain tumour surgery. The procedure allows better preservation of eloquent cortex and helps achieve greater tumour resection. However, a potential problem with the procedure is intraoperative seizures (IOS) that may affect the mapping and monitoring of awake patients and may even lead to abandoning of the awake procedure.
Topics: Humans; Wakefulness; Craniotomy; Brain Neoplasms; Seizures
PubMed: 36281000
DOI: 10.47391/JPMA.22-95 -
Journal of Religion and Health Apr 2023Extramarital pregnancy is a scarcely explored socio-ethical topic in Muslim countries. Extramarital sexual intercourse is legally prohibited and deemed shameful by...
Extramarital pregnancy is a scarcely explored socio-ethical topic in Muslim countries. Extramarital sexual intercourse is legally prohibited and deemed shameful by conservative Muslim societies. The legal and social implications of an extramarital pregnancy prevent access to care and lead to concealment and/or infant abandonment. This paper argues that the medical community must not become complicit in the criminalization and stigmatization of unmarried pregnant women, but must become a safe and reliable refuge instead. The paper also finds strong Islamic moral commitments that warrant the provision of confidential, non-judgmental care, and encourage compassion and forgiveness over reprimand and punishment.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Islam; Extramarital Relations; Morals; Religion and Medicine
PubMed: 36454333
DOI: 10.1007/s10943-022-01707-1 -
International Journal of Systematic and... Sep 2020Two novel strains, designated 92R-1 and 9PBR-1, were isolated from abandoned lead-zinc ore collected in Meizhou, Guangdong Province, PR China. Phylogenetic analyses...
Two novel strains, designated 92R-1 and 9PBR-1, were isolated from abandoned lead-zinc ore collected in Meizhou, Guangdong Province, PR China. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that they fell into the genus of r and formed two distinct lineages. Strain 92R-1 was most closely related to JCM 19491 (98.7 %) and LMG 21873 (98.5 %), while strain 9PBR-1 was most closely related to LMG 21951 (99.0 %), JCM 17223 (98.7 %) and JCM 31653 (98.1 %). Strain 92R-1shared average nucleotide identity values of 80.0-83.7 % and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 23.1-27.1 % with its closely related type strains, respectively, while strain 9PBR-1 shared corresponding values of 80.3-83.2 % and 23.6-26.7 % with its closely related type strains, respectively. The two novel strains could be clearly distinguished from their closely related type strains by enzyme activities and substrates assimilation, respectively. Both of them took iso-C summed feature 3 (C 7 and/or C 6), summed feature 4 (iso-C I and/or anteiso-C B) and C 5 as major fatty acids, and showed clear differences from their closely relatives in the contents of several components. They contained menaquinone 7 as the major respiratory quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine as the dominant polar lipid. The G+C contents of strains 92R-1 and 9PBR-1 were 56.7 and 59.5 mol%, respectively. The results clearly supported that strains 92R-1 and 9PBR-1 represent two distinct novel species within the genus , for which the names sp. nov. (type strain 92R-1=GDMCC 1.1493=JCM 32697) and sp. nov. (type strain 9PBR-1=GDMCC 1.1491=JCM 32698) are proposed.
Topics: Bacterial Typing Techniques; Base Composition; China; Cytophagaceae; DNA, Bacterial; Fatty Acids; Lead; Mining; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Vitamin K 2; Zinc
PubMed: 32749954
DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004313 -
JACC. Clinical Electrophysiology Sep 2019
Topics: Cohort Studies; Defibrillators, Implantable; Device Removal; Humans
PubMed: 31537336
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2019.08.006 -
Marine Pollution Bulletin Jul 2023Plastics and microplastics have been quantified and characterised at disposal sites of abandoned fishing boats and along the high-water line (HWL) of a fish landing...
Plastics and microplastics have been quantified and characterised at disposal sites of abandoned fishing boats and along the high-water line (HWL) of a fish landing centre in Chellanam, India. Fibreglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) made a greater contribution to the plastic pool at the disposal sites (~ 4.5 n m and 18 g m) than the HWL (~ 0.25 n m and < 1 g m) and was an abundant component of the microplastic pool at the former. Infrared analysis of micro-sized FRPs revealed various resins (e.g., alkyd, polyester, epoxy), while X-ray fluorescence analysis of the painted surfaces of meso-sized FRPs returned variable concentrations of copper and lead. Concentrations of Pb were high enough to contaminate sand up to ~400 mg kg. The relatively high density of FRP and its association with glass fibres and metal-bearing paints results in particles with potentially very different fates and toxicities to more "conventional" (non-composite) thermoplastics.
Topics: Animals; Plastics; Microplastics; Hunting; Ships; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Environmental Monitoring; India; Water
PubMed: 37209660
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114980 -
MethodsX Jun 2024Lead (Pb) is a neurotoxin, and children are vulnerable due to their evolving physiology and high-risk behaviours. Soil remediation interventions have proven effective in...
Lead (Pb) is a neurotoxin, and children are vulnerable due to their evolving physiology and high-risk behaviours. Soil remediation interventions have proven effective in reducing Pb exposure. The primary objective is to measure the effectiveness of soil remediation at abandoned used lead acid battery (ULAB) recycling sites, nearby household cleaning, and community awareness in reducing blood lead levels (BLLs) in children. Additionally, this study aims to examine associations of Pb exposure with hematological, cardiovascular, renal, immunological, and endocrinological parameters in children aged 0-12 years. This study employs a quasi-experimental design, with abandoned ULAB sites as intervention sites and two control sites in Bangladesh. The intervention includes soil remediation coupled with community education. Data will be collected prior to the intervention and at a 12-month follow-up, including a comprehensive Pb exposure survey and collect environmental, turmeric samples, and blood from the child. Pb concentrations in environmental samples and turmeric samples will be determined using XRF analyser. Child BLL will be measured using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GF-AAS) and proposed biochemical parameters will be analysed using routine laboratory methods. This study could provide valuable insights for designing targeted interventions in similar settings and mitigating exposure to Pb.
PubMed: 38948243
DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102772 -
Annual International Conference of the... Nov 2021During Magnetic Resonance (MR) scans, abandoned leads from active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) can experience excessive heating near the lead-tip, depending on...
During Magnetic Resonance (MR) scans, abandoned leads from active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) can experience excessive heating near the lead-tip, depending on the types of termination applied to the proximal end. The influence of different proximal treatments, i.e., (i) freely exposed in the tissue, (ii) capped with metallic material, and (iii) capped with plastic material on the RF-induced heating are studied. Abandoned leads from a sacral neuromodulation (SNM) system were investigated in this study. The device models, i.e., the transfer functions, for different proximal treatments were developed. These models are then used to assess the in-vivo lead-tip heating inside four virtual human models (FATS, Duke, Ella, and Billie). The RF-induced heating from these abandoned leads with different proximal end treatments are compared with the lead-tip heating of the original AIMD system. The maximum lead-tip heating for abandoned leads using metal cap at the proximal end is lower than that from the original intact AIMD system. Abandoned leads with plastic cap treatment at the proximal end will lead to an average in-vivo temperature that is 3.5 times higher than that from the original intact AIMD system. Therefore, from this study and in terms of the RF-induced heating, the abandoned leads with metallic cap treatment at the proximal end can maintain the MR conditionality of the original AIMD system.Clinical Relevance- The different treatments of proximal end of the abandoned leads from AIMD are studied to ensure that MR Conditional AIMD leads remain MR Conditional when the leads are abandoned in the patients.
Topics: Heating; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Metals; Prostheses and Implants
PubMed: 34892810
DOI: 10.1109/EMBC46164.2021.9630892 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Over the last decades, the implementation of new technology in cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators as well as the increasing life expectancy have been associated with... (Review)
Review
Over the last decades, the implementation of new technology in cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators as well as the increasing life expectancy have been associated with a higher incidence of transvenous lead complications over time. Variable degrees of venous stenosis at the level of the subclavian vein, the innominate trunk and the superior vena cava are reported in up to 50% of implanted patients. Importantly, the number of implanted leads seems to be the main risk factor for such complications. Extraction of abandoned or dysfunctional leads is a potential solution to overcome venous stenosis in case of device upgrades requiring additional leads, but also, in addition to venous angioplasty and stenting, to reduce symptoms related to the venous stenosis itself, i.e., the superior vena cava syndrome. This review explores the role of transvenous lead extraction procedures as therapeutical option in case of central venous disorders related to transvenous cardiac leads. We also describe the different extraction techniques available and other clinical indications for lead extractions such as lead infections. Finally, we discuss the alternative therapeutic options for cardiac stimulation or defibrillation in case of chronic venous occlusions that preclude the implant of conventional transvenous cardiac devices.
PubMed: 35282352
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.783576