Search Results (3)

Background: Intravenous nutrient therapies (IVNTs) have gained popularity on the commercial market. Targeted at people with a variety of ailments and needs, the procedures allegedly offer numerous benefits and quick results, widely advertised on the websites of drip bars and health clinics as well as in the available literature. What is less often presented is the point of view of the customers of such services and the opinions of health personnel. Although the latter perspective seems to be crucial, little is known about it. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to present the opinions and experiences of health professionals (n = 188) on commercially available IVNTs dedicated to adults. Methods: The study was conducted between April 2019 and March 2020 by means of a survey using an ad hoc questionnaire made available mainly to health professionals attending public health postgraduate courses at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. Results: As many as 91.5% of the respondents had heard of commercially available IVNTs (mostly from the media), and 47.3% knew of a facility offering such services. Among the possible situations where the use of IVNTs would be justified, the most commonly mentioned was a diagnosed nutrient deficiency (37.8%), while the least common ones were libido problems (1.1%) and the need to speed up metabolism (2.1%). For 25.5% of the respondents, there was no good rationale for using IVNTs. As many as 15.4% had no opinion on the subject. Health risks of IVNTs were recognised by 95.2% of professionals, with the biggest concerns being the lack of full information on patients’ health status and medical contraindications (84%), the risk of overdose and interactions (77.1%), and hypersensitivity or allergic reactions (75.5%). Among the reasons for IVNTs’ popularity, the respondents listed not only fads spread by celebrities and social media (89.4%) and the need for quick, effortless remedies (77.1%), but also reasons inherent in the Polish healthcare system. As many as 80.3% of the respondents stressed the need for public health institutions to take a stand on commercial IVNTs. Knowing of an IVNT facility was not significantly associated with the opinions of professionals in key areas. Conclusion: Postgraduate public health courses are a good opportunity to engage health professionals in discussions about the current challenges, trends, and needs in the area of health promotion and healthcare. This study’s findings shed some light on the opinions about IVNTs held by health professionals, who are important stakeholders of the healthcare system. Thus, these findings may help to better understand the popularity of IVNTs and incorporate health professionals’ perspectives in future efforts aiming to increase the awareness of IVNT-related health risks among both professionals and patients. Full article

Patients with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) suffer from postural imbalance during daily life conditions, which in turn leads to a high frequency of falls. Unfortunately, vestibular rehabilitation has only modest and somewhat inconsistent effects in this patient group. Approximately 50% of BVP patients show an improved postural control after conventional vestibular rehabilitation training. New and more promising approaches are required. The individualized vibrotactile neurofeedback training (IVNT) in stance and gait conditions has already been described as highly effective in patients with various vestibular disorders. The purpose of the present multicenter study was to determine the efficacy of the IVNT in improving balance, reducing self-perceived disability, and improving gait in patients with confirmed BVP. In total, 22 patients performed the IVNT with the Vertiguard^® system for 10 daily sessions. The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), the stance stability score of the sensory organization test (SOT) and the score for everyday life mobility in stance and gait tasks (SBDT) were obtained immediately before and after the rehabilitation training period, as well as 3 and 12 months later. All measures improved significantly after the IVNT. Between 77.3% and 94.4% of patients showed an individual benefit (depending on outcome measure). The effect was not significantly reduced within the follow-up period of 12 months. The results demonstrate a high efficacy of the IVNT for vestibular rehabilitation in BVP patients. Full article

The aim of our study is to evaluate different implant surface treatments using TiIV and TiV in in vitro and in vivo studies. An in vitro study was established comprising four study groups with treated and untreated TiIV titanium discs (TiIVT and TiIVNT) and treated and untreated TiV titanium discs (TiVT and TiVNT). The surface treatment consisted in a grit blasting treatment with alumina and double acid passivation to modify surface roughness. The surface chemical composition and the surface microstructure of the samples were analyzed. The titanium discs were subjected to cell cultures to determine cell adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts on them. The in vivo study was carried out on the tibia of three New Zealand rabbits in which 18 implants divided into three experimental groups were placed (TiIVT, TiIVNT, and TiVT). Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was performed to determine bone density around the implants. The results showed that cell culture had minor adhesion and cell proliferation in TiIVT and TiVT within the first 6 and 24 h. However, no differences were found after 48 h. No statistically significant differences were found in the in vivo micro-CT and histological study; however, there was a positive trend in bone formation in the groups with a treated surface. Conclusions: All groups showed a similar response to in vitro cell proliferation cultures after 48 h. No statistically significant differences were found in the in vivo micro-CT and histological study. Full article