Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a concern in shoulder surgery, especially during arthroplasty. Whilemany studies have explored the characteristics and efficacy of different sterilizing solutions, no study has evaluated themethod of application. The purpose of this study was to compare two popular pre-surgical preparatory applications (two4 x 4 cm gauze sponges and applicator s...

Clinical mycology laboratories now prepare fewer tease mounts of filamentous fungi but increasingly use a variety of tape touch or Scotch Tape methods to microscopically study molds. Mounts are often prepared with clear cellophane tape by a procedure similar to that described in Larone’s Third Edition of Medically Important Fungi: a Guide to Identification (1). Because it is not the most common...

100 random fecal samples sent to the clinical laboratory of the Aga Khan University Hospital were used. Microscopy was done by direct wet mount in which approximately 2 mg of feces (the amount that usually adheres to one end of the wooden applicator stick) was thoroughly emulsified on a glass slide in one dropofphysiologic salineandcovered with acoverslip. A similar preparation was made on anot...

The serogrouping of isolated beta-hemolytic streptococcal colonies from throat cultures by a micronitrous acid extraction method employing Phadebact Streptotoccus Test reagents was compared with results obtained with the direct-plate Phadebact procedure and the autoclave and Streptomyces albus enzyme-lysozyme extraction methods. These data were compared with those from the Lancefield grouping o...

Formulations of the repellent diethyl methyl benzamide (deet) were evaluated against mosquitoes in field tests conducted in Sisaket Province, northeastern Thailand. Thirty-three percent deet in an applicator stick provided > or = 87.1% protection against primarily Culex vishnui, Cx. gelidus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus for up to 5 h, and 50% deet in ethanol provided > or = 93.3% protection agains...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To elaborate a method for applicator reconstruction for MRI-based brachytherapy for cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Custom-made plastic catheters with a copper sulphate solution were made for insertion in the source channels of MR-CT compatible applicators: plastic and titanium tandem ring applicators, and titanium needles. The applicators were CT and MR scanned ...

Currently, patients having cervical cancer with extension into the lower vagina are being treated with a combination of the Fletcher-Suit applicator, which treats the cervix, and a vaginal cylinder, which treats the lower vagina. With this method, patients receive two separate implants-a procedure that creates greater uncertainty in the dose distribution and unnecessary patient inconvenience. T...

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is one of the accepted treatment modalities in gastro-intestinal tract and bladder carcinomas. Considering the shortcoming of contact brachytherapy routinely used in gastrointestinal tract in treatment of big tumors or invasive method of bladder treatment, an intraluminal applicator with the capability of insertion into the tumor depth seems to be useful. This...

The design concept and dosimetric characteristics of a new applicator system for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) are presented in this work. A new hard-docking commercial system includes polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) applicators with different diameters and applicator end angles and a set of secondary lead collimators. A telescopic device allows changing of source-to-surface distance (S...

Model-based dose calculation algorithms have recently been incorporated into brachytherapy treatment planning systems, and their introduction requires critical evaluation before clinical implementation. Here, we present an experimental evaluation of Oncentra® Brachy Advanced Collapsed-cone Engine (ACE) for a multichannel vaginal cylinder (MCVC) applicator using radiochromic film. A uniform dose...