BACKGROUND "Low dead space" syringes with permanently attached needles retain less fluid, blood, and HIV after use than standard "high dead space" syringes. This reduces the probability of HIV transmission if they are shared by people who inject drugs (PWID). The World Health Organization recently recommended that needle and syringe programs (NSP) offer clients low dead space syringes. The succ...

Brain foreign bodies and penetrating missile injuries of the brain are familiar topics for Iranian physicians, especially after Iran and Iraq war. But it’s not easily plausible that there is a couple of sewing needles in the cranium of a patient who has not any history of head trauma or penetrating injury. The patient was a 42-year-old man who admitted in neurology ward of Mottahari Hospital in...

Unfavorable anthropogenic factors, such as air pollution, lead to biochemical responses in trees. Changes in the amounts of secondary metabolites may be early indicators of invisible injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate composition of the essential oils in the needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in the areas affected by pollutant emissions of main factories in Lithuan...

Background. A prominent nasolabial fold (NLF) is a cosmetic problem. Currently, numerous therapeutic modalities are available for pronounced NLFs with variable efficacy. Objective. To determine the efficacy and safety of subcision using a hypodermic needle for the correction of the prominent NLFs and its effect on skin elasticity. Methods. Sixteen patients with prominent NLFs underwent subcisio...

OBJECTIVES To preclinically evaluate drug-eluting biopsy needles (patent pending WO2016118026) as a new potential way of antimicrobial prophylaxis for transrectal prostate biopsy. METHODS Twenty steel biopsy needles have been coated with polyvinyl alcohol, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin. Modified biopsy needles have been randomly divided into 3 groups (1:2:1 ratio). Needles from group I were imm...

BACKGROUND The masking properties of a new, non-penetrating, double-blind placebo acupuncture needle were demonstrated. Practitioners correctly identified some of the needles; if they were confident in this opinion, they would be unblinded. OBJECTIVE To investigate the clues that led to correct identification, and the confidence in this decision. METHODS Ten acupuncture practitioners, blind...

OBJECTIVES To introduce atraumatic (Sprotte) lumbar puncture needles and compare complication rates with traumatic (Quincke) needles. DESIGN Complication rates associated with traumatic needle use were retrospectively analysed over a four-week period. Atraumatic needles were then implemented and a prospective analysis of the complication rates was undertaken for a further six weeks. SETTING...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are commonly used in the treatment of spinal pain. The success of these procedures depends on the accuracy of needle placement, which is influenced by needle size and shape. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to examine and quantify the deviation of commonly used spinal needles based on needle tip design and gauge, using a bal...