Mouth Ulcers Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Mouth Ulcers, including details on treatment, causes, medication, remedies.

Disease-Specific, Versus Standard, Nutritional Support for the Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in Institutionalized Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Cereda E, Gini A, Pedrolli C, Vanotti A

International Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether a disease-specific nutritional approach is more beneficial than a standard dietary approach to the healing of pressure ulcers (PUs) in institutionalized elderly patients. DESIGN: Twelve-week follow-up randomized controlled trial (RCT). SETTING: Four long-term care facilities in the province of Como, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight elderly subjects with Stage II, III, and IV PUs of recent onset (<1-month history). INTERVENTION: All 28 patients received 30 kcal/kg per day nutritional support; of these, 15 received standard nutrition (hospital diet or standard enteral formula; 16% calories from protein), whereas 13 were administered a disease-specific nutrition treatment consisting of the standard diet plus a 400-mL oral supplement or specific enteral formula enriched with protein (20% of the total calories), arginine, zinc, and vitamin C (P<.001 for all nutrients vs control). MEASUREMENTS: Ulcer healing was evaluated using the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH; 0=complete healing, 17=greatest severity) tool and area measurement (mm(2) and %). RESULTS: The sampled groups were well matched for age, sex, nutritional status, oral intake, type of feeding, and ulcer severity. After 12 weeks, both groups showed significant improvement (P<.001). The treatment produced a higher rate of healing, the PUSH score revealing a significant difference at Week 12 (-6.1+/-2.7 vs -3.3+/-2.4; P<.05) and the reduction in ulcer surface area significantly higher in the treated patients already by Week 8 (-1,140.9+/-669.2 mm(2) vs -571.7+/-391.3 mm(2); P<.05 and approximately 57% vs approximately 33%; P<.02). CONCLUSION: The rate of PU healing appears to accelerate when a nutrition formula enriched with protein, arginine, zinc, and vitamin C is administered, making such a formula preferable to a standardized one, but the present data require further confirmation by high-quality RCTs conducted on a larger scale.

Published 30 June 2009 in J Am Geriatr Soc.
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Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 29 June 2009:

Immune-mediated coagulopathy: a case report.   Pharmacotherapy, 29(7): 13S-7S.

Surgical hemostasis may be achieved by using a number of physical, chemical, or biologic methods. One such method is with topical thrombin; however, one member of that class of drugs, bovine-derived thrombin, is associated with potentially serious consequences such as development of immune-mediated coagulopathy. This case report describes a 61-year-old man with peripheral artery disease who presented with a nonhealing ulcer between his toes. Previous exposure to bovine thrombin was unknown but ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 24 June 2009:

Comparison of the clinical features of recurrent aphthous stomatitis and Behçet's disease.   Clin Exp Dermatol.

Summary Background. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) presents a diagnostic problem in Behçet's disease (BD), particularly when it occurs as the only or earliest feature of the disease. To date, there have been only a few reports studying the differences in characteristics between RAS and BD. Aim. To examine the clinical differences between RAS and BD using a large group of patients. Methods. A retrospective review was carried out, analysing demographic data, the clinical features of the ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 22 June 2009:

M-cell targeting of whole killed bacteria induces protective immunity against gastrointestinal pathogens.   Infect Immun, 77(7): 2962-70.

As the majority of human pathogens infect via a mucosal surface, delivery of killed vaccines by mucosal routes could potentially improve protection against many such organisms. Our ability to develop effective killed mucosal vaccines is inhibited by a lack of adjuvants that are safe and effective in humans. The Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) lectin specifically binds M cells lining the murine gastrointestinal tract. We explored the potential for M-cell-targeted vaccination of whole, killed ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Corneal ulceration due to vitamin A deficiency in Zellweger syndrome.   J AAPOS, 13(3): 289-91.

We report a case of vitamin A deficiency and secondary corneal ulcer in an infant with Zellweger syndrome. A 7-month-old infant with failure to thrive and malnutrition developed a corneal ulcer. Fortified antibiotic eye drops were administered without improvement. Vitamin A deficiency was suspected and confirmed. Supplementation with oral vitamin A decreased corneal opacification. Zellweger syndrome was later diagnosed. Vitamin A deficiency should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 12 June 2009:

HSP70 CONFERS PROTECTION AGAINST INDOMETHACIN-INDUCED LESIONS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE.   J Pharmacol Exp Ther.

In line with improvements in diagnostic procedures to detect intestinal lesions, it has become clear that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as indomethacin induce lesions not only in the stomach but also in the small intestine. However, clinical protocols for the treatment of NSAID-induced lesions of the small intestine have not been established. It is known that heat shock proteins (HSPs), particularly HSP70, confer protection against various stressors and more recently the ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 11 June 2009:

Efficacy of a 7-day course of furazolidone, levofloxacin, and lansoprazole after failed Helicobacter pylori eradication.   BMC Gastroenterol, 9: 38.

BACKGROUND: Increasing resistance to clarithromycin and nitroimidazole is the main cause of failure in the Helicobacter pylori eradication. The ideal retreatment regimen remains unclear, especially in developing countries, where the infection presents high prevalence and resistance to antibiotics. The study aimed at determining the efficacy, compliance and adverse effects of a regimen that included furazolidone, levofloxacin and lansoprazole in patients with persistent Helicobacter pylori ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 9 June 2009:

Antiulcer activity of fluvoxamine in rats and its effect on oxidant and antioxidant parameters in stomach tissue.   BMC Gastroenterol, 9: 36.

BACKGROUND: Although many drugs are available for the treatment of gastric ulcers, often these drugs are ineffective. Many antidepressant drugs have been shown to have antiulcer activity in various models of experimental ulcer. One such drug, the antidepressant mirtazapine, has been reported to have an antiulcer effect that involves an increase in antioxidant, and a decrease in oxidant, parameters. To date, however, there is no information available regarding the antiulcer activity for a ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Mouth Ulcers published 8 June 2009:

Seven-day intravenous low-dose omeprazole infusion reduces peptic ulcer rebleeding for patients with comorbidities.   Gastrointest Endosc.

BACKGROUND: Patients with comorbidities have an increased risk of ulcer rebleeding, especially within the 28 days after endoscopic therapy. Omeprazole infusion can prevent rebleeding after endoscopic therapy in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding. However, the optimal duration is uncertain, especially for those patients with comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prolonged low-dose intravenous omeprazole could reduce rebleeding for patients with comorbidities. DESIGN: A prospective ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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