Background: Lumbar degenerative disc disease is one of the most common conditions associated with chronic low back pain. IntraSPINE® is a novel inter-laminar device that allows more physiological rocking-type movements in flexion and extension. Aim: To evaluate the results of patients with symptomatic Lumbar degenerative disc disease treated with an IntraSPINE® device and followed up over a 3-year period. Materials and Methods: A Prospective longitudinal research study involving patients with imaging-confirmed Lumbar degenerative disc disease in whom conservative treatment was unsuccessful. Outcome measures were changes over baseline score on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and low back and radicular pain assessed at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months postoperatively. Overall success, a composite outcome that included key safety and clinical considerations, was assessed. Secondary outcomes included satisfaction with symptoms, employment status and post-surgery medical interventions. To compare differences in longitudinal clinical score patterns over 36 months, a mixed-effect model ANCOVA with repeated measurements was performed, with adjustment for low back and radicular pain score and ODI score at baseline. Results: 231 patients were recruited and 180 completed the study. A significant improvement in ODI score (p=0.0597), as well as in VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) scores for back (p= 0.0228) and leg pain (p<0.0001) was observed during the follow-up. For ODI score, the mean percentage decrease from inclusion to month 36 was 64.5%. These scores were respectively 66.2% for radicular pain and 46.4% for low back pain. In 73% of cases, surgery was considered successful. 89% of working patients returned to work and 68% of patients were very satisfied at month 12. Only four patients presented intraoperative complications.

Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdose is one of the most common causes of serious drug poisoning in children. Amitriptyline is a major TCA drug that is used widely. Tricyclic antidepressant intoxications are very important because of their severe adverse effects and probable fatal outcomes. It may cause cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological side effects. Poisoning results in hypotension, cardiac dysrhythmia, depression of the central nervous system (CNS) and seizures. The most common effects on the central nervous system are agitation, lethargy, seizures, and coma. Cardiovascular toxicities manifest itself especially with electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities, arrhythmias, and refractory hypotension and they are the leading cause of fatal outcome. Treatments in TCA overdose are mainly conservative including gastric lavage, activated charcoal and vasopressors for hypotension, sodium bicarbonate for dysrhythmias, and benzodiazepines for seizures. Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) also has an effective role in the treatment of fatal cardiac arrhythmias occurring in high-dose amitriptyline intoxication. Intravenous lipid emulsions have been increasingly studied as antidotes to reverse acute, life-threatening drug toxicity. Unpredictable and poor results with hemoperfusion (HP) and hemodialysis (HD) should be expected, as the drug binds rapidly to tissues and has a large volume of distribution. But beside it, in the last few years, HP has been successfully used in severe TCA overdose, especially in patients with persistent respiratory, cardiac, and neurologic symptoms. Besides all these, recently, plasma exchange, have been increasingly used. A reduction of plasma levels by 63% after plasmapheresis in TCA poisoning has been reported. Here, we report a successful treatment of plasma exchange 3 year patient with amitriptyline overdose who had arrhythmias and seizures that did not respond all to conservative therapies.

There is ample evidence that allergic disorders such as asthma, rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are mediated by oxidative stress. Excessive exposure to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species is the hallmark of oxidative stress and leads to damage of proteins, lipids and DNA. Oxidative stress occurs not only as a result of inflammation but also from environmental exposure to air pollution and cigarette smoke. The specific localization of antioxidant enzymes in the lung and the rapid reaction of nitric oxide with reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide, suggests that antioxidant enzymes might also function as cell-signalling agents or regulators of cell signalling. Therapeutic interventions that decrease exposure to environmental reactive oxygen species or augment endogenous antioxidant defences might be beneficial as adjunctive therapies in allergic rhinitis.

Acute ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease are the major causes of death in Palestine and in the world. The prevalence of coronary artery disease has been reported in one fifth of stroke patients. Although high incidence rate of acute myocardial infarction after recent ischemic stroke and the high risk of acute ischemic stroke after recent myocardial infarction has been reported in several clinical or observational studies. So that acute or recent problem in the heart or brain that could result in an acute infarction of the other. In this review we describe the definition and new classification of the cardio-cerebral infarction syndrome with 3 subtypes that reflect the definition, pathophysiology and treatment options.

Mucormycoses are opportunistic, rare, aggressive, often rapidly fatal infections caused by fungi of the zygomycete class. They are most often associated with decompensated diabetes or immunosuppression. They manifest themselves in different forms, the rhino-cerebral localization of which is the most frequent. The early diagnosis of this affection is essentially based on the histopathological analysis. Therefore, it must be evoked and sought by biopsies in any diabetic or immunocompromised patient suffering from complicated rhinosinusitis. We present in this work the case of a 14-year-old patient who suffered from rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis successfully treated in our department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.