Vol 27, No 9 (2025): Otorhinolaryngology and pulmonology

Background. Combined gunshot wounds (GSWs) causes hypoxic disorders, most pronounced in cases of damage to the chest. However, with any severe gunshot injury, all the organs are susceptible to varying degrees of contusion injury, and massive blood loss triggers a cascade of pathophysiological reactions leading to acute lung damage.

Aim. To study the lung function in various periods after severe GSWs of non-thoracic localization.

Materials and methods. The study included 30 patients with a diagnosis of combined combat injury, 100% men, 100% smokers, median age 37 years. The median period from injury (Me) was 63.5 (28–136) days.

Results. A prospective cross-sectional study was performed. The total sample was divided into groups: group 1–19 patients with combined GSWs received over a period of 3 months, group 2–11 patients with combined GSWs received more than 3 months ago from the date of the study. All patients underwent spirometry, body plethysmography, and a diffusion test. In the total group, 3 patients had obstructive ventilation disorders, 37% (11/30, most of whom suffered injuries to their limbs) had impaired lung diffusion capacity (decreased DLco). In addition, in group 2, lower values of forced exhalation volume in 1 second are noteworthy (FEV₁ 115% pred. and 102% pred. in groups 1 and 2, respectively; p=0.01) and a higher incidence of decreased DLco (in 21% and 64% of cases in groups 1 and 2, respectively; p=0.026).

Conclusion. Special attention should be paid to the lung function in patients with severe traumatic limb injuries. Due to massive blood loss and shock in the early post-traumatic period, a cascade of pathophysiological reactions is triggered, leading to damage to lung tissue of varying severity, which can subsequently lead to functional disorders of the respiratory system, primarily a decreased diffusion capacity of lungs.

Over the past decades, substantial progress has been made in the management of bronchial asthma, with the therapeutic landscape expanding to include genetically engineered biologic agents. These agents enable precision medicine approaches tailored to individual patient phenotypes and disease characteristics, facilitating not only the achievement of clinical response but also clinical remission and potential disease-modifying effects. We report a clinical case demonstrating the use of tezepelumab – a thymic stromal lymphopoietin inhibitor – recently introduced into pediatric practice in the Russian Federation. During a 6-month follow-up, treatment with tezepelumab resulted in sustained asthma control, normalization of peripheral blood eosinophil counts, and a reduction in the need for inhaled therapy.

Sleep and Klotho share physiological pathways with the aging process, as both play a significant role in the endocrine and immune systems and, consequently, in the processes of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which in turn are the main pathogenetic links of obstructive sleep apnea and Klotho deficiency. Improving the quantity and quality of sleep can be considered a therapeutic approach against aging to prevent, slow down and even reverse physiological decline and degenerative pathologies.

Background. Studies show that from 0.1 to 1% of the population suffers from otosclerosis, manifested by hearing loss and ear noise. Surgical treatment is performed using stapedoplasty, but there is always a risk of sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness and facial nerve paralysis. The laser method of stapedoplasty can reduce the risks, but it is also associated with potential negative consequences. Our study is aimed at analyzing the histological changes in the auditory ossicles after exposure to a diode blue laser with a wavelength of 445 nm.

Aim. To evaluate microstructural (histological) changes in the auditory bones (in particular the base of the stirrup) during stapedoplasty using a diode blue laser; to analyze the size of perforations in bone tissue and identify the effects of thermal effects on neighboring intact structures.

Materials and methods. To histologically assess the safety of using a diode laser with a wavelength of 445 nm, an experimental study was conducted on frozen human auditory bones. Laser exposure was performed on different areas of the bones with different parameters of power and exposure time, selected on the basis of previous studies. After exposure, the samples were fixed in a formalin solution and sent for histological analysis.

Results. The effect of thermal exposure, represented by areas of necrosis surrounded by perforated holes, showed values from 487 to 727 µm, with an average value of 608.6±91.5 µm. These data emphasize the focused nature of thermal exposure, while the preserved areas around bone defects did not reveal morphological differences with stirrup bones in the control group.

Conclusion. Microstructural measurements provided important information about the size of perforations and thermal effects, and histological analysis of the auditory ossicles confirmed their relative resistance to laser exposure, and thus the safety of exposure to the structures of the middle and inner ear. These results will be useful for further improvement of laser stapedoplasty techniques and increase its safety.

Surgical intervention on the nose is a complex of operations aimed at restoring the anatomical and physiological structure of the nose. Traditionally, various methods are used in nasal surgery: the use of the patient's own tissues (autoplastic operations), implantation of biomaterials taken from other people (alloplastic operations), or synthetic or artificial materials to eliminate defects. However, the number of autogenous cartilages is limited, not to mention that additional incisions inevitably occur during the extraction of ear cartilage and rib cartilage, which can lead to complications in the donor area. Tissue engineering, which has been actively developing for many years, represents a promising approach to the reconstruction of tissues and organs, including the nose. Recently, there has been increased interest in creating new tissues and skeletons for organs using 3D printing technology. This technology allows precise control of the microarchitecture and internal structure, which creates ideal conditions for cell population. There are only a few studies devoted to tissue engineering of cartilage tissue, the use of stem cells and growth factors for this purpose. This review provides basic information about available research on standard surgical approaches, as well as the use of stem cells, biomaterials and three-dimensional printing for nasal reconstruction.

Objective. Viral pharyngitis, commonly known as a sore throat, is a widespread condition affecting people of all ages globally. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a medical device containing the combined drugs of natural essential oils (CDNEO) formulation in managing throat pain in patients with acute viral pharyngitis. With the growing resistance to traditional antibacterial treatments, essential oils have attracted interest for their potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

Results. The study involved 81 patients randomly divided into two groups: those taking a medical device containing combined drugs of natural essential oils (CDNEO) and those taking a placebo. A questionnaire was used to assess throat pain among the participants, with 45 receiving the CDNEO and 36 the placebo. The CDNEO group experienced a significant reduction in throat pain, with the average Visual analogue scale score decreasing from 5.36 to 1.09, compared to the placebo group, which saw a decrease from 4.97 to 2.19. This difference, with p<0.001, indicates statistical significance. Additionally, fewer patients in the CDNEO group required nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, highlighting significant differences in pain management and recovery times.

Conclusion. By using a double-blind research method, it was possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the oils more objectively, since there was also a control placebo group. The study shows that CDNEO significantly reduces throat pain and decreases the need for additional pain relief medication in patients with acute viral pharyngitis. The findings suggest that natural essential oils could serve as an alternative treatment for pharyngitis, particularly in efforts to minimize nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and combat antibiotic resistance.

This article is published in the journal Consilium Medicum in Russian with the permission of the copyright holders. The original article: Katoviča D, Ronis M, Rundāne B. Local Application of Combined Drugs of Natural Essential Oils for the Prevention of Acute Pharyngitis. International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery. 2024;13:311-20. DOI: 10.4236/ijohns.2024.135028 is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).