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Objective: This retrospective study examines the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and substance use disorder (SUD) in a community hospital setting., Methods: This retrospective chart review explored the association between SUD and PPD in a community hospital. Data from January 2016 to December 2018 were extracted from electronic medical records (EPIC EMR (Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WI)), identifying mothers with PPD (n = 99) using billing code F53.0. Substance use disorder was assessed using diagnostic codes F10-F19. Odds ratios (OR), relative risk (RR), and chi-square tests were calculated to quantify and assess the significance of the association between SUD and PPD. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB)., Results: Among 2,517 deliveries during the study period, 51 cases of PPD co-occurred with SUD. Mothers with SUD had a 4.3 times higher risk of PPD compared to those without SUD (OR = 4.8), highlighting a significant association., Discussion: These findings emphasize the importance of screening for PPD and SUD in pregnant and postpartum women, especially in community healthcare settings where routine screening may be limited. Targeted interventions can mitigate adverse effects on maternal and infant well-being., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Tower Health Institutional Review Board issued approval (2023-030). Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Espiridion et al.)

While the financial advantages of hair coloring and tattooing are widely acknowledged, environmental hazards and health risks linked to this trend due to their p-phenylenediamine (PPD) content have received less attention. Health education on hair-dying products is warranted to enhance the public's awareness of hair-dying ingredients and their side effects.  A cross-sectional study was therefore conducted with 319 students to assess knowledge of ecotoxicity, health risks, and practices of hair dyeing and tattooing among undergraduate students. A random sample of 59 students was checked for any allergic morphology in the scalp and exposed areas of skin near the neck, ears, palms, and nails. Responses collected were used for data analyses using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 17 (Released 2008; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Use of hair dye was significantly high among study participants 58.5% (n=187; p<0.05). However, their knowledge regarding the presence of PPD in hair dyes and associated environmental toxicity (37.8%, n=121) was very limited. The majority of participants did not do any allergy tests before applying hair dye (88.9%, n=283). The study revealed that the main reason for hair coloring was as a fashion statement (93.7%, n=299). Regarding tattooing practices, 96.9% (n=309) of study participants had never practiced tattoos, and hence, the prevalence of tattooing was 3.9% (n=12). These data confirmed that the practice of hair dyeing as a style statement was high among students. However, the majority were unaware of their PPD contents and their potential ecotoxicity and health risks., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Sayed et al.)

Background: Viral warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), are difficult to treat with conventional modalities, and are cosmetically disfiguring; hence, immunomodulators are being used. The viral origin of warts suggests the antiviral drug acyclovir as a potential therapeutic option. The current study compares the effect of intralesional acyclovir (nucleoside analogue) and intralesional purified protein derivative (PPD) (immunotherapy) in treating various viral warts., Methodology: Prospective observational comparative study was conducted to determine the efficacy of acyclovir, and PPD administered via the intralesional route in patients with viral warts. The study population was categorized into two groups. One group received intralesional acyclovir, and the other received intralesional PPD. Patients were followed-up with for three months. Outcomes considered in our study were recovery (complete, partial, and no recovery) and side effects like pain, burning sensation, and desquamation. Statistical analysis was carried out by coguide software., Results: In our study total of 40 participants, 20 in each group were included. 25 and 15 were of age <30, and ≥ 30, respectively, while 20 were males, and 20 females. Our study reported 60%, and 30% of complete recovery with intralesional acyclovir treatment and intralesional PPD treatment, respectively, in the twelfth week. However, p-value > 0.05 represented no significance between groups. 90% in the acyclovir-treated group presented with pain, and 100% presented with burning sensation, while in the case of PPD-treated group, 60% presented no side effects and the rest 40% showed pain., Conclusions: Intralesional acyclovir is more effective in treating viral warts than PPD. The focus is to be laid on anticipated side effects., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Meghana Reddy et al.)

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is one of the most common skin disorders seen among patients attending dermatology clinics in India. Patch testing is the gold standard for diagnosing ACD. The clinical-epidemiological pattern of ACD and the allergen-causing it may be different in different geographic locations. Finding the profile of allergens commonly causing ACD in a particular region will help to formulate prevention strategies for the development of ACD., Aim and Objective: The primary aim of the study was to find out the clinical-epidemiological distribution of allergic contact dermatitis and to identify the common allergens causing it by patch testing in this region of India., Materials and Methods: A total of 111 cases of ACD were included in the study. Clinico epidemiological profiles of all patients were documented. The patch testing was performed in the outpatient department using the antigens of the Indian Standard Series kit (Systopic Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India). Patches were removed after 48 hours (two days) of application. The first reading was taken 15 to 20 minutes after the removal of patches on day two. A second reading was taken on day four (96 hours of application) to confirm the presence of an allergic reaction.  Results: The patch test was found to be positive in 69% of cases. It was observed that male persons from lower socioeconomic status were getting ACD on most accounts. Potassium dichromate (PDC) was found to be the most common allergen (30.43%) followed by parthenium (26.08%), para-phenylenediamine (PPD) (21.73%), nickel sulfate (18.84%), chlorocresol (15.94%), black rubber (14.49%), cobalt sulfate (13.04%), and wool alcohols (7.24%) respectively., Conclusion: Our study showed potassium dichromate is the commonest allergen causing ACD in this part of the country. The importance of patch testing lies mainly in educating the patient regarding the avoidance of exposure to particular allergens to avoid the development of new ACD as well as an exaggeration of pre-existing ACD., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Sahu et al.)