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BACKGROUND Skin diseases are very common among people living in poor countries. Although many of these pathologies might not be fatal, some can have a great impact on the patient, impairing their ability to work or worsening his/her relationship with the community. Understanding the epidemiology of skin diseases in these areas, determining the prevalence of different disorders, is fundamental to develop better educational and preventative programs. METHODS We collected data from 467 consecutive patients referring to the Dermatology Center of the Axum Referral Hospital (Tigray region, Ethiopia). We investigated health status and environmental data. Diagnoses were classified into 6 groups (i.e. infectious, inflammatory, etc.). A statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSSTM software version 25.0.1 (IBM SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois) and StataTM software release 14.2 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas). Normality of the distributions was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Categorical variables are compared with the use of the Chi Square test or the Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. RESULTS Inflammatory and infectious diseases were the most frequently observed. No significant differences in inferential tests between access to water, housing, education level, and any diagnoses group were found. Curiously, a statistically significant difference between inflammatory diseases and unemployment was found. CONCLUSIONS Easier access to medical care, medications, and clean water, together with a cleaner work and home environment, are the first goals to be achieved in order to decrease morbidity in these areas.BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory disease with a chronic-relapsing course that is intensely itchy. A correct diagnosis of AD in adults and consequently appropriate clinical therapeutical management is a critical issue for extreme clinical expression heterogeneity and various grades of disease severity. In order to ensure high levels of care and standardization of clinical therapeutic management of Adult AD, the decision was taken to create an AD Tuscan Consensus Group (the Group), to work on and validate a consensus based regional clinical-therapeutic management model. The aims of the Group were to find agreement on the criteria for diagnosis, scoring of severity, multidisciplinary approach and treatment of adult atopic dermatitis and to create an easier way for patients to access specialized dermatology outpatient services and importantly to reduce waiting lists and costs related to the management of AD. METHODS The Tuscan Consensus Group adopted a simplified Delphi method, in three principal steps – literature metanalysis and critical review of patient’s clinical experience to identify the main areas considered questionable or uncertain; – discussion of those areas requiring consensus and statement definition through four different sub- committees (diagnosis, severity evaluation, scoring and comorbidities); – a consensus based simplified process with final approval of each statement by plenary vote with approval >80% of the participants. CONCLUSIONS The Group here presents and discusses the consensus based recommendation statements on adult atopic dermatitis.INTRODUCTION Laser therapy (LT), which stimulates natural biological processes in the application region, is frequently used in dental treatments. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of LT that could increase wound healing on fibroblast cells in vitro. selleck compound METHODS Twenty-four hours after preparing the fibroblast cell culture plates, laser irradiation was performed 1, 2, and 3 times according to the test groups using an NdYAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) laser with a power output of 0.5 W, 1 W, 2 W, and 3 W. Cell proliferation analysis was performed by MTT (methylthiazole diphenyl tetrazolium) assay at the twenty-fourth hour following the last laser application. RESULTS In terms of the laser irradiation power level, the most proliferation was observed in 1 W and 2 W application groups. Although a statistically significant increase was observed, particularly at 0.5 W, the increase at 1 W was greater than at a power output of 0.5 W. In terms of the number of laser irradiation applications, the most proliferation was observed in 2 and 3 application groups. The highest proliferation value was obtained with 1 W of power for 2 applications, and the lowest was with 3 W of power for 3 applications. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study show LT increased fibroblast cell proliferation, depending on the power output level of the laser and number of applications. In addition to the proliferation and mitotic activity of the fibroblast cells, the results demonstrate that LT could increase wound healing after oral surgery and periodontal treatments.INTRODUCTION The course of both the bacterial species and load and the incidence of infection during negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) are unclear, with published studies presenting contradicting results. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to assess the changes in both bacterial species and load, as well as the incidence of infection, before and after NPWT in a patient population with a variety of wounds. METHODS Surgical patients 18 years of age or older who needed NPWT were included in this multicenter, prospective cohort study. A wound swab culture was taken before NPWT and either immediately following NPWT or 6 weeks of follow-up. The change of bacterial species, bacterial load, and rate of infection were determined before and after the start of NPWT. RESULTS In total, 104 patients were analyzed. The number of positive cultures increased from pre- to post-NPWT. The most cultured pathogenic bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial load was moderately higher at the end of NPWT than at the start (P ⟨ .0001). It was noted that 2 swabs contained multidrug-resistant bacteria, 1 pre-NPWT and 1 post-NPWT. Prior to NPWT, 26 patients had a wound infection, 5 of which had a persisting infection at the end of the study. Post-NPWT, 14 patients developed a wound infection. CONCLUSIONS The number of S aureus strains and overall bacterial load increased during NPWT, and the incidence of infection remained the same. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether the increase in bacterial load influences other wound outcome parameters.