Alternative therapy in pruritus

Comparative study of antimicrobial action of aloe vera and antibiotics against different bacterial isolates from skin infection

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of Aloe Vera gel extract and antibiotic resistance against in Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella spp and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from animal's skin infection.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was has been designed to check the antibacterial effect of Aloe Vera against some common skin pathogens, and its comparison to commonly used antibiotics, with the aim to provide the cheap source of medication.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a prospective study to determine 150 Skin infections were isolates obtained from septic wounds with sterile cotton swab at different Animal and applied to freshly prepared slants of nutrient agar, Mannitol Salt agar (Oxoid), and further conformation Catalase and a coagulase test were performed for biochemical characterization. We used Skin wound isolates were subjected to antibiotic resistance and Aloe Vera gel screening by disk diffusion method.

RESULT

Four bacterial spp. strains were isolated from 150 skin infection of animals, the prevalence of organisms were found positive for Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella Spp and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Antibiotic resistance and susceptibility pattern of above isolates was also studies against 10 different clinically significant antibiotics. Aloe Vera leave gels were extracted with four different solvent were used during research. This result showed that ethanol extracts of Aloe Vera both leaf and root can be used alongside conventional antibiotics to fight agents of infections that are so prevalent in the skin infection.

CONCLUSION

This investigation further assures that the plant extracts could be used for the treatment of microbial infections, our present findings we recommended that Aloe Vera gel at optimum concentration could be used as an antiseptic for prevention of some microbial skin wound infections. It is believed that this study could be used to identify new and more potent antimicrobial drugs of natural origin.

Cannabinoids in Dermatology: Hope or Hype?

Cannabinoids (CBDs) represent a diverse class of chemicals that may be beneficial in the treatment of various skin diseases due to antipruritic, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive properties. Although the legal history of these compounds has previously restricted their use and study, it seems likely that CBDs will gain popularity as they become increasingly available. We examined the mechanisms in which CBDs may have potential in the field of dermatology and reviewed the existing literature. We suggest that dermatologists review the existing evidence for CBD use and be ready to discuss it with their patients. The current literature indicates that CBDs may be beneficial in skin disease, particularly in the treatment of acne, chronic pruritus, and atopic dermatitis. Although there is preliminary evidence to suggest that CBDs are beneficial in these conditions, existing studies tend to be small and lacking rigorous design. There is a clear need for high-quality randomized controlled trials to fully evaluate the efficacy and safety of these compounds before their use can be promoted in the treatment of dermatological diseases.

Acupuncture for treating uremic pruritus in patients with end-stage renal disease: a systematic review

Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and bothersome symptom in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that does not always respond to conventional care. Acupuncture is frequently used for the treatment of a wide range of conditions, but its effects on UP in ESRD patients are unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for UP in patients with ESRD. We searched 16 electronic databases from their inception to November 2009. All prospective clinical studies of needle acupuncture for UP in hemodialysis patients with ESRD were included regardless of their design. Risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane criteria. Three randomized controlled trials and three uncontrolled observational studies were included. All of the included trials reported beneficial effects of acupuncture. However, most of the studies showed high risk of bias, which leaves their reports unconvincing. The current evidence is insufficient to show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for UP inpatients with ESRD because of suboptimal quality and lack of methodological rigor of included studies. Future trials should overcome the limitations of the currently available evidence. J Pain Symptom Manage 2010;40:117e125. 2010 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee.