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Background: To provide evidence that the Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) PSORI-CM01 combined with Western medicine reduces the relapse rate of psoriasis vulgaris (PV), we plan to conduct a large-scale randomized control trial (RCT). In order to improve and perfect the RCT, this pilot study was designed to determine the feasibility and the potential of a modified protocol for the full-scale RCT.Methods: Eligible patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) were enrolled into a randomized comparison in which all subjects received topical sequential therapy and PSORI-CM01 or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the relapse rate. Treatment response was computed from Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The secondary outcome measures included time to relapse, time to onset, rebound rate, PASI score, pruritus scores on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), BSA, DLQI and SF-36 (short form health survey), and incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs).Results: Six of 7 (86 %) subjects reached the PASI-50 in the CHM group compared with nine of 10 (90 %) in the placebo group during the treatment period. Among the subjects who reached PASI-50, one out of six subjects (17 %) relapsed in the CHM group during the treatment period compared with six out of nine patients in the placebo group (67 %). No subjects met the rebound criteria. Changes to baseline in the PASI scores were not significantly different between the two groups (t = 1.764, P = 0.098).Conclusion: Oral PSORI-CM01 combined with topical sequential treatment showed a smaller recurrence rate (P = 0.118) than placebo combined with the same topical therapy for moderate-to-severe PV in this pilot study.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/searchproj.aspx ) ChiCTR-TRC-13003233 ; date of registration: 15 April 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethyl chloride spray as a common cooling modality has been widely used in acute sports injuries and joint injection procedures. Several clinical studies reported that use of ethyl chloride has positive effects on swelling, pain reduction and recovery from sports injuries. The main aim of present study was to analyze whether postoperative use of ethyl chloride spray benefits results after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods: Between April 1, 2014 and October 21, 2015, 306 subjects undergoing primary TKA used ethyl chloride spray for improving recovery from the damage from surgery. After exclusion of 31 subjects due to adverse events including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), acute myocardial infarction, finally 275 subjects' data regarding pain score, knee range of motion (ROM), knee girth, time of being able to reach 90° knee flexion and analgesic consumption were analyzed.Results: Significant differences in pain score, knee ROM at each time point and knee girth at on 21st and 28th postoperatively were detected without increased incidence of adverse events. Besides, time of being able to reach 90° knee flexion and analgesic consumption in the treatment group were significantly decreased in comparison to the control group.Conclusion: Use of ethyl chloride spray can help patients recovery from the damage from TKA safely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]