OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the penetration depth and smear layer removal of root canal irrigant using various irrigation activation techniques.
METHODS: In this investigation, sixty single-rooted premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes were chosen. Diamond burs were used to create an access cavity, and #10 K-file was used to determine the patency. About sixty samples were divided into the following three groups (20 samples in each group), group I: Irrigation with conventional needle, group II: Activation of EndoVac system, group III: Passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI). The efficacy of the smear layer was assessed using a scanning electron microscopy at a ×2000 magnification. One-way ANOVA was used to record and analyze the data. All statistical analyses were performed with a significance level of p < 0.05.
RESULTS: At coronal third, the maximum smear layer was removed in group II (1.26 ± 0.02) followed by group III (1.84 ± 0.16) and group I (2.89 ± 0.21). At middle third, smear layer removal was maximum in group I (1.18 ± 0.10) followed by group III (1.72 ± 0.09) and group I (2.66 ± 0.18). At apical third, the more smear layer was removed in group II (1.02 ± 0.01) followed by group III (1.58 ± 0.08) and group I (2.38 ± 0.06). There was a highly significant difference found between the three different irrigation systems at all three levels (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, every irrigation device that was evaluated was successful in removing the smear layer from the root canal. However, the EndoVac system group removed a greater amount of smear layer compared with PUI and conventional needle group.
CONCLUSIONS: With the goal of promoting cleaning that is beyond the ability of mechanical devices, irrigation is a crucial part of root canal therapy. If an efficient irrigation delivery system is used, the irrigants can reach the working length (WL). This type of distribution system needs to provide a suitable amount of irrigants up to the WL, as well as have enough flow and be effective at debriding the entire canal system. How to cite this article: Pujari MD, Das M, Das A, et al. Assessment of Smear Layer Removal and Penetration Depth of Root Canal Irrigant Using Different Irrigation Activation Systems: A Comparative Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(4):331-334.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of manual dynamic activation (MDA), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and laser-activated irrigation (shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS)) on the periapical healing of large periapical lesions following nonsurgical root canal treatment.
METHODS: A total of fifty-six systemically healthy patients with a mandibular single-rooted tooth with periapical lesions of endodontic origin and a periapical index score of 3 or higher were included in the study. Before the treatment procedures, lesion volumes were determined volumetrically using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Patients were randomized into treatment (MDA, PUI, SWEEPS) and control groups (n = 14). Root canal treatment and irrigation procedures were performed by a calibrated postgraduate operator and completed at one visit. For routine follow-up, clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed by a blinded evaluator using periapical (PA) radiographs according to Molven\'s criteria at 3, 6, and 9 months. At 12 months, lesion volumes were quantified volumetrically using CBCT (ITK-SNAP). The data were statistically analyzed with the Wilcoxon test. The significance level was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: In all groups, the mean lesion volume after treatment was significantly smaller than the mean volume before treatment (p = 0.001). Among the 56 teeth, 11 teeth were \'totally healed\', and 39 teeth were \'reduced\' on PA radiographs. No \'enlargement\' was detected in any group. On CBCT, the lesion volume decreased in the following order: LAI-SWEEPS (86.9%) > PUI (85.4%) > MDA (80.4%) > control (74.5%), with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations of the present study, although a greater percentage of healing was observed in the LAI-SWEEPS and PUI groups, irrigation procedures had no statistically significant effect on the healing of periapical lesions with a single root canal at the 12-month follow-up. On the other hand, the outcome may change in multirooted teeth with curved and complex root canal systems.
CONCLUSIONS: In the short term and in single-canal teeth, advanced irrigation agitation methods such as laser and ultrasonic did not make a difference in healing other than manual irrigation agitation.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to ascertain the impact of irrigation technique on human intrarenal pressure during retrograde intrarenal surgery.
METHODS: A parallel randomized trial recruited patients across three hospital sites. Patients undergoing retrograde intrarenal surgery for renal stone treatment with an 11/13-Fr ureteral access sheath were allocated randomly to 100 mmHg pressurized-bag (PB) or manual hand-pump (HP) irrigation. The primary outcome was mean procedural intrarenal pressure. Secondary outcomes included maximum intrarenal pressure, variance, visualization, HP force of usage, procedure duration, stone clearance, and clinical outcomes. Live intrarenal pressure monitoring was performed using a COMETTMII pressure guidewire, deployed cystoscopically to the renal pelvis. The operating team was blinded to the intrarenal pressure.
RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients were randomized between July and November 2023 (trial closure). The final analysis included 34 patients (PB 16; HP 18). Compared with PB irrigation, HP irrigation resulted in significantly higher mean intrarenal pressure (mean(s.d.) 62.29(27.45) versus 38.16(16.84) mmHg; 95% c.i. for difference in means (MD) 7.97 to 40.29 mmHg; P = 0.005) and maximum intrarenal pressure (192.71(106.23) versus 68.04(24.16) mmHg; 95% c.i. for MD 70.76 to 178.59 mmHg; P < 0.001), along with greater variance in intrarenal pressure (log transformed) (6.23(1.59) versus 4.60(1.30); 95% c.i. for MD 0.62 to 2.66; P = 0.001). Surgeon satisfaction with procedural vision reported on a scale of 10 was higher with PB compared with HP irrigation (mean(s.d.) 8.75(0.58) versus 6.28(1.27); 95% c.i. for MD 1.79 to 3.16; P < 0.001). Subjective HP usage force did not correlate significantly with transmitted intrarenal pressure (Pearson R = -0.15, P = 0.57). One patient (HP arm) developed urosepsis.
CONCLUSIONS: Manual HP irrigation resulted in higher and more fluctuant intrarenal pressure trace (with inferior visual clarity) than 100-mmHg PB irrigation.
BACKGROUND: osf.io/jmg2h (https://osf.io/).

Ho: YAG laser lithotripsy is widely used for urinary stone treatment, but concerns persist regarding its thermal effects on renal tissues. This study aimed to monitor intrarenal temperature changes during kidney stone treatment using retrograde intrarenal surgery with Ho: YAG laser. Fifteen patients were enrolled. Various laser power settings (0.8 J/10 Hz, 1.2 J/12 Hz) and irrigation modes (10 cc/min, 15 cc/min, 20 cc/min, gravity irrigation, and manual pump irrigation) were used. A sterile thermal probe was attached to a flexible ureterorenoscope and delivered into the calyceal system via the ureteral access sheath. Temperature changes were recorded with a T-type thermal probe with ± 0.1 °C accuracy. Laser power significantly influenced mean temperature, with a 4.981 °C difference between 14 W and 8 W laser power (p < 0.001). The mean temperature was 2.075 °C higher with gravity irrigation and 2.828 °C lower with manual pump irrigation (p = 0.038 and p = 0.005, respectively). Body mass index, laser power, irrigation model, and operator duty cycle explained 49.5% of mean temperature variability (Adj. R2 = 0.495). Laser power and operator duty cycle positively impacted mean temperature, while body mass index and specific irrigation models affected it negatively. Laser power and irrigation rate are critical for intrarenal temperature during Ho: YAG laser lithotripsy. Optimal settings and irrigation strategies are vital for minimizing thermal injury risk. This study underscores the need for ongoing research to understand and mitigate thermal effects during laser lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining venous access is of great clinical importance. Running a slow continuous infusion to keep the vein open (KVO) is often used in peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs). Previous studies have compared the effects of intermittent flushing and continuous infusion via peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). In this study, we applied KVO to central venous catheters (CVCs) and compared the occlusion rate of this technique with that of the intermittent flushing technique.
METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial of 14 hospitals in China. A total of 250 patients will be recruited in this study, and they will be randomized at a 1:1 ratio. After study inclusion, patients who will undergo CVC insertion will receive intermittent flushing with prefilled saline syringes (control group) or KVO infusion with elastic pumps (test group). All the catheters will be checked for patency by scoping Catheter Injection and Aspiration (CINAS) Classification on Days 3 and 7. The primary outcome is the rate of catheter occlusion in 7 days. Patients will be followed up until 9 days after CVC insertion, catheter occlusion, or catheter removal. The secondary outcomes are the rate of catheter occlusion in 3 days, nurse satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, adverse event rate, catheter-related bloodstream infection rate, catheter-related thrombosis rate, extravasation rate, phlebitis rate, and catheter migration.
CONCLUSIONS: We expect that the trial will generate findings that can provide an evidence-based basis for the improvement and optimization of clinical catheter flushing techniques.
BACKGROUND: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200064007. Registered on 23 September 2022. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=177311 .

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma is a common surgically treated intracranial emergency. Burr-hole drainage surgery, to evacuate chronic subdural haematoma, involves three elements: creation of a burr hole for access, irrigation of the subdural space, and insertion of a subdural drain. Although the subdural drain has been established as beneficial, the therapeutic effect of subdural irrigation has not been addressed.
METHODS: The FINISH trial was an investigator-initiated, pragmatic, multicentre, nationwide, randomised, controlled, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial in five neurosurgical units in Finland that enrolled adults aged 18 years or older with a chronic subdural haematoma requiring burr-hole drainage. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by computer-generated block randomisation with block sizes of four, six, or eight, stratified by site, to burr-hole drainage either with or without subdural irrigation. All patients and staff were masked to treatment assignment apart from the neurosurgeon and operating room staff. A burr hole was drilled at the site of maximum haematoma thickness in both groups, and the subdural space was either irrigated or not irrigated before inserting a subdural drain, which remained in place for 48 h. Reoperations, functional outcome, mortality, and adverse events were recorded for 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome was the reoperation rate within 6 months. The non-inferiority margin was set at 7·5%. Key secondary outcomes that were also required to conclude non-inferiority were the proportion of participants with unfavourable functional outcomes (ie, modified Rankin Scale score of 4-6, where 0 indicates no symptoms and 6 indicates death) and mortality rate at 6 months. The primary and key secondary analyses were done in both the intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04203550) and is completed.
RESULTS: From Jan 1, 2020, to Aug 17, 2022, we assessed 1644 patients for eligibility and 589 (36%) patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group and treated (294 assigned to drainage with irrigation and 295 assigned to drainage without irrigation; 165 [28%] women and 424 [72%] men). The 6-month follow-up period extended until Feb 14, 2023. In the intention-to-treat analysis, 54 (18·3%) of 295 participants required reoperation in the group assigned to receive no irrigation versus 37 (12·6%) of 294 in the group assigned to receive irrigation (difference of 6·0 percentage points, 95% CI 0·2-11·7; p=0·30; adjusted for study site). There were no significant between-group differences in the proportion of people with modified Rankin Scale score of 4-6 (37 [13·1%] of 283 in the no-irrigation group vs 36 [12·6%] of 285 in the irrigation group; p=0·89) or mortality rate (18 [6·1%] of 295 in the no-irrigation group vs 21 [7·1%] of 294 in the irrigation group; p=0·58). The findings of the primary intention-to-treat analysis were not materially altered in the per-protocol analysis. There were no significant between-group differences in the number of adverse events, and the most frequent severe adverse events were systemic infections (26 [8·8%] of 295 participants who did not receive irrigation vs 22 [7·5%] of 294 participants who received irrigation), intracranial haemorrhage (13 [4·4%] vs seven [2·4%]), and epileptic seizures (five [1·7%] vs nine [3·1%]).
CONCLUSIONS: We could not conclude non-inferiority of burr-hole drainage without irrigation. The reoperation rate was 6·0 percentage points higher after burr-hole drainage without subdural irrigation than with subdural irrigation. Considering that there were no differences in functional outcome or mortality between the groups, the trial favours the use of subdural irrigation.
BACKGROUND: State Fund for University Level Health Research (Helsinki University Hospital), Finska Läkaresällskapet, Medicinska Understödsföreningen Liv och Hälsa, and Svenska Kulturfonden.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of the silicone tipped irrigation/aspiration (I/A) handpiece CapsuleGuard® (Bausch + Lomb, Laval, Canada) reduced rates of posterior capsule rupture (PCR) during cataract surgery.
METHODS: Royal College of Ophthalmologists\' National Ophthalmology Database (NOD) Cataract Audit data from 01/04/2010 and 31/03/2021 and Bausch + Lomb sales figures were combined to identify centres participating in national cataract audit who have routinely adopted the silicone tipped I/A handpiece, CapsuleGuard®. Data were included only from centres with eligible cataract operations recorded on the NOD both before and after adopting CapsuleGuard®. Review of the literature was undertaken to estimate the proportion of PCR that occurs during I/A, to evaluate the impact of adoption of CapsuleGuard® on PCR occurring in this phase of surgery.
RESULTS: Within the study period, 267 371 eligible cataract operations were performed in 14 centres with >50 eligible operations both before and after adopting CapsuleGuard®. Within centres adopting CapsuleGuard®, the rate of PCR occurrence reduction was 16.4%. Before and after the adoption of CapsuleGuard® the median change of PCR was 21.7% reduction (IQR: 4.8% to 37.7% reduction).
CONCLUSIONS: A reduction in the rate of PCR was seen after regular adoption of CapsuleGuard® during cataract operations. Review of published studies attributing PCR to various components of the cataract operation suggest around 25% of PCR may occur during I/A; adoption of CapsuleGuard may, therefore, be associated with avoidance of a substantial proportion of the PCR during that phase of surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) can recur, partly due to seeding of free tumour cells after transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT). Intravesical chemotherapy post-TURBT can reduce the risk but is used infrequently and inconsistently due to cost, complexity and side effects. The objective of this study was to prospectively assess continuous bladder irrigation using water, which may be a safer and easier alternative with comparable effectiveness.
METHODS: WATIP was a prospective, single-arm phase 2 study of water irrigation during and for at least 3 h after TURBT for bladder tumours noted on imaging or flexible cystoscopy. Participants were assessed clinically for adverse effects and with blood tests within 24 h for sodium, haemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase. The primary endpoints were safety (defined as < 10% adverse events of CTCAE grade ≥ 3), and feasibility (defined as the intervention being delivered as planned in > 90% of cases) and secondary endpoint was recurrence-free rates (RFR).
RESULTS: Water irrigation was delivered as planned in 29 (97%) of 30 participants (median age 67 years, 25 (83%) males). The only adverse event (grade 2) was clot retention in one (3.3%) participant. Water irrigation significantly reduced urothelial cell counts in catheter effluent over time, unlike saline irrigation which did not. RFR was 56.2% (9/16 participants with low-risk NMIBC) at first cystoscopy (median interval 108 days) and 62.5% (5/8 evaluable low-risk NMIBC) at 12 months.
CONCLUSIONS: Water irrigation during and after TURBT is feasible and safe. Prospective assessment of its effect on NMIBC recurrence compared to post-TURBT intravesical chemotherapy is needed before recommending its use in routine clinical practice. Trial registration ANZCTR registration ID ACTRN12619000517178 on 1 April 2019.

OBJECTIVE: The role of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in operable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. This study was aimed to evaluate the feasibility for identification of cfDNA in pleural lavage fluid and its correlation with plasma in resectable NSCLCs.
METHODS: Consecutively resected NSCLCs were evaluated for cfDNA levels in preoperative plasma (PLS1), intraoperative pleural-lavage (PLV) and postoperative (at 1 month) plasma sample (PLS2). CfDNA was isolated and measured quantitatively by qPCR in a TaqMan probe-detection approach using the human β-actin gene as the amplifying target.
RESULTS: All (n = 34) except one were negative for malignant cells in PLV cytology. CfDNA could be isolated from all the three samples (PLS1, PLV, and PLS2) successfully in each patient. The median cfDNA levels in PLS1, PLV and PLS2 were 118 ng/mL (IQR 61-158), 167 ng/mL (IQR 59.9-179.9) and 103 ng/mL (IQR 66.5-125.4) respectively. The median follow-up was 34.1 months (IQR 25.2-41.6). A significant overall-survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were recorded for patients with cfDNA level cut-offs at 125, 170, and 100 ng/mL, respectively for PLS1, PLV, and PLS2. Patients with raised cfDNA in PLS1 (>125 ng/mL) and PLV (>170 ng/mL) had significantly poorer 2-year OS, p = 0.005 and p = 0.012, respectively. The hazards (OS) were also higher for those with raised cfDNA in PLV (HR = 5.779, 95% CI = 1.162-28.745, p = 0.032). PLV (>170 ng/mL) had increased pleural recurrences (p = 0.021) and correlated significantly with poorer DFS at 2-years (p = 0.001) with increased hazards (HR = 9.767, 95% CI = 2.098-45.451, p = 0.004). Multivariable analysis suggested higher cfDNA in PLV as a poor prognostic factor for both OS and DFS.
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with operable NSCLC, it is feasible to identify cfDNA in pleural lavage and correlate PLV cfDNA with pleural recurrences and outcomes.