Gujranwala

Breast abscess is a painful collection of pus that often follows mastitis, especially in lactating mothers but also in prepubertal females. It is more common in developing countries, with prevalence reaching up to 16%. Traditional treatment involves surgical incision and drainage with antibiotics, which requires hospital stays and general anesthesia and may cause scarring and other complications. Needle aspiration has become a preferred less invasive alternative, but sometimes requires multiple procedures until symptoms resolve. This trial investigates whether adding local instillation of antibiotics during ultrasound-guided aspiration can improve treatment outcomes compared to systemic antibiotics alone. The study compares the effectiveness of local antibiotic instillation combined with ultrasound-guided needle aspiration against the conventional use of systemic antibiotics with aspiration for treating breast abscesses. Participants will receive ultrasound-guided aspiration, and one group will also receive locally injected antibiotics. This approach aims to reduce the need for repeated procedures, decrease failure rates, and limit systemic antibiotic use. The treatment period lasts 9 days, during which clinical symptoms and ultrasound findings will be closely monitored. Participants will be assessed through clinical signs such as redness, pain, tenderness, and ultrasound evidence of pus accumulation. Researchers will measure the treatment's effectiveness from enrollment until the end of the 9-day treatment period. The study also focuses on reducing hospital stays, promoting continued breastfeeding, and minimizing complications and cosmetic impacts. Safety and treatment success will be evaluated throughout the study duration to determine which approach better manages breast abscesses.

This research aims to evaluate whether adding platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to fractional carbon dioxide (CO) laser treatment improves the appearance of moderate-to-severe acne scars compared to laser treatment alone. The trial will include 70 adults aged 18 to 40 years with moderate-to-severe facial acne scars. The study is a randomized controlled trial conducted at the Dermatology Department of Gujranwala Medical College Teaching Hospital, using single blinding so that participants do not know which treatment they receive. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive fractional CO laser therapy combined with topical PRP, prepared from their own blood using a standardized double-spin centrifugation process. The other group will receive fractional CO laser therapy alone with a placebo application to maintain blinding. Each participant will undergo three treatment sessions spaced four weeks apart. Topical anesthesia will be applied before each laser session, and protective measures will be taken during treatments. Throughout the study, assessments will be done at baseline and each treatment visit. The main outcome measured is the change in acne scar severity using the Goodman and Baron Quantitative Acne Scar Scale. Secondary outcomes include redness, swelling, pain scores, and patient satisfaction measured by rating scales. Standardized photographs will be taken to support evaluations. Data will be analyzed with statistical tests to compare groups while maintaining blinding of evaluators and statisticians.