title: Polidocanol foam stability in terms of its association with glycerin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Foam sclerotherapy effectiveness mainly depends on the concentration of the sclerosing agent and foam stability. The objective of this study was to determine if the addition of glycerol at different concentrations contributes to the stability of polidocanol foam.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  3% polidocanol. Group 1: polidocanol 3% + glycerin 1.66%. Group 2: polidocanol 3% + glycerin 3.3%. Group 3: polidocanol 3% + Glycerin 5%. Tessari standard method. Five recordings were made for each mixture. Early visual liquefaction time and half liquid time decay were recorded in seconds. Microscopic measurement of the foams. Mixtures surface tension measurement (N/m).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early visual liquefaction:
  
  
  METHODS
  27 (±3.11); Group 1: 67.8 (±6.49); Group 2: 48.6 (±8.2); and Group 3: 35.8 (±4.49). Half-liquid time:
  
  
  METHODS
  129.2 (±11.00); Group 1: 260.4 (±18.99); Group 2: 224.6 (±13.03); and Group 3: 189.2 (±8.52). Bubbles/mm(2)-diameter-wall thickness:
  
  
  METHODS
  68-98 μm-7 μm; Group 1: 189-60 μm-9 μm; Group 2: 76-92 μm-12 μm; and Group 3: 49-112 μm-20 μm. Surface tension: CONTROL = 5.54 N/m; Group 1 = 5.45 N/m; Group 2 = 5.35 N/m; and Group 3 = 5.21 N/m.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small amounts of glycerin highly increase the stability and quality of polidocanol foam. This simple chemical method is easily reproducible and applicable.
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain doctorrial@gmail.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rial
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Hervas
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monux
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernando
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernando
authors.affiliation: Angiology and Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Serrano
mesh_terms: D004355:Drug Stability; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013500:Surface Tension; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: foam; glycerin; polidocanol; sclerotherapy; stability