Compliance with medical and dental treatments in children and adolescents renal transplant patients

In recent years, the number of pediatric organ transplants has increased. As the life expectancy of pediatric transplant recipients continues to rise the number of transplant children visiting dental clinics increases accordingly. These patients need medical and dental treatment for life due to the kind of medication they take and its effects on the oral cavity. However, satisfactory compliance with medical treatment has not been reported. We analyze the degree of association between compliance with medical/dental treatments, biological variables (age and number of transplant surgeries) and social-economical variables (family type, schooling, place of residence and economical status) in infant and adolescent renal transplant patients, in a retrospective descriptive study. 74 infant and adolescent renal transplant patients aged 16.7 +/- 1.23 years were studied. Information on age, time in dialysis treatment, time since the transplant surgery, number of transplants, social-economical status, parents’ schooling, family type, place of residence and compliance with prescribed treatment was collected from clinical records and guided questionnaires. Tables of contingence for Chi square test were constructed for all variables to test association among them. The statistical analysis showed that compliance with both medical and dental treatments were positively associated with family type and schooling. Association with place of residence and economical status was not observed. No association was observed with age and number of transplants. Pediatric transplant patients who live in unsupportive homes and whose parents’ schooling is poor, are a vulnerable group which should be periodically motivated to promote satisfactory compliance with the prescribed treatment.

Determinación del pH de bebidas carbonatadas y jugos comerciales nacionales de consumo frecuente en niños / Determination of the pH of national carbonated beverages and commercial juices of frequent consumption in children

Objetivos. Estimar el patrón de consumo de bebidas carbonatas y jugos comerciaels nacionales y determinar el pH de las de consumo más frecuente. Materiales y métodos. Se determinó el pH de muestras de bebidas y jugos de mayor consumo por procedimientos colorimétricos y potenciométricos. Las muestras se recolectaron de 6 lotes diferentes para cada bebida y cada jugo. Los datos se analizaron estadísticamente aplicando el test t de Student y haciendo uso de aplicaciones de software especializado. Resultados. Las bebidas carbonatadas y jugos analizados presentan pH ácido, mientras que la leche y las bebidas de soja sabor natural y chocolate presentan pH básico. El pH de las bebidas carbonatadas y de los jugos varía en función de la fecha de vencimiento, hallándose diferencias significativas en el intervalo de tiempo estudiado. El congelamiento de las muestras y su posterior descongelación no evidencia variación del valor de pH. Conclusiones. La mayoría de las bebidas consumidas en Buenos Aires y alrededores son ácidas y contienen sacarosa como edulcorante, pudiendo ser consideradas como factor de riesgo adicional de erosión dental y de caries. Actualmente esta temática es de interés para el odontólogo general y para el odontopediatra, dada la frecuencia de consumo de estas bebidas y la incidencia negativa de las mismas en el consumo de leche