Acutely infected teeth: to extract or not to extract?

Abstract: Not only laymen but also dentists generally believe that extraction of acutely infected teeth should be avoided until the infection subdues by using systemic antibiotics. The aim of this study was to compare perioperative complications in routine extractions of acutely infected teeth with extractions of asymptomatic teeth. This prospective study was performed with 82 patients. Severe pain on percussion of the relevant tooth was considered as basic criteria for acute infection. The acutely infected teeth were labeled as the study group (n = 35) and the asymptomatic teeth as the control group (n = 47). The extractions were done using standard procedures. The amount of anesthetic solution used and duration of extractions were recorded. Postoperative severe pain and exposed bone with no granulation tissue in the extraction socket were indications of alveolar osteitis (AO). The level of statistical significance was accepted as 0.05. Symptoms that could indicate systemic response, including fever, fatigue, and shivering were not found. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of AO, amount of anesthetic solution used, and duration of extraction. The presence of an acute infection characterized by severe percussion pain is not a contraindication for tooth extraction. Infected teeth should be extracted as soon as possible and the procedure should not be postponed by giving antibiotics.

Ensaio clínico randomizado do uso do curativo gel de clorexidina para a prevenção da colonização do cateter venoso central em pacientes adultos críticos / Randomized clinical trial of the use of chlorhexidine gel dressing for the prevention of colonization of the central venous catheter in critical adult patients

Os acessos venosos são indispensáveis para assistência do paciente em situação crítica. O cateter venoso central (CVC) é um acesso que viabiliza a terapêutica dessa clientela, mas o seu uso pode levar à infecções. Estas infecções ocasionam maior permanência hospitalar, elevam os custos totais das instituições e aumentam a morbidade e a mortalidade do paciente. O uso de curativos como cobertura do sítio de saída do CVC é eficaz na prevenção das infecções relacionadas a estes cateteres, em particular, o uso de curativos impregnados com antissépticos como o curativo gel de clorexidina. Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar a efetividade do curativo gel de clorexidina com a do filme transparente de poliuretano na prevenção da colonização do cateter venoso central em pacientes adultos críticos. Trata-se de estudo experimental, do tipo ensaio clínico randomizado, com tratamentos em paralelo, prospectivo e monocêntrico, realizado de acordo com as recomendações do Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT). O estudo foi realizado na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva e na Unidade Coronariana de um hospital de ensino do interior do Estado de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo 102 indivíduos hospitalizados nestes locais, divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: grupo intervenção, no qual o tipo de cobertura utilizada foi o curativo de gel de clorexidina e grupo controle, que utilizou como cobertura o filme transparente de poliuretano. O desfecho primário mensurado foi a colonização do cateter e os desfechos secundários foram a infecção clínica do sítio de saída, a infecção microbiológica do sítio de saída e a infecção da corrente sanguínea relacionada ao cateter. Para a coleta de dados foi elaborado um instrumento, e este validado quanto ao seu conteúdo e forma por 13 enfermeiros pertencentes aos locais do estudo. Estes profissionais foram treinados para a realização dos curativos e coleta das pontas dos cateteres centrais, swabs dos sítios de saída e hemoculturas. Análises descritivas foram usadas para todas as variáveis do estudo. O teste Exato de Fisher foi utilizado para comparar as proporções de cada desfecho nos grupos de intervenção e controle, e a regressão logística para explorar se a colonização no CVC poderia ser associada com o tempo de uso do cateter e com o Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) dos pacientes do estudo. De acordo com os resultados não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre a colonização nos dois grupos (p valor = 1.00), para a infecção microbiológica do sítio de saída (p valor = 0.08), para a infecção clínica do sítio de saída (p valor = 0.77) e para as infecções da corrente sanguínea relacionadas ao cateter (p valor = 1,00). Conclui-se que o presente estudo pode contribuir para que as unidades de saúde tenham subsídios para realizar a escolha do tipo de curativo baseado em suas necessidades institucionais e no desenvolvimento de protocolos relacionados à medidas de inserção e manutenção do cateter, bem como medidas educativas permanentes

The venous access is essential to patient care in critical condition. The central venous catheter (CVC) is an access point that allows the treatment of patients, but its use can lead to infections. These infections increase the period of hospital permanence, the total costs of institutions and the patients' morbidity and mortality. The use of dressings for coverage of the CVC exit-site is effective in preventing infections related to these catheters, in particular, the use of dressings impregnated with antiseptics such as chlorhexidine gel. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine gel dressing with the transparent polyurethane film in preventing colonization of central venous catheter in critical adult patients. This randomized experimental study with parallel treatment, prospective and monocentric, which is conducted according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. The research was performed in an Intensive Care Unit and in a Coronary Care of a teaching hospital in the interior of the State of São Paulo. The study included 102 patients hospitalized in these units, randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group, which used chlorhexidine gel dressing and the control group, which used the transparent polyurethane film dressing. The primary outcome measured was the colonization of the catheter and the secondary outcomes were the clinical infection and microbial infection of the exit-site and the catheter-related bloodstream infection. Data were collected through an instrument developed and validated in terms of content and form by 13 nurses of the Units where the study was performed. These professionals were trained to use the dressings and to collect the tips of central catheters, swabs of the exit-site and blood cultures. Descriptive statistics were used for all study variables. The Fisher's exact test was used to compare the proportions of each outcome in the groups of intervention and control. The logistic regression analysis was used to explore if the colonization of the CVC could be associated with the catheter usage time and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) of the research's participants. According to the results there was no statistically significant difference between colonization in both groups (p value=1:00), for exit-site microbial infection (p value=0:08), for exit- site clinical infection (p value = 0.77) and for catheter-related bloodstream infection (p-value=1.00). The results of this study may contribute in providing subsidies to health units to make the choice in the use of the type of dressing based on their institutional needs and in the development of protocols related to integration measures and maintenance of the catheter, as well as permanent educational measures