Effectiveness of a pre-procedural mouthwash in reducing bacteria in dental aerosols: randomized clinical trial

Abstract The aim of this randomized, single blinded clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of a pre-procedural mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), zinc lactate (Zn) and sodium fluoride (F) in the reduction of viable bacteria in oral aerosol after a dental prophylaxis with ultrasonic scaler. Sixty systemically healthy volunteers receiving dental prophylaxis were randomly assigned to one of the following experimental groups (15 per group): (i) rinsing with 0.075% CPC, 0.28% Zn and 0.05% F (CPC+Zn+F), (ii) water or (iii) 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), and (iv) no rinsing. Viable bacteria were collected from different locations in the dental office on enriched TSA plates and anaerobically incubated for 72 hours. The colonies were counted and species were then identified by Checkerboard DNA–DNA Hybridization. The total number of colony-forming units (CFUs) detected in the aerosols from volunteers who rinsed with CPC+Zn+F or CHX was statistically significantly (p<0.05) lower than of those subjects who did not rinse or who rinsed with water. When all locations were considered together, the aerosols from the CPC+Zn+F and CHX groups showed, respectively, 70% and 77% fewer CFUs than those from the No Rinsing group and 61% and 70% than those from the Water group. The mean proportions of bacterial species from the orange complex were statistically significantly (p<0.05) lower in aerosols from the CPC+Zn+F and CHX groups compared with the others two groups. In conclusion, the mouthwash containing CPC+Zn+F, is effective in reducing viable bacteria in oral aerosol after a dental prophylaxis with ultrasonic scaler.

NEURO.TV: Neuroscience Education on the Internet

NEURO.tv is a new educational project that seeks to bring advanced concepts in neuroscience to the general public. We film one-hour discussions with leading neuroscientists, philosophers, and psychologists who have had significant impact on our current understanding of brain function, and we publish these discussions on YouTube, iTunes, and other social media outlets. Here, we explain the motivations behind this new program.

The chronic gastrointestinal manifestations of Chagas disease: [review]

Chagas disease is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease mainly affects the nervous system, digestive system and heart. The objective of this review is to revise the literature and summarize the main chronic gastrointestinal manifestations of Chagas disease. The chronic gastrointestinal manifestations of Chagas disease are mainly a result of enteric nervous system impairment caused by T. cruzi infection. The anatomical locations most commonly described to be affected by Chagas disease are salivary glands, esophagus, lower esophageal sphincter, stomach, small intestine, colon, gallbladder and biliary tree. Chagas disease has also been studied in association with Helicobacter pylori infection, interstitial cells of Cajal and the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer.

Artifícios analíticos nas determinações do hematócrito por analisadores químicos em sangue total / Analytical artifacts in hematocrit measurements by whole-blood chemistry analyzers

Analisadores compactos, apropriados para testes em pacientes à mão, avaliam o hematócrito pela medida da condutividade do sangue não diluído. Nós avaliamos a exatidão do resultado de hematócrito de um determinado analisador (Instrumentation Laboratory BGE Analyzer) em comparação com um automático contador eletrônico de partículas (CEP) e volume de células sedimentadas (VCS) microhematócrito. Quando amostras (n = 34) de pacientes externos e de enfermaria foram analisadas por todos os três métodos, o analisador AEG estava de acordo com os dois hematócritos CEP e VCS (AEG = 1,00 VCS + 0,3%, Sy/x = 1,6% ; AEG = 1,04 CEP + 0,4%, Sy/x = 2,0%), indicando que todos os três métodos têm performances similares na maioria dos pacientes. Entretanto, um paciente com osmolalidade plasmática aumentada mostrou significante decréscimo nos hematócritos AEG e VCS em comparação ao método CEP. As diferenças nas medidas do hematócrito podiam ser reproduzidas pela adição de solutos ao sangue “in vitro” ou pela modificação de osmolalidade plasmática de ratos "in vivo". Amostras de pacientes submetidos a uma cirurgia cardíaca, cujo sangue tinha grandes mudanças na concentração de proteína, mostrou discrepância entre hematócritos pela condutividade e outros métodos; efeitos similares poderiam ser produzidos pelas mudanças na concentração de proteína ou pela adição "in vitro" de polietileno glicol. Nós concluímos que medidas de condutividade fornecem resultados exatos do hematócrito para sujeitos normais fisiologicamente, mas não para alguns pacientes sob cuidado intensivo e pacientes cirúrgicos.