A Prospective Randomized Study to Assess the Quality of Life in Post-Operative Recovery Phase in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Isolated Vertically Undisplaced Mandibular Parasymphysis Fracture Using Twin Mix Solution.

Purpose: Trauma is a major cause for facial fractures commonly encountered by maxillofacial surgeons. Mandible is commonly involved in facial trauma resulting in an isolated fracture or associated with other facial bones due to its prominent location in the facial skeleton. This study was undertaken to investigate the quality of life (QoL) post-operatively in patients diagnosed with undisplaced parasymphysis fracture who underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) under local anesthesia (LA) using the twin mix (TM) solution. Patients and Methods: A prospective randomized clinical study was conducted among 40 patients aged between 20-55 years requiring ORIF for unilateral vertically undisplaced parasymphysis fracture under LA. Group A patients (n = 20) received conventional LA solution with adrenaline, and Group B patients (n = 20) received freshly prepared TM solution for their surgical intervention as a day care procedure. Various parameters such as jaw function, ability to masticate and labialis activity (lower lip pout) were assessed. The data were collected and analyzed applying student's t test, Shapiro-Wilk test using SPSS software. Results: All the 20 patients in Group B who received TM solution exhibited better jaw function and mouth opening with a mean score of (±SD) of 4.55 (±0.944). They also exhibited reduced difficulty in mastication and ability to purse the lower lip on third post-operative day as compared to the patients in Group A. No complications were observed among the patients post-operatively in both the groups of this study. Conclusion: TM solution proves to be superior as compared to the conventional LA solution as the former offers an improved clinical outcomes enhancing the QoL post-operatively in patients undergoing ORIF for undisplaced parasymphysis mandibular fracture.

COVID Induced Functional Exhaustion and Persistently Reduced Lymphocytes as Vital Contributing Factors for Post-COVID Rhino-orbital and Cerebral Mucormycosis in Patients with Diabetes: Report from the Indian Sub-continent.

The current pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global, unanticipated public health crisis. Another emerging challenge is the prevalence of "black fungus", or mucormycosis, among patients who recovered from COVID-19 infection. A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients in a post-COVID recovery phase who developed mucormycosis. The study parameters evaluated lymphocyte count, CD4+ T cell status, and associated systemic co-morbidities for the patient, namely diabetes. The interventions during the treatment for COVID were also recorded to include administration of oxygen, ventilator assistance (invasive and non-invasive)/oxygen support, and steroid use. The possible relationship between low lymphocyte and CD4+ counts with diabetes and fungal growth was evaluated. It was observed that the majority of the patients who had a positive history for diabetes with low lymphocyte and CD4+ counts were more susceptible to opportunistic fungal infections. Most of the patients, but not all, had a history of receiving oxygen or assisted ventilation, as well as steroids, during the treatment for COVID infection. These interventions may be considered as accessory contributing factors for fungal infection. Post-exposure to SARS-CoV-2, therapies should be targeted at prevention of functional exhaustion of lymphocytes and maintaining optimal lymphocyte and subset counts in susceptible hosts for the prevention of opportunistic fungal infections. The relationship between functional exhaustion of the lymphocyte, diabetes, and COVID mandates further research.

A preliminary study on plasma concentration achieved following intrapterygomandibular space injection of dexamethasone as a route of drug delivery with lignocaine inferior alveolar nerve block-correlation of clinical effects.

PURPOSE: To determine the quantity of dexamethasone plasma concentration achieved following intrapterygomandibular space injection of dexamethasone when co-administered with inferior alveolar nerve block correlating with the clinical effects in the postoperative phase. OBJECTIVE: A preliminary prospective study to evaluate the dexamethasone plasma concentration achieved following intrapterygomandibular space injection of dexamethasone with 2% lignocaine inferior alveolar nerve block to achieve hemi-mandibular anesthesia for minor oral surgical procedures and derive clinical correlations. BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid, chiefly used for the management of postsurgical sequelae like trismus and swelling in maxillofacial surgical practice. Conventionally, parenteral dexamethasone is administered via intravenous or intramuscular route. Intrapterygomandibular space injection is a novel route of steroid delivery described in literature. For minor oral surgical procedures in maxillofacial surgical practice requiring inferior alveolar nerve block, dexamethasone can be administered along with local anesthetic through a single injection as a mixture (twin mix). METHODS: Prospective double-blind randomized clinical trial was designed to evaluative plasma concentration of dexamethasone achieved following injection of a freshly prepared mixture of 1.8 ml of 2% lignocaine with adrenaline (1:200000) and 1 ml (4 mg) dexamethasone [2.8 ml solution of twin mix] in the pterygomandibular space. The 30 candidates included for the trial were randomly split into three study groups (ten each)-(1) control group (C); (2) intramuscular group (IM); (3) intraspace group (IS). RESULTS: The mean plasma dexamethasone concentration at 30 min postinjection in group IM was 226.41 ± 48.67 ng/ml and for IS group it was 209.67 ± 88.13 ng/ml. Post hoc (Bonferroni-Holm test) intergroup comparison for plasma dexamethasone concentration (IM and IS) was found statistically insignificant (P = 0.605). CONCLUSION: Intraspace route of drug administration can be utilized to deliver dexamethasonized local anesthetics safely with predictable clinical effects in the patients requiring mandibular minor oral surgery under local anesthesia.

Vertically unstable fractured mandibular segment with attached genial tubercles as a parameter for difficulty during intubation for general anaesthesia.

PURPOSE: It remains vital for the trauma management team including the anaesthetist and the operating surgeon to assess and evaluate the anticipated difficulty in intubation to secure airway and for administration of anaesthesia. This study assesses the difficulty in intubating patients with vertically unstable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with attached genial tubercles and associated musculature to the fractured segment. METHODS: Randomized sampling was done from the cases with maxillofacial trauma planned for a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia. The inclusion criteria was to prospectively identify ten patients each of unilateral unfavourable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with genial tubercle attached to the displaced segment, with bilateral unfavourable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with genial tubercle attached to the displaced segment and with unilateral favourable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with genial tubercle attached to the un-displaced segment. All the patients were intubated by a single anaesthetist, who documented the difficulty in nasoendotracheal intubation using Intubation Difficulty Scale. RESULTS: Nasoendotracheal intubation was found relatively easy in the study group with unilateral favourable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with genial tubercle attached to the un-displaced segment. Clinical difficulty in intubating the patients was maximum in the study group with bilateral unfavourable mandibular parasymphysis fracture with genial tubercle attached to the displaced segment. CONCLUSION: Displacement of fractured mandible and resultant displacement of the genial musculature should be considered as a vital parameter for assessing difficulty during intubation.