Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists Towards Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Dentists should play an essential role in OSA screening, referral, and management. However, few studies have investigated dentists' knowledge and attitude towards OSA. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding OSA amongst dentists and evaluate whether the level of knowledge affects their attitude towards OSA. METHODS: Using the Google Forms platform, an online questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to all Ministry of Health dentists (N = 352). The questionnaire included 3 sections: demographics, knowledge, and attitude. Participant responses were stratified by professional title (general dentists, specialists, or consultants) and practice sector (primary health care centres or hospitals). Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one-way analyses of variance, and Pearson's correlation were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of the 352 dentists, 191 responded to the questionnaire (54.55%). Although 80.6% of the respondents reported having previous OSA knowledge in the self-assessment question, 65.58% scored below 12 in the total knowledge scores, and 63.35% scored below 3 in the total attitude scores based on Bloom's cutoff. The mean total knowledge score was 9.86, while the mean total attitude score was 2.08. No significant differences between the mean total knowledge and attitude scores were found based on sex, professional title, or practice sector. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between total knowledge and attitude scores (P value = .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that dentists had a low OSA-related knowledge and a negative attitude towards OSA, and a positive association was seen between knowledge level and attitude. Dental practitioners with high knowledge scores tended to have a positive attitude towards OSA. These findings suggest that dentists in Jeddah require more education and clinical training in sleep medicine to maximise patient benefits and minimise adverse outcomes.

Information Loss Via Visual Assessment of Radiologic Images Using Modified Version of the Low-Contrast Detailed Phantom at Direct DR System.

INTRODUCTION: Quality in radiology images can be assessed by determining the levels of information retained or lost in an image. Information loss in images has been recently assessed via a method based on information theory and the employment of a contrast-detail (CD) phantom. In this study, the traditional CD phantom (air-Perspex) and a modified CD phantom were used. METHODS: Using the Agfa DX-D 600 digital flat panel system, six phantom radiographs were acquired at 70 kVp and 20 mAs. Three x-ray images were acquired for each phantom. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that the material within the CD phantom influences total information loss (TIL) and image quality figure (IQF) measurements. The modified CD phantom provides a more realistic account of TIL and IQF for soft tissue radiology imaging. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that a low inherent subject contrast phantom, such as this modified CD phantom, be added to the image quality assessment processes of radiology departments. In addition, use of both IQF and TIL to assess image quality will provide radiology departments with greater evidence on which to base decisions.

Low-Contrast Detail Phantom: Proof of Concept.

PURPOSE: To investigate the concept of filling the air gaps of the conventional contrast detail phantom (CDP) with various concentrations of contrast media, and to develop a variable level of attenuation-level differential phantoms that could be more appropriate for contrast measurements in some radiology cases. METHODS: Images were acquired using the digital radiography system of the traditional CDP (Perspex/air hole phantom) and the novel form of CDP where the air holes were replaced with attenuating material. In this study, two different attenuating materials were introduced, water and a 30% concentration of iodine-based contrast medium. Image quality was assessed using automated processing to calculate the image quality factor (IQF)inv. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Phantom studies indicate that lower contrast levels are obtained when CDP holes are filled with water and a 30% concentration of iodine contrast media than those observed for air/Perspex or traditional CDP. As an example, when a 5-mAs beam is used the IQFinv values are 5.32 in the case of air filling the holes; however, when these holes are filled with water under the same conditions, the value of the IQFinv drops to 2.55, and to 2.83 when 30% of contrast media is used. Other concentrations were also tested. These results indicate that it is possible to extend the contrast scale in these phantoms to include ranges that are more realistic for a patient's body than just air and tissue-equivalent material. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the proposed extension of the contrast scales allows smaller changes in contrast to be discerned. This is due to the small attenuation differences of the subject materials (e.g, 30% contrast liquid and wax) from the traditional form of CDP (material/air). This suggests that the low form of the CDP may have a useful role in assessing image quality in planar radiology as an evaluation tool to better represent low-subject contrast imaging requirements.