Current status of periodontitis and its association with tobacco use amongst adult population of Sunsari district, in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco products are considered significant, but preventable factors related to initiation and progression of periodontal diseases. We assessed the prevalence of periodontitis and evaluated its association with tobacco use and other factors amongst the adult population of Sunsari district in eastern Nepal. METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in rural municipalities in the province one of eastern Nepal. A total of 440 adults were interviewed with a set of a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Data on social demographics, adverse oral habits followed by periodontal clinical examination were recorded. Prevalence of periodontitis was assessed by a case definition provided by CDC-AAP. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to measure the association between tobacco use and other factors with periodontitis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of periodontitis was found to be 71.6%. Majority (85.4%) of tobacco users had periodontitis and they were significantly associated with the disease and its severity. The study identified age groups, 45-65 years (AOR = 7.58, 95% CI 3.93-14.61), plaque accumulation (AOR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), smoking (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI 1.36-7.27), khaini users (smokeless tobacco, AOR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.12-4.61) and teeth loss (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.21-3.38) as the significant factors associated with periodontitis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of periodontitis is high in the surveyed rural adult population. Cigarette smoking along with the use of smokeless tobacco in the form of khaini were identified as significant factors associated with periodontitis.

Stability of Vaccines.

Vaccines are considered the most economical and effective preventive measure against most deadly infectious diseases. Vaccines help protect around three million lives every year, but hundreds of thousands of lives are lost due to the instability of vaccines. This review discusses the various types of instability observed, while manufacturing, storing, and distributing vaccines. It describes the specific stability problems associated with each type of vaccine. This review also discusses the various measures adopted to overcome these instability problems. Vaccines are classified based on their components, and this review discusses how these preventive measures relate to each type of vaccine. This review also includes certain case studies that illustrate various approaches to improve vaccine stability. Last, this review provides insight on prospective methods for developing more stable vaccines.

Unusual Presentation of Necrotic Erythema Nodosum Leprosum on Scalp: A Case Report.

Lepra reactions are acute episodes occurring during the disease process of leprosy and are of 2 types: type 1 or reversal reaction and type 2 reaction or erythema odosumleprosum (ENL). In the episodes of lepra reaction several parts are affected including face and extremities like oral cavity. In the present case report we reported a rare case of lepromatous leprosy with necrotic ENL involving scalp apart from the usual sites. A 58 year old married male presented to us with complaints of spontaneous onset, recurrent eruption of multiple reddish raised painful lesions. Biopsy from the infiltrated skin over the back showed atrophic epidermis, free Grenz zone, diffuse and periadnexal macrophage granulomas with predominant mononuclear infiltrate, appandageal atrophy, fibrosis around the neural structures and leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Fites stain showed strong positivity for M. leprae. His routine blood investigations showed anemia (Hb = 7.8 gm%), neutrophil leukocytosis (TLC = 17,600, DLC = P66L28M4E2) and raised ESR (80 mm in the first hour). These bullous and necrotic lesions in leprosy may be a manifestation of severe type II reactions in patients with very high bacillary load.

Lepromatous leprosy with an uncommon presentation: a case report.

28 yr old male presented with asymptomatic nodules and few well to ill defined papules on ears, asymmetrical nerve enlargement and evanescent tender nodules on the extremities without any infiltration of the skin and madarosis. Slit skin smear done from normal skin was BI 6+. Skin biopsy showed features of lepromatous leprosy.

Interrelationship between diabetes and periodontitis: a review.

Evidence for the link between periodontal disease and several systemic diseases is growing rapidly. Diabetes mellitus is a systemic disease with several major complications affecting both the quality and length of life causing morbidity and mortality. Periodontitis, one of these complications, is a chronic infection associated with substantial morbidity in the form of tooth loss and that affects the quality of life directly. The association between diabetes and inflammatory periodontal disease has been studied extensively. The relationship between these two conditions appears bidirectional. The presence of one condition tends to promote the other and the meticulous management of either may assist treatment of the other. It also provides a perfect example of a cyclical association, whereby a systemic disease predisposes the individual to oral infections, and once the oral infection is established, it exacerbates the systemic disease. This review focuses to explain the interrelationship between the two based on information in the literature and the potential common immunoregulatory connections involved, exploring the mechanisms through which periodontal infection can contribute to the low-grade general inflammation associated with diabetes.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of sugarcane crushers towards hand injury prevention strategies in India.

INTRODUCTION: Injuries of the hand have an enormous impact on hand function and on quality of life. Occupational injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in India and their incidence has been steadily increasing. Sugarcane crushers produce juice using dangerous procedures. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among sugarcane crushers in India and thus assist in the formulation of effective preventive strategies. SETTING: A block (area) in the Vellore District, South India (population 100 000). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All sugarcane crushers living in this area (n = 32) were included. A single observer, using a questionnaire, conducted personal on-site interviews. RESULTS: Carelessness was involved in 63% of injuries. Sixteen per cent felt that machines with improved safety features are required; 40% supported the use of special gloves, although 19% considered them a hindrance. Eighty eight per cent did not consider the long duration of work as a risk factor and 38% were fatalistic (God's will); 50% thought the injuries were due to "bad luck". CONCLUSION: Sugarcane crushers do not perceive the need for safer equipment. To overcome fatalistic views, and persuade this group to take other safety measures, safety education will need to take into consideration their socioeconomic and educational status.

Antimicrobial activity of extracts of eastern North American hardwood trees and relation to traditional medicine.

Wood and bark extracts of 14 eastern North American hardwood tree species which were used traditionally as medicine by First Nation's people were screened for antimicrobial activities with eight strains of bacteria and six strains of fungi. Eighty-six percent of the bark extracts were active against methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus; 71% against Bacillus subtilus and 79% against Mycobacterium phlei. The bark extract of Juglans cinerea was active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 187, Salmonella typhiumurium, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The wood extracts were less active: 72% were active against S. aureus (methicillin-sensitive), 36% against B. subtilus and 43% against M. phlei. Results from antifungal tests indicated that 36% of the extracts were active against at least one fungal strain and that bark extracts were more active than wood extracts. The bark extract from Juglans cinerea had the broadest spectrum of activities against Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum, and Aspergillus fumigatus. In general, the extracts were more active against gram positive bacteria than gram negative bacteria and against filamentous fungi than yeast-like fungi. The study also demonstrated a correlation between frequency of traditional medicinal use by the First Nations people and antimicrobial activity of extracts indicating that the traditional knowledge encompasses an understanding of aspects of chemical ecology.

Normal linear growth in hypophosphataemic bone disease.

A case of hypophosphataemic bone diseases is described. Despite prescribed phosphate (PO4) supplement and 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol therapy, serum PO4 levels have remained low with associated diminished theoretical renal threshold for phosphate (TmPO/GFR) over a seven and a half year follow up period. Linear growth, however, has been normal.

Kawasaki syndrome in 18 children in the west of Scotland.

Analysis of the case records of 18 children admitted to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow between June 1981 and May 1990 satisfied the diagnostic criteria of Kawasaki syndrome as published by Japan's Kawasaki disease research committee in September 1984. No aetiological agents were implicated. All children had cardiological work-ups including chest x-ray, ECG, 2-D echocardiography. Two children had gammaglobulin therapy and 16 had treatment with aspirin. All children except one recovered without sequelae. The child with right coronary artery aneurysm has since had successful coronary bypass surgery.

Effects of single and repeated electroconvulsive therapy sessions on plasma ACTH, prolactin, growth hormone and cortisol concentrations.

To study the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on hormone release, we measured circulating concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol (CORT) immediately before and at 2 min, 5 min, 15 min, and 30 min following ECT. Compared to pre-ECT concentrations, there were significant increases in post-ECT plasma ACTH, PRL and CORT. GH did not change consistently. No significant difference between unilateral and bilateral ECT was observed. Compared to the first ECT, repeated treatments were associated with a significant decrease in the magnitude of hormone surge. These hormonal changes induced by ECT may reflect changes at the neurotransmitter level.

Clinical trial of candanasava, in the treatment of urinary tract infection.

Candanasava gives significant relief to urinary tract infection. Like other Ayurvedic drugs Candanasava might be acting not merely as an urinary antiseptic but also as a host-modifying factor, thus rendering the host-urinary tract resistant to infection and making the bacterial infection pathogenetically less virulent.

Visceral leishmaniasis in a Scottish child.

A Scottish girl acquired visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) while on holiday in Majorca. She presented with the infection, six months later, in Scotland. Because of inexperience with the disease and a degree of scepticism unnecessary investigations were carried out resulting in a delay in treatment.

Paracetamol overdose in children.

The severity of paracetamol poisoning varies but in general, children are considered less susceptible to its toxic effects compared to adults. In this report we describe the relatively benign ingestion of paracetamol in children and also highlight a case of intrauterine exposure to a potentially toxic dose of paracetamol.