Oral health behavior and its relationship with dental caries status and periodontal status among 12-13 year old school children in Udaipur, India.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the oral health behavior and its relationship with dental caries status and periodontal status among 12-13 year old school children in Udaipur, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 514 children of 12-13 years old (306 (59.5%) Boys and 208 (40.5%) Girls) were surveyed using a Performa prepared with help of a self administered structured questionnaire written in English and validated through a pilot survey including 13 multiple choice questions to assess the oral health behavior and modified dentition status and CPI index for recording dental caries and periodontal status respectively. Frequency distribution, mean scores and standard deviation were calculated. The Student's t-test and chi-squared test were used as a test of significance. RESULTS: The mean percentage behavior scores among all were 64.34 ± 11.37, with no statistically significant difference in the behavior scores by age or gender. Dental caries was 18.9% with no statistically significant difference for the mean percentage behavior scores among the children with dental caries (63.79 ± 11.95) and those without dental caries (64.47 ± 11.24). Calculus was the most prevalent condition (50.6%) with significantly higher behavior (65.82 ± 11.05) among those with calculus than those with healthy periodontium (62.21 ± 11.02). CONCLUSION: To conclude, behavior at least in this sample of children does not appear to predict their actual oral health status. Though dental caries prevalence (18.9%) was low, the high prevalence of calculus (50.6%) found in present study indicates a need for oral health promotion including health education along with oral health care service provision.

"Liver clot" - a rare periodontal postsurgical complication.

Bleeding is a common sequela of oral and periodontal surgery. Generally, bleeding is self-limiting. Following traumatic injury or surgical procedures, hemorrhage can range from a minor leakage or oozing at the site, to extensive bleeding leading to complete exsanguinations. Significant postsurgical hemorrhage following periodontal surgery is uncommon due to the primary closure of the soft tissues. This case report describes the unique formation of a "liver clot" or "currant jelly clot" following periodontal flap surgery. The likelihood of this may be attributed to many factors, like infection, intrinsic trauma, presence of foreign bodies like splinter of bone, a fleck of enamel, or a piece of dental restorative dressing material that may cause repeated, delayed organization of blood coagulum.

Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate.

BACKGROUND: Terminalia arjuna, an Indian medicinal plant, has been reported to have beneficial effects in patients with ischemic heart disease in a number of small, open studies. The need for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with adequate sample size has long been felt. The bark extract (IPC-53) contains acids (arjunic acid, terminic acid), glycosides (arjunetin arjunosides I-IV), strong antioxidants (flavones, tannins, oligomeric proanthocyanidins), minerals. etc. and exhibits antifailure and anti-ischemic properties. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-eight males with chronic stable angina (NYHA class II-III) with evidence of provocable ischemia on treadmill exercise test received Terminalia arjuna (500 mg 8 hourly), isosorbide mononitrate (40 mg/daily) or a matching placebo for one week each, separated by a wash-out period of at least three days in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. They underwent clinical, biochemical and treadmill exercise evaluation at the end of each therapy which were compared during the three therapy periods. Terminalia arjuna therapy was associated with significant decrease in the frequency of angina and need for isosorbide dinitrate (5.69+/-6.91 mg/week v. 18.22+/-9.29 mg/week during placebo therapy, p<0.005). The treadmill exercise test parameters improved significantly during therapy with Terminalia arjuna compared to those with placebo. The total duration of exercise increased (6.14+/-2.51 min v. 4.76+/-2.38 min, p<0.005), maximal ST depression during the longest equivalent stages of submaximal exercise decreased (1.41+/-0.55 mm v. 2.21+/-0.56 mm, p<0.005), time to recovery decreased (6.49+/-2.37 min v. 9.27+/-3.39 min, p<0.005) and higher double products were achieved (25.75+/-4.81x10(3) v. 23.11+/-4.83x10(3), p<0.005) during Terminalia arjuna therapy. Similar improvements in clinical and treadmill exercise test parameters were observed with isosorbide mononitrate compared to placebo therapy. No significant differences were observed in clinical or treadmill exercise test parameters when Terminalia arjuna and isosorbide mononitrate therapies were compared. No significant untoward effects were reported during Terminalia arjuna therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Terminalia arjuna bark extract, 500 mg 8 hourly, given to patients with stable angina with provocable ischemia on treadmill exercise, led to improvement in clinical and treadmill exercise parameters as compared to placebo therapy. These benefits were similar to those observed with isosorbide mononitrate (40 mg/day) therapy and the extract was well tolerated. Limitations of this study include applicability of the results to only men with chronic stable angina but not necessarily to women, as they were not studied.

Stability of extemporaneously compounded spironolactone suspensions.

The short-term stability of spironolactone in liquid formulations prepared from spironolactone tablets was studied at three temperatures. Suspensions of spironolactone at concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/mL were prepared by grinding film-coated tablets to a fine powder, adding Purified Water, USP, triturating the mixture to form a fine paste, adding Cherry Syrup, NF, and homogenizing the suspension. Drug concentrations were immediately measured by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. Samples were stored in amber glass prescription bottles at 5 and 30 degrees C in controlled environmental cabinets and at ambient room temperature (20 to 24 degrees C) under intense fluorescent light. After two and four weeks of storage the bottles were shaken, and samples were removed and assayed by HPLC. There was no appreciable loss of spironolactone from the cherry syrup formulations stored for two weeks under the conditions studied. Degradation was less than 5% for samples stored for four weeks. Color and odor of the samples did not change appreciably, and counts of bacteria and fungi remained within acceptable limits. Extemporaneously prepared suspensions of spironolactone in Cherry Syrup, NF, are stable for four weeks under the conditions studied.

In vivo-in vitro correlations for trisulfapyrimidine suspensions.

A UV method is described for measuring total sulfa drug concentration in dissolution samples. This in vitro measurement was found to correlate well with several in vivo parameters obtained after administration of commercial trisulfapyrimidine suspensions to humans. The UV method, which is rapid, simple, inexpensive and easily automated, is recommended for studying the dissolution of trisulfapyrimidine suspensions.

Demographic impact of family welfare programme in the area covered by Rural Health Training Centre, Harsola Indore (Madhya Pradesh).

PIP: The authors attempt to evaluate the impact of the Indian family planning program on a population of around 56,000 in Harsola Indore, Madhya Pradesh, using data from a sample of 472 households with a population of about 3,000. Significant reductions in birth, death, and infant mortality rates between 1967 and 1977 were recorded. Of the sample surveyed, 51 percent were practicing family planning, including 25 percent who had adopted sterilization.^ieng

Bioavailability and dissolution behavior of trisulfapyrimidine suspensions.

The bioavailability of seven commercial trisulfapyrimidine suspensions was studied in 14 adult male volunteers. Fifteen blood samples were collected over a 48-hr period following administration of a 1-g dose of each suspension. Serum was assayed for each component (sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine) by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Analysis of variance indicated several significant differences among the seven commercial preparations with respect to Cmax Tmax, and AUC for sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine, The in vitro behavior of each suspension was then studied by the paddle method of the Food and Drug Administration. A 0.5-ml sample was introduced into 900 ml of hydrochloric acid (2.2 x 10(-4) M) at 37 degree and dissolved using a paddle speed of 25 rpm. Samples withdrawn at 15 and 30 min were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography, and the percent of sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine was calculated. Significant correlation was obtained between an in vivo parameter (Cmax for sulfadiazine) and an in vitro parameter (percent sulfadiazine dissolved in 30 min). Results indicate that this method is suitable for the in vitro screening of trisulapyrimidine suspensions.

Simple high-pressure liquid chromatographic determination of trisulfapyrimidines in human serum.

A simple and rapid high-pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine in human serum. After the trichloroacetic acid precipitation of the serum proteins, an aliquot of the supernate is injected into a high-pressure liquid chromatograph equipped with a reversed-phase microparticulate column and a fixed wavelength UV detector. For each of the three components of trisulfapyrimidines, a linear calibration curve was observed in the 1-30-microgram/ml range, with the precision of the assay estimated to be +/- 2% (RSD). Preliminary pharmacokinetic data are also presented.

Activated charcoal-carboxymethylcellulose gel formulation as an antidotal agent for orally ingested aspirin.

The in vivo effect on aspirin absorption of a potentially more palatable form of activated charcoal was compared to that of a simple aqueous slurry of activated charcoal. The experimental formulation consisted of 20.0 g of activated charcoal, 2.25 g of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and 42.8 ml of water; it was tested with and without chocolate syrup as a flavoring agent added just prior to administration. Six subjects were treated in crossover fashion following an aspirin dose of 972 mg. Total urinary excretion of salicylate was measured over 48 hours. Although all three treatments appeared to be effective in reducing the rate and extent of aspirin absorption, the slurry was significantly more effective in reducing the total amount absorbed than the charcoal-CMC gel with chocolate syrup. The slight difference in effectiveness between the gel formulation with and without the chocolate syrup was not significant.