Learning from Covid 19 in a level 1 oral and maxillofacial trauma centre - Insights for the future.

The coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 has resulted in many confirmed cases around the world. Sars-CoV-2 remains viable and infectious in aerosols dispersed in air and is viable on surfaces up to several days. Symptomatic patients are the main reservoir for transmission. Evidence suggests that asymptomatic patients and patients during their incubation period can shed and transmit Sars-CoV-2. The infective potential can be reduced through the use of personal protective equipment. Healthcare professionals especially the oral maxillofacial surgeons are at increased risk of being infected by the virus. Oral maxillofacial injuries typically involve vital structures in the upper aerodigestive tract and are emergent. Facial trauma surgery cannot be delayed or deferred in a pandemic. This review focuses on precautions surgeons should adopt while managing facial trauma patients in the emergency department and whilst performing emergency surgeries on these patients during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Strict and effective infection control protocols for facial trauma management are needed to minimise this risk of transmission. This review was part of the lecture given by Professor Melvyn Yeoh at the 14th Asian congress on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery recently held virtually in Singapore due to the pandemic.

Scan and Learn: Quick Response Code Enabled Museum for Mobile Learning of Anatomy and Pathology.

In the past, medical museums played a significant role in anatomy and pathology training. The attraction of medical museums has declined recently due to the emergence of information technology and innovative medical curricula. An innovative mobile learning platform has been developed using quick response (QR) codes for the museum specimens at the Lee Kong Chain School of Medicine, Singapore. High-quality images of the potted specimens were captured and combined into an album and a video using Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 and Windows Movie Maker, respectively. Subsequently, QR codes were generated linking to PDF documents with annotations, pathology, and clinical history concerning the specimens. Quick response codes were piloted in gastrointestinal teaching module for Year 2 medical students. Survey responses were obtained from students to verify the efficacy of QR as a learning tool. The majority of students either agreed or strongly agreed that it was easy to access the information about the specimen with QR codes (4.47 ± 0.84), while 96% of students agreed that they are able to correlate the specimen with the annotated images (4.56 ± 0.56). The majority of students (78%) agreed that QR codes are useful for their learning (4.22 ± 0.87), while 75% of students felt QR codes motivate them to visit Anatomy Resource Centre. Most of the students agreed that QR codes are useful for revision of materials (4.13 ± 1.07) and independent learning (4.38 ± 0.87). These findings suggest that QR codes are not only effective for students learning but also enhance their exploration experience with the museum specimens.

The PDA and the oral maxillofacial surgeon.

The personal digital assistant (PDA) offers clinicians the ability to enter and manage clinical information at the point of care. The first part of this series examined the oral medicine and surgery resources available on the Internet. This article discusses the possibilities of PDA technology, in conjunction with the Internet, for oral maxillofacial surgeons to enhance their clinical practice.

Increased synaptosomal [3H] GABA uptake in the rat brainstem after facial carrageenan injections.

The aim of the present study was to quantify synaptosomal [(3)H] gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake in the rat brainstem after facial carrageenan injections. Synaptosomal preparations from the brainstem of rats that had received one or four facial carrageenan injections showed greater GABA binding on the side of the brainstem ipsilateral to the carrageenan injection than on the contralateral side when compared to saline injected controls. In contrast, no difference in GABA binding between the injected and contralateral sides was observed in the same synaptosomal preparations that had been treated with GABA uptake inhibitors NNC-711, beta-alanine, or nipecotic acid. The difference between GABA binding in the absence of the GABA uptake inhibitor and GABA binding in a portion from the same synaptosomal preparation which had been incubated with the GABA uptake inhibitor was obtained to represent [(3)H] GABA binding to GABA transporters/transporter mediated [(3)H] GABA uptake. A significantly greater GABA uptake was observed on the side of the brainstem ipsilateral to the carrageenan injection(s) than on the contralateral side. A consequence of the observed increase in GABA uptake is that it could reduce the amount of GABA in the synaptic cleft. This could influence the transmission of nociceptive input from primary afferents to secondary neurons in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and could be a contributing factor in the development of hyperalgesia after carrageenan injections or other chronic inflammatory conditions.