ABSTRACT
AIM: The use of sealants is an effective measure for the prevention of pit and fissure caries in children and it has been well documented by several studies In order to plan and establish a preventive national programme, it is important to know the epidemiological pattern in an Italian paediatric population, correlated to the risk of caries, DMFT and other sociodemographic factors. METHODS: This study was conducted on 2,442 children aged between 6 and 12 years attending the paediatric dentistry department of the University of L'Aquila, Italy. In addition to the oral examination, a questionnaire was administered on bad habits and the family perception of sealing. For descriptive analysis, the sample was stratified into two groups based on the presence/absence of at least one tooth with sealant. The differences between discrete and nominal variables, reported as absolute and percentage frequencies, were assessed by applying the χ2 test or the Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. Continuous variables were expressed in terms of mean values and their standard deviation(±DS) and the differences between the two groups under consideration were analysed through Student's t-test. The tests used are two-way and a significance level of 5% was applied. The statistical analysis was carried out using the statistical package STATA/IC 15.0 (StataCorp LLC, Texas, USA). CONCLUSION: The application of sealants to healthy occlusal surfaces is the best aid in preventing the development of caries in these areas, and this is especially important in childhood and adolescence, when the incidence of this pathology is particularly high.
Subject(s)
Dental Caries , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Prevalence , Epidemiologic Studies , Dental Caries/epidemiology , Dental Caries/prevention & control , Italy/epidemiology , Research DesignABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: a) To examine the clinical utility of transcranial Doppler and continuous-wave Doppler in monitoring nonsurgical patients with severe intracranial disease until intracranial circulatory arrest and brain death; and b) to investigate if hemodynamic phenomena that occur under such conditions are correlated to specific transcranial Doppler and continuous-wave Doppler waveforms. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a city hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with Glasgow Coma Scores of < 7. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Transcranial Doppler examination was conducted transtemporally on the left- and right-middle cerebral artery four times daily. In all patients, transcranial Doppler waveforms exhibited high resistance profiles with low, zero, and then reversed diastolic flow velocity. Only three waveform patterns, consisting of diastolic reverse flow without diastolic forward flow, brief systolic forward flow, and undetectable flow in the middle cerebral artery were registered in the 22 brain-dead patients, but in none of the other comatose patients. CONCLUSION: Transcranial Doppler offers a noninvasive method to document deterioration of cerebral perfusion pressure and in the future could be included in protocols for brain death diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Brain Death/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Brain Death/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Glasgow Coma Scale , Humans , Intracranial Pressure , Italy/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
The delay in the diagnosis of brain death represents a cause of deficiency of organs for transplant. In this prospective study we evaluate the role of Doppler sonography, to investigate typical velocimetric profiles of brain death, and to evaluate the delay between finding the typical profiles and diagnosis expressed according to law. In this ongoing study, we evaluated 32 patients affected from serious primitive intracranial diseases (Glasgow Coma Scale < or = 7). Of the 32 patients examined, 18 underwent or still remained in brain death. All the patients showed typical profiles, classified in 3 fundamental types. Start of monitoring, according to the current law, showed a delay from 12 to 27 hours. The authors conclude that Transcranial Doppler and Doppler c.w. represent an early and sensitive technique, rightly to include in the procedure of the diagnosis of brain death.
Subject(s)
Brain Death/diagnostic imaging , Echoencephalography , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Brain Death/physiopathology , Cerebrovascular Circulation , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesSubject(s)
Flunarizine/pharmacology , Vascular Diseases/drug therapy , Adenosine/pharmacology , Aged , Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology , Female , Flunarizine/therapeutic use , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Male , Middle Aged , Neutrophils/drug effects , Theophylline/pharmacology , Vascular Diseases/physiopathologySubject(s)
Arterial Occlusive Diseases/drug therapy , Pyrrolidines/therapeutic use , Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use , Administration, Oral , Arterial Occlusive Diseases/blood , Blood Viscosity , Female , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Intermittent Claudication/blood , Intermittent Claudication/drug therapy , Lactates/blood , Lactic Acid , Male , Middle Aged , Physical Exertion , Pyrrolidines/administration & dosage , Vasodilator Agents/administration & dosageABSTRACT
We have demonstrated how conservation time affects whole blood filterability. The filtration index decay appears just after withdrawal and is present, with different characteristics, both at room temperature and at 37 or 4 degrees C. It is absolutely necessary to take measurements immediately after blood withdrawal.
