Medicinal leech therapy on head and neck patients: a review of literature and proposed protocol.

OBJECTIVES: To this day, a standardized protocol for medicinal leech therapy does not exist. The purpose of this article was to review literature in the hope of proposing a unified, coherent, feasible, and safe protocol for using medicinal leeches when warranted. STUDY DESIGN: A literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, MDConsult, The Cochrane Library, OMIM, and Google. This was supplemented by a search for selected authors. Keywords used were medicinal leech therapy, leech therapy, leeching, replantation, thromboembolism, venous congestion, Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudotherapy, leech protocol, and Hirudo protocol. RESULTS: Based on titles and abstracts, 26 articles and 1 Web site were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Leech therapy can be an excellent alternative for the treatment of venous congestion in free flaps, pedicled flaps, and replanted tissues. Psychological precounseling, antibiotic therapy, number of leeches to be used, length of therapy, and laboratory checks should be taken into consideration before initiating therapy.

Effect of intermittent systemic administration of recombinant parathyroid hormone (1-34) on mandibular fracture healing in rats.

PURPOSE: To establish a rat mandibular fracture model and investigate the short- and long-term effects of recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-34) on mandibular fracture healing in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A controlled unilateral mandibular fracture was created surgically in 29 male Sprague-Dawley rats and then stabilized using an external fixation device. The rats were divided into 2 groups: 1 group received daily subcutaneous injections of 10 microg/kg of PTH(1-34) and 1 group served as the vehicle control. The rats were killed on postoperative days 7 and 21, and radiographic densitometry and histologic evaluation of new bone formation were performed. RESULTS: A novel unilateral mandibular fracture model was established that has significant differences from previously published models, both in the location of the osteotomy site and in the rigid external stabilization device. The PTH(1-34) treated rats showed a statistically significant difference (P < .05) in callous formation compared with the control animals. Radiographic densitometry evaluation of the injury site revealed an increase in bone density, apparent at day 7 in the experimental group. Visual inspection of the histologic sections stained with Masson's trichrome blue showed an apparent increase in new bone formation at 21 days in the PTH-treated group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent systemic administration of PTH(1-34) might enhance the healing of mandibular fractures in the early phase (7-day period). Long-term administration (21-day period) showed no statistically significant differences between the control and experimental group by radiographic densitometry.

Surgical tracheotomy.

Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure that dates back to early history and medical advancement. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon routinely operates around the airway and should be able to master this procedure by adhering to the surgical principles outlined in this article.

Abdominal fat harvest technique and its uses in maxillofacial surgery.

Abdominal fat harvest and augmentation to the maxillofacial region is a relatively inexpensive, safe, and readily available procedure. The use of abdominal fat free transfer has been well documented for cosmetic, trauma, and temporomandibular joint reconstruction. Fat is the closest we have to an ideal filler, it is readily available and inexpensive, it is autologous and therefore lacks a host immune response, it is safe and noncarcinogenic, and it is easily acquired with a minimally invasive procedure. Abdominal fat donor site is the most commonly used owing to ease of access and availability of fat stores. Complications are rare and easily managed in the office. Free abdominal fat harvest is a predictable surgical technique that allows the maxillofacial surgeon access to autologous graft material that is ideal for multiple facial procedures.

Malignant hyperthermia and its implications in general dentistry.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder. This abnormality in muscle metabolism can be triggered by a variety of agents (particularly general anesthetics and stress), resulting in a rapid heart rate increase, muscle rigidity, acidosis, temperature elevation, rhabdomyolysis, and renal failure. Immediate discontinuing of triggering agents, oxygenation, cooling, and dantrolene are necessary to treat an episode. MH-susceptible patients often indicate a positive family history of experiencing an adverse event during anesthesia. Few diagnostic tests are available to screen patients; the most accurate test is a skeletal muscle biopsy. MH-susceptible patients can undergo surgical procedures as necessary. Careful exploration of the medical history will allow the clinician to make the necessary modifications to treat and manage an episode expediently.

Perioperative management of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient patient: a review of literature.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzymatic disorder of red blood cells in humans. It is estimated that about 400 million people are affected by this deficiency. The G6PD enzyme catalyzes the first step in the pentose phosphate pathway, leading to antioxidants that protect cells against oxidative damage. A G6PD-deficient patient, therefore, lacks the ability to protect red blood cells against oxidative stresses from certain drugs, metabolic conditions, infections, and ingestion of fava beans. The following is a literature review, including disease background, pathophysiology, and clinical implications, to help guide the clinician in management of the G6PD-deficient patient. A literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, OMIM, and Google; this was supplemented by a search for selected authors. Keywords used were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, anesthesia, analgesia, anxiolysis, management, favism, hemolytic anemia, benzodiazepines, codeine, codeine derivatives, ketamine, barbiturates, propofol, opioids, fentanyl, and inhalation anesthetics. Based on titles and abstracts, 23 papers and 1 website were identified. The highest prevalence of G6PD is reported in Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the central and southern Pacific islands; however, G6PD deficiency has now migrated to become a worldwide disease. Numerous drugs, infections, and metabolic conditions have been shown to cause acute hemolysis of red blood cells in the G6PD-deficient patient, with the rare need for blood transfusion. Benzodiazepines, codeine/codeine derivatives, propofol, fentanyl, and ketamine were not found to cause hemolytic crises in the G6PD-deficient patient. The most effective management strategy is to prevent hemolysis by avoiding oxidative stressors. Thus, management for pain and anxiety should include medications that are safe and have not been shown to cause hemolytic crises, such as benzodiazepines, codeine/codeine derviatives, propofol, fentanyl, and ketamine. The authors of this article make 5 particular recommendations: (1) Anyone suspected of G6PD deficiency should be screened; (2) exposure to oxidative stressors in these individuals should be avoided; (3) these patients should be informed of risks along with signs and symptoms of an acute hemolytic crisis; (4) the clinician should be able to identify both laboratory and clinical signs of hemolysis; and finally, (5) if an acute hemolytic crisis is identified, the patient should be admitted for close observation and care.