Hepatitis C - contamination of toothbrushes: myth or reality?

Chronic hepatitis C patients are advised not to share toothbrushes, razors, nail-scissors or other personal articles that potentially may have been in contact with blood, with others. This study examines the contamination of toothbrushes in patients with chronic hepatitis C as a model for a possible unconventional way of transmission. In 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C, 2 mL of saliva (before and after toothbrushing) and the toothbrush rinsing water after toothbrushing were tested for HCV-RNA. Saliva before and after toothbrushing was positive for HCV-RNA in nine (30%) and 11 patients (36.7%), respectively. Twelve of the toothbrush rinsing water specimens (40%) tested HCV-RNA-positive. In six of these 12 patients, the 'native' saliva had been negative for HCV-RNA. Patients with HCV-RNA-positive toothbrush rinsing water showed no significant differences from those with negative rinsing water with respect to certain clinical, biochemical and virological parameters. In conclusion, our study demonstrates a contamination with HCV-RNA of a considerable portion of toothbrushes used by hepatitis C patients, suggesting at least a theoretical risk of infection by sharing these objects and strengthening the recommendations to take care of a clear separation of these personal care objects between patients and their household members.

[Prophylaxis of cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery. Observation of an application of Chibro-Amuno]. / Zur Prophylaxe des zystoiden Makulaödems nach Kataraktoperationen. Eine Anwendungsbeobachtung von Chibro-Amuno 3.

Report on the safety and efficacy of the prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor Chibro-Amuno 3 for the prevention of cystoid macular edema in 1,263 eyes operated on for cataracts by 70 different surgeons. The patients received the preparation from the day before the operation up to 12 weeks after. The number of women who underwent surgery was nearly twice as high as that of men. There was a frequency peak in age between 75 and 84 years. In 88.5% of all patients, removal of the lens was followed by implantation of an artificial lens, most commonly by a posterior-chamber lens. Extracapsular extraction was performed on nearly 70% of the eyes. Following intracapsular extraction, no artificial lens was implanted in only 13% of the cases. Complications occurred most frequently after phacoemulsification. Cystoid macular edema was found in only 17 patients (1.34%), and a related loss of vision occurred in 2 eyes. Preoperative risk factors appear to have played a role in the development of cystoid macular edema. We observed that it is more likely to develop after intracapsular than after extracapsular extraction. Furthermore, the risk increases with increasing surgery time, and a correlation exists between operation-related complications and the development of Irvine-Gass syndrome. Side effects were observed in 10% of the cases, most of them conjunctival complaints. Corneal damage attributed to Chibro-Amuno 3 healed without complications. Overall, the safety of the preparation is judged to be good.