The Effect of a Constant Electrical Field on Osseointegration after Immediate Implantation in Dog Mandibles: A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: The long time span between insertion of implants and functional rehabilitation often inconveniences patients. Accelerating bone growth around dental implants can shorten this time span. This in vivo study evaluated the effect of a constant electrical field on bone growth around dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four mongrel dogs were used in this study. Sixteen dental implants were placed immediately after extraction of the first premolar and molar teeth. A constant electrical field (CEF) generator was placed in the mucoperiostal pouch created from the subperiostral dissection under the inferior border of the dog's mandible and connected to the experiment side fixtures. CEF provided 3 V of electrical potential during osseointegration. Histologic sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and observed under light microscopy. The sections were analyzed histomorphometrically to calculate the amount of newly formed bone. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 11.0 computer software (alpha= 0.05). RESULTS: At the end of the first stage of the osseointegration (90 days) CEF group sections showed enhanced growth of the trabeculae compared with the control group. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between experimental and control groups. Bone contact ratio was statistically significant in the experimental group (p= 0.001). An increase in the local bone formation and bone contact ratio was observed with direct electrical stimulation of the implant and the bone area around the implant. CONCLUSION: Minimal direct electrical current, which can produce an electrical field around the implant, can increase the amount of bone formation and decrease the time of osseointegration.     

The last post? Defending nursing against the postmodernist maze

Is postmodernism in many ways the empiricist-liberal tradition at the inevitable end of its intellectual and political tether? Or is postmodernism the ‘laughter of genius’ that art and argument in their traditional forms are dead? Can postmodernism be applied to social and economic issues whilst carrying a denial of the manner by which Western thought has shaped these issues? Can postmodernism provide moral pathways to help us with contemporary ethical issues? How can postmodernist thought encompass the activities of nurses, particularly in the area of psychiatric care? Can nurses afford postmodernist suppositions in the face of suffering and pain? If postmodernism exists, does it exist everywhere (as does nursing) or is it a more localized event?     

A retrospective analysis of the risk factors for allergic reactions induced by the administration of oxaliplatin

This study retrospectively investigated the clinical features and risk factors of allergic reactions induced by oxaliplatin administration. This study investigated the incidence of allergic reactions and analysed the background and laboratory data in patients with colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy at Kyushu Medical Center between April 2012 and September 2012. A total of 62 patients were included in this study. The number of patients in the allergic and non‐allergic groups was 7 and 55 respectively. The incidence of allergic reactions was 11.3%. We compared the patients' characteristics and laboratory data between the two groups and found that the average dose of dexamethasone in the allergic group was significantly lower than that observed in the non‐allergic group (P = 0.0111). Furthermore, the incidence of allergic reactions in the group that received prophylaxis of less than 12 mg of dexamethasone was significantly higher than that observed in the group that received more than 12 mg of dexamethasone (P = 0.0103). In conclusion, a lower dexamethasone dose is a possible risk factor for allergic reactions induced by the administration of oxaliplatin; however, given the retrospective design used in this study, further validation of this finding is warranted.     

A case control study of sexual dysfunction in asian and non-asian couples 1981–1985

Thirty-one Asian clients referred to a well-established sexual dysfunction clinic between 1981 and 1985 were matched for age and sex with 31 non-Asian clients referred in the same period. These two groups were compared on a number of characteristics including type of presenting problem, marital status, referral source and therapy outcome. The findings are discussed in the light of differing sexual mores between the two cultures.     

Management of Great Vessels and Nerves in Limb‐Salvage Surgery for Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

In recent years, limb‐salvage surgery has gradually replaced amputations and become one of the main treatment strategies for patients with bone and soft tissue tumors of the extremities. The goals of tumor resection in limb‐salvage surgery are to reduce the recurrence rate and preserve as much limb function as possible. However, depending on the size and specific location of the tumor, large neurovascular bundles may be involved. In addition, management of large nerves and vessels can make wide marginal resection more difficult. Sites where these problems commonly arise include the sciatic and tibial common peroneal nerve, artery and vein in the lower limbs.     

Oral health referral trigger tools for people living with HIV

This study validated and compared two different Oral Health Referral Trigger Tools in the form of brief (3‐item and 5‐item) questionnaires designed to identify people living with HIV (PLHIV) with symptoms of oral disease requiring a dental referral from other health professionals. It was composed of a self‐completed questionnaire and oral screen by a dentist of a convenience sample selected from PLHIV attending two outpatient clinics for routine nondental care for HIV infection. The dental exam was completed by a single dentist at a third location. The one hundred participants were HIV positive, predominantly male and of Caucasian origin with a mean age of 45.6 years. Both referral tools were found to be valid and had adequate sensitivity to identify HIV positive subjects at risk of oral disease and facilitate appropriate referral by nondental health professionals to dental health service. When both tools were compared the 3‐item tool proved to be a more valid and sensitive indicator which could be easily applied by nondental staff to facilitate a dental referral.