The effects of tramadol added to articaine on anesthesia duration.

OBJECTIVE: In this study the effect of tramadol added to articaine on the duration of anesthetic effect in a mandibular blockade was evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with patients experiencing pain after removal of an impacted mandibular third molar was conducted. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: group C (n = 24), control (C), articaine 4%, 1:100:000 epinephrine, 1.5 cartridges (2.7 mL) and saline (1 mL) into surgical site; group T, articaine 4%, 1:100:000 epinephrine, 1.5 cartridges (2.7 mL) and tramadol (T) 50 mg (1 mL) into the surgical site. The difficulty of the removal procedure, duration of the operation, and sensory blockade were also evaluated. RESULTS: The duration of the anesthetic effect elicited by articaine in group T (246.0; 140-287) was significantly longer than that in group C (124.5; 79-154 min). CONCLUSION: Tramadol can be used as an adjunctive drug in the management of pain since it improves the quality of transoperative anesthesia.     

Homology modeling of MT1 and MT2 receptors

Melatonin is a neurohormone synthesized and secreted mainly during the dark period of the circadian cycle by the pineal gland. It has already been proved to be involved in a number of chronobiological processes, most of them being mediated by its membranar receptors MT1 and MT2. Both are members of the GPCR class and, despite the interest they elicit, their 3D structure is still to be described. Models for both human MT1 and MT2 receptors have been constructed by homology modeling, using the X-ray structure of bovine rhodopsin as template. These models have been evaluated in terms of hydrophobic properties of the helices and refined to take into account the rearrangement of GPCRs necessary for their activation, thus leading to a putative activated model for each subtype.     

Heterotopic neuroglial tissue associated with bilateral palatine cleft

Isolated heterotopic lesions of neuroglial tissue may rarely present in the head and neck, or they may be associated with other congenital deviations. In this article we present the case of a 7-month-old patient with a central lesion that emerged through the anterior part of a bilateral palatine fissure.     

In vitro determination of the chromatic effect of a silver nanoparticles solution linked to the gantrez S-97 copolymer on tooth enamel

Silver nanoparticles (NNPs), alone or in combination with the bioadhesive Gantrez S-97, have demonstrated their efficacy against Streptococcus mutans; however, it is not known if this combination changes the color of teeth. The aim of this work was to measure the color changes occurring after the use of a Gantrez-NNP combination on enamel tooth blocks. Two study groups were randomly formed: enamel blocks brushed with (a) the Gantrez-NNP combination and (b) conventional toothpaste, for 1 minute once daily for 4 weeks, then rinsed with distilled water and placed in thymol solution. Color changes in the enamel blocks were measured using a Minolta colorimeter CR300. Analysis of mixed models was performed with R 2.10.1 at a 95% confidence level, using the nonlinear mixed effects (NLME) package. The results showed that there were no color changes over time, only a high luminosity equal in both groups. Our study showed that the use of the Gantrez-NNP combination is safe with respect to dental esthetics in the control of S. mutans.     

Postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder: prevalence and clinical characteristics

Objective

The principal aims of this study were to examine the prevalence rate, clinical characteristics, and related factors of postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method

The subjects were a nonclinical sample of 400 postpartum women. They were interviewed from the 2nd up to the 26th week after birth. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used for diagnosis of OCD, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Checklist was used to determine the types of obsessions and compulsions, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders was used to diagnose comorbid depressive episode.

Results

Thirty-six (9%) of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for OCD according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and 9 (2.3%) reported postpartum onset OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was more frequent in mothers with personal history of previous psychiatric disorder, somatic disease, or obstetric complication in pregnancy/birth, and who were multiparous. The most common obsessions were aggressive, contamination and miscellaneous, and compulsion for washing/cleaning and checking, and 38.9% have a comorbid depressive episode.

Conclusion

Women have increased risk of OCD or obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the postpartum period. For this reason, all women, particularly women with previous psychiatric history, somatic disease, or with complications in pregnancy or at the birth should be carefully screened for OCD in the postpartum period.     

Menstrual blood loss in women using the frameless FibroPlant LNG-IUS

Background

This study was conducted to report on a menstrual blood loss (MBL) study and iron stores in women with and without heavy menstrual bleeding using the frameless FibroPlant^® levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) for contraception.

Study design

An open, prospective, noncomparative MBL study, using FibroPlant^® releasing 14 mcg of LNG/day for contraception. MBL was assessed by the quantitative alkaline hematin (QAH) technique.

Results

The MBL study was conducted in 40 heavy and normally menstruating Brazilian women seeking contraception. MBL was reduced from a mean baseline menstrual volume of 29.7 mL to a mean volume of 1.5 mL after 24 months, while ferritin values increased from a mean value of 31.1 ng/mL (at baseline) to a mean level of 72.5 ng/mL (after 24 months of use). Differences were highly significant (p<.0005). There were no significant differences between those who had normal menstrual bleeding and the heavy bleeders. The heavy bleeders had comparable MBL to the normal bleeders 3 months after insertion, and by 24 months post-insertion, their ferritin levels were comparable to those of the normal bleeders. Amenorrhea occurred in 80% of women out of 40 after 24 months of use. No pregnancies were recorded.

Conclusion

The LNG-IUS is effective in reducing MBL in normally menstruating women as well as in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. The authors agree with the recommendations by the UK National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and the new Finnish guidelines for heavy menstrual bleeding that the LNG-IUS should be positioned as first-line treatment prior to endometrial ablation or hysterectomy.     

Characteristics of anticontraception methods used in São Paulo State,Brazil (correction)

OBJECTIVE: To analyze data on contraceptive use in the State of S?o Paulo, Brazil, collected by the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 1996. METHODS: The study data were compared to 1986 DHS and 1996 data on the Brazilian population. Contraceptive use among married or cohabiting women was evaluated focusing on age, number of children, schooling, and age and timing of female sterilization. Statistical analysis was performed using Student t-test and Kendall's non-parametric test. RESULTS: Unlike data on the Brazilian population, female sterilization rates were steady in the State of S?o Paulo during the studied period. The same contraceptive pattern is seen in both Brazil and S?o Paulo: women aged up to 30 years use largely pills; female sterilization predominates in women over 30, increasing with the number of children and decreasing with years of schooling. Male methods have also increased in recent years, being greater in S?o Paulo than in Brazil. S?o Paulo also shows a greater variety of reversible contraceptive methods. CONCLUSIONS: Although there were some differences, the prevalence of only two contraceptive methods in both Brazil and S?o Paulo suggests a tendency regarding the contraceptive methods offered and in reproductive health in the view of new regulations on family planning.