Comparative assessment of validity and reliability of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) frequency scale: a cross‐sectional survey among adolescents in Davanagere city,Karnataka, India

Abstract: Aim: To evaluate reliability and validity of an abbreviated version of the Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) questionnaire and to analyse the interrelationship between OIDP scores, socio‐demographic characteristics and oral health status among high school children in Davanagere city, Karnataka, India. Materials and methods: This cross‐sectional survey was conducted with 900 school children aged between 12 and 15. The subjects were randomly selected from six high schools. Selected subjects completed a survey instrument predesigned to measure subjective oral health indicators including the eight‐item OIDP frequency scores. The study participants were clinically examined for dental caries, and they completed a self‐administered questionnaire about demographic information and oral behaviours. Results: 44% of the students reported at least one oral impact in the previous 6 months. The reliability of the instrument was measured in terms of Cronbach’s alpha for the OIDP frequency. It was found to be 0.81. Eating was the most common performance affected (33%) followed by cleaning teeth (22%) and speaking (20%). The severity of impacts was low for relaxing and carrying out works. Conclusion: The OIDP frequency score has acceptable psychometric properties in the context of an oral health survey among high school children of Davanagere city, Karnataka, India.     

Clinical significance of low levels of myeloperoxidase positivity in childhood acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia

The clinical significance of a low percentage of myeloperoxidase- positive blast cells in childhood acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia was determined. Of 155 consecutive cases studied by cytochemical staining methods, 14 were characterized by 4% to 15% (median 6%) myeloperoxidase- positive blasts. All 14 cases showed reactivity to Sudan black B stain, and 7 had Auer rods. The morphological subtypes of leukemia were M1 (8 cases), M2 (3), M4 (1), and M5 (2). Immunological marker studies disclosed the lymphoid-associated T11 antigen on cells from 8 of the 11 cases tested. Other lymphoid-related findings in these 8 cases included the T3 antigen and E rosette formation in 1 case each. Among cases that were prospectively studied for the expression of lymphoid-associated markers, 6 of 8 with low levels of myeloperoxidase positivity compared with only 1 of 44 with higher levels (greater than 15%) possessed such features (P less than 0.001). We conclude that low levels of myeloperoxidase reactivity distinguish cases of acute leukemia in which the blast cells coexpress lymphoid (T11 antigen) and myeloid markers.     

A benign course of histiocytosis X

A case is reported of an accurate diagnosis of chronic histiocytosis X initiated with lung affection. The disease is characterized by a benign course for 7 years in the absence of treatment in spite of associated viral infection (hepatitis B virus) which is suggested to be one of causative factors of histiocytosis X.     

Biplane stereoscopic magnification cerebral angiography

An angiographic system capable of simultaneous biplane stereoscopic magnification cerebral angiography was evaluated. Stereoscopic imaging improved the morphologic depiction of aneurysms and of arteriovenous malformations. In a series of 357 patients, procedure time was reduced because the initial biplane stereoscopic series was nearly always diagnostic, obviating the need for additional angiographic views.     

Targeted screening for diabetes in community chiropody clinics

Population screening for diabetes mellitus is of uncertain value. We therefore assessed the value of screening amongst community chiropody clinic attenders in Liverpool. All attenders aged between 40 and 75 years during a 3-month period were offered screening by urine glucose self-testing, 2 hours post-prandially, backed up with glucose tolerance tests (GTT) for positive respondents. Of 1058 patients screened, 11 (1.0%) reported positive results, of whom four (0.4% of total) had diabetes, and two had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Screening costs were 11p per person, 2.06 pounds per 'positive' person, and 34.46 pounds for each newly diagnosed patient. The screening procedure was simple and highly cost-effective, but the diagnostic returns were only moderate. This may have been because of a high rate of known diabetes amongst the chiropody clinic attenders (17.3%). In view of this, routine widespread diabetes screening in chiropody clinics cannot at present be recommended.      

Body mass index development during the first 6 months of life in infants born to human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive mothers

The development of body mass index (BMI) was measured during the first 6 months of life in three groups of infants [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -uninfected, n = 92; later symptomatic HIV-infected, n = 18; early symptomatic HIV-infected, n = 9] born to HIV-positive mothers and compared with a reference group (n = 65) born to healthy mothers. A trend towards lower values in the two groups of HIV-infected infants was already evident at birth. Among the four groups, HIV-uninfected infants showed the highest BMI values while the early-infected infants showed the lowest BMI values at all measurements. The later-infected group had a value close to the reference at 1 month, and then increased at slower rates than the uninfected and the reference groups. Infants born to HIV-positive mothers may have higher energy and nutrient requirements after birth, either to sustain an increased BMI development (when uninfected) or to meet catabolic mechanisms (when infected).